The Mobile Money Agents Association of Ghana (MMAAG) on Tuesday indicated the groups willingness to support the Government to successfully implement the Electronic Transactions Levy tax (E-Levy). The association said it considered the payment of taxes as a major tool to drive the needed development and progress of any country and would thus collaborate with the government to boost the uptakes from the E-levy. The association made that commitment when its leadership met with President Akufo-Addo at the Jubilee House, Accra. That interaction was to officially introduce the MMAAG to the President and to present the challenges of the association in relation to the implementation of the E-levy. The Electronic Transaction Levy is a tax applied on transactions made on electronic or digital platforms. General Secretary of MMAAG, Evans Otumfuor told the President that despite the associations initial resistance to the E-Levy, it had come to the realization that tax was necessary for the countrys recovery from the recent current economic meltdown. We also understand that government will have to take drastic measures in drastic times. The e-levy has now been passed into law and all citizens must obey, so we here as allies, he said. Mr Otumfuor commended the government for reducing the levy from the initial 1.75 per cent to 1.5 per cent and for the exemptions provided. He however pressed that the Government took action to mitigate the attendant unintended challenges to their line of business, citing particularly the vexed issue of deductions made on the Mobile Money Agents accounts anytime funds are transferred to their bank accounts for purposes of accessing cash to serve customers. The MMAAG General Secretary expressed the associations readiness to work with the government to introduce policies to further develop the mobile money industry to create jobs and contribute to the development of the countrys economy. MMAAG is ready to partner government to bring more of these refreshing policies since the mobile money business is one of the areas governments can invest in to create more employment for the youth, he emphasized. President Akufo-Addo, on his part, commended the association for its sense of enterprise that has seen the growth of the mobile money market and the digitalization programme of the government. He said the mobile money sector, which began small, had now become a major part of the economy due to the effort of stakeholders like the MMAAG. The President welcomed the groups offer of partnership to ensure that the E-levy was appropriately administered. I am grateful for this offer of partnership to make sure that this controversial tax is successfully administered. I think it is appropriate that direct stakeholders like you voice out your concerns like you did. I welcome very much this offer of partnership, the idea of an alliance for us to work together to see how best this new tax can be implemented and developed, he said. MMAG is a body of individuals who own and operate mobile money and its related activities. The association is a representation of the over 300,000 Mobile Money Agents across the country. Source: UTV/myjoyonline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The Methodist Church Ghana has said that the church is not in any way associated with any political party and comments made by Rt. Rev. Stephen R. Bosomtwe Ayensu, the Superintendent Minister of the Amakom Circuit of the churchs Kumasi Diocese. Rt. Rev. Bosomtwe Ayensu is alleged to have attacked former President John Mahama for saying that he would repeal E-levy should he be voted as president of Ghana again. Bosomtwe Ayensu allegedly made the comments during the 25th Annual Synod of the Obuasi Diocese of the church in Obuasi, where he was previously a bishop. The church, in a press statement, said it is not associated with any political party and the comments made by Rt. Rev. Bosomtwe Ayensu that attacked Mahamas promise to repeal the E-Levy when he is voted back into power in 2025. They added that, the Presiding Bishop of the Methodist Church, Most Rev. Dr. Paul Kwabena Boafo, is the official spokesperson of the Church. Our attention has been drawn to some media publications on some statements made by the Rt. Rev Stephen R. Bosomtwe Ayensu, a past Methodist Bishop of the Obuasi Diocese. The said statement which was made during the 25th Annual Synod of the Obuasi Diocese sought to attack the position of His Excellency John Dramani Mahama, the former President of Ghana on the E-Levy. The Methodist Church Ghana wishes to notify the General Public that the Presiding Bishop is [not] the official Spokesperson of the Church. We, therefore appeal to our noble friends of the Media not to draw the name of The Methodist Church Ghana into the alleged statements made by the past Bishop and currently the Superintendent Minister of the Amakom Circuit of the Kumasi Diocese, portions of the statement issued by the church read. Read statement below Source: Isaac Kwame Owusu/Peacefmonline/[email protected] Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video It was an atmosphere of great joy, dancing and merrymaking for the children and caretakers of the Graceland Needy Childcare Shelter upon the arrival of the bus that transported the members of the "Myhelp-Yourhelp Foundation". The Christian Non-Profit Organization (NPO) gives to the needy all year round, but saw the occasion of Easter as befitting of showing love to the Childcare Centre. The foundation feted the children to sumptuous meals and good music. Their joy in receiving seemed unmatched, and could be likened to the joy one feels upon the realization of the significance of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, the giving of His very self to mankind many years ago, for which reason Christians commemorate Easter. The children did not only receive, they gave also, and displayed fascinating displays of talents such as cadet drills, choreography, Bible and poetry recitals amidst others. According to Mr. Jeff Kwashie, the project coordinator of Myhelp-Yourhelp foundation, they raised the issues of a tank to store water, school uniforms, furniture, stationeries and foodstuffs. They also sought for roofing sheets to complete the rest of the dormitories. We feel these are children who either have no parents or have been left on the streets to face the world on their own with their feeble hands. They are helpless, and very vulnerable." The donation on Easter Saturday, April 16 2022 was led by the founder of the foundation, Mr. Nicholas Cofie. He stated that the exercise forms part of their Corporate Social Responsibility. Items donated included bags of rice, bags of gari, bags of corn dough and cassava dough, cartons of milk, packs of bottled water, and packs of soft drinks, among others. Speaking after the donation, Miss. Sonia Oblitey (Director of MyHelp-YourHelp & Brand Ambassador of the USA branch) iterated that it is a pity to see such talented children living under unwholesome conditions. She made an appeal to all benevolent individuals and institutions to support the work of the foundation so that they could reach out to many more vulnerable children in the country. The founder of the foundation, Mr. Nicholas Cofie, said the foundation believes in spreading love, hope and smiles. For him, the Foundation was conceived and built on the teachings of Christian doctrines, hence their strong belief in seeing to the wellbeing of the underprivileged in society. He said the Foundation occasionally visits orphanages, prison establishments, rehabilitation centers, special schools, and deprived communities to impact the lives of the persons there. About Myhelp-Yourhelp Foundation Myhelp-Yourhelp Foundation is a group of working-class professionals (doctors, nurses, lecturers, security officers, engineers, entrepreneurs etc.) who have come together to pool resources so as to help alleviate the plight of the poor, needy and less privileged in society. This is done by the mobilization of funds both internally (contributions from members) and externally (getting sponsorship from organizations, benevolent individuals, and philanthropists). The NPO focuses on inspiring and empowering orphans, street children and the vulnerable in society, with the aim of improving their socio-economic status. Hence the slogan "Myhelp-Yourhelp Foundation!!! Caring for the Needy and Less privileged in Society" According to Mr Cofie, the NPO was established on March 21, 2018, at Adenta in Accra, purposely to help orphans and the needy, explaining that growing up as an orphan himself motivated him to establish the foundation to assist others. The foundation, prior to the project held over the Easter weekend, had successfully undertaken 7 orphanage projects and 8 Community based projects, 15 major projects in total since its inception on March 28, 2018. Source: Peacefmonline.com/Ghana Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Eight people were shot on the grounds of Jackson Park Tuesday night in two shootings about an hour apart, both south of the Jackson Park Lagoon, according to Chicago police. Six people were shot outside near the 6400 block of South Richards Drive around 10:30 p.m., police said. Investigators believe two men in an SUV opened fire on the group as the vehicle was traveling. They shot six people before the SUV sped away. Advertisement Injured were: A woman, 29, shot in the abdomen, taken to Jackson Park Hospital in good condition A man, 29, shot in the leg, taken to Holy Cross Hospital in good condition Four people were taken to University of Chicago Hospital with gunshot wounds, including: Advertisement A woman, 22, shot in the left knee, fair condition A woman, 37, shot twice in the chest, serious condition A woman, 30, shot in the leg, good condition A man, 21, graze wound to the head, good condition Authorities said the police report had not been finalized Wednesday morning, so additional details about where the victims were or what they were doing when the gunfire began could not be released. About an hour later, officers were again called to Jackson Park, this time closer to the lakefront. At 11:36 p.m. police were called to the 6500 block of Promontory Drive, between the Jackson Park Outer Harbor and 67th Street Beach, for a report that two people had been shot. In that shooting, a 30-year-old woman and a 27-year-old man were wounded. The woman, 30, suffered a gunshot wound to the leg and she was in good condition at Jackson Park Hospital. The 27-year-old man was shot once in the torso. He was taken to University of Chicago Medical Center; his condition was not released. Police said there were two gunmen in the shooting that wounded six people and one gunman in the shooting that left two people injured. Despite the proximity, authorities arent saying the two attacks are necessarily connected. We cannot confirm a link, as detectives are still investigating, police spokeswoman Kellie Bartoli said in an email. Check back for updates. Vice-President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia has gifted GH20,000 to Kwesi Ackon, an honest taxi driver who returned GH8,400 a passenger inadvertently left it in his car. The gesture comes after a video showing the moment Ackon handed over the cash to the rightful owner, who is a fish monger, went viral Wednesday, May 11. In the viral video, the woman and her entire family wept hardly after the driver showed up at her house and returned the money she had forgotten in his car. The video captured them hugging the honest driver and expressing surprise that he returned the money. After the video went viral, the honest driver had since been at the receiving end of encomiums from the owner of the money, her family, social media, and now the vice-president. Dr. Bawumia after chancing upon the video donated GH20,000 to reward Mr.Ackon for his honesty and exemplary show of integrity. The money was presented to him by award-winning investigative journalist, Manasseh Azure Awuni. The award-winning media personality also presented an additional GH2,500 from two other unnamed donors, bringing the amount to GH22,500. Later in an interview with the Fourth Estate, Mr Akon revealed that the incident happened on Easter Saturday, April 16. He recounts pulling up at Mallam Atta Market in Accra New Town around 8 pm, where a potential passenger had flagged him to a stop. The trader wanted a taxi to Teshie, and after negotiating a fare of 40, he began a trip to make sales to feed his wife and three children. He noted that after ending another day, he was checking through his car when he found a cloth tied over something. The cloth was dirty, like a rag. It smelled of fish. I wanted to throw it away, he said on Wednesday. But restrained by a bit of curiosity, he unwrapped it and found several notes. It was money. I didnt count the money; I just knew I had to return it. So after worshipping at my church, on Easter Sunday, I drove to Teshie to give it back. Asked what pushed him to do it, he said his religion, Christianity, did not permit him to do otherwise. If you are a Christian, you should always differentiate yourself from non-Christians, he told The Fourth Estate. View this post on Instagram A post shared by DITABHEY (@delay.ba) Source: instagram Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The Deputy Minister of Education, Gifty Twum Ampofo, has urged the youth to be entrepreneurs and stop looking for jobs in the public sector. According to her, "one thing I've realized in this country is that everybody wants to work in the public sector and they also want to become rich, but I've not seen any government worker become rich before . . . the rich people are in the private sector and that is why government has introduced the Ghana job and skills project and Youstart". Gifty Twum Ampofo who is also the Member of Parliament for Abuakwa North Constituency speaking during a panel discussion on Peace FM's morning show 'Kokrokoo' urged the youth to form joint ventures. "The youth are highly ambitious, they have to be realistic . . . they can form joint ventures and they can move forward. It'll be impossible for government to employ all of these graduates in the public sector," she added. Listen to her in the video below Source: Peacefmonline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Vice President, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, has made fun of the General Secretary of the opposition National Democracy Congress (NDC), Johnson Asiedu Nketia. According to the Vice President, the NDCs chief scribe must return to the University of Ghana Business School, for remedials. Dr Bawumia made this comment, while delivering an address at the launch of the 60th Anniversary Celebration of the University of Ghana Business School on Wednesday, May 11. Ladies and gentlemen, it is a great pleasure to be here today, representing the President of the Republic, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo at this major celebration. I am here as one of you, having been an academic myself, including teaching at a business school, in my previous life. I share in your joy, because sixty years of continuous operation that has produced prominent people in Ghana and the world of business is not a small feat. I think you should be very proud of yourselves for being trailblazers of this institution. It was like a who is who in Ghana. Even Asiedu Nketiah was part of it. But in his case, Dean, we may have to let him come back for remedial classes, he said. The Vice President also used the occasion to congratulate the School for its strides over the years, despite the difficulties that confront it, due to the resource inadequacy, coupled with the high expectations of stakeholders. He added that, the educational terrain is also fast becoming turbulent, and I believe there is the need for the premier business school in Ghana, to show leadership in this endeavour of providing management education. I genuinely believe that the University of Ghana Business School has the wherewithal to develop the necessary flair for setting the pace. Source: myjoyonline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Lee Ming-che spent more than four years in a Chinese prison under national security laws, saying authorities there operated 'a total slavery sweatshop' (AFP/Sam Yeh) A Taiwanese democracy activist, jailed in China for five years, on Tuesday described the court proceedings as a "fascist circus" and said he was told he might be released if he admitted to being a spy. Lee Ming-che spoke publicly for the first time since returning to Taipei last month, following a national security conviction that further strained already tense relations between Taipei and Beijing. The 47-year-old was jailed in central China in 2017 for "subverting state power" and said he faced long days of forced labour while in prison. He was arrested during a trip to the mainland and held incommunicado for months before his fate was revealed. Lee said Chinese national security officials demanded he confess to being an agent hired by the Taiwanese government, hinting that doing so would lead to a swifter release because the two sides had previously "swapped spies". "But I firmly refused to admit to the spying charge they wanted me to admit and instead I admitted to the ridiculous subversion charge," he told reporters. "Subversion is a personal act while spying implicates the whole Taiwanese government and I cannot betray my country," he added. China's opaque courts answer to the Communist Party and have a near-100 percent criminal conviction rate. National security cases are shrouded in even more secrecy than regular prosecutions. Lee pleaded guilty during his trial, stating that he had written and distributed articles online that criticised China's ruling Communist Party and promoted democracy. "We all know that the law in China is not used to protect people's rights, it's a tool to make the people unconditionally obey the state's rule," he said. "The so-called open trial is actually a fascist circus." - 'Slavery sweatshop' - Lee said he bought books and supplies and donated money to some Chinese political prisoners and their families, as well as visiting them on the mainland. Story continues "My actions are very normal in Taiwan or any democratic society... I didn't expect China would view my humanitarian acts as grossly as subverting state power," he said. He was sent to Chishan Prison in Hunan province where Lee said he initially had to work 11 to 12 hours daily all year round, except for a four-day lunar new year break. Food often smelt "rotten" when it cooled and he was initially without hot water during Hunan's bitter winters. "Chishan is like a big factory... It's a total slavery sweatshop," Lee said, adding the prison produces gloves, shoes, bags and backpacks. China's prisons have long deployed forced labour programmes for inmates, something that has received increased international scrutiny following the construction of a vast detention system in western Xinjiang province. Lee was accompanied Tuesday by his wife Lee Ching-yu who campaigned hard for her husband's release. Lee said he believed that campaign kept public focus on his case and helped improve his treatment. Asked if he had anything to say to the Chinese government, Lee replied with a pro-independence slogan in Taiwan: "Taiwan, China, one country on each side". China claims self-ruled democratic Taiwan as its own and vows to seize it one day, by force if necessary. Beijing has ramped up pressure on Taiwan since President Tsai Ing-wen came to power on the island in 2016, as she views Taiwan as an "already independent" sovereign nation and not part of Chinese territory. aw/jta/aha/reb A sculpture commemorates the Indigenous people of Uruguay in the capital of Montevideo. Archeological evidence for human settlement of the area goes back 10,000 years. Credit: Maximasu via Wikimedia Commons The first whole genome sequences of the ancient people of Uruguay provide a genetic snapshot of Indigenous populations of the region before they were decimated by a series of European military campaigns. PNAS Nexus published the research, led by anthropologists at Emory University and the University of the Republic, Montevideo, Uruguay. "Our work shows that the Indigenous people of ancient Uruguay exhibit an ancestry that has not been previously detected in South America," says John Lindo, co-corresponding author and an Emory assistant professor of anthropology specializing in ancient DNA. "This contributes to the idea of South America being a place where multi-regional diversity existed, instead of the monolithic idea of a single Native American race across North and South America." The analyses drew from a DNA sample of a man that dated back 800 years and another from a woman that went back 1,500 years, both well before the 1492 arrival of Christopher Columbus in the Americas. The samples were collected from an archeological site in eastern Uruguay by co-corresponding author Gonzalo Figueiro, a biological anthropologist at the University of the Republic. The results of the analyses showed a surprising connection to ancient individuals from Panamathe land bridge that connects North and South Americaand to eastern Brazil, but not to modern Amazonians. These findings support the theory proposed by some archeologists of separate migrations into South America, including one that led to the Amazonian populations and another that led to the populations along the East coast. "We've now provided genetic evidence that this theory may be correct," Lindo says. "It runs counter to the theory of a single migration that split at the foot of the Andes." The archeological evidence for human settlement of the area now known as Uruguay, located on the Atlantic coast south of Brazil, goes back more than 10,000 years. European colonizers made initial contact with the Indigenous people of the region in the early 1500s. During the 1800s, the colonizers launched a series of military campaigns to exterminate the native peoples, culminating in what is known as the massacre at Salsipuedes Creek, in 1831, which targeted an ethnic group called the Charrua. At that time, the authors write, the term Charrua was being applied broadly to the remnants of various hunter-gatherer groups in the territory of Uruguay. "Through these first whole genome sequences of the Indigenous people of the region before the arrival of Europeans, we were able to reconstruct at least a small part of their genetic prehistory," Lindo says. The work opens the door to modern-day Uruguayans seeking to potentially link themselves genetically to populations that existed in the region before European colonizers arrived. "We would like to gather more DNA samples from ancient archeological sites from all over Uruguay, which would allow people living in the country today to explore a possible genetic connection," Lindo says. The Lindo ancient DNA lab specializes in mapping little-explored human lineages of the Americas. Most ancient DNA labs are located in Europe, where the cooler climate has better preserved specimens. Less focus has been put on sequencing ancient DNA from South America. One reason is that warmer, more humid climates throughout much of the continent have made it more challenging to collect usable ancient DNA specimens, although advances in sequencing technology are helping to remove some of these limitations. "If you're of European descent, you can have your DNA sequenced and use that information to pinpoint where your ancestors are from down to specific villages," Lindo says. "If you are descended from people Indigenous to the Americas you may be able to learn that some chunk of your genome is Native American, but it's unlikely that you can trace a direct lineage because there are not enough ancient DNA references available." Further complicating the picture, he adds, is the massive disruption caused by the arrival of Europeans given that many civilizations were destroyed and whole populations were killed. By collaborating closely with Indigenous communities and local archeologists, Lindo hopes to use advanced DNA sequencing techniques to build a free, online portal with increasing numbers of ancient DNA references from the Americas, to help people better explore and understand their ancestry. Explore further The ancient genomes of the Tsimshian indigenous people left tell-tale markers on the trail of their past More information: John Lindo et al, The genomic prehistory of the indigenous peoples of Uruguay, PNAS Nexus (2022). John Lindo et al, The genomic prehistory of the indigenous peoples of Uruguay,(2022). DOI: 10.1093/pnasnexus/pgac047 Cambodian fishermen on the Mekong River inadvertently hooked an endangered giant freshwater stingray four metres long and weighing 180 kilos. Cambodian fishermen on the Mekong River got a shock when they inadvertently hooked an endangered giant freshwater stingray four meters long and weighing 180 kilos, scientists said on Wednesday. The female leviathan, one of Southeast Asia's largest and rarest species of fish, was caught by accident last week in Stung Treng province when it swallowed a smaller fish that had taken a baited hook. An international team of experts on the US-funded Wonders of the Mekong project worked with the fishermen to unhook the ray before weighing and measuring it and returning it unharmed to the river. The giant Mekong is a crucial habitat for a vast array of species large and small, but project leader Zeb Hogan, a fish biologist from the University of Nevada, said the river's underwater ecosystem was poorly understood. "They are unseen worlds, underappreciated and out of sight," he said in a statement issued by his university. More than 1,000 fish species call the Mekong home and the stingray is not the only giant lurking in the muddy watersthe giant catfish and giant barb also reach up to three meters long and 270 kilos in weight. The study group said in the statement that the remote location where the ray was caught has pools up to 80 meters deep and could harbor even bigger specimens. The giant Mekong is a crucial habitat for a vast array of species large and small. But they also warned that underwater video footage showed plastic waste even in the deepest stretches of the Mekong, along with "ghost nets"abandoned by fishers but still able to snare fish. Environmentalists have long voiced concerns about dam building along the Mekong River that will destroy fish stocks. The famous waterway starts in China and twists south through parts of Thailand, Laos, Myanmar, Cambodia and Vietnam, feeding 60 million people through its basin and tributaries. Explore further Nest of endangered giant softshell turtle found in Cambodia 2022 AFP Bottled purified water for households in the Philippine. Analysis shows lack of access to safe water or adequate infrastructure, coupled with health concerns, drove up sales of bottled water worldwide during the pandemic. Credit: Brian Evans, (CC BY-ND 2.0) Families in some of the poorest parts of the world turned to buying bottled water as the pandemic sent countries into lockdown, with larger chunks of incomes being spent on drinking water, SciDev.Net analysis shows. Lack of access to safe water or adequate infrastructure, coupled with health concerns, drove up sales of bottled water worldwide. However, nations with service-focused economies saw drops in plastic bottle sales, as tourists and office workers were forced to stay home. Bottled water production grew by 25.6% from 2019 to 2020 in Cameroon, and jumped another 24% between 2020 and 2021, according to data supplied by market research organization Euromonitor International. Helene Kenmegne-Siaka, communications director of the Anonymous Society of Breweries From Cameroon, the parent company of the Cameroon Mineral Water Corporation, said there was a spike in demand for bottled water after lockdowns were announced, as households rushed to secure supplies. Kenmegne-Siaka said new brands were entering the market each year and driving competition. "Concern about healthy consumption and taking care in this time of pandemic is probably an another factor," she told SciDev.Net. Environment specialists warned that the increase in bottled water sales could lead to higher levels of plastic pollution. Hellen Dena, from Greenpeace Africa, said that in urban areas, plastic bottles clogged waterways and caused flooding. "Plastic pollution is overflowing African landfills. Oceans and rivers are filled with plastic bottles," she said. In 2017, plastic bottles produced by drinks companies emerged as the most commonly found plastic in beach clean-ups, making them major sources of marine pollution, international oceans research and conservation group Oceana said in a report. However, many communities have no choice but to rely on bottled water. In Yemen, the production of bottled water has nearly doubled, rising from 4 million liters in 2018 to 8 million liters in 2021, according to Khaled Sharaf El Din, a researcher at the Water and Environment Center at Sana'a University. Bottled water consumption has increased in the past two years as the number of production companies has increased, while outbreaks of the waterborne disease cholera, as well as COVID-19, have driven the need for safe drinking water. In Syria, water filtration plant owner Ahmed Al-Aslan told SciDev.Net that the pandemic drove up sales of bottled water in Idlib. He said that before the pandemic, he sold about 15,000 liters of water per day, which rose to between 20,000 and 25,000 liters a day after the outbreak of COVID-19. Idlib resident Anwar al-Hassan said he was forced to buy 10 liters of bottled water a day for his family of five. "I need US$20 per month for bottled water, and my salary is only US$150," he said. In Mexico City, bottled water sales increased 140% in the first half of 2020, according to a study by the Metropolitan Autonomous University. Research lead Delia Contreras said that low-income households spent 15% of their income on bottled water before the pandemic; this rose to 36% after the outbreak of COVID-19, she said. But this was accompanied by a shift in the sizes of bottles purchased. With convenience markets, bars and street vendors closed across Latin America and most people at home during lockdowns, fewer small bottles were purchased and more 10 liter and 20 liter containers were bought. The extent to which communities trust their public or private water suppliers is one factor in the rise or fall of bottled water sales, say analysts. "The way in which water is managed, whether as private property or as a basic resource for the achievement of a human right, has a great impact on the trust of people in drinking water services and in their predisposition to consume tap or bottled water," Joaquin Deon, a geographer at Argentina's University of Cordoba told SciDev.Net. Asia Pacific is the world's largest market for bottled water, due to lack of access to safe water as well as rising awareness of health and well-being, according to Euromonitor International. But some countries in the region saw reductions in bottled water sales in the early months of the pandemic. In India, bottled water saw dramatic declines in sales, as about half of water companies' sales are made to offices and airlines, and the hotel, restaurant and catering sector, according to the Trade Promotion Council of India. As companies such as Manila Water permanently closed during lockdowns in the Philippines, bottled water consumption rose by 5%to 2.8 million literswhen the government eased quarantine restrictions in 2021. In its 2021 World Water Development report, the United Nations said the Asia Pacific region had the lowest per capita water availability in the world, with the region home to 60% of the world's population, but only 36% of water resources. The international community has prioritized access to clean water and sanitation. Achieving global access to safe drinking water, sanitation and hygiene in 140 low- and middle-income countries will require a total investment of US$1.7 trillionor US$114 billion per year from 2016 to 2030the UN said, citing a World Bank report. Explore further Pandemic saw sales of bottled water dip in Asia Pacific Provided by SciDev.Net Credit: CC0 Public Domain The world is on track to breach a key global warming threshold, according to a new report. There's now a 50-50 chance that the world will warm by more than 1.5 degrees Celsius over the next five years. In 2015, chances were near zero. Moreover, between now and 2026, there's a 93% likelihood that one of the next five years will be the warmest on record, knocking 2016 out of its current No. 1 spot, the World Meteorological Organization said in its report, released late Monday. Even though the 1.5 degree C increase wouldn't lastthis timeit could still cause irreversible changes, the scientists said. This echoed warnings in a February report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, which laid out 127 ways that conditions could get worse, some permanently. The WMO tapped the knowledge of the world's top climate scientists and culled data from 11 forecast centers and their highly accurate prediction systems to arrive at the conclusion in the report, the Global Annual to Decadal Climate Update. "The 1.5C figure is not some random statistic," WMO Secretary-General Prof. Petteri Taalas said in a statement accompanying the report. "It is rather an indicator of the point at which climate impacts will become increasingly harmful for people and indeed the entire planet." The 1.5 deg C is the lower number arrived at by the Paris Agreement on Climate Change, which set long-term goals for all countries to reduce global greenhouse gas emissions so that temperatures would not rise above 2 deg C. Even the 1.5 deg C poses a risk, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has said. While the prediction was grim, reaching this 1.5 deg C threshold is not the same as hitting the one signed onto in the Paris Agreement, scientists not involved in the report told The Associated Press. The Paris Agreement's figure would take much longer to know, given that it's a long-term average covering 20 to 30 years, they said. "This is a warning of what will be just average in a few years," Cornell University climate scientist Natalie Mahowald, who was not part of the forecast teams, told AP. "A single year of exceedance above 1.5C does not mean we have breached the iconic threshold of the Paris Agreement, but it does reveal that we are edging ever closer to a situation where 1.5C could be exceeded for an extended period," said lead author Leon Hermanson of the United Kingdom's Meteorological Office, which coordinated the team. The temperatures the report used are "a little warmer" than what NASA and the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) use, NASA climate scientist Gvain Schmidt told AP, adding that he thought 10 years was a more accurate window. What scientists did agree on was the need to keep reducing emissions. "For as long as we continue to emit greenhouse gases, temperatures will continue to rise. And alongside that, our oceans will continue to become warmer and more acidic, sea ice and glaciers will continue to melt, sea level will continue to rise, and our weather will become more extreme," Taalas said. "Arctic warming is disproportionately high, and what happens in the Arctic affects all of us." Explore further Earth given 50-50 chance of hitting key warming mark by 2026 2022 New York Daily News. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Synchronized laser pulses (red and blue) generate a burst of real and virtual charge carriers in graphene that are absorbed by gold metal to produce a net current. We clarified the role of virtual and real charge carriers in laser-induced currents, and that opened the way to the creation of ultrafast logic gates, says Ignacio Franco, associate professor of chemistry and physics at the University of Rochester. Credit: University of Rochester illustration / Michael Osadciw A long-standing quest for science and technology has been to develop electronics and information processing that operate near the fastest timescales allowed by the laws of nature. A promising way to achieve this goal involves using laser light to guide the motion of electrons in matter, and then using this control to develop electronic circuit elementsa concept known as lightwave electronics. Remarkably, lasers currently allow us to generate bursts of electricity on femtosecond timescalesthat is, in a millionth of a billionth of a second. Yet our ability to process information in these ultrafast timescales has remained elusive. Now, researchers at the University of Rochester and the Friedrich-Alexander-Universitat Erlangen-Nurnberg (FAU) have made a decisive step in this direction by demonstrating a logic gatethe building block of computation and information processingthat operates at femtosecond timescales. The feat, reported in the journal Nature, was accomplished by harnessing and independently controlling, for the first time, the real and virtual charge carriers that compose these ultrafast bursts of electricity. The researchers' advances have opened the door to information processing at the petahertz limit, where one quadrillion computational operations can be processed per second. That is almost a million times faster than today's computers operating with gigahertz clock rates, where 1 petahertz is 1 million gigahertz. "This is a great example of how fundamental science can lead to new technologies," says Ignacio Franco, an associate professor of chemistry and physics at Rochester who, in collaboration with doctoral student Antonio Jose Garzon-Ramirez '21 (Ph.D.), performed the theoretical studies that lead to this discovery. Lasers generate ultrafast bursts of electricity In recent years, scientists have learned how to exploit laser pulses that last a few femtoseconds to generate ultrafast bursts of electrical currents. This is done, for example, by illuminating tiny graphene-based wires connecting two gold metals. The ultrashort laser pulse sets in motion, or "excites," the electrons in graphene and, importantly, sends them in a particular directionthus generating a net electrical current. Laser pulses can produce electricity far faster than any traditional methodand do so in the absence of applied voltage. Further, the direction and magnitude of the current can be controlled simply by varying the shape of the laser pulse (that is, by changing its phase). The breakthrough: Harnessing real and virtual charge carriers The research groups of Franco and of FAU's Peter Hommelhoff have been working for several years to turn light waves into ultrafast current pulses. In trying to reconcile the experimental measurements at Erlangen with computational simulations at Rochester, the team had a realization: In gold-graphene-gold junctions, it is possible to generate two flavors"real" and "virtual"of the particles carrying the charges that compose these bursts of electricity. "Real" charge carriers are electrons excited by light that remain in directional motion even after the laser pulse is turned off. "Virtual" charge carriers are electrons that are only set in net directional motion while the laser pulse is on. As such, they are elusive species that only live transiently during illumination. Because the graphene is connected to gold, both real and virtual charge carriers are absorbed by the metal to produce a net current. Strikingly, the team discovered that by changing the shape of the laser pulse, they could generate currents where only the real or the virtual charge carriers play a role. In other words, they not only generated two flavors of currents, but they also learned how to control them independently, a finding that drastically augments the elements of design in lightwave electronics. Logic gates through lasers Using this augmented control landscape, the team was able to experimentally demonstrate, for the first time, logic gates that operate on a femtosecond timescale. Logic gates are the basic building blocks needed for computations. They control how incoming information, which takes the form of 0 or 1 (known as bits), is processed. Logic gates require two input signals and yield a logic output. In the researchers' experiment, the input signals are the shape or phase of two synchronized laser pulses, each one chosen to only generate a burst of real or virtual charge carriers. Depending on the laser phases used, these two contributions to the currents can either add up or cancel out. The net electrical signal can be assigned logical information 0 or 1, yielding an ultrafast logic gate. "It will probably be a very long time before this technique can be used in a computer chip, but at least we now know that lightwave electronics is practically possible," says Tobias Boolakee, who led the experimental efforts as a Ph.D. student at FAU. "Our results pave the way toward ultrafast electronics and information processing," says Garzon-Ramirez '21 (Ph.D.), now a postdoctoral researcher at McGill University. "What is amazing about this logic gate," Franco says, "is that the operations are performed not in gigahertz, like in regular computers, but in petahertz, which are one million times faster. This is because of the really short laser pulses used that occur in a millionth of a billionth of a second." From fundamentals to applications This new, potentially transformative technology arose from fundamental studies of how charge can be driven in nanoscale systems with lasers. "Through fundamental theory and its connection with the experiments, we clarified the role of virtual and real charge carriers in laser-induced currents, and that opened the way to the creation of ultrafast logic gates," says Franco. The study represents more than 15 years of research by Franco. In 2007, as a Ph.D. student at the University of Toronto, he devised a method to generate ultrafast electrical currents in molecular wires exposed to femtosecond laser pulses. This initial proposal was later implemented experimentally in 2013 and the detailed mechanism behind the experiments explained by the Franco group in a 2018 study. Since then, there has been what Franco calls "explosive" experimental and theoretical growth in this area. "This is an area where theory and experiments challenge each other and, in doing so, unveil new fundamental discoveries and promising technologies," he says. Explore further Quantum physics sets a speed limit to electronics Officers work the scene where five people were shot, one fatally, on the 4800 block of South Ada on May 10, 2022, in Chicago. (Armando L. Sanchez / Chicago Tribune) A 19-year-old was killed and four other teenagers were injured in a shooting in the Back of the Yards neighborhood Tuesday afternoon, police said. Officials responded to reports of a shooting at West 48th and South Ada streets about 4:30 p.m. The 19-year-old man was pronounced dead at the scene after being shot in the head and on the left side of his body, police and fire officials said. Advertisement Police officers tried to administer first aid to those injured, said Don Jerome, a 9th District commander with the Chicago Police Department. They were met by a hostile crowd, he said, adding that people started fighting with police officers. Advertisement Two people are in custody for fighting with officers, Jerome said. The victims were standing outside when a red Mazda, which police say was stolen, drove by and people from inside the car got out and started shooting. They got back in the car, fled the scene and crashed a few blocks away near the 4500 block of South Marshfield Avenue, Jerome said. Police are still looking for the people who were in that car, but they recovered two weapons from the car, Jerome said. A third weapon was recovered from the shooting scene, he said. A 16-year-old boy was shot in the left shoulder, arm, face and ankle and was taken to the University of Chicago Medical Center in critical condition, police said in a media notification. An 18-year-old man was shot in the right hip and left knee and taken to Mount Sinai Hospital in critical condition, police said. An 18-year-old man was shot in the right leg and taken to U. of C. Medical Center in good condition. And a fifth victim, a 16-year-old boy, sustained a graze wound to the right ankle. Police say he refused medical attention. Later, reporters and community members heard about nine gunshots a few blocks from a media staging area. Police said ShotSpotter detected gunshots on the other side of the railroad tracks meaning south of 49th Street, but it was too soon to know whether that was related to the earlier shooting. Advertisement Residents sat on their front porches and on the steps of a store on the corner of West 48th Street and South Loomis Boulevard talking about the shootings in their community. One resident who lives a couple blocks from where Tuesdays shooting happened, said he hears gunshots several times a week and theyve become more frequent since a close friend was shot in April. The man asked not to be identified, fearing retaliation. He has five kids, four of them between 5 months and 4 years old, and the oldest is 15. The kids played on the sidewalk in front of their apartment Tuesday evening after walking back from the corner store with snacks and drinks in hand. The man said hes lived in the neighborhood for 15 years. On Tuesday afternoon, he said heard 40 to 50 gunshots coming from down the street where the five people were shot. I dont want my kids to go through the same thing that I grew up with, he said. But what can we do with the high rents going on in Chicago? We dont got no other options than to move into gang infested areas. He said the gun violence in Chicago isnt just parents fault, its also societys problem. Communities need more programs to keep youth off the streets, he said. Advertisement If they see different then theyll get taught different, he said. Other than that, its still gonna be the same cycle over and over and over. He said he worries about his familys safety. If I come out my door is it gonna be me next? he said. The shootings have become more frequent since the April 6 shooting of his friend, the man said. According to a media notification from police, a 30-year-old man was shot to death in the 4800 block of Loomis at 9:16 a.m. April 6. The man was inside a parked car when an SUV approached and someone inside opened fire. Near the scene of the April 6 shooting, tall candles with saints, Jesus and the Virgin Mary line a wooden fence, along with wine bottles used as vases for dying roses, a tequila bottle and a liquor bottle. A wooden cross with a rosary and pink ribbon leaned against the fence above the candles. Advertisement At the door of the home, mail overflowed the mailbox, some envelopes lying on the steps leading up to the porch. Down the block, as police were leaving Tuesdays shooting scene around 7 p.m., Mexican banda music blasted from someones backyard as some neighbors went back inside, and others continued to chat on their front porch. Chicago Tribunes Rosemary Sobol contributed. Anthropogenic activities have led to increased amounts of mercury being discharged into aquatic systems, where it accumulates in fish as methylmercury, an organic form of mercury that is neurotoxic. Eventually, the mercury makes its way up the food chain and enters the human body. In light of the dangers of methylmercury accumulation, researchers from Korea monitored five artificial lakes to identify the sources and accumulation patterns of methylmercury in sediment and fish. Credit: Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology (GIST) During the 1950s and 1960s, Minamata Bay in Japan was the site of widespread mercury poisoning caused by the consumption of fish containing methylmercurya toxic form of mercury that is synthesized when bacteria react with mercury released in water. Mercury poisoning caused deaths and widespread neurological disorders, as well as intergenerational harm as many of the survivors had children with birth defects. As methylmercury was stored in fish, it continued to remain in the food chain long after the discharge of mercury into the environment has ceased. The dangers posed by methylmercury to unborn children have concerned Eunji Jung, a Ph.D. student who works in the Trace Metal Biogeochemistry Laboratory at the Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology (GIST). "As the health of infants and children is an important issue for all women, I felt great responsibility as a female scientist while conducting this research," explains Jung. As part of a program to assess the methylmercury levels in aquatic systems in Korea, Jung and her colleagues under the guidance of GIST Professor Seunghee Han monitored mercury levels in five artificial reservoirs between 2016 and 2020. "We analyzed total mercury and methylmercury concentrations in water and sediment, and total mercury concentrations in common fish species. Data from the national water quality monitoring network were used to comprehensively understand the temporal and spatial variations in reservoir conditions; this was necessary to analyze the transport and fate of mercury," explains Prof. Han. Their findings were made available online on 5 January 2022 and were subsequently published in the journal Chemosphere in April 2022. They found that most of the mercury in the reservoirs originated from soil in the catchment areas. In reservoirs with shorter water residence time, i.e., from which water was frequently discharged, the major source of methylmercury was surface runoff. In reservoirs with longer water residence time, where water was stored longer, the source of the toxin was accumulated methylmercury in the sediment. Methylmercury in sediments was also the source of mercury in fish, and higher mercury concentration were found in fish from reservoirs with longer residence times. The researchers explain that it is possible to reduce mercury contamination in reservoir fish by preventing accumulation of methylmercury in the reservoir's sediment. They suggest increasing the rate of water discharge from reservoirs to accomplish this. "Reducing the synthesis rate of methylmercury by controlling the water residence time should ultimately exert a positive effect on human health," observes Jung. Continuous monitoring of reservoir water quality might help detect human activity-induced changes in mercury levels and lower methylmercury poisoning due to fish consumption. Explore further New research sheds light on mercury pollution in estuaries, food chain More information: Eunji Jung et al, Importance of hydraulic residence time for methylmercury accumulation in sediment and fish from artificial reservoirs, Chemosphere (2022). Eunji Jung et al, Importance of hydraulic residence time for methylmercury accumulation in sediment and fish from artificial reservoirs,(2022). DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2022.133545 Provided by GIST (Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology) A preserved echidna from the newly discovered collection by William Caldwell. Credit: Jacqueline Garget Jars of tiny platypus and echidna specimens, collected in the late 1800s by the scientist William Caldwell, have been discovered in the stores of Cambridge's University Museum of Zoology. At the time of their collection, these specimens were key to proving that some mammals lay eggsa fact that changed the course of scientific thinking and supported the theory of evolution. This unique collection had not been catalogued by the museum, so until recently staff had been unaware of its existence. The exciting find was made when Jack Ashby, Assistant Director at the museum, was doing research for a new book on Australian mammals. "It's one thing to read the 19th-century announcements that platypuses and echidnas actually lay eggs. But to have the physical specimens here, tying us back to that discovery almost 150 years ago, is pretty amazing," said Ashby. He added, "I knew from experience that there isn't a natural history collection on Earth that actually has a comprehensive catalog of everything in it, and I suspected that Caldwell's specimens really ought to be here." He was right: Three months after Ashby asked Collections Manager Mathew Lowe to keep an eye out, a small box of specimens was found in the museum with a note suggesting they were Caldwell's. Ashby's investigations confirmed this was indeed the case. Until Europeans first encountered platypuses and echidnas in the 1790s, it had been assumed that all mammals give birth to live young. The question of whether some mammals lay eggs then became one of the biggest questions of 19th-century zoology, and hotly debated in scientific circles. The newly discovered collection of little jars represents the huge scientific endeavor that went into solving this mystery. "In the nineteenth century, many conservative scientists didn't want to believe that an egg-laying mammal could exist, because this would support the theory of evolutionthe idea that one animal group was capable of changing into another," said Ashby. He added, "Lizards and frogs lay eggs, so the idea of a mammal laying eggs was dismissed by many peopleI think they felt it was degrading to be related to animals that they considered 'lower life forms.'" Platypus specimen in the Cambridge University Museum of Zoology. Credit: University of Cambridge The newly discovered collection includes echidnas, platypuses and marsupials at varying life stages from fertilized egg to adolescence. Caldwell was the first to make complete collections of every life stage of these speciesalthough not all of the specimens have been found in the museum. For 85 years, European naturalists had been attempting to find proof that platypuses and echidnas lay eggsincluding by asking Aboriginal Australiansbut any results they sent home were ignored or dismissed. William Caldwell was sent to Australia in 1883with substantial financial backing from the University of Cambridge, the Royal Society and the British Governmentto resolve the long-standing mystery. In an extensive search, Caldwell collected around 1,400 specimens with the help of a large group of Aboriginal Australians. In 1884 the team eventually found an echidna with an egg in her pouch, and a platypus with one egg in her nest and another just about to be laid. This was the definitive proof Caldwell had been looking for, and the news was sent around the world. The colonial scientific establishment was apparently only willing to accept this result now that it had been confirmed by "one of their own." Ashby says that over the last two centuries, scientists have consistently belittled Australian mammals by describing them as strange and inferior. He believes that this language continues to affect how we describe them today, and undermines efforts to conserve them. "Platypuses and echidnas are not weird, primitive animalsas many historic accounts depict themthey are as evolved as anything else. It's just that they've never stopped laying eggs," he said, adding, "I think they're absolutely amazing and definitely worth valuing." Assistant Director of the University Museum of Zoology in the stories. Credit: Jacqueline Garget Jack Ashby, Assistant Director of University Museum of Zoology, holds a newly discovered Caldwell specimen. Credit: Jacqueline Garget Newly discovered echidna specimen collected by William Caldwell. Credit: Jacqueline Garget Newly discovered echidna specimen, suspected to have been collected by William Caldwell. Credit: Jacqueline Garget Newly discovered echidna specimen collected by William Caldwell. Credit: Jacqueline Garget The quill-covered echidnas are the most widespread mammal in Australia. They cover the whole continent and have adapted to live in all climatesfrom snow-covered mountains through to the driest deserts. Platypuses are one of the only mammals that can detect electricity, and one of the only mammals to produce venom. With a tail like a beaver, a flat bill, and webbed feet like a duck, when the first specimens were brought to Europe people thought they were fakes that had been sewn together. Both platypuses and echidnas have a unique combination of traits that 19th-century scientists thought should only exist individually in either mammals, reptiles or birds. This made them central to debates around evolution. Ashby's new book, "Platypus Matters: The Extraordinary Story of Australian Mammals," is published in the UK on 12 May, 2022 by HarperCollins. Explore further Origin story of mysterious monotremes revealed Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain Modern computers use electrons to process information, but this design is starting to reach theoretical limits. However, it could be possible to use magnetism instead and thereby keep up the development of both cheaper and more powerful computers, thanks to work by scientists from the Niels Bohr Institute (NBI) and University of Copenhagen. Their study is published in the journal Nature Communications. "The function of a computer involves sending electric current through a microchip. While the amount is tiny, the current will not only transport information but also contribute to heating up the chip. When you have a huge number of components tightly packed, the heat becomes a problem. This is one of the reasons why we have reached the limit for how much you can shrink the components. A computer based on magnetism would avoid the problem of overheating," says Professor Kim Lefmann, Condensed Matter Physics, NBI. "Our discovery is not a direct recipe for making a computer based on magnetism. Rather we have disclosed a fundamental magnetic property which you need to control, if you want to design a such computer." Quantum mechanics halt acceleration To grasp the discovery, one needs to know that magnetic materials are not necessarily uniformly oriented. In other words, areas with magnetic north and south poles may exist side by side. These areas are termed domains, and the border between a north and south pole domain is the domain wall. While the domain wall is not a physical object it nevertheless has several particle-like properties. It is an example of what physicists refer to as quasi-particles, meaning virtual phenomena which resemble particles. "It is well established that one can move the position of the domain wall by applying a magnetic field. Initially, the wall will react similarly to a physical object which is subjected to gravity and accelerates until it impacts the surface below. However, other laws apply to the quantum world," Kim Lefmann explains. "At the quantum level, particles are not only objects they are also waves. This applies to a quasi-particle such as a domain wall as well. The wave properties imply that the acceleration is slowed down as the wall interacts with atoms in the surroundings. Soon, the acceleration will stop totally, and the position of the wall will start to oscillate." Swiss hypothesis provided inspiration A similar phenomenon is seen for electrons. Here, it is known as Bloch oscillations named after the American-Swiss physicist and Nobel laureate Felix Bloch who discovered it in 1929. In 1996 Swiss theoretical physicists suggested that a parallel to Bloch oscillations could possibly exist in magnetism. Nowa little more than a quarter of a century laterKim Lefmann and his colleagues managed to confirm this hypothesis. The research team has studied the movement of domain walls in the magnetic material CoCl 2 2D 2 O. "We have known for a long time, that it would be possible to verify the hypothesis, but we also understood that it would require access to neutron sources. Uniquely, neutrons react to magnetic fields despite not being electrically charged. This makes them ideal for magnetic studies," Kim Lefmann tells. Boost for research in magnetics Neutron sources are large-scale scientific instruments. Worldwide, only some twenty facilities exist and competition for beam time is fierce. The team has only now managed to get enough data to satisfy the Nature Communications editors. "We have had beam time at NIST in U.S., and ILL in France respectively. Fortunately, the conditions for magnetic research will improve greatly as the ESS (European Spallation Source, ed.) becomes operational in Lund, Sweden. Not just will our chances for beam time become better, since Denmark is a co-owner of the facility. The quality of the results will become roughly 100 times better, because the ESS will be an extremely powerful neutron source," says Kim Lefmann. To clarify, he emphasizes that even though quantum mechanics is involved, a computer based on magnetism would not be a type of quantum computer. "In the future, quantum computers are expected to be able to tackle extremely complicated tasks. But even then, we will still need conventional computers for the more ordinary computing. This is where computers based on magnetism might become relevant alternatives as better than current computers." More information: Ursula B. Hansen et al, Magnetic Bloch oscillations and domain wall dynamics in a near-Ising ferromagnetic chain, Nature Communications (2022). Journal information: Nature Communications Ursula B. Hansen et al, Magnetic Bloch oscillations and domain wall dynamics in a near-Ising ferromagnetic chain,(2022). DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-29854-9 This is a snapshot taken from a numerical simulation of the two-dimensional Wilson-Cowan model with stochastic input (Eq. (3) in our paper). Yellow (blue) pixels represent high (low) activity. Credit: Tiberi et al. Past neuroscience research suggests that biological neural networks in the brain could self-organize into a critical state. In physics, a critical state is essentially a point that marks the transition between ordered and disordered phases of matter. Researchers at the Julich Research Centre, RWTH Aachen University, and Sorbonne Universite have recently introduced a theory that could help to explain criticality in the brain. This theory, introduced in a paper published in Physical Review Letters, is based on a prototypical neural field theory, known as the "stochastic Wilson-Cowan equation." "Previous works have provided evidence that the brain operates at a critical point," Lorenzo Tiberi, Jonas Stapmanns, Tobias Kuhn, Thomas Luu, David Dahmen, and Moritz Helias, the researchers who carried out the study, told Phys.org, via email. "Yet, it is unclear which of the many possible types of criticalities is specifically implemented by the brain, and how the latter may exploit criticality for optimal computation." To classify the different types of criticality physicists typically use methods within the so-called renormalization group (RG). These are essentially formal approaches that can be used to systematically investigate changes in a physical system at different scales. Abstract figure illustrating the renormalization group (RG) approach. When observing the system on increasingly coarser length scales (indicated by the concentric circles and the arrow in front of the brain), the strength of the nonlinear interactions (represented by the Feynman diagram on the left) decreases only slowly and in particular remains distinct from zero even on large spatial scales (curve with colored dots). Background: same as figure 1 but different color scheme. Credit: Tiberi et al. In their study, the researchers adapted these traditional methods and integrated them with a prototypical neuronal field model first proposed by Wilson and Cowan. They then specifically applied them to the field of neuroscience to examine criticality in biological neural networks. "In our work, we study the well-established Wilson-Cowan equations with stochastic input, so the model we use is not new," Tiberi, Stapmanns and their colleagues said. "However, using RG techniques, we arrive at an original result." To complete computational tasks, cognitive tasks that involve calculations, the human brain needs to be able to memorize the input data it receives and then combine it in complex ways. This in turn allows it to process the information and solve the computational problem. "We discovered that criticality in the Wilson-Cowan neural field model is of the Gell-Mann-Low type, which, among all types of criticality, specifically offers an optimal balance between memorizing input data and combining it in complex ways," Tiberi, Stapmanns, and their colleagues said. Figure illustrating the investigation of the models computational capabilities. A stimulus (structured input) is added to the system (with spatial coordinates x and y) which evolves through time t while the network is also driven by stochastic input (noisy drive). A linear readout is trained to reconstruct or classify the input stimulus from a snapshot of the activity in the system. The reconstruction task tests the memory of the system, whereas the classification task requires nonlinear interactions. Credit: Tiberi et al. Using RG methods, the researchers managed to study the effects of nonlinear interactions in the Wilson-Cowan model, which are crucial to understanding how the brain processes information. This is a remarkable achievement, as the mean-field methods used by other teams in the past were unable to capture these effects, particularly when interactions are strong enough to shape brain dynamics on a macroscopic scale. "We expect that RG methods will be of use to study other non-linear processes in neuronal networks," the team explained. "Moreover, we draw connections to other areas of physics: The concept of Gell-Man-Low criticality originates from quantum field theory and the Kardar-Parisi-Zhang model, which closely relates to our model, has originally been used to describe dynamic growth of interfaces." In the future, the theory introduced by this team of researchers could be used to examine various other brain dynamics and neural processes, reaching beyond criticality. In addition, it could ultimately pave the way toward the introduction of other theoretical constructs merging physics and neuroscience. "In the brain, the strength of connections between neurons is highly variable to an extent that in a first approximation it can be described as random," the researchers added. "We now plan to apply our methods to neural models that include this feature and see what effect this has, if any, on the type of criticality we find." Explore further Optimizing neural networks on a brain-inspired computer More information: Lorenzo Tiberi et al, Gell-MannLow Criticality in Neural Networks, Physical Review Letters (2022). Journal information: Physical Review Letters Lorenzo Tiberi et al, Gell-MannLow Criticality in Neural Networks,(2022). DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.128.168301 2022 Science X Network Credit: CC0 Public Domain A new study from researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health found that the estimated average rate of officer-involved shootings increased by 12.9 percent in 10 U.S. states that relaxed restrictions between 2014 and 2020 on civilians carrying concealed firearms in public. The study, published online May 10 in the Journal of Urban Health, examined the impact of changes to state laws for civilians carrying concealed firearms and, using statistical modeling, estimated what would have happened if the laws had not changed. Some states allow civilians to carry a concealed firearm with no permit, while other states require a permit to carry a concealed one. For their analysis, the researchers identified 11 states that adopted measures allowing individuals to carry concealed firearms without a permit from 2014 to 2020. The researchers removed one state from their analysisOklahomabecause of poor model fit. The researchers assessed the impact of lifting the permitting requirement on officer-involved shootings by comparing a state that had changed its law to a pool of 26 comparison states that still had permitting requirements to carry concealed weapons in place. For each state that had dropped the requirement, the researchers generated a comparative "synthetic" state based on data from before the new law went into effect to estimate the impact of adopting a permitless carry law on officer-involved shootings. The researchers measured the effect of law adoption in each of the 10 states and then pooled the results to examine what happened overall. The study estimates that four of the 10 statesIdaho, Mississippi, Missouri, and West Virginiahad significantly higher average rates of officer-involved shootings after dropping permit-to-carry requirements. Missouri had the highest number of additional victims (12.7 per six months) above what would have been expected had the law not changed. West Virginia saw an additional 2.8 victims per six months, followed by Idaho (3.5 additional victims) and Mississippi (2.6 additional victims). The estimated rate of officer-involved shootings did not significantly change in the remaining six statesKansas, Kentucky, Maine, New Hampshire, North Dakota, and South Dakota. About 1,000 civilians are killed each year by a law enforcement officer in the United States, more than 90 percent by firearms, according to an analysis by Everytown for Gun Safety. Most civilians shot in police-involved shootings are armed with firearms, according to previous studies. Prior research also found higher rates of officer-involved shootings are positively associated with state-level firearm ownership. "The trend of more states allowing civilians to carry concealed guns without a permit may be influencing the perceived threat of danger faced by law enforcement," says Mitchell Doucette, Ph.D., MS, assistant scientist in the Bloomberg School's Department of Health Policy and Management, core faculty member in the Center for Gun Violence Solutions, and the study's lead author. "This could contribute to higher rates of fatal and nonfatal officer-involved shootings." Currently, 25 states do not require civilians to have a permit to carry a concealed firearm. Another 17 states require local law enforcement to issue civilians a permit to carry a firearm if they meet criteria based on criminal history or training requirements. The remaining eight states leave civilian concealed-carry permitting to the discretion of local authorities. For their study, the researchers used data from the Gun Violence Archive, an open-access database that collects daily information from over 7,500 sources on gun violence in the U.S., including media, law enforcement, and government agencies. The authors note that the analysis has limitations. The true burden of officer-involved shootings in the U.S. might be undercounted, as there is no systematic data collection for this category of shootings. The source used for the paper, the Gun Violence Archive, provides data on fatal and non-fatal officer-involved shootings from a range of sources, including media reports. As such, the data may not capture all. "States that require individuals who want to carry a loaded, concealed firearm in public to get a license can determine what kinds of training standards or additional criminal history criteria should be considered," says co-author Cassandra Crifasi, Ph.D., MPH, associate professor and deputy director of the Center for Gun Violence Solutions at the Bloomberg School. "Allowing individuals to carry firearms without a permit removes those standards and creates an opportunity for untrained or risky individuals to carry guns in public." More information: Officer-involved shootings and concealed carry weapons permitting laws: Analysis of Gun Violence Archive Data, 20142020, Journal of Urban Health (2022). Students from the Islamic University in Uganda's female campus studying the human body. A recent report into gender parity in education indicates lack of data on science education from low-income countries. Credit: Islamic University in Uganda. A leading report into gender parity in education has found a complete lack of data on science education from low-income countries, exacerbating a situation where pockets of "extreme exclusion" still exist. The UNESCO report, "Deepening the debate on those still left behind," analyzed primary and secondary education data from 120 countries, but only 28 of the 82 low- and low-middle-income countries were represented, and there was no assessment data for science in any low-income country. Limited data collecting capacity and a lack of systematic national assessments for students prevent researchers from having a complete picture of how learning outcomes are developing in the global South, said Manos Antoninis, director of the UNESCO Global Education Monitoring (GEM) unit, which published the report on 27 April. And science may also be seen as a lesser priority than reading and math. "There is a good enough sample to give us a good sense of where things are, but it's far from comprehensive," Antoninis told SciDev.Net. "What you really need is a longer term [data monitoring] program so that [policymakers] can better inform their education policies." The report highlights significant progress in attendance and enrolment in education in the last 20 years, with a gender gap of less than one percentage point in primary and secondary education. But in some countries in Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia, girls' participation lags considerably behind, while learning outcomes are poor for both sexes. 20 years "Many girls in rural areas affected by poverty in Sub-Saharan Africa are still fighting against seemingly closed doors to gain access to education," writes UNESCO director Audrey Azoulay in a foreword to the report. "In the most extreme case, girls are outright deprived of learning in Afghanistan, sending us back 20 years." While boys fare better than girls in math in early education, in later years the gap is reduced and sometimes reversed, even in the poorest countries, according to the report. It also notes that gender gaps in reading and math are strongly correlatedwhen girls outperformed boys in mathematics, they also strongly outperformed them in reading. This may explain the lower probability of girls pursuing careers in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM), despite their attainment advantage over boys in many countries, Antoninis said. They may enjoy even higher comparative advantages in reading and opt for careers relating to those strengths, the report suggests. Societal norms However, the data does not fully capture gender barriers such as societal norms and stereotypes, he added. "There is the potential for stereotypes, and for biases that may make us believe that [girls] are more efficient in one subject than in the other," he said. The report cites previous research which found that personal attitudes towards education as well as "situational" barriers such as poverty were the most significant factors leading to girls in Malawi, Nigeria and Sierra Leone leaving school early. "The main source of exclusion is norms that still take the education of girls as second rate, because girls and women are expected to be responsible for families and men are supposed to be the breadwinner," said Antoninis. Nur Nabihah Hashim is a teacher training specialist who leads the Girls in Engineering, Math and Science (GEMS) and Agents of Tech programs at Malaysia's Arus Academy, a learning-focused social enterprise. She believes that challenges in increasing STEM enrolment are typically due to a lack of role models, highlighting as an example the small percentage of women globally who have chosen a career in data and artificial intelligence. "We need to ensure girls don't only choose STEM careers, but that they also choose to stay in those areas," she told SciDev.Net. Rana Dajani, a professor of biology and biotechnology at Hashemite University in Jordan, founded a non-profit organization that promotes child literacy. She says that in many Middle-Eastern countries women are overrepresented in tertiary education, but don't necessarily go on to pursue STEM careers. "What non-governmental organizations can do is dispel these myths about how there's one way of success that's male-centric," she told SciDev.Net. "They can be the facilitator that brings UN agencies, governments, women from different fields of practice into a discussion about changing mindsets." Explore further Girls excel in language arts early, which may explain the STEM gender gap in adults Provided by SciDev.Net Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain With smoggy Southern California poised to miss a critical clean air goal next year, local regulators are now threatening to sue the Environmental Protection Agency, saying the federal government has made their job "impossible." The South Coast Air Quality Management District recently notified EPA Administrator Michael Regan that it intends to sue the agency for violating the Clean Air Act unless it agrees to adopt new regulatory strategies that would curtail pollution from federal sources, including ocean-faring cargo ships, trains, out-of-state trucks and airplanes. The notice marks a tense new chapter in the district's 20-year struggle to meet a federal standard set in 1997. If Southern California fails to meet those standards in 2023which is all but certainfederal authorities may impose severe penalties, such as the withholding of certain transportation funds. Although state and local regulators have made considerable progress in curbing smog-forming emissions since 1980, that progress has leveled off in recent years. As a result, Southern California has sought repeated deadline extensions from the EPA. Three years ago, when it was evident the air district would fall short of the Clinton-era benchmark, AQMD called on the EPA to set cleaner standards for trucks, trains and ships visiting California. The EPA has yet to act on that request, however. "Even if we were to have zero emission for all of the stationary sources in our region, we would not be able to come into attainment," Wayne Nastri, the air district's executive officer. "And so this really speaks to the need for the federal government to stand up." Although new federal emission reductions would be welcome by environmental groups, some observers criticized the move as an eleventh-hour gambit that was unlikely to result in substantial air quality improvements by next year. "If you're a breather in the region, it's pretty outrageous what's happening," said Adrian Martinez, senior attorney for Earthjustice, an environmental nonprofit based in San Francisco. "In 2007, these agencies came together and put together a plan saying, 'Hey, trust us, we'll solve this problem.' Fast forward 12 years, they say, 'Oh, here's our contingency plan when we don't meet the standard.'" The South Coast air districta 6,700-square-mile basin spanning Los Angeles, San Bernardino, Riverside and Orange countieshas long held the title as the smoggiest region in the nation. Since 1979, the air district has not been in compliance with any of the several federal standards for ozone, the lung-searing gas commonly known smog. The air district's legal threat has highlighted the unique challenge of regulating air pollution in Southern California. No fewer than three government agencies are tasked with overseeing air quality for the region's nearly 18 million residents. They include the local air district, which regulate emissions from major polluters, such as power plants and oil refineries, within their borders; the California Air Resources Board, which regulates in-state cars, trucks and off-road equipment; and the EPA, which has oversight over interstate and international travel and commerce. Failure to comply with federal standards could result in a variety of sanctions. In addition to the potential loss of billions of dollars in federal highway funds, businesses could face new challenges when they seek permits from the district. "These (permitting) hurdles are pretty highso high we think it would effectively result in a permit moratorium in our areas," said Sarah Rees, a deputy executive officer at the air district. "That would mean new businesses or existing businesses that want to make modifications would be unable to get permits to be able to do that." In the April 15 letter to the EPA, the air district's general counsel Bayron T. Gilchrist argued it would be unfair to penalize the South Coast for its inability to comply. Without federal intervention, the only way state and regional officials could meet the air quality standard would be to eliminate emissions from all buildings, power plants, industrial facilities, and state-regulated vehicles and greatly reduce emissions from large farming and construction equipment. That isn't a feasible option by 2023. Smog-forming nitrogen oxides are released into the atmosphere when fossil fuels are burned. Between 2012 and 2023, emissions of nitrogen oxides in the region will have been slashed nearly 50%, Gilchrist wrote. But "almost all these reductions" will come from cleaner vehicles regulated by the California Air Resources Board and facilities regulated by the AQMD, the letter said. Meanwhile, sources of pollution under federal oversight are trending upward, according to the air district. Emissions from aircraft, locomotives, and ocean-going vessels are expected to increase by almost 10% over that same 10-year period ending in 2023. The air district estimates the region needs to eliminate 128 tons of nitrogen oxides per day in order to comply with the 1997 ozone standards. The twin ports of Los Angeles and Long Beachcollectively the largest in the nationis the largest fixed source of air pollution in Southern California, according to AQMD. The ports, where 40% of the nation's imports arrive aboard diesel-belching ships, are responsible for more than 100 tons per day of nitrogen oxidesmore than the daily emissions from all 6 million cars in the region. The EPA declined to comment on the potential litigation, but noted that a proposed federal rule for heavy-duty trucks, which aims to reduce nitrogen oxides by as much as 60% in 2045, could benefit the region. "EPA does recognize the challenges being faced by South Coastit is very difficult to chart a path to attainment when more reductions are needed from trucks, rail, aircraft, ocean-going vessels, and other mobile sources," EPA spokesperson Taylor Gillespie said. "EPA is doing our part to achieve attainment in this air district; our recent proposal to set new emission ... limits for heavy duty trucks is a step in the right direction." South Coast officials say it's not enough. "Many of the rules that EPA should be doing on mobile sourceson locomotives, on ships, on aircraft, on construction equipmentthey've lagged," Rees, the AQMD deputy executive officer said. "They haven't kept pace with regulation from stationary sources. But on the truck rule, itself, EPA predicted we'll still be way above ozone standards. So even with that most stringent option in place, the truck rule is you know, 50 years after the 1997 ozone standard, South Coast is still going to be out of attainmentsand pretty far out of attainment." Southern California's legacy of unhealthy air is owed, in part, to bustling ports, warehouses, airports and congested highways. The region's bustling economy and infamous traffic have always contributed high amounts of nitrogen oxides. The situation is compounded by the region's perpetually sunny climate, which effectively cooks vehicle exhaust and industrial emissions into lung-damaging smog and a mountainous terrain that confines the toxic haze over the region. And now, in addition to pollution, regulators are contending with climate change, conditions scientists say could lead to a smoggier future. Sunlight and heat are the catalysts for smog-formation. As the level heat-trapping greenhouse gases have spiked due to burning of fossil fuels, Southern California has witnessed record-breaking heat. In 2020, a year marked by blistering heatwaves in August and September, there were 157 bad air days for ozone pollutionthe most days since 1997, according to AQMD records. Perhaps most notably, on Sept. 6, 2020, temperatures climbed to 121 degrees in Los Angeles County and ozone concentrations spiked to 185 parts per billion in downtown Los Angeles, making it the hottest day on record and the smoggiest in downtown in 26 years. "As the temperature increaseseverything else being kept the same, like emissions of pollutantsthen it's going to be harder for the South Coast to meet their ozone standards," said Anthony Wexler, director of the Air Quality Research Center at the University of California, Davis. The air board must also achieve even more restrictive targets for ozone by 2031 and 2037. Until the federal standards are met, residents will continue to brave unhealthy levels of smog. "It's like at some level I think we've been lied to," said Martinez, the Earthjustice senior attorney. "Like from the beginning that this is just a sham. It's fantasy. And who suffers? It's breathers. It's the people in the Inland Empire who have 100 days of summer blanketed in smog." 2022 Los Angeles Times. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Examples of images of structures (ac) and close-ups (df) used in the survey. Images ac include variation in the underlying structures, from stepped walls (a) to rip-rap walls (b) and heritage stone walls (c). Images de show example close-up images with different underlying structures of rip-rap walls (d and e) and stepped walls (f). Credit: People and Nature (2022). DOI: 10.1002/pan3.10330 Seeing a larger number of species on urban coastlinesfrom marine animals to seaweedis likely to improve the well-being of local people and visitors, new research from a team at Swansea University has revealed. The findings provide further evidence that biodiversity brings wide-ranging benefits. Studies of land-based environments such as meadows, woodlands, and city parks have shown that people often find places that contain lots of different types of plant and animal life to be more visually pleasing and interesting, as well as more likely to relieve stress. However, we know much less about seashore species and whether they generate the same positive feelings that land-based wildlife does, despite almost half of the world's population living close to the coast. Anecdotal evidence suggests that people may associate marine life such as seaweeds with unpleasant slimy textures and smells or perceive them to be messy additions to coastlines. As such, having a greater variety of coastal species may not lead to the same positive effects on well-being as are observed on land. This is important because coastal structures like seawalls are becoming increasingly familiar sights and can be home to many different marine species. Many of them now incorporate measures to conserve or promote biodiversity, such as the Sea Hive project in Mumbles in Swansea, but how these might affect the perceptions and well-being of beach visitors isn't well understood. To understand how biodiversity may shape peoples' views, scientists at Swansea University undertook a research study. They recruited 937 participants from the U.K. and Ireland. They asked them how appealing, interesting, and calming they found images of seawalls with different numbers of seaweed and animal species on them. The images included between zero and eight different marine species: comprising of different types of seaweeds, barnacles, limpets, mussels and anemones. To see whether the type of seawall that seaweeds and animals were growing on changed peoples' views, images ranged across three different structure types: from regular-shaped concrete walls to more irregular boulderor "rip-rap"sea defenses. They also included two different viewing scalesfrom the whole structure, to close-up viewingto see if how people view seawalls affects their perceptions. The survey found: Biologically diverse images on irregular structures were rated most favorably; Respondents strongly and positively valued scenes that were seen as diverse, as they were seen as more interesting and calming; The older sea wall and the rip rap were seen as more "natural" and therefore viewed more positively than the more "artificial" regular sea wall; Diversity and naturalness were rated as the most important qualities in participants' comments; This was especially true with close-up images, which is how people sometimes view coastal habitats, for example exploring or looking at rockpools Dr. Tom Fairchild of Swansea University, lead researcher, said: "People found structures that had more species to be more appealing, interesting, and calming to look at. This suggests that high numbers of species provide a range of human benefits, despite occasional negative feelings towards species. This occurred because structures were perceived to be more 'natural' and have greater 'biodiversity' when they were home to a wide variety of sea life: strongly influencing how we see natural spaces. As public awareness about human impacts on the natural world increases, projects to conserve or enhance biodiversity are becoming more common. Our study supports the idea that designing seawalls to support biodiversity not only brings benefits to wildlife but can also benefit the lives of people who live by or use our urban coastlines." Explore further Greater diversity enhances public interest in marine habitats More information: Tom P. Fairchild et al, Species diversity enhances perceptions of urban coastlines at multiple scales, People and Nature (2022). besjournals.onlinelibrary.wile i/10.1002/pan3.10330 Tom P. Fairchild et al, Species diversity enhances perceptions of urban coastlines at multiple scales,(2022). DOI: 10.1002/pan3.10330 Wilczek's achievements in physics include an explanation for one of the four fundamental forces of nature: the so-called "strong interaction" that acts between quarks, elementary particles -- for which he and two others won the 2004 Nobel prize in physics. Frank Wilczek, the Nobel-winning theoretical physicist whose research transformed humanity's understanding of the fundamental forces of nature, was announced Wednesday as the winner of the prestigious 2022 Templeton Prize. The 70-year-old told AFP he saw the award as a testament to the inspiring power of science, at a time when scientists themselves are increasingly under fire by anti-intellectual elements in society. "In the United States, where I live, it's in our face in recent years, and a whole political party is dedicated towards it. It's very unfortunate," the MIT professor said. "These people are saying, 'Oh, I can find my own information on the internet.' There wouldn't be an internet without understanding quantum mechanics and science, and all the hard work that engineers have put into this!" Such designers and builders of complex systems, Wilczek said, "should get a certain amount of credibility from that: they build bridges that don't fall down usually, and vaccines that work." But he acknowledged some alienation was due to "perceived arrogance" by certain members of the scientific community, who he said must earn their credibility through patience, tolerance and honesty. Valued at more than $1.3 million, the Templeton Prize is one of the world's largest annual individual awards, honoring those who explore the deepest questions of the universe and humankind's place within it. Past laureates include Mother Teresa and Jane Goodall. "Throughout Dr. Wilczek's philosophical reflections, there is a spiritual quality to his ideas," said Heather Templeton Dill, president of the John Templeton Foundation, in a statement. "By uncovering a remarkable order in the natural world, Dr. Wilczek has come to appreciate different ways of thinking about reality, and through his written work, he has invited all of us to join him in the quest for understanding." Demystifying dark matter Wilczek's achievements in physics include an explanation for one of the four fundamental forces of nature: the so-called "strong interaction" between elementary particles called quarksfor which he and two others won the 2004 Nobel prize in physics. He also proposed a leading explanation for dark matter, which is believed to constitute 80 percent of the matter of the universe, though its nature is not yet known. More than four decades ago, Wilczek suggested that a type of subatomic particle called an "axion" was responsible for the mysterious matterbut it is only recently that experiments have come closer to confirming their existence, thanks to advances in technology. If these experiments succeed, "we would make our understanding of fundamental laws considerably more beautiful. And it would also confirm that the universe is comprehensible," he said. In 2020, French scientists confirmed the existence of another particle that Wilczek named in the 1980s: the "anyon," which can maintain a form of memory of their interactions with one another. Microsoft is investing in this curiosity of theoretical physics to develop the next generation of quantum computing, which Wilczek says could revolutionize that nascent field. "Without denigrating the existing platform (of quantum computing), it's like having vacuum tubes and then having transistors," he said, recalling the technology leap responsible for today's computer chips. Beyond his research, Wilczek is known for his public engagement through his talks and popular books, including "A Beautiful Question" and "The Lightness of Being," as well as columns for The Wall Street Journal. Bridging the gap between science and the public is vital, he said, "especially for scientists who do research that's curiosity driven and has no obvious applications." "What they're producing is a cultural product, and it should be brought into the culture." Explore further Study sheds light on axion dark matter 2022 AFP Luke Frishkoff (left) with a prairie lizard and Alexander Murray with a Texas spiny lizard. Credit: University of Texas at Arlington Fifty years ago, the Fort Worth Nature Center & Refuge overflowed with prairie lizards. Today, the species can't be found there. Prairie lizards are retreating from Texas landscapes, apparently bullied from their habitats by the rival Texas spiny lizard, suggests an ongoing study by biologists at The University of Texas at Arlington. In the competition for resources, the Texas spiny lizard is dominating the prairie lizard, triggering the latter species' redistribution across the state, according to research conducted by Alexander Murray, fourth-year doctoral student, and Luke Frishkoff, assistant professor of biology. "Historically, prairie lizards enjoyed a nearly statewide distribution, but that is no longer true," Murray said. "Their population has declined significantly." In the search for a cause, Murray and Frishkoff narrowed their focus to the prairie lizard's top competitor, the behemoth Texas spiny lizard, and discovered a tense relationship between the species. When the lizards meet, the Texas spiny lizard exhibits aggressive behavior, chasing the terrified prairie lizard from its territory. The two species have similar preferences in vegetation, temperature and rainfallpresumably making the same regions and conditions attractive to them. But more than 200 population surveys conducted by Murray throughout Texas reveal that the prairie lizard avoids areas inhabited by the Texas spiny lizard. "We are witnessing a behavioral change, where the prairie lizards now stay away from habitats that they previously enjoyed," Murray said. "Areas that could be suitable homes for prairie lizards usually don't contain any if there are Texas spiny lizards present." For Frishkoff, the lizard rivalry is an example of how extinctions can unfold. "For whatever reason, conditions have become quite favorable for the Texas spiny lizard, and its population is on the rise," Frishkoff said. "As a result, we are observing the drastic decline of its weaker competitor. Will the prairie lizard adapt and learn to live with the Texas spiny lizard, or could it be threatened with extinction wherever its competitor establishes?" Explore further Researchers identify unique populations of dunes sagebrush lizard Aleksey Ruderman swept and mopped the floors of McHenry County jail, wiped tables, and cleaned the showers and the toilets all against his will and without being paid a dime, he says. Ruderman, a Jewish immigrant from Belarus, was held at the jail on civil immigration charges from 2016 to 2019. He was detained after serving five years in prison in a fatal drunken driving case. He said he deeply regretted the incident and since has changed his life. Advertisement While facing possible deportation, he said, he was forced to help clean the jail on the Jewish holiday Rosh Hashana, in violation of his religious beliefs. It was terrible what happened, Ruderman said about his criminal case. I feel terrible about that. But now Im talking about a completely different matter. I dont think its right to make someone do something a person doesnt want to do. Its not about myself, this is about people who were wrongfully treated before they got deported, who dont speak English, who dont know about how the laws work in this country. This is wrong. Advertisement Now Ruderman is part of a lawsuit accusing jail officials of forcing immigrant detainees to do labor against their will and paying them nothing. Sheriffs Chief James Popovits said deputies didnt force the detainees to do anything; they worked of their own will. We dont have any forced labor, he said. Its all their choice. The federal suit is part of a wave of litigation nationwide claiming that immigrant detainees were made to work in violation of the Trafficking Victims Protection Act, which prohibits labor compelled by force or physical restraint. Previously, many of the suits were filed against private contractors such as CoreCivic and GEO Group, in some cases claiming unjust enrichment or violations of minimum wage. The suits have had mixed results. In this case, the complaint is lodged against the county and Sheriff Bill Prim. State law ended county detentions of immigrants in February. But the suit seeks more than $5 million in damages, as well as class-action status, to represent all former immigrant detainees held in the jail in the past 10 years. Labor behinds bars is common in the United States. The 13th Amendment, which abolished slavery and involuntary servitude, allows both as punishment for crime. The county jail does have jobs that paid inmates and detainees $3 a day, including in the kitchen and laundry, and on road crews, officials said. Advertisement Chief of Corrections Michael Clesceri also wrote in an email: All inmates and detainees are responsible for doing their part to keep their cells and dayroom areas clean. The common dayroom cleanups are rotated daily by cells. Inmates and detainees are not paid for this function however. It is spelled out in the inmate handbook under housing unit rules and regulations. These are not considered jobs, rather a shared responsibility by all inmates/detainees to maintain a safe and healthy clean living environment. The Illinois Department of Corrections reported that roughly 25,000 of its inmates get paid for work, making on average about $200 a year. They work in food service or learn skills such as welding for an average of $1.30 an hour. Almost two-thirds of people incarcerated in federal prisons had jobs there as of a 2014 survey, making from 23.5 cents to $1.15 an hour. Inmates who participate in jobs programs have fewer repeat offenses and are more likely to get jobs after their release, according to the Federal Bureau of Prisons, and federal work programs have waiting lists for participation. Critics have equated some prison work programs to modern-day slavery, and have called instead for better real-world job training and rehabilitation programs. They have particularly derided privately run prisons that profit off inmate labor. But the 13th Amendment exception applies to those convicted of crimes. Thats why the recent spate of lawsuits alleging forced labor has focused instead on immigrant detainees, who generally are accused of civil violations, not crimes, and are awaiting a court ruling on whether they could stay in the United States legally or would face deportation. Advertisement Since 2003, McHenry County had a contract to hold detainees for what is now U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE. The federal government paid $95 per day per detainee, with an average of 240 inmates a day from 2016 to 2021, which generated more than $41 million, according to the suit. Despite calls from protesters to end the practice of incarcerating immigrants, the county board voted in 2021 to continue the practice, arguing that it generated revenue and kept detainees closer to home than if they were held out of state. But state lawmakers passed the Illinois Way Forward Act, which prohibited such contracts. Both McHenry and Kankakee County jails stopped holding detainees by February, though McHenry is appealing the issue in court. ICE released some of the detainees, and transferred the rest to detention facilities in other states. Six detainees are named as plaintiffs in the suit. Some have been released, some have returned to the countries they left and at least one, Ruderman, has won a court ruling allowing him to stay in the country. Aleksey Ruderman near his Milwaukee home on April 25, 2022. (Armando L. Sanchez / Chicago Tribune) Ruderman came to the United States in 2001 at age 19, under the Lautenberg Amendment, which made it easier for some people in former parts of the Soviet Union to emigrate. Ruderman, the son of a political activist in Belarus, said he was trying to get away from antisemitic persecution by neo-Nazi and pro-Russian forces in his country. In 2008, Ruderman was charged in Wisconsin with driving drunk and striking and killing a 40-year-old woman as she walked along a road at 2 a.m. He pleaded guilty to a reduced charge, but had a prior driving under the influence case and was sentenced to five years in prison. Advertisement Ruderman testified of his remorse for what happened, and that he was haunted by nightmares about what happened. A rabbi testified that Ruderman has changed his life and strives to be a better person. But the U.S. Department of Homeland Security detained Ruderman and initiated removal proceedings against him, and he spent several years in civil detention. Last year, an immigration judge ruled that Ruderman was eligible to stay on humanitarian grounds and to keep his family together. Now, Ruderman is living in Milwaukee with his wife and stepchildren, while the federal government appeals the decision. Like many detainees, Ruderman said, he just wants to work and stay in the country with his family. While in jail, he said, if detainees refused to work, guards threatened to report them as being noncompliant, which could hurt their immigration cases, he said. Elena Melamed with her husband Aleksey Ruderman near their home in Milwaukee on April 25, 2022. (Armando L. Sanchez / Chicago Tribune) McHenry County correctional officers recruit inmates for its inmate worker program in the kitchen, laundry room and custodial services, the sheriffs website states. The jail also has a road crew program in which inmates pick up trash or do road maintenance. The Worker Program is a means of positive and productive interaction for the inmates and can help them with job opportunities upon release, the sheriffs website states. One of the plaintiffs attorneys, Raphael Janove, said that some detainees were paid a nominal fee to work in the kitchen, but the lawsuit deals with only those who were forced to work without pay. Advertisement Regardless of the circumstances of each detainees case, Janove said, forced labor is inhumane. Theres a real human cost, Janove said. The laws pretty clear. State actors cannot essentially profit off the uncompensated labor of their civil detainees. rmccoppin@chicagotribune.com Credit: Orbex Orbex's Prime rocket reaching technical readiness represents a significant achievement that brings together key elements of the ground infrastructure and prototype launch vehicle for the first time and is a major step forward for the company and for the U.K. launch industry. The U.K. Space Agency supported the development of Orbex's Prime rocket with 5.5 million of funding, as part of the government's plans to enable small satellite launch from U.K. spaceports. With the first integration of a full scale Orbex prototype launch vehicle on a launch pad now complete, the company will enter a period of integrated testing, allowing dress rehearsals of rocket launches and the development and optimization of launch procedures. Orbex recently revealed their first test launch platform at a new test facility in Kinloss, a few miles from the company's headquarters at Forres in Moray, Scotland. Science Minister George Freeman said: "This is a hugely exciting time for the U.K. space and satellite sector as we count down to the first satellite launches from U.K. spaceports later this summer. Orbex Prime is a remarkable feat of engineering from a British rocket company, pioneering more sustainable and innovative fuels that cut carbon emissions. It is also fantastic to see Moray-based Orbex creating more high-quality jobs, demonstrating the value of our thriving space sector to support emerging clusters of innovation to help level up the whole of the U.K." Orbex Prime will launch from Space Hub Sutherland, a new spaceport on the North Coast of Scotland. Space Hub Sutherland was the first vertical spaceport to receive planning permission in the U.K. and has committed to being carbon-neutral, both in its construction and operation. Credit: Orbex Space Ian Annett, Deputy CEO of the U.K. Space Agency, said: "We are on the cusp of an historic moment, with Orbex playing a leading role in generating a brand-new launch capability in the U.K., while creating opportunities for people and businesses across the country. I can't wait to see Prime lift off from Space Hub Sutherland." Space Hub Sutherland is one of seven potential spaceport sites across the U.K. and is being developed by Highlands and Islands Enterprise. The spaceport is expected to generate around 60 jobs in Caithness and Sutherland, and more than 600 jobs in the wider region. The U.K. already has a thriving space sector, employing 47,000 people and generating an income of 16.5 billion. The government's National Space Strategy set out plans for the U.K. to be the leading country in Europe to offer small satellite manufacturers a direct end to end route to launch, building on our leading small satellite industry. Harnessing the opportunities provided by commercial spaceflight will create high skilled jobs and local opportunities around U.K. spaceports. Josef Aschbacher, Director General of the European Space Agency, said: "I am deeply impressed with the speed at which the Orbex Prime rocket was developed. It is the first full orbital micro-launcher in Europe. But I am equally impressed by the low-carbon footprint technology applied. My sincere congratulations to the whole Orbex team for this impressive achievement." Orbex Prime is a 19-meter long, two-stage rocket that is powered by seven engines, that is being designed and manufactured in the U.K. and Denmark. The six rocket engines on the first stage of the rocket will propel the vehicle through the atmosphere to an altitude of around 80km. The single engine on the second stage of the rocket will complete the journey to Low Earth Orbit (LEO), allowing the release of its payload of small, commercial satellites into Earth's orbit. Chris Larmour, CEO, Orbex, said: "This is a major milestone for Orbex and highlights just how far along our development path we now are. From the outside, it might look like an ordinary rocket, but on the inside, Prime is unlike anything else. To deliver the performance and environmental sustainability we wanted from a 21st century rocket we had to innovate in a wide number of areaslow-carbon fuels, fully 3D-printed rocket engines, very lightweight fuel tanks, and a novel, low-mass reusability technology." There is a U.S. flag on the moon, but in the future, countries may start to turn access to the moon and asteroids into serious wealth. Credit: NASA/Neil A. Armstrong Satellites help run the internet and television and are central to the Global Positioning System. They enable modern weather forecasting, help scientists track environmental degradation and play a huge role in modern military technology. Nations that don't have their own satellites providing these services rely on other countries. For those that want to develop their own satellite infrastructure, options are running out as space fills up. I am a research fellow at Arizona State University, studying the wider benefits of space and ways to make it more accessible to developing countries. Inequity is already playing out in access to satellites. In the not-so-distant future, the ability to extract resources from the moon and asteroids could become a major point of difference between the space haves and have-nots. As policies emerge, there is the risk that these inequities become permanent. Where to park a satellite Thanks to the rapid commercialization, miniaturization and plummeting costs of satellite technology in recent years, more countries are able to reap the benefits of space. CubeSats are small, cheap, customizable satellites that are simple enough to be built by high school students. Companies such as SpaceX can launch one of these satellites into orbit for relatively cheapfrom $1,300 per pound. However, there are only so many places to "park" a satellite in orbit around Earth, and these are quickly filling up. The best parking is in geostationary orbit, around 22,250 miles (35,800 kilometers) above the equator. A satellite in geostationary orbit rotates at the same rate as Earth, remaining directly above a single location on Earth's surfacewhich can be very useful for telecommunications, broadcasting and weather satellites. There are only 1,800 geostationary orbital slots, and as of February 2022, 541 of them were occupied by active satellites. Countries and private companies have already claimed most of the unoccupied slots that offer access to major markets, and the satellites to fill them are currently being assembled or awaiting launch. If, for example, a new spacefaring nation wants to put a weather satellite over a specific spot in the Atlantic Ocean that is already claimed, they would either have to choose a less optimal location for the satellite or buy services from the country occupying the spot they wanted. Orbital slots are allocated by an agency of the United Nations called the International Telecommunication Union. Slots are free, but they go to countries on a first-come, first-served basis. When a satellite reaches the end of its 15- to 20-year lifespan, a country can simply replace it and renew its hold on the slot. This effectively allows countries to keep these positions indefinitely. Countries that already have the technology to utilize geostationary orbit have a major advantage over those that do not. While geostationary orbital slots are the most useful and limited, there are many other orbits around Earth. These, too, are filling upadding to the growing problem of space debris. Geostationary orbits, where a satellite stays above a single point along the Earths equator, are very valuable. But there is only enough room for 1,800 satellites in this orbit, and many of these slots are already taken or spoken for. Credit: MikeRun/Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA Low Earth orbit is around 1,000 miles (1,600 km) above the surface. Satellites in low Earth orbit are moving fast in a highly congested environment. While this may be a good place for Earth imaging satellites, it is not ideal for single communication satelliteslike those used to broadcast television, radio and the internet. Low Earth orbit can be used for communications if multiple satellites work together to form a constellation. Companies like SpaceX and Blue Origin are working on projects to put thousands of satellites into low Earth orbit over the next few years to provide internet across the globe. The first generation of SpaceX's Starlink consists of 1,926 satellites, and the second generation will add another 30,000 to orbit. At the current rate, the major space players are rapidly occupying geostationary and low Earth orbits, potentially monopolizing access to important satellite capabilities and adding to space junk. Access to resources in space Orbital slots are an area where inequity exists today. The future of space could be a gold rush for resourcesand not everyone will benefit. Asteroids hold astounding amounts of valuable minerals and metals. Later this year, NASA is launching a probe to explore an asteroid named 16 Psyche, which scientists estimate contains over US$10 quintillion worth of iron. Tapping huge resource deposits like this and transporting them to Earth could provide massive boosts to the economies of spacefaring nations while disrupting the economies of countries that currently depend on exporting minerals and metals. Another highly valuable resource in space is helium-3, a rare version of helium that scientists think could be used in nuclear fusion reactions without producing radioactive waste. While there are considerable technological obstacles to overcome before helium-3 is a feasible energy source, if it works, there are enough deposits on the moon and elsewhere in the solar system to satisfy Earth's energy requirements for several centuries. If powerful spacefaring countries develop the technology to use and mine helium-3and choose not to share the benefits with other nationsit could result in lasting inequities. Existing international space laws are not well suited to handle the complicated web of private companies and nations competing for resources in space. Countries are organizing into groupsor "space blocs"that are uniting on goals and rules for future space missions. Two notable space blocs are planning missions to set up bases and potential mining operations on the moon: the Artemis Accords, led by the U.S., as well as joint Chinese and Russian plans. Right now, the major players in space are establishing the norms for exploiting resources. There is a risk that instead of focusing on what is best for everyone on Earth, competition will drive these decisions, damaging the space environment and causing conflict. History shows that it is hard to challenge international norms once they are established. Moving forward Access to space is critical for the functioning of a modern nation. Space access will only become more important as humanity rapidly advances toward a future of space hotels and colonies on Mars. The 1967 Outer Space Treaty, the founding document of space law, says that space should be used "for the benefit and in the interests of all countries." The policies taking shape today will dictate whether this is the case in the future. Explore further SpaceX gets nod to put 12,000 satellites in orbit This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. Summary: Included in the proposed budget is an additional section of universal prekindergarten as well as additional opportunities to support students in becoming college- and career-ready such as career and technical education, Early College and Career Academy, P-TECH, Tech Smart, International Baccalaureate and New Visions programs. Also included in the proposed budget is a $100,000 capital project to replace the middle/high school main corridor ceilings and update lights with cost-effective LED lights. The district will be reimbursed 78% of the cost, bringing the cost of the project to $22,000. The district has also budgeted for a new health care clinic to hire a nurse practitioner or a physicians assistant to provide health care for students. ATLANTIC CITY About 20 of Bader Fields 142 acres remain under Green Acres restrictions, city and state officials said Wednesday, and would need special state approval to be developed as the city and a potential developer envision. To date, the Green Acres Program has not received any applications to either divert or change the use of the encumbered portion of Bader Field, Department of Environmental Protection spokesperson Caryn Shinske said Wednesday in response to questions. Shinske said a 20.32-acre portion of Bader Field is under Green Acres, due to recreational facilities that were onsite in the 1970s. The Green Acres section is along Albany Avenue where Sandcastle Stadium and the Atlantic City Skate Zone are now located, according to the DEP. When covered under Green Acres, rules require the land to be primarily used for recreation. DEEM Enterprises is proposing to build a $2.7 billion auto-centric development at Bader Field, on about 141 acres, and Mayor Marty Small Sr. is a big proponent of the plan. Illustrations of the proposal showed retail space along Albany Avenue. We are aware of it, and its been addressed in the designs, said DEEM partner Dan Gallagher, a local attorney. He said DEEM will apply to the DEP for permission to divert recreational use elsewhere on the property. We cant do that until we have something more firm with the property, he said of ongoing negotiations with the city to take control of Bader Field. We are going back and forth on that (the price). There is a boardwalk area included in the DEEM plans in part to satisfy Green Acres rules, Small said Tuesday at a news conference about similar Green Acres and Federal Land and Water Conservation Fund restrictions at Gardners Basin. In a 2009 request for proposals, the city said it would resolve all Green Acres issues before handing the property over to a developer. But now it seems the developer will be responsible for resolving them. The DEP lists Bader Field in a town-by-town Green Acres document. Small had not talked about Green Acres restrictions at Bader Field before Tuesdays news conference, which was called to explain for (the) final time why a Black-owned food truck business called Fish Heads was evicted from Gardners Basin. Small said Green Acres and federal Land and Water Conservation Fund rules did not allow for permanent food trucks on site, and the Gardners Basin area must primarily be used for recreation and conservation under state and federal rules. DEEMs proposed project, called Renaissance at Bader Field, would include hundreds of condominiums along the intracoastal waterway. It also would include a high-rise hotel/event space, retail space along Albany Avenue, educational facilities to teach people to become mechanics and a Formula One track winding through the middle where those who own high-performance vehicles can drive them at race speed, according to DEEM. REPORTER: Michelle Brunetti Post 609-841-2895 mpost@pressofac.com Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. OCEAN CITY Mayor Jay Gillian and his supporters were in the mood for celebration Tuesday night. About an hour after the polls closed for the citys nonpartisan election, unofficial results showed Gillian with a comfortable lead over challenger Keith Hartzell, and all three members of the slate of candidates supporting Gillian in a six-person race also won, although some of those margins were tighter. Im glad its over. Now its time to get back to work, Gillian said, his arm around his wife, Michele, and a Motown hit blaring in the ballroom of the Flanders Hotel, where supporters gathered for election night. Gillian took close to 54% of the vote, according to election tallies that remained unofficial Wednesday. Hartzell, a longtime member of City Council, hosted his supporters around the corner at Preps Pizza, a lone bright spot on a deserted and windswept Boardwalk. There, the mood was more somber, but Hartzell sounded an upbeat note. Im 66. Im going to become a recovering workaholic, he said Tuesday night. He said he raised issues in the campaign he believes are important and brought additional voters to the polls Tuesday. Hartzell, Gillian face off in Ocean City mayors race Voters will choose between the two for mayor May 10, as well as determine the winners of thr With 4,274 votes cast, including more than 1,000 mail-in ballots and 3,240 cast on election day, turnout was close to 44% of the 9,633 registered voters in Ocean City. That was a better turnout than the last citywide election, when Gillian beat John Flood in 2018. This year saw more than 1,000 more votes than four years ago, with a similar number of registered voters. Hartzell said Ocean City will remain his home but what happens next will be up to his girlfriend, who lives in Florida. Now its her turn, he said. But even as the results were sinking in, it was clear that divisions remain in this nonpartisan shore resort, even as the candidates promised to put the communitys needs first. Of the seven people who will be on council come the July 1 city reorganization, three were at Preps with Hartzell and three were at the Flanders with Gillian. Will hotels on Ocean City Boardwalk pass go? It was the second time the group had met. Rumors swirled, as they often do, that the topic o Incumbents Karen Bergman and Pete Madden, along with newcomer John Tony Polcini, ran together, aligned with Gillian. Ward council members Bobby Barr, Tom Rotondi and Jody Levchuk backed Hartzell and will remain on council. All three were at Preps on Tuesday. Rotondi took the unusual step of running for an at-large seat this year, despite already being on council. On Tuesday, he said he always votes the way he feels will be best for the city but said many see a division in city government. People think its the Keith and Bobby team or the Pete and Jay team, referring to Hartzell and Barr and Madden and Gillian. He said he would not allow that to influence his vote. Im going to do whats right for Ocean City. Back at the Flanders, Bergman seemed at home. Shes the director of catering at the historic hotel, and was the highest vote getter among the council candidates, coming in with hundreds more votes than the next closest candidate. She believes the election will end schisms on council, not fuel them. She said the voters made clear they want progress and unity in their local government. Joined by Madden and Polcini, the three said they would work together to keep Ocean City at its best. Through the campaign, much of the discussion has been about what that best Ocean City could look like. Hartzell focused on development, especially the possibility of residential uses or large-scale hotels on the Boardwalk. Gillian said the kind of development Hartzell cited could not happen under the city zoning. Madden said he was happy with the results. Polcini said he will have a lot to learn before taking his oath of office and replacing Hartzell on council. And after that, he said. He added people should not let his inexperience fool them, he was set to put in the work on council. There may remain some fences to mend. On Tuesday, Rotondi remained convinced Madden and Gillian were behind an anonymous flyer placed on cars that questioned his status as a former corrections officer. Both Gillian and Madden said they knew nothing about the flyers, and Rich Tolson, the man who admitted putting them on windshields, said he did it on his own without talking to the campaigns. He admitted he had inaccurate information about Rotondi. Rotondi added he was just fewer than 50 votes behind Maddens total. Its hardly a mandate, he said. Unofficial results posted to the Cape May County elections website show Gillian with 2,299 votes to 1,893 for Hartzell. Bergmans total was just shy of Gillians in the crowded council race, with 2,267 votes, followed by 1,980 for Polcini and 1,945 for Madden. Rotondi took 1,897, according to the posted numbers, with former Councilman Michael DeVlieger drawing 1,709 votes and Donna Moore at 1,502. Its America, man. The people have spoken, DeVlieger said Tuesday evening. Im sure Gods got another plan for me. Moore said she spoke with people throughout the island during the campaign and as she ran for a 1st Ward seat last fall. I was encouraged by the whole islands support for environmental preservation here, she said, citing concerns about the use of pesticides on lawns on the barrier island and with overdevelopment and related issues, including the loss of trees and permeable surfaces, which can contribute to flooding. She said she plans to continue to attend council meetings as a resident and advocate for issues. Contact Bill Barlow: 609-272-7290 bbarlow@pressofac.com Twitter @jerseynews_bill Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. As summer vacation for area schools approaches, the effort to ensure equal internet access for New Jersey students and adults is continuing. The Federal Communications Commission is giving just under $2.1 million to New Jersey schools and libraries in another round of its Emergency Connectivity Fund program. The funds can be used to purchase laptops and tablets, modems and routers, as well as to establish Wi-Fi hotspots and strengthen off-campus broadband connections for students and staff. The FCC funds are making an impact in South Jersey. The Atlantic County Library System has spent FCC funds to purchase T-Mobile LTE Wi-Fi hotspots to distribute to adult patrons. There are currently 25 such hotspots available for circulation to adult patrons of the library system, who can use them to connect up to 15 devices to unlimited, high-speed data free of charge. People may borrow the hotspots for two weeks at a time and ask for up to two renewals. U.S. Rep. Frank Pallone Jr., D-6th, said in a news release Friday that New Jersey had received more than $124 million from the Emergency Connectivity Fund in total. He praised the federal effort to help ensure internet connectivity through the state. Im glad that essential funding for our schools and libraries is coming to New Jersey to help every student and teacher stay connected to the classroom. In creating the Emergency Connectivity Fund with my colleagues, we focused the program on helping to get broadband service and devices into the hands of the students who need them, Pallone said. U.S. Rep. Jeff Van Drew, R-2nd, expressed appreciation that FCC funds had been awarded to the state to help enhance internet connectivity for students. The COVID-19 pandemic had revealed that having access to digital tools was critical in ensuring student success, according to a spokesperson for the congressman contacted by The Press of Atlantic City. U.S. Rep. Andy Kim, D-3rd, also expressed support for the program, saying the pandemic laid bare the need for equal internet access. While the COVID pandemic taught us a lot about our health care system, it also highlighted that many students across our district dont have access to the internet at home, and are struggling to study outside of school, Kim said in a statement sent to The Press on Tuesday. With this money, libraries and school districts are helping students across Burlington and Ocean counties get online to study, do research, and do homework outside of their school buildings. These funds are helping break down barriers for the next generation of American leaders. The FCC Emergency Connectivity Fund totals $7.17 billion. It is intended to help schools and libraries across the country acquire the tools needed for remote learning over the course of the COVID-19 emergency period, according to a page about the fund on the FCCs website. The FCC indicates the funds will help close the Homework Gap to ensure all students have the internet access needed in todays classrooms. The fund was created by the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan, which was signed into law in March 2021. Congress passed the ARP on an almost entirely party-line vote, with Kim and Pallone voting in favor and Van Drew voting against. Other federal efforts to enhance internet connectivity are underway. President Joe Biden spoke Monday about the Affordable Connectivity Program, through which about 40% of American households are qualified to receive up to $30 per month toward their internet bill. (Those living on tribal lands would receive a $75 per-month-credit, according to a White House news release about the program.) Twenty telecommunications companies, including AT&T, Comcast and Verizon, have agreed to increase internet speeds or lower prices under the program, so that high-speed internet rates will be capped at $30 per month for eligible households. The Affordable Connectivity Program was created by the $1 trillion federal infrastructure law, which Biden signed in November 2021. The entire New Jersey congressional delegation voted for the law, including Kim, Pallone and Van Drew. Biden announces program offering discounted internet service WASHINGTON President Joe Biden announced Monday that 20 internet companies have agreed to There are also state-level efforts to ensure New Jersey residents have internet access. The New Jersey State Library is launching a Hub & Spoke pilot project, which will seek to provide uniform digital literacy training and certification at 14 public libraries across the state. The Atlantic City Free Public Library was selected as one of three libraries in the state to serve as a hub library for the program, acting as a regional training lab for teaching about digital literacy. The deadline for libraries and schools to apply for money from the FCC Emergency Connectivity Fund during this round is Friday. Information about how to apply for a grant can be found at emergencyconnectivityfund.org. Contact Chris Doyle cdoyle@pressofac.com Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. AVALON Mayor Martin Pagliughi was recognized by the Police Unity Tour, Chapter 2-South Jersey on Tuesday, receiving a plaque recognizing his efforts to support the tour and its mission. The presentation occurred as the riders stopped at Avalon Community Hall for breakfast on their way to Washington, D.C., the borough said in a news release. Its a great honor for Avalon to be recognized as being a municipal supporter of this tour that raises necessary donations to support the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial and Museum, Pagliughi said. It is very important for us every day to recognize and appreciate the men and women of law enforcement who put their lives on the line for the safety of our communities and its citizens. Storm beach erosion: Not as bad as expected Paul Dietrich gingerly stepped over a downed snow fence and yellow caution tape whipping in The ceremony included comments by Pagliughi, police Chief Jeffrey Christopher and code enforcement official Paul Short Sr., who has served as Chapter 2s chairman of the event for three years, and as an active member for the past two decades. Avalon has supported the tour with members of the Police Department riding in the event, as well as escorts through town and breakfast or lunch when possible, the borough said. Each year, hundreds of bicyclists from local police departments ride to Washington. To date, the tour has raised more than $30 million to support its mission of riding for those who died, the borough said. The event started in 1999 with 22 cyclists; now, hundreds participate every year. For more information, visit policeunitytourchap2.net. Weve often said that changes in election procedures should only be done on a bipartisan basis, to prevent their use to give one party a built-in advantage over the other. (Even this allows changes to help ensure the two major parties stay in power, so the public must scrutinize those and make sure the change is widely supported). Election procedures also should follow solidly established principles if possible, as a first-line guard against contamination by the desire for partisan advantage. The recent selection of early voting locations in Atlantic County offers a good opportunity to see these guidelines in practice (or not) and why theyre important. Last year New Jersey began making available voting machines several days ahead of an election to accommodate those wishing to vote early. State government provided funds for each county for seven early voting locations. Atlantic County created six such sites, which was challenging enough considering the security, staffing and access requirements. Since new technology was involved, that was tested and passed muster in one site before its use in the fall election. This year the county was open to creating a seventh early voting site since the state would fund it. The Democratic and Republican representatives on the county Board of Elections agreed to put it in Egg Harbor Township. Then the Democrats on the board proposed taking the existing voting location from Buena Vista Township and giving it to Pleasantville. The Republicans on the board opposed that. By law the tie was broken by the county clerk, Joe Giralo, who favored keeping the Buena Vista location. Political party officials and members, when acting together or on their own, didnt seem to have a particular firm and strongly defensible principle for deciding the distribution of early voting accommodation in the county. Their decision together to put a seventh location in Egg Harbor Township apparently was made because it is the most populous municipality in the county. This is a defective basis for an electoral decision, and if it were applied uniformly would confine early voting to the largest cities and municipalities in the state -- seriously skewing the advantage of such voting in favor of urban voters and against rural voters. Note that the state pays for seven voting locations for each county, regardless of their widely differing populations. Atlantic County Democratic Chairman Michael Suleiman argued that more people voted early in Pleasantville last year than did at the Buena Vista Township site, so that site should be moved to Pleasantville. Picking locations to try to encourage more people to vote early would be worse than deciding on the basis of population and also put rural voters at a disadvantage. In rejecting the switch from Buena Vista Township to Pleasantville, Giralo, a Republican, said it is the goal of my office to ensure that voting routines are not disturbed, and maintaining these six early voting locations will help to further that goal. This notion that a single prior use constitutes a precedent is weak, and doesnt even try to address the basis for distributing early voting locations last year or going forward. Two principles must be observed in this matter. All voters should have as equal an opportunity to vote as is practical. The enabling law satisfies this in part by allowing registered voters anywhere in the county to cast their ballots early at any of the countys early voting locations. To further keep that opportunity about the same for each and every voter, the locations for early voting should be spread evenly around the county to minimize everyones travel to them. One group of voters shouldnt have to travel farther than another. An early voting site is on the border of Pleasantville and Northfield, so voters in both have the least travel needed. Buena Vista Bureau is in the southwest corner of the county, and its removal from early voting would leave many people west of Mays Landing with a long drive to the polls. Whether or not the Atlantic County Board of Elections intentionally made even geographic distribution a priority, its selections last year reasonably accomplished it -- especially since it was limited to sites with enough existing infrastructure to keep costs in line. WAUKEGAN A jury convicted a suburban Chicago woman of involuntary manslaughter Tuesday for failing to give her son the medical care he required after a heart transplant. Jennifer Stroud, 41, of Park City, also was found guilty of endangering the life of a child. She faces up to 14 years in prison at her July 21 sentencing, the Daily Herald of Arlington Heights reported. Jason Stroud, 11, was a sixth-grader at Woodland Middle School in Gurnee when he died on Sept. 11, 2016, four years after undergoing his transplant. "Both parents knew that Jason's transplant required lifetime care, and they knew the risks of failing him," said Eric Kalata, assistant Lake County state's attorney. "They were reckless with his life." Stroud's attorney, Elliot A. Pinsel, said he was disappointed with the verdict. Stroud, her then-husband David Stroud and Jason moved from Milwaukee to Park City in 2015. The couple were expected to take Jason to Lurie Children's Hospital in Chicago for regular visits and provide him daily medication to prevent his body from rejecting the heart, authorities said. When Jason missed several hospital appointments from December 2015 to August 2016, the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services investigated, authorities said. David and Jennifer Stroud were co-defendants at one point, but the case was severed after the couple filed for divorce in July 2017. David Stroud pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter in May 2019 and was sentenced to five years in prison. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Busch Light fans will have the chance to enjoy a can of beer and contribute to a good cause starting next week. John Deere and Anheuser-Busch have partnered to put out a line of unique beer cans, which feature the agriculture equipment company logo and machinery. For each case sold, both corporations will donate $1 to Farm Rescue, a nonprofit that provides assistance with planting, harvesting and more to farm and ranch families dealing with a major illness, injury or natural disaster. The For the Farmers cans mark a legendary union of two iconic brands with a shared passion for supporting farmers and the great Heartlands of America, said Krystyn Stowe, head of marketing, Busch Family Brands at Anheuser-Busch. We knew that John Deere was the perfect companion to join forces with us as we bolster our shared efforts to support the farming community that is so important to us. Busch will donate up to $100,000, with Deere matching the amount. Cans, available in 24- and 32-count cases, are on sale through July 3 nationwide. The partners will also hold "Cornfield Cornhole" May 21 in Big Bend, Wis. to raise awareness for Farm Rescue. At the free event, Deere tractors will fling hay in a giant Cornhole tournament. Tickets can be reserved online. This collaboration presents an exciting, valuable opportunity to celebrate farmers, the ag industry as a whole and the important work of Farm Rescue, said Jenny Ose, Director of Marketing, Agriculture and Turf, John Deere in a news release. Were thrilled to be part of this campaign because it supports Farm Rescues mission and our farming communities across America. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Stay up-to-date on what's happening Receive the latest in local entertainment news in your inbox weekly! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Passengers on a passing Metra train view the truck struck by a Metra train on Wednesday in Clarendon Hills on May 12, 2022. The crash left one passenger dead and four others injured during the morning rush hour. The Clarendon Hills Metra train stop remains closed as the investigation continues. (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune) A woman riding an inbound BNSF train was killed Wednesday morning when the train and a truck crashed in a fiery wreck, according to officials. The wreck was the second in the transit agencys history to involve a passenger fatality. Advertisement Woman killed in Metra collision identified The womans identity and age were not being immediately released, pending notification of next of kin, according to the DuPage County coroners office, which has an autopsy scheduled for Thursday. Advertisement BNSF train 1242, which had originated from Downers Grove, collided with the truck about 8:10 a.m. at Prospect Avenue, killing the woman and injuring four others, including two passengers, who had injuries that were not thought to be life-threatening, Metra spokeswoman Meg Thomas-Reile said. A conductor and an engineer also suffered non-life-threatening injuries. Train 1242 had not been running its normal schedule and was running express to Union Station at the time, because of a mechanical failure that involved another train. It was expressing it wasnt stopping at Clarendon Hills, Thomas-Reile said. They were shuffling around some of the service Im sure to catch up and get everything back to normal. There were likely about 60 or fewer passengers on board, or about 10 per car, judging from reports of runs earlier this week at the same time. Its devastating to all involved, Thomas-Reile said, adding the only other time Metra had a fatality of a passenger in its history was in 2005. Wednesdays crash happened at a rail crossing just past the Clarendon Hills train station, 1 S. Prospect Ave., said Clarendon Hills Fire Chief Brian Leahy. The truck involved, a box truck about 30 to 40 feet long, had stalled on the tracks. Advertisement A public works director for the village happened to be at the station and spotted the truck having troubles, then realized the train was rounding a bend nearby. He saw it coming, Leahy said of the crash. The trains engineer saw it too and began frantically honking its horn. It was honking it could see the truck was there. But that truck wasnt gonna move, Leahy said. At the same time, three people in a furniture moving truck jumped out and were not hurt, and the director hustled commuters and people away from the platform. He made sure nobody was near there, Leahy said. They all ran. Advertisement The trains engine was at its rear, so a train car was the first to smash into the truck, flipping it on its side and causing it to burst into flames. It took down some of the railroad signal gates and this thing was fully involved in fire, Leahy said of the truck. It exploded even damaging a few cars in the commuter lot. The back end of the directors pickup was melted but no motorists were injured. Multiple fire department rigs went to the scene including at least four ambulances. As the paramedics rushed to the woman, they contacted a doctor and she was pronounced dead on the scene, Leahy said. The four other people on the train who were injured were taken to local hospitals. Advertisement Additionally, the crash caused 50 gallons of diesel fuel to leak into a creek, prompting the hazmat team, Leahy said. Some of the fuel was thought to have made its way into Hinsdale. Though crews were still working on the leak, Leahy said it was pretty much confined as of Wednesday afternoon. The truck and the train had to remain as they were until the National Transportation Safety Board could get to the scene, which wouldnt be until evening probably, said Leahy. On Sept. 17, 2005, about 8:35 a.m. a Rock Island inbound commuter train derailed going through a 10 mph switch at 69 mph, Thomas-Reile said, adding that two passengers were killed and many others were injured. A pedestrian, Jessica Ing, was killed during another Metra crash in 2017, also at the Clarendon Hills station. Ing, 34, of Oak Brook, attempted to catch a train stopped at the station and was struck by an inbound express train when she ran across the tracks after the gates were down, Clarendon Hills police Chief Boyd Farmer said at the time. Advertisement The NTSB had taken over the investigation as of Wednesday afternoon and a service alert on Metras website said the BNSF Line would be suspended until further notice. Normally the BNSF Line brings nearly 3,000 commuters downtown on workdays. Check back for details. rsobol@chicagotribune.com Honor Flight of the Quad-Cities will hold its 53rd Honor Flight to Washington D.C. for more than 90 veterans who served during conflicts. On Tuesday, May 24, veterans on this full-day flight to Washington will visit the monuments built in their honor. Most served during the Vietnam conflict and will visit the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall for the first time, according to a news release. The flight will be designated as the "Hy-Vee Flight #12" in honor of the many donations and support Honor Flight has received from Quad-Cities Hy-Vee stores, according to the release. The veterans will be accompanied by 60 volunteer guardians who will assist them throughout the day. At the end of the day, at about 10 p.m., the flight will return to the Quad Cities International Airport, where the public is invited to come and give the veterans a warm reception and welcome home. A mask is required inside the airport. Any person who was on active duty during World War II, Korea or Vietnam may fill out an application for a future flight. Those interested in assisting as a guardian also may fill out an application. Applications are available at www.honoflightqc.org. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. ORION Students and friends surprised Orion High School teacher Andrew Lister Tuesday evening by attending the presentation of his Golden Apple Award for Excellence in Teaching at Orion's Central Park. The highly prestigious annual award recognizes and honors outstanding teachers for their roles in promoting lasting, positive effects on students' lives and building stronger communities. Lister was one of more than 400 nominations of ninth through 12th grade teachers and is one of 10 award recipients in Illinois this year. Lister teaches English to juniors and seniors and also has three dual credit courses through Black Hawk College, where he has also taught as an adjunct. Award recipients receive a $5,000 cash award and a spring sabbatical provided by Northwestern University at no cost. Recipients also become Fellows of the Golden Apple Academy of Educators, a community of educators who play an important role in preparing the next generation of teachers in the Golden Apple Scholars and Accelerators programs, dedicated to addressing the teacher shortage. Golden Apple Foundation president Alan Mather said Lister was a winner not only because of the way he connects with students but also how he engages people and has people disagree respectfully. "That's needed right now," said Mather. State Rep. Dan Swanson noted he'd met several of Lister's former students a total of 31 said they were coming Tuesday evening and was impressed at how they described him as a leader, a mentor and a role model. "That's what we need in our teachers today," said Swanson, congratulating Lister on his passion for positively impacting students and providing a bright future for them. Former student Bradlee Fair, whose junior year in high school was 2014, said she didn't think she truly appreciated Lister until she became a teacher herself. She said she remembers thinking of Lister during an interview question for her job as a Galesburg math teacher when they asked, "Who would be your ideal teacher?" "He's been mentoring me through the entire process," said Fair. "One of the best things about teaching for me is finding out that a number of my students in the past have gone on to be educators," said Lister at a reception for him after the awards ceremony. "It's one of the most tremendous things to know that the things I taught students inspired them to want to go into the profession as well that's everything to me." He said his teaching philosophy is to get to know who your students are and show them you care. "Just make as many connections as you can," he said, adding that once those connections are made, students are more receptive to what you are telling them. "Academically with the level of work, I want to make them consider different perspectives that they've never heard before." He said it's also important to be collaborative and work with your peers. "There are amazing professionals in this building," he said. Lister is completing his 15th year of teaching. He said sometimes people think it is a thankless profession, and the pandemic was certainly difficult and made teaching that much more challenging, but Lister said he remains surprised and humbled and glad to "get to do one of the best jobs in the world." Lister's closest friends are the Little family. Bill Little said Lister had been his best friend since age 10 and when he first heard he was nominated for the Golden Apple award, Little knew he was going to win it. His wife Amanda noted Lister grades papers at their house when he comes to visit "because that's how much he cares and he doesn't take time out for himself." Lister heads Orion High School's teacher mentoring program and is proud to guide a program to try to acclimate teachers to the building and to their profession. "They know that they're supported as an educator," he said. He said he hopes what he learns from the Golden Apple mentoring program will only enhance his role with mentoring in Orion. He said he appreciates and marvels at the work Golden Apple does to support, bring in and retain teachers in a profession that's severely lacking in teachers. "There are so many schools with openings," he said. "(Golden Apple) proves that this is a profession that's worth going into." He said the organization's social media presence states "Welcome to the family." "I love that word," he said. "That description can feel needed when you feel so lonely, sometimes you're overwhelmed, you're tired. The program is a great way of helping to support teachers." The Golden Apple Foundation was created more than 35 years ago by founders Mike and Pat Koldyke to inspire, develop and support teacher and school leader excellence especially in schools-of-need. The Koldykes felt that teachers did not receive adequate recognition for their contributions to building a stronger, better-educated society. Ted Leuck, a 2010 graduate, said Lister had encouraged his artistic side. "I always felt excited to go to class," Leuck said. "There was his ability to bring energy to something that might not be so much fun. I remember that vividly. I'm very happy for him; it's well-deserved." Lister said he'd come to the awards ceremony today to honor students for their scholarship, and he was "really overwhelmed" to be on the receiving end of an award. "That's the only word I can use to describe all of this," he said. "I'm honored. It's very cool." Love 2 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 SPRINGFIELD In the run-up to the early-morning April 9 adjournment of the spring legislative session, Illinois lawmakers passed a spate of public safety measures backed by hundreds of millions of dollars in the $46 billion fiscal year 2023 operating budget. The package, pushed by Democrats in an election year in which rising crime has become a major campaign issue, ranged from minor statutory changes to a new legal definition of organized retail crime, an expansion of a state roadway camera program and the regulation of ghost guns. The package was backed by a state budget that allocated new money for three Illinois State Police cadet classes, the purchase of body cameras and less lethal equipment, officer recruitment and retention grants, a carjacking response council, witness protection programs, investments in youth-based violence prevention programs, and an off-hours child care program. While most of the bills were uncontroversial and broadly supported, the floor debate prior to the passage of several of them mirrored the rhetoric of an ongoing campaign season in which every constitutional office and seat in the General Assembly will be up for a vote in November. Republicans accused Democrats of being soft on crime. Rep. Justin Slaughter, a Chicago Democrat, accused Republicans of a bad stench of racism in their ongoing criticisms of the Safety, Accountability, Fairness and Equity-Today Act, a controversial criminal justice reform that passed the General Assembly in January 2021. That measure, widely known as the SAFE-T Act, was an initiative of the Illinois Legislative Black Caucus that included police certification changes, body camera requirements, use-of-force reforms and other provisions including the elimination of cash bail in Illinois beginning in January 2023. It has been amended twice to address law enforcement concerns in several areas. The bottom line is that you don't deserve our respect, Slaughter, who sponsored the SAFE-T Act in the House, told the GOP on the House floor last month. Your dog and pony show is over, and we're going to make you turn the page to a new chapter. A new and different era. The new era, Slaughter said, includes youth investments addressing the root causes of violence, while Democrats have also touted increased investments in law enforcement investigative tools. Sen. Robert Martwick, a Chicago Democrat, said the approach includes counteracting years of state police and youth program disinvestment that culminated in a two-year budget impasse between former Gov. Bruce Rauner and Democrats in the General Assembly. First and foremost, you have to give police officers the tools so that people feel safe, that we are addressing it and trying to reduce crime, Martwick said in a phone interview. But then we have to have a long game, which means investing into people and into opportunities for people so that they have quality, healthy and safe alternatives to entering the life of crime. Republicans took less of an issue with what was contained in the public safety package than what was excluded. If you're not going to put violent people behind bars and keep them there, you have accomplished nothing, no matter how much money you spend, Sen. Chapin Rose, R-Mahomet, said in a phone interview. Rose had for months been backing a crime response package full of sentence enhancements and mandatory minimums, such as a mandatory 10-year sentence for an offenders first conviction for crimes such as violent gun offenses and carjacking, and life sentences for a second offense. The GOP-backed measures, including a $100 million Fund the Police Act, failed to receive a committee vote in the Democrat-dominated legislature which has prioritized investment over incarceration. Democratic action on the public safety package this year, Rose said, was spurred by polling numbers and a 2021 Virginia election which saw Republican Glenn Youngkin unseat Democratic incumbent Gov. Terry McAullife in a major swing to the right compared to the states performance in the 2020 presidential election. The Virginia election, Rose said, showed the public was pushing back against a defund the police mentality demonstrated by Democrats nationwide. In Illinois, he said, thats manifested in the SAFE-T Act, which he credited for creating unfunded training and equipment mandates, which in turn create financial pressures on departments, especially in smaller communities. The impending end of cash bail could also make it harder for states attorneys to hold accused dangerous criminals prior to trial, he said. Gov. J.B. Pritzker has rejected the GOP rhetoric, pointing to prolonged disinvestment during the Rauner administration and touting spending increases in his administration. So there's an awful lot here that supports both the addition of public safety resources as well as making the system a safer one, a better one for anyone that ends up caught up in it, Pritzker said at a news conference last month. A lot of progress has been made in that regard, even though I know that Republicans want to turn this into an election year issue. They're just wrong. The Democrats have been standing up for public safety all along. No Republicans voted for the state operating budget, contained in House Bill 900, which passed 72-42 in the House and 34-19 in the Senate and included money for body camera grants and other law enforcement investments. That has led Democrats, including House Speaker Emanuel Chris Welch, D-Hillside, to turn a frequent Republican argument on its head. What I like to point out is there's only one party in this state that's voting to defund the police, Welch said at an April 13 news conference celebrating the budget. There's only one party that's voting to defund youth investment programs. And that's not the Democratic Party. While Rose countered that he was skeptical the funds would be distributed equitably across the state and said spending wont make a difference without the accountability measures, Democrats say their investments speak for themselves. Illinois has never seen an effort this robust to fight and solve crime, Pritzker said the day the budget passed the General Assembly. Below are summaries of the public safety-related measures and funding approved in the recently adjourned legislative session. The vote tallies apply to the individual measures, not the funding amounts, which were approved in the budget that has been signed into law. Initiative: Reimagine Public Safety Act Funding: $240 million The Reimagine Public Safety Act became law last year, aiming to drive state resources to violence prevention programs in the states most dangerous neighborhoods. The act created the Office of Firearm Violence Prevention to coordinate violence prevention efforts and give grants to community organizations that know where intervention is needed. Its receiving $240 million this year, $235 million of which is from the federal American Rescue Plan Act, while $5 million will come from state general revenue funds. The Reimagine Public Safety Act signifies a different and new approach, one that is not necessarily soft or hard on crime, but rather smart on crime, Rep. Justin Slaughter, D-Chicago, said in December 2021. Including the Reimagine Public Safety Act funding and investments resulting from the states legalization of adult-use marijuana in 2019, the budget included about $1 billion total in youth investment, adult redeploy and diversion, and other intervention programing, according to the governors office. Initiative: ISP funding Funding: $36 million GRF increase The budget included $18.6 million for three new classes of Illinois State Police cadets, $8 million for an equipment replacement program at ISP and $5.4 million for increased staffing and equipment at a new forensic lab in Decatur. The $328 million general revenue spending for ISP marked a 12% or $36 million increase from the current year. Sen. Chapin Rose, R-Mahomet, meanwhile, criticized the fact that downstate ISP officers are being reassigned to Chicago to monitor expressways and other high-crime areas. Initiative: Witness protection; co-responder pilot program; tip hotline grants Funding: $30 million; $10 million; $1 million House Bill 4736 renames the Gang Crime Witness Protection Act as the Violent Crime Witness Protection Act, expanding it to fund emergency relocation expenses, lost wage assistance, security deposits for rent and utilities and more. The budget included $30 million to implement the program. The plan also creates a crime reduction task force to study violence prevention measures and report back to the governor and General Assembly by March 1, 2023. Co-responder pilot program: The budget provides $10 million for a co-responder pilot program at the police departments in East St. Louis, Peoria, Springfield and Waukegan, with an expiration set for January 2029. The program would send social workers along with law enforcement on certain calls with a primary focus on victim assistance, including connecting victims with social services, providing guidance for receiving orders of protection and filing police reports, working with police investigators within confidentiality laws, and providing guidance to families of juveniles who have been arrested. Tip hotline: HB 4736 also creates a tip hotline grant program overseen by the Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority, or ICJIA, that would fund organizations or units of local government to establish anonymous tip hotlines that provide cash rewards for tips that lead to an arrest. Senate vote: 40-17 partisan roll; House vote: 109-2. Pritzker signed the measure on May 10. Initiative: Carjacking response Funding: $30 million House Bill 3699 adds vehicular hijacking as a focus of an existing state council to drive funding to intergovernmental task forces that work to solve carjacking crimes, according to Sen. Robert Martwick, D-Chicago, the bills Senate sponsor. The measure pertains to the existing Motor Vehicle Theft Prevention and Insurance Verification Trust Fund, and the budget allocates an extra $30 million to the fund on top of its $21 million balance. Martwick said the goal is to drive that money to three task forces, one in the collar counties, one in the St. Louis Metro East area and one that has statewide jurisdiction but focuses on the Chicago area. Martwick said carjackings generally fall into three categories, including stealing a vehicle to harvest and sell parts, using the vehicle in another crime, or joyriding. The first two can fall into a category of organized crime, he said. The tasks forces, made up of local law enforcement, states attorneys, state agencies and other elements, would lead investigative efforts regarding the organized aspect of carjackings, he said. They're the investigative team that is pooling all of the resources in an attempt to try and identify the organized criminal elements behind this and then go after that and effectuate arrests, he said. He cited a Civic Federation report which showed more than 95% of carjackings ended without an arrest in 2020 and 2021. While that fund is also dedicated to implementing an electronic insurance policy verification program, Martwicks bill capped the amount of money in the fund that would go to that purpose to 10%, down from 50. Senate: 52-0; House: 113-0. Awaits Pritzkers signature. Initiative: Highway cameras Funding: $20 million House Bill 4481 would expand a Cook County roadway camera pilot program to state highways and expressways in the counties of Boone, Bureau, Champaign, DeKalb, DuPage, Grundy, Henry, Kane, Kendall, Lake, LaSalle, Macon, Madison, McHenry, Morgan, Peoria, Rock Island, Sangamon, St. Clair, Will and Winnebago. The budget contains $20 million from the Road Fund for the expansion. House Bill 260 would allow police to use camera footage to also investigate hijacking and forcible felonies such as murder, criminal sexual assault, robbery, burglary, arson, kidnapping and aggravated battery. Current law allows the footage to be used to investigate firearm offenses and to monitor roadway conditions. It would also give the attorney generals office authority to prosecute forcible felony, gunrunning and firearms offenses on camera-monitored expressways. HB 4481: Senate: 48-5; House: 95-10. Awaits signature. HB 260: Senate: 44-12; House 97-10. Awaits signature. Initiative: Organized retail crime Funding: $5 million House Bill 1091 defines organized retail crime in state law with the intent of reducing offenders ability to avoid prosecution. The bill differentiates ringleaders from individuals stealing from retailers and mandates that online selling marketplaces must store information on high-volume sellers and ban them from the platform if they are suspected of selling stolen merchandise. The measure would allow prosecutors to consolidate charges against an offender in one county even if a ring of smash-and-grab thefts happen across multiple counties. A statewide grand jury will have the power to investigate, indict and prosecute violations. The budget allocated $5 million to address organized retail crime. Senate: 42-10 House: 96-5. Awaits signature. Initiative: Body cameras; less lethal equipment Funding: $30 million; $20 million The SAFE-T Act requires police departments to employ body cameras by 2025 on a staggered schedule based on department size. The budget allocates $30 million to the Illinois Law Enforcement Training and Standards Board for grants administered for camera adoption. It also includes $20 million for ICJIA to provide grants to fund less lethal devices and trainings on how to use them. Initiative: Law enforcement recruitment and retention Funding: $10 million Lawmakers dedicated $10 million to ILETSB to focus on law enforcement recruitment and retention through House Bill 3863. ILETSB would award grants to local governments, public higher education institutions and qualified nonprofits for the purpose of hiring and retaining officers. Grants would be prioritized to underserved areas and for efforts to achieve demographic and geographic diversity of law officers. Senate: 55-0; House: 113-0. Signed on May 10. Initiative: First responder mental health Funding: $17 million House Bill 1321 creates a First Responder Behavioral Health Grant Fund that would provide grants to local governments, law enforcement agencies, fire districts, school districts, hospitals or ambulance services, for expenses related to behavioral health care for first responders. The budget included $17 million for first responder mental health, including $10 million to the Department of Human Services for first responder wellness in Chicago and $2 million for grants for first responder mental health programs. Another $5 million was reallocated from federal COVID-19 funding from the previous fiscal year for administrative costs associated with first responder mental health. Senate: 54-0; House: 113-0. Awaits signature. Initiative: Off-hours child care Appropriation: $2 million House Bill 1571 directs the Department of Human Services to create an off-hours child care program aimed at assisting first responders and other overnight shift workers. The department is to implement the program by July 1, 2023, and the budget included $2 million for the program. Senate: 56-0; House: 113-0. Awaits signature. Initiative: Officer retirement Potential cost: $4 million annually House Bill 1568 allows an officer who is retiring in good standing to purchase their department-issued badge and gun. It also lowered the retirement age to 55 from 60 for law enforcement officers employed by the state, provided they have served at least 20 years. The estimated cost for the State Employee Retirement System could be as much as $4 million annually, which could create a total increase in pension liabilities of about $230 million by 2045. That measure also instructs the ILETSB to work with state higher education agencies to create credit transfer programs to public colleges for law enforcement and correctional intern courses. Senate: 42-2; House: 99-7. Signed on May 6. Other initiatives Ghost guns: House Bill 4383 gives owners of unserialized ghost guns 180 days to take them to a federal firearm dealer to be given a serial number. After that span, possession of an unserialized, unfinished firearm would become a Class A misdemeanor for a first offense and a Class 3 felony for subsequent violations. The measure applies to 3D printed guns and unfinished frames, but it doesnt apply to antique, permanently inoperable guns or those manufactured before 1968. A person selling an unserialized firearm would be guilty of a Class 4 felony for a first violation and Class 2 felony for subsequent violations. Senate: 31-19; House: 66-36. Awaits signature. Carjacking fees: House Bill 3772 states that a person who has had their car stolen is not liable for traffic fees, fines or impound costs on the stolen vehicle. It also provides that a carjacking victim could be reimbursed up to $1,000 from the Court of Claims for towing costs. Senate: 55-0; House: 115-0. Awaits signature. Eavesdropping extensions: House Bill 3893 makes no changes to existing law other than extending the expiration dates of two laws that are already on the books. One law allowing law enforcement to eavesdrop on conversations during an investigation of murder, drug and sex offenses, will be extended until Jan. 1, 2027. The Illinois Street Gang and Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Law is extended by one year to June 11, 2023. Senate: 53-0; House: 109-2. Awaits signature. Burglary tools: House Bill 601 allows police to charge someone with possession of burglary tools if they possess, with the intent to steal a vehicle, a key fob duplication device. That offense is punishable by a Class 4 felony. Senate: 45-9; House: 103-5. Awaits signature. Catalytic convertors: House Bill 107 adds catalytic convertors to the definition of recyclable metals under Illinois law and prohibits recyclable metal dealers from purchasing a convertor valued at more than $100. It also requires metal dealers to keep more stringent records on people selling catalytic convertors. Senate: 56-0; House: 104-0. Awaits signature. Law enforcement officers: House Bill 4667 adds Department of Corrections officers and deputies and county correctional officers to those covered under the federal Law Enforcement Officers Safety Act of 2004, which allows them to carry a weapon while off-duty. Senate: 58-0; House 103-6. Awaits signature. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 OMAHA, Neb. Jim Pillen, a hog farm owner and veterinarian, won Nebraskas crowded Republican primary for governor on Tuesday over a candidate endorsed by Donald Trump, dealing the former president his first loss of the midterm election season. Pillen defeated eight challengers, including Charles Herbster, a Trump-backed businessman accused late in the campaign of groping young women, and Brett Lindstrom, a state senator and Omaha financial adviser who was generally viewed as a more moderate choice. The results were a setback for Trump after a decisive win in last weeks Ohio Republican Senate primary for his candidate, JD Vance. The former president has released hundreds of endorsements in races across the country, all in an effort to reshape the GOP and lift his loyalists into office. Herbsters loss raises the stakes on other high-profile races this month in Pennsylvania and Georgia, where Trump has also intervened in campaigns. Pillen will be a strong favorite in Novembers general election against his Democratic opponent, state Sen. Carol Blood, in the Republican-majority state. Nebraska hasnt elected a Democrat as governor since 1994. West Virginia joined Nebraska in holding primary elections Tuesday, with select races providing some measure of the former presidents enduring sway with GOP voters. Trump's candidate prevailed in a West Virginia congressional primary between two Republican incumbents, with Rep. Alex Mooney defeating Rep. David McKinley, who had angered Trump by voting for President Joe Bidens bipartisan infrastructure package and the creation of the House committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol. Pillen was endorsed by many top GOP leaders in the state, including Gov. Pete Ricketts, former Gov. Kay Orr, and renowned former University of Nebraska football coach and congressman Tom Osborne. Ricketts, the incumbent, was prevented by term limit laws from running again. In Nebraska, the allegations against Herbster, a longtime supporter of Trumps, didnt stop the former president from holding a rally with him earlier this month. I really think hes going to do just a fantastic job, and if I didnt feel that, I wouldnt be here, Trump said at the rally at a racetrack outside Omaha. In a story last month, the Nebraska Examiner interviewed six women who claimed Herbster had groped their buttocks, outside of their clothes, during political events or beauty pageants. A seventh woman said Herbster once cornered her privately and kissed her forcibly. One of the accusers, Republican state Sen. Julie Slama, said Herbster reached up her skirt and touched her inappropriately at the Douglas County Republican Partys annual Elephant Remembers dinner in 2019. The Associated Press does not typically identify people who say they are victims of sexual assault unless they choose to come forward publicly, as Slama has done. Herbster filed a defamation lawsuit against Slama, saying she falsely accused him in an effort to derail his campaign. Slama responded with a countersuit against Herbster, alleging sexual battery. Herbster has suggested in television ads that Pillen and Ricketts conspired with Slama to falsely accuse him of sexual assault allegations the three deny. Some voters said the allegations didnt dissuade them from backing Herbster. As she voted at an elementary school in northwest Omaha on Tuesday, Joann Kotan said she was upset by the stories, but I dont know if I believe them. Ultimately, the 74-year-old said she voted for Herbster because President Trump recommended him. Lindstrom has faced a barrage of attacks as well, with third-party television ads funded by Ricketts that portray him as too liberal for the conservative state. One digitally altered ad shows Lindstrom standing in front of a rainbow flag with a coronavirus mask superimposed over his face. A mail ad notes that Lindstrom was endorsed by U.S. Rep. Brad Ashford, a moderate Republican-turned-Democrat who died last month of brain cancer. But Devon Leesley said he backed the 41-year-old Lindstrom because its time to hand over the politics to the next generation. Pillen and Herbster are both in their 60s. The 45-year-old Leesley, who lives in Omaha, said he didnt pay much attention to the various endorsements in the race. I dont trust any politician talking about any other politician. Its all dirt, he said. We would never vote for anybody if we listened to their opponent. Nebraska Republicans and Democrats picked their candidates to run for the seat previously held by Republican U.S. Rep. Jeff Fortenberry, who resigned from office and ended his reelection bid in March after he was convicted of federal corruption charges. State Sen. Mike Flood, a former speaker of the Nebraska Legislature, won the Republican nomination, while state Sen. Patty Pansing Brooks won the Democratic nod. Flood will enter the race as a strong favorite in the Republican-heavy 1st Congressional District, which includes Lincoln, small towns and a large swath of eastern Nebraska farmland. Also in Nebraska, Adrian Smith won the Republican nomination for the U.S. House in Nebraska's 3rd Congressional District, and Democrat Tony Vargas will face Republican Don Bacon in the 2nd Congressional District. In West Virginia, Barry Wendell won the Democratic nomination for U.S. House in the 2nd Congressional District. Nebraska Republicans and Democrats also picked their candidates for the seat previously held by Republican U.S. Rep. Jeff Fortenberry, who resigned from office and ended his reelection bid in March after he was convicted of federal corruption charges. State Sen. Mike Flood, a former speaker of the Nebraska Legislature, won the Republican nomination, while state Sen. Patty Pansing Brooks won the Democratic nod. Flood will enter the race as a strong favorite in the Republican-heavy 1st Congressional District, which includes Lincoln, small towns and a large swath of eastern Nebraska farmland. You must be logged in to react. Click any reaction to login. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 A new partnership between South Dakota State University, Black Hills State University and Monument Health has created the West River Health Science Center to address the significant nursing shortage expected in the state within the next few years. This initiative will consolidate all nursing education at one Rapid City site, creating a seamless pathway for students pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree from the SDSU College of Nursing. Senate Bill 43, signed by the governor in March 2022, authorized the renovation and construction of an addition to the West River center at BHSUs Rapid City site. The addition, expected to be completed in 2025, will include increased classroom space and a simulation center, skills laboratories and support facilities. When the center is finished, enrollment capacity is expected to increase from 72 to 120 students per semester. The new site will also house SDSUs Native American Nursing Education Center, which has long provided wraparound services in a nurturing environment for students in the College of Nursing. Students can now work simultaneously with a BHSU adviser for their Health Science associate degree and an SDSU adviser to prepare them for the Nursing program. Students graduating with a BHSU Applied Health Science associate degree who are interested in a career in nursing are guaranteed acceptance to the College of Nursing. This is a game-changer for us and for nursing education in Rapid City, said Mary Anne Krogh, dean of the College of Nursing. Its an incredibly seamless transition for students wanting to pursue their entire college degree in the Black Hills. The partnership, which saves the students time and money, also helps address and strengthen our future nursing and healthcare workforce needs throughout the region. Before the collaboration, the College of Nursing had no way of knowing how many students were in the pipeline to pursue a four-year degree at our Rapid City site and it made it difficult for planning, explained Krogh. Now, being under the same roof, we are a one-stop shop for tutoring, student services and advising. The partnership allows us to think more strategically about how we might recruit the next generation of nursing students and take care of the health of western South Dakota. Students can earn their associate degrees at the BHSU campuses in Spearfish and Rapid City or online before transitioning to the SDSU program. The partners are also reaching out to the next generation of nurses through summer camps and one-day classes for middle school, high school and college-age students each year, further fostering interest in the programs. We are the only partnership in the state with such a clear pathway to a career in nursing, said Samantha Smith, academic coordinator for the West River Health Science Center. Now through our collaboration, we have strengthened our partnerships with area hospitals where students can do their clinicals, become familiar and establish local relationships with these facilities and, ultimately, have a career here. For more information about SDSU Nursing in Rapid City, please visit sdstate.edu/nursing and make an appointment with our professional advising team. This content was produced by Brand Ave. Studios. The news and editorial departments had no role in its creation or display. Brand Ave. Studios connects advertisers with a targeted audience through compelling content programs, from concept to production and distribution. For more information contact sales@brandavestudios.com. You must be logged in to react. Click any reaction to login. Love 1 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Warming temps and completion of spring spawn has contributed to improving fishing activity in the more expansive Black Hills area lakes. And allowed for better access and more trout fishing opportunities in high country waters, particularly in areas streams where water levels are leveling out and clearing somewhat. Additionally, temperatures will cool somewhat over the weekend and barometric pressure will drop as well, conditions that often portend active fishing activity, and the high winds that have often plagued the area descend to more bearable levels, a double-barrel set of conditions that could work to the benefit of walleye anglers competing in this weekends walleye tournament at Angostura. As for whats been happening recently, heres a brief update on area locales. Angostura Reservoir: Walleye bite remains on the slow side though activity picked up somewhat last week, particularly for anglers most experienced with the lake subtleties. Water temps continue to climb which will contribute to more activity. Some perch, crappie and catfish are showing up on occasion in shallows. Belle Fourche Reservoir (Orman): The weekend fishing tournament over the weekend did see an improved walleye bite as many people caught overs and plenty of slots though unders were hard to come by. Fish were scattered both in location and depths and were responding to both minnows and worms. Black Hills Area Streams: Not much change in area stream fishing. Spearfish and Rapid Creekbelow Pactola--are fishing well. Nymph fishing has the best of it though dry fly fishing opportunities exist as well. Nymphs remain the best option in most locales. Custer State Park Lakes: Catches of trout reported in most locations with fish responding to a variety of presentations. Center lake has probably been the busiest location. Deerfield Reservoir: The ever-present perch bite continues as does some trout, and pike activity in bays. Worms, minnows and spinner baits recommended depending upon species sought. Newell Lake: Water level is quite low and ramps are reportedly unusable at present. Pactola Reservoir: Northern pike bite has clicked up in recent days. remain active responding to a variety of presentations. Veterans Point and south marina have been serving up trout and perch. Some pike activity in bays though remains somewhat limited. Shadehill Reservoir: Reports indicate a low water level situation has curtailed activity on the lake. Sheridan Lake: Perch, trout and largemouth bass activity reported at times though exactly when those times are, and where, can be a problem. And which of multiple presentation options are working best at any given time. Stockage Lake: Some perch, crappie and the occasional bass reported though no pattern yet discernible. Lake Oahe: Water temps are still too low to entice an active walleye bite. Nor has the weather, particularly wind levels yet cooperated. Some limits of walleye are being caught, particularly by experienced anglers working stained water. Northern pike and catfish activity continues in bays. Lake Sharpe: Walleye activity has increased considerably as temperatures warm and sperm completes though bite remains weather dependent. Fish are being located in shallow water10 feet or lessand responding to a variety of presentations (flasher jigs, minnows and bottom bouncers.) Lake Francis Case: Some walleye activity reported in Chamberlain area. Fish have been located in 12-15 feet of water and responding to minnows, small spinners and crankbaits. AREA FISHING TOURNAMENTS Angostura Spring Walleye Tournament: May 14th & 15th. Pre-registration only. Call Cal @ 605-484-1391 for additional information. Jared Roe Memorial Walleye Tournament: June 4th, Angostura. Call Jerry Roe (605-484-3494) for additional information. First Fathers Day Tournament conducted by Fall River Swim Team: Angostura Reservoir, June 17th and 18th. Three-person teams ($120). Registration is 6 p.m., Friday, June 17th at picnic shelter, Call Stacy Reetz (605-890-1484) for additional details. For State Wide Fishing Tournaments, visit South Dakota Game, Fish & Parks website: gfp.sd.gov/events/. Dakota Angler & Outfitter, 513 Seventh St., Rapid City; The Rooster, 1441 W. Main St., Rapid City; Wheel in Bait Shop, 18696 Fishermans Road, Fruitdale, and West Prairie Resort, 28354 182nd, Pierre (605-264-5303) have contributed to this report. You must be logged in to react. Click any reaction to login. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Two of Rapid Citys own have been selected to serve on a national commission to combat the prevalence of murdered and missing Indigenous people. Rapid City Police Chief Don Hedrick and Supervisory Assistant U.S. Attorney Gregg Peterman are two of 37 people to be selected to work on the Not Invisible Act Commission. The commission is the implementation of a 2019 act, which former President Donald Trump signed into law in October 2020. The acts sole purpose was to create a commission to combat the epidemic of MMIP. According to a news release, the Not Invisible Act Commission will make recommendations to the Departments of the Interior and Justice to improve coordination between governments and establish best practices for state, tribal and federal law enforcement, to bolster resources for survivors and victims families, and to combat the epidemic of missing persons, murder, and trafficking of Native American, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian people. Peterman has been at the federal courthouse in Rapid City since 1997 and has been a supervisor since 2012, according to the United States Attorneys Office for the District of South Dakota. Peterman has been a prosecutor with the U.S. Department of Justice for 27 years. He has spent the majority of his career prosecuting violent crimes in Indian country on the Pine Ridge Reservation, including murder, sexual abuse, aggravated assault, child abuse and robbery. The Executive Office For United States Attorneys nominated Peterman for a spot on the commission. We are honored that a member of the U.S. Attorneys Office (USAO) in South Dakota has been selected to represent the USAO community on this Commission. Greggs extensive work in Indian Country has made him a trusted leader, both in the District and nationwide, and his knowledge and expertise will be instrumental to the Commissions success, U.S. Attorney Alison Ramsdell said in a statement. Hedrick began his law enforcement career in 2002 with the RCPD, serving as detective, patrol sergeant, patrol lieutenant, special operations lieutenant and captain of the department's support services division. Mayor Steve Allender appointed Hedrick as the interim police chief in June 2020 before he was sworn into the position in August 2020. Hedrick has taken several Lakota history and language courses at Oglala Lakota College, according to the RCPD. In October 2021, a representative from the Department of the Interior reached out to the RCPD to see if Hedrick would be interested in serving on the commission as a non-tribal, law enforcement member. After speaking with the Department of Interior, he said he decided to apply. It is an honor to be asked to serve on the commission. For years our department has sought ways to address the root causes of violence in order to break the cycles of victimization in our community," Hedrick said. "I am hopeful this work will make a positive impact in our region I am anxious to come to the table with an open mind in order to solve issues that affect our nations Indigenous people. Among the ranks of the commission are law enforcement, attorneys, a North Dakota legislator, tribal leaders, mental health professionals, survivors and families of survivors. The commission will work together to: Identify, report and respond to instances of missing and murdered Indigenous peoples (MMIP) cases and human trafficking, Develop legislative and administrative changes necessary to use federal programs, properties, and resources to combat the crisis, Track and report data on MMIP and human trafficking cases, Consider issues related to the hiring and retention of law enforcement officers, Coordinate Tribal-state-federal resources to combat MMIP and human trafficking offices on Indian lands, and Increase information sharing with Tribal governments on violent crimes investigations and other prosecutions on Indian lands. The Commission has the authority to hold hearings, gather testimony, and receive additional evidence and feedback from its members to develop recommendations to the Secretary of the Interior and the Attorney General. Contact Shalom Baer Gee at sgee@rapidcityjournal.com You must be logged in to react. Click any reaction to login. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Suicide, bullying and discrimination based on race and sexual orientation were reasons Lead-Deadwood School District community members argued for and against Safe Space or Safe Zone signs in campus learning areas. The Lead-Deadwood School Board met Tuesday to discuss the first reading of a policy that would restrict signs, decorations and other materials that represent controversial subject matter or political or religious messages. The board did not take action on the reading, and the second reading will be presented at the next board meeting June 14. Controversial materials can include endorsing candidates, platforms, positions, political parties or slogans; concepts, images, slogans or phrases that have appeared in the media and have been associated with controversy or a movement or a cause; and concepts, images, slogans or phrases that a reasonable person would deem offensive, obscene or inflammatory, according to the policy. Superintendent Dr. Erik Person said Tuesday that the policy stems from some educators taking issue with safe space signs that had rainbow coloring. The rainbow signs were showing support and respect for LGBTQ students. Whats been very difficult about this, I think we can all get behind the idea of a safe space for all kids, Person said. I think every educator we have in this district cares about kids and wants whats best for kids, I really believe that. I think where things go off the rails a little bit is we dont all agree on what that means, on what is best for kids. He said teachers have First Amendment rights to an extent, and those rights have some limitations. He said the posters arent violating law or policy since the district doesnt have a policy on classroom decorations. The attempt with this policy is to address it in a way that is viewpoint neutral, Person said. I think thats the important thing to keep in mind. Board members said they were open to hearing comments from the public and didnt have any set ideas on the policy. The districts attorney said he recommends some sort of policy be made. Gwen Hess, a fourth-grade teacher in the district, presented background information on why she brought complaints about the posters forward. She said as a parent, she wants children to have a safe school where they can focus on learning the fundamentals, and that their education should not be sidetracked by social drama. As paid, public school employees, we should not take sides when it comes to religion or speech, we should expect there will be differences and enforce policies that respect those differences, she said. Our school should not be a platform for paid staff to show their personal beliefs and political affiliations. Our schools should be neutral and welcoming to all students. Hess said one of her children was bullied and lost friends because of their beliefs last year. She said she went to an open house and asked questions about the controversial propaganda hanging around school. She said she raised concerns about staff displaying political flags, phone numbers to political activist groups and controversial symbols, but her concerns were ignored. She said she later heard LGBTQ pride flags were passed out to students by staff during homecoming week and raised concerns about political propaganda. Hess said her child told her they were peer pressured to be gay by their peers, and didnt feel safe to talk to staff at school because they openly sided with the LGBTQ community. She said teachers and counselors should be neutral so students can feel like they can talk about issues like bullying, racism, mental health, and other emotional situations. When it comes to the LGBTQ, Lead-Deadwood students are expected to accept this trend in society as a moral truth, but is not in agreement with my personal values, she said. Certain teachers and staff want students to not only show tolerance, but to fully accept and approve of this lifestyle. This kind of indoctrination should not be promoted in our schools just like I would not expect your child to accept my beliefs or personal moral values. Hess said students religious values should be honored and not discriminated against, LGBTQ students should be respected and not discriminated against, and every student should be treated equally. Twenty-six people from the community, including other district teachers and counselors, parents, students, alumni and people outside the area commented on the draft policy. A freshman at Lead-Deadwood High School said shes a Christian and grew up in a Christian household. She said when she goes into a classroom where she knows a teachers values, she feels judged or hated for mentioning her beliefs. She said if teachers arent allowed to post Christian or conservative materials in the classroom, or initiate prayer, they shouldnt be allowed to post LGBTQ or controversial materials in their classroom. An alumna of the Lead-Deadwood School District, who self-identified as gay, said she just completed her student teaching and saw Safe Space signs in her school. She said that made her feel comfortable and safe to know the teachers she would be learning from and could possibly work with in the future were accepting. A counselor in the district said shes been in the district for 10 years and has always had some form of safe space sign, but this is the first time shes encountered a concern. She said shes fearful the policies that could be pushed for would violate her ethical standards as a counselor and infringe upon her professional rights. She said she has not encouraged students to be gay or question their sexual orientation and hopes with such inflammatory claims that they have more evidence than simple wall decorations. Contact Siandhara Bonnet at siandhara.bonnet@rapidcityjournal.com You must be logged in to react. Click any reaction to login. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 2 Sad 0 Angry 0 Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Lt. Col. Allen Godsell, a South Dakota native with roots on a Sturgis farm, assumed command of the South Dakota National Guards 82nd Civil Support Team during a ceremony at Ellsworth Air Force Base last week. In a military career that has spanned 31 years and multiple countries, Godsell considers himself fortunate to be serving his home state and the 82nd Civil Support Team. Im the most blessed individual in the state, he said. We have a federal mission, and we have a state mission, and being able to concentrate on that state mission being able to be at home and be with friends and family thats a blessing that not many get to have. So I'm highly fortunate. The 82nd CST, the states all-hazard response team, is capable of detecting chemical, biological, radiological and explosive materials, and responds to incidents of local, state and national significance. They also provide support to civilian authority and agencies such as local fire departments, police and sheriff departments, county emergency management and other first-responder agencies. This team is important, Godsell said, because they offer detection capabilities to smaller communities that may not have the resources of larger cities. Plant explosions, railroad car derailments and dangerous chemicals are just a few scenarios the team responds to. Theyre a resource to call to say this is what it is, Godsell said, and what needs to be done next. Theyre the immediate phone call, he said a quick response, ready to roll on a few minutes notice to go out and work with these communities so that we can protect property and life. Godsell joined the South Dakota National Guard in 1998 when he retrained as an intelligence analyst for the 109th Engineer Battalion, after having served as an electronics communications specialist when he enlisted in 1991. He recalled a young high school kid who needed to get serious, and the time of Operation Desert Shield, when there was a lot of interest in joining the military," including his own. From 1991-1995 he served on active duty in Colorado and South Korea before joining the SDNG in 1998, while simultaneously earning his degree in social science and military science from Black Hills State University. He graduated in 2001, receiving his officers commission as an engineer officer for ROTC. He completed officer training at Ft. Leonard Wood in Missouri before joining the already-deployed 842nd Engineer Company in Iraq, where he served as platoon leader from 2003-2004. From there he would accept a position with the SDNG working with their Innovative Readiness Training program from 2004-2006 before being selected as the states first bilateral officer, putting together the SDNGs State Partnership Program with Suriname, where he was stationed until 2009. After three years of working international relations, Godsell returned home to take command of the 842nd Engineer Company and deployed as their commander to Afghanistan from 2011-2012. Upon returning to South Dakota, he transferred to the 196th RTI and took command of the Headquarters Detachment from 2012-2014. He then served in various administrative officer positions until being selected as the SDNG adjutant generals executive officer in 2020. Godsells diverse experience is rooted in taking care of people, he said, an understanding that has primed him for his new command. His experience has also brought a broadened perspective of the National Guard organization as a whole. Godsell sees it as an organization integrated into communities in ways people dont even realize. Its about those relationships, he said, from the Governors office to the guy pulling maintenance. The guard is your brother, your sister, your cousin, your neighbor, he said. That's what makes us unique, is that we live right here with you. Commanding the 82nd CST is a responsibility Godsell sees as an opportunity to guide talents and skills in a way that protects the larger community. That's just a blessing to be able to be part of that team, and to make sure that we're ready to do what we need to do," he said. Being able to do that in this community, he said, is a privilege he appreciates. They really back the soldiers in the National Guard, he said, and we're completely blessed to have the support of all the communities that we do. Godsell said South Dakota can rest easy knowing they have one of the best National Guards in the country. And knowing that when we go out there, we have all that support, thats a blessing, and I thank them for that, he said. Contact Laura Heckmann at lheckmann@rapidcityjournal.com You must be logged in to react. Click any reaction to login. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Sharon Brings Plentys daughter was murdered in October 2020. Tessa Curley was 34 when she was stabbed to death. The investigation is still ongoing. Curley was a member of the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe. The Red Ribbon Skirt Society, based out of Rapid City, works to prevent the murder and disappearance of Native American women through education, support of families, awareness and monitoring the status laws meant to combat the issue. The society has given Brings Plenty a place to work through the pain of losing her daughter and not knowing who is responsible. Brings Plenty knew something was wrong when Curley hadnt contacted her for a few days, and she usually texted back. She initially thought her daughter may have relapsed from her three years of sobriety, but she just had a gut feeling that something was wrong. She was murdered at her home in Box Elder, Brings Plenty said. I had to be the one to discover her. Thats why its still hard for me. After her daughter's death, Brings Plenty got in touch with Lily Mendoza, founder of the Red Ribbon Skirt Society. Mendoza helped organize a ceremony for the family, and Brings Plenty is involved with the society to this day. Shes shared her story publicly to raise awareness. Talking about her daughter and attending healing ceremonies led by the groups spiritual leader, Darla Black, has helped her move forward with her grief. Even though she lives with not knowing who killed her daughter, Brings Plenty said she thinks of how much harder it must be for the families of the missing. They dont know if their loved one is still alive. Its gotta be three times worse is what I keep saying and what the feelings that Im going through. I just wanted to get her story out there so that it doesnt really happen to another Tessa person, Brings Plenty said. Several studies show Native American women are more likely to experience violence, sexual assault or to be murdered than other groups. According to a National Institute of Justice (NIJ) study, 84.3% of Native American women have experienced violence in their lifetime. Just over 56% have experienced sexual violence. The murder rate for Native American women living on reservations is 10 times higher than the national average for women and is the third leading cause of death for Indigenous women, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Of the 105 missing people in South Dakota, 73 of them are Native American. Mendoza, a Lakota woman living in Rapid City, founded the Red Ribbon Skirt Society in 2016. She had lost a son before that and founded the Shamus Project Inc. Mendoza said the project was to keep herself and her children busy to pull them out of their grief. They organized bike rides in memory of her son. After opening her bookstore, the Bird Cage in downtown Rapid City, Mendoza began to research the Murdered and Missing Indigenous Women (MMIW) movement. My first thought was, how are the families dealing with this? Mendoza said. That was really important to me because having lost a child, I was understanding that grief when you lose a child. So I just began to contact families, and I started to search on Facebook because everybodys on Facebook. Mendoza said one woman she spoke to in the early days of her reaching out told her a story that is now familiar: When someone passes away, everyone gathers, and then they go away. The women of the society try to take away that isolation. Then youre left there with that grief by yourself, and how are you gonna deal with that? Mendoza said. The bookstore now houses a healing room where families can pray, leave offerings and pin their loved ones names to red dresses. According to Lakota custom, red is the only color that spirits can see. I wrote (Tessas name) on cloth and we put it up on the red dress. Her name hangs up there with all the other names that have gone missing or murdered, and that really touches my heart, Brings Plenty said. Mary Black Bonnet is a member and intern at the Red Ribbon Skirt Society. Shes a part of a group within the society called Completing the Circle that works with families to prevent children from going missing. Anywhere from 600 to 700 children go missing each year in Rapid City, according to local law enforcement most of which are found. What I do is try to work with the families to get to the core of the issue. Is this a kid issue or is this a family issue? It is both? I also try to connect them with community resources that we have, so bringing them back into that Indigenous circle of reconnecting with their roots, Black Bonnet said. The society also presents at schools and conferences and works with law enforcement. Mendozas son is an investigator in Rapid City. We cant do this work alone. Its taken six years to get to the point where we actually have a partnership with Rapid City law enforcement. Theyre involved in our activities that we do. They really are aware of MMIW, so we have a couple of key people we work with over there, Mendoza said. The Rapid City Police Departments community relations specialist, Brendyn Medina, said that Red Ribbon Skirt Society is a resource to families of missing people as well as a resource to the department. There are those out there that dont have a trust for law enforcement or theres a stigma of working with the police. This organization is one that can take information from somebody that might not want to provide information to police, Medina said. The Red Ribbon Skirt Societys work spans from Rapid City to Minneapolis, where Mendoza's daughter lives. They also attend schools to educate young people on how to protect themselves. Mendoza said they're working with an organization to train communities how to conduct organized search and rescue missions. "We are all recovering from something," Mendoza said. "If we look at our Lakota people and our Native people, a lot of them are recovering, trying to recover from trauma. That's really what this is about." Contact Shalom Baer Gee at sgee@rapidcityjournal.com You must be logged in to react. Click any reaction to login. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. The FBI on Tuesday raided the home of Riverdale Mayor Lawrence Jackson as part of an ongoing federal criminal investigation. The court-authorized law enforcement activity took place at Jacksons small brick bungalow in the 14500 block of South Union Avenue in Riverdale. A neighbor who did not want her name used described seeing law enforcement agents entering and leaving the home with what appeared to be boxes of evidence. Advertisement The home sits on a corner lot a few blocks from the Kickapoo Woods forest preserve. Records show Jackson has lived there since 2006 and also owns a business, Centennial Holdings LLC, registered to the address. Jackson could not be reached for comment. His assistant with the village told the Tribune he said to tell everyone that he would not have anything to say about the raid. Asked if he had an attorney, the assistant said, He has no comment, either. Advertisement First elected mayor in 2013, Jackson is serving his third straight term after besting rival and former Riverdale Mayor Deyon Dean in the 2021 primary. The raid marks yet another federal investigation involving Riverdale, which has a population of about 13,000 and has long been beset by budget woes and allegations of corruption. In 2014, Chicago real estate developer and ex-government mole John Thomas was sentenced to five years in federal prison after pleading guilty to stealing more than $375,000 in taxpayer funds earmarked for a development along the Little Calumet River in Riverdale. He admitted using the cash to pay off personal debts and other expenses. Jackson told the Tribune in an interview at the time that even though Thomas was ordered to pay back the embezzled money, Riverdale would continue to feel the repercussions of his fraud for years. Its a step in the right direction, but unfortunately the village of Riverdale will never be made whole because of the deceptive, fraudulent practices of Mr. Thomas, Jackson said then. In his last bid for reelection, Jackson told the Daily Southtown he had a record of cost savings, improved efficiency and greater accountability. When I came into office in 2013, this village was saddled in lawsuits and investigations, Jackson said. We couldnt pay our bills. Ive been able to stabilize government. We renegotiated contracts, restructured debt and got Riverdale on a path to solvency. Jackson, who previously served as a Cook County corrections officer, is paid a $69,900 annual salary, plus health benefits and an automobile allowance, according to the village code. Advertisement jmeisner@chicagotribune.com " " paul_houle /Flickr (CC BY-SA 2.0) Does your mouth start to water when you see a big, beautiful bed of hostas? Why settle for a boring lettuce salad or the same ol' side dish when you could forage for a delicacy that might be growing right in your yard? Hostas, those versatile shade-loving plants that are part-and-parcel of urban and suburban landscapes alike, are actually edible. And not in a post-apocalyptic-we-have-to-survive way. Hostas are a delicacy that can be harvested and prepared without much fuss, adding both a healthy dose of interest and a spate of vitamins and minerals to the dinner table. Advertisement A Brief History of Hostas as Food Hostas are a broad-leafed perennial native to East Asia, where they still grow wild in shaded forests. The plant is well-documented in Chinese and Japanese history as far back as 206 B.C.E. In the 1830s, hostas were imported to Europe and reached American shores shortly thereafter. Today, at least 45 different hosta species have been recognized and new cultivars are regularly introduced. Hostas have striking broad-leaf foliage ranging from dark to light green, often featuring white, yellow or blue streaks. At maturity, hostas send up flowering seedpods of white, lavender or violet in a showy display, making the plant a popular addition to shaded landscapes for its beauty. Although hostas are typically grown in the United States for ornamental purposes, they have been grown and harvested as a vegetable in Asian cultures for centuries. In Japan, for example, hostas are considered a type of sansai, which is a broad term used to describe wild plants that can be harvested from the country's mountainous regions. Hostas are not only tasty but also provide a significant amount of vitamins and minerals such as potassium, phosphorus, calcium, magnesium, manganese, zinc, copper and iron. Advertisement How to Harvest and Prepare Hostas There are a number of edibles that can be foraged from urban and wild landscapes, including fiddlehead ferns and morel mushrooms, but the hosta may have them beat for sheer availability. If you don't have hostas growing in your yard, odds are that someone you know has hostas or you can seek them out in the wild where they thrive at the shady boundaries of tree-lined land. The good news is that, unlike mushrooms, all types of hostas are edible and considered safe to eat. Watch for hostas in early spring when they start sending up thick shoots, which will vary in height and thickness depending on the plant. Using a sharp knife, cut the shoots at ground level. The shoots should still be tightly wound, which means they haven't yet opened their leaves. Don't worry that you'll harm the plant; it will simply send up a second round of shoots. " " The green growing tips of hosta plants emerging from winter dormancy are perfect for harvesting and cooking. Barry Winiker/Getty Images Upon inspection, you may notice the cut end of a hosta shoot looks rather like a leek. Try a bite of a raw hosta shoot and you may find that it reveals a pleasant onion-adjacent flavor. However, the interesting thing about hostas is that this flavor profile will vary from plant to plant, with some leaning more toward asparagus. Add the shoots raw to any meal. Steam or boil the shoots, fry them in a bit of butter to caramelize the natural sugars or pickle them for a snappy addition to salads. In general, hostas are great for any recipe in which you'd use a cruciferous vegetable like broccoli. If you missed the opportunity to cut and eat hosta shoots in early spring, you can wait for the leaves to unfurl, then harvest the leaves and substitute them for spinach or other greens. Likewise, you can watch for hostas to bloom in the mid to late summer, then cut the blossoms from the stem. The blossoms are typically sweet and floral. The blossoms can be added raw to salads or lightly breaded and pan-seared for a taste akin to squash blossoms. " " Hostas are delicious sauteed in a bit of olive oil with nothing more than a little salt and pepper. Teresa Crowder Now That's Interesting Hostas are safe for people to ingest, but not for pets. Hostas contain saponins, which can cause vomiting and diarrhea in dogs and cats. Although the symptoms are mild and usually pass within 24 hours, the repercussions depend on how much hosta the pet has eaten and may require veterinary attention. With the Virginia General Assembly having yet to agree on a state spending plan, Chesterfield's budget for the upcoming school year remains in limbo. In a Tuesday afternoon work session, School Board members noted that the delays in knowing the county's revenue will impact the district's ability to prepare for 2023 and affect plans for Hope Academy, a pilot program aimed at helping students recover from substance use while continuing their education. The hiring and enrollment processes can't start until the state budget is approved. "Those folks at the state, because they're fighting over who is going to get a political win, they need to recognize their public servants are going to suffer," said Debbie Bailey, a School Board member representing the Dale District, during Tuesday's work session. "And our students are going to be the end result of that suffering." Another initiative that is uncertain without the passage of the state budget is how much money will be allocated toward a second salary study, whose goal is to increase the salaries of more positions within Chesterfield County Public Schools and address salary compression issues, or when less experienced employees make close to what people in higher-level positions make. Back in April, the Chesterfield Board of Supervisors approved a $905.5 million general fund budget that increased teacher starting pay from $46,000 to $49,481 between an 8.6% and 8.8% jump. This would cover about 6,500 positions. At the time, Bermuda District Supervisor Jim Ingle urged the state "to get its act together, publish its budget so we know what we're actually voting on because we know what we vote on tonight, we will have to come back and amend." Bob Meister, chief financial officer for Chesterfield schools, said in a budget update on Tuesday the state has up to 15 days to calculate how much money will be allocated to each district after passing the final Virginia budget. Two possible timelines, if the legislature acts by the end of May, could mean a special meeting between June 7 and June 29 for Chesterfield to have more concrete plans. Chesterfield schools is hoping they don't take that long, Meister said. While both the House of Delegates and Senate budgets make K-12 top priorities, the House proposes to split the proposed salary increase for teachers between 4% raises and 1% bonuses each year versus the Senate version, which keeps a 5% rise for teachers and a $1,000 bonus on June 1. The House proposes to create a school construction fund through a loan rebate program that uses $292 million in state dollars and $250 million from the Literary Fund. The Senate's plan includes $500 million to help replace more than half of Virginia's school buildings that are over 50 years old. "It bears repeating: please, because it is more favorable to schools, if we could pass the Senate version or closer to the Senate version," said Kathryn Haines, School Board member for the Midlothian District. "Because the achievement gaps that are a result of COVID are real and we need an investment that Virginia has not yet seen before in education." Three student-led protests this school year at three different Hanover County high schools prompted the countys School Board Tuesday night to consider a proposed addition to the student code of conduct that clarifies its stance on protests and walkouts. The changes presented would add protests and walkouts to the glossary of definitions at the end of the code. The proposed changes say, in part, that demonstrations, including protests and walkouts, are prohibited and that any physical, written or verbal disturbance, communication or activity within the school setting or during related activities, which may interfere with teaching or the orderly conduct of school activities, is not allowed. The proposed change also says that a students participation including leaving class, campus or their assigned location during school hours will be subject to disciplinary action. Protests and walkouts arent specifically mentioned in the body of the current code of conduct, but students have been disciplined this school year for participation in such events based on violations outlined in the current code. Last September, students walked out of Patrick Henry High during the school day to call attention to students mental health needs after the suicide of a Patrick Henry student. Students received up to 10-day suspensions for walking out and then remaining outside for hours while ignoring school officials repeated requests to go back inside. On March 18, Atlee High students held a walkout during the school day on school grounds to protest the boards handling or lack thereof of state-mandated policies that give transgender students access to bathrooms and lockers rooms that fit with their identity. Some students received two- or three-day suspensions for their actions. Another walkout at Mechanicsville High also for transgender students rights was held on April 22, though that event took place after the school day ended and just off school grounds. School officials have said Patrick Henry and Atlee students were disciplined because they violated the code of conduct in a number of ways: interfering with learning outside the classroom, failure to be in ones assigned place and inciting or causing a substantial disturbance to the operation of the school or the safety of the staff and students. Brian Maltby, a discipline hearing review officer for Hanover schools, told board members Tuesday night that the proposed change clarifies longstanding existing practices already outlined in the code of conduct. He said it addresses student conduct during a protest or walkout, not the nature of the protest or walkout. In short, students cant come and go as they please, Maltby said, and called the proposed changes a matter of safety. He said by adding protest/walkout to the glossary of definitions in the code, the proposed language eliminates ambiguity in handling situations where students participate in walkouts or protests. Board Vice Chair Bob Hundley, citing concerns from a parent earlier in the evening during the public comment period, asked Maltby if the proposed changes violate First Amendment rights. Maltby as well as Board Attorney Lisa Seward said the proposed changes as written do not violate students rights. Youre not allowed to leave without permission, Maltby said, referring to students actions during the school day. The nature of the protest or walkout is irrelevant. Ahead of Maltbys presentation to the board, more than a dozen speakers addressed the board during its public comment period. Most people spoke about the boards ongoing issues with transgender policies, specifically that it did not approve a model policy back in November that would allow transgender students to use bathrooms and locker rooms that fit with their gender identities. A few spoke about the protest/walkout policy. Hanover parent Nicole Rossi reminded the board the transgender model policies crafted by the Virginia Department of Education meant to serve as a guideline for Virginias school divisions were done so by a bipartisan group. A bipartisan team worked together to develop a plan to protect our students, Rossi said, and noted that it shouldnt matter what those students look like or how they identify. If we care about the safety of all children ... shouldnt we proactively protect them? Christopher Berg a parent of two students at Atlee High, one of whom was suspended during the Atlee protest called the proposed code of conduct changes unconstitutional, unpatriotic and un-American, and a continued campaign against transgender students. He said the proposed policy as written is vague and could potentially infringe on students First Amendment rights. He said it was unnecessary, given that the code already has provisions for discipline for student violations. Berg questioned what constitutes a protest under the proposed policy and suggested to the board that the proposed policy be rewritten with students legal rights in mind. In addition to the protest/walkout language, board members also heard about another addition to the code of conduct that involves self-defense claims. The proposed language says anyone claiming self-defense during a fight or incident must be without fault in provoking or bringing on the fight or incident, have reasonably feared at the time that there was imminent risk of physical harm, and that they used no more force than reasonably necessary to prevent the threatened harm. It also says that self-defense is not an excuse for possession or use of a weapon on school property or at any school-sponsored event. The board could vote on both code of conduct changes in June. In other news, the board unanimously approved changes to its citizen participation policy. The changes mean that individuals who wish to speak at meetings have to sign up by noon on meeting days, rather than being allowed to sign up in advance or at the meeting. The policy also now specifies that the board can change the location of its meetings if a larger venue is needed. The former treasurer-secretary of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen Division 26 pleaded guilty Wednesday in Richmond federal court to embezzling $30,519 by writing unauthorized checks some with the forged signature of the union president and making unapproved debits and cash withdrawals from the labor organizations checking account to pay his personal expenses. Senior U.S. District Court Judge Henry E. Hudson convicted Anthony Jordan, 55, of Emporia, after accepting his plea to embezzlement of union funds in a scheme that spanned nearly 5 years. Jordan could receive up to five years in prison when hes sentenced Sept. 8. According to the governments statement of facts, Jordan was a salaried employee of the union and received monthly compensation for his position as treasurer-secretary, which he assumed in April 2013. His duties included overseeing the unions funds, maintaining the organizations checkbook and financial records and providing reports at membership meetings. Jordan also co-signed checks, balanced the unions bank account and prepared the organizations taxes. During his tenure as secretary-treasurer, the union had only one bank account, and Jordan had sole control of the accounts debit card, as well as sole online access to the unions account via a Wells Fargo online portal. The unions check writing policy required two signatures Jordans and that of the union president. The defendant had complete control of the unions financial records, as the unions Wells Fargo account was associated with the defendants home address and the bank statements were mailed to the defendants home, Assistant U.S. Attorney Carla Jordan-Detamore wrote in the governments summary of evidence. From December 2013 through April 2019, Jordan wrote unauthorized checks from the unions Wells Fargo checking account to himself. He also made unauthorized direct debits, ATM withdrawals and cash back transactions from the checking account to pay his personal expenses, Jordan-Detamore wrote. In embezzling the funds, Jordan forged the signature of the unions president without his knowledge on checks withdrawn from the unions bank account. He also used blank checks that had been pre-signed by the president to pay for expenses the president had not authorized. Jordan would use these checks to pay himself duplicate salary and expense stipend payments in some months that were not authorized by the union, according to the government. During the course of the scheme, Jordan executed 13 payments to himself via unauthorized checks, as well as two withdrawals for salary and expense stipends that the defendant knew full well he was not authorized to receive. In addition to issuing and cashing unauthorized checks, Jordan further embezzled funds by making 166 unauthorized payments via direct debits from the unions checking account. Those payments totaled $18,698. None of those payments were made on behalf of, or for the benefit of, the union, according to the government. Instead, the defendant made these direct debits to pay for personal expenses such as veterinary services, utility company bills, cell phone service, internet and cable, groceries, personal tax returns, convenience store transactions, and others, Jordan-Detamore wrote. Jordan also made more than 50 unauthorized cash withdrawals from the unions bank account to pay for personal expenses. To conceal the theft, he did not provide the union with financial reports starting about a year after he assumed the position of secretary-treasurer. By the end of March 2019, the unions account balance was $8.98 in the red. Virginia economy stays strong, as state revenues soar almost 46% in April The economic recovery that began more than a year ago in Virginia is still picking up strength, as state revenues surged by almost 46% in Apri In pleading guilty, Jordan agreed to make restitution in the amount of $12,419.76 to the union, and an additional $15,000 to Travelers Insurance. Court records show he has already made a restitution payment of $3,100. The local chapter of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen is based in Mechanicsville and serves members in the greater Richmond area. The BLET has a U.S. membership of more than 57,000. Jordan is the second local union official to be convicted of stealing funds in two months. On March 8, Nintay Edwards, 41, the former financial secretary and treasurer of the United Steelworkers Union, Local 694 in Richmond, was sentenced in federal court to home detention on his conviction of embezzling $66,684 from its members over 18 months. He used the money to pay his personal expenses. U.S. District Judge M. Hannah Lauck showed Edwards leniency and departed from federal sentencing guidelines, which called for Edwards to serve a prison term of between 15 and 21 months. The judge cited Edwards challenging circumstances in raising an autistic child, and noted he had acquired a lucrative railroad job that would allow him to pay restitution and provide specialized care for his nonverbal 6-year-old autistic son. Michael Paul Williams Follow Michael Paul Williams Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Save Manage followed notifications Close Followed notifications Please log in to use this feature Log In Don't have an account? Sign Up Today Tannis Fuller recalled her sensation when abortion rights in America sprung a leak. It was a little bit like a kick in the teeth and the wind knocked out of you at the same time, said Fuller, executive director of the Charlottesville-based Blue Ridge Abortion Fund. This was not a surprise. But like lots of things that arent surprising, it still feels really awful. Gov. Glenn Youngkin wants the Supreme Court to overturn Roe v. Wade. Attorney General Jason Miyares declared Roe wrongly decided. The math at the General Assembly is not promising for abortion rights advocates. Should Roe be overturned, and abortions banned in Virginia, Well do what we do, Fuller said. Well still help folks get it. We just wont be able to help them get it here. The Supreme Courts move to overturn Roe was not spurred by popular demand. Seven out of 10 people surveyed say abortion decisions should be left to the woman and her doctor, according to an ABC News/Washington Post poll. But America or at least, the political right and its evangelical base has a pathological need to punish. A Texas woman, Lizelle Herrera, was charged with murder in April over an alleged self-induced abortion before prosecutors dropped the charge because, well, there was no such criminal law to support it. That will change should Roe go down. And like most aspects of our criminal justice system, the fallout will not be equitable. The folks who are most impacted by these decisions are the folks who are currently impacted by restrictions on abortion care: our Black community members, our immigrant community members, our Queer community members, Fuller said. Folks who already struggle with accessing health care will be more and more impacted by these restrictions ... because they are also communities that tend to be hyper-scrutinized by the legal system, right? When we make abortion illegal, what we do, necessarily, is create criminals. And the way we create criminals in this moment is by examining every pregnancy that doesnt result in a healthy live birth. Every lost pregnancy becomes a potential illegal abortion with the overturning of Roe versus Wade. Or as Jamie Lockhart, executive director of Planned Parenthood Advocates of Virginia, observed: We know from the history of policing in America that some are criminalized more than others, and we have a history of over-policing Black bodies. There should be concern about how pregnancy outcomes are policed in disproportionate ways. Add to this the sobering statistic that African-American women are three times more likely to die from pregnancy complications. Knowing what we know about maternal mortality rates, forcing someone to go through pregnancy is unconscionable, Lockhart said. The grassroots Blue Ridge Abortion Fund seeks to ensure that women have the necessary financial and logistical support to get an abortion. Fuller says it provided more than $600,000 worth of support last year to women the majority of them Virginians seeking care in Virginia. We have a $13,000 budget that we make available Monday morning, serving folks on a first-come, first-serve basis. We generally meet that $13,000 budget by 2 oclock on Monday, she said. Fuller says as many as 1 in 3 women capable of becoming pregnant will have an abortion, spanning the economic, religious and geographical spectrum. Countries without safe and legal abortion have roughly the same abortion rates as countries where abortion is legal, she said. So what is the point, beyond criminalization and polishing a slippery slope? Tennessee is criminalizing mail-order abortion pills. Contraception access is already in the crosshairs of some politicians. Some folks in the anti-abortion movement want a fertilized egg to have full constitutional rights under the 14th amendments equal protection clause a clause that doesnt apply to womens reproductive rights, according to the overturn-Roe draft by Justice Samuel Alito. If women cant safely access abortion, Fuller foresees government also dictating where and how you deliver your children. Home births could be banned by states and women could be forced to have C-section births. If we cant protect our ability to decide whether or not to remain pregnant, I believe that we lose the capacity to make any reproductive health care decisions. But if the court is stripping away rights, why would it stop at a womans body autonomy? It is all open. Weve seen this court roll back voting protections, right? ... Theyre coming for LGBTQ rights, they are coming for immigrant rights. None of this is safe. If you dont think its about you, Fuller said, its gonna be about you. Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney held a vigil Tuesday to dedicate a plaque in remembrance of the 513 Richmond residents who have died from COVID-19. These individuals were our friends, our neighbors and our coworkers, Stoney said at the dedication. We all knew someone and we still miss them. So today, we are taking time to recollect, to commemorate and to remember. The plaque, which was dedicated at Richmonds Powhatan Hill Park, reads In memory of Richmonds victims of COVID-19. Forever in our hearts. The plaque will be placed on a stone resting between the two oak trees that were planted outside the Powhatan Community Center for the COVID-19 Day of Remembrance in Richmond in March 2021. The site for the plaque and trees overlooks the city, where everyone that was in eyeshot had all dealt with COVID, Stoney said. This is a city issue and theres no better place to come and reflect on where weve gone or where weve been in a place like this here in Fulton [Hill], he said. Of over 45,000 COVID cases in the city of Richmond, 513 have died, according to data from the Virginia Department of Health. Over 30 of the deaths occurred within the last three months. Among Richmonds victims of COVID were Stephanie Flowers mother and uncle. Flowers, a certified community health worker and an employee in the Virginia Commonwealth University Health System, lost her mother and uncle to COVID last year. Her three-bedroom house, once full of love and laughter, became a three-bedroom empty space, she said. So when I come here, this will be a place of strength where I can remember them remember the joy, the laughter, the smiles and just remember everything she [her mother] taught me as a 40-year-old woman, she said. Im grateful for this space that our city has provided for all of us, and I just want to encourage everyone who has lost someone that there is still hope and were gonna get through this together. In addition to ensuring those who lost their lives to COVID were not forgotten, Richmond City Council President Cynthia I. Newbille said this was an opportunity to have a reminder that in the midst of the pandemic, there was still work to do to make sure that children, families and relatives were vaccinated and boosted. More than 58% of Richmond residents are fully vaccinated, and a little more than 30% are fully vaccinated with a booster shot, according to VDH data. While this will allow us to never forget, it will also be a reminder of what work we still need to do to ensure that we lose no more or certainly minimize the numbers lost, Newbille said. Melissa Viray, deputy director and now acting director of Richmond and Henrico health districts, said that while infection rates were much lower than in the earlier phases of the pandemic, people were still being lost to other challenges that had deepened , including substance abuse, mental health crises and violence. The impacts of this pandemic havent disappeared just because infection rates have dropped and we have to work harder than ever to face these challenges, to face racial and economic disparities honestly and be willing to partner and invest in new ways and do whatever it takes to protect and empower our communities, she said. Christopher Frelke, director of the citys Parks, Recreation and Community Facilities, acknowledged that May is Mental Health Awareness Month, recognizing millions of Americans living with mental illness which has increased as a result of the pandemic. A tremendous amount of loss in the community was because of mental health, he said. We strongly encourage individuals, when youre having that moment, find one of these beautiful park spaces like this, sit at a bench and enjoy that, Frelke said. We offer that for our community and were happy to provide that. The site was formally dedicated as a space for reflection and remembrance for the Richmonders that were lost, Stoney said. I know that we will look back at this time as a defining moment in many of our lives and in the collective life of this great city, Stoney said. And I hope when people do look back, they can come to this space and draw a measure of comfort and strength from these trees and the permanence of this stone that reflects both our caring and commitment to remembering and our resilience and unwavering hope for the future. PULASKI A second-degree murder charge against Kevin Dwayne Scott involving the death of Pulaski County woman earlier this year will go to a grand jury, Judge Erin DeHart ruled Tuesday. Scott, 47, attended a brief preliminary hearing in Pulaski County General District Court via a video link from the New River Valley Regional Jail. He has been incarcerated there since March 21. That was the day when a police officer carrying out a wellness check at the Dublin apartment of Rachel Jones Mitchell found Scott there, saw splashes of what looked like blood, and eventually discovered Mitchells body in a locked room, according to search warrants. Mitchell was 55 when she died, an online obituary said. At Tuesdays hearing, Scott and his attorney, Robert Canard of Christiansburg, agreed to stipulate that the prosecutions evidence was sufficient for a grand jury to receive the charges of second-degree murder and of attempted breaking and entering into an occupied dwelling. The grand jury will decide if Scott should be tried in the countys circuit court. The attempted breaking and entering is from a Feb. 10 incident at a different residence. Search warrants said that in March, Mitchells daughter asked Dublin police to look in on Mitchell. An officer found Mitchells apartment door chained on the inside and heard movement. The officer announced his presence and Scott came to the door. Scott, whose address is listed in court records as unknown, said that he was homeless. He said that Mitchell was letting him stay at the apartment for a few days while she went to Texas, search warrants said. The officer saw a large amount of red stains in multiple places in the living room, kitchen and bathroom, and found the door to one room in the apartment to be locked, search warrants said. Mitchells daughter provided a key and inside the room, the officer found Mitchells body facedown on the floor, search warrants said. Scott subsequently confessed to stabbing Mitchell, search warrants said. Police collected three knives, an assortment of swabs and samples, and other items from the apartment. 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. Roanokes Gun Violence Prevention Commission decided Tuesday to allocate some of its budget funds to purchase gun locks for up to 8,000 Roanoke City Public Schools families. Commission member Kathy Cohen said she hoped the commission could get gunlocks to city parents before the end of the school year with the help of Blue Ridge Behavioral Healthcare and Carilion Roanoke Memorial Hospital. One of the issues in getting gun locks to families is, even if they are free and available, the people who need them most are unlikely to go to the places where they are free and available, Cohen said. Children will be home more during the summer. And the possibility of having greater access to an unlocked gun becomes more of a problem when theyre home more. The city recorded 27 incidents in which a person was wounded by gunfire between Jan. 1 and May 8. Thats nine more shootings than in the same time period in 2021. Commission member Joe Cobb said police are beginning to receive more shots fired calls from the southeast quadrant of the city. Unfortunately, theres been a lot more in southeast thats being reported, Cobb said during the meeting at Belmont Branch Library. Thats one of the reasons I wanted us to be here tonight. But Cobb said the citys northwest quadrant can also be a dangerous place. The councilman said he recently rode along with city police at night. One of the first calls he heard reported shots fired on Delta Drive. It was a random car that had come down to one way street and then backed up at a high speed, sideswiped several vehicles, unloaded multiple cases, Cobb said. Its an absolute miracle that no one was injured or killed, because the gunfire was going everywhere. And when we got there, the car was gone. And there were people out everywhere, including children. Commission member Nicole Ross said the Roanoke community needs to do more to protect its children. After a fatal midday shooting on Hanover Avenue Northwest on May 4, Ross said a school bus drove by the scene. Thats an additional trauma that these kids cant unsee, she said. It was horrific enough to have kids crying on the school bus. We have to fix that. I dont know what the solution is. But were going have to come up with something, because we dont want that to happen. Youth and Gang Violence Prevention Coordinator Chris Roberts said the responsibility of notifying schools about shootings and related bus routes shouldnt fall to police. The police department, their list of tasks just continues to grow, he said. We cant police our way out all of this. Cobb said the commission is beginning a planning process this week that will kick start the production of a public awareness campaign and other marketing strategies. We have had multiple transitions with staff and people, and weve kind of been doing a hodgepodge of communication, and the idea is to not be a hodgepodge anymore, Cobb said. Its going to be a very focused, comprehensive approach from door hangers on doors, to fliers, to phone calls, to knocking on doors, to letting people know, These are opportunities to be engaged. The commission also has set a goal to prepare five measurable gun violence reduction goals to review at its June meeting. Those goals might include: Reducing recorded gun violence incidents by a certain percentage in two or three years. Reaching out to a certain percentage of high risk individuals in two or three years. Connecting a certain percentage of people impacted by gun violence with resources within a certain amount of time after an incident. Increasing the number of mental health professionals or trauma response team members that respond to the scene of an incident by a certain percentage in two or three years. And reducing the number of illegally owned guns seized by police by a certain percentage in two or three years. Three of those five potential goals reflect ones set by police forces in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. That police department, Cobb said, uses an offender-based strategy known as Operation Pinpoint to track crime in specific neighborhoods. Its really just identifying some key areas and pinpointing those areas to invest people, energy and resources, and working to reduce the level of crime significantly in those areas, and then moving out to other areas, Cobb said. Lansdowne is a real priority. And I would say to that Eighth Street has been another priority area, as well as a section of Williamson Road. Cameras installed at the Roanoke Redevelopment and Housing Authoritys Lansdowne Park complex have assisted police in locating suspects and reducing crime rates. Kaelyn Spickler, the housing authoritys communications specialist and a member of the commission, said between the cameras installation in February 2021 and the following October, the number of offenses in the neighborhood decreased by 30% from the same period in 2020. The video footage from Lansdowne in particular has also been very beneficial with providing leads to the Roanoke police department and better enabling them to help find the people responsible. We do have license plate readers, so that has been very helpful, Spickler said. But a troublesome shift is beginning to occur in gun violence statistics citywide. Police are beginning to record incidents at all hours of the day and the night. It used to be, I would say even just a few years ago, the majority would have been nine oclock to three or four in the morning. But that is not the case anymore, Cobb said. To a certain degree, the climate is changing. And Roberts and Ross said its nothing that the commission or the police can fix on their own. Theres not an institution or agency alone that can take the lead on healing the community. Its going to have to be from the community out, Roberts said. And were finding it very challenging to find people, regular citizens of the community, saying, I want to be a part of this. We really are meeting. We really are trying. But we are just a commission. You are the community. What are you doing to help us fix this problem? Ross said. Its not a commission problem. It is not a police problem. It is a Roanoke city community problem. And we all have to pitch in to see the difference. 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. Construction of the often-delayed and increasingly expensive Mountain Valley Pipeline has left its mark on the balance sheet of the corporate parent of Roanoke Gas Co. In a conference call Wednesday to discuss second-quarter earnings, RGC Resources reported an impairment charge of about $29.6 million related to the investment by one of the companys subsidiaries, RGC Midstream, in the natural gas pipeline. RGC Midstream is a 1% partner in the $6.6 billion joint venture, which will expand the supply of two existing natural gas pipelines to the customers of Roanoke Gas, another subsidiary of RGC Resources. The $29.6 million impairment is essentially a write-down of the value of the companys role in Mountain Valley, which has been hampered by legal challenges from environmental groups. Since work on the pipeline began in 2018, the cost has nearly doubled and completion has been delayed by four years. RGC Resources President and CEO Paul Nester said the after-tax impairment loss reduces the pipelines $66 million value to the company by about 60%. Other partners in the project have recorded larger impairments commensurate with their more expansive stakes in the 303-mile interstate pipeline with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, following a series of setbacks that include a federal appeals courts rejection of two key Mountain Valley permits earlier this year. Neither RGCs original investment nor the impairment will impact the rates paid by Roanoke Gass 63,000-some customers in the Roanoke and New River valleys, Nester said. Generally, an impairment loss occurs when the fair market value of a company-owned asset falls below its recorded value, decreasing net income, according to Dana Garner, an assistant professor in Virginia Techs Pamplin College of Business. In its SEC filing, RGC Resources listed a net loss of about $24 million for the quarter that ended March 31, reflecting the first Mountain Valley-related impairment that it has reported. Pipeline opponents who cite the environmental damage caused by construction as well as the finished projects contribution to climate change say its investors should abandon a failing venture. But Nester said Wednesday that RGC continues to support a pipeline that is nearly completed. He said that an additional source of fuel is needed for the Roanoke region and that Mountain Valley would relieve a shortage caused by geopolitical events and help bring prices down. The Roanoke Valley, the commonwealth of Virginia and the United States need the Mountain Valley Pipeline more than ever, he said. We are really troubled by the fact that area businesses and residential customers have been and will continue to be forced to absorb elevated natural gas costs, he said in the conference call. Through March 31, RGC Midstream has invested $55.3 million in the pipeline. Another $10 million is needed for completion, Nester said. Excluding the impairment, underlying net income grew by 6.5% in the second quarter for RGC Resources, which the company attributed to its investment in infrastructure replacement programs, steady customer growth and a significant increase in natural gas use by an industry it serves. The most recent setback for Mountain Valley, which would transport 2 billion cubic feet per day of natural gas through the Roanoke and New River valleys, came earlier with year at the hands of the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. Citing environmental concerns, the Fourth Circuit rejected two government approvals, one that allowed the pipeline to pass through the Jefferson National Forest in Giles and Montgomery counties and the other a finding that endangered species would not be jeopardized along the lines route from northern West Virginia to Southside Virginia, where it will connect with an existing pipeline. Last week, Mountain Valley said it would seek new permits, which will increase the cost from $6.2 billion to $6.6 billion and extend a projected completion date from this summer to the second half of next year. It is not unusual for a publicly traded company to record impairments, according to Michelle Hagadorn, a professor and associate chair of the Business Administration and Economics Department at Roanoke College. Impairment losses can occur for a variety of reasons: physical damage to the asset, a permanent reduction in market value, legal issues against the asset, and early asset disposal, she wrote in an email. But success is far from guaranteed, as evidenced by the pipelines eight-year history of regulatory and legal obstacles. There are ongoing, and potential future legal and regulatory matters related to MVP, any of which could affect the ability to complete or operate the project, RGC said in its SEC filing. Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. After months of fighting between Black and Latino City Council members over how the citys 50 ward boundaries will be drawn for the next decade, aldermen say theyve reached agreement on the new map. The map helps dictate power and influence on the council and an agreement among the council members means a decision about the ward boundaries will not go to voters at the end of June. Sign up for The Spin to get the top stories in politics delivered to your inbox weekday afternoons. Advertisement If the full council passes this proposal with at least 41 votes before May 20, these will become the citys new ward boundaries starting with the 2023 municipal election and lasting until the 2030 U.S. Census triggers yet another realignment fight. Chicago's proposed ward map Not sure which ward you live in? Type your address into the search box below. Source: City of Chicago MANASSAS Data-center development increasingly threatens some of Northern Virginias major Civil War battlefields, leaders of four U.S. and Virginia preservation groups said at a press conference Tuesday on the Manassas battlefield. Preservation Virginia, one of the nations oldest historic-preservation groups, called out the danger in its 2022 Most Endangered Sites report released Tuesday. The report cites specific threats to Manassas National Battlefield Park and Culpeper Countys Brandy Station Battlefield from recent data-center proposals. As part of the coalitions opposing these data centers, the American Battlefield Trust stresses how such projects can ruin pristine Civil War landscapes prized by visitors. The centers use gobs of electricity, impinge on historic viewsheds, require paving, increase runoff and create noise, the trust said in a statement Tuesday. Unlike the housing or commercial developments that have infringed on battlefields in decades past, data centers are a new, 21st-century consideration that communities and conservationists are still learning how to address, the national nonprofit group said. We want the local officials in these counties to understand that as with any type of development, preservation and data centers are not mutually exclusive, Trust President David Duncan said. These communities can have both, but it all depends on the careful consideration of location. With its highly regarded report, Preservation Virginia has empowered this important message and turned attention to an issue that is far from over in the commonwealth and throughout the country. Locating data centers within technology corridors and away from culturally sensitive areas would convey how local governments value and support the preservation of their irreplaceable historic resources, the conservationist said. Preservation Virginias annual Most Endangered warnings stretch across more than 20 years, and have helped prevent the loss of nationally important historic sites, including parts of Spotslyvania Countys Wilderness battlefield. Inclusion on the Virginias Most Endangered Historic Places list can have a profound influence in bringing organizations and individuals together to forward solutions and resolve threats. This years list is no exception, Elizabeth S. Kostelny, CEO of Preservation Virginia, said in a statement. The resources included reflect a range of issues and opportunities as Virginia continues its tradition of honoring its past while planning for the future. Kostelny, Kyle Hart of the National Parks Conservation Association, Chuck Laudner of the American Battlefield Trust and Raquel Montez, acting superintendent of Manassas National Battlefield Park gathered Tuesday afternoon at the parks Brawner Farmheart of the Second Manassas battlefieldto highlight the issue. Manassas National Battlefield Park is under threat from a rezoning requested for a massive data-centers district to be built a stones throw from the park, Culpeper County recently approved Amazon data centers on 230 acres of historic farmland near Stevensburg despite public outcry and concerns expressed by the trust and a coalition of eight other national, regional, and local organizations. Adjacent landowners are suing the county Board of Supervisors in hopes of overturning its 4-3 rezoning decision; the six property owners claim the board violated state and local laws. The Stevensburg development on State Route 3 would be built beside two nationally significant properties Salubria, an 18th-century manor house on the National Register of Historic Places, and Hansbroughs Ridge, a Virginia State Landmark that played an important role in the Battle of Brandy Station on June 9, 1863 and the Union armys winter 1863-64 encampment. Last summer, activists encouraged the Prince William County supervisors to reconsider the footprint of the countys data centers. If the proposals are approved, they would invite industrial development near both of Prince William Countys National Park Service sitesManassas National Battlefield Park and Prince William Forest Parka possibility that the trust and eight other national, regional and local organizations adamantly oppose. Later this year, the Board of Supervisors is expected to decide on a Comprehensive Plan amendment to rezone the land along Pageland Lane. Preservation Virginia said its Most Endangered Historic Places program has a track record of success. Last year, the listed sites included Rassawek, historic capital of the Monacan Indian Nation; River Farm, headquarters of the American Horticultural Society; and the Warm Springs Bathhouses, the oldest spa site in the United States. All were saved from insensitive development and neglect, the group said. Since Preservation Virginias program began, more than 50% of its listed sites have been saved, 10% were lost, and the remaining 40% are still being monitored. Other sites on 2022s list include Dunnington Mansion in Farmville; Green Valley Pharmacy in Arlington; Havelock School in Warsaw; Ivy Cliff Slave Dwelling in Bedford County; Parker Sydnor Cabin in Mecklenburg County; Preston-Crockett House in Smyth County; Reedville Grand Order of Odd Fellows Lodge/African American School in Northumberland County; Saint Pauls Chapel Rosenwald School in Brunswick County; and William Fox Elementary School in Richmond. When thinking of the ways local history gets shared, one tends to think of static media: books, newspapers, paintings, photographs. One does not immediately think of choreography. And yet, at least in Roanoke, theres a show that uses choreography to share the story of how the city came to be. Dancers will take to the Elmwood Park stage Saturday to perform an 80-minute show based on Roanokes railroad history. Creator Pedro Szalay named it TIES, which references the past and future connections between families and neighbors, but also refers to railroad ties that hold the tracks in place. Dance, of course, is an ancient form of expression in its own right, frequently used for storytelling, but not generally thought of in the 21st century as a method for teaching local history. For Szalay, artistic director of Southwest Virginia Ballet, its the method that comes naturally, as evidenced not just by TIES but by his work with Roanoke elementary schools. He first taught the Richmond Ballets Minds in Motion program for schoolchildren, then founded his own Dance Espanol program that teaches Spanish, incorporates material from class curricula, introduces students to cultural nonprofits such as the Taubman Museum of Art, and culminated in a big school dance performance. Szalay was jotting down the ideas that became TIES even before he joined Southwest Virginia Ballet in 2006. Roanokes history as a railroad town resonated with aspects of his own life story. Journeys by trainIn a turn of events that has echoes in Russias invasion of Ukraine, Szalays 9-year-old mother and her parents fled Hungary by train in the late 1940s to escape the Soviet occupation. They took refuge in Germany, where they were eventually given a choice to relocate to Canada or South America. Szalays grandfather, an agronomist engineer, chose Venezuela, drawn by the promise of land. In TIES, Szalay imagines the growth of the community that became Roanoke, beginning with a single European settler exploring the land, testing whether the soil will be suitable for farming, his discoveries told through movement. Dance is a silent art form, Szalay said. As the performance progresses, more and more people gradually come to the valley, the dances becoming correspondingly more complex, including couples dances and a square dance. One particularly memorable sequence, as railroad construction starts, has male dancers tossing and jumping over prop railroad ties. Later the cast dances in and on top of railroad car sets and in a moving moment set at the dawn of World War I, a soldier says goodbye to his sweetheart before the train takes him away. TIES has only been performed in Roanoke, first in 2008 and 2009, then brought back in 2016 after the Virginia Museum of Transportation restored the classic Norfolk & Western J-Class 611 steam engine to working order. Though Saturdays performances take place outdoors in Elmwood Park, the railroad car sets will return, Szalay said. One of the dancers in the upcoming performances, Blacksburg High School senior Dani Riley, described TIES to The Roanoke Times as very different, but in the best way possible, elaborating that, I know a lot of people are unfamiliar with TIES because it is an original piece created by Pedro. When they come to see it, it will not be anything like a classical ballet. There are definitely elements of classical ballet incorporated, but the overall movements are more contemporary-based. Ties that uniteThats not the only way in which Szalay has innovated. As is true with Dance Espanol, TIES is a multimedia, multi-organization collaboration. The transportation museum helped him with the concept. The show makes use of projected images from the O. Winston Link Museum and original songs by Roanoke Valley bluegrass musician David Austin, performed with Atta Boys and Blue Mule. One of those songs cleverly works the name O. Winston Link into a rhyming couplet. All the elements came together through conversations, research and networking during Szalays early days in Roanoke. Slowly talking with people and embracing the concept, that made it flourish, he said. Though the costumes are all period, Szalay imagines the shows progression and conclusion as firmly tied to the present day. People come from different parts of the world. People grew up here, people go away, people come back and make it grow in different aspects, he said, forming the TIES of the title. Szalay, who was born in Venezuela, grew up to become a company dancer at the Ballet National of Caracas. He left for America in 1994, ahead of the events that brought strongman Hugo Chavez into power. In 1995, he packed a single suitcase to travel via Amtrak passenger train from New York City to Virginia to begin a decade dancing for the Richmond Ballet. Hes glad that Amtrak now reaches Roanoke another tie between communities. Szalay himself is an example of an immigrant finding success in Roanoke. His artistic director position with Southwest Virginia Ballet became full time in 2012. In 2017, he and his husband, artist Mark Sheppard, purchased The Dance Centre of Southwest Virginia, the for-profit school in Salem where the nonprofit ballet was based, renamed it the Star City School of Ballet and moved it to the Roanoke Industrial Center, where its currently flourishing. In a fine example of how a welcoming community benefits from embracing the innovators who move in, Szalays story has become part of Roanokes history, and he has given back by sharing Roanokes story in a way that moves. Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Now-confirmed reports about the leaked U.S. Supreme Court draft decision to overturn the landmark Roe v. Wade abortion case will have a huge impact so huge that traditional political calculations are being thrown out the window. Novembers normally drab midterm federal elections will shift monumentally to thwart judicial abortion activism thats been boiling for years. Mainstream voters, already tired of Republican culture wars and outraged over the GOPs empowerment of the Jan. 6 protest at the U.S. Capitol, will now rush to the polls to keep Democrats in power in Washington. In congressional races slightly favoring Republicans, such as U.S. Rep. Nancy Maces First District reelection bid, Democrats will now become competitive. In places where Republicans thought they might be able to pick up a seat and retake the U.S. House, voters in many places wont trust them enough to stop the madness to elect them. Donald Trumps 2016 presidential victory led to the appointment of three radicals to the Supreme Court Brett Kavanaugh, Neil Gorsuch and Amy Coney Barrett. They joined longtime uber-conservatives Samuel Alito and Clarence Thomas and Chief Justice John Roberts, viewed these days as more moderate, to form a 6-3 bloc. Such a lopsided majority made it just a matter of time before the justices fiddled seriously with Roe. Liberals, however, didnt bank on it being actually overturned. And neither, we suspect, have most voters, a majority of whom support abortion rights. Now theres extra motivation for them to get active. And imagine the fuming rallies coming to college campuses. All of this activity will send a new, engaged breed of pragmatic politicians to Washington. And that, we hope, will include some old-time moderate Republicans instead of the knee-jerk breed who have been multiplying like rabbits. The decision to overturn Roe will send organizers into overdrive. About 239 million Americans were eligible to vote in 2020, but only 160 million voted. That means about 80 million Americans, some registered and others not, didnt participate. They will be the focus of activists. Democrats tend to do a much better job at registering people and getting them to the polls when they really work at organizing. Just look at whats happening in neighboring Georgia, now a purple state. Past efforts by Democratic superstar Stacey Abrams, now running for governor again, have paid off by shaking up the old guard. Dozens of candidates are running statewide in both parties because Democrats put up lots of candidates, and Republicans responded in kind. The winner? Voters, who now have scads of choices. As organizers ramp up the political temperature, more people will register and then vote. Democratic leaders often whine that if their voters really participated, theyd win every time. In South Carolina, for example, more than 540,000 people participated in the 2020 Democratic presidential primary. But months later, 466,000 Republicans took part in the GOP state primary, compared to only 284,000 Democrats in their state primary. Imagine if all of the people who showed up for the presidential primary turned out in the November general election Republicans in South Carolina wouldnt take as many seats. Unfortunately in South Carolinas 2022 elections, any surge in voter turnout wont impact the S.C. House of Representatives, where gerrymandered districts have already determined outcomes in a majority of races. Only about a dozen of 124 races will be truly competitive, which means Dems may pick up a few seats. But it could make a difference in a few statewide races. And nationally, overturning Roe v. Wade should lead to the most interesting midterm elections since the Great Depression. Yes, past elections have consequences. But so, too, will a Supreme Court decision on future elections. Andy Brack is editor and publisher of Statehouse Report and publisher of the Charleston City Paper. Have a comment? Send to: feedback@statehousereport.com. Unlike so many people with Twitter and Facebook accounts these days, I am not a constitutional scholar. I did go to law school, passed the bar on my first try and have been practicing law since 1987 (give or take a few years when I detoured to teaching languages) but I dont have the gravitas of many of these keyboard warriors who know one thing for certain: Elon Musk is a fascist. Up until quite recently, very few would describe the founder of Tesla as a totalitarian overlord. He was considered a progressive darling who had electrified (pun intended) the world of technology by introducing a rechargeable car. Climate activists were delighted at the prospect of limiting pollutants caused by fossil fuels. Tech geeks, most of whom live in a liberal bubble, were thrilled that one of their own had become, arguably, the richest man in the world. People who hate real names were intrigued when he named his son after an algebraic equation. Everyone to the left of Megyn Kelly (which is a lot of people) loved Elon. But then he decided to buy Twitter, motivated by the tech giants biased view of free speech, and the progressives turned on him. They apparently had no problem with censorship, as long as they hated the people being censored. Many of these pretend constitutional scholars of social media also went into action, saying that since Twitter was a private company, it had every right to kick off people it didnt like. If I had a penny for every time someone parroted the googled line The First Amendment only applies to the government! I myself would have been able to purchase Twitter. These con law experts dont realize that when a private company becomes so big and omnipresent that it essentially becomes the marketplace of ideas, it acts very much like a governmental entity. If it monopolizes a certain form of speech, it can be argued that it acts like a quasi-government when it squashes certain forms of dissent. Beyond the gotcha mantra of if its a private company it can censor all it wants (no, it cant) there is the irony in liberals being so reflexively devoted to censorship when they were the ones who gave us the Free Speech movements of the 1960s. Progressives have always aligned themselves with free speech absolutism. The greatest example of that is the American Civil Liberties Union defending the rights of Nazis to march through Skokie, Ill., a town with many Holocaust survivors. The whole I hate what you say but I will die defending your right to say it was embodied by that act. Now, the same folks who used to think that the way you combat speech you dont like is with speech that you do, want to strangle dissent. Eliminate it. Call it hate speech. Flag it for punishment. Shadow ban it. Vilify it. Criminalize it. All fine, all OK. And thats why they think Elon Musk, one of the worlds greatest capitalists, is a fascist. Hes messing up their crusade to muzzle the world that disagrees with them. Punishing Disney is fascist (See a theme here?). A lot of folks who think they understand the First Amendment are attacking Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis for signing a law which strips Disney of some exceptional privileges granted to it over a half century ago. Yes, those privileges also helped the people of Florida by keeping their tax burden down. Yes, those privileges had a legitimate reason to exist. But the emphasis is on privileges, not rights. And those privileges were not just limited to Disney. Other communities benefited from the self-governance provision. Disney isnt being told it cant operate in Florida. Its being placed back on the same level as everyone else, or as esteemed (and real) constitutional scholar Eugene Volokh notes, this is an extraordinary status that Disney got because it was Disney, and withdrawing that status would simply put Disney in the same position as other companies in that geographical area, and the bulk of other companies in Florida. And if youre really hung up on the speech aspect, realize that this law impacts every other district that was created, and given those special privileges, so its technically content neutral. But liberals dont see it that way. Even some conservatives are up in arms about it, but theyve generally been consistent with their constitutional critiques. Progressives, on the other hand, read their Bill of Rights through Bernie Colored Glasses, and seem to only be upset when the rights being infringed upon belong to people who vote the way they do. Whether its Elon the Fascist or Mickey the Freedom Fighter, the advice from the social media lawyers is worth about as much as their virtual degrees. But Im sure Becky in Des Moines can get you some great medicinal brownies. Christine Flowers is an attorney and a columnist for the Delaware County Daily Times, and can be reached at cflowers1961@gmail.com. COLUMBIA, S.C. The Original Six Foundation (O6 Foundation) has announced that the 2022 My First Library program will serve 30 South Carolina schools, including four in Florence School District 3. During the month of May, the program will provide students in the states highest-need areas with summer reading books to build at-home libraries. My First Library will affect over 2,800 students in 5K to ensure they are prepared to enter the first grade. Targeting resources at this stage of development is critical to a childs future academic success and is an under-served effort across the state. In Florence School District 3, the program will provide over 3,000 books to more than 250 students at J.C. Lynch Elementary, Scranton Elementary, Lake City Early Childhood Center, and Olanta Elementary schools starting on May 23-25. A love of learning is the single most important gift we can leave to our kids. And when we teach a child how to read, we open the doors of opportunity for them to dream big. Thats why O6 and our My First Library program is so important. When we give them the tools to succeed, we empower them to change the world, said Nikki Haley, founder and chairwoman of the O6 Foundation. My First Library book fairs will be held in 11 school districts across Allendale, Bamberg, Barnwell, Colleton, Florence, Kershaw, Marion, Richland and Union counties at schools that have been determined as high poverty areas by the South Carolina Department of Education. Instilling a love of reading early gives a child a head start on expanding their vocabulary and building independence and self-confidence, said Nicki Hood, executive director of the O6 Foundation. We want students to fall in love with reading and value these books for years to come. Absorbed by the O6 Foundation in July 2020, the program will reach more than 2,800 students with more than 32,000 new books this year. In addition to the O6 Foundation, key community partners include Bojangles and The Womens Club of Columbia. Founded in 2011, by then-Governor Haley, the O6 Foundation believes children across South Carolina deserve a good-quality education regardless of where they are born and raised. The O6 Foundation works to improve education by identifying gaps and filling them through hands on engagement and resources. To learn more or to donate, visit www.originalsixfoundation.org. Days after Chicago announced a campaign to can and sell its tap water, a proposed ordinance to end water shut-offs in Chicago and expand utility relief failed to pass a City Council committee. Dubbed by lead sponsor Ald. Daniel La Spata, 1st, as the Water for All bill, the plan was voted down by an 8-5 margin in the environment committee after the bodys chair, Ald. George Cardenas, 12th, described the legislation as so onerous that makes it almost impossible to implement. Advertisement Respect is given here for your passionate advocate of water rights; theres no doubt about it, Cardenas said. However, there are legitimate issues, legitimate questions, in terms of how we would make this happen. La Spatas proposal included a prohibition on privatizing water infrastructure and its operations, an end to water shut-offs, an expansion of the utility billing relief program and a shift of more of the cost burden to commercial and industrial water users. Advertisement After the vote failed, he tweeted, I regret nothing. This is one of the most urgent and pressing and basic issues facing the city, La Spata said at the start of the meeting, which he had forced in an attempt to get the bill to the council floor. Equitable and affordable access to clean drinking water, its not about branding or slogans. Its about what were doing to ensure this right for all Chicagoans. During last months City Council meeting, Mayor Lori Lightfoot introduced a similar water affordability ordinance that would ban privatization of the citys water system, establish a voluntary water meter installation program and prohibit shut-offs. That bill was relegated to the rules committee, where legislation often stalls. One point of contention in Tuesdays meeting was La Spatas idea for a water credit of up to $3,000, or a fixed annual payment to eligible households for plumbing repairs or audits. Lightfoot officials estimated it would cost up to $1 billion for the credit as well as a risk of the city suffering a credit downgrade if it were to breach the terms of its water bonds. At Tuesdays committee meeting, La Spata attempted to strike the credit provision from the version of the ordinance that members were voting on, in an attempt to garner more support. But that was blocked when Ald. Michele Smith, 43rd, motioned to table the measure and the committee voted in favor. Cardenas then chided La Spata for what he said were parliamentary maneuvers. Chicago is newly canning and selling its tap water as "Chicagwa," but a City Council panel has voted against a proposal to provide water-bill relief to struggling residents. (Jose M. Osorio / Chicago Tribune) Advertisement Sign up for The Spin to get the top stories in politics delivered to your inbox weekday afternoons. Chicagos water is a source of controversy. Lightfoot has said the city needs to replace lead service lines and set aside more than $17 million to replace 650 out of 400,000 that ultimately need removing. But even the citys modest plan has not seen much success, as only a few dozen lines have been replaced. While Lightfoot and her administration have talked about the need to replace lead service lines, they have also repeatedly emphasized that Chicagos water is safe. Recently, Lightfoot officials spent $125,000 to market city tap water under the Chicagwa brand name. The city paid Quality Meats $100,000 to can and distribute Chicagwa. World Business Chicago, meanwhile, was paid $25,000 for marketing. Supporters of La Spatas proposal Tuesday included a woman from the Park Manor neighborhood on the South Side who said she is currently unemployed and owes the city almost $10,000 in water bill payments. I strongly feel that the city of Chicago was trying to displace me and others with the harsh enforcement and collection tactics that they are using to collect on past due water bills, while at the same time making water so unaffordable for the people here in Chicago, Carla Padgett said. Advertisement ayin@chicagotribune.com FLORENCE, S.C. Learning Spanish helps Deborah Moses keep her mind young. Moses is one of 29 students in Jose Torres Spanish class at the Leatherman Senior Center. The class went on a field trip Wednesday to Margaritas Family Mexican Restaurant, 490 Second Loop in Florence. Seniors who learn a second language decrease the risk of developing Alzheimers, improve brain functions and decision-making skills and can make international travel less stressful. It can also make the senior citizens smarter, according to several studies. I joined the Leatherman Center after I retired, Moses said, and I signed up for Spanish classes. She has been attending the Spanish class since February. Moses is in the beginning Spanish class and has learned colors, numbers and days of the week. The beginners class meets at 9:30 a.m. Wednesdays at the Leatherman Senior Center. The advanced class meets at 11 a.m. Wednesdays. Its important to try new things to exercise the brain as you age, she said. It also helps with Alzheimers. It staves off Alzheimers because you are always exercising that muscle, Moses said. A second language is always important, Torres said, because it exercises the mind. Its always good to be memorizing things and doing things. Spanish, I think, is really one of the things we should all be participating in, Torres said. Learning other languages also is good for the brain. The students in Torres class start with the basics letters, colors, etc., he said. As they progress, they learn how to listen, comprehend and carry on conversations, he said. One of the students, Anita White, said she wanted to learn Spanish because she works with seasonal migrant farmworkers in the area. Learning the language of the people that I work with has been very helpful to me, she said. White has been taken the Spanish class at the Leatherman Senior Center for three years. I really feel like I can communicate with someone who is a Spanish speaker, she said. Maybe not in a long, extensive conversation, but I would be able to do the basics. Maggie Smith is another student in the class. She moved to Florence from the northern portion of New Jersey, which has a large Spanish-speaking population. Smith said she had been exposed to Spanish for many years. When she moved to Florence, she noticed the Leatherman Senior Center taught Spanish classes. It sparked my interest because I had a background in Spanish. This class has helped me learn to slow down and just listen to what someone is saying. If I can only catch a few words of what they are saying it will help me interpret it, she said. For more information about the Spanish class, contact the Leatherman Senior Center, 600 Senior Way, in Florence at 843-669-6761. If you are currently a print subscriber but don't have an online account, select this option. You will need to use your 7 digit subscriber account number (with leading zeros) and your last name (in UPPERCASE). Prez Biden finally announces a full slate of nominees to the US Sentencing Commission | Main | "Race-Norming and Statistical Discrimination: Beyond the NFL" As reported in this local article, "Arizona executed Clarence Dixon at the state prison in Florence on Wednesday for the 1978 murder of 21-year-old ASU student Deana Bowdoin." Here is more: Dixon was executed at 10:30 a.m., according to Deputy Corrections Director Frank Strada. "I do and always will proclaim my innocence now let's do this shit," Dixon said in his last statement, according to Strada. Troy Hayden, a media witness from Fox News, said the execution team had trouble getting IVs into Dixon, who grimaced and appeared to be in pain while this was happening. Dixon seemed defiant and proclaimed his innocence in a calm voice. Dixon made several comments to the medical team, insulted them, told them "they worshipped death," mocked their Hippocratic oath, and addressed the woman he was convicted of killing, Deana Bowdoin, according to Hayden. Hayden said Dixon referenced Bowdoin several times directly, and said she knew he didn't kill her. Hayden said execution team members took 25 minutes to insert IVs into Dixon's body, eventually resorting to making an incision and inserting an IV into Dixon's groin. Dixon was grimacing and appeared to be in pain while the execution team attempted to insert the IVs, Hayden said, but he appeared to lose consciousness a few minutes after the drugs were administered. "They did have to wipe up a fair amount of blood," said Paul Davenport, a media witness from The Associated Press, who saw the incision taking place.... "Today the process has been finalized," said Leslie Bowdoin James, the sister of Deana Bowdoin, adding that her husband just died 12 days ago. Addressing the media, Bowdoin read a list of numbers that she said were important to her. "Forty-three and 20: the number of hearings and the number of years I have attended since the indictment," she said. "Thirteen: The number of women that this inmate victimized. One and zero: The number of sisters I had up until, and after, January 7, 1978."... Gov. Doug Ducey issued a statement after Dixons execution, calling it justice served. Today the family of Deana Bowdoin was provided the justice they've long been waiting for, the governors statement stated. The void left by Deana's murder 44 years ago will never be filled, but the sentence carried out this morning is a solemn reminder that we are a nation of laws and it is the responsibility of the state to enforce them. Dixon's attorneys made several attempts to stop or postpone the execution, maintaining he was mentally incompetent to understand why he was being executed. But multiple courts found that while Dixon may have harbored delusions about a judicial conspiracy to kill him, he was aware of his circumstances and constitutionally eligible to be put to death.... The Arizona Board of Executive Clemency denied requests from Dixon's attorneys for a commutation or reprieve. His attorneys asked for mercy, saying Dixon was blind, frail and in poor health and didn't represent a danger to society or anyone in the prison system. But the board denied the requests, saying Dixon had failed to show any remorse for his crimes.... Arizona has not carried out an execution since the botched execution of [Joseph] Wood, which took nearly two hours to complete. The state claims it has refined its execution protocols and is planning to use a single drug, pentobarbital, for executions, instead of the combination of drugs that were used on Wood. Pentobarbital was used successfully by the federal government in a series of executions conducted in 2020. Dixons execution marks a return to the death penalty for Arizona after a troubled history that includes the state attempting to acquire execution drugs illegally in 2015 and more recently failing to accurately determine the shelf life of the pentobarbital the state plans to use moving forward.... According to the Arizona Attorney General's Office, there are more than 20 people on death row who have exhausted their appeals. Frank Atwood, sentenced in Pima County in 1987 for the murder of an 8-year-old girl, Vicki Lynne Hoskinson, is scheduled to be executed June 8. "When a Second Chance Gets a Second Chance: Reasonableness Review Reigns for Motions Under Section 404(b) of the First Step Act on Appeal" | Main | Prez Biden finally announces a full slate of nominees to the US Sentencing Commission May 10, 2022 Lots of notable parole stories from coast to coast Parole is often a subject that generates headlines, and today I saw a notable number of notable stories from five states on the topic that seemed worth flagging. In alphabetical order: From California, "Medical Parole Got Them Out Of State Prison. Now They're In A Decertified Nursing Home" From New Jersey, "In major reversal, N.J. Supreme Court orders parole of man convicted of murdering state trooper in 1973" From New York, "New Yorks longest serving inmate who murdered 14-year-old granted parole" From Virginia, "Chances for Parole Go from Bad to Worse Under Virginias New GOP Leadership" From Wisconsin, "Parole of killer in Wisconsin puts pressure on Evers" May 10, 2022 at 10:00 PM | Permalink Comments Post a comment By Elizabeth Howcroft LONDON (Reuters) - Crypto entrepreneur Sina Estavi made headlines in March 2021 when he paid $2.9 million for an NFT of Twitter boss Jack Dorsey's first tweet. But his efforts to re-sell it have run aground, with a top bid of just $6,800 as of Thursday. The initial purchase was at the time among the most expensive sales of a non-fungible token, or NFT, and came amid a flurry of interest in the niche crypto assets which have since generated billions of dollars in sales. Estavi put the tweet up for resale on the popular NFT marketplace OpenSea last week, initially asking for $48 million. That price tag was removed after offers in the first week were in the low hundreds of dollars. As of Thursday, the highest bid was 2.2 of the cryptocurrency ether - equivalent to around $6,800. "My offer to sell was high and not everyone could afford it," Estavi, who was recently freed from jail in Iran, told Reuters via Twitter direct message, adding that he was no longer sure if he would sell the NFT. "It's important to me who wants to buy it, I will not sell this NFT to anyone because I do not think everyone deserves this NFT," Estavi said. NFTs are a form of crypto asset which can record the ownership of a digital file such as an image, video or text. There is no guarantee of an NFT's value and the market is rife with scams, fraud, counterfeits and market manipulation. But Estavi was confident in the value of his purchase. "This NFT is not just a tweet, this is the Mona Lisa of the digital world," he said. "VICTIM OF CRYPTO" Estavi, who lives in Malaysia, said he had been arrested last May during a trip to Iran and held in solitary confinement until he was freed in February. Iranian state media reported in May 2021 that he was accused of "disrupting the country's economic system". Estavi said he had been arrested because of the growth of his crypto exchange, Bridge Oracle, and described himself as a "victim of crypto". Story continues Reuters was unable to independently verify these details. "I need the support of the cryptocurrency community," Estavi told Reuters. While announcing the NFT sale in a tweet on April 6, he pledged to give 50% of the proceeds - which he expected to be at least $25 million - to charity. He said the rest would go to support Bridge Oracle. (Reporting by Elizabeth Howcroft; Editing by Catherine Evans) LJUBLJANA (Reuters) - The European Central Bank can provide additional support to financial markets in case of heightened stress but there is no need to outline in detail how it would ease turbulence, ECB policymaker Bostjan Vasle said on Wednesday. "We are convinced that the flexibility we are providing to the markets, to the whole euro area, is sufficient," Vasle, the head of Slovenia's central bank, told a conference. "We are prepared to cope with specific issues which would need additional flexibility," Vasle added. "But at the moment, we are not very specific on what this flexibility looks like because it depends on the future developments of the financial markets." (Reporting by Balazs Koranyi; Editing by Catherine Evans) Staffers in the U.S. House of Representatives are a step closer to unionizing following a vote by their bosses on Tuesday night. House lawmakers approved a resolution that grants legal protections to staffers who are trying to organize their offices on Capitol Hill. Workers involved in the union effort say it constitutes a crucial change to a congressional workplace law that would allow them to form unions without fear of retaliation. The House approved the resolution on a party-line vote. But instead of holding a vote on the resolution itself, Democrats embedded it into a procedural measure setting up votes on several other pieces of legislation, including aid for Ukraine. The staff union measure can be implemented in the House without a companion resolution being passed in the Senate. The measure only benefits employees in House offices. House staffers on the Democratic side have spent more than a year building a union campaign they hope will improve working conditions inside Capitol offices. The newly created Congressional Workers Union has been sharing stories of employees who work ridiculous hours, contend with abusive bosses and discrimination and cant afford to live in Washington on low salaries. Rep. Raul Grijalva (D-Ariz.), who supported the measure, said having unionized House staffers could ultimately result in Congress passing better legislation down the line. The staff people that Ive talked to, in and out of my office, that are interested in the union are probably the most committed to public policy, Grijalva told HuffPost. Separately this month, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) announced a minimum salary for House staffers, setting the floor at $45,000. Workers on the Hill havent enjoyed the same rights to band together and bargain collectively as most other U.S. workers. Congress ostensibly granted Hill staffers the ability to unionize in 1995 through the Congressional Accountability Act, but lawmakers never took the crucial step of formally approving the regulations put together by Congress internal workplace agency to make it happen. Story continues The measure the House passed Tuesday would protect workers who are organizing and set up a process for bargaining through the Office of Congressional Workplace Rights. Rep. Andy Levin (D-Mich.), a former union organizer and strong ally of organized labor, sponsored the House resolution and rounded up support among fellow Democrats. Rep. Andy Levin (D-Mich.) holds a news conference about recognizing congressional workers' right to organize on Feb. 9, 2022. (Photo: Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images) Rep. Andy Levin (D-Mich.) holds a news conference about recognizing congressional workers' right to organize on Feb. 9, 2022. (Photo: Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images) Two members of the Congressional Workers Union organizing committee told HuffPost ahead of the vote that lawmakers had essentially exempted themselves from collective bargaining for years and that the House was now rectifying a double standard. The two committee members spoke on condition of anonymity because they still felt unprotected from retaliation. Theres a culture of secrecy, and you have to pay your dues to make your way up the ladder. Thats really what allows these workplace abuses to fester, one said. Without giving staffers the legal protections that other workers across the U.S. have, were in a place where we cant fully address these concerns. If House members blocked collective bargaining in their own workplaces, that would suggest they feel that theyre above the laws that they create, the staffer added. Unions have made some major breakthroughs recently. The union Workers United has won more than 60 elections at Starbucks stores around the country in a matter of months after Starbucks was union-free in the U.S. for decades. The recently formed Amazon Labor Union stunned the labor movement when it won a historic election at a Staten Island, New York, warehouse in early April. Progressive Democrats have cheered on those developments and lambasted companies like Starbucks and Amazon for their anti-union campaigns. With the Democratic Party shifting in a more pro-labor direction in recent years, it would be hard for Democratic lawmakers to oppose their own staffers union effort without looking like total hypocrites. One of the staffers said even some progressives wont like the idea of bargaining with a union, but theyll have to if they want to abide by their own principles. If you look at who signed on to the resolution, there were many, many progressive leaders who were not the first to sign on, the staffer said. I do think theres public pressure that exists for those progressives. Theres a culture of secrecy, and you have to pay your dues to make your way up the ladder. Thats really what allows these workplace abuses to fester.Member of the Congressional Workers Union organizing committee It remains to be seen what, exactly, collective bargaining will look like in Congress. John Uelmen, the general counsel for the Office of Congressional Workplace Rights, testified in a House hearing in March that workers could unionize on an office-by-office basis, rather than being lumped together in one bargaining unit, according to Roll Call. Within committees, each party would have its own staff bargaining unit, since the unit members would answer to different leaders. In all likelihood, the organizing would happen primarily and perhaps exclusively on the Democratic side of the aisle. Republican lawmakers have opposed paving the way for their own offices to unionize, and many of their own conservative staffers may not be interested in bargaining a union contract. Its also unclear what, exactly, staffers would be able to bargain over. The union committee members told HuffPost they want to have a say on everything unions typically do: salaries, the promotion process, discipline and grievances, severance, health and safety issues, and more. (Federal workers outside the legislative branch have collective bargaining rights, but under the law, they cant negotiate over pay.) The congressional staffers said they would consider any efforts to restrict their bargaining abilities as a form of union-busting. At a time when workers across the country are standing up and fighting for their own rights, we are looking to members of Congress, especially Democratic leadership, to stand up for them, one staffer said. For any of that union-busting to happen would be a sad, sad thing for our party. This article originally appeared on HuffPost and has been updated. Myanmar's junta has charged a former central bank deputy governor with corruption, state media reported Wednesday, the latest figure close to Aung San Suu Kyi's ousted government to be prosecuted by the military. Trained in the United States and Britain, Bo Bo Nge was appointed in 2017 as liberalisation swept the Southeast Asian nation after the former junta relaxed its grip on power. He was detained shortly after the coup last year as the military rounded up high-ranking members of Suu Kyi's civilian government as well as other officials and advisors. A corruption case was opened after several "complaints" against Bo Bo Nge were examined by the Anti-Corruption Commission, according to a report in the state-backed Global New Light of Myanmar. They included failing to collect tax due on withdrawals of around $1.4 million from an account held by officials from the Open Society Foundation and other actions that "caused losses to the government", it said. A guilty verdict on the charge carries a maximum 15-year jail term although the report gave no details on when court proceedings would begin. The Anti-Corruption Commission is also prosecuting several charges against Suu Kyi, which her supporters say are baseless. Myanmar's economy has slumped since the coup, with its kyat currency plunging against the dollar and rolling power outages in major cities. Bo Bo Nge's junta-appointed replacement was shot by unknown assailants in Yangon in April, days after the central bank ordered that foreign exchange earned by locals must be deposited in licensed banks and exchanged for kyat. Investors flocked to Myanmar after the former military rulers relaxed their iron grip in 2011, paving the way for democratic reforms and economic liberalisation in the country of more than 50 million people. But human rights groups have pressed foreign companies to rethink their activities in Myanmar following last year's coup and the subsequent crackdown which, according to local monitoring groups, has left more than 1,800 people dead. Energy giants TotalEnergies and Chevron, Norway's Telenor and Japan's Kirin have all left or announced plans to leave. bur-rma/rbu/qan PharmaTher Holdings Ltd. PharmaTher to file ANDA and 505(b)(2) regulatory submissions with the FDA for novel uses, delivery forms and formulations of ketamine for mental health, neurological and pain disorders TORONTO, April 12, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- PharmaTher Holdings Ltd. (the Company or PharmaTher) (OTCQB: PHRRF) (CSE: PHRM), a leader in specialty ketamine pharmaceuticals, is pleased to announce that PharmaTher has entered into an exclusive worldwide license agreement with Gesval S.A., a public limited company incorporated by the University of Liege, Belgium, for the development and commercialization of a patented continuous-flow process technology for the preparation of ketamine and ketamine analogs (the Ketamine Technology). The Ketamine Technology strengthens the Companys patent portfolio of ketamine and it will complement the Companys expanding ketamine pharmaceutical pipeline for use in hospitals, clinics and homes. PharmaTher is developing and commercializing novel uses, delivery forms and formulations of ketamine and ketamine analogs. As part of its short-term product strategy, the Company is developing its own Ketamine Injection and Infusion product to support the Companys expected pivotal clinical studies for Parkinsons disease and Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (Lou Gehrigs disease), future FDA 505(b)(2) regulatory submissions in mental health, neurological and pain disorders, and its commercialization plans in the U.S. via an FDA Abbreviated New Drug Application (ANDA) for anesthesia and procedural sedation. The Company expects to file the ANDA in Q4-2022 for commercialization in the U.S. In addition, the Companys long-term product strategy is to develop novel ketamine formulations and drug delivery systems, including its patented microneedle patch and proposed wearable pump device for the intradermal and subcutaneous delivery of ketamine, respectively. Ketamine was approved by the FDA in 1970 and is clinically used for analgesia, sedation, and anesthetic induction. Ketamine is also emerging as a viable treatment option for various mental health, neurological and pain disorders. However, the methods generally used for the production of ketamine are time-consuming and typically based on stepwise macroscopic batch processes resulting in low productivity, reproducibility and flexibility due to poor mixing and heat transfer. Story continues The Ketamine Technology, developed at the Center for Integrated Technology and Organic Synthesis (CiTOS, ULiege) headed by Professor Jean-Christophe Monbaliu, relates to a scalable, safe and efficient continuous-flow process in micro/mesofluidic reactors for the production of ketamine and ketamine analogs, thereby addressing the shortcomings of the ketamine batch processes to improve yield production, reproducibility, purity profile, and requiring smaller footprint for production. In addition to improving the production process of racemic ketamine, the Ketamine Technology provides various methods for synthesizing ketamine analogs (i.e. arylcycloalkylamine derivatives) by using continuous-flow conditions with a drastically improved efficiency relative to batch procedures, which is of paramount importance for developing next-generation ketamines. We are excited to advance patented technology for the novel development and production process of ketamine and ketamine analogs from the University of Liege, said Fabio Chianelli, CEO of PharmaTher. We remain committed to our goal of becoming a leader in the development and commercialization of novel ketamine pharmaceuticals and this license not only strengthens our global patent portfolio for ketamine, but also complements our strategy in commercializing novel uses, delivery forms and formulations of ketamine and ketamine analogs to serve the unmet medical needs for mental health, neurological and pain disorders. In addition, the Company expects to form partnerships with research labs, ketamine clinics and pharmaceutical companies that are: seeking a secure supply of cGMP ketamine and ketamine products for current portfolios; exploring alternative dosage forms for multiple existing indications; developing novel ketamine analogs; and requiring support to develop and eventually commercialize specific ketamine products for new indications. Under the terms of the Agreement, PharmaTher gained exclusive worldwide development and commercial rights to an intellectual property portfolio consisting of a granted patent (Europe patent: 3700887B1) and patent applications (PCT/EP2018/097033) titled, Methods for the preparation of arylcycloalkylamine derivatives in the U.S., China and Canada. Consistent with industry standards, PharmaTher paid a one-time fee for entering into the Agreement, and all other future payments are based on clinical trial and revenue milestones reached by PharmaTher. About PharmaTher Holdings Ltd. PharmaTher Holdings Ltd. (OTCQB: PHRRF) (CSE: PHRM) is focused on the development and commercialization of specialty ketamine pharmaceuticals for mental health, neurological, and pain disorders. Learn more at PharmaTher.com . For more information about PharmaTher, please contact: Fabio Chianelli Chief Executive Officer PharmaTher Holdings Ltd. Tel: 1-888-846-3171 Email: info@pharmather.com Website: www.pharmather.com Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider have reviewed or accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Cautionary Statement This press release contains 'forward-looking information' within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. These statements relate to future events or future performance. The use of any of the words "could", "intend", "expect", "believe", "will", "projected", "estimated", "potential", "aim", may and similar expressions and statements relating to matters that are not historical facts are intended to identify forward-looking information and are based on PharmaTher Holdings Ltd. (the "Company") current belief or assumptions as to the outcome and timing of such future events. Forward-looking information is based on reasonable assumptions that have been made by the Company at the date of the information and is subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors that may cause actual results or events to differ materially from those anticipated in the forward-looking information. Given these risks, uncertainties and assumptions, you should not unduly rely on these forward-looking statements. The forward-looking information contained in this press release is made as of the date hereof, and Company is not obligated to update or revise any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by applicable securities laws. The foregoing statements expressly qualify any forward-looking information contained herein. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements are described under the caption "Risk Factors" in Company's management's discussion and analysis for the period of November 30, 2021 ("MD&A"), dated January 27, 2022, which is available on the Company's profile at www.sedar.com. This news release does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy, and shall not constitute an offer, solicitation or sale in any state, province, territory or jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state, province, territory or jurisdiction. Gov. J.B. Pritzker on Tuesday signed into law a series of bills aimed at addressing gun violence and other crime through measures that include a pilot program in some cities that will team social workers with police officers on certain calls. The initiatives come as Pritzker tries to fend off Republicans, including potential opponents in the November election, whove accused him and other Democrats of being soft on crime. Some of the legislation he signed, though, focuses on ways to address crime that run counter to traditional law-and-order methods that are generally championed by Republicans. Advertisement One of the new laws creates and funds a co-responder pilot program that calls for police officers to team up with social workers to look for ways to help troubled and potentially violent people instead of putting them under arrest. Chicago late last year started a similar pilot program. The bill signed by Pritzker will apply to four cities in the next six months Peoria, Springfield, East St. Louis and Waukegan where police and social workers will provide ongoing crisis intervention support for anyone experiencing mental health emergencies. The measure allocates $10 million for the program for the budget year that begins July 1. Advertisement Peoria police Chief Eric Echevarria said Tuesday his officers in 2021 responded to 1,247 calls in which someone was possibly suicidal or had taken their life, 978 calls indicating someone was in trouble with a history of mental health issues. and 468 calls involving someone with cognitive impairment. He called the pilot program for his department part of a new era of policing. Policing is not only about making arrests or writing somebody a citation, Echeverria said at the bill-signing ceremony in Peoria, flanked by Pritzker, Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton and other elected officials. It is also about implementing policies and procedures that provide options to get people the help they need in a more empathetic manner. The bill also requires homicide detectives to undergo trauma-involved training, according to the Pritzker administration and created a grant program to create tip hotlines and various victim and witness resources. Gov. J.B. Pritzker talks before signing the 2023 budget on the campus of Chicago State University on April 19, 2022. (Jose M. Osorio / Chicago Tribune) The bill also reauthorizes a witness protection program with $30 million set aside for it in the upcoming state budget. The program had been neglected for years by state legislators and past governors who failed to earmark funding for it. Pritzker also signed a bill that allows for the state to pay for funerals of gun violence victims under 17. The bill was inspired by the fatal shooting of 4-year-old Mychal MJ Moultry Jr. on Labor Day weekend last year on Chicagos South Side. He was getting his hair braided in a Woodlawn apartment when a bullet pierced a window and struck him in the head. Pritzker said that because Mychals mother, Angela Gregg, could not afford to pay for his burial, his body was cremated. She should never have had to experience such loss for change to happen, the governor said. But she courageously spoke out so no other parent would experience what she did. He also signed a bill to aid in the recruitment and retention of police officers across the state. Advertisement There are those that would like for us to believe that you have to choose between police or community, and I believe that is a failed notion, said state Rep. Jehan Gordon-Booth of Peoria, whose stepson was fatally shot in 2014. Police are community. The community needs the police, and it is our jobs as leaders to identify the paths to create a better opportunity for community and police to work together better, to work together stronger. jgorner@chicagotribune.com 57 II1200 1500 902 II17898 MONACO MARINE 7 Twitter20% Terra LUNA 44057.3 12.2% 44.7% 2.78 281.81302% 460.3 The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is investigating mysterious cases of hepatitis among young children. In 109 cases since October being investigated, five children died and several more needed a liver transplant. About half of the children had confirmed cases of an adenovirus, a common class of viruses that can cause congestion and flulike symptoms. Doctors don't yet know the cause of these cases but are researching whether there may be a link between hepatitis and adenovirus, as well as other potential contributing factors. The vast majority of children who developed hepatitis recovered. Still, severe hepatitis is rare among children, which is why doctors and the CDC have urged parents to be alert. Here's what to know: Q. What is hepatitis? A. Hepatitis is the medical term to describe liver inflammation. Hepatitis occurs on a spectrum, meaning patients can experience minor or severe inflammation, said Salwa Sulieman, a pediatric infectious disease specialist at Nemours Children's Health. Q. What causes hepatitis? A. Hepatitis has both infectious, meaning it stems from a virus, and non-infectious causes. Hepatitis viruses A, B, and C are the most common causes of viral hepatitis in the U.S. Hepatitis A causes acute illness, such as vomiting and diarrhea, and typically resolves within a few weeks. It is spread by ingesting fecal matter from an infected person, for instance through food or water. Though hepatitis is uncommon among children, this is the type they are most likely to be exposed to, Sulieman said. Hepatitis B can cause long-term health problems and is a leading cause of liver cancer. It is spread through blood or other bodily fluids from an infected person. Hepatitis C is spread through blood contact with an infected person, for instance by sharing needles or syringes. It can be passed from an infected mother to an infant at birth. Other viruses can also cause liver inflammation. Doctors are looking into whether adenovirus, type 40, may be linked to the 109 cases under investigation. They are also exploring the possibility that SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, may weaken children's immune systems and make them more vulnerable to an adenovirus infection that could lead to hepatitis, though this was ruled out in some of the first U.S.-reported cases in Alabama. The most common types of non-infectious hepatitis are overdoses of toxins or medications, such as Tylenol. Q. What are the symptoms of hepatitis? A. Abdominal pain, fatigue, nausea, and jaundice yellowing of the skin and eyes are all symptoms of hepatitis. Parents who notice these symptoms, especially jaundice, in their children should seek medical attention immediately, Sulieman said. Q. What's causing severe hepatitis among young children? A. We don't know yet. The most common infectious causes hepatitis A, B, and C have not been present in the cases the CDC is investigating. Adenovirus was confirmed among about half of the cases, but doctors don't know yet whether an adenovirus contributed to those children developing hepatitis. Q. Is hepatitis common among children? A. No. Hepatitis viruses are rare among children in the United States, Sulieman said. Anyone can develop liver inflammation when they have a virus or infection, so it's possible for children to get hepatitis. However, when hepatitis does occur in children, it is unusual for them to have such extreme cases that they would need a liver transplant, she said. Q. How is hepatitis treated? A. Vaccines recommended for infants and children are the most effective way to prevent hepatitis A and B infections. There is no cure for hepatitis, but medications can help reduce symptoms and limit liver damage among people who develop chronic, long-term hepatitis. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) A former Connecticut health commissioner who was fired in the first weeks of the coronavirus pandemic has filed a lawsuit against the state, accusing the governor of discriminating against her, a Black woman, by elevating several white people to lead the crisis response. Renee Coleman-Mitchell, who was ousted on May 12, 2020, says in her a federal court filing that she was never provided severance pay or consideration for another position as promised by Gov. Ned Lamont, a Democrat. She said she has been unable to find another job because of the damage done to her reputation. A spokesperson for Lamont's office on Wednesday declined to comment on the lawsuit. On Tuesday, the governor told reporters: Well, its a pending legal action. Itll be sorted out. So, I think I should probably leave it at that. Coleman-Mitchell was among dozens of state and local public health leaders around the U.S. who resigned or were fired in the first months of the COVID-19 outbreak as local governments navigated politics surrounding mask-wearing, lockdowns and infection data. Lamont did not say publicly why he was replacing Coleman-Mitchell with Deidre Gifford, the commissioner of the state Department of Social Services. At the time, a state official said Lamont removed her for several reasons, including being slow to act on a plan to protect nursing homes from the virus and refusing the previous year to publicly release school-by-school vaccination rates. The official was not authorized to disclose the information and spoke on condition of anonymity. Coleman-Mitchell said the governor told her that her removal had nothing to do with her job performance and that he had decided to move in a different direction. Governor Lamonts different direction was biased and discriminatory and simply on the basis that he did not prefer to have an older African-American female in the public eye as the individual leading the state in the fight against COVID-19, the lawsuit read. In the lawsuit, Coleman-Mitchell said she had raised concerns about infections in nursing homes during the first week of March 2020 but her warnings were met with opposition by Lamont and his administration. By firing her, she said, Lamont insinuated she failed in the response to the pandemic while "the thousands of elderly nursing home illnesses and deaths that needlessly occurred as a result of Governor Lamonts failure to act in a timely manner. The lawsuit seeks unspecified damages. Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) Republican Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron filed paperwork Wednesday to enter the state's 2023 governors race, hoping to ride his fights against abortion and the Democratic incumbent's coronavirus restrictions into the governors office. Cameron, flagged by GOP leaders as a rising star in the party, made history in 2019 as the first African American to serve as the states attorney general. Now hes trying to blaze another trail in his bid to deny Gov. Andy Beshear a second term. But first Cameron will have to navigate a tough Republican primary that includes fellow statewide officeholders now seeking Kentucky's top political job. Cameron, a former University of Louisville football player, said in a campaign video that the Bluegrass State needs a new coach, one who will build us up, not divide us. Beshear has waged a series of policy battles with the state's Republican-dominated legislature. But Cameron drew criticism for his handling of an investigation into the fatal shooting of Breonna Taylor by police in 2020, and the polarizing matter could garner more scrutiny as Cameron seeks higher office. In his opening campaign pitch, Cameron targeted Beshear's COVID-19 restrictions on businesses and gatherings. Cameron also promised to stand up for life a reference to his anti-abortion views. Andy Beshear is not uniting Kentucky," Cameron said in the video. "This governor does not reflect our values. Hes never going to change, so we have to change our governor. Beshear a church deacon who frequently cites Scripture in defending his policies maintains that his aggressive approach saved lives. His restrictions were in place mostly when COVID-19 vaccines were not available or not yet widely distributed though lawmakers later severely limited his ability to respond when virus cases surged. Beshear says his actions reflected guidance from the White House coronavirus task force when Republican Donald Trump was president. The governor vetoed an abortion bill this year that imposed sweeping new restrictions on the state's two abortion providers, regulated the dispensing of abortion pills and would ban abortion after 15 weeks of pregnancy. Lawmakers overrode his veto and the measure is now being challenged in federal court. Cameron's office is defending the law. Democrats on Wednesday defended the governor's leadership during the pandemic and the aftermath of deadly tornadoes that ripped through parts of western Kentucky last year. They also pointed to Beshear's stewardship of the state's growing economy, highlighted by the announcement of job-creating new plants in the state by Ford Motor Company and others. State Democratic Party Chair Colmon Elridge called it a clear contrast to Cameron's record, and said voters will have a clear choice if Cameron "emerges from the messy Republican primary. The attorney general signaled his intention to run for governor in paperwork filed Wednesday with the Kentucky Registry of Election Finance. Now rivals, Beshear and Cameron have at times followed parallel paths to power. Cameron succeeded Beshear as attorney general, and both used the state's top law enforcement position to launch bids for governor. They have been frequent adversaries during their terms. Cameron led the legal fight against Beshear's pandemic restrictions. Cameron last year won the case in the Kentucky Supreme Court, clearing the way for new laws enacted by the GOP legislature to limit the governors emergency powers. Cameron burnished his anti-abortion credentials in a high-profile abortion case. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled earlier this year that the attorney general could continue defending a restriction on abortion rights that had been struck down by lower courts. The underlying issue in the case was a blocked state law that abortion rights supporters say would have effectively banned a standard abortion method in the second trimester of pregnancy. Cameron drew national scrutiny for his handling of the probe into Taylor's shooting death, a botched late-night drug raid of her apartment in which no drugs were found. Her death and the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis sparked nationwide protests for racial justice. During a 2020 news conference to announce a grand jurys findings, Cameron said jurors agreed that homicide charges were not warranted against the officers, because they were fired upon. That prompted three of the jurors to come forward and dispute Camerons account, arguing that Camerons staff limited their scope and did not give them an opportunity to consider homicide charges against the police in Taylors death. Last year, in an interview with the AP, Cameron said those jurors can speak for themselves, but he said the grand jury ultimately decided the charges in the case. Although demonstrators had gathered outside Camerons home to demand justice for Taylor, no officers were ever charged for their roles in her death. Cameron, who landed a prime time speaking slot at the 2020 Republican National Convention, has close ties to the Bluegrass State's most powerful Republican U.S. Senate GOP leader Mitch McConnell and once served as the senators legal counsel. Cameron enters what looms as a crowded field of Republicans running to unseat Beshear in next year's top-of-the-ticket race. Among those already in the governor's race on the GOP side are state Agriculture Commissioner Ryan Quarles, state Auditor Mike Harmon and retired attorney Eric Deters. Several other Republicans are considering bids for governor. The jockeying for governor could overshadow this year's elections in Kentucky. Recent polling shows Beshear remains popular in Republican-trending Kentucky. During his term, he landed the states two largest-ever economic development projects both battery plant developments. Associated Press writers Piper Hudspeth Blackburn and Dylan Lovan in Louisville, Kentucky, contributed to this report. Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) New York will give abortion providers $35 million to expand services and boost security in anticipation of the U.S. Supreme Court possibly overturning the landmark Roe v. Wade decision that legalized abortion nationwide, Gov. Kathy Hochul announced Tuesday. The Democrat said the state must get ready for a potential influx of out-of-state patients seeking abortions from the roughly half of U.S. states that are expected to ban or greatly restrict abortion if Roe is overturned. To truly ensure that anyone seeking an abortion in New York has access to them, we have to ensure that the providers have the resources and the capacity to accommodate all patients who walk through their doors, Hochul said. Abortion providers in New York and elsewhere have long faced safety fears: In Hochuls hometown of Amherst, New York, an anti-abortion activist fatally shot Dr. Barnett Slepian through a window in his home on Oct. 23, 1998. Hochul's office said she'll use an emergency Department of Health fund to provide $25 million in grants and reimbursements to abortion providers, including increasing access to services, while the remaining $10 million for security upgrades at abortion providers and reproductive health centers will come from from the state's Division of Criminal Justice Services, which is part of the states executive branch. I consider this an emergency and Im going to make sure that that money is available the second the decision comes down, she said. New York Attorney General Letitia James announced Monday that she backed a similar proposal to provide $50 million in funding for abortion providers. A leaked Supreme Court draft opinion that would throw out the landmark 1973 abortion rights ruling has spurred Democratic leaders in several states to consider steps to increase access to abortion services. A final ruling is not expected until the end of the courts term in late June or early July. In February, Oregon launched a $15 million fund to provide grants to Oregon nonprofits to expand access to abortions. California Gov. Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, proposed a budget that includes $68 million for reproductive health care services including abortion providers. Hochul is also backing a proposed state constitutional amendment to guarantee abortion rights and prohibit discrimination based on factors from race to pregnancy and pregnancy outcomes. That amendment would need to be approved by the state legislature in two legislative session years and then be approved by voters. In Vermont, voters this fall will consider an abortion rights amendment to the state constitution. Connecticut, Michigan and Colorado are facing calls for similar amendments, while states like Iowa, Kansas and Kentucky are considering amendments restricting abortion rights. Other states, including Connecticut and Washington, have also taken steps to shield providers from possible lawsuits as people seek abortions across state lines. New York and its Democratic-led Legislature have expanded abortion rights in recent years by allowing more abortions after 24 weeks, removing abortion from the states penal code and allowing access to medication abortion services through telemedicine visits. This year, lawmakers used the state budget to pass a law enshrining existing regulations that require every insurance plan to cover all types of abortion, regardless of reason. That law has been the subject of an ongoing legal challenge by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Albany. Hochul on Tuesday also called for an end to a U.S. law prohibiting the use of federal funds for abortions except in scenarios including rape, incest or to save the life of the mother. New York is one of 16 states where Medicaid pays for all or most abortions in cases where theyre deemed medically necessary, according to abortion-rights supporting Guttmacher Institute. Donna Lieberman, the executive director of the New York Civil Liberties Union, said that even New Yorks protections could be vulnerable in a court battle. We should not harbor any illusions that the agenda of the radical right is to ban abortion completely, to do it on the federal level, to do it state-by-state, she said. State GOP chair Nick Langworthy said the expected Supreme Court's opinion won't jettison abortion rights in New York and claimed Democrats are overblowing any potential impact. Associated Press writers Rachel La Corte in Olympia, Wash. and Michelle Price in New York City contributed reporting. This story has been corrected to show that state funding is not contingent on the U.S. Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade, and that funding for security upgrades will come from New York's Division of Criminal Justice Services, not the Department of Health. Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 LONDON (AP) Google said Wednesday that it struck licensing deals with 300 news publishers in Europe in its latest effort to comply with a recently introduced European Union copyright law. The tech giant signed the agreements with national, local and specialist news publications in Germany, Hungary, France, Austria, the Netherlands and Ireland and said discussions with many others are ongoing. It didn't disclose how much it's paying or give names of the news outlets. European Union countries have been adopting into local law a 2019 EU directive granting publishers additional rights over their content. The new law allows search engines like Google to link to and use snippets of news content, while giving publishers new rights when extended previews are used online. It doesnt, however, specify where the line between the two lies. The agreements are aimed at avoiding costly and lengthy lawsuits over that distinction. Google last year announced copyright deals with several large German publications and a group of French news publishers. The company also said it's rolling out a new tool to offer licensing agreements to thousands of other European publishers, starting in Germany and Hungary. The tool's licensing offers are based on consistent criteria which respect the law and existing copyright guidance, including how often a news website is displayed and how much ad revenue is generated on pages that also display previews of news content," Sulina Connal, Google's director of news and publishing partnerships, said in a blog post. Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 SALEM, Ore. (AP) A week before Oregon's primary election, the secretary of state's office is moving to protect the integrity of its online system where campaign finance records are published after a web hosting provider was hit by a ransomware attack. Secretary of State Shemia Fagans office said people inputting records into the ORESTAR state campaign finance reporting system may have been affected, and have been sent detailed instructions on how to proceed. The Oregon Secretary of State has not been hacked, Fagan's office reassured voters in a statement late Monday. No sensitive data on our systems has been exposed. No systems related to elections administration have been compromised. By Tuesday, one-tenth of registered voters had already cast their ballots for the May 17 primary election. Oregonians vote by mail or by using official drop-off boxes. The Oregon Elections Division said it learned on Monday that Opus Interactive a web hosting provider used by the campaign finance firm C&E Systems was the victim of a ransomware attack. C&Es database was compromised, which includes their clients log-in credentials for ORESTAR accounts, Fagan's statement said. The Secretary of States office said it is requiring all 1,100 affected users to reset their passwords. But Jef Green, owner of C&E Systems, gave a lower number of affected users, saying only about 300 clients are political committees involved in the 2022 midterm elections in Oregon. At least 500 of the committees don't exist anymore, Green said. His company offers help with all aspects of campaign compliance and reporting, and indicated the ransomware attack is more of an annoyance than anything. This isnt going to affect any of our clients as far as the reporting (of campaign spending and contributions). None of the candidates are going to be affected by this because, even though we dont have access to our fancy database to make it easy for us, we can still do everything that needs to be done manually, he said. While candidates for state and local elections use ORESTAR, candidates for national office like Congress use a different system. Opus Interactive's website was down Tuesday morning. A person who answered the phone at the company said he couldn't comment on the ransomware attack. An online status page about the issue from the Portland company said Opus Interactive and certain Opus-hosted customer virtual servers and backups were hit by a ransomware attack which encrypted the server disk files. It added industry-leading cybersecurity and digital forensics experts have been engaged to assist in the company's response. Fagan's office said it works with the U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, the Elections Infrastructure Information Sharing and Analysis Center and the FBI year-round to ensure the integrity of its systems. As of Tuesday morning, 288,337 completed ballots have been returned out of a total of just over 2.9 million registered voters, according to unofficial ballot counts from the secretary of state. Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 HARTINGTON, Neb. -- One county board incumbent in Northeast Nebraska lost Tuesday, while another trailed by a single vote as a recount loomed. In Cedar County, challenger Dick Donner defeated incumbent Chris Tramp by a vote of 411 to 333 for the GOP nomination in Board of Commissioner District 3, according to unofficial results. A second incumbent commissioner, Dave McGregor, won the Republican nomination in District 3 over challenger Kelly Hammer, 582-265. In Thurston County, challenger Jim Mueller led incumbent Dan Trimble, 55 to 54, for the Republican nomination for Board of Supervisors District 7, according to unofficial results. A recount is scheduled for Friday. The declared winner will have a clear path in the November general election since no Democrat filed for the seat. In Dixon County, incumbent board of supervisor Don Anderson won a three-way race for the Republican nomination in District 1. Anderson collected 94 votes, compared to 84 for Josh Blatchford and 43 for Dennis Lukken. In a contest for the GOP nomination in Dixon County's District 3, incumbent Roger Peterson topped challenger Richie Monteith, 252-50. In a third Dixon County supervisor race, Steven Hassler defeated Dakota Roerts for the GOP nomination in District 7, 123-37. The incumbent, Alan Mackling, retired in April. On Friday, county officials are scheduled to appoint someone to fill the rest of Mackling's term, which runs until January. Hassler, Peterson and Anderson advance to the November general election, where each will be unopposed since no Democratic candidates filed for any of the three seats. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 1 Sad 0 Angry 0 Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. SIOUX CITY -- The leak of a draft ruling in an abortion case before the U.S. Supreme Court has caused Americans on either side of the issue to question the credibility of the court -- and the judiciary in general. Since last week's leak, pundits on both sides of the issue are accusing the court of playing politics. The nine judges on the Iowa Court of Appeals may have diverse political leanings, but politics never enters into their discussions when deciding a case before them, said Chief Judge Thomas Bower, who's been on the court for 10 years. "Politics does not hold sway on our decisions," Bower said Wednesday in answer to a question about how the growing debate about judicial integrity has affected the court. A member of the court for more than two years, Judge Paul Ahlers also said discussions center on the legal issues of each case, not the potential political ramifications of their ruling. "I've never heard politics raised in discussions," Ahlers told the audience inside a full courtroom in the Woodbury County Courthouse, where the Court of Appeals met in special session. The court's appearance was in conjunction with the Iowa Bench Bar conference taking place in Sioux City this week. The appeals court, as well as the Iowa Supreme Court, conducts special sessions outside Des Moines each year to give people who don't live near the capital city a chance to see the courts in action. At the conclusion of the hearings, Bower presided over an informal session in which judges answered questions from the audience. Bower said court staff and judges have annual training on security and privacy issues. He's not aware of rulings being leaked in the past, but admitted it wouldn't be impossible. "There's nothing to stop our staff from going out and saying things," he said. The court considers 1,000-1,200 cases each year, Bower said. Some present mundane issues that the court tackles often, but Bower said the judges focus on the litigants in each case and how important their ruling will be to them. "That case is the most important case to the litigants," he said. A case with local interest was one of those before the court Wednesday, when a three-judge panel considered the case of Dawn Stansbury, a former Sioux City elementary school principal who is appealing the dismissal of her sex discrimination lawsuit against the Sioux City Community School District, superintendent Paul Gausman and two other district administrators. Stansbury resigned in August 2018 after she said she was given an ultimatum to be demoted to a middle school principal position or be fired. She said she was told by director of elementary education Brian Burnight, her direct supervisor, that as long as Gausman was superintendent, she would never receive a promotion, cost of living adjustments or salary increases. She said a hiring committee later was encouraged to hire male principals because they would be better able to oversee student discipline. "The district wanted a strong principal in place. The district wanted a man," Stansbury's attorney, Jordan Hutchinson said. In May, District Judge Duane Hoffmeyer (who has since retired and taken senior judge status) granted the school district summary judgment and dismissed the lawsuit, ruling he had not found sufficient evidence from depositions and testimony to support Stansbury's claim that the district's actions were motivated by sex discrimination. The school district's attorney, Zach Clausen, said Stansbury's demotion was because of performance issues, and serving as an assistant principal in another building would help her improve. "The fact a female was replaced by a male, by itself, is not a case for sex discrimination," Clausen said. At the conclusion of the hearing, Hutchinson asked that the court overturn Hoffmeyer's ruling and remand the case back to Woodbury County District Court for trial. The Court of Appeals will issue its ruling in coming months. The court also heard arguments in the appeal of a murder conviction from Madison County. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 2 Angry 0 Sign up for our Crime & Courts newsletter Get the latest in local public safety news with this weekly email. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Writer and photographer Jessica Mlinaric wants Chicagoans back on the streets. The last time we heard from her, it was 2018 and she was revealing tidbits of Chicago information, like where one can sunbathe on a Lake Michigan shipwreck and where one could ride in one of Chicagos only manually operated elevators all details found in her book Secret Chicago: A Guide to the Weird, Wonderful, and Obscure. Advertisement The Wicker Park resident and urbnexplorer.com blogger has a second book coming out Sunday, Chicago Scavenger: The Ultimate Search for Chicagos Hidden Treasures, one that seeks to help readers explore the city and unlock the hidden gems in its neighborhoods. Mlinaric said she wanted to come up with a way for people to engage in the city again, in a safe way. Advertisement All of the places that are featured in Scavenger are things you see outdoors, Mlinaric said. We just wanted people to be able to get together outside safely, and enjoy the city. Just writing the book last summer, it was so nice for me to be able to get out and explore other neighborhoods again, and remember everything thats out there in Chicago all the different communities, restaurants and small businesses to support and things to see that we didnt really get to enjoy for a little while. Travel writer and photographer Jessica Mlinaric stands in front of the home where L. Frank Baum lived in the late 1800s while he wrote "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz." The site of the mosaic mural and yellow bricks is one of the locations in Mlinaric's new book, "Chicago Scavenger." (Raquel Zaldivar / Chicago Tribune) The book enlists readers in an interactive mission to explore 17 neighborhoods from Rogers Park to Pullman. Readers have to decipher rhyming and visual clues that lead them to sites and locales imbued with history. Grouped by neighborhood and organized by suggested routes, there are 342 spots for viewers to discover revealing public art, city oddities, less-known museums, overlooked historical markers and more. Take the Pullman neighborhood, for instance. Mlinaric takes readers through the company town built in 1881 for employees of the Pullman Palace Car Co. Readers start their tour of the area, notable for its labor history, at the famous clock tower (now the visitor center); they go under the Metra train line viaduct to see public artwork that speaks to said labor history; and then go by the Queen Anne building, the exhibit hall with a vivid mural, a horses head, a place of worship and a building that was once the Pullman areas hospital. Dont forget to take in the war memorial and the shared gallery space that doubles as affordable housing for artists to live and create. The Tribune spoke with Mlinaric about adventuring in Chicago with her book at our side. The interview has been condensed and edited for clarity. Q: You were surprised to learn how easy it is for Chicagoans to stay in their neighborhood bubble. Do you think this book will turn the tide? I hope so. With it coming out in the spring, hopefully that will be good timing for everybody to get out and enjoy the city again. Im thinking people can take their kids out or go out with their friends and challenge each other to see who can get the most places in one neighborhood. Or just do it by yourself. Keep the book in your car. And, if youre driving around and you need something to do, just take it out because its spiral-bound, so its more like a workbook. Its really meant to be used; theres places for notes in there. Take it out and hit the town. I hope there are things people will recognize right away and some things theyll discover that they didnt know about. Chicago is so big, theres plenty of places that people who lived here forever have never been, so challenge yourself to go see something new. Go check out a different community. Talk to people across town. That can be a big deal. Q: How did you land on which of Chicagos 77 neighborhoods to include in the book? Advertisement I got a mix of neighborhoods from around the city, from the Northwest and South sides and also the Loop. I wanted to choose places where there was a concentration of points of interest close to each other so it would be easy enough to either walk or bike or drive from place to place in the neighborhood. And the places that I picked are either something thats visually exciting or interesting, maybe something historically significant or just really meaningful to the neighborhood. Jessica Milnaric's latest book, "Chicago Scavenger," is an interactive mission to explore 17 neighborhoods across the city. (Reedy Press) Q: How hard was it to select photos for clues without giving it all away? I took all the photos in the book. Theres 342 places and some of them were challenging to try to get a photo that wouldnt give it all away. But its meant to be a hint. If youre nearby and youre looking for it, its supposed to hopefully tip you off to make sure that you know you found this. Q: How hard was it to write every clue in rhyme? You managed to rhyme restored with forbs. I learned that word. I am not a poet by background. Ive never tried to write in rhyme before so I wasnt sure I could do it. I took a day and a few ideas and sat down and tried to make it work. It was fun; about 350 clues in rhyme, I was feeling a bit like Dr. Seuss. Once I chose the sites, I thought about what do I want the reader to know about them? Why did I choose it, why is it historic or significant and then a little description of where they can find it so they know what theyre looking for. I took those keywords and then just tried to find rhyming combinations with them. I hope that they make sense to the readers. I was talking in rhyme for a while there and I think my husband thought I was losing my mind. Advertisement Q: Is the next step to cover all the citys neighborhoods? That would be fun. If I could just keep doing them and eventually cover all of Chicago. Because as much as I learned about Chicago, I always end up with more questions and more things to research and go check out; people to talk to. You can never really do all of Chicago, but its fun to try though. Q: What is the unique thing you found in your travels. Were you surprised by anything? Some of the things that surprised me: Learning about the stories behind some of the public art that you see. If youve been by the lakefront, theres that totem pole near Belmont Harbor, and thats based on an earlier work that used to be in Chicago. And different restaurants like Pilsens Carnitas Uruapan has been there since 1975. Or Lutz Cafe in Lincoln Square has been there since 1948. I think thats so special. ... To learn about how certain things have been there as communities have changed and grown over time. Q: How long does it take to go through a neighborhood on this city scavenger hunt? I would say to budget about a day for each neighborhood. I am fully aware and expect people to Google or do whatever you have to do on your phone and find it. If youre just out and you see something, or youre having brunch and youre in one of the neighborhoods in the book and youve got it handy, just go out and do it. Advertisement I am going to have a little contest on my website for everyone who wants to really dig in and solve all the clues. Ill have some prizes. ... Take a picture of each site and upload it on my website. And youll get points (there will be a leaderboard). And thats for anyone who wants to do it Amazing Race style. You can certainly be a little more casual about it. Just go out with your family, friends, colleagues at work for a team-building exercise. Q: Is there a lot of overlap or some overlap from the first book to the second? Maybe former readers can connect the dots with the second book? There is a little bit of overlap. I would say if youve read the first book, youll have a bit of an upper hand on this one. But the first book, Secret Chicago, was more background on each place, more information and photos and things. Whereas this book is me giving you all the information about a place; Im kind of pointing you in the direction and youre discovering it on your own. Q: Was there any neighborhood that really sparked your interest? Advertisement Im excited to get people down to Pullman because its pretty unique that we have a national monument here in Chicago. I think a lot of people havent made the trip down to visit and they have a new visitor center, and the administration building has been redone since last summer. The book launch for Chicago Scavenger will be at 1 p.m. May 21 at Schubas. Mlinaric will be signing books. There will be a raffle, prizes and a poet typing custom poems for people. drockett@chicagotribune.com SIOUX CITY -- Judges know certain types of hearings and trials attract attention and large crowds, but many might tell you they prefer a low-key atmosphere inside the courtroom. Iowa Court of Appeals Chief Judge Thomas Bower would welcome a packed courtroom Wednesday, when he and his fellow appeals court judges hold a special session at the Woodbury County Courthouse. "We would love to see more of the public there so they can see who we are and what we do," Bower said. The Court of Appeals will be in session at 1:30 p.m. and hear two appeals: one involving a former Sioux City elementary school principal's sex discrimination lawsuit against the Sioux City Community School District, the other pertaining to a Madison County murder case. At the conclusion of the hearings, the judges will take part in a public question-and-answer session. Judges will not answer questions about the two cases or other cases pending before the court, nor will they provide any political opinions. Each year, the Court of Appeals and Iowa Supreme Court have one or more special sessions outside Des Moines. The Supreme Court was last in Sioux City in 2013. This will be the Court of Appeals' first time here. The sessions give Iowans who don't live near Des Moines a chance to see the courts in action. "We enjoy it," Bower said. "It's nice to get out and see different parts of the state." The court's appearance is in conjunction with the Iowa Bench Bar conference, taking place in Sioux City Wednesday-Friday. The legal education conference will attract judges and lawyers from across the state. The Court of Appeals appearance has been in the works since 2019, when the Woodbury County Bar Association applied to host the 2020 conference. Sioux City was awarded the bid, but the event was canceled because of COVID-19 and again in 2021. Sioux City was given the chance to host this year's conference. "It is very much an honor for us to host them," said District Judge James Daane, who at the time the 2019 application was filed was a private attorney who helped prepare the hosting bid. At each remote appearance, the court usually hears a case of local interest. On Wednesday, a three-judge panel will hear Dawn Stansbury's appeal of the dismissal of her sex discrimination lawsuit against the Sioux City school district, superintendent Paul Gausman and two other district administrators. In May, District Judge Duane Hoffmeyer (who has since retired and taken senior judge status) granted the school district summary judgment and dismissed the lawsuit, ruling he had not found sufficient evidence from depositions and testimony to support Stansbury's claim that the district's actions were motivated by sex discrimination. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Sign up for our Crime & Courts newsletter Get the latest in local public safety news with this weekly email. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. SIOUX CITY -- A former director in MercyOne Siouxland Medical Center's cardiovascular unit has sued the hospital in federal court, saying she was fired in retaliation for filing an ethics complaint against one of the hospital's heart surgeons. Cynthia Tener says in the lawsuit that nurses and another doctor informed her of concerns about the physician's failure to obtain proper consent from patients, performing unsafe add-on procedures during surgeries and falsifying paperwork. Tener says Mercy Health Services-Iowa Corp., which does business as MercyOne Siouxland Medical Center, fired her in retaliation for reporting public safety concerns and malpractice to management and the hospital's ethics committee, which is a protected activity. If Mercy's actions against her are allowed to stand, she said, her firing could discourage nurses and doctors from complying with their statutory and ethical obligation to protect patients from undisclosed medical mistakes and malpractice. A MercyOne spokeswoman said the company could not comment on the allegations. "MercyOne stands by our cardiac services program, and our commitment to safe, quality care is steadfast. We are dedicated to the fair and valued treatment of our colleagues, physicians and providers as this is central to our values at MercyOne. As this is now an active legal matter, we are unable to provide further comment," said Michaela Feldmann, MercyOne regional communications lead. Tener was hired in August 2020 as director of the cardiovascular service line, a position that included supervision of cardiovascular nurses and clinic leaders, budgeting and developing and planning the implementation of programs and technology. According to the lawsuit, a doctor in February 2021 told Tener he was concerned about the surgeon performing risky procedures on patients, an excessive number of add-on procedures and a high mortality rate among his patients. Concerns were raised about the surgeon, who is not named as a defendant in the lawsuit, keeping patients who had little to no chance of recovery on ventilators and other artificial life-sustaining measures for at least 30 days after surgery to protect his outcomes statistics in a national database. In another instance, the surgeon had opened a patient in the operating room without other treating physicians present and failed to follow the surgical plan that he, the physicians and the patient had agreed upon. The patient died not long after surgery. In May, the hospital limited the surgeon to surgeries with low patient risk levels. Tener said she was informed the surgeon began falsifying patients' risk scores so he could again perform high-risk surgeries. After notifying her supervisor, MercyOne chief operating officer Timothy Daugherty, Tener said he told her he was "handling it." After being told the surgeon had not informed a patient that he intended to replace the patient's heart valves, thus invalidating any consent from the patient, Tener submitted a written complaint about the surgeon with MercyOne's internal ethics committee in July. After the surgeon was told Tener had filed the complaint, he confronted her and, while standing inches from her face, screamed at her that she was "nothing but a nurse," making her cry. Tener reported his behavior to Daugherty, who, according to the lawsuit, told her she needed to work harder to build a relationship with the physician. In October, two nurses filed an internal complaint against the surgeon for falsely documenting a procedure without the patient's consent. The surgeon complained to Daugherty he believed Tener was encouraging nurses to file complaints against him, the lawsuit said. Tener said she was suspended on Nov. 3 after Daugherty and vice president of human resources Julie Anfinson informed her of complaints she was creating a toxic work environment. Tener was fired six days later. Tener sued Mercy Health Services-Iowa Corp. and its parent company, Indiana-based Trinity Health Corporation. In her lawsuit, filed Friday in U.S. District Court in Sioux City, Tener requests a jury trial and is seeking compensatory and punitive damages. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 9 Sad 0 Angry 7 Sign up for our Crime & Courts newsletter Get the latest in local public safety news with this weekly email. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. SIOUX CITY -- A Whiting, Iowa, man charged with a fatal Memorial Day shooting in Luton appears to have reached an agreement with prosecutors and will not stand trial for second-degree murder. Marvin Hildreth Jr., 21, is scheduled to enter a plea at 2:30 p.m. Friday in Woodbury County District Court. He will enter a plea in a gun-related case from Monona County at the same hearing. No plea agreement has been posted in online court records. Hildreth has pleaded not guilty of second-degree murder and going armed with intent and is scheduled to stand trial on June 8. A second-degree murder conviction carries a 50-year prison sentence. He is charged with the May 31 shooting death of Russell Mohr, 40, of Mapleton, Iowa, at a home at 1932 250th St. in Luton. He's accused of shooting Mohr several times in the chest and also shooting Carrie Pauley once in the hip before driving away. According to court documents, Hildreth told investigators he went to the home to help with a disturbance. A Woodbury County Sheriff's deputy wrote in a search warrant application that Pauley said Mohr had come to the home, forced his way inside and threatened to abduct and harm her. Pauley said Mohr was trying to force her into a pickup truck when Hildreth pulled up. Pauley said Hildreth had words with Mohr, then fired several shots, striking Mohr numerous times in the chest and Pauley once in her leg, before driving away without saying anything. She gave a description of the car Hildreth was driving. Hildreth was arrested a short time later near Sloan, Iowa, without incident. A gun was found in the back seat of the car he was driving. During a later interview at the hospital, Pauley told deputies she had called Hildreth for help after Mohr broke into her home. Hildreth's attorney had filed notice of plans to use Iowa's "stand your ground" law, which allows justifiable force by a person to avoid injury or a threat to one's life, as a defense. A defense motion to move the trial from Woodbury County because of media publicity surrounding the case was denied. Hildreth remains in custody in the Woodbury County Jail on a $500,000 bond and a $25,000 hold from Monona County, where he is accused of firing a shot in the air during a June 2020 assault in Onawa. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Sign up for our Crime & Courts newsletter Get the latest in local public safety news with this weekly email. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. SIOUX CITY -- The Sioux City Journal will celebrate nurses with a special event Wednesday. "Nurses, the Heart of Health Care" kicks off with a social hour at 4:30 p.m. at the Sioux City Country Club, 4001 Jackson St. The program, which Journal editor Bruce Miller will emcee, begins at 5 p.m. Wendy Lindley, chief nurse executive with UnityPoint Health -- St. Luke's, will serve as the keynote speaker. "This year, we've noted how determined readers are to see the 'Nurses, the Heart of Health Care' program continue," Miller said. "We received dozens of entries and countless letters of support." Five nurses, who were chosen from more than 40 nominees, will be honored for going above and beyond in delivering compassionate care. They will be presented and encouraged to tell their stories, during the program. The recipients are: Brianna Creter, of MercyOne Siouxland Medical Center; Fabiola Perez, of MercyOne Siouxland Medical Center; Debra Pierce, of June E. Nylen Cancer Center; Cherie Varenhorst, of Floyd Valley Healthcare; and Cassandra Veltkamp, of UnityPoint Health - St. Luke's. A panel of judges selected the winners, except the readers' choice, who was selected by the public. The judges were: Lindley, Dolly A. Butz, Sioux City Journal reporter; Candace Chihak, Briar Cliff University chair and associate professor of nursing; Mary Dermit, Sioux City Career Academy health sciences teacher; and Tracy Larson, vice president patient care MercyOne. The tribute is presented by UnityPoint Health Sioux City and is sponsored by Briar Cliff University, Siouxland Community Health Center, Morningside University, Dunes Surgical Hospital, June E. Nylen Cancer Center, MercyOne and The Journal. Love 0 Funny 1 Wow 1 Sad 0 Angry 0 Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. SIOUX CITY -- When Larry Obermeyer walks into the Roundhouse at the Sioux City Railroad Museum, he can almost hear the railroad workers from long ago in the gritty, authentic space. When he follows the footpaths around the former Sioux City Engine Terminal and Car Repair Shops of the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railway in Sioux City's Riverside neighborhood, Obermeyer can practically visualize those workers being there. "This is just a fascinating site with a really strong history. It's very unique that a site like this has survived to be able to be preserved. It's really a hidden gem in Sioux City," Obermeyer said, as he sat on a bench in the Roundhouse's atrium last Friday morning. Obermeyer, who co-founded the Sioux City Railroad Museum, is slated to receive the 2022 Treasure of Sioux City award during Historic Preservation week, which begins Saturday. Obermeyer is being recognized for his contributions to the Historic Preservation Commission and the historical structures and stories the museum tells about Sioux City's history. The 30-acre site, nestled in between the Loess Hills and the Big Sioux River, became home to the museum in 1995. Today, the museum features historic buildings and structures, as well as industrial archaeological sites, industrial heritage objects and a rail yard. "When we first came out here, it was in really bad, derelict condition," Obermeyer recalled. "All you could see was crumbling buildings and trash and junk and farm machinery. Keeping that vision alive was one of the hard things." A vision Obermeyer said he grew up as a "railroad brat." His late father, who was also named Larry, worked for the Chicago & North Western Railway. The elder Obermeyer got his start as a clerk when he was just 14. He moved into yard services and became a switchman and, then, a switch foreman. He was a yardmaster and, then, a conductor, before a stroke in his 40s forced him to retire. "I just always developed a love of the railroads because of that," Obermeyer said. "I got my first train ride probably when I was about 4. Ever since then, it's just been a love affair with the railroads." Obermeyer's father served as legislative director for the United Transportation Union and spent quite a bit of time studying railroad abandonments. Obermeyer himself developed a fascination for how the railroad came about and grew in the United States and the effect its workers had on communities. The Siouxland Historical Railroad Association, which operates the museum, was "born on a napkin" in a restaurant in Southern Hills Mall in 1984, according to Obermeyer. He said he and his father began planning the railroad museum with the goal of protecting a downtown steam locomotive that had fallen into a state of disrepair. The city, at that time, was looking to dispose of it. "He and I put together a plan for the association and, then, as we got started with the steam locomotive restoration, we realized we needed a lot bigger home than what we had for a rented building on Cargill's property. We started looking at this property here," Obermeyer said of the Riverside location. The Sioux City Railroad Museum began in 1995 when the association secured the property at 3800 Sioux River Road with the help of a grant from the city. A 25-year preservation effort, which consisted of applying for grants, restoring buildings and acquiring more railroad equipment, followed. In 2018, the National Park Service approved Sioux City's Milwaukee Railroad Shops as a federally-designated Historic District, listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Obermeyer said the association's good relationship with the City Council, which sponsored federal and state grants for the museum, along with support from Missouri River Historical Development and the work of numerous volunteers over the years, have been instrumental in making the museum a reality. "My dad passed away in 1999, so he never got to realize the dream out here," Obermeyer said. "Our volunteers have invested over $100,000 of labor, along with I don't know how many tens of thousands of hours we have from contractors, as well. We've gotten it to the point where all of the buildings are restored." Obermeyer said he had two "great mentors," Gretchen Schlage and the late Glenda Castleberry, who bought into the vision he had for the museum and encouraged him to keep going with preservation efforts. He also said he is accepting the Treasure of Sioux City award on behalf of the volunteers who have dedicated their time to the museum. "It's not really about me. It's about the effort and the people that have bought into the vision. It really does mean a lot that way," he said. Worker camps For 30 years, Obermeyer has been researching the history behind the Milwaukee Railroad Shops complex in Sioux City. He learned that the railroad set up temporary construction labor camps at the site around 1916. Workers were separated by race and ethnicity, according to Obermeyer. "I was learning that it was common practice by the railroads to set up these temporary construction camps, where they would move workers in for two to three years and build these terminals," he said. "We started looking for where would've been the possible place for them to have been at, and we isolated an area out in the field. We found some photos that actually showed the location." If there was indeed a camp in the complex, Obermeyer thought it was quite possible that objects or artifacts, which would "speak to the workers," were buried in that location. He approached a couple archeologists and they devised a plan for an archeology study at the site. That plan was submitted to the State Historical Society of Iowa and the Gilchrist Foundation in Sioux City. Both entities decided to fund the project. Earlier this month, for six days, four archeologists from the Office of the State Archeologist at the University of Iowa were on site, along with 127 volunteers. The group conducted a walking survey of the ground, 45 auger tests to identify artifacts or objects in the ground and six trench digs that went down about 4 feet. "They did find hundreds of artifacts, which spoke to about four different periods of time for this complex," said Obermeyer, who noted that a 13-year-old boy found a 55,000-year-old shark's tooth. In prehistoric times, Obermeyer said the area was a "shark haven." "The Loess Hills right here are actually full of shark fossils." Roughly a foot down, Obermeyer said the group came across a piece of pottery that dated back to 1,000 A.D., when the Mill Creek tribe occupied the land. A Mill Creek burial ground is located on top of the bluffs that overlook the complex. Obermeyer said they also isolated the "boneyard" or "rubbish dump," where materials that were obsolete were scrapped, as well as the area where the labor camp was. "They found multiple layers of silt that spoke to the different time periods of flooding. That silt covered up the compact dirt that served as the floor for the temporary labor camps," Obermeyer said. "While they were digging down and found that floor, they found pieces of eating utensils, glass bottles. They actually found a Budweiser Anheuser-Busch bottle with a label that dates to the turn of the 20th Century. And, then, they found some pieces of tin cups and tin plates." Obermeyer said some of the artifacts were taken to Iowa City for intensive conservation work and dating. He said the archeologists plan to return to the site to do an in-field lab and that a much broader excavation of the labor camp site could be forthcoming. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Pillen beats Trump's candidate in Nebraska governor primary OMAHA, Neb. (AP) Nebraska hog farm owner and veterinarian Jim Pillen has won the states crowded Republican primary race for governor, overcoming another conservative endorsed by former President Donald Trump. Pillen defeated the Trump-backed Charles Herbster, an agribusinessman with strong ties to the former president. He also beat state Sen. Brett Lindstrom, an Omaha financial adviser who emerged as a strong contender late in the contest and was generally viewed as a more moderate choice. Pillen was endorsed by many top GOP leaders in the state, including Gov. Pete Ricketts, former Gov. Kay Orr, and renowned former University of Nebraska football coach and congressman Tom Osborne. Trump-backed US Rep. Alex Mooney wins W.Va. GOP primary CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) Congressman Alex Mooney has won the Republican nomination for one of West Virginias two seats in the U.S. House. Former President Donald Trump had endorsed Mooney instead of another Republican incumbent, congressman David McKinley, who has represented West Virginia in the House since 2011. Trump and Mooney sharply criticized McKinley for being one of 13 Republicans to vote in favor of President Joe Bidens $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill. McKinley bet that infrastructure improvements would matter more to voters than Trumps endorsement in one of the nations poorest states. The incumbents were pitted against each other after population losses cost West Virginia a House seat. Russia pummels port of Odesa in attempt to disrupt supplies ZAPORIZHZHIA, Ukraine (AP) Russia pummeled the vital port of Odesa in an apparent effort to disrupt supply lines and Western weapons shipments. Meanwhile, Ukraines foreign minister appeared Tuesday to suggest that the country could expand its war aims. With the war now in its 11th week, Kyiv has bogged down Russian forces and even staged a counteroffensive. Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba seemed to indicate that the country could go beyond merely pushing Russia back to areas it or its allies held on the day of the Feb. 24 invasion. The idea reflected Ukraines ability to stymie a larger, better-armed Russian military, which has surprised many who had anticipated a much quicker end to the conflict. Musk says he would reverse Twitter's ban of Donald Trump LONDON (AP) Tesla CEO Elon Musk said he will reverse Twitters ban of former President Donald Trump if his deal to buy the social media company goes through. Musk, speaking virtually at an auto conference, said Twitters Trump ban was a morally bad decision and foolish in the extreme. He said bans of Twitter accounts should be rare and reserved for accounts that are scams or automated bots. Musk earlier gave his support to a new European Union law aimed at protecting social media users from harmful content after he met with the blocs single market chief. House approves $40B in Ukraine aid, beefing up Biden request WASHINGTON (AP) The House has emphatically approved a fresh $40 billion Ukraine aid package that beefs up President Joe Bidens initial request. The measure signals a magnified U.S. commitment to thwart Russian President Vladimir Putins bloody three-month-old invasion. The bill won wide bipartisan support. It contains $7 billion more than Bidens plan from last month, evenly divided between defense and humanitarian programs. The bill would give Ukraine military and economic assistance, help regional allies, replenish weapons the Pentagon has shipped overseas and provide $5 billion to address global food shortages caused by the wars crippling of Ukraines normally robust crop production. Celebrity chef Mario Batali acquitted of sexual misconduct BOSTON (AP) Celebrity chef Mario Batali has been cleared of sexual misconduct following a criminal trial in Boston. A Boston Municipal Court judge found him not guilty Tuesday after a two-day trial in which the chef had waived his right to a jury trial. A woman had accused Batali of forcibly kissing and groping her while taking a selfie at a restaurant in 2017. But Batalis lawyer argued the accuser had a financial incentive to lie. Batali faced up to 2 1/2 years in prison if convicted. The 61-year-old former Food Network fixture's career crumbled amid sexual misconduct allegations from four women in 2017. Political reality: Congress can't save or end abortion WASHINGTON (AP) After fighting for decades over abortion policy, Congress is about to run into the political limits of its ability to act in either direction on the issue. President Joe Biden has called on Democrats to enshrine the Roe v. Wade abortion access protections into law. But a test vote Wednesday in the Senate is expected to fail, blocked by a Republican-led filibuster. At the same time, Republicans led by Sen. Mitch McConnell face similar political problems trying to ban abortions nationwide, even if they wrest control of the chamber in the midterm elections. Instead, the Supreme Court's pending decision on the issue is igniting a new era of political fighting in Congress over abortion policy Biden pushes 'ultra-MAGA' label on GOP as he defends record WASHINGTON (AP) President Joe Biden is warning voters unhappy with soaring inflation and his stalled domestic agenda against turning power over to ultra-MAGA Republicans in the midterm elections. The president is increasingly trying to cast former President Donald Trump and his adherents as a political foil. Speaking at the White House less than six months before the elections, Biden acknowledged that he could taste the countrys dissatisfaction with Washington, particularly over rising prices. The president sought to channel the anger against the GOP. Republican Sen. Rick Scott, a prime target of Biden's criticism, responded that it's the Democrats agenda that is "hurting American families and no amount of spin can change that. Haitian gang leader charged in kidnapping of US missionaries WASHINGTON (AP) Federal prosecutors in the U.S. have charged the leader of a notoriously violent Haitian gang with conspiracy to commit hostage taking for his alleged role in the kidnapping of 16 Americans last year. Germine Joly, 29, is accused of leading the 400 Mawozo gang and is the first person charged in the U.S. in connection with the kidnapping of the missionaries last fall. He was extradited to the U.S. last week and faces separate charges in a firearms trafficking case. Prosecutors say Joly was in a Haitian prison during the kidnapping but had directed and asserted control of 400 Mawozo gang members kidnapping operations, including ransom negotiation for the hostages release. Most Great Barrier Reef coral studied this year was bleached CANBERRA, Australia (AP) Australian government scientists say 91% of the Great Barrier Reef coral surveyed this year was bleached in the fourth mass event in seven years. Coral becomes bleached in warmer-than-usual waters, and scientists worry about potentially lasting damage to the world's largest coral reef ecosystem. The Great Barrier Reef Marine Authority says this year's bleaching is the first during a La Nina weather pattern, which is associated with cooler Pacific Ocean temperatures. Bleaching was more damaging in some years than others, and the authority's chief scientist David Wachenfeld says scientists hope that most of the coral bleached this year will recover. Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Congressman Alex Mooney has won the Republican nomination for one of West Virginias two seats in the U.S. House. Former President Donald Trump had endorsed Mooney instead of another Republican incumbent, congressman David McKinley, who has represented West Virginia in the House since 2011. Trump and Mooney sharply criticized McKinley for being one of 13 Republicans to vote in favor of President Joe Bidens $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill. McKinley bet that infrastructure improvements would matter more to voters than Trumps endorsement in one of the nations poorest states. The incumbents were pitted against each other after population losses cost West Virginia a House seat. News Ministry warns of scam Australia labour export programmes Renmin University of China, one of the top universities in the country, has stopped participating in all international university rankings, China National Radio (CNR) cited insiders as saying Monday. Leaders of the university had reached a consensus on the decision, saying it follows the education development trend in China, according to CNR. "Renmin University of China rejecting international ranking reflects the strong courage of Chinese universities, Chinese education, and Chinese culture to hold onto independent development," said a person in the know. With thousands of years of development, the Chinese knowledge system is the oldest, richest and most profound knowledge system in the world, said a leader of Renmin University of China. "We hope to develop Chinese cultural traditions in an innovative way, create China's independent knowledge system, and safeguard China's education and cultural independence," he added. In addition to Renmin University of China, Nanjing University and Lanzhou University have also withdrawn from international university rankings. Nanjing University made it clear in its 14th Five-Year Plan Formulation that the university would not take improving international rankings as an important development goal. The international ranking is a coin with two sides, said Wang Peng, associate professor of Renmin University of China. Wang pointed out that, on the one hand, Chinese universities have achieved better development regarding rankings. In the past decades, Chinese universities have found their shortcomings and made great progress through international exchanges and evaluation system rankings. However, Chinese universities should not blindly believe in the rankings, as they may not reflect the overall situation of a university. Besides academic research, universities also shoulder the responsibility to guide society, boost people's wisdom, and cultivate more talents, which is the ultimate development goal of Chinese universities. COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) Groups advocating for professional social workers and women's rights challenged a small Ohio city's ban on abortion Wednesday, arguing it is an extraordinarily broad infringement on the constitutional rights of due process and free speech. The lawsuit argues that the abortion restriction approved last May by the city of Lebanon, in southwest Ohio, should be declared illegal regardless of whether the U.S. Supreme Court follows through with a leaked opinion overturning Roe v. Wade. This case concerns whether a municipal government may enact a vague, sweeping ordinance that can be interpreted to criminalize virtually all activity even tangentially connected to abortion without providing fair notice of the specific conduct it forbids, lawyers for the ACLU of Ohio and Democracy Forward argued on behalf of the National Association of Social Workers and Women Have Options-Ohio. The litigation also asserts that, by declaring actions misdemeanors at the local level that are considered felonies by the state, the Lebanon ban violates Ohios home rule provisions. Lebanon's ban was one of four that cropped up around Ohio last year, part of a national effort to ban abortion one city at a time by the Texas-based Sanctuary Cities of the Unborn organization. Nearby Mason passed, then repealed, its ban and two other cities Celina in Mercer County and London in Madison County saw their measures fizzle. According to the Texas group's website, 49 cities across the U.S. have so far passed similar abortion bans. Right to Life East Texas director Mark Lee Dickson, a Southern Baptist minister leading the charge for local abortion restrictions, said the ACLU has already sued over laws similar to Lebanon's in Texas and lost. We stand behind the Lebanon ordinance as it is drafted, and we believe we will see a victory in Lebanon, Ohio, Dickson said Wednesday. He said former Texas Solicitor General Jonathan F. Mitchell has agreed to represent Lebanon against in the Ohio case. Mitchell and Dickson worked together to craft the Texas state abortion law that could soon upend Roe v. Wade, the landmark 1973 case that legalized abortion in the U.S. Plaintiffs in the Ohio challenge told the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio in Wednesday's filing that the Lebanon ban which forbids anyone from taking action that aids or abets an abortion appears to require social workers not to discuss abortion when counseling pregnant clients. Abiding by that restriction would conflict with social workers ethical obligation to promote the clients self-determination, they argue. The social workers' association has taken a position that reproductive freedom is a human right. The groups also allege the Ohio ban includes a list of exemptions and affirmative defenses that simply exacerbate the law's vagueness problem, and its broad language could be interpreted as allowing enforcement behind Lebanon city limits. Dickson said the law being challenged was written to ban performing or aiding or abetting abortions only within Lebanon city limits. Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) Tennessee Attorney General Herbert Slatery, the first Republican to hold the office since Reconstruction, says he will not seek another eight-year term as the state's top legal counsel. Slatery, 70, announced his decision Tuesday in a letter to the Tennessee Supreme Court, which was provided to The Associated Press by request. Words are inadequate to express the honor I have had to be the attorney general and reporter for our great state, he wrote in his brief two paragraph note to the high court. Similarly, I am unable to express the extent of my gratitude for the trust the Court showed in appointing me. The Tennessee Journal first reported Slaterys decision. Tennessee is the only state in the U.S. where the state's Supreme Court appoints the attorney general. The court's justices selected Slatery in 2014 after he previously served as former Republican Gov. Bill Haslams chief legal counsel. As attorney general, Slatery has defended the state in court as it resumed executions, since becoming among the top states to carry out death sentences. He's also been involved in the national investigation into opioid manufacturers, including cases again Purdue Pharma. In 2016, Slatery launched an investigation into former Republican Rep. Jeremy Durham amid sexual harassment allegations. Slatery's investigation detailed allegations of improper sexual contact with at least 22 women during his four years in office. After releasing the preliminary findings, Durham was later ousted by state House members. Late last year, Slatery blasted a proposed ballot initiative that would have required the attorney general be confirmed by state lawmakers after the current process of selection by the state Supreme Court. According to Slatery, it would be a shame to make the position a political office. The proposal later died a few months later in the House. Gov. Bill Lee praised Slatery as being recognized as the best (attorney general) in the country. Tennesseans know him as a tireless fighter for justice amidst the opioid crisis, Lee tweeted Tuesday evening. Thank you, General and job well done." Democratic Sen. Jeff Yarbro, the chamber's minority leader, on Wednesday accused Slatery of transforming the attorney general role in Tennessee as overtly political and more overtly partisan" over the past eight year. He wasnt just a Republican who was appointed Attorney General, but rather a Republican Attorney General, Yarbro said in a statement. In some ways, its hard to compare his performance to past attorneys general, because he clearly conceived of the job so differently than his predecessors. Tennessees last Republican attorney general, Thomas M. Coldwell, served from 1865 to 1870. Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) West Virginia voters nominated candidates Tuesday in primaries for the U.S. House and the Legislature. The overall ballot in the midterm election may be smaller, but the voting landscape changed after the state's once-a-decade redistricting was completed last fall. There are a dwindling number of seats contested by Democrats in a state that has turned sharply Republican. U.S. HOUSE U.S. Reps. Alex Mooney and Carol Miller, two incumbent West Virginia Republicans backed by former President Donald Trump, won their respective primaries Tuesday. Mooney defeated fellow incumbent Rep. David McKinley in the 2nd District GOP primary. McKinley was sharply criticized by Trump when he broke with his party as one of 13 Republicans to vote with Democrats to support President Joe Bidens $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill. Trump called McKinley a RINO, or Republican in Name Only and endorsed Mooney the day President Joe Biden signed the infrastructure law. Mooney is seeking his fifth term. McKinley was seeking his seventh. Others candidates in the GOP primary were Susan Buchser-Lochocki of Morgantown, Rhonda Hercules of Wheeling and Mike Seckman of West Union. Mooney will face Democrat Barry Lee Wendell in November. Wendell defeated security operations manager Angela Dwyer of Falling Waters on Tuesday. Miller, also endorsed by Trump, easily won the Republican nomination in West Virginia's 1st District, defeating four little-known candidates and setting herself on a clear path to reelection. Miller will vie for her third term in the House in the fall against Democrat Lacy Watson, who was unopposed in the Democratic primary. Watson, of Bluefield, lost in the 2020 Democratic primary in the former 3rd District. According to Federal Election Commission records, Millers campaign raised more than $676,000, exponentially more than her GOP challengers combined: Scott Fuller of Kenova, James Edwin Houser of Mount Nebo, Zane Lawhorn of Princeton and Kent Stevens of Milton. Miller had voted against the creation of a commission to investigate the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol. She also voted against President Joe Bidens massive infrastructure bill. West Virginia lost one of its three U.S. House seats based on results of the 2020 U.S. census, which showed a 3.2% decline in the state's population over the past decade the biggest drop of any state in the nation, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. HOUSE OF DELEGATES The entire 100-member state House of Delegates is up for election. Republicans hold a 78-22 supermajority. More than half of the incumbents have no opposition in Tuesday's primary while 15 incumbents, including 10 Republicans, did not seek reelection. For the first time, the chamber is split into 100 single-member voting districts after the passage of a 2018 restructuring bill. Previously, the House had 67 districts with more than half of the chamber elected from multiple-member districts. Because of redistricting, some incumbent lawmakers will face each other in their new districts. There are no Democrats running in 27 of the 100 House districts. Only 16 of the Democratic primaries involve contested races. STATE SENATE Half of the 34-member Senate was up for election. Republicans hold a 23-11 supermajority in the chamber, where eight incumbents have no primary opposition and four others are not seeking reelection. Democratic candidates were absent in six of the 17 Senate primaries. Only two Senate primaries had contested Democratic races. VOTER TURNOUT With no presidential, gubernatorial or U.S. Senate races this year, the lines at the polls were generally light. In nonpresidential election years, the primary election turnout statewide was 26% in 2018, 20% in 2014 and 24% in 2010. According to the Secretary of States office, nearly 59,000 people voted early in person and about 3,900 returned an absentee ballot. Among registered voters statewide, nearly 39% are Republican, about 34% are Democrats and 23% have no party affiliation. Other parties make up the rest. ANNULLED CANDIDACY West Virginia's Supreme Court on Friday let stand a lower courts disqualification of a Republican state Senate candidate over a residency requirement. A Kanawha County judge ruled in a voters challenge last week that 8th District candidate Andrea Garrett Kiessling could not seek office because she has not been a state resident for the required five years prior to the election as required by the constitution. On Friday the justices declined a motion to temporarily stay the circuit courts order and refused a motion as moot for expedited consideration. OTHER CHOICES Democrats and Republicans werent the only parties on the primary ballot. The Mountain Party has two candidates running in the House of Delegates. Bud Anderson will take on Democratic incumbent Doug Skaff and Republican Ernest Blevins in a Charleston-area district this fall, while Dylan Parsons will face Democratic incumbent Lisa Zukoff and Republican Charles Sheedy in a Northern Panhandle district. All were unopposed in their respective primaries Tuesday. Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 KYIV, Ukraine An adviser to the Mariupol mayor said Wednesday that Russian forces have blocked all evacuation routes out of the city. The adviser, Petro Andriushchenko, said there were few apartment buildings fit to live in after the weeks of bombardment and very little food or drinking water. Andriushchenko said some residents who have remained in the city are cooperating with the Russian occupying forces in exchange for food. Meanwhile, Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk says Ukraine has offered to release Russian prisoners of war if Russia will allow the badly injured fighters to be evacuated from the Mariupol steel plant. Russian forces have surrounded the plant, the last bastion of Ukrainian resistance in the southern port city. Vereshchuk said no agreement has been reached but negotiations were underway. The fighters trapped in the plant have refused to surrender to the Russians, saying they fear being tortured or killed. KEY DEVELOPMENTS IN THE RUSSIA-UKRAINE WAR: Ukrainians make gains in east, stop Russian gas at one hub Wartime birth amid the air raid sirens in Ukraine hospital US, Western Europe fret over uncertain Ukraine war endgame Fighters appeal for evacuation of wounded from Mariupol mill House approves $40B in Ukraine aid, beefing up Biden request Leonid Kravchuk, independent Ukraines 1st president, dies Ambassador nominee for Ukraine seeks quick embassy reopening Follow all AP stories on Russias war on Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine OTHER DEVELOPMENTS: WASHINGTON U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo said a ban on sales of semiconductors and other technology to Russia by the U.S. and its allies is having a serious impact on Russias ability to manufacture military equipment. We have reports from Ukrainians that when they find Russian equipment, military equipment, on the ground, its filled with semiconductors that they took out of dishwashers and refrigerators, Raimondo said Wednesday during a Senate hearing, adding that she met a few weeks ago with Ukraines prime minister. Raimondo said two of Russias tank manufacturing plants have shut and many of its auto makers have furloughed workers and closed down. And so the point is, we are having a very serious effect, she said. What we need to do in order to continue this is enforcement, enforcement, enforcement. Raimondo said U.S. exports of technology to Russia are down nearly 70% since late February when the Biden administration, in coordination with European and Asian allies, imposed sanctions and export controls on Russia in response to its invasion of Ukraine. WASHINGTON Final congressional approval of a $40 billion Ukraine aid bill seems certain within days, according to some lawmakers. The Senates top Republicans said Wednesday they expect strong GOP backing for the House-passed measure. That will signal a bipartisan, heightened commitment to helping thwart the bloody Russian invasion. In his nightly video address Wednesday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said funds from the aid bill will allow Ukraine to get more weapons and equipment plus help investigate war crimes by Russia. The bill also would help regional allies, replenish weapons the Pentagon has shipped overseas and provide $5 billion to address global food shortages caused by the wars crippling of Ukraines normally robust production of many crops. The new measure includes $6 billion to arm and train Ukrainian forces, $8.7 billion to restore American stores of weapons shipped to Ukraine and $3.9 billion for U.S. forces deployed to the area. Theres also $8.8 billion in economic support for Ukraine, $4 billion to help Ukraine and allies finance arms and equipment purchases and $900 million for housing, education and other help for Ukrainian refugees in the U.S. BERLIN The U.N. nuclear agency says it is again receiving remote data from the Chernobyl power plant in Ukraine following an interruption caused by the Russian occupation of the site. The International Atomic Energy Agency said late Wednesday that data transmission was re-established following a visit by its inspectors and technicians in April, after Russian forces withdrew. The agency said it was the first time in two months that it has received remote data from all nuclear power plants and spent fuel storage facilities in Ukraine where monitoring systems are in place. Its head, Rafael Mariano Grossi, said this was a very important step for the IAEA to continue to implement safeguards in Ukraine. Grossi cautioned, though, that on-site verification at the Zaporizhzhya nuclear plant continues to be challenging owing to the presence of Russian forces and Rosatom personnel at the site, calling the situation unsustainable. Grossi said he has proposed leading an expert visit to Zaporizhzhya after the necessary consultations and at the earliest possible opportunity. MOSCOW The governor of a Russian region near Ukraine says that at least one civilian has been killed and another six have been wounded in the Ukrainian shelling of a village close to the border. Belgorod Gov. Vyacheslav Gladkov said that the village of Solokhi came under shelling from the Ukrainian side late Wednesday. He said that the village residents will be evacuated. Gladkovs account couldnt be independently verified. Russian authorities in the regions near Ukraine have repeatedly reported incidents when border areas came under Ukrainian shelling. KYIV, Ukraine Ukraines Foreign Ministry has accused Russia of stealing the countrys grain and trying to sell some of it at global markets. The ministry said in Wednesdays commentary that the stealing of Ukrainian grain amounts to looting. It warned countries that purchase Russian grain that some of its shipments could contain the grain stolen from Ukraine, making its buyers possible accomplices. The ministry cited official estimates indicating that Russia already may have stolen 400,000-500,000 metric tons of grain that cost over $100 million. It charged that practically all ships leaving Sevastopol with a load of grain are carrying the grain stolen from Ukraine. It urged the global community to toughen the sanctions against Russia. TURIN, Italy A Ukrainian band thats competing in this years Eurovision Song Contest turned out in a Turin park for a rally with a few dozen of their compatriots to express solidarity for their war-ravaged homeland. Ahead of Wednesday nights competition, the Kalush Orchestra posed for photos with some 50 Ukrainians who live in Italy. Each of the rallys participants put a hand to the heart in a sign of devotion to Ukraine. Kalush Orchestra this week was one of the entrants advancing to the finals of the wildly popular European annual songfest, whose winner will be decided on Saturday. The Ukrainians rallied behind a stage where free concerts by some of the musical groups from among the 35 nations sending entries are held nightly on the sidelines of the actual competition. The upbeat entry by Kalush Orchestra for the competition is a song that was composed by the bands front-man as a tribute to his mother. But the song, Stefania, has been transformed to a kind of anthem to Ukraine, which was invaded by its powerful neighbor Russia on Feb. 24. The song quickly became a sentimental favorite for many of Eurovisions fans. SOFIA, Bulgaria A pro-Russian nationalist party staged a protest rally in front of the parliament building in Bulgarias capital, Sofia, on Wednesday, calling for the government to resign and accusing it of failing to tackle the economic crisis. Several hundreds supporters of the Vazrazhdane party demanded that the centrist coalition of Prime Minister Kiril Petkov step down because it draws Bulgaria into the war of the United States against Russia in Ukraine. Waving Bulgarian and some Russian flags, participants shouted antigovernmental slogans accusing the Cabinet of being more concerned about Ukraine instead of taking care of their own people. Organizers insisted that Bulgaria should act as a conciliator, rather than arming one side and thus fueling the conflict. They urged the government to resign and clear the way for new elections which would allow their party to rule Bulgaria in line with national interests. Later, the protesters marched to the nearby Sofia municipality, where they clashed with police as they tried to remove an Ukrainian flag from the building. Bulgaria, which was among Moscows closest allies during Soviet times, is now a NATO and EU member state. Traditional bonds with Russia, based on common religion and cultural heritage are being harmed as many are horrified by the bloodshed caused by Russias aggression. Still, many Bulgarians share strong pro-Russian sentiments that play in favor of populist leaders. Vazrazhdane has currently 13 legislators in the 240-seat National Assembly, who have been strong supporters of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. KYIV, Ukraine A Ukrainian general says that Russia hasnt abandoned hopes to capture the Ukrainian capital. Brig. Gen. Oleksiy Hromov said at Wednesdays briefing that the Russians harbor plans to take control over the southern Mykolaiv and Odessa regions to build a land corridor to the Transnistria separatist region of Moldova and also try to storm Kyiv. Hromov said that Russia still hopes to capture more Ukrainian territories and call a sham vote to make them part of Russia. He added that such Russian plans will be foiled by the Ukrainian resistance. The Russian forces tried to capture the Ukrainian capital in the first weeks of the invasion, but have pulled back after facing staunch Ukrainian defenses and shifted their focus on the countrys east, where Moscow-backed separatists have been fighting Ukrainian forces since 2014. WASHINGTON Ukraines leaders must start shaping their terms for an acceptable peace deal, especially in light of Russias surprising failure to win its war outright, Italys premier said Wednesday. When Russia first launched its invasion of Ukraine, we thought there was a Goliath and a David, Mario Draghi told reporters at a news conference in Washington. But what seemed like an invincible power has proved not to be, Draghi said, referring to Russian forces inability to overcome the defense mounted by Ukraines military, with heavy Western backing. Draghi spoke after meeting with President Joe Biden on Tuesday. Draghi says he urged Biden to push to get all key players, including the United States and Russia, into talks to end the war. But any rush to close a peace deal that leaves Ukrainians angry and resentful risks a return to fighting, the Italian leader said Wednesday. We have to remove any thought that we can reach an imposed peace, Draghi said. That is a recipe for disaster. BERLIN The German army says it has begun training Ukrainian soldiers to use a powerful artillery system that Germany and the Netherlands plan to supply to Ukraine. The Defense Ministry said 18 crews are being trained to use the Panzerhaubitze 2000, an advanced, self-propelled howitzer. This is a clear sign of our solidarity, the ministry said. But Germany wont become a party to the conflict because of the training or delivery of the howitzers. DONETSK Separatists in Donetsk on Wednesday celebrated the eighth anniversary of self-proclaimed independence from Ukraine. Constitution square in the city center was renamed after a Russian officer who was among the first Russian servicemen killed in the special military operation. The head of the self-proclaimed Donetsk Peoples Republic, Denis Pushilin, and Engels Gadzhimagomedov, the father of the killed officer, installed a new street sign. Local residents who support the pro-Russian separatists came to lay flowers. The Day of Donetsk Peoples Republic was celebrated without the usual mass events this year due to security reasons. BUCHAREST, Romania Romanias foreign ministry says that two Romanian journalists were detained Tuesday in the Russia-backed breakaway region of Transnistria in neighboring Moldova. The two journalists were detained by security forces in Transnistrias de facto capital of Tiraspol and released hours later after diplomatic efforts from both Romania and Moldova, the ministry said Wednesday in a statement. (The) Romanian diplomatic mission in Chisinau was not informed in advance about the intention of the two journalists, it said, adding that the so-called Transnistrian authorities recently banned foreign journalists from entering the region. The incident follows a series of mysterious attacks in the Russia-backed region in recent weeks that have alarmed officials in Moldovas capital, Chisinau. In late April, grenades were launched at the regions state security office, and a day later two large broadcast antennas were downed. Last week, police in Transnistria said explosive devices were dropped from a drone near a village. No one was injured in the incidents. Transnistria, a thin strip of land that borders Ukraine and has a population of around 470,000, broke away after a short civil war in the early 1990s. An estimated 1,500 Russian soldiers are stationed there. WARSAW, Poland Former Swedish prime minister Carl Bildt says that the U.N. Security Council should adopt a resolution protecting grain shipments from the Ukraine amid the Russian invasion. Bildt was speaking to Polands TVN24 during the Impact22 congress about energy and technology prospects, in Poznan, western Poland. Will Russia dare to stop shipments of grain under U.N. protection?, Bildt asked, stressing the escort initiative is worth discussing. The Security Council is to be briefed Thursday on humanitarian issues in Ukraine as it is fighting Russian invasion, and that may open an opportunity for discussing protection of the grain exports. Separately, the European Union is to announce a plan this week to help Ukraine get around Russias blockade of its ports by shipping food supplies by rail and truck. Ukraine is one of the worlds top producers of corn and wheat, and is called Europes bread basket. The lack of millions of tons of its grain on world markets is already leading to hikes in the prices of grain products. PRAGUE Czech President Milos Zeman has approved a request of 103 Czechs to join Ukraines armed forces to help them fight Russian aggression. Czech citizens are banned from service in foreign armies which is a crime punishable by a prison term of up to five years. Those 103 belong to a total of some 400 Czechs who have applied for an exemption from the ban, according to the Defense Ministry. The authorities still have to process most of the requests. Its not clear how many Czech have already been fighting on the Ukrainian side against invading Russian troops. The presidents approval has to be co-signed by Prime Minister Petr Fiala who said through his spokesman he would sign all requests that have been approved by the Czech authorities. BERLIN The German government has dismissed suggestions that it might activate the Nord Stream 2 pipeline from Russia to Germany to compensate for reduced flows via Ukraine. A spokeswoman for the Energy Ministry said Wednesday that Germany is currently receiving a quarter less gas through Ukraine after Ukrainian authorities shut down a pipeline saying it no longer controls a key compressor station thats in Russian hands. Annika Einhorn, the ministry spokeswoman, said the shortfall is being partly compensated for through increased supplies from Norway and the Netherlands. Nord Stream 2 has really died after Russian attacked Ukraine and nobody is thinking about switching to that, she said. She also noted that the majority of Russian gas reaches Germany through a sister pipeline, Nord Stream 1, rather than via Ukraine. Germany has pledged to end imports of Russian natural gas by 2024 at the latest. MOSCOW A senior Russian official has denounced the U.S. aid for Ukraine as part of Washingtons proxy war against Russia. Dmitry Medvedev, the deputy head of Russias Security Council who served as president in 2008-2012 when Vladimir Putin shifted to prime ministers position due to term limits, said Wednesday on a messaging app that the $40 billion aid package for Ukraine approved by the U.S. Congress was driven by a desire to inflict a heavy defeat on our country, restrict its economic development and political influence in the world. He described the aid package as part of the U.S. proxy war against Russia and predicted that the United States will fail while the goals of Russias special operation in Ukraine will be fulfilled. In another statement Wednesday, Vyacheslav Volodin, the speaker of the lower house of Russian parliament, accused the United States of using the aid package to drive Ukraine deeper into debt and try to take control of the countrys grain reserves. PARIS Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says Russias war in Ukraine is pushing a number of countries toward NATO membership. With Finland and Sweden moving toward joining the alliance, he said, These countries want to be protected from Russia because their people see whats happening in Ukraine and want to live in security, in their own house, and spend time calmly with their family. Russia has cited NATOs expansion toward its borders as a reason for invading Ukraine. Speaking Wednesday to French university students via video link, Zelenskyy also proposed preventive sanctions against Russia and any countries that threaten to use nuclear weapons. He also called for international debate about nuclear disarmament. He said Russias suggestions that it could use nuclear force in the war in Ukraine should not go unpunished, but didnt elaborate. He urged more unity in European policy, as the EUs 27 members haggle over a sixth round of sanctions that include an oil embargo. Asked how the war could end, he said, The war will end when we restore our unity and territory...when we get back what belongs to us. LVIV, Ukraine Satellite photos analyzed by The Associated Press show that a Russian ship believed to be carrying stolen Ukrainian grain has docked in Syria. The photo taken Tuesday by Planet Labs PBC showed the Russian-flagged Matros Pozynich at dockside in Latakia, Syria. The ship seen in the photo matched known characteristics of the bulk carrier, as well as its dimensions. The ship turned off its transponders nearly a week ago off the island of Cyprus in the Mediterranean Sea. Samir Madani, the co-founder of the online research firm TankerTrackers.com, also told the AP that he believed the ship docked in Latakia was the Matros Pozynich, based on its dimensions and last-known position. Ukraine has alleged that the ship had 27,000 tons of grains Russia stole from the country. It alleged Russia initially tried to ship the grains to Egypt, which refused to take the cargo. Ukrainian diplomats had been asking nations not to accept the grain. The ships registered owners, Crane Marine Contractor LLC of Astrakhan, Russia, did not immediately respond to a request for comment. A Russian bombing campaign and support from Iran beat back insurgents who nearly toppled Syrian President Bashar Assad after the 2011 Arab Spring. Russia still maintains a navy and air base in Syria, though it has reportedly rotated forces out of the country to aid its war on Ukraine. Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 An Al Jazeera correspondent who was shot dead on Wednesday during an Israeli raid in the West Bank was a highly respected journalist in the Middle East whose unflinching coverage was known to millions of viewers. News of Shireen Abu Akleh's death reverberated across the region. The 51-year-old journalist became a household name synonymous with Al Jazeeras coverage of life under occupation during her more than two decades reporting in the Palestinian territories, including during the second intifada, or uprising, that killed thousands on both sides, most of them Palestinians. Abu Akleh's name trended across Twitter in Arabic on Wednesday, setting social media alight with support for the Palestinians. Her image was projected over the main square in the West Bank city of Ramallah as mourners flooded the Al Jazeera offices there and her family home in east Jerusalem. Al Jazeera and witnesses, including her producer who was shot in the back Wednesday, said she was killed by Israeli gunfire. Israel said it was unclear who was responsible, calling it premature and irresponsible to cast blame at this stage. Later Wednesday, Israeli Defense Minister, Benny Gantz promised a transparent investigation, and said he was in touch with U.S. and Palestinian officials. Abu Akleh's coverage of the harsh realities of Israels military occupation was inextricably linked with her own experiences as a Palestinian journalist on the front lines. Her death underscores the heavy price the conflict continues to exact on Palestinians, regardless of their role as journalists. Although she was also a U.S. citizen who often visited America in the summers, she lived and worked in east Jerusalem and the West Bank, where those who knew her said she felt most at home. A Palestinian Christian whose family was originally from Bethlehem, she was born and raised in Jerusalem. She leaves behind a brother and her parents. In an Al Jazeera video released last year, Abu Akleh recalled the scale of destruction and the feeling that death was at times just around the corner during her coverage of the second intifada, from 2000-2005. Despite the dangers, we were determined to do the job," she said. I chose journalism so I could be close to the people, she added. "It might not be easy to change the reality, but at least I was able to communicate their voice to the world. Her longtime producer, Wessam Hammad, said Abu Akleh possessed an incredible ability to remain calm under pressure. Shireen worked all these years with a commitment to the values and ethics of our profession, he said of Abu Akleh, who the network called the face of Al Jazeera in Palestine. He and Abu Akleh were often caught in Israeli cross-fire during the many stories they covered together, he said. On one assignment, their car filled with tear gas and they struggled to breathe. When they would think back on these moments, he said Abu Akleh would laugh and marvel at how they managed to survive. Images of the moments after Abu Akleh was shot in the head on the outskirts of the Jenin refugee camp circulated online and were broadcast on Al Jazeera and other Arabic news channels. Wearing a helmet and a vest clearly marked PRESS," Abu Aklehs body was shown lying face down in a patch of sand. A Palestinian man jumped over a wall to reach her as gunshots rang out, dragging her motionless body to a car. In video from the West Bank hospital where Abu Akleh was pronounced dead, a male colleague was seen weeping at her hospital bed as others choked back tears. A female correspondent for Al Jazeera in the Gaza Strip wept on air as she reported from a vigil for the journalist. Later Wednesday, Abu Aklehs body, draped in a Palestinian flag and covered by a wreath of flowers, was carried through downtown Ramallah on a red stretcher. Hundreds chanted, With our spirit, with our blood, we will redeem you, Shireen. An outpouring of condemnation came from governments around the world. The U.S. State Department called her death an affront to media freedom. In an opinion piece published in the Israeli newspaper Haaretz, columnist Gideon Levy praised her bravery, saying Abu Akleh died a hero, doing her job, and noted that she went to Jenin and other occupied areas that Israeli journalists rarely if ever visited. It had started as another routine assignment for Abu Akleh. She'd emailed colleagues that she was heading to the Jenin refugee camp to check on reports of an Israeli military raid. I will bring you the news as soon as the picture becomes clear, she wrote. Generations grew up seeing her work, producer Hammad, said. People listened to Shireens voice and were influenced by her to study journalism so they could be like her. Abu Akleh's niece, Lina Abu Akleh, described her as a best friend and second mom. She is someone that I was looking up to since I was a kid, watching all of her reports," she told journalists from the family's home. "I never thought this day would come where the news would be about her." Follow Aya Batrawy on Twitter at https://twitter.com/ayaelb Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 FLORENCE, Ariz. (AP) An Arizona man convicted of killing a college student in 1978 was put to death Wednesday after a nearly eight-year hiatus in the states use of the death penalty brought on by a nearly two-hour execution that critics say was botched. Clarence Dixon, 66, died by lethal injection at the state prison in Florence for his murder conviction in the killing of 21-year-old Arizona State University student Deana Bowdoin, making him the sixth person to be executed in the U.S. in 2022. Dixons death was announced late Wednesday morning by Frank Strada, a deputy director with Arizona Department of Corrections, Rehabilitation and Reentry. The execution appeared to track the states protocol, though the medical team had some difficulty finding a vein to administer the lethal drugs. They first tried Dixon's arms and then made an incision in his groin area. That process took about 25 minutes. After the drugs were injected, Dixon's mouth stayed open and his body did not move. The execution was declared completed about 10 minutes after he was injected. In the final weeks of Dixon's life, his lawyers tried to postpone the execution, but judges rejected the argument that he was not mentally fit to be executed and did not have a rational understanding of why the state wanted to execute him. The U.S. Supreme Court rejected a last-minute delay of Dixons execution less than an hour before the execution began. Dixon earlier declined the option of being killed in Arizona's gas chamber that was refurbished in 2020 a method that hasnt been used in the U.S. in more than two decades. Shortly before he was executed with pentobarbital, Strada said Dixon declared: The Arizona Supreme Court should follow the laws. They denied my appeals and petitions to change the outcome of this trial. I do and will always proclaim innocence. Now, lets do this (expletive)." And as prison medical staff put an IV line in Dixon's thigh in preparation for the injection, he chided them, saying: This is really funny trying to be as thorough as possible while you are trying to kill me. Leslie James, Bowdoins older sister and a witness to the execution, told reporters after it was conducted that Deana Bowdoin had been poised to graduate from ASU and was planning a career in international marketing. James described her sister as a hard worker who loved to travel, spoke multiple languages and wrote poetry. She characterized the execution as a relief but criticized how long it took to happen: This process was way, way, way too long, James said. He had been on death row since his 2008 conviction. The last time Arizona executed a prisoner was in July 2014, when Joseph Wood was given 15 doses of a two-drug combination over two hours in an execution that his lawyers said was botched. Wood snorted repeatedly and gasped more than 600 times before he died, and an execution that normally would take 10 minutes to complete lasted nearly two hours. The process dragged on for so long that the Arizona Supreme Court convened an emergency hearing during the execution to decide whether to halt the procedure. States including Arizona have struggled to buy execution drugs in recent years after U.S. and European pharmaceutical companies began blocking the use of their products in lethal injections. Authorities have said Bowdoin, who was found dead in her apartment in the Phoenix suburb of Tempe, had been raped, stabbed and strangled with a belt. Dixon, who lived across the street from Bowdoin, had been charged with raping Bowdoin, but the rape charge was later dropped on statute-of-limitation grounds. He was convicted of murder in her killing. In arguing that Dixon was mentally unfit, his lawyers said he erroneously believed he would be executed because police at Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff wrongfully arrested him in another case a 1985 attack on a 21-year-old student. His attorneys conceded he was lawfully arrested by Flagstaff police. Dixon was sentenced to life in prison in that case for sexual assault and other convictions. DNA samples taken while he was in prison later linked him to Bowdoins killing, which had been unsolved. Prosecutors said there was nothing about Dixons beliefs that prevented him from understanding the reason for the execution and pointed to court filings that Dixon himself made over the years. Defense lawyers said Dixon was repeatedly diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia, regularly experienced hallucinations over the past 30 years and was found not guilty by reason of insanity in a 1977 assault case in which the verdict was delivered by then-Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Sandra Day OConnor, nearly four years before her appointment to the U.S. Supreme Court. Bowdoin was killed two days after that verdict, according to court records. Another Arizona death-row prisoner, Frank Atwood, is scheduled to be executed on June 8 in the killing of 8-year-old Vicki Lynne Hoskinson in 1984. Authorities have said Atwood kidnapped the girl. The childs remains was discovered in the desert northwest of Tucson nearly seven months after her disappearance. Experts could not determine the cause of death from the bones that were found, according to court records. Arizona now has 112 prisoners left on the state's death row. Billeaud reported from Phoenix. Associated Press writer Bob Christie in Phoenix contributed to this report. Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 A severe shortage in baby formula has drawn the attention of members of Iowas congressional delegation and has become a campaign issue as well. Spot shortages in many groceries and pharmacies have been exacerbated by a Food and Drug Administration recall that stopped production at Abbots largest U.S. formula manufacturing plant in Michigan. As supply disruptions and the massive safety recall have continued, several big box retailers have begun rationing sales of the formula. Its very concerning, Sen. Chuck Grassley told reporters Wednesday. After hearing about the scarcity at his county meetings, Grassley wrote the FDA to ask what it is doing to address the shortage. He cited reports that at least 40 percent of baby formula supplies in the U.S. are completely depleted. Iowa was among six mostly Midwestern states where more than half of all baby formula was completely sold out during the week of April 24. Its pretty much looking for a needle in a haystack, Rachel Beadle, who recently moved from Marion to Des Moines, told The (Cedar Rapids) Gazette in April. According to the Biden administration, the FDA is "working around the clock to address the shortage. Manufacturers say they're producing at full capacity, but it's still not enough to meet demand. Im going to keep on top of it. We got to help families feed their kids, and empty shelves are unacceptable, Grassley said. Finkenauer push Thats not enough for former U.S. Rep. Abby Finkenauer, who is among Democrats seeking to challenge Grassley's re-election this fall. She called it shocking that it has taken Grassley and other members of Congress this long to address a national crisis when you have people not being able to feed their children the nutrition they need to thrive and survive. Finkenauer has called for the Biden administration to invoke the Defense Production Act to force manufacturers to produce more formula We need all hands on deck to address the dangerous shortage of baby formula in Iowa and across the country, Finkenauer said. Invoking the act would bring any and all federal resources to the table to increase the supply of baby formula and address the shortage. It just seems like the rational and right thing to do, she said. It might be an appropriate tool, Grassley said when asked about invoking the act, but didnt think it would necessarily solve the contamination issues that led to the production shutdown at Abbott. You wouldn't want to put the Defense Production Act into action and then produce unsafe food, he said. Timeline sought Iowa Republican Rep. Ashley Hinson joined a colleague in writing the FDA asking for a timeline for when baby formula is expected to be sufficiently restocked as well as a long-term plan to minimize supply chain disruptions for formula. Parents who are unsure how to provide this essential sustenance for their babies and worried about the nutritional impacts of this supply chain shortage, Hinson and New York Republican Rep. Elise Stefanik wrote. As moms ourselves, we know the stress this is causing in so many households. Families already worried about higher food and fuel prices now have the added stress of not knowing if the baby formula they need will even be in stock," Hinson said. She called on the Biden administration to prioritize fixing supply chain disruptions to replenish the supply of infant formula. I'll work with anyone who will work with me to ensure that families don't have this extra burden, she said. Bipartisan effort Iowa Republican Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks has joined bipartisan legislation to encourage competition, reduce costs and improve the quality of infant formula options available through the Women, Infants, and Children program by creating an online database. Its a companion to bipartisan Senate legislation. Fourth District Republican Rep. Randy Feenstra called the situation dire, threatening babies who rely on formula for their health and development. He joined a colleague in proposing the Formula Act, to direct the FDA to establish and communicate to Congress clear standards by which it domestically regulates infant formula. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Updated 10:25 p.m. The hotly contested race for the Republican nomination for governor was decided earlier than many expected. In a crowded field of Republicans, Jim Pillen surged to the lead for the first time in results updated at 9:35 p.m., and at 10:25, the Associated Press called the race. Pillen, a University of Nebraska regent and pork producer from Columbus, will face state Sen. Carol Blood of Bellevue, the Democratic nominee, in the general election. By 10:30 p.m., Pillen had 33.4% of early returns to 28.7% for Charles Herbster, a difference of 8,100 votes. Brett Lindstrom, who had led from the first release of results on Tuesday evening, was at 27.7%. With Nebraska voters as well as national political pundits watching, state election officials revealed the initial results shortly after polls closed at 8 p.m. and updated totals every few minutes. The results at 10:30 p.m. included 169,500 votes cast by Republicans in the governor's race, or more than half of the expected turnout. In counties where voting was complete by 10 p.m., Pillen had carried 22 counties compared to 15 for Herbster and none for Lindstrom. Pillen's apparent victory was due in part to strong support in rural areas of the state that were big supporters of President Donald Trump in the 2020 presidential election. Trump has endorsed Herbster and came to the state on May 1 in support of the cattle producer and businessman from Falls City. But Herbster, once considered the front-runner, saw his campaign rocked last month by accusations that he had improperly touched or groped a number of women. Tuesday's results were an indication of how much voters weighed the allegations against Herbster and turned to Pillen, who is backed by Gov. Pete Ricketts. Lindstrom, who is completing his eighth and final year in the Legislature, had hoped for a tight split among the three leading vote-getters. The Republican nominee will face Blood, who picked up 89.3% of Tuesday's primary votes and was quickly declared the winner by The Associated Press. House of Representatives Early returns on Tuesday validated what most people already assumed, that the next several months will be filled with Mike Flood challenging Patty Pansing Brooks to replace Jeff Fortenberry as Nebraska's 1st District representative. Both state senators, Flood pulled in 75.4% of early GOP returns, with Pansing Brooks picked by 89.2% of Democrats. They advance to the general election in November, but they will first square off in a general election in June to determine who will fill out the remainder of Fortenberry's current term. As expected, Republican incumbents Don Bacon (District 2) and Adrian Smith (District 3) easily advanced through Tuesday's primary. Bacon will face state Sen. Tony Vargas of Omaha, who won the Democratic nomination on Tuesday. State offices Secretary of State Bob Evnen appeared headed for a second term, leading a contested Republican race on Tuesday. There are no Democrats in the field. This is a developing story. Stay with JournalStar.com for updates. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 WAVERLY, Neb. (AP) One person died and several others were left without a home in a fire that gutted a southeastern Nebraska apartment building, officials said. Firefighters and deputies were called late Tuesday night to Waverly for a fire at the Northland Apartments, the Lancaster County Sheriffs Office said in a news release. The fire began in a single apartment and spread to other units in the building, officials said. Authorities said fire crews later found the body of 61-year-old Mark Umland in the unit where the fire originated. All eight units of the building suffered fire, smoke or water damage, displacing 20 people, according to the release. The Nebraska State Fire Marshals Office is investigating to determine the cause of the fire. Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 9:45 PM And now Jim Pillen has moved out to the front of the GOP governor race. Pillen is at 32.6% compared to 30.4% for Brett Lindstrom. Charles Herbster still moving up, too, at 26.7%. This will take a while. 9:25 PM As expected, the GOP governors primary is growing ever tighter. Brett Lindstrom still in front, but now its Lindstrom 33%, Pillen 31%, Herbster 26%. 9:20 PM An extremely tight race is shaping up between Greg Gonzalez and Wayne Hudson to be the Democratic nominee for Douglas County sheriff. eturns, Gonzalez has 15,381 votes (51.2%) to 14,532 (48.3%) for Hudson. Too close to call. Gonzalez, 50, retired in January as a deputy Omaha police chief after 26 years in the force. He began his law enforcement career working for two years in the Douglas County Sheriffs Office. Hudson, 53, who has spent 28 years in the Sheriffs Office, is the current chief deputy sheriff. Before that, he served six years in the U.S. Air Force. The GOP race for Douglas County sheriff is not close, with Omaha police officer Aaron Hanson holding a comfortable lead over George Merithew. Hanson, 48, is a sergeant in the Omaha Police Departments fugitive unit who has worked with the agency for nearly 26 years. He also served for six years as the president of the police union. he Omaha department for 25 years, retiring as a lieutenant. 9:15 PM State Sen. Tony Vargas appears certain to take on Rep. Don Bacon, the three-term Republican in the 2nd Congressional District. Vargas had a commanding lead over Alisha Shelton in the Democratic primary, holding a 2-to-1 advantage. Vargas has served six years in the Nebraska Legislature, and before that served on the Omaha Public Schools board. Vargas will be seeking to become the first Democrat to hold the seat since the late Brad Ashford, who was elected in 2014 before being ousted by Bacon in 2016. hile the 2nd District historically has been a swing district, Bacon is considered in a strong position heading into November. The Cook Political Report rates the race Likely Republican, while Sabato's Crystal Ball rates it Lean Republican. 9:05 PM The GOP governor's race is tightening with each new set of returns. With 82,000 votes counted, Brett Lindstrom is taking 36% of the vote compared to 30% for Jim Pillen and 24% for Charles W. Herbster. Lindstrom had jumped to a bigger lead in the initial returns, which were mainly from urban areas. As more rural results are counted, Herbster and Pillen have closed some of the gap. 9:00 PM No big surprises are developing in the races for the other major state offices, besides governor, that are on the ballot Tuesday. Incumbent Secretary of State Bob Evnen appeared headed for a second term in a race against two challengers in the Republican primary. He was receiving about 56% of the vote, with the rest divided roughly equally between Rex Schroder of Palmyra and Robert J. Borer of Lincoln. Evnen, an attorney, has rejected claims of fraud in the Nebraska election he oversaw in 2020, explaining that his office investigated various claims and found no evidence to support him. Both of his Republican challengers largely based their campaigns on claims of fraud in the last election. State Sen. Mike Hilgers of Lincoln held a sizable lead in the two-way Republican race to succeed Attorney General Doug Peterson, who is not seeking a third term in the office. Hilgers, speaker of the Legislature, unsuccessfully ran for the attorney general job eight years ago. Incumbent State Treasurer John Murante of Omaha appeared headed to victory in a two-way Republican primary race for treasurer. He faced a challenge from fellow Republican Paul Anderson of Omaha. And Republican Mike Foley of Lincoln was poised for victory in a two-candidate Republican primary race for state auditor, the office he held before becoming Ricketts lieutenant governor. Foley, who served as auditor from 2007-2015, held a sizable lead over fellow Lincoln Republican Larry Anderson, a certified public accountant with the University of Nebraska. Evnen, Hilgers, Murante and Foley face no Democratic opposition in November, though Hilgers, Murante and Foley do have third-party competition. Hilgers is set to face Larry Bolinger of the Legal Marijuana NOW Party, who ran unopposed for his partys nomination. Bolinger, of Alliance, is an author who has run for other elected offices in the past. Murante will face Libertarian Katrina Tomsen, who ran unopposed in the primary. Tomsen, of Upland, is an optometrist. In the auditors race, Gene Siadek of Omaha ran unopposed as a Libertarian, as did Cortland resident L. Leroy Lopez of the Legalize Marijuana NOW Party. 8:40 PM In the 1st Congressional District, state senators Mike Flood of Norfolk and Patty Pansing-Brooks are headed for a race in November. Flood, a Republican, and Pansing-Brooks, a Democrat, each had commanding leads over their challengers. In Floods case, the challengers at least on paper included former Congressman Jeff Fortenberry, whose name remained on the ballot even after he resigned his seat after being convicted of lying to the FBI. 8:30 PM In the contested Democratic primary for the 2nd District seat in Congress, State. Sen. Tony Vargas was leading Alisha Shelton nearly three-to-one. Vargas appears headed to a November campaign against three-term incumbent Republican Don Bacon, who was leading challenger Steve Kuehl by a four-to-one margin. 8:15 PM Brett Lindstrom and Jim Pillen led the Republican field in the first returns in Nebraskas hotly contested GOP primary for governor, with Charles W. Herbster third. In the early numbers, Lindstrom led with 18,356 votes, followed by Pillen with 11,839 and Herbster at 7,322. Those early numbers appeared to skew more urban, which would favor Lindstrom, a state senator from Omaha. Pillen, a hog farmer from Columbus, and Herbster, a Falls City businessman, will rely more heavily on the rural vote. Lindstrom, who received the endorsement of Omaha Mayor Jean Stothert, ran a positive campaign based on his tax-cutting record in the Legislature. At one point, he appeared to have momentum in the race. But he was subsequently hammered by ads portraying him as a tax raiser and not a true Republican. Most polling has shown him trailing Pillen and Herbster in what figures to be a three-man race. The Nebraska governor primary is in the spotlight nationally as a test of former President Donald Trumps continued hold on the Republican Party. Trump endorsed Herbster recently held a joint rally with him. But Pillen, a member of the University of Nebraska Board of Regents, has enjoyed strong support from outgoing Gov. Pete Ricketts, who has actively backed his campaign including financially to the tune of more than $1 million. Ricketts has also blasted Herbster, arguing he would be a terrible governor for the state. Herbster often touts his ties to the former president and echoes his issues, rarely talking about details of state-level policy. He has run a largely self-funded campaign, pouring at least $11 million of his own dollars into his bid. He has faced allegations from eight Republican women, including a state senator, that he groped them at events. He has adamantly denied the allegations, claiming they are a Ricketts hit job, and sued State Sen. Julie Slama for defamation. She countersued, alleging battery. Trumps influence has proven strong to date during the U.S. primary season, the candidate he endorsed a week ago winning a highly contested GOP Senate primary in Ohio. Trump is again seeking to be a kingmaker in Nebraska, recently touting Herbster during a rally in Nebraska and also vouching for him in a dial-in tele-rally, claiming Herbster is innocent of the allegations against him. All three front-running candidates have been the targets of negative ads, which have flooded the state. The winner of the GOP race will advance to face Democrat Carol Blood in November. Blood, a state senator from Bellevue, was largely unopposed in her primary race Tuesday. The GOP winner will likely be heavily favored in a state that has not elected a Democratic governor since 1994. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 A total of 10,000 vehicles had rolled off the production line by April 30 in U.S. carmaker Tesla's Shanghai Gigafactory since it resumed production on April 19 after a brief hiatus, according to the company. In the first four months of this year, Tesla's Shanghai factory delivered 183,686 vehicles, over 1.7 times the amount for the same period last year, already surpassing the total for 2020. Due to the latest COVID-19 resurgence in the city, the Shanghai Gigafactory had suspended production for over 20 days. The company said its Shanghai factory has already started manufacturing vehicles for export to the Asia-Pacific and European markets. "We believe that the epidemic situation is only a short test and challenge. We have seen the capacity of all sectors to cope with the challenges in the process of resuming work," said Tao Lin, vice president of Tesla. "We believe that production will soon return to normal." Tesla's Shanghai Gigafactory is the first wholly foreign-owned car manufacturing enterprise in China. Deliveries from the Shanghai Gigafactory stood at 484,130 vehicles last year, an increase of 235 percent from 2020 and accounting for 51.7 percent of Tesla's global production capacity in 2021. OMAHA -- Jamie Luttrell couldnt have been more excited than if she had been sitting next to daughter Dayci, watching her harvest the big tom. But the fact that she wasnt there for the spring turkey hunt was what made it so cool for the Hebron mom. It was all on her own, Jamie said. It wasnt the first solo hunting trip for 17-year-old Dayci, but it was the first time she was successful by herself. She killed the tom on the land of a family friend in Thayer County. He had been watching the birds and knew their schedule. Dayci arrived at 1:30 that day, planning to just stick around for a few hours. Teased by the sounds of turkeys nearby, she stayed until the sun set, when she got her bird. My phone died two hours in, she said. I had to run up the fields, get to my car and charge my phone. He was dead a half-hour before I got a hold of anybody. Dayci hit the bird from 35 yards while it was on the move. The experience left her excited, and a little stunned. I called him myself and everything, she said. Jamie learned to hunt as a child from her dad, and she has been sharing her knowledge with her daughter ever since Dayci took an archery class in sixth grade. Dayci killed her first deer last year during rifle season. They hunted turkeys last year, too. Because of a miscommunication, Jamie, with her bow, accidently killed the tom Dayci had been aiming for with her gun. She looked at me and said, You just shot my turkey, Jamie said. I thought she was going to be mad at me forever. I thought, Wouldnt it be great if another one came along? Ill be darned if another one came around the corner. Dayci is going to get a full-body mount of her latest turkey because its so big. Jamie showed up after the hunt with her truck to help haul it home. Dayci said shell go out alone again, but shell have to wait until pheasant and deer season. I really do enjoy it, she said I really enjoy just being out there by myself. Its very peaceful until something is walking in front of you. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Jim Pillen, a Columbus pork producer and University of Nebraska regent armed with strong support from Gov. Pete Ricketts and most of the state's Republican establishment, rode within grasp of the GOP gubernatorial nomination Tuesday night. With a steadily growing margin as the vote count moved westward, Pillen appeared to be developing an insurmountable lead. The Associated Press called the race at about 10:30 p.m., and Pillen spoke to supporters gathered at the Embassy Suites in downtown Lincoln at about 11 p.m. "Nebraska voters made it clear tonight that they value conservative leadership that represents their Christian, conservative values," Pillen said. "I want to thank all those across our great state who helped put our campaign over the top tonight. Tonight, we will celebrate a great victory. Tomorrow, it's back to work in the fight to keep Nebraska great." Pillen outlasted state Sen. Brett Lindstrom of Omaha and Charles Herbster of Falls City, who had the endorsement of former President Donald Trump. Trump came to Nebraska nine days before the election to urge Republican voters to support the cattle producer and businessman. Herbster had served as Trump's chief agricultural policy adviser and became a familiar figure at White House events. Lindstrom, who is completing his second term in the Legislature, led in the early counting, but Pillen steadily gained ground as the vote count mounted. Pillen waged a determined ground game, skipping candidate debates halfway through the campaign to concentrate on appearances in towns and villages throughout the state. Lindstrom, 41, offered "a new generation of leadership" that he argued would help Nebraska address its workforce development needs and become more attractive to younger generations. Herbster came under intense attack in the final weeks of the campaign with the surfacing of allegations that he improperly touched or groped a number of women, including Sen. Julie Slama of Sterling, at public events. Herbster, who poured more than $11 million of his own resources into his campaign, denied the allegations and has gone to court to dispute them. Ricketts, who became deeply engaged in the battle to succeed him, said Herbster would be "a terrible governor" and later called upon him to withdraw from the race in the wake of the allegations of sexual behavior. Former Sen. Theresa Thibodeau of Omaha was running fourth behind the leaders in the nine-candidate Republican field. Sen. Carol Blood of Bellevue won the Democratic nomination and an opportunity to attempt to end a Republican winning streak that has stretched over nearly three decades. Blood is serving her second term in the Legislature. Ben Nelson was the last Democrat to be elected governor when he won a second term in 1994. Since then, Republicans have built a commanding voter registration advantage statewide. Pillen maintained a conservative focus on tax relief coupled with personal devotion to "faith, family and pro-life principles" during his campaign, which ventured into all 93 counties. Herbster had been viewed as the early front-runner in the crowded Republican primary race, and early polling confirmed that assessment. But both Pillen and Lindstrom made considerable gains in the closing weeks of the campaign. Pillen operates Pillen Family Farms, a large pork production enterprise headquartered in Columbus. Workforce development, housing, taxes, agriculture and expansion of broadband service in Nebraska have headed his list of priorities. Nebraska Republicans will celebrate with their nominees Wednesday morning with a general election kickoff event at GOP state headquarters in Lincoln. Reach the writer at 402-473-7248 or dwalton@journalstar.com. On Twitter @LJSdon Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 WEBSTER CITY The last moments of Sgt. Jim Smiths life were captured on video. On Tuesday, jurors watched the brief footage as the state began presenting evidence in the trial of Michael Thomas Lang, the man accused of shooting Smith with a shotgun during standoff at Langs Grundy Center home following a traffic stop for speeding and a chase in April 2021. Smith, a trooper with the Iowa State Patrol and the lead for a patrol tactical team that went to detain Lang when he wouldnt come to the door, wasnt equipped with a body camera. But a Grundy County sheriffs deputy who was providing cover near him was. The footage shows officers standing inside Langs attached garage as they warned him there were about to send in a police dog and telling him he would get bit. There is barking, some yelling, officers calling Mike and telling him to put his hands up. Smith can be seen standing at the door to the house, his rifle raised. He backs up. The camera pans away as there is commotion. When it pans back, hes on the ground. Shots fired, shots fired, send medical, send medical, an officer yells. Assistant Attorney General Douglas Hammerand said deputies, trooper and police had announced their presence and had given Lang several opportunities to come to the door. This case is about a senseless killing, he told jurors. Sgt. Smith is in the lit garage. As hes looking in that kitchen, the defendant is standing in the dark coming forward, Hammerand said. He said Lang fired a 12-gauge slug into Smiths chest, the round impacting around the shoulder strap for his body armor, near the collarbone area and tearing into his lungs. Sgt. Smith was able to get off, before he fell, two rounds from his gun, Hammerand said. A second blast from the pump-action shotgun hit Smiths leg. Another deputy fired a few rounds into the kitchen, missing. Defense attorney Aaron Hawbaker told jurors Smiths death was tragic but didnt amount to murder. He asked jurors to pay attention to the significant amount of time that passed between the traffic stop and when officers began to enter his house. During that entire time while they are surrounding his house, not a shot comes out a window. No attempt to harm a peace officer, no shots going through doors, no shots going through walls, Hawbaker said. The first two (shots) were when that kitchen door was opened. Two shots, nothing more. He noted there was a second long lapse before officers began approaching with an armored vehicle and tried to rip the front off his house, and then there were two more shots. Jurors also saw video from a second body camera Tuesday, this one showing what led up to the deadly standoff. Officer Cody Niehaus with the Grundy Center Police Department said he was driving through town two hours earlier when Langs blue F150 pickup truck passed him on the towns main drag doing 38 mph in a 25 mph zone. A chase ensued, heading out into the country at speeds of 90 mph. Niehaus said Lang pulled over on a gravel road, exited and walked up to the squad car telling the officer to shoot him. Come on, boy, Lang told Niehaus as they struggled. Neihaus said he Tasered Lang, but Lang pulled out the barbs and they went to the ground with Lang ending up behind him with his arm around the officers neck. I felt that my radio cord was wrapped around my neck. I wasnt able to see what was going on because the defendant was behind me. All I knew was I could not breathe. I honestly thought at the moment I was going to die, Niehaus said. A passerby, Michael Dorothy of Waterloo, had followed the chase and intervened, giving Niehaus a chance to get to his feet. Sheriffs Deputy Samuel Broome pulled up, and Lang drove off. Earlier in the day, the judge has ruled the defense attorneys cant ask witnesses about whether law enforcement had warrants when they went to Langs home. Defense attorneys indicated they would like to argue self-defense. The state countered, requesting that the defense be precluded from inquiring about warrants, noting they werent needed because the original encounter a struggle with a police officer during a traffic stop was witnessed by law enforcement. The state also argued that the law doesnt allow for the resistance of an arrest. In a tentative ruling handed down Tuesday morning, Judge Joel Dalrymple said the warrant issue was a matter of law for the court to decide and a not question to put in front of the jury. Hawbaker asked if the defense could question witnesses if officers told Lang about any warrants or told him he was under arrest during the standoff. The judge did allow for the defense to make offers of proof, which is testimony outside the presence of the jury, to allow the defense to make further argument and to preserve the record. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 A veteran Al Jazeera correspondent who was shot dead on Wednesday during an Israeli raid in the West Bank was a highly respected journalist in the Middle East whose unflinching coverage was known to millions of viewers. Al Jazeera and witnesses, including her producer who was shot in the back Wednesday, said Israeli forces killed her. When we first decided to celebrate nurses in Siouxland, we had no idea how the program would be received. Four years ago, we put out the call for health care providers who represented the best of their profession. To say the least, we were overwhelmed by the response. Doctors, patients, administrators, family members and fellow nurses extolled the virtues of those who went above and beyond. That first year, we were able to salute the five winners and their peers at an event that was as inspiring as it was gratifying. The second year, we were in the midst of a global pandemic. The celebration became a virtual one and, still, the response was phenomenal. The video that introduced you to the five honorees was among the years most-watched videos, indicating the level of interest and appreciation. The third year, we were able to do a socially distanced event and talk about the demands on health care workers during the time of COVID-19. Again, Siouxlanders were eager to let nurses know just how much they appreciated the effort they took to ensure our safety and work toward returning our world to safety. This year, weve noticed how determined readers are to see the Nurses the heart of health care program continue. We received dozens of entries and countless letters of support. May 11 at the Sioux City Country Club, we will present our five recipients and encourage them to tell their stories. In todays section, youll meet them and see just what makes them stand out. We want to thank those who have joined us in this salute: UnityPoint Health-St. Lukes, our presenting sponsor; and Briar Cliff University, Dunes Surgical Hospital, June E. Nylen Cancer Center, MercyOne Siouxland Medical Center, Morningside University and Siouxland Community Health Center, our supporting sponsors. And, we want you to know your support hasnt gone unrecognized. The Journal has received several awards for creating the program and fostering it. Were grateful for the recognition, but were also glad others see the value in spotlighting nurses. We consider it a worthy endeavor honoring an even worthier profession. Love 1 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Why did you want to be a nurse? My mother always thought that nursing was a great profession and encouraged me to pursue it as a career. I come from a family of nurses and other medical professionals, including two sisters. I have four nephews and one niece who are registered nurses. When I was in high school I worked as a nursing assistant in a long-term care facility and I realized that I could relate very well to my patients and I got much personal satisfaction from providing them quality care. What makes the job rewarding? For over 40 years I have worked with oncology, cancer patients and in the development of cancer care units in both hospitals and at the June E. Nylen Cancer Center. I was asked to serve as the clinical liaison between patients and family members, oncology providers, other medical providers, and nursing staff at both hospitals and at several regional hospitals, Mayo and the University of Nebraska. In this role, I have seen much advancement in oncology care practices and have had the opportunity to participate in numerous, nationwide clinical research trials and have mentored nurses entering the oncology profession at both hospitals. My greatest personal satisfaction has been in working with patients and families experiencing severe illnesses. I am also proud to say that I was one of the first nurses in Sioux City to complete the Oncology Certification Board Examination. What role do nurses play in health care? All nursing staff, whether medical assistants, licensed practical nurses or registered nurses, have improved patient care by their clinical skills expertise, their frequent contact with patients and families and their holistic view of the health care experience. It is significant that in every annual poll taken across the United States, nurses are identified as the most accessible for medical questions and assistance. What was your most challenging time in the profession? Coming to the acceptance that not all patients are cured and that in many instances that care is palliative and helping patients and families accept that palliative care may be the best option. What do you want others to know about the profession? Although oncology nursing may be both physically and emotionally challenging, it is a very rewarding profession and I always encourage nurses to pursue this field of nursing. Why should someone become a nurse? That is a difficult question, and I hope that young people today do not just pursue nursing as just a job but as a lifelong career. I think nursing is a calling and not everybody is suited for it. For those who do become nurses, they have a great opportunity to pursue alternative nursing roles both in inpatient hospital care and outpatient care, education and specialization in many fields that require ongoing commitment to advancing nursing knowledge. What dont patients realize about medicine? That it is so important that they work with their family care providers on leading a healthy lifestyle and complying with preventative medicine guidelines. Preventing severe illness through early detection is always likely to result in a better outcome. And, in the case of illness, complying with the follow up care plan is essential. Who has been instrumental in your success? First of all my family. And my original nurse preceptor, Ann McTaggart, who started me in oncology care at St. Joseph Hospital, and my friend and colleague, Kathy Pittman, who was instrumental in developing the Washburn Oncology Unit at MercyOne. Then, Dr. John Michalak (retired), Dr. Joseph Washburn, Dr. Donald Wender, Dr. Radah Rao, and Dr. Steve Kahanic and the current medical staff at the June E. Nylen Cancer Center, the staff of Washburn Oncology, the June E. Nylen Cancer Center, and Bomgaars Oncology Unit at Unity Point. Describe a typical day. I am usually at work by 6:30 a.m. and usually my day doesnt end before 5:30 p.m. I like to arrive early at both hospitals so that I can meet with the night shift nurses for an update on our patients. I then review all our inpatient charts and look at laboratory findings, radiology reports, vital signs, current medications and any complications. I then discuss the care with the assigned nursing staff and provide education and information as needed. Ongoing throughout the day, I am the primary contact for hospital and clinic nurses and other physician groups. When the oncology physician provider arrives, we discuss each individual patient prior to meeting with the patients. Then we assess patients, and discuss plan of care with patients and families. If no family is available, we will call family to provide an update. This became essential when COVID visitation restrictions were in place. We coordinate plans of care with other provider groups. After this, I coordinate new admissions with the Cancer Center. I spend considerable time working discharge planning with social services, case managers and nurse managers. Generally, in the afternoon when we have completed inpatient assessments, I return to June E. Nylen Cancer Center to coordinate further inpatient and outpatient care issues. There is a weekly meeting between physicians, the director of the cancer center, the director of nursing at the cancer center, social services, radiation oncology and the patient navigator team to discuss inpatient care and to discuss issues that have arisen through the week. There are also telehealth tumor board meetings to discuss new cancer patients with pathology, radiology and surgical groups. In addition, there is a weekly case management meeting with physicians and nurses to discuss difficult treatment challenges. Also, if needed, I coordinate care with the University of Nebraska Medical Center when patients are being concurrently treated by our cancer center and the university. If needed, we have the same coordination care discussions with other outside regional medical facilities. Are you a good patient? Or does working in health care change the way you view the profession? I had a recent medical issue requiring surgery and hospitalization and I realized that as a patient it is very challenging when the diagnosis is difficult to ascertain. I had always realized that our doctors and nurses provided excellent care, but my first-hand experience reinforced this. It also reinforced the necessity of working with your family practice physician. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Pork returned to Congress this year, and Illinois had quite the haul. Among the earmarks for the state in the latest federal budget, Illinois legislators notched $450,000 for a YWCA domestic violence center, $1 million for a Chicago El station, $660,000 for a project to study climate change and agriculture and one item meant not to build but to destroy: $52 million to tear down a pair of century-old, terracotta-clad skyscrapers in Downtown Chicago. That grant is the work of Sen. Dick Durbin, who scored the earmark to level a half-block of the Loop because the buildings there offer a dangerous vantage point onto the courthouse next door. At least, so says Durbin, the FBI, ATF, and the U.S. Marshals Service, which have argued that the towers position on the same block as the Dirksen Federal Building creates significant public safety vulnerabilities. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Never mind that the condemned towers were built in 1913 and 1915, and the courthouse in 1974, and all three have happily co-existed across 90 feet of sky ever since. Times have changed, and taxpayers are now set to fund what looks like an architectural, environmental, and economic debacle in the name of counterterrorism. Its not even clear the plan makes sense from a security perspective. The widespread application of this standardthat a tall building near a courthouse is a security riskwould require rigging American downtowns with thousands of pounds of TNT to liberate American government buildings from their contexts. Some experts think the reasoning doesnt hold up. Theres more to this than just a building too close. Either they want the land to do something else or theres a specific threat or theres some politics, said Randy Atlas, an architect with a specialty in security who has worked on courthouses. Every metro downtown has a federal courthouse, often within 100 feet of an adjacent building. Advertisement Advertisement Kristine Bishop Johnson, a judicial planner and principal at the architecture firm HOK, said the solution was unusual. The protection of sightlines into courtrooms, jury rooms, and judges chambers is often part of the planning process, she noted. But the General Services Administration, the federal governments landlord, has a budget for capital improvements to historic buildings. What kind of precedent are you setting in Chicago if you take down the surrounding properties? she asked. Theres probably a similar risk that could be identified in any urban high-rise facility. Advertisement The grant comes at a fraught time for Chicago: Downtown is struggling to adapt to the post-pandemic status quo. The reduced presence of office workers has stunted the recovery of the neighborhoods restaurants, shops, and theaters. The last thing it needs is another vacant lot, Chicago Sun-Times architecture critic Lee Bey wrote last month. The buildings demolition would create an economic and pedestrian dead zone on State Street, something neither the street nor the city can afford. And it would be a shameful waste of some really good Chicago architecture. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement No doubt the towers are that. The 21-story Consumers Building and 16-story Century Building are representative of the last days of the Chicago School, the movement of boxy, steel-frame, masonry-clad buildings whose most famous practitioners were Louis Sullivan and Daniel Burnham. In this case, though, its less the individual structures that matter than the sum of their parts: They are part of Chicagos extraordinary cluster of pre-modern skyscrapers, which dont just constitute a cultural treasure and a popular tourist attraction. Theyve also served as the building blocks for a downtown revival that began in the 1980s, since their small floor plates and big windows make them easy to convert for residential use. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement That was once the plan for these two buildings as well. Acquired during the George W. Bush administration by the GSA to create a safe perimeter after a man was arrested for plotting to blow up the Dirksen courthouse (the FBI helped hook him up with an undercover agent who sold him 2,000 pounds of fertilizer), the Century and Consumers Buildings sat vacant for years. In 2015, after a planned expansion of the federal complex was scuttled, the GSA put them up for auction to find the most optimal use for these historic buildings. By 2017, the GSA and the City of Chicago had struck a deal with a developer who would spend $141 million to rehab the structures into more than 400 apartments. Advertisement But that summer, Judge Ruben Castillo raised concerns that the reused buildings would pose a security threat because a planned roof deck would see into his chambers. By September, 2019, the city had pulled the plug on the deal, and the GSA began making plans for demolition. For the architectural historian Elizabeth Blasius, the demolition seemed antediluvian. It was Durbin renewal, she said, likening the idea to earlier federally funded demolition projects that left city cores vacant for years. Its not such ancient history in Chicago: In 1989, the city leveled an entire block of buildings that wound up sitting empty for almost two decades as deal after deal failed to materialize. The Chicago Mercantile Exchange, demolished in 2003, is still an barren lot. More recently, the state tried to demolish the Helmut Jahn-designed Thompson Center nearby before backing off after the pandemic. Were the Century and Consumers Buildings in bad shape, as Durbin said in an argument for their demolition? Yes, Blasius concededbut only because the GSA has let them molder for almost two decades. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Ward Miller, the director of Preservation Chicago, helped bring the city the adaptive reuse proposal for apartments five years ago. If Chicago has squandered the opportunity to create hundreds of housing units, he says, it could still avoid the environmental waste of sending thousands of tons of steel and concrete to the landfill. Miller is focused on a new idea that would secure the buildings and keep the feds happy: an archive center for religious orders. That would allow a secure environment and create a reason to block off the west-facing windows. Miller is also trying to establish downtown Chicagos architecture as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and he is worried these demolitions will threaten his case. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But demolition would not just be an architectural loss, an environmental waste, and a missed opportunity. Theres also the question of what happens once the site is a vacant plot of secure landscaping: The Dirksen is 90 feet away, but it is not much further to neighboring structures including the Monadnock Building, one of Americas finest early skyscrapers. The difference between 75, 100, or 200 feet for a rifle is none, said Atlas, the architect and security consultant. Advertisement Advertisement It is also not clear why the standards being applied to the Dirksen are not relevant to the countrys other federal courts. Virtually every city has a downtown courthouse surrounded by offices, hotels, and apartment buildings. Most of the architectural guidance for counterterrorism has been focused on vehicle bombs, and for blast protection (unlike for rifle fire) every foot matters. Thats why, after September 11th, the GSA decided to mandate 50-foot setbacks for new courthouse buildings. Its also why, for a 272-page guide on protection against terrorist attacks published in 2007, FEMA decided to put Chicagos Federal Plaza complex, which includes the Dirksen Building, on the cover! Its use of bollards and planters was considered a case study in defensive architecture. Advertisement Which brings me to the thorniest part of this 90-foot standoff: If the Century and Consumers Buildings are irreplaceable artifacts of their time, the Dirksen Federal Building is much more exalted. It is one of three buildings that make up Federal Plaza, the modernist landmark designed by Mies van der Rohe. The GSA says the idea of modifying this stern steel icon didnt meet the operational and security needs of the Dirksen courthouse staff. The type of bulletproof glass needed to resist a high-powered rifle is not the same stuff you see at a liquor store: It costs upwards of $10,000 a pane, and it can run up to three inches thick, which would mean adapting the buildings mullions and adding thousands of pounds of new weight to the curtain wall. Advertisement Its expensive and its complicated but theres precedent in historic federal buildings that have gone through the same process, said Johnson, of HOK. Its definitely possible. Even in the best of circumstances, however, the U.S. government is ambivalent about using high-grade bulletproof glass to secure judges chambers, noting that it has several drawbacksincluding, potentially, looking so conspicuous that it draws attention to the people its supposed to protect. Architectural preservation has been criticized lately by scholars who say its a tool of wealth generation for tony neighborhoods, with judgments decoupled from any real sense of history. That is not the case for Downtown Chicago. Buildings like these dont come around every day. Demolishing them is bad enough; demolishing them for nothing is worse. Queer media has grown a big heart, and nothing embodies it more fully than Netflixs Heartstopper. I put the series, based on Alice Osemans graphic novels, on in the background while assembling furniture (very gay, I know) and I was transfixed. I watched the whole season in one night, chairs in pieces on the floor around me, as I fell head over heels for the teens on my screen. The next night I did it again. Heartstopper is pure high school romantic fantasy, a story in which the L, G, B, and T are not only represented but joyfully so. Unlike the queer stories of yore in which LGBTQ+ characters were marginalizedeither never named as such, leaving hungry audiences to squint in search of queer subtext, or openly identified as queer, only to meet a grisly and untimely demise (everywhere from The Childrens Hour to Buffy the Vampire Slayer)Heartstopper sets queerness at the center. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Across social media and a wide range of reviews, Heartstopper has been hailed for its unbridled joy, an unusual tone among queer narratives for any age, let alone youthful coming out stories. However, more unique than that is its overwhelming focus on tender romance with minimal sexual content. The series wraps us in safety and reassurance that can be hard to find for queer folks, especially in our early forays into coming out. These characters are neither alone nor just out for themselvesneither their own sexual gratification nor zero-sum ascension in the high school pecking order. They crave community and, amazingly, they find it. The path from Ive only ever met one openly gay person before to planning a triple date is swift. Advertisement I was surprised by how much I relished a world in which queer characters get to thrive in their earnest, flirty crushes. I was fortunate to grow up around many same-sex couples, with the understanding that families take myriad forms. I now live in a major city with a robust and varied LGBTQ+ community. Frankly, I sometimes drift into thinking that I dont need more queer representation, not personally anyway. I may want it, may support it wholeheartedly on principle, but do I need it? My life is already saturated with vibrant queerness. How could I be left wanting? Nevertheless, despite my best attempts to stay chill (not my forte), I was suddenly tearing up over a box of seat cushions. Advertisement The show features 14-year-old Charlie (Joe Locke), a British student at the fictional Truham Grammar School for Boys. Charlie was outed the previous school year, but has now come into his own and claims his gayness comfortably. Assigned a seat next to rugby star Nick Nelson (Kit Connor), Charlie feels sparks fly with the hunky schoolmate whom his friends describe as a ginormous heterosexual. Advertisement Advertisement With the past as prologue, I was sure I knew how this would unfold. Popular jock is aggressively homophobic and bullies feminine gay boy, all while sexual tension simmers. Finally, they find themselves alone and the attraction explodes in an illicit sexual escapade, in which the outwardly straight athlete turned sexual aggressor reveals himself to be secretly gay. (See Drew Boyd in Queer as Folk or Glees Dave Karofsky, among a litany of others.) This pattern is not only endemic among portrayals of queer people on screen; it seeps into our assumptions about internalized homophobia in real life. Whenever we speculate that a homophobic politician is actually closeted and will one day get caught, we play into this. Beyond the dark humor, this archetype keeps queerness tied to shame, self-hatred, secrecy, and the eventuality of a dramatic reveal. It also affirms that pent-up sexual frustration followed by a shocking sexual conquest are prerequisites to coming out. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement [Heartstopper spoilers follow] Wryly compared to a golden retriever, Nick Nelson offers us something different. Nick doesnt skip a beat when befriending Charlie. This is not a jock who needs to bolster his masculinity by surrounding himself with fawning girls or distancing himself from his effeminate classmate. While Charlies friends are wary of the giant moronic rugby lads hurting him, their skepticism is largely, miraculously, unwarranted. Charlie is smitten with Nick, who in turn is drawn to him. When Charlie falls asleep during a movie, Nick apprehensively reaches out for Charlies hand, only to pull away. In a clever homage to the tales roots as a graphic novel, animated stars, hearts, birds, and leaves flutter around the characters during upswells of emotion. We feel Nicks intrigue and hesitation as heat literally crackles between his and Charlies fingers. This is where Heartstopper excels: capturing the electricity of longing for someone and being unsure of how to act on it, let alone whether your feelings will be reciprocated. Advertisement Here, the pining is the point. Daydreaming is deemed intimate on its own, not merely a prelude to some greater intimacy. We have always accepted that heterosexual relationships comprise more than simply sex, and allowed straight people to have emotionally rich and varied experiences. Heartstopper offers queer kids the same chance. The lack of sexor even allusions to itis notable because the series is not ashamedly avoiding a topic thats historically been stigmatized as inappropriate or deviant, but rather leaning into the lush emotional landscape of young love and all the non-sexual aspects of queer relationships. Ill be the first to say that sex is a fun, healthy, and hopefully hot part of many peoples lives. I have no patience for respectability politics that dictate queer people must desexualize ourselves to appear palatable to a homophobic society. Still, as state legislatures across the US attempt to ban discussions of LGBTQ+ identities, conflating our very existence with sexual predation, I am wearied. Are these our only options for representation: semi-closeted portrayals in which we deserve nothing more than furtive glances or raucous and exploitative hypersexuality devoid of any emotion? Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Sign up for the Slate Culture Newsletter The best of movies, TV, books, music, and more, delivered to your inbox. We encountered an issue signing you up. Please try again. Please enable javascript to use form. Email address: Send me updates about Slate special offers. By signing up, you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms Sign Up Thanks for signing up! You can manage your newsletter subscriptions at any time. Heartstopper is populated by LGBTQ+ young people who get to be just that: young. They inhabit the early adolescent phase of budding romance and attraction, wearing their gushy hearts on their sleeves. While this is a very real part of developmenta rite of passage for straight youthit is often glossed over in shows that are ostensibly about teens but that cater to an adult audience (e.g., Gossip Girl, Euphoria, Sex Education). Heartstoppers charm is that it makes no attempt to be sexy. Charlie and his peers are not adultified or sexually mature; they long to hold hands, and kissing feels monumental. Advertisement Advertisement This tenderness rebukes the homophobic notion that queerness is an adult topic not fit for kids or teens. Particularly against the onslaught of homophobic and transphobic politicians asserting that coming out as anything besides straight and cisgender catapults youth into adulthood and makes them predators, I was surprised by how much I relished a world in which queer characters get to thrive in their earnest, flirty crushes. When was the last time our TVs witnessed two gangly, unsure of themselves, yet disarmingly sweet 15-year-old boys kissing under an umbrella in a Sunday morning rainstorm? They painstakingly compose texts to one another, then delete and rewrite, in pursuit of the perfect phrase. Be still, my heart. Advertisement Watching these grinning teens throw themselves into love with abandon prompted a twinge of melancholy. Was this even a possibility for me at that age? Would I have jumped at this opportunity like they do or was I too tied up in self-conscious knots to let myself leap? Part of Heartstoppers success relies on the lack of juxtaposition of overt straight sexuality with chaste queerness. The characters are overwhelmingly queershout-out to the highly accurate portrayal of a queer friend group having one token straight friend, rather than the inversebut even their straight peers seem to abide by the same developmental milestones. When lesbians Tara and Darcy are seen properly kissing (in the words of their presumably straight classmate) at a party, its big news at school. Even the will-they-wont-they flirtation between the shows only straight pairtrans girl Elle and cis boy Taolives in the realm of blushing smiles and breathless awareness of the diminishing distance between their cheeks as they rest side by side. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Heartstoppers focus on the emotional dimensions of relationships allows it to plumb the characters interiority, delving into their confusion without leaping to despair. A series of montages tugged at my heart and my own recollections of coming out to myself: Nick searching the internet for clues about his sexuality. Am I gay? he Googles. He scrolls through articles about same-sex marriage opposition and conversion therapy, then tearfully processes the result of an online quiz: 62% Homosexual. In a poignant moment, a timid Charlie asks Would you kiss someone who wasnt a girl? and Nick seems at a loss for words before whispering I dont know. Far from censoring queer intimacy, Heartstopper lingers in the unknowingness of growing into sexuality of any type. Nick confesses to a friend that hes scared to change or do something that might confuse or surprise people? Your real personality has been, like, buried inside you for a really long time. Advertisement Eventually, Nick discovers a bisexual vlogger and subsequently comes out as bisexual. This too is handled remarkably, as Nicks bisexuality is readily accepted without a whiff of disbelief or pressure to pick a side. Ultimately, Heartstopper is a warm, hopeful, and self-assured love story, fleshed out by an endearing castany one of whom you would root for as a future lead. The characters bliss might seem too good to be truefantasy is, after all, a hallmark of the romance genrebut the result is a liberating expansion of queer storytelling and a powerful statement about queer and trans peoples humanity and desire for love. Far from thinking that I dont truly need more media representation to reflect my queerness, I found Heartstopper deeply compelling precisely because it shook my confidenceconfidence that I am sated, that I have enough inspiration to sustain me, that I defiantly dont seek external validation. Heartstopper reminded me that there is no reason to measure enough queer love and community. We should always want, dream of, and indeed deserve more. Tim Gionet is an online personality known as Baked Alaska. (He is from Alaska and, at least at one point, attested to having enjoyed becoming intoxicated or baked using the drug marijuana.) As is documented in this New York Times piece, he came to prominence as an employee of the website BuzzFeed for making short videos in which he did things like pouring milk on his face. Because of some combination of personal impulse and recognition of a market niche, Gionet became involved in far-right politics during the 2016 presidential campaign. He continued to do and say outrageous things for attention, but now his statements sometimes involved white supremacist slogans and sentiments like the so-called 14 words. He attended the infamous Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, and, on Jan. 6, 2021, livestreamed himself entering the U.S. Capitol after others had busted through doors and windows (and a police line) to interrupt Congress certification of the 2020 presidential election. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Sign Up for the Surge The most important political nonsense of the week, delivered to your inbox every Saturday. We encountered an issue signing you up. Please try again. Please enable javascript to use form. Email address: Send me updates about Slate special offers. By signing up, you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms Sign Up Thanks for signing up! You can manage your newsletter subscriptions at any time. On the video, he can be seen entering offices and encouraging others not to leave the building. This is what professionals in the prosecution community refer to as a layup, and Gionet was charged with a misdemeanor. He was expected to plead guilty to that misdemeanor Wednesday at an online hearing with a D.C. judge, but then this happened: Oo boy. Sullivan: "Why do you wish to plead guilty?" Gionet: "I wanted to go to trial but the prosecutor said if I didn't [sic] go to trial they would put a felony on me so I think this is probably the better route. I believe I'm innocent" Sullivan: "Well fine, pick a trial date" Zoe Tillman (@ZoeTillman) May 11, 2022 Advertisement Advertisement Sullivan is frequently beleaguered federal Judge Emmet Sullivan, who explained to Gionet that he could not accept a guilty plea from someone who was telling the court that he is innocent of the charges against him. After some back-and-forth, Sullivan gave Gionet 60 days to decide whether to accept the plea deal or go to trial next March. Thus will he remain, as he put it in a Monday comment, balls deep in legal shit. Gionet was convicted in October 2021 of assault, trespass, and disorderly conduct for spraying a bouncer in Scottsdale, Arizona, with pepper gel during another livestream; he has also been charged for allegedly tearing down part of a Hanukkah display outside Arizonas Capitol in Phoenix in December of the same year. China will further expand the industry catalog of sectors encouraging foreign investment, authorities said. The new list will add 238 more items, while up to 114 existing ones will be modified with expansion, said a notice issued by China's National Development and Reform Commission and the Ministry of Commerce (MOC). The increase is particularly relevant to items related to manufacturing, producer services, and those in the central and western regions, said the notice. The sub-catalog of competitive industries in the central and western areas encouraging foreign investment will introduce 188 new items, having modified 52. New items added to the national-level sub-catalog will include components and parts and equipment manufacturing in the manufacturing sector. It will also add professional design, technical services, and development in the producer services sector. Foreign direct investment into the Chinese mainland, in actual use, expanded 25.6 percent year on year to 379.87 billion yuan in the first quarter of the year, the MOC said. Fifty years ago, the United States Supreme Court brought a halt to capital punishment when it handed down its ruling in the landmark case of Furman v. Georgia. But rather than a full and final attack on the death penalty itself, the court only struck down the death penalty statutes that were in effect at that time. The rejected laws left the decision of whether someone convicted of a capital crime should receive a death sentence to the untrammeled discretion of judges or juries. The court focused on the procedures used in these decisions, and it put the issue of race and racial prejudice at the center of death penalty jurisprudence. The 54 majority found that those procedures violated the Constitutions ban on cruel and unusual punishment and the guarantee of equal protection of the law. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Subscribe to the Slatest Newsletter A daily email update of the stories you need to read right now. We encountered an issue signing you up. Please try again. Please enable javascript to use form. Email address: Send me updates about Slate special offers. By signing up, you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms Sign Up Thanks for signing up! You can manage your newsletter subscriptions at any time. Three justices, William Douglas, Thurgood Marshall, and William Brennan, said that they created an unacceptable risk of arbitrariness and discrimination. They emphasized that the mere possibility that race might play a role in capital sentencing was enough to render it constitutionally unacceptable. Looking back a half-century later, Furmans insistence that the nation confront the linkage of race and capital punishment seems both noble and naive. Its nobility lies in its commitment to ensuring that if America was to retain capital punishment, it would have to figure out ways of guaranteeing fairness in death sentencing and ridding it of the taint of racial prejudice. Its naivete lies in its belief that death sentencing could ever be purged of arbitrariness and discrimination. Advertisement Fifty years ago, Americas death penalty was haunted by what sociologist David Garland calls the specter of lynching, with its inexorable linkage of race and death. Little has happened since Furman to change that. Despite numerous efforts to address racism in death sentencing, the problems that Furman identified continue to plague Americas death penalty. What has changed is the court itself: The current Supreme Court seems largely untroubled by that the risk of discrimination in death sentences and is much less willing to acknowledge and address it than it was when Furman was decided. Advertisement Today the death penalty, like lynching, remains a tool of populist justice, often targeting innocent people and applied disproportionately in cases involving the death of a white victim. Advertisement According to an NAACP report, Lynching is the public killing of an individual who has not received any due process. While its origins can be traced to the Revolutionary War era, and while not all of its victims were Black, lynching flourished in the aftermath of the Civil War as a tool of racial repression. In that period, lynching was extralegal, arbitrary, and racist. Advertisement Advertisement These executions, the NAACP continues, were often carried out by lawless mobs, though police officers did participate, under the pretext of justice. A typical lynching involved a criminal accusation, an arrest, and the assembly of a mob, followed by seizure, physical torment, and murder of the victim. The NAACP estimates that from 1882 to 1968, 4,743 lynchings occurred in the U.S. Furman was a step toward acknowledging the legacy of lynching and initiating a process through which the Supreme Court tried, for a brief period of time, to rid capital punishment of the taint of racism. Advertisement Advertisement As Garland notes, in Furman the Supreme Court agreed that the states death penalty process was often summary, arbitrary, and perhaps even racist, but it insisted on drawing a distinction. Legal lynching was illegal, even unconstitutional, but its constitutional flaws went to procedure and not to substance. Advertisement Advertisement Two justices, Marshall and Brennan, declared the death penalty cruel and unusual under all circumstances. But the other justices in the majority held out hope of reform. Many commentators and antideath penalty activists expected that the death penalty would not be revived after Furman. But instead, in the wake of Furman, a dramatic backlash occurred. In the years immediately after the decision, 35 state legislatures reenacted death penalty laws designed to cure the problems identified by the Supreme Court. Some eliminated discretionary death sentences altogether, and others limited that discretion. Advertisement Four years after Furman, the Supreme Court struck down mandatory death sentencing statutes, but in Gregg v. Georgia, it approved laws that limited and guided sentencing discretion. In that case, Justice Potter Stewart confidently proclaimed that racial discrimination in death sentencing would be cured by such guided discretion laws. They ensured, he said, that no longer can a jury wantonly and freakishly impose the death sentence. Advertisement But neither guided discretion statutes nor Stewarts confidence could change the reality on the ground. And in 1987, the Supreme Court was again confronted with a challenge to the legacy of lynching in Americas death penalty. That case, McCleskey v. Kemp, was based on an extensive empirical analysis by David Baldus of death sentences imposed under Georgias guided discretion statutes. The Baldus study showed that people accused of murdering a white victim in the state of Georgia were more than 4.3 times as likely to get a death sentence as those whose victims were persons of color. The court accepted the validity of the Baldus study, but surprisingly turned its back on the legacy of Furman. It held that proving that there was a risk of discrimination in death sentencing was not enough. Because the defendant could not prove that purposeful discrimination existed in his trial, there was no constitutional violation. Advertisement Advertisement Twenty years after McCleskey, Anthony Amsterdam, a law professor at New York University, called it the Dred Scott decision of our time. It is, he said, a declaration that African-American life has no value which white men are bound to respect. Since McCleskey, racism and the legacy of lynching have remained troublingly present in the death penalty system. Numerous studies have replicated Baldus conclusion in other jurisdictions, and new evidence has emerged that racial bias is present elsewhere in the system, including in decisions about which death row prisoners are actually executed. Despite Furmans and Greggs efforts to purge race and racism from Americas death penalty, 42 percent of those executed since 1977 have been persons of color. And 75 percent of the executions carried out since then have been for murders of white people. Advertisement A 2020 Death Penalty Information Center report found that since executions resumed, 295 Black defendants were executed for killing a white victim, but only 21 white defendants were executed for killing a Black victim even though Black people are disproportionately the victims of crime. And today, 82 percent of those on this nations death rows were convicted in cases involving white victims. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement These figures suggest that what Garland calls the social dynamics and distribution of Americas death penalty still resembles lynching. The death penalty, Garland notes, continues to be concentrated in the South continues to target blacks whose victims were white (and) continues to produce false accusations and impose unwarranted punishments. It is the false accusations, the unwarranted punishments, and the hypersensitivity to cases where a white person has been harmed that make the death penalty system so uncannily replicate the logic of lynching. As law professor Scott Phillips rightly observes, Its not necessarily that the death penalty has a race problem. Its more that the United States has a race problem that happens to infect the death penalty. Only by going beyond Furman and ending the death penalty can this country reckon with lynchings troubling legacy. Theres a European state known as Transnistria, which is technically part of the country of Moldova. But Transnistria gets Russian-language TV, the people there speak Russian, its currency is the ruble, and its even got its own flag, emblazoned with a hammer and a sickle. Transnistria runs along the edge of Moldovaand is strategically important because its pressed up next to Ukraine. Its very close to Ukraines western edge, so observers think that if Russias war is going to creep further into Europe, it would start in Transnistria. In fact, some are beginning to fear it already has. Last week, there was a series of mysterious explosions, said Monika Pronczuk, whos been reporting about Moldova and Transnistria for the New York Times. Russian authorities issued a statement blaming the Ukrainians. Ukrainian authorities issued a statement blaming the Russians. Moldovans did not blame anyonebecause they are trying to walk this very delicate line. On Wednesdays episode of What Next, I spoke with Pronczuk about whether Moldova could be the next frontier in Russias war. Our conversation has been edited and condensed for clarity. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Mary Harris: The root of Moldovas fragile situation at the moment is simplethe country is deeply intertwined with Russia. The breakaway region of Transnistria acts as kind of Russian-backed island within Moldovas own borders. And theres the simple fact that everyday life in Moldova is reliant on Mother Russia, even though Moldova declared its independence years ago. Monika Pronczuk: Moldova has three borders with Ukraine, and one of those borders is this thin sliver of land called Transnistria. Moldova is a former Soviet republic, and you have this region where a lot of retired Soviet generals came to live at, because Moldova has very nice, mild weather and good food. It also produces wine. After the breakup of the Soviet Union, these Russian soldiers rebelled. And with the military backup of Russia, they just created their own country. Theoretically it is under the administration of Moldova, but effectively Moldova exercises no control over it. Advertisement Advertisement When the war broke out in Ukraine, people in the capital of Moldova woke up thinking war broke out in their countrythats how close it is to Ukraine. Its a tiny country, with about 2.6 million residents. And its very dependent on Russia, from where it gets 100 percent of its gas from Russia. So if Russia wants to, it can just cut Moldova off from gas completely. Advertisement That seems like a real liability. Its an enormous liability that has already been used in the past by Russia. Russia wanted to blackmail Moldova into getting concession of the status of Transnistria just in October of last year in exchange for lower gas prices. When Moldova refused, Russia increased the prices that Moldovas paying for gas. Were speaking about one of Europes poorest countries. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Because of the war in Ukraine, the European Union has sped up Moldovas attempts to join the EUs electricity grid, which means that some of this electricity is now flowing through Romania because before that, you know, Russia could just turn off Moldovas lights if it wanted to. Russia exercises enormous leverage over Moldova, but Moldova has been trying to make it on its own. It has a pro-European and pro-Western government. But Moldova cannot even say that it wants to join NATO, like Ukraine can. Why cant Moldova say that? Just after the Soviet Union broke up, Moldovan authorities adopted a new constitution and enshrined a principle of military neutrality. This means basically that Moldova is constitutionally forbidden from joining military alliances or increasing the number of its troops or strengthening its army. This was actually adopted with the hope that this would protect them from getting dragged into conflictslike, were this neutral country. But Russia just doesnt want to let go of some of its former Soviet republics. This is the whole philosophy of Vladimir Putin: that this is our sphere of influence, our sphere of the world, and dont you dare take it away from us. But Moldova has its own government thats elected democratically by Moldovan people. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Tell me a little bit about the government, because my understanding is the president and prime minister are both Harvard-educatedit seems like theyre quite Western. It is quite different from previous Moldovan governments. Moldova for years had been ruled by pro-Russian elites, but the current president is the first female president of the country. Shes 49, and you can feel she has a strong personality. She charted course of embracing Moldovas European identity and striving hard to step out of Russias long shadow. Advertisement So Moldova started to strike it out on its own. It applied for membership with the EU and has been tightening economic, political, and social relations with the bloc. Thats not a surprise because about half of Moldovas residents actually have European Union passportsbecause they also have Romanian passports. Advertisement How has war in Ukraine shifted things politically in Moldova? I imagine there might be differences in how people in Transnistria have responded versus people in the rest of Moldova. The Ukraine war is very, very tangible in Moldova. It has turned the Moldovan economy upside down and disrupted supply chains. People are freaking out. The country also has the highest number per capita of Ukrainian refugees its taken in compared with any other nation. Advertisement People are obviously growing tired, and its an immense economic burden to suddenly have 100,000 more people to take care of. Another 200,000 refugees just passed through, but they also needed a place to stay, something to eat, all this logistical support. So this has created war jitters in Moldova. People are very afraid. When we talked to business owners, they said they needed to convince their employees in the first days of the war not to leave, because people really wanted to leave and some people did. Advertisement I guess they have those Romanian passports. Exactly. They just packed up and left. And since last week, since the explosions in Transnistria, there are also Transnistrians leaving to go further into Moldova. So its like this never-ending internal displacement, which creates a lot of instability and insecurity. It all sounds like so much pressure, on top of what people are hearing from Russia. A Russian general said just the other day that his countrys military wants to seize the southern coast of Ukraine. Advertisement Advertisement When the general spoke those words, I reached out to people Id spoken to in Moldova and asked how they were feeling. They all said, Its a complete repetition of the first days of the war. When the war broke out in Ukraine, the first couple of days there was complete panic in Moldova. Then the situation calmed down a little bit. But now, people are wondering whether they should be leaving, and are in a total frenzy about what to do and what to think. On top of that, the general also mentioned the oppressed minority of Russian speakers in Transnistria, which is exactly the same argument that Russia has used in Ukraine, in Donbass and in Crimea, for its military intervention. So that really made Moldovans panic. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Would Moldovans be able to defend themselves against some kind of incursion? Its hard to say, but looking at the current state of its army, probably not. The army is small: about 6,000 troops. And thats baked into the law. Yeah, it would be very hard to strengthen the army, unless Moldova would change its constitution. But the army has no sophisticated equipment. According to research published by the Institute for Strategic Studies in London, the whole army has six helicopters. This does not put you in a strong position to fight a theoretical Russian invasion. The president of the European Council recently was in Moldova to show his support and promised more military support from the EU for Moldova. The fact that he made this statement publicly says something about the security situation in the region. Advertisement Whats interesting to me is that the U.S. and NATO might face different kinds of choices when it comes to Moldova than with Ukraine, which has stated strongly that it wants the U.S. to be there, and it has its own military that we are supporting even though were not sending in our own troops. Moldova doesnt have that, and its relationship with Russia seems way more intertwined than Ukraines. Do you see that, too? Advertisement Advertisement What I see for sure is the different position that the U.S. and NATO would be in if Russia attacked Moldova. This would mean that the war swelling into a wider conflict like. And the fact that half of Moldovan residents have EU passportsRomania is part of NATO. So what does that mean, if you attack a country where half of the population has the citizenship of a country thats a member of NATO? Advertisement Leaders talk all the time about not one inch into NATO territory, but if half of the population consists of NATO citizens, what is NATOs territory? Exactly, and that would be the same for the European Union: Moldova is a country where half of the population has EU citizenship. It would bring the war so close to Europe, would literally bring it to NATOs doorstep. Putin is sending out his own messaging about what the next stage of this war is going to look like. Hes talking a lot about proxy war between the West and Russia, and a number of American experts have pushed back on that characterization because the resistance in Ukraine is being directed by Ukrainians. But do you think that if we got more involved in Moldova, it would become harder to make that argument because wed be more involvedor NATO would need to be more involved therebecause the military presence is so slim? Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Unless we just let Moldova go, right? And kind of But that sends a very bad message. And then the question is, where does Putin stop? Next in line is Romania, Poland its a very big question. Would NATO get more involved in Moldova? This would, break the main narrative, which is that the West is not getting involved in a non-NATO country. I feel the government is highlighting its vulnerability in order to get more aid and more support from the West. So this was a conversation, basically. The president admitted that the situation is extremely difficult, with so much vulnerability on every front, and her government made decisive steps to show, in a way, allegiance to the West. It condemned the war, it lodged an official application for EU membership, it keeps on walking this dangerous path of trying to balance between the West and Russia. Its been dealing with this ongoing problem of Transnistria, which was slowly boiling and simmering but never disappeared. Moldova had this presence of Russian troops on its territory for 30 years. So this was like a constant threat, and its so close to exploding right now. Subscribe to What Next on Apple Podcasts Get more news from Mary Harris every weekday. On Monday, the Bangor Daily News reported that police had responded to Republican Sen. Susan Collins home in Bangor, Maine, at 9:20 p.m. on Saturday night because of what the senator, in a statement, described as the defacement of public property. Collins has long described herself as a supporter of abortion rights, but voted to confirm Supreme Court Justices Samuel Alito, Neil Gorsuch, and Brett Kavanaugh despite abundant evidence that they would overturn Roe v. Wade if given the chance. Given that those jurists appear to be on the verge of, in fact, overturning Roe v. WadeAlito wrote the leaked draft of the opinion that would do sothere has been some disappointment circulating regarding Collins in the pro-choice community. Advertisement Such was the very gently expressed message of the defacement, which was written in what appears to be pink, blue, and yellow chalk on the sidewalk in front of Collins home. It said Susie, please, Mainers want WHPA > vote yes, clean up your mess. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement [Read: Susan Collins Knew Exactly What She Was Doing] WHPA is the Womens Health Protection Act. It would guarantee the right to an abortion until the point of fetal viability in federal law. Collins has voted against the bill in the past and is expected to do so again on Wednesday, when it will be brought up by Senate Democrats to highlight Republicans position on Roe. Polling appears to show that such a guarantee would be supported by a majority of the public, but it is expected to fail because it lacks the 60-vote support in the Senate that would be needed to override a filibuster. Advertisement Advertisement Since Alitos draft opinion was leaked, protests have taken place outside his and Kavanaughs suburban homes. Although there have not been any reported incidents of violence or vandalism at the protests, some elected Democrats have responded to them with alarm: The Senate quickly passed a bill providing police protection to justices family members, while on Monday White House press secretary Jen Psaki tweeted that judges perform an incredibly important function in our society, and they must be able to do their jobs without concern for their personal safety. Its in this context that Collins, according to the Bangor Daily News report, complained to police about sidewalk chalk. (Officers summoned a public works employee to wash it off but are not otherwise pursuing the matter.) A source close to the chalking says that two people were involved in its execution and that Collins husband, a longtime Republican staffer and lobbyist named Thomas Daffron, delivered a personal scolding to them while it was being written. On Tuesday, meanwhile, more chalk messages were left, including one that said: You might not recognize our right to free speech, but I hope you recognize my right to an abortion. Daffron told the Bangor paper that he has not alerted authorities to the presence of the new slogans. Read more of Slates coverage on abortion rights here. Imagine a world where every Blockbuster Video has been converted into a shiny new Netflix Store. These wonders of technology allow customers to walk into a store and stream unlimited amounts of content, all for a fixed monthly rate. It sounds ridiculous, right? There is no value in streaming from a fixed location. The beauty of streaming is that you can do it from anywhere with an internet connection. Right now, the conversation about how to charge electric cars is sounding an awful lot like a Netflix Store. The popular narrative goes: Electric cars are great, but a lack of charging infrastructure is holding them back. All our charging problems will be solved if we can manage to replace those antiquated gas stations with gleaming high-powered charging stations. Advertisement What if that is all wrong? Its easy to lock ourselves into the mindset of whats familiar and plot the future based on the blueprint of our pasta mindset that will lead us toward inadequate solutions, like hypothetical Netflix stores. What we actually need is an approach that takes advantage of an EVs strengths: most notably, its ability to charge anywhere and anytime. And it doesnt have to be nearly as expensive as you might think. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It is commonly assumed that electric vehicles need specialized charging equipment. In a recent survey, 78 percent of people believed that they did not have charging access at their home. In fact, most people already do. There are three types of charging, and one of them can take place in nearly every house, without any modifications or new equipment. Advertisement Advertisement The fastest charging occurs with Level 3 charging stations. These are the gas stations of the EV world. Level 3 chargers can recoup 100 miles of range in a matter of minutes. They are also, of course, the most expensive to install, at a minimum of $30,000 per charger. (For comparison, one gas pump costs around $20,000.) While you would never see one of these high-powered chargers in someones home, you might find a Level 2 charger. This type of charger, which costs a few hundred dollars to install, connects to a 240V dryer outlet and can gain 100 miles of range in just a few hours. This might not be ideal for a road trip, but it works great for a quick charge at home or a restaurant, or while you are out shopping. Lastly, we have the somewhat boring, often overlooked Level 1 charger. This type of charger, which is included free with most electric vehicles, plugs into a standard outlet and would take nearly 20 hours to regain those 100 miles of range. This might sound horrifically slow, but most drivers average fewer than 40 miles of driving per day, an amount that can easily be reclaimed with a Level 1 charger while you are working, hanging out at home, or sleeping. Advertisement Advertisement Right now, it makes local news in many places when even a couple of chargers are installed or planned. But installation is likely to accelerate, especially when it comes to Level 3 chargers. Multiple car companies are actively planning to build out charging networks, and the federal government plans to spend $7.5 billion from the infrastructure bill on chargers. Unfortunately, most of these plans are focusing on emulating our current gas stationcentric model, instead of focusing on an EVs strengths. Advertisement Advertisement Lets go back to the Netflix Store analogy. The key point is that new technologyin this case ubiquitous high-speed internetfacilitates an experience that is altogether different from the one that preceded it. You can stream at home, at the doctors office, or at work. Electric vehicles are no different. The solution to the electric vehicle charging problem should fit current technology, not the technology of the prior century. Why should policymakers aim to copy gas stations when we can do so much better? Advertisement Advertisement Now, Im not against building more Level 3 chargers on Americas roadways; the more chargers, the merrier. But companies are already building them. It is quite easy to hop in a Tesla tomorrow and drive almost anywhere in the country. The car will have you stop at a Supercharger location every few hours, and the experience will be surprisingly similar to driving a gas car. (If you are driving with kids, the car will be ready to hit the road again before you are.) Other companies are following along, as each manufacturer has a vested interest in being able to advertise that their cars have this capability. Plus, Tesla is potentially opening its network to other companies soon. Its only a matter of time before every new electric car can travel easily across the country. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement What we really need is to get charging capability to the people who cant currently charge on a daily basismostly, people who dont live in houses. If you already live in a house, whether you rent or own, it is extremely likely that you currently have the ability to charge while you sleep; all you need is a safe and accessible power outlet. You can even choose to add a Level 2 charger, which will dramatically increase your charging speed. But in most cases, the standard outlet will add more than enough range each night. Many people will never take their car on a road trip, but everyone needs to drive around town. Advertisement So EV policy should focus on the population that cant charge every night in a garage. Essentially, we need to make sure that people can charge almost anywhere: home, work, shopping. This type of charging doesnt have to be fast, but it should be ubiquitous. You cant charge here? should be the new They really dont have Wi-Fi? EVs have the ability to charge anywhere, which means chargers should exist everywhere. Advertisement Where do we start? The initial focus should be on workplace parking lots and apartment complexes. Cars sit in these parking lots for long periods of time, which means slow and cheap Level 1 chargers are ideal. We should saturate these parking lots with power outlets that employees and residents can plug into. Advertisement Workplaces and apartment complexes are also ideal because the outlets can be used as an incentive. And the cost to the institution is minimal: It would cost an employer or property management company less than $8 per employee each week for electricity (assuming a 40-hour workweek at the average electricity cost and charge rate). Its not zero, but it is quite small in contrast to other workplace incentives or building amenities. Advertisement This is also a space where government spending could make a profound impact. Some workplaces may be reluctant to add outlets to their parking lots, but federal or state subsidies could be just the push they need. And the comparatively cheap price of these outlets will allow the subsidies to go a long way. Obviously, not every building has a parking lot. But this is an opportunity for cities to provide street-side charging systems in areas that lack parking lots and garages. Those who live in the area can street-park their car for the night, swipe a card to pay for the charging (like a standard parking meter), and let their car charge until the next morning. And, once again, there is no need to charge at an exceedingly high rate. There may be some regulatory hurdles to get through, but these are all solvable problems. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A truly ubiquitous charging infrastructure would involve chargers at restaurants, shopping centers, movie theaters, parks, and other areas where people congregate. These are the spots where people want to spend a couple hours, which lends itself to the middle-of-the-road Level 2 chargers. Charging while you watch a movie or play at the park is a much more enjoyable experience than driving to a charging-specific location (like a gas-powered car) and staying with the car while it charges. In essence, we need to put the right chargers in the right places, and most chargers dont need to be all that fast. We keep hearing that EVs will take off when charging one is as fast as filling up at a gas station. But we shouldnt want that. Charging at gas stations is slow; 10 minutes to fill up gas wastes more time than charging for 10 hours while you sleep. We shouldnt want to reduce the amount of time we spend charging; we should want to eliminate active charging entirely. And it might be the slowest chargers of allyour boring old power outletthat allow us to do it. Future Tense is a partnership of Slate, New America, and Arizona State University that examines emerging technologies, public policy, and society. Welcome to State of Mind, a new section from Slate and Arizona State University dedicated to exploring mental health. Follow us on Twitter. On May 11 at 1 p.m. Eastern, State of Mind and the 19th News are hosting an event titled Prioritizing Mental Health. Register here. People with mental health conditions face not only distress and disease, but also stigma: the prejudice and discrimination that get attached to health conditions. Stigma has long been a barrier for people accessing the care and resources they need to recover, and a foe of mental health care advocates. But in some ways, the battle against stigma may be changing: A recent study published in JAMA Network Open found the first evidence of significant decreases in public stigma in the United States toward depression. Its a promising sign that campaigns against stigmaa concept first identified in the mid20th centurycan work. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As part of the study, which was carried out in 1996, 2006, and 2018, participants (different ones each year) were given vignettes about people experiencing schizophrenia, depression, alcohol dependence, and daily troubles, and then responded to a survey with their beliefs about underlying causes for those afflictions, perceptions of sufferers potential to commit violent acts, and desire for social distance from them. Participants were then asked questions, including how willing they would be to work closely with the person described in the vignette on a job, live next door to a group home for people with mental health needs, spend an evening socializing with the person, marry into their family, and have them as a friend. From 2006 to 2018, the desire for social distance related to depression decreased in every venue including work (from 47 percent in 2006 to 29 percent in 2018), socialization (from 30 percent to 15 percent), friendship (from 21 percent to 11 percent), family marriage (from 53 percent to 40 percent), and group homes (from 36 percent to 25 percent). Advertisement Advertisement But stigma overall remained at the same level for alcohol dependence (and for daily troubles, which constituted the control group) and has increased for schizophrenia in some domains. For instance, the study also asked participants about whether they thought people with schizophrenia were likely to be violent; that number rose from 54 percent in 1996 to 67 percent in 2018. Advertisement Its an imperfect way to measure stigma, but its the best thats out there. I think its a big finding, said Stephen Hinshaw, distinguished professor of psychology at the University of CaliforniaBerkeley, adding that its the first time a study has shown substantially reduced public stigma toward depression. The big question is, do attitudes lead into behavior change? We hope so, but its an unknown. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Today, we think of stigma as a form of prejudice or discrimination that can get attached to any health condition. Stigma isolates people, makes them less likely to seek help when they need it, and is associated with experiencing poorer recovery from mental illness years later. Stigma of mental health conditions has been around for centuries. For instance, during ancient times, many cultures viewed mental illness as a religious or personal problem. People with cognitive differences were treated as slaves or criminals, and in some ways, stigma was a brand to mark slaves or criminals. During the Middle Ages, people with mental disorders were similarly believed to be possessed or in need of religion. Through the 18th and 19th centuries, some people with severe mental illness were locked away in places like the famous Bedlam Hospital, where they were exposed to neglectful and deplorable conditions. During an undercover assignment at Womens Lunatic Asylum in New York, muckraking journalist Nellie Bly encountered spoiled food, undrinkable water, and rats; she also wrote that patients who were considered dangerous were tied together with ropes, and that nurses told patients to shut up and beat them if they did not listen. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement One of the first serious efforts at mental health advocacy came when activist Dorothea Dix lobbied for better living conditions for people with mental illnesses, which eventually led to the creation of state psychiatric hospitals (often referred to as asylums) in the 1920s in the U.S. At the time, the idea of the asylum was progressive, but there wasnt enough money for mental health treatment. Asylums then became places where there were insufficient staff and resources. Advocacy groups created the community mental health movement around the 1960s with the goal of shutting down the large asylums and establishing community-based care, where patients were treated in community settings rather than the more-secluded asylums. Several psychiatric medications, such as lithium and chlorpromazine (the latter of which is now marketed under the brand names Thorazine and Largactil), were developed and first used in the mid20th century. Advertisement Advertisement As these largely positive changes were happening, however, stigma toward people with mental illness living in the community did not decrease. Individuals and their families faced prejudice and discrimination. It was around this time that sociologist Erving Goffman popularized the idea of stigma around mental illness with his book Stigma: Notes on the Management of Spoiled Identity. Goffman believed psychiatric hospitals increased stigma against people with a mental illness, since they didnt enable people to lead normal lives. Advertisement Around the same time, a new, related idea was emerging. Thomas Scheff, now a professor emeritus in the Department of Sociology at University of CaliforniaSanta Barbara, created labeling theory: the idea that mental illness was not necessarily something people intrinsically had but was instead directly produced or influenced by the very act of being labeled, akin to a self-fulfilling prophecy or stereotype. Advertisement The concept of stigma finally started to develop empirically in the 1970s, including through the work of critics of labeling theory. Later, Bruce Link, a research scientist at New York State Psychiatric Institute and lecturer at Columbia University, expanded on Scheffs idea by defining the steps through which someone adopts the role of a person with a mental illness. How does this relate to stigma? Basically, Link believed that mental illnesses are more than labels, but even if a label does not directly produce a mental health condition, it can still lead to negative outcomes. These early concepts of stigma were criticized for being too vague and individually focused rather than holistic. But in the years that followed, definitions of stigma expanded to include stereotyping, separation of us from them, status loss, and discrimination. Contemporary stigma researchers also argued that stigma was a product of how the field of psychiatry was organized. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Major mental health education campaigns, although not specifically designed to be anti-stigma, were eventually launched in the late 20th and early 21st centuries. Yet people still stigmatized others with mental illnesses, thanks in part to portrayals in the media of people with serious mental illnesses as violent or dangerous. So around the late 1990s, advocates began to address the dangers of stigma specifically around by creating campaigns, especially TV commercials, that showed effective treatments for depression. The idea was that people would be more willing to disclose their mental health problems, especially to their doctors, if they believed they could get help. Similar efforts addressing schizophrenia, for instance, have lagged. Only recently have the first commercials been released. Advertisement Advertisement Bernice Pescosolido, lead author of the recent study and a distinguished professor of sociology at Indiana University, thinks that one reason weve been successful for reducing public stigma toward depressioncompared with other conditions like schizophreniais because depression is so much more common. Advertisement We havent overcome the problem yetbut nevertheless, whatever were doing in the field of depression is working. said Heather Stuart, professor in the Department of Public Health Sciences and the Department of Psychiatry and Rehabilitation Therapy at Queens University, who was not involved in the recent study. Advertisement One of the current debates about stigma is where advocates are focusing their effortsand where they should be. To date, arguably most of the focus of mental health advocacy has been on addressing self-stigma (feelings of worthlessness, self-esteem, and withdrawal from opportunities) and public stigma (social relationships, as discussed by Pescosolidos study). But now theres a new kind of stigma getting attention from researchers and advocates: structural stigma, or institutional stigma, which Pescosolido describes as policies and laws that separate people as different. Efforts to address such stigma are challenging, as they fundamentally involve changing organizations that embed stigma in their practices and may further contribute to systemic inequities. Advertisement For instance, when Pescosolido applied for Transportation Security Administration PreCheck, she was asked to disclose whether she had spent even a night in a hospital for a mental illness. The TSA PreCheck application still includes the following question: Within the past 7 years, has a court, board, commission, or other government authority determined that you, as a result of mental illness, pose a danger to yourself or to others, or that you lack the capacity to conduct or manage your own affairs or have you been involuntarily committed to an inpatient facility for mental health or psychiatric reasons? Based on the TSAs website, answering yes to this question will disqualify someone from PreCheck. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Even in the smallest ways, we have to understand how organizations embed messages and stigmatize people who are different, Pescosolido said. Advertisement Another example of structural stigma is the fact that mental health research and services are significantly underfunded or not reimbursed to the same level as other forms of research and health services are. But some mental health advocates argue that we may be overly focused on fighting stigma rather than focusing on the real battles of addressing underlying social determinants of mental health, such as increasing access to affordable housing, health care facilities, behavioral health providers, rehabilitation programs, and transportation. But its also possible to fight stigma on every level, instead of focusing on just one. Broadly, stigma is a consequence of not understanding a disease at a scientific level. Even tuberculosis and cancer were stigmatized before the causes were understood. At its core, then, fighting stigma is about helping people understand what an illnessmental or physicalis and is not. For instance, mental health conditions including schizophrenia are often wrongly associated with violence and fear. As Charles Stromeyer IV, a member of the consumer advisory board of the Massachusetts Mental Health Center Public Psychiatry Division of the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, notes that in reality, people with a mental illness are more likely to be victims rather than perpetrators of violence. Rates of violent crime would still be at 96 percent of current rates if you took out people with mental health conditions. Experts say that in addition to educationfor instance, many people dont realize that with advancements in modern treatments, many people can recover from a mental illness, whether its depression, schizophrenia, or bipolar disordercombating stigma requires empathy. As Pescosolido says, a mental health condition is like any other. Advocates have been successful in changing breast cancer, once stigmatized, into an illness that people talk about openly. With science, advocacy, evidence-based interventions, and empathy, the same can happenand in some respects, is already happeningfor mental health conditions. State of Mind is a partnership of Slate and Arizona State University that offers a practical look at our mental health systemand how to make it better. Eurovision 2022: Do Spain and the UK really have a chance of winning this year and hosting next year? The final of the Eurovision Song Contest is to be held this weekend, and there could be some upsets to the traditional order of things The Eurovision Song Contest, Europes campest, cheesiest television spectacle, is back for another year. A guilty pleasure for some and a nightmare scenario for others, the one thing you can be sure of with Eurovision is that there will be no half measures. The final will be held in Turin, Italy on Saturday May 14, and favourites to win are, perhaps unsurprisingly, Ukraine. Eurovision is nothing if not political (the UK has consistently and famously come in the bottom five nations for years now due to a certain anti-European sentiment), and this may show itself in a flood of support for Ukraine this year. Unfortunately for the war-torn country, if they do win it will mean they have to host the competition next year, something the beleaguered state is hardly in a position to do right now. Amazingly, though, Spain and the United Kingdom have risen from the doldrums of Eurovision performance to become among the other favourites to win this year. So what has happened? Spain has entered the competition this year with Chanels song SloMo, a frenetic and very typically Spanish reggaeton pop song sung in a decidedly modern Spanglish half Spanish and half English. The UK, meanwhile, has put forward TikTok influencer star Sam Ryder with the ballad Space Man, which is actually the first good song the country has produced for Eurovision in a long time. Both these candidates were actually runners-up in previous editions of Eurovision. Bookies are now expecting Spain to come in fifth place in the classic pay-per-view polls, and the UK is placing third. To find the UKs most recent success of this level, we have to go all the way back to 2009 when Jade Ewen put the British in the top five. The first semi-final was held on Tuesday May 10 and the second will be Thursday 12, while the final will be held on Saturday May 14. If you happen to be in Benidorm on that date, get down to the Plaza de la Hispanidad where there will be a massive party to watch the event live Eurovision 2023 on the Costa del Sol? In the event that Spain does win, one city on the Costa del Sol is already preparing its petition to host the competition next year. Torremolinos, Malaga plans to formally request that the city be considered to host the Eurovision Song Contest should Spain do the unthinkable on Saturday. This was announced by the citys Mayor during the presentation of Torremolinos Pride, which will take place from May 30 to June 4. Image: Eurovision.tv OLaNO claims SaS is going to quit. SaS says it's not, but Sme Rodina should. Font size: A - | A + Comments disabled The ruling coalition is once again on the edge of collapse, just a year after a major government crisis erupted after the purchase of a Russian Covid-19 vaccine and growing tensions between OLaNO leader Igor Matovic and SaS leader Richard Sulik. Skryt Remove ad Article continues after video advertisement Skryt Remove ad Article continues after video advertisement Matovic, a finance minister who was prompted last year to resign as Slovakias PM to extinguish the crisis, claims that Sulik, the countrys economy minister, will announce his party quitting from the four-party coalition on Wednesday, May 11, citing some SaS sources. We are not the ones who want to leave the government, nor are we the ones who should leave it, Sulik said in response to Matovics statement, claiming that Matovic is attempting to divert peoples attention from his recent biggest political loss. The crisis arose on May 4 after the parliament, with the blessing of then two OLaNO MPs and MPs from the coalition party of Sme Rodina, dismissed via voting a prosecutors request for the arrest of Smer MP and former triple prime minister Robert Fico, against whom several criminal charges had been pressed. OLaNO can no longer speak on the fight against corruption, Sulik said after the vote. He added that Matovics favourite coalition partner, Sme Rodina, shot down the finance ministers anti-corruption and anti-Fico battle. Sme Rodina did not betray the coalition when voting on Fico, the partys leader Boris Kollar responded, saying that his party had notified its partners that it would abstain from the vote. Unlike SaS, OLaNO and Sme Rodina do not see the vote as a tragedy because law enforcement can still act against Fico. Following Suliks criticism, Kollar and Matovic made sure to remind him that it was his party that paved the way for Ficos years-long rule in 2012 after it ignored the vote on changes to the European bailout mechanism, and the centre-right government of Iveta Radicova subsequently fell. Matovic, who served his first term as an MP after he made it to parliament on the SaS slate, did not take part in that decisive vote. But the finance ministers announced package of economic and social measures to help people cope with rising prices, disfavoured by SaS to a large degree and supported by Sme Rodina and Za Ludi, has aggravated the coalition crisis in recent days. Asked about the coalitions possible end, political analyst Grigorij Meseznikov of the non-governmental Institute for Public Affairs told The Slovak Spectator, The probability is not zero. This prospect has been around for some time, he added. Slovak universities closed more than 900 study programmes, a 1,000 more yet to shut down. Font size: A - | A + Comments disabled The changing demographic curve, the pandemic and a chance for studying abroad have impacted universities in Slovakia. Hundreds of programmes are expected to close soon. The Slovak Accreditation Agency has called on students to make sure their programmes will open next academic year, the Korzar daily reported. The Comenius University in Bratislava, the biggest and oldest university in Slovakia, has alone closed about 200 programmes, followed by the University in Presov with nearly 200 programmes and Matej Bel University in Banska Bystrica with 150 study programmes. Skryt Remove ad Article continues after video advertisement Skryt Remove ad Article continues after video advertisement The ongoing situation with the student shortage at universities started to accelerate two years ago. Closing study programmes less likely to gain students and seen as not having prospects is a natural process, university administrations say. "More than half of the universities have sent an overview of the programmes they are keeping," Robert Redhammer, head of the executive board of the accreditation agency, told Korzar. Based on the data they provided, the agency estimates that about one third of all programmes will be scrapped by this September, compared to September 2020, when schools were offering the largest number of study programmes in recorded history. This means that so far, 900 study programmes have been scrapped at Slovak universities and the agency expects the number to grow by another 1,000 before the start of the next academic year, Korzar noted. Closing programmes a delicate issue Finance Minister Igor Matovic not right about last week's prediction about the collapse of the coalition (for now). A legendary Bratislava canteen may disappear. Font size: A - | A + Comments disabled Good evening. The Wednesday, May 11 edition of Today in Slovakia is ready with the main news of the day in less than five minutes. For the coalition, it is crisis time again Last week, Finance Minister Igor Matovic (OLaNO) claimed the SaS party would leave the coalition on May 11 over a disagreement concerning financial aid for families affected by rising prices. (Source: TASR) The ruling coalition is once again on the edge of collapse, just a year after a major government crisis erupted following the purchase of a Russian Covid-19 vaccine, and growing tensions between OLaNO leader Igor Matovic and SaS leader Richard Sulik. Skryt Remove ad Article continues after video advertisement Skryt Remove ad Article continues after video advertisement The crisis arose on May 4 after the parliament, with the blessing of then two OLaNO MPs and MPs from the coalition party of Sme Rodina, dismissed via voting a prosecutors request for the arrest of Smer MP and former triple prime minister Robert Fico, against whom several criminal charges had been pressed. But the finance ministers announced package of economic and social measures to help people cope with rising prices, disfavoured by SaS to a large degree and supported by Sme Rodina, has aggravated the coalition crisis in recent days. Asked about the coalitions possible end, political analyst Grigorij Meseznikov of the non-governmental Institute for Public Affairs told The Slovak Spectator, the probability is not zero. Update: Minister Matovic will give the SaS party one more week to change its mind and support the coalitions package of measures that is supposed to help families affected by surging prices, the minister announced. He plans to obtain money for the package from higher taxes for firms that have a competitive advantage and profits over 3 million. Quote: We do not want to be just three coalition parties (OLaNO, Sme Rodina, Za Ludi) that want to help families at the end of the day and one coalition party (SaS) that wants to fight for oligarchs, rich people and rich companies, Minister Matovic said on May 11. One-off allowance: Allowances for foster parents, people in material need, allowances for carers and for personal assistants should be hiked by 100 for May. If Fico returns, just leave the country Tom Nicholson. (Source: SME - Marko Erd) Thirty years have passed and the state still treats a politician suspect differently than an ordinary citizen, opines former journalist TOM NICHOLSON. He visited Slovakia again recently and in an interview he mentioned the negativity he felt from Slovaks. In recent months, the increasingly coarse language of politicians has been a topic. Do you think the times of Jan Slota have returned? On the contrary, I think it never disappeared from Slovak society. I realised this when I returned to Slovakia this time. I was walking down the streets and I saw abrasiveness everywhere. It is something that Slovaks living abroad also tell me about. They do not want to return to Slovakia because of how negative people here are. Wasn't it worse in the past? I can't say that, this is what I feel now. You have created a society that is difficult to live in. There is little patience, helpfulness, and people are literally angry. Is it different in Canada? Of course, Canada has its problems. People there are cold, formal, and do not build deep relationships with each other. However, the difference is that in Slovakia you walk down a street and see a hundred angry disgusted people staring at you and you don't know what to expect. Moreover, many have told me that they want to leave. Nobody has said Slovakia is nice and that they are looking forward to living in it. PHOTO FOR WEDNESDAY Summer is approaching Kosice has started to prepare for the summer season. A man is cleaning a local outdoor swimming pool. (Source: TASR) If you like what we are doing and want to support good journalism, buy our online subscription. Thank you. IN OTHER NEWS Weather forecast for Thursday: partly cloudy, occasional showers or storms expected in northern and eastern Slovakia, 24C-31C. partly cloudy, occasional showers or storms expected in northern and eastern Slovakia, 24C-31C. Poland could start guarding Slovakias airspace as of summer or early autumn, Defence Minister Jaroslav Nad (OLANO) said. or early autumn, Defence Minister Jaroslav Nad (OLANO) said. The Russian gas and oil supply situation is stable , Economy Minister Richard Sulik (SaS) said. , Economy Minister Richard Sulik (SaS) said. 2,437 Ukrainian refugees arrived in Slovakia via the Slovak-Ukrainian border on May 10, and 232 applied for temporary protection. President Zuzana Caputova and Polish President Andrzej Duda plan to visit the leaders of the countries, especially in western Europe, with a more restrained attitude towards Ukraine becoming an EU candidate country. Caputova met with Duda at the Presidential Palace in Bratislava on May 11. (Source: TASR) The Pipi Dlha Pancucha (Pippi Longstocking) Scholarship Fund will award scholarships to Ukrainian secondary school and university students who fled to Slovakia from war-torn Ukraine. who fled to Slovakia from war-torn Ukraine. The government approved the countrys cyber defence strategy put together by the Defence Ministry. The document reads that Slovakia might face a cyber attack that has the potential to cause damage comparable to the consequences of armed attacks. put together by the Defence Ministry. The document reads that Slovakia might face a cyber attack that has the potential to cause damage comparable to the consequences of armed attacks. Slovakia registered 443 new Covid-19 cases on May 10. Eight people died of the coronavirus on that day. on May 10. Eight people died of the coronavirus on that day. Most gorges in Slovak Paradise National Park are closed due to elevated water levels. Tourists will only have access to the Prielom Hornadu, Klastorska and Zejmarska gorges, but they should reconsider their trips even to these areas. FEATURE STORY FOR WEDNESDAY Will flats replace a popular Bratislava cafeteria? Only a few restaurant businesses in Bratislava can be considered immortal. Jedalen u Orbana (Orbans Canteen) is one of them. Jedalen u Orbana does not pretend to be something that it is not. In a way, it offers a trip back to the times of communism. (Source: Sme/Jozef Jakubco) Differences blur at this particular place. Not everyone will be interested in dropping in but still, a blue-collar worker and a top manager can be found sitting next to each other having lunch. Jedalen u Orbana does not pretend to be something it is not. In a way, it offers a trip back to the times of communism. People eating at the small restaurant accept its old-fashionedness and praise its authenticity, which is completed by the staff who look at customers reproachfully when they do not take soup with the main meal. Nevertheless, the future of this classic tackaren (a food facility in which the customer carries a meal on a plastic tray to their table) is uncertain. A new real estate project, which involves the construction of flats, could take the place of the small restaurant on Maly Trh Street. More on Spectator.sk OPINION OPINION The world if Zelensky had taken the ride, not ammunition Read more CULTURE CULTURE Hundreds of museums and galleries across Slovakia open their doors this weekend Read more NEWS NEWS Hundreds of study programmes cease to exist. Universities lack students and professors Read more If you have suggestions on how this news overview can be improved, you can reach us at editorial@spectator.sk. Concerted efforts from multiple authorities in supporting value-added tax (VAT) credit refunds to businesses will play a critical role for the country's smaller businesses facing strong headwinds, and are expected to tide them through challenging times, officials and experts said. Wang Daoshu, deputy commissioner of the State Taxation Administration, said at a news briefing on Tuesday that in April, some 801.5 billion yuan ($119.2 billion) of the newly increased VAT credits have been refunded to taxpayers. Combined with refunds generated from the previous tax refund policies in the first quarter, the total amount of tax refunds from January to April reached 924.8 billion yuan. Their role in helping enterprises and alleviating business burdens has made initial impacts. It was noted in this year's Government Work Report in March that this year, tax and fee reductions will continue to work as an important measure to help businesses and support the economy. It said that VAT credit refunds will reach 1.5 trillion yuan this year and will all go straight to enterprises. Jia Ronge, an official from the State Taxation Administration, said on Tuesday that small- and micro-sized businesses have been the major recipients and beneficiaries of this round of VAT credit refunds. "Smaller businesses are large in number and cover wide sectors, and are also the country's major job creators. They are the key driving force of growth and an important source of innovation," he said. "Yet they also tend to be vulnerable to risk. We expect the tax refunds will be timely help for them to tackle issues amid current liquidity difficulties and overcome them at this challenging time." Among all recipients of the tax refunds in April, the number of small and micro-sized businesses came in at 1.395 million, making up 96.1 percent of the total, according to the news briefing. It was announced at the Tuesday briefing that ensuring sizable tax cuts and refunds this year will be forcefully delivered, a coordination mechanism that covers the Ministry of Finance, the State Taxation Administration and the People's Bank of China, the central bank, has been established under the approval of the State Council, the nation's Cabinet. Dong Huajie, director of the State Treasury Bureau of the PBOC, said that the central bank has made particular efforts to support the tax refund move. Since the start of the year, the PBOC has provided 800 billion yuan in surplus profit to central finance, and the total amount of profits handed over from the PBOC will exceed 1.1 trillion yuan for this year. "Handing the 800 billion yuan in profit from the PBOC is equivalent to cutting the reserve requirement ratio for banks by 0.4 percentage point. Incorporated with other monetary policy actions, this will help to keep liquidity at a sufficient and reasonable level," he said. He added that such funding will help build a solid funding foundation for the tax refunds, as it will directly enhance fiscal capacity and therefore better energize market players. He Daixin, deputy director of the financial research office of the National Academy of Economic Strategy of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said that surplus profits handed over by the central bank are of critical importance this year. He said the move will directly enhance central fiscal capacity, increase effective fiscal spending under budget, and therefore contribute notably to steady growth. China's largest private carmaker Geely Auto said on Tuesday that it is buying a 34.02 percent stake in French auto manufacturer Renault Group's subsidiary in South Korea for about $207 million, as part of its efforts to explore overseas markets. The purchase reflects the two companies' "strong confidence in the South Korean market's strong potential", they said in a joint statement on Tuesday. Renault will remain the majority shareholder in the subsidiary called Renault Korea Motors. South Korea is the world's fifth-largest car-producing country. Last year, it produced 3.46 million vehicles, with 1.62 million vehicles exported, according to the country's Automobile Manufacturers Association. Geely and Renault said they will introduce new products to the subsidiary to grow its market share in the local market, which has long been dominated by Hyundai and Kia, and explore export opportunities as well. The move came after Geely Auto's parent company Geely Holding Group and Renault inked a deal earlier this year to produce hybrid vehicles and conventional gasoline-fueled vehicles in South Korea. The models will be built based on Compact Modular Architecture, developed by Geely's research facility in Sweden. The group's other brands, including Lynk & Co and Volvo, use the CMA as well. Renault will primarily contribute its expertise in design and customer experience. The vehicles will be produced at the current Renault Korea Motors facility in Busan, South Korea, with volume production forecast to begin in 2024, and will be marketed via its local dealership network. Analysts say the deal with such a global carmaker as Renault is a sign of Geely Auto's technological competitiveness. The French company has five brands, including the flagship Renault name as well as Dacia and Lada. It sold 2.7 million vehicles in 2021. It also has an alliance with Japanese carmakers Nissan and Mitsubishi Motors. Geely Auto's deal with Renault also marks the latest step for the Chinese carmaker in its globalization campaign and may facilitate the entry of its brands into European markets. Lynk & Co, Geely Auto's premium marque brand, has set up showrooms in countries including Sweden. Headquartered in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, Geely Holding is one of the most successful Chinese carmakers in terms of a global footprint since it acquired Volvo from Ford in 2010. It has a joint venture with Mercedes, owns London Electric Vehicle Co as well as a majority stake in British carmaker Lotus. It has also helped rejuvenate Malaysian carmaker Proton, in which it bought a 49.9 percent stake in 2017. Earlier this year, Geely Auto's electric brand Zeekr partnered with Waymo to develop an electric vehicle model for the Alphabet subsidiary's robotaxi fleet in the United States. The model is being designed and developed at Zeekr's research and development facility in Gothenburg, Sweden. When they are delivered, Waymo will integrate its fully autonomous solutions into the vehicles. Geely Holding as a group sold over 2.2 million vehicles in 2021, with Volvo sales reaching 698,693 units globally and Geely Auto delivering 1.33 million units. Geely Auto is planning to launch 13 models this year, most of which will be hybrids and electric vehicles, which will help it to achieve a sales goal of 1.65 million units this year, up 24 percent from 2021. Beijing reported 59 new locally transmitted COVID-19 infections between 3 p.m. Monday and 3 p.m. Tuesday, said local authorities during a press conference held Tuesday. The new cases were mainly detected among personnel under closed-off management. Only one new infection was found during the infected individual's visit to a local hospital, said Pang Xinghuo, deputy head of the Beijing municipal disease prevention and control center, during the conference. The latest cluster of infections in the city's Shunyi District has seen 28 people test positive for the novel coronavirus so far, according to Pang. However, as the cluster was detected in its early stage, Beijing has taken effective control measures to curb the spread and the overall epidemic situation is generally under control, said Pang. Live racing returns to Eldorado Scioto Downs on Thursday, May 12 at 3:15 p.m. The first draw is now complete and of note is a new Pick-8 wager, starting in race two. The wager will have a guaranteed pool of $25,000, backed by a partnership between Scioto Downs and the Ohio Harness Horsemens Association (OHHA). It is a unique wager that I dont believe we have ever seen in harness racing, said Gabe Prewitt, Caesars Director of Racing. In a sport that routinely has a 40+ percent of winning favourites, the guarantee allows fans to have a shot at a home run score if they are successful. The $1 minimum wager with 15 percent takeout will have a 50 percent carryover net pool into the following day with a 50 percent consolation payout to best ticket. The Superfecta, Super High Five, Pick 3, Pick 4 and Pick 5 will continue to have 100 percent carryover net pool into the next race with that wager. The 20-cent Players Pick 5 has the lowest track takeout at 14 percent. Opening day, with a 15-race program, will have a Pick 4 starting in races one and 10; the Pick 8 starting in race two; a Pick 3 starting in races three, seven and 12 and a Super High Five in races four, nine and 15. Free programs will be available for each live racing day the evening after scratch time on the Scioto Downs website. Program pages will also be available for all qualifying cards. The 90-day live racing season starting on Thursday, May 12 will continue through Saturday, Sept. 17. All live racing days will have a 3:15 p.m. first post. (Scioto Downs) Approximately 200 twelfth-graders from Culpeper County High School, Eastern View High School and Culpeper Technical Education Center participated in the public school systems Senior Job Fair April 13, and dozens came away with the prospect of paid work. The third annual event CCPS has hosted with Virginia Career Works attracted 30 businesses that were impressed by the professionalism of the students, the caliber of their technical training, and the strong workforce partnerships being built in Culpeper, said Marty Bywaters-Baldwin, Director of Workforce Services for Rappahannock Goodwill at the Virginia Career Works Culpeper Center. Its exciting to be at CTEC and watch the spark of young careers being launched, Beth Lane, CCHS Business and Marketing teacher said. This years event held at CTEC was the perfect location to promote work. CCPS Career and Technical Education Director, Randi Richards-Lutz, explained that the Senior Job Fair gives students a real-life opportunity to apply what they have learned in the Economics and Personal Finance class. This class, required for all students, gives them an opportunity to prepare their resume and cover letters. In addition, through the Career Partners, Inc. Mock Interview program, they practice interviewing skills. At the senior job fair, they put all of those skills together in a real-world job fair experience. Students had an opportunity to meet with potential employers to discuss internships, summer jobs, and full-time careers. EVHS Business and Marketing teacher Ainsley Cockerille was among the co-organizers. The senior job fair is one of the many rewarding parts of our jobs, she said. This event allows us to see all of our students hard work, and workplace readiness skills they have acquired in CTE courses in action as they prepare for the next chapter in their lives. So far, local businesses who participated have hired 34 students to work for them as a direct result of the event, and others are still interviewing. This Thursday, May 12, CCPS will celebrate students who have been hired from the senior job fair, in addition to students who are going into the workforce, military academies, and the military at the third annual CTE signing day at CTEC. The final resting place of a notable Confederate general born in Culpeper remains up in the air, and it may not be with his family here, as had originally been suggested. The grave of Ambrose Powell Hill Jr. (1825-1865) currently rests with his monument at the intersection of Laburnum Avenue and Hermitage Road in Richmond. Surviving family members at first considered reinterring his remains in the Town of Culpepers Fairview Cemetery, where Hills mother, father and other relatives are buried. But the Town has had no updates other than notification of Richmond City Councils recent vote to take down the statue, the last statue of a Confederate in the former capital of the Confederacy. Culpeper Town Clerk Ashley Clatterbuck said on Monday the last communication the town had with a Richmond funeral home regarding the matter of Hills remains was in January. A couple of plots had been purchased in Culpepers Fairview Cemetery, where the Confederate leaders family is buried. The last I heard they were hoping to do it in April but April has come and gone, she said of reinterring the remains. There has never been a request to locate the large monument of Hill to Fairview, according to town administration. It would be too big for what is normally allowed in the cemetery, town officials said earlier this year. A former plantation site in Culpeper County had agreed to accept the remains and the monument, town officials said. If the family does decide to proceed with placing the remains in the Culpeper cemetery, the same procedures would apply as for modern-day burials. They will follow our policy of filling out the burial form, have to pay for the opening and closing of it just like any other funeral, Clatterbuck said. Hill grew up in the still-standing house at the corner of Main and Davis streets in downtown Culpeper. He died April 2, 1865 outside of Petersburg. A.P. Hill was Gen. Robert E. Lees most trusted lieutenant, best known for leading his Light Division in headlong charges. Hill was third in seniority in the Army of Northern Virginia at the time of his death, killed on the last day of the siege of Petersburg. Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Newcomer Michael Blue emerged from a crowded field Tuesday to become the new Republican candidate for District I of the Scotts Bluff County Board of Commissioners. Blue won the race with 339 votes. Incumbent Mark Reichert, who was running for a third term, came in second with 254 votes. Trailing them were challengers Nancy Bentley, Rex Wilson, Timothy Reichert and Clint Riesen. First time, feels great, Blue, a former Scotts Bluff County employee, said. This will be his first time holding public office. I feel proud of our citizens who went out and voted and expressed their confidence in me ... I dont want to let them down. Blue said hed strive for open communication between the commissioners, department heads, county employees and the general public. He cited that need for open dialogue as his main reason for running. Were all a team and we need to think like a team for the betterment of this county, he said. Also advancing were incumbent commissioners Charlie Knapper from District III and Mark Harris from District V. Both Republican candidates were seeking their second four-year term. Kind of my approach to the whole thing is to treat it like a job, Knapper said. He defeated challenger Tim Beamon with 610 votes to Beamons 327, according to preliminary results released Tuesday night. Knapper currently serves on the Nebraska Association of County Officials. He said he ran a fiscally conservative campaign with a strong focus on lowering property taxes. We have to bring the levy down. We want to keep property tax askings flat, if not decrease what the county wants to operate on, he said. Knapper said he would keep an open door policy for concerns about county operations. Harris told the Star-Herald, I certainly am honored that the voters elected me again ... I think I still have lots of things I hope to do and accomplish. He also said he wanted to lower property taxes and run the county conservatively. He said he was in support of forming partnerships and fostering cooperation with other local entities. Harris won against challengers Jessica Laughlin and Kellian Strey, attaining 507 of the 890 votes cast. Blue, Knapper and Harris will still advance to the general election on Nov. 8. However, since no candidates from other political parties ran for their positions, they will most likely be unopposed unless there is a write-in campaign. Blues District I covers the eastern part of Scotts Bluff County. Knappers District III covers most of Gering, save for the southeastern-most portion. Harris District V includes the northern portion of Scottsbluff, mainly above 20th Street. In other county races, Register of Deeds incumbent Jean Bauer bested challenger Angie Hernandez during Tuesdays primary election. Bauer, a six-time incumbent, won the race with 2,646 votes compared to Hernandezs 1,244. In candidate surveys and forums prior to the election, Bauer said she would promote additional e-recording if elected again and strive for more efficient record keeping. She said she would help to improve the countys website as well. She could not be reached for comments in time for publication. In the County Surveyor race, incumbent Dennis Sullivan beat former surveyor and current challenger Scott Bosse in a close race. Sullivan won re-election with 1,793 votes compared to Bosses 1,652. Sullivan said it feels good to win a second term and that he will continue to work for more accountable county maps. Submit Your News We're always interested in hearing about news in our community. Let us know what's going on! Go to form Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. A future of leading the City of Gering is one step closer as Kent Ewing and Eldon Hubbard advance to the general election for consideration of the communitys next mayor. The communitys leaders also saw an instrumental vote with the passage of an increased sales tax for infrastructure projects. Im very humbled by the City of Gering, Kent Ewing said. Im glad theyve taken an interest, and the best is yet to come. Ewing, who scored the most votes with 725 out of 1,062, said that with the primary behind him, it is time to get serious about Gerings future, which will start with the infrastructure projects that will now be moving forward with the passing of Proposition 1. That right there helps out the City of Gering with the infrastructure, so that is one thing we will continue to try and gain on, he said. That was one of the main priorities was the infrastructure in the City of Gering; weve got to get caught up on this stuff and those projects that theyve designated, so now we have that timeline in which to get that done. So, were going to be talking about that a little bit more. Current Mayor Tony Kaufman said he was pleased with the passing of the half-cent sales tax, as it showed that the citizens of Gering want to invest in the community. We were very excited. The voters can see the benefit of what this tool will allow the community to do, he said. Weve always had a great community that is very visionary and really sees what these investments will do for our community in positioning it for success for the future. Kaufman attributed the success of Proposition 1 on the primary ballot to the committee that advocated for it. I have to give total credit to our staff, and our community-minded committee that really took a grassroots effort to educate our community on what the projects were going to be and what the benefits for investment into our community are going to be for years to come. Now that the sales tax increase has been passed by voters, Kaufman said the next step will be to work with staff and engineers to begin designing the infrastructure projects and getting them out to bid. With a plan in place to fund the needed infrastructure projects for the city, Ewing said the other issues on his mind include creating new business opportunities within the community. Theres a lot of little projects, he said, but theres also the main projects with the infrastructure and also working with the racetrack officials and the legislature and trying to get some of this stuff approached and try to negotiate out some terms. Hubbard, who will advance to the general election after beating Ben Backus, a current city councilman, 497 to 304, was not available for comment as of publication. Submit Your News We're always interested in hearing about news in our community. Let us know what's going on! Go to form State Sen. Tony Vargas will take on incumbent Republican Rep. Don Bacon in the race for Nebraska's 2nd Congressional District. Vargas held a commanding 2-to-1 advantage over mental health therapist Alisha Shelton Tuesday night in the Democratic primary. Vargas entered his election night party to a standing ovation from his supporters and "My Shot" from the musical "Hamilton" playing in the background. The state senator thanked Shelton, and said his primary opponent "has an extremely bright future ahead of her." Vargas seeks to become the first Democrat to hold the 2nd District seat since the late Brad Ashford, who was elected in 2014 before being ousted by Bacon in 2016. If elected, Vargas would also become the first person of color elected to the seat. On the Republican side, Bacon cruised to victory in the primary over political newcomer Steve Kuehl in his quest for a fourth term in Congress. Bacon is a retired brigadier general in the U.S. Air Force. Kuehl had received a shoutout from former President Donald Trump when Trump visited Nebraska earlier this month. Trump had previously called for someone to run against Bacon. "I am grateful to Republican voters of the 2nd district for once again trusting me especially during a time of hyper partisanship, vitriol, gridlock," Bacon said in a statement Tuesday night. In a speech to supporters on Tuesday night, Vargas talked about his parents, who he described as hardworking immigrants from Peru who moved to the United States because they believed in the American Dream. Vargas said that example is why he became a teacher and why he got into politics so he can give to others what his parents gave to him. "You have to fight for other people," Vargas said. "That's how this works. That's how community works." Vargas said things are getting harder for middle class families as they struggle to afford their groceries, gasoline and child care. He said the 2nd District needs a congressman who stands up for those families. Heading into Tuesday's primary, Vargas had several advantages over Shelton including more money and more name recognition after holding elected office for nearly a decade. Throughout his campaign, Vargas has touted his experience as a public school teacher, his time on the Omaha Public Schools board and his voting record in the Nebraska Legislature as the reason voters should choose him to run against Bacon. Vargas was elected to represent District 7 in the Legislature in 2016 and was reelected in 2020. In Tuesday's election, some voters were voting in new congressional districts after redistricting was done last year. The 2nd District now includes Saunders County, western Sarpy County and all of Douglas County, including Omaha. 3rd Congressional District Incumbent Rep. Adrian Smith beat Mike Calhoun in the Republican primary and will advance to the general election. Smith has served in Congress since 2007 and previously served two terms in the Nebraska Legislature. On the Democratic side, David J. Else and Daniel M. Wik were in a close race. Mark Elworth Jr. is running unopposed as a Legal Marijuana NOW candidate and advanced to the general election. The report includes material from the Associated Press. Submit Your News We're always interested in hearing about news in our community. Let us know what's going on! Go to form A Chinese government spokesperson on Wednesday warned the U.S. government against moves that deviate from the one-China principle. Zhu Fenglian, a spokesperson for the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, made the remarks in response to a recent update to the "Taiwan fact sheet" displayed on the website of the U.S. Department of State, which removed wording on not supporting "Taiwan independence" and acknowledging China's position that Taiwan is part of China. Zhu said some people in the Taiwan region are playing up this issue, in an attempt to garner U.S. support for independence. "Such a move will not change the fact that Taiwan is a part of China." She also urged the U.S. government to adhere to the one-China principle and comply with the stipulations of the three China-U.S. joint communiques with concrete actions. Sen. Mike Flood of Norfolk and Sen. Patty Pansing Brooks of Lincoln won their party nominations for eastern Nebraska's 1st District House seat Tuesday, setting the stage for a pair of upcoming battles between the two state senators. They already are scheduled to meet in a special election June 28 to serve the final six months of former Republican Rep. Jeff Fortenberry's term in office and now will battle again in November after winning Tuesday's nominations to serve the following two-year term. Pansing Brooks, a Democrat, and Flood, a Republican, were earlier chosen by their party governing bodies as nominees for the special election that will temporarily fill the House seat vacated by the resignation of Fortenberry following his conviction on charges of lying to the FBI about illegal foreign campaign contributions to his 2016 reelection campaign. Flood, who returned to the Legislature in 2021 after previously holding office as a state senator for two terms from 2005 to 2013 and serving as Speaker of the Legislature for six years, is in the midst of a four-year legislative term. If he is elected to the House in the special election, his legislative seat would be filled by a new state senator appointed by Gov. Pete Ricketts. Pansing Brooks will complete her second four-year term at the end of the year and a new state senator representing Lincoln's District 28 will be elected in November to serve a four-year term. If she is elected to Congress in June, the governor presumably could appoint a successor to serve the remaining six months of her legislative term. Flood is an attorney and founder of News Channel Nebraska, a statewide media network that he formed after originally owning and operating radio stations in eastern Nebraska. Pansing Brooks is also an attorney and has focused her legislative efforts on justice and human rights issues. Because of election preparation deadlines, Fortenberry's name remained on Tuesday's ballot. In metropolitan Omaha's competitive 2nd District, Sen. Tony Vargas won the Democratic nomination to challenge three-term Republican Rep. Don Bacon in the general election. Vargas represents South Omaha's largely Latino District 7 in the Legislature. Reach the writer at 402-473-7248 or dwalton@journalstar.com. On Twitter @LJSdon Submit Your News We're always interested in hearing about news in our community. Let us know what's going on! Go to form Updated 10:25 p.m. The hotly contested race for the Republican nomination for governor was decided earlier than many expected. In a crowded field of Republicans, Jim Pillen surged to the lead for the first time in results updated at 9:35 p.m., and at 10:25, the Associated Press called the race. Pillen, a University of Nebraska regent and pork producer from Columbus, will face state Sen. Carol Blood of Bellevue, the Democratic nominee, in the general election. By 10:30 p.m., Pillen had 33.4% of early returns to 28.7% for Charles Herbster, a difference of 8,100 votes. Brett Lindstrom, who had led from the first release of results on Tuesday evening, was at 27.7%. With Nebraska voters as well as national political pundits watching, state election officials revealed the initial results shortly after polls closed at 8 p.m. and updated totals every few minutes. The results at 10:30 p.m. included 169,500 votes cast by Republicans in the governor's race, or more than half of the expected turnout. In counties where voting was complete by 10 p.m., Pillen had carried 22 counties compared to 15 for Herbster and none for Lindstrom. Pillen's apparent victory was due in part to strong support in rural areas of the state that were big supporters of President Donald Trump in the 2020 presidential election. Trump has endorsed Herbster and came to the state on May 1 in support of the cattle producer and businessman from Falls City. But Herbster, once considered the front-runner, saw his campaign rocked last month by accusations that he had improperly touched or groped a number of women. Tuesday's results were an indication of how much voters weighed the allegations against Herbster and turned to Pillen, who is backed by Gov. Pete Ricketts. Lindstrom, who is completing his eighth and final year in the Legislature, had hoped for a tight split among the three leading vote-getters. The Republican nominee will face Blood, who picked up 89.3% of Tuesday's primary votes and was quickly declared the winner by The Associated Press. House of Representatives Early returns on Tuesday validated what most people already assumed, that the next several months will be filled with Mike Flood challenging Patty Pansing Brooks to replace Jeff Fortenberry as Nebraska's 1st District representative. Both state senators, Flood pulled in 75.4% of early GOP returns, with Pansing Brooks picked by 89.2% of Democrats. They advance to the general election in November, but they will first square off in a general election in June to determine who will fill out the remainder of Fortenberry's current term. As expected, Republican incumbents Don Bacon (District 2) and Adrian Smith (District 3) easily advanced through Tuesday's primary. Bacon will face state Sen. Tony Vargas of Omaha, who won the Democratic nomination on Tuesday. State offices Secretary of State Bob Evnen appeared headed for a second term, leading a contested Republican race on Tuesday. There are no Democrats in the field. This is a developing story. Stay with JournalStar.com for updates. Submit Your News We're always interested in hearing about news in our community. Let us know what's going on! Go to form The primary races for four Nebraska state offices birthed no major surprises Tuesday night, according to the latest vote tally available prior to press deadline. Two of those races featured incumbents seeking reelection, and in both of those contests the current office holder jumped out to a commanding lead. That included the race for secretary of state, where only one party fielded candidates, meaning the winner of the primary will effectively be the next secretary of state. In the other two races, the apparent Republican front-runners based on fundraising and name recognition from prior offices held garnered an overwhelming number of votes. All four of the offices are partisan, meaning the top vote-getter in each party advances to the November general election. No Democrats ran in the four races. Secretary of State Incumbent Bob Evnen appeared headed to a second term in office Tuesday. Only three Republicans ran for the seat, which means the winner of the GOP primary will be the next secretary of state. Evnen, of Lincoln, was first elected to the post in 2018. Prior to that, he worked as an attorney. He supports requiring identification to vote, but has rejected claims of fraud in Nebraska during the 2020 election, explaining that his office investigated various claims and did not find evidence to support them. Both of his Republican challengers, Rex Schroder of Palmyra and Robert J. Borer of Lincoln, leaned heavily into the fraud claims. Evnen received nearly 48% of the vote in the latest tally available prior to press deadline. Borer, a retired fire captain, had nearly 30% of the vote, while Schroder, a business owner, had a little more than 22%. The Secretary of States Office oversees a number of different areas including elections, records management and business registrations, among others. Attorney General State Sen. Mike Hilgers of Lincoln held a sizeable lead in the two-way Republican race to succeed Attorney General Doug Peterson, who is not seeking a third term in the office. Hilgers, speaker of the Legislature, unsuccessfully ran for attorney general in 2014. He was elected to the Legislature in 2016 and won reelection in 2020. Fellow Republican Jennifer Hicks of Peru trailed Hilgers (32% to 68%) in the most recently available vote tally Tuesday night. Hicks, a homeschool parent, ran on a platform opposing COVID-19 mandates, including mask and vaccine requirements. Hilgers, should his lead hold, would face Larry Bolinger of the Legal Marijuana NOW Party, who ran unopposed for the partys nomination. Bolinger, of Alliance, is an author who has run for other elected offices in the past. The Attorney Generals Office acts as the de facto law firm for the state, with different divisions ranging from criminal and civil law to consumer protection. Treasurer Incumbent John Murante of Omaha appeared headed to victory in a two-way Republican primary race for treasurer. He received nearly 60% of the vote in the latest round of vote tallies. Murante, who previously served in the Legislature representing a Gretna-area district, was first elected treasurer in 2018. He faced a challenge from fellow Republican Paul Anderson of Omaha. Anderson had a little more than 40% of the vote. If his lead holds, Murante would face Libertarian Katrina Tomsen, who ran unopposed in the primary. Tomsen, of Upland, is an optometrist. The treasurer is the chief financial officer for the state government. The office offers college savings plans, seeks to return unclaimed property to citizens and handles child support payments. Auditor Current Lt. Gov. Mike Foley of Lincoln was poised for victory in a two-candidate Republican primary race for the office he held before becoming lieutenant governor. Foley served as auditor of public accounts from 2007 to 2015. He unsuccessfully ran for governor in 2014 but was ultimately selected as Gov. Pete Ricketts' running mate. As auditor, Foley was known for his curt criticism when audits detected wasteful spending. Foley held an insurmountable lead (72% to 28%) over fellow Lincoln Republican Larry Anderson, a certified public accountant with the University of Nebraska. Gene Siadek of Omaha ran unopposed as a Libertarian, as did Legalize Marijuana NOW Party candidate L. Leroy Lopez of Cortland. Those two and Foley will advance to the November general election. Auditor Charlie Janssen is not seeking reelection. The State Auditors Office is tasked with conducting regular audits of state operations, as well as special audits into alleged fraud and other wrongdoing. Submit Your News We're always interested in hearing about news in our community. Let us know what's going on! Go to form ABINGDON, Va. Mans best friend tends to make everything a little better even for children who are learning to read. A dozen children gathered at the Washington County Public Library earlier this month for a new program that allows youth to practice reading to certified therapy dogs. The program, Book Bark, is designed to help emergent readers build literary skills and confidence while reading aloud. The program is recommended for emergent readers ages 5 through 8. The Book Bark program will be offered at the Abingdon library at 4 p.m. on the fourth Thursday of every month. The next event will be Thursday, May 26. Five-year-old Alice Araya Sanders, dressed in a yellow dress for the occasion, read one of her favorite books, Tickle Monster, to Marci, a Cavalier King Charles mix therapy dog owned by Jane Toothman. I like reading the books to the dogs. It made me feel happy, said the youth. Even though she cant read yet, the program helps Alice use her imagination and memory. And she loves dogs, said her grandmother, Jeanette Sanders of Abingdon, who retired as an educator at Rhea Valley Elementary. Alice also was accompanied by her mother, Raksanne Sanders. We were very pleased with the outcome, said Toothman, who brought her therapy dog, Marci, to the library to read to the youth. Toothman was joined by her friends Harriet Ray, who owns Shadow, a Labradoodle, and Lynn Greer, who has Skye, an English golden retriever. The local dog owners are members of the Alliance of Therapy Dogs, a national therapy dog organization that provides testing, certification, registration, support and insurance for members. The group was looking for more opportunities to work with children when Toothman reached out to the Abingdon library about forming the new program. Toothman, Ray and Greer, each certified members individually, often travel together for regular visits with their therapy dogs to Johnston Memorial Hospital, Blue Mountain Therapy and Blue Mountain Therapy Childcare, both in Abingdon. Their therapy dogs also visit with Emory & Henry College students twice a month during the school year for Furry Friday, when students drop by the library to destress with the pets. During the recent event held in the library conference room, the children were matched with the furry friends who settled in to listen to a good book read by their new young friends. Gemma Viers, 5, brought her little sister, Stella Viers, 3, to the reading event. The twosome read to Skye. The dogs sat contentedly as the children sounded out words and at times read with expression in their voices. The dogs sat and listened, never correcting or interrupting. The dog owners agreed that the beauty of the program is that the therapy dogs are not judgmental if the child misses a word. They just love to listen and be with the children, they said. Aimee Haslam, youth service coordinator, said the mission of the program is to help the children gain greater confidence as readers while engaging with the therapy dogs. We are happy with the turnout for our first event. We had a dozen guests and hope even more kids will join us next time. According to Toothman, dogs that have good temperaments and get along well with other dogs and people can make good therapy dogs. Local representatives of Alliance of Therapy Dogs evaluate potential therapy dogs by observing the owner and dog in situations such as noisy public stores and meeting new people and dogs. The tests are designed to ensure the owner and their dogs have a good relationship with each other and that the dog has the right temperament for therapy dog work. To learn more about Alliance of Therapy Dogs, visit the website at www.therapydogs.com. Messages sent to the website are transferred to local representatives. Carolyn R. Wilson is a freelance writer in Glade Spring, Virginia. Contact her at news@washconews.com. A New York man accused of illegally bringing rattlesnakes into Tennessee nearly five years ago is ready to stand trial in Sullivan County. Longtime rattlesnake wrangler David Richardson, owner of the traveling West Texas Rattlesnake Show, was cited in June 2017 by the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA) for possessing wildlife without a permit and for violating state law in the housing and transportation of the venomous snakes. Richardson was in Sullivan County to perform at the Bristol Fair when he was cited. Now, the Syracuse, New York resident, who believes he is innocent, is ready to face a jury trial later this month after denying multiple plea bargains and demanding a jury trial, he said. Theyre not going to make a criminal out of Rattlesnake Dave, Richardson said. Im not a criminal, and I did not break the law. In February 2018, a grand jury indicted Richardson, now 75 years old, and brought on an additional charge for endangering life, according to lead prosecutor Kristen Rose, assistant district attorney in Sullivan County. Richardson faces a total of seven charges, including five counts of violating state law in reference to the housing and transportation of the snakes. Despite being denied a permit by the TWRA in 2017, Richardson said he completed the permit application and paid the applicable fee in order to bring his rattlesnake show to Bristol, Tennessee. He also contends that the additional charges dont apply to him as an out-of-state temporary exhibitor. I submit I had a permit because the law grants the permit, Richardson said. I claim that the law granted me the permit. Richardson says he has been doing the rattlesnake show for three decades, taking the show to more than 30 states, and has never been bitten. His trial in Sullivan County Criminal Court is scheduled to begin May 26. TWRA officials have been reluctant to speak on that matter since the case is still pending. Richardson said he will appeal any conviction. Community House on Broadway was the only agency Tuesday to submit a proposal to Cowlitz County to operate the county and city of Longviews long-discussed hosted homeless site. No decisions were made Tuesday on whether the nonprofit would run the site and its proposal did not include an exact location. Community House, which runs a shelter in the 1100 block of Broadway Street in Longview, would not allow alcohol or drug use inside or near the hosted site, and people with active warrants and sex offenders would not be allowed. The proposal includes building shelters that are more durable than tents and similar to tiny homes. Community House estimates a $1.1 million cost to run the site for a year, from July 1 to June 30, 2023. County Commissioner Dennis Weber said the estimate is in line with expectations, and the county can pay for it. The commissioners and the Longview City Council agreed in December 2020 to develop a plan for a hosted site as an alternative to the temporary camping site on Alabama Street, which has few rules or guidelines. Once both jurisdictions agree on a site operator, the county plans to contract with the group, monitor operations and pay for the site with document recording fees. The county in March issued a request for proposals to operate the site, and applications were due Tuesday morning. Community House was the only applicant. The commissioners asked staff to schedule a workshop session in the coming weeks to discuss the proposal after they and city of Longview officials have more time to review it. It takes a strong organization to step up to the plate, and I appreciate Community House for being willing to do that, Commissioner Dennis Weber told The Daily News. Im about as optimistic as I have been in a long time. Putting together a proposal fitted to Cowlitz County values shows an understanding you have to treat mental illness, substance abuse and physical ailments along with housing. Proposal The proposal states Community House staff often partner with other agencies and visit the Alabama Street site weekly. Frank Morrison, Community House executive director, told TDN the project the county requested closely aligns to how the shelter operates. Its a mission for us in this community to help people recover from homelessness, and whatever gets in the way of that recovery we work on, he said. Although the proposal doesnt state a location, based on previous discussion with city officials, it would likely remain at the Alabama Street site, Morrison said. The organization would need city help to clean up the site, he said. The proposal meets requirements outlined in the countys request, such as providing basic hygiene services and an onsite office space for staff to meet with residents and common areas. It also meets requirements for residents to make progress on housing stability plan and perform chores. In addition to tent spaces, the proposal includes adding at least 20 Conestoga-style huts, fitting one or two people, for those who are making progress on their housing stability plans. The huts resemble covered wagons and are similar to tiny homes. The site will include an area for residents with pets, which must be on leash or in a kennel. Morrison said hes excited to offer this space because Community House does not allow pets, and they can often be a barrier to temporary shelter and housing. Community Houses proposal includes a security camera system for the site to monitor all common areas at once. Common areas would include access WI-FI, computer stations, electricity, a microwave and potable water. Before an intake process, staff would review alternative options, such as moving in with a relative, according to the proposal. The intake would include reviewing site rules and agreeing to comply. Residents would also be required to abstain from substance use in and outside the site. This requirement differs slightly from the countys request for proposals, which suggested no illegal substances. If their end goal is drugs and finding drugs then theyll just go to the next easiest place to find drugs, which would be the next low-barrier shelter in Vancouver or Portland, Morrison said in response to the question of where people who dont want to participate will go. The site would have a general nine-month time limit with exceptions for those following rules and making progress, according to the proposal. Onsite services include supportive housing, employment and resources from other providers, with space for those agencies to meet with residents. A site manager would oversee operations, gatekeepers would monitor who comes and goes and case managers would work with residents on housing plans. Security staff would enforce rules and check for active warrants and sex offenders, who would not be allowed in the program. Community House would regularly report to county and city. Our hope is that those who are experiencing unsheltered homelessness will be able to feel safe in this program and will be connected with and engaged in services that help progress them on their path to stable housing, the proposal states. The organizations proposed schedule starts in July to work with the county and city, receive a temporary use permit, host a public information meeting with nearby property owners and get the site set and begin intake and operation in August. Morrison said there will likely be pushback but he hopes the community will rise to the occasion to help people recover. Im just hoping the community looks at it that way, he said, helping people have a more peaceful, prosperous life rather than chasing something thats going to kill them, kill others around them or at least have damage that takes years to rebuild. Love 7 Funny 1 Wow 2 Sad 0 Angry 4 Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. WOODLAND Efforts to build a new and improved building for the Woodland Community Library have shifted into the final phases of fundraising with money coming in. Woodlands library is managed by the Fort Vancouver Regional Library. The Clark County library district has been pushing to move Woodlands library into a new building for more than five years. The project received $515,000 from the state Legislature earlier this year one of the largest Cowlitz County projects included in the supplemental capital budget. The Fort Vancouver Regional Library Foundation held a Love Your Library fundraiser April 24, which raised an additional $34,000 for the project from members of the Woodland community. Donors paid for dinners and bid on silent auction prizes while they saw a presentation from Hacker Architects about the design of the new building. Were hoping that now that were this close to the end goal, more people will come forward, said Rick Smithrud, executive director of the Fort Vancouver Regional Library Foundation. The recent funding brings the Woodland building project up to roughly $5.4 million of the $6 million expected budget. The current plan is to build a 7,500-square-foot building, which would triple the current librarys size and provide outdoor reading spaces and larger dedicated areas for different age groups visiting the library. We will be able to do more and promote more The Woodland Community Library has been at its Park Street location since 1926. Library director Jennifer Hauan said the historic nature of the building presented challenges. The ground floor has four outlets available for public use, all of which are in high demand from visitors. Upstairs, the limited room created even more challenges for noise and access. The second floor is where we have our childrens collection, the public bathroom, the teen area. Not everyone can get up the stairs and there isnt the space to build an elevator, Hauan said. The current library does not have any meeting rooms for library events. Hauan said for many of the events the library held pre-COVID, they had to rent space next door at the Woodland Community Center and work around the other groups that relied on the community center. The first pre-design study and fundraising for a new library building took place in 2014. Fort Vancouver bought land at the corner of Goerig Street and Lakeshore Drive in 2017 to be the home of the new building. People will see the building as they come into Woodland, Hauan said. We will be able to do more and promote more as a result of people being more aware of our services. Fort Vancouver Regional Library spokesman Tak Kendrick said the new building will include expanded computer options and resources for people who dont have internet access at home. Teenagers and younger readers will have separate areas and book collections. Kendrick said architects soon will move from the mock-up photos to blueprints, which will allow them to go out to bid on the project. In the meantime, he said some work will be done to prepare the Goerig Street site. Were getting closer to doing work on the property this year. Its not going to be fully built but we can start making some noticeable changes, Kendrick said. Smithrud said the library foundation soon will be approaching businesses and individuals with naming opportunities for parts of the new library in exchange for donations. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Get Government & Politics updates in your inbox! Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. No reasonable jury could find that Mr. Musk did not act recklessly. No reasonable jury could find that Mr. Musk did not act recklessly. Thats the upshot of a federal judges review of Tesla Inc. CEO Elon Musks 2018 tweets about taking the company private, as revealed in an order that was sealed for more than a month before it was made public Tuesday. Looking for a smartphone? To check mobile finder click here. Also read: U.S. District Judge Edward Chens conclusion that Musk was misleading in his Twitter posts was disclosed weeks ago in a court filing. But the ruling wasnt released while Tesla fought to limit how much the public could learn about regulatory scrutiny and shareholder criticism of the billionaires past tweeting habits. The ruling is a big win for investors seeking to recover billions of dollars in losses they blame on gyrations in Teslas share price four years ago when the tweets roiled the market. The case is heading to a trial in January at the same time as Musk is trying to close a deal to buy Twitter. Musk has insisted for years that his short-lived plan to take Tesla private with funding secured was solid based on discussions he had with Saudi Arabias Public Investment Fund. But Chen found otherwise in his 33-page ruling. No reasonable jury could find that Mr. Musk did not act recklessly given his clear knowledge of the discussions that took place at the 7/31/2018 meeting with the Saudis, the San Francisco judge wrote. Musk and Tesla had urged Chen to keep select materials in the lawsuit under wraps because they contain protectable, non-public, confidential business information. The company and the CEO argued that third-party investors in Tesla had an expectation of the private nature of the communications, according to a court filing. Lawyers for the company and for the investors who sued finally reached an agreement that allowed the ruling to be unsealed Tuesday. Musk and Tesla are trying to appeal Chens ruling. Kumpool, a local van and bus e-hailing service has continued to expand its availability in Klang Valley. In fact, after recent expansion to the Bukit Gasing constituency in Petaling Jaya, it is now also available in the Kampung Tunku constituency starting today. 59 routes have been added in Kampung Tunku, including destinations to Light Rapid Transit (LRT) stations, schools, restaurants, houses of worship and others. Furthermore, Kumpool will also be offering the first 10,000 trips for free until 11 July 2022. The State Representative (ADUN) for Kampung Tunku, Lim Yi Wei said that among the 59 routes are the 99 Speedmart at Jalan 22/49 in Section 22. This would benefit the locals as the previous RapidKL bus service was terminated due to insufficient drivers. Moreover, Yi Wei hoped that the chosen routes, especially within commercial areas can boost the local economy and draw more customers. The Kampung Tunku ADUN also said that her team will be issuing an infographic on the matter so that residents - especially senior citizens - could get to know of the service. Kumpool Ride offers dispersion of traffic congestion and parking woes at a rate of RM1 for easier, comfortable and safer transportation access every day from 8am to 8pm. The app can be downloaded from the Apple App Store or Googles Play Store and you can find out more about the service via its official website here. Kumpool is a division of Causeway Link, one of the largest public bus company provider in Johor Bahru. Previously, the service was only operational in Johor Bahru but it is now set for further expansion, recently offering its services in Klang Valley. What do you guys think of Kumpool expanding to Kampung Tunku? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below and stay tuned to TechNave for the latest tech news in Malaysia and beyond. Going through tolls in Malaysia may be one of the things that we don't look forward to, but a fellow Malaysian is looking to change that. Chee How Lim, an aerospace engineer is looking to provide computer vision and AI adoption in Southeast Asia with his company, Tapway. To solve the issue of congestion on the toll highways, Lim said using a camera and AI could solve all the problems and make the highway flow freely. By using NVIDIA GPUs and software, it can train AI models to read a vehicle's license plate number, detect its class, and make and colour within 50 milliseconds. The AI will even begin reading even if the vehicle is approaching nearer. By utilising the NVIDIA Triton Inference Server, Tapway's VehicleTrack software is always working 24/7 in any conditions with a 97% accuracy. So far, PLUS has installed 577 cameras and plans to expand to nearly 900 in 92 toll plazas this year. A single GPU from the server is able to manage up to 50 simultaneous video streams, and up to 28,800 images a minute on edge servers using NVIDIA A10, A30 and T4 GPUs. Since 2014, a total of 3000 sensors have been deployed by Tapway for both Malaysia and Singapore in 500 locations. Besides that, Tapway also assists shopping malls and retailers with customers' shopping habits, as well as helping car manufacturers and palm oil producers to inspect product quality control. Credit: Universitat Pompeu Fabra - Barcelona A team of researchers has used the experience of a participatory strategy to create and launch Generation Solar, a citizen science initiative for research and innovation in solar energy. Generation Solar has been coordinated by the Science, Communication and Society Study Centre at Pompeu Fabra University (CCS-UPF) within the framework of the European GRECO project led by the Institute of Solar Energy of the Polytechnic University of Madrid (UPM). The work has been published in the latest issue of JCOM, Journal of Science Communication. The world is increasingly demanding a shift towards sustainable energy systems that use renewable energy sources like the sun to combat climate change and other pressing environmental and social issues. Although some technologies have seen price drops and can compete in the market with fossil fuels, we are still a long way from meeting energy demands using renewables. Thus, one of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is to ensure access to clean, affordable energy. "In the advancement of solar energy, citizens have a key role. On the one hand, they can help to obtain data that scientific community often has difficulty to access since they are scattered or in the hands of the trading companies," explains Gema Revuelta, director of the CCS-UPF. "But in addition, citizens can also help in the formulation of the research questions themselves to be more aligned to their needs and expectations. That's why citizen science is so interesting in this field," she adds. In the advancement of solar energy, citizens have a key role. On the one hand, they can help to obtain data that scientific community often has difficulty to access since they are scattered or in the hands of the trading companies. Following a co-creative approach, they explored a participatory and innovative citizen science strategy that culminated in the creation of Generation Solar. It was designed, as part of the EU-funded GRECO project, with the aim of becoming a paradigm for transforming the relationship between citizens and researchers working to address the societal challenge of secure, clean and efficient energy. Generation Solar comes in response to a clear scientific demand, since a major drawback for researchers working in energy modeling and prediction is precisely the lack of information on the locations and specific characteristics of solar installations. In addition, the application creates a communication channel for solar panel users, who can share information about the use of these devices in a given city or region, or about their limitations and problems. Various actors have been involved in the development process, including citizens, enterprise, research centers and universities. The research question was also formulated collectively. "First we surveyed 90 professionals related to the field of solar energy and, based on these results, we organized an online hackathon to design the project involving more than 100 people," explains Luisa Barbosa Gomez, the first author of the article. The proposals received were then evaluated and the winning initiative was co-developed with a technology company, some of the hackathon participants, two solar energy research institutions and a science communication team. Generation Solar comes in response to a clear scientific demand, since a major drawback for researchers working in energy modeling and prediction is precisely the lack of information on the locations and specific characteristics of solar installations. The initiative is currently being disseminated, the information gathered is being linked to the research, and actions for improvement and sustainability are being considered. The result of the initiative is Generation Solar, an application that aims to co-create an open database of photovoltaic solar installations. It invites domestic solar installation owners and anyone else with access to public or private panels (such as a hospital, school, company, or similar) to register their installation and its technical characteristics. This process can be replicated in any other field of research. "We find it particularly relevant to promote citizen science in technology and engineering sectors, which have been far less explored than the biological or medical sciences," Revuelta states. "We hope that the scope of the application will continue to grow, which will allow us to obtain more data and create communities of people interested in solar energy. In this way, we contribute to fostering an active role of the citizenry that can intervene in decision-making and the generation of regulatory policies," she concludes. Explore further Solar-power satellites to collect stronger sunlight More information: Luisa Barbosa et al, Participatory citizen science in solar energy research: going beyond data collection to promote the energy transition, Journal of Science Communication (2022). Luisa Barbosa et al, Participatory citizen science in solar energy research: going beyond data collection to promote the energy transition,(2022). DOI: 10.22323/2.21020806 Provided by Universitat Pompeu Fabra - Barcelona If Elfy succeeds, the aircraft of the future might be electric, environmentally friendly, more quiet, and able to fly shorter routes from more locations. In this 260-metre-long research tank, a model of the hull is towed at different angles to find the optimal shape. Credit: SINTEF A Norwegian company is now developing a small electric seaplane that can transform local passenger traffic on a large scale. The design of the hull is currently being tested in SINTEF's towing tank in Trondheim, and the plan is to get a full-scale prototype in the air within three years. "This will be a kind of battery-powered flying boat. The goal is to be able to provide flexible mobility in Norway, with zero emissions and significantly reduced noise pollution, and also develop new, sustainable business models," says Eric Lithun, CEO of Norwegian company Elfly. Plane with futuristic boat hull Naturally, the new seaplane needs a completely new type of design based on a boat hull. "It is particularly important to develop the hull so that the aircraft can take off using as little power as possible. The challenge is to find the ultimate combination of aerodynamics and hydrodynamics," says Kourosh Koushan, a SINTEF research scientist. This is challenging among other things because the propellers above the wings initially push the bow of the hull downwards in the water, before the plane gradually lifts as it gains speed. Testing the hull in the towing tank The work of developing the hull is well under way. Testing is taking place in SINTEF's Ship Model Tank in Trondheim. In the 260 meter-long tank a model of the hull is towed to discover the optimal shape. "We test the hull by towing it at different angles and assessing how this affects the water resistance. This will provide data that we can use to produce a data simulation of the take-off phase. We will compare the results to propose improvements of the hull," Koushan explains. Elfly Group has now reached version four of the hull. "This is a painstaking process of measurement that will result in new versions of the hull," says Lithun. The research that will provide data for the design of the optimal hull is a special research project funded by the Regional Research Fund. Alternative to helicopters? If Elfy is successful, the aircraft of the future will therefore be electric, environmentally friendly, quieter, and able to fly shorter routes and from a larger number of locations. "We are talking about zero-emission and an electric motor that only creates a faint buzzing sound," says Lithun of the seaplane, which will take off from and land on water, but will also have wheels enabling it to operate from airfields. "It shall be capable of flying 200 kilometers at around 250 kilometers per hour. The flight time from Bergen to Stavanger will then be 40 minutes, as compared with four to five hours by car," says Lithun, who adds: "Since battery development results in an improvement of two to three percent each year it won't be long before we can fly further. We envisage that it will eventually be possible to fly from Bergen to Trondheim with a stopover in Molde. Note that this will be from city center to city center and will beat all other alternatives even with the stopover." In Lithun's opinion, the reason why seaplanes are not already widespread is that existing aircraft use internal combustion engines that suck in oxygen and salt water, which corrodes the engine. "This leads to sky-high maintenance costs in operation. Changing to electric power eliminates this problem," he says. From transport to exclusive travel The motor and battery for the aircraft will be bought. The latter may weigh up to 1.7 tons and shall theoretically be capable of being charged anywhere. "However, we plan to use the same plug as for electric boats, which is also the one used for electric cars in the EU," Lithun explains. The electric seaplane will have room for nine passengers, and Elfly itself will offer flights in the same way as other commercial operators. "The goal is to have 15 or 20 aircrafts in the air by 2030," says Lithun. In addition to passenger flights, the seaplanes may also be used for goods transport, ambulance services and premium flights, for which the entire aircraft can be chartered. "We envisage that it can be used for exclusive electric plane safaris. My dream is that a person in New York can book a journey on a regular flight to Bergen in Norway and then travel on with our plane directly to Geiranger, further to Odda to see Trolltunga, followed by a quick trip to Lysefjorden and Prekestolen before landing at Sola Airport, Stavanger, to board a flight back to New York," says Lithun. Credit: CC0 Public Domain Frances Haugen was cooking dinner one Friday evening when her phone rang. On the other end of the line was the White House. Could Haugen get to Washington in four days, Deputy Chief of Staff Bruce Reed asked. She'd been chosen to be the first lady's guest at the forthcoming State of the Union. "It actually was mildly disruptive," recalls Haugen, who lives in Puerto Rico. "But, you knowthe kind of disruption you don't mind." It was only in October, during a "60 Minutes" interview, that Haugen first publicly identified herself as the whistleblower responsible for leaking thousands of pages of internal Facebook documents to Congress, the Wall Street Journal and the Securities and Exchange Commission. Those disclosureswhich were subsequently made available to many other news outlets, including The Timesturned the former Facebook product manager into the face of long-brewing backlash against Facebook, its sister app Instagram and the social media industry writ large. By publicizing files demonstrating that Facebook (which has since changed its name to Meta Platforms) had been internally aware of a wide variety of problems with its products, including the effect they can have on teen mental health, Haugen offered critics of the company something that looked a lot like a smoking gun. The transition to public figure was an unlikely one for Haugen. "I don't crave attention," she told The Times. "I eloped the first time I got married. I've had two birthday parties in, like, 20 years." But now, her profile boosted by a presidential shout-out in the State of the Union speech, Haugen is making the most of her new soapbox. That means throwing her weight behind efforts to solve the same problems she helped expose, including in California. Central to her efforts is a bill creeping its way through the state Assembly. Dubbed the California Age-Appropriate Design Code Act, it would require web platforms that children are likely to use to put in place data privacy measures such as making user settings high-privacy by default, describing privacy policies in language kids can understand and prohibiting children's personal information from being used for anything other than the purpose for which it was initially collected. "I don't want to take too much credit for [the bill] because I did not play a hand in drafting it," Haugen said. "But I am a strong supporter that we need to be beginning to extend the same standards that we have for physical toys for children to the virtual space because right now there are some pretty insane consequences that are happening because these products aren't designed for children." Haugen did a question-and-answer session for state lawmakers in Sacramento a few weeks ago"I'm very willing to help answer questions for anyone who wants to understand more about what the impacts [of] algorithms are"and also spoke at the Mom 2.0 summit, a Los Angeles gathering for parenting-focused influencers in late April. That Haugen is largely focused on how social media affect their youngest users is no accident. Although her disclosures cast light on a wide variety of internet issuesdisinformation, radicalization and human traffickingit's been the content about children and teens that seems to have most moved lawmakers. In particular, internal Facebook research that Haugen helped make public showed that nearly a third of teenage girls the company had surveyed said that "when they felt bad about their bodies, Instagram made them feel worse." Facebook had historically downplayed its mental health effect on young users, the Wall Street Journal reported at the time. The company has maintained post-leak that its research was misrepresented, but the reveal nevertheless sparked congressional hearings and, although the Age-Appropriate Design Code Act was developed independently of Haugen, heightened the stakes of the California bill. "Frances has brought tremendous public awareness to this cause, especially on the issue of kids," Assemblymember Buffy Wicks (D-Oakland), who's co-sponsoring the Design Code Act, said in an emailed statement. "I'm grateful that she came to Sacramento last month to speak to lawmakers and advocates, and that she continues to lend her voice and expertise to explaining why policies like the code are needed to keep kids safe online." Facebook did not respond to a request for comment. Haugen said she's not surprised that this part of her leaks has drawn so much interest. "The solutions to a lot of the problems outlined in my disclosures are actually quite complicated," she said. "When it comes to kids, it's really simple." The effect of social media on kids has become such a hot-button issue that a second bill with a similar focus is also now moving through the Assembly: the Social Media Platform Duty to Children Act, which would let parents sue social media companies for designing addictive software. Haugen said she wasn't aware of the bill, but co-sponsor Jordan Cunningham (R-Paso Robles) told The Times in March that her leaks were a catalyst for it. (A representative for Cunningham said that the assemblyman hasn't worked or spoken with Haugen directly. Wicks, the Oakland Democrat, is also a co-sponsor of the Duty to Children Act.) Figuring prominently in Haugen's advocacy has been Common Sense Media, a nonprofit that analyzes the effect media and technology have on young people, and Jim Steyer, its founder and chief executive. Common Sense Media asked Haugen if she'd help it support the Age-Appropriate Design Code Act, the whistleblower said, and she said yes. "Frances has turned out to be an excellent partner for us because she does a great job of explaining how the tech platforms work, some of the harms involved and why we need major legislation and regulation," said Steyer, the brother of 2020 presidential candidate and hedge fund billionaire Tom Steyer. His organization has been working with Haugen for about five months, Steyer said, after her legal team approached it about collaborating: "We started planning ways in which we could work on federal legislation, as well as California legislation, and also on mobilizing young people." (Wicks used to work at Common Sense Media.) The organization also worked with the White House to get Haugen to the State of the Union, Steyer said. Haugen's sway extends beyond the West Coast. She estimates that she's spent about five and a half weeks in Europe working to support a landmark European Union lawthe Digital Services Actthat would compel social media platforms, including Facebook, to more aggressively moderate hate speech, disinformation and other user-generated content, as well as ban online ads targeting children. Both the European Parliament and the member states of the European Union have agreed on the contents of the DSA, although it's still subject to formal approval. "Up until the DSA passing, that was kind of the main focus, doing support around gaining awareness," Haugen said. She was on the ground "supporting legislators, doing testimony, meeting with various ministries [and] meeting with other civil society groups," and also wrote a New York Times opinion piece in support of the law. She's also gotten involved with environmental, social and governance, or ESG, efforts aimed at helping investors "have criteria for how to evaluate whether or not social media companies are acting in a prosocial way," she said, and is working on founding a nonprofit that will combine that work with support for litigation as well as education efforts geared toward teaching people about social media. Steyer said that his organization has been helping Haugen "incubate" her nonprofit. It's a meteoric rise for someone who, less than a year ago, had no national profile. "When I disclosed the documents to the SEC and Congress, I had no expectations on what was going to happen," Haugen said. "My primary goal was I didn't want to carry the burden for the rest of my life that I had known something and I had done nothing." But despite all that's happened since she stepped into the public eyeWhite House phone calls, European excursions, rubbing shoulders with California's political heavyweightsHaugen said the main difference she's experienced over the last few months has been the weight that's been lifted from her shoulders. "The biggest thing that's changed in my life," she said, "is I can sleep at night." Explore further Facebook whistleblower warns US lawmakers of regulation deadlock 2022 Los Angeles Times. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. The logo of Google is displayed on a carpet at the entrance hall of Google France in Paris, on Nov. 18, 2019. Google said Wednesday, May11, 2022, that it has struck licensing deals with 300 European publishers, in its latest effort to comply with a recently introduced EU copyright law. Credit: AP Photo/Michel Euler, File Google said Wednesday that it struck licensing deals with 300 news publishers in Europe in its latest effort to comply with a recently introduced European Union copyright law. The tech giant signed the agreements with national, local and specialist news publications in Germany, Hungary, France, Austria, the Netherlands and Ireland and said discussions with many others are ongoing. It didn't disclose how much it's paying or give names of the news outlets. European Union countries have been adopting into local law a 2019 EU directive granting publishers additional rights over their content. The new law allows search engines like Google to link to and use snippets of news content, while giving publishers new rights when extended previews are used online. It doesn't, however, specify where the line between the two lies. The agreements are aimed at avoiding costly and lengthy lawsuits over that distinction. Google last year announced copyright deals with several large German publications and a group of French news publishers. The company also said it's rolling out a new tool to offer licensing agreements to thousands of other European publishers, starting in Germany and Hungary. The tool's licensing offers "are based on consistent criteria which respect the law and existing copyright guidance, including how often a news website is displayed and how much ad revenue is generated on pages that also display previews of news content," Sulina Connal, Google's director of news and publishing partnerships, said in a blog post. Explore further Google reaches content deals with German publishers 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. A student colors in a fox during during Quechua Indigenous language class focusing on animal names at a public primary school in Licapa, Peru, Wednesday, Sept. 1, 2021. About 10 million people speak Quechua, but trying to automatically translate emails and text messages into the most widely spoken Indigenous language family in the Americas was nearly impossible before Google introduced it into its digital translation service Wednesday, May 11, 2022. The internet giant says new artificial intelligence technology is enabling it to vastly expand Google Translates repertoire of the worlds languages, adding 24 more this week including Quechua and other Indigenous South American languages such as Guarani and Aymara. Credit: AP Photo/Martin Mejia, File About 10 million people speak Quechua, but trying to automatically translate emails and text messages into the most widely spoken Indigenous language family in the Americas was long all but impossible. That changed on Wednesday, when Google added Quechua and a variety of other languages to its digital translation service. The internet giant says new artificial intelligence technology is enabling it to vastly expand Google Translate's repertoire of the world's languages. It added 24 of them this week, including Quechua and other Indigenous South American languages such as Guarani and Aymara. It is also adding a number of widely spoken African and South Asian languages that have been missing from popular tech products. "We looked at languages with very large, underserved populations," Google research scientist Isaac Caswell told reporters. The news from the California company's annual I/O technology showcase may be celebrated in many corners of the world. But it will also likely draw criticism from those frustrated by previous tech products that failed to understand the nuances of their language or culture. Quechua was the lingua franca of the Inca Empire, which stretched from what is now southern Colombia to central Chile. Its status began to decline following the Spanish conquest of Peru more than 400 years ago. Adding it to the languages recognized by Google is a big victory for Quechua language activists like Luis Illaccanqui, a Peruvian who created the website Qichwa 2.0, which includes dictionaries and resources for learning the language. "It will help put Quechua and Spanish on the same status," said Illaccanqui, who was not involved in Google's project. Illaccanqui, whose last name in Quechua means "you are the lightning bolt," said the translator will also help keep the language alive with a new generation of young people and teenagers, "who speak Quechua and Spanish at the same time and are fascinated by social networks." Teacher Carmen Cazorla writes in the Quechua Indigenous language during a class on medicinal plants at a public primary school in Licapa, Peru, Wednesday, Sept. 1, 2021. About 10 million people speak Quechua, but trying to automatically translate emails and text messages into the most widely spoken Indigenous language family in the Americas was nearly impossible before Google introduced it into its digital translation service Wednesday, May 11, 2022. The internet giant says new artificial intelligence technology is enabling it to vastly expand Google Translates repertoire of the worlds languages, adding 24 more this week including Quechua and other Indigenous South American languages such as Guarani and Aymara. Credit: AP Photo/Martin Mejia Caswell called the news a "very big technological step forward" because until recently, it was not possible to add languages if researchers couldn't find a big enough trove of online textsuch as digital books, newspapers or social media postsfor their AI systems to learn from. U.S. tech giants don't have a great track record of making their language technology work well outside the wealthiest markets, a problem that's also made it harder for them to detect dangerous misinformation on their platforms. Until this week, Google Translate was offered in European languages like Frisian, Maltese, Icelandic and Corsicaneach with fewer than 1 million speakersbut not East African languages like Oromo and Tigrinya, which have millions of speakers. The new languages will roll out this week. They won't yet be understood by Google's voice assistant, which limits them to text-to-text translations for now. Google said it is working on adding speech recognition and other capabilities, such as being able to translate a sign by pointing a camera at it. That will be important for largely spoken languages like Quechua, especially in the health field, because many Peruvian doctors and nurses who only speak Spanish work in rural areas and "are unable to understand patients who speak mostly Quechua," Illaccanqui said. "The next frontier, or challenge, is to work on speech," said Arturo Oncevay, a Peruvian machine translation researcher at the University of Edinburgh who co-founded a research coalition to improve Indigenous language technology across the Americas. "The native languages of the Americas are traditionally oral." In its announcement, Google cautioned that the quality of translations in the newly added languages "still lags far behind" other languages it supports, such as English, Spanish and German, and noted that the models "will make mistakes and exhibit their own biases." But the company only added languages if its AI systems met a certain threshold of proficiency, Caswell said. "If there's a significant number of cases where it's very wrong, then we would not include it," he said. "Even if 90% of the translations are perfect, but 10% are nonsense, that's a little bit too much for us." Google said its products now support 133 languages. The latest 24 are the largest single batch to be added since Google incorporated 16 new languages in 2010. What made the expansion possible is what Google is calling a "zero-shot" or "zero-resource" machine translation modelone that learns to translate into another language without ever seeing an example of it. Facebook and Instagram parent company Meta introduced a similar concept called the Universal Speech Translator last year. Books written in the Quechua Indigenous language sit behind a student during a class on medicinal plants, at a public primary school in Licapa, Peru, Wednesday, Sept. 1, 2021. About 10 million people speak Quechua, but trying to automatically translate emails and text messages into the most widely spoken Indigenous language family in the Americas was nearly impossible before Google introduced it into its digital translation service Wednesday, May 11, 2022. The internet giant says new artificial intelligence technology is enabling it to vastly expand Google Translates repertoire of the worlds languages, adding 24 more this week including Quechua and other Indigenous South American languages such as Guarani and Aymara. Credit: AP Photo/Martin Mejia Google's model works by training a "single gigantic neural AI model" on about 100 data-rich languages, and then applying what it's learned to hundreds of other languages it doesn't know, Caswell said. "Imagine if you're some big polyglot and then you just start reading novels in another language, you can start to piece together what it could mean based on your knowledge of language in general," he said. He said the new group ranges from smaller languages like Mizo, spoken in northeastern India by about 800,000 people, to more widely spoken languages like Lingala, spoken by around 45 million people across Central Africa. It was more than 15 years agoin 2006that Microsoft got some positive attention in South America with a software feature translating familiar Microsoft menus and commands into Quechua. But that was before the current wave of AI advancements in real-time translation. Harvard University language scholar Americo Mendoza-Mori, who speaks Quechua, said getting Google's attention brings some needed visibility to the language in places like Peru, where Quechua speakers are still lacking in many public services. The survival of many of these languages "will depend on their use in digital contexts," he said. Another language scholar, Roberto Zariquiey, said he's skeptical that Google could make an effective language revitalization tool for Quechua, Aymara or Guarani without closer participation from community groups in the region. "Languages are deeply linked to lives, to cultures, to ethnic groups and political organizations," said Zariquiey, a linguist at the Pontifical Catholic University of Peru. "This should be taken into account." - The new languages added are: Assamese, Aymara, Bambara, Bhojpuri, Dhivehi, Dogri, Ewe, Guarani, Ilocano, Konkani, Krio, Lingala, Luganda, Maithili, Meiteilon (Manipuri), Mizo, Oromo, Quechua, Sanskrit, Sepedi, Sorani Kurdish, Tigrinya, Tsonga and Twi. Explore further Need a doctor? Google can now help you find places that accept your health insurance 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. This image courtesy of Google, shows a smart watch as part of the company's Pixel line. Google on Wednesday said it is strapping a smartwatch onto its Pixel hardware line as part of an "ambient computing" vision to make its services available anywhere at any time. The Alphabet-owned internet titan used its annual developers conference to showcase a Pixel line expanding to include a smartwatch and tablet as well as upgraded earbuds and a more affordable version of its flagship smartphone. Backed up by artificial intelligence, cloud computing and sophisticated custom mobile chips, the family of gadgets is intended to work seamlessly together, Google senior vice president of hardware and services Rick Osterloh said during a briefing. "All these things work in concert on our vision of ambient computing," Osterloh said. "Providing the help people need, whenever they need it." The Pixel Watch will be released late this year, along with a new premium Pixel 7 smartphone, with pricing and other details to be disclosed closer to launch, Google said. The first Pixel smartwatch designed and built by Google will integrate health features from Fitbit, which Alphabet bought in a $2.1 billion deal that closed last year, and take on market leading Apple Watch. "It just takes time to integrate a company with all the technology and people that Fitbit has," Osterloh said of the Pixel smartwatch timing. There will be a version of the Pixel Watch that synchs to Android-powered smartphones and one that has its own wireless internet connectivity, the internet giant said. Google is also working on a Pixel tablet computer expected to be released next year, figuring there is an interest in large screen mobile devices even if that overall market has been lackluster. "We've got a lot going on in the Pixel pipeline and it represents investments across all different kinds of technologies," Osterloh said. Google sees augmented reality glasses and Pixel smartwatches as part of a future in which its services are ever present behind the scenes in everyday life. A smaller version of the Pixel 6 smartphone released by Google late last year will hit shelves on July 28 at a price of $449, along with new Pixel Buds Pro ear pieces priced at $199. While smartphones powered by Google's free Android operating software dominate the global market, the Silicon Valley company's Pixel models have amassed scant share. "We're really investing a lot and expanding the mobile part of our vision," Osterloh said. "It's like an iceberg and that you didn't see a lot of what was happening underneath but now you can really see all these things coming to the surface." Software smarts Alphabet chief Sundar Pichai provided a peek of augmented reality glasses that Google is working on, providing few details but demonstrating how they could translate conversations in real time, showing wearers transcriptions. "All of this work is in service of a timeless mission to organize the world's information and make it universally accessible and useful," Pichai said of what Google shared during a 2-hour presentation before a live audience in a concert venue near the company's Silicon Valley headquarters. Google's hardware announcements were backed by a slew of enhancements to software powering its core search service, artificial intelligence capabilities, and Android mobile devices. Improvements included enabling artificial intelligence to converse with people more naturally, and to "read" through pages of documents or messages and provide people with insightful, terse summaries of their contents. An enhancement to search lets images captured by smartphone cameras and queries uttered by users be combined to allow, for example, someone to ask Google to scan a market shelf to find a top-rated brand of nutless chocolate, demonstrations showed. And a new Google Wallet being rolled out in the weeks ahead is being designed to one day replace real-world billfolds, right down to holding digital versions of driver licenses. Explore further Google to build its own chip for new Pixel smartphone 2022 AFP Credit: CC0 Public Domain Taxpayers, lawmakers and digital privacy advocates rebelled earlier this year when the IRS announced plans to require taxpayers to upload selfies if they wanted online access to their tax records. The selfies were needed by an identity verification service, ID.me, to compare with applicants' government-issued ID photos, the IRS said. Following an outcry from both sides of the political spectrum, the IRS responded by making the selfie uploads optional and requiring the service, ID.me, to automatically delete them once the verification process is complete. Yet dozens of states, including Florida, that contracted with ID.me to conduct identify verification of applicants for unemployment benefits, have not followed the IRS' lead and continue to require applicants to upload selfies that remain on ID.me's servers for years unless users specifically ask for them to be deleted. That doesn't sit well with privacy advocates and several members of the U.S. House of Representatives who announced an investigation into ID.me's retention policies and accuracy of its verification process. In a letter to ID.me's CEO, members of the House Oversight Committee and a subcommittee on the coronavirus crisis asked ID.me to turn over a long list of data collected while registering 73 million users for 10 federal agencies and benefits programs operated by 30 states. The letter, signed by Democrats Carolyn Maloney of New York and James Clyburn of South Carolina, raised concerns about accuracy issues involving minority applicants, reported verification delays, reasons for rejections, numbers of complaints and policies for retention of uploaded images. In Florida, critics wonder why it's OK for the Department of Economic Opportunity to require applicants for unemployment benefits to upload selfies to ID.me if IRS taxpayers are allowed to opt out. Rather than end the requirement, the department has hired a second identity verification firm that collects selfies from a small percentage of applicants for pandemic-related mortgage and utility assistance. Caitlin Seeley George, spokeswoman for the Boston-based digital rights advocacy group Fight for the Future, says it's not OK for governmentsfederal, state or localto continue using facial recognition technology for any purpose. "We were glad to see the outburst [of opposition] when the IRS was using this tool requiring millions of Americans to submit their biometric information," she said. "But at the same time, it's also unacceptable to require it for people to access unemployment benefits, veterans benefits or any information from government. No one should have to go through this." ID.me says its system has stopped billions of dollars in unemployment fraud and expedited benefits for applicants mistakenly flagged as high-risk. Of 52,000 applications flagged by Florida officials in July 2020, ID.me was able to quickly verify 11,828 of the applications as legitimate and get them processed within 24 hours, the company said. "Without ID.me, the process of manually verifying these claims would have taken months," said ID.me spokesman Patrick Dorton. Emilie Oglesby, spokeswoman for Florida's Department of Economic Opportunity, said an estimated $23.1 billion in "potentially fraudulent payments" have been prevented since March 2020, "through the current process with ID.me and other fraud prevention measures." ID.me says all of its practices adhere to identify verification guidelines developed by the federal government during the Obama administration. The U.S. House members' letter, however, cited a May 2021 television news report of Florida applicants "being locked out of their unemployment accounts for up to six weeks" after registering through ID.me's system, "with bills piling up in the interim." Responding to a question from the South Florida Sun Sentinel asking why unemployment benefit applicants were still required to submit selfies after the IRS eliminated the requirement, Oglesby said, "The security of [applicants'] information is a top priority for the department, and DEO is working with all of its contractors to provide options to Floridians to use more than one means to verify their identity, because ultimately the security of Floridians' personal information has to remain at the forefront of every decision we make." The state uses ID.me to verify identities, Oglesby said, "because upon accessing [an unemployment assistance] account, claimants have access to sensitive personal information, including banking information, and receive direct payments through the program, which creates a unique need for fraud prevention to protect Floridians." Selfie requirement raises concerns State House member Anna Eskamani, a Democrat from the Orlando area, said requiring biometric identity verification raises a host of privacy and equality concerns. Not only is it worrisome that no state law prevents companies from storing photos in a database and selling them to commercial entities or law enforcement agencies, it's also unfair to people who, because they might be poor or elderly, don't own smartphones or phones with high-quality cameras, she said. ID.me's Dorton says the company never releases personal data to a third party without the owner's informed consent. And he said the company can get benefits more quickly to applicants who are unbanked, live overseas, are homeless, or have no credit histories using tools that traditional verification services operated by credit bureaus do not provide. Despite the IRS' about-face and pledge to transition away from ID.me after the current tax season, taxpayers are still offered ID.me as a way to establish an online account. Users who choose to register through ID.me but don't want to upload a photo must still participate in a live face-to-face video chat with a customer service agent who will compare their video image to their government issued ID card. The main difference between the two forms of verification, the company said, is that one uses algorithms and artificial intelligence to verify matches while the other relies on a human's eyeballs. Yet Florida and most other states that contract with ID.me have not required ID.me to automatically delete images of unemployment applicants from its databaseprobably because Florida wants to preserve evidence for its investigations of benefits fraud, the company said. Unless they request deletion, their photos won't be deleted for three yearsand then only if their ID.me accounts become inactive. The rest will be saved indefinitely, the company said. Department spokeswoman Oglesby did not respond when asked what assurances the state has that images stored by ID.me will be treated responsibly by the company. In Florida, selfies required for jobless benefits Nor has Florida followed the IRS' lead by giving users the option to forego uploading a selfie and instead request verification through a video chat, the company said. In Florida, applicants are given that option only if ID.me's algorithm fails to match their selfie to their ID photo. After the IRS controversy erupted, ID.me decided to give all users the option to log onto its website and request deletion of their selfies, Dorton said. "Our customers and the public asked for more options to choose the verification pathway that works best for them. We moved swiftly to accommodate those requests. As of March 1, any user was able to go to the ID.me website and delete their selfie. The deletion will take place within seven days." Video chats, however, are recorded and stored by the company and users have no option to request their deletion under current federal guidelines that regulate how the company collects, compares, and stores its data, the company said. U.S. House members investigating ID.me said they were also concerned about "the large volume of data that ID.me regularly misidentifies as fraudulent" in light of studies showing that African Americans and Asians are "up to 100 times more likely" than white men to be misidentified by some facial recognition systems. Dorton defended ID.me's identity matching algorithms as "exceptionally accurate with incredibly small variation across demographic groups and skin color." In its letter to ID.me's CEO, the House members said ID.me has not made evidence of its accuracy claims available for public review. More firms Another identify verification firm, Socure, was hired in July by Florida's Department of Economic Opportunity, to verify identities of applicants to the state's federally funded $676 million homeowner assistance fund. Among the services that Socure agreed to provide, according to the contract, is one called Document Verification, which Socure's website describes as using selfies to verify IDs during user onboarding. A photo of a smartphone selfie illustrates the description page. Homeowner Assistance Fund are not being asked to upload selfies to be eligible for up to $50,000 in mortgage and utility assistance because, unlike unemployment clients, they cannot access sensitive personal information, including banking information, or receive direct payments through the program, department spokeswoman Oglesby said. Financial help approved through the program is paid directly to mortgage holders or utilities, she said. However, selfies are required for applicants "who do not pass the initial verification process," she said. So far in the application process, 4% have been rejected and asked to submit selfies, she said. "The small percentage of applicants who do not pass the initial verification process are asked to complete a secondary fraud prevention measure in which a selfie is used to compare the applicant to their photo identification," she said. "The use of this measure ensures that Floridians in need have inclusive access to the program while also prioritizing the security of their information." Updated tallies released by the department on Friday show 24,730 registrations have been submitted to date, and 5,170 applications have been completed. If 4% of 24,730 applications fail the initial verification process, that would mean about 990 will be asked to submit selfies. Eskamani said she'd like to see biometric data collection and storage addressed in a digital privacy bill that passed the state House twice but hasn't made it out of the Senate. "There are no guard rails in state law to dictate how the data is stored," she said. "There are no mandates to protect the data. It would be important to set those standards as well as consequences for violations." 2022 South Florida Sun Sentinel. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Heuristic approach to design the reconfigurable system and sub-systems for a given application. The aspects of design iterations which are supported by the forward and inverse design approaches are highlighted. (Adapted from Journal of Mechanical Design (2022). DOI: 10.1115/1.4053631). Credit: Hayat et al Reconfigurable or "transformer" systems are robots or other systems that can adapt their state, configuration, or morphology to perform different tasks more effectively. In recent years, roboticists and computer scientists worldwide have developed new autonomous and reconfigurable systems for various applications, including surveillance, cleaning, maintenance, and search and rescue. Researchers at the Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD) have recently designed a new reconfigurable robot that could assist humans with cleaning and maintenance. This system, introduced in a paper published in the Journal of Mechanical Design, is based on a heuristic approach that could ultimately also be used to create other reconfigurable robots. "Current reconfigurable robotic systems emphasize software, control and electrical module development," Dr. Abdullah Aamir Hayat, one of the researchers who carried out the study, told TechXplore. "Prior work on transformable systems identified three main transformation principles: expand/collapse, expose/cover, fuse/divide, and 20 facilitators were studied and reported by Prof. Kris L. Wood's group. Furthermore, the abstract mapping between behavior and mechanisms were studied by our group and reported as Transformation design Principles as enablers for designing Reconfigurable Robots. However, there is a lack of a heuristic approach to designing reconfigurable robotic systems and sub-systems for real-life applications like cleaning and maintenance." The first objective of the recent work by Hayat and his colleagues was to devise a new heuristic approach that could be used to develop reconfigurable robotic systems. The project, which spanned three years, was funded by the Robotics Enabling Capabilities and Technologies grant and conducted by Hayat in collaboration with his colleagues Dr. Karthik Elangovan, Mr. Manivannan Kalimuthu, Mr. Lim Yi, and Mr. Prathap Kandasamy, under the guidance and supervision of Prof. Mohan Rajesh Elara at SUTD and Prof. Kris L. Wood at University of Colorado Denver. The heuristic approach they developed consists of three layers, namely the input, output, and formulation layer. While three layers are inherent to most if not all design processes, the components that the team included in the output layers are specifically tailored to support the transformation of reconfigurable systems. "Our proposed heuristic approach also highlights the forward and inverse design essential for testing, optimizing and iterating processes," Hayat said. "Using this framework, we designed a reconfigurable robotic system and sub-systems for the pavement cleaning and maintenance task." The design of the reconfigurable robotic system created by Hayat and his colleagues, dubbed Panthera, is based on a series of mechanical sub-systems. Firstly, the system has a varying footprint that supports its reconfiguration. Secondly, it is based on transmission, which can be adapted to achieve efficient steering and locomotion. Design of reconfigurable robotic system and sub-systems for the pavement cleaning and maintenance task. The expand/collapse reconfiguration principles adopted in the conceptual design and the prototype highlight the expanded and collapsed state and its advantages. (Adapted from Journal of Mechanical Design (2022). DOI: 10.1115/1.4053631). Credit: Hayat et al In addition, the system features an outer skin or cover, which serves as its body, a storage bin to collect litter, a surface cleaning component (i.e., sweeping brushes), a vacuum/suction component and a blowing component. Combined, all of these design features allow the system to clean its surroundings, adapting its configuration according to the task it is completing. "The advantage of reconfigurable shape in the pavement sweeping robot is twofold," Hayat explained. "Firstly, the robot can configure its shape autonomously as per the pavement width making it one design to fit in multiple pavements and enhancing area coverage and secondly It can adjust its shape to allow the smooth flow of pedestrians according to the density of the pedestrian movement." The robotic system studied and designed by Hayat and his colleagues is capable of omnidirectional locomotion, which essentially means that it can move in all directions within its environment. This ability is enabled by four independent steering and locomotion components that allow the robot to make sharp turns while cleaning and cover greater surface areas. "Our heuristic approach was derived by extracting meaningful steps while designing the practical reconfigurable robotic system," Hayat said. "The approach's sub-systems can be adapted for any design projects based on principle of transformation and for specific applications, like accessing difficult terrains, staircases, etc." The researchers evaluated their reconfigurable system in a series of preliminary tests and found that it achieved promising results. In their next studies, however, they would like to work on improving its performance further. For instance, Hayat and their colleagues could try to broaden their robot's features and functionalities using other transformation principles. More specifically, they could introduce mechanisms that make the system expand or collapse, expose or cover itself, fuse different components or separate them, and more. In the future, the robotic system developed by this team of researchers be introduced in real-world settings to automate cleaning and maintenance tasks. In addition, the heuristic approach and architecture underpinning it could be used to create other reconfigurable systems, including autonomous vehicles or robots for other purposes. "Future developments plan to scale these principles in designing novel reconfigurable robots for challenging terrains and application," Hayat added. "We are also looking to establish a mechanisms library supporting the transformation principles and facilitators. This is aimed at helping the designers in ideating and selecting suitable mechanisms supporting the required transformation behavior. Moreover, we are investigating the generative designs for reconfigurable robotic systems." Explore further A framework to evaluate and compare self-reconfigurable robotic systems More information: A. A. Hayat et al, Reconfigurable Robotic System Design With Application to Cleaning and Maintenance, Journal of Mechanical Design (2022). A. A. Hayat et al, Reconfigurable Robotic System Design With Application to Cleaning and Maintenance,(2022). DOI: 10.1115/1.4053631 2022 Science X Network Elon Musk speaks at the SATELLITE Conference and Exhibition March 9, 2020, in Washington. Musk has strengthened the equity stake of his offer to buy Twitter with commitments of more than $7 billion from a range of investors, including Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison. In a regulatory filing, Twitter Inc. also disclosed that Saudi Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Bin Abdulaziz Alsaud has pledged 35 million Twitter shares. Credit: AP Photo/Susan Walsh, File On Tuesday, Elon Musk said he would reverse Twitter's ban of former President Donald Trump, who was booted in January 2021 for inciting violence at the U.S. Capitol, should he succeed in acquiring the social platform for $44 billion. But the day before, the Tesla CEO also said he agrees with the European Union's new Digital Services Act, a law that will require big tech companies like Twitter, Google and Facebook parent Meta to police their platforms more strictly for illegal or harmful content such as hate speech and disinformation. The apparent contradiction underscores the steep learning curve awaiting the world's richest man once he encounters the complexity of Twitter's content moderation in dozens of languages and cultures. Twitter has to comply with the laws and regulations of multiple countries while taking into account the reaction of advertisers, users, politicians and others. "He certainly wouldn't be the first person to say, 'I'm going to do this' and then realize that either they don't really want to do it or their users don't want them to do it," said David Greene, civil liberties director at the Electronic Frontier Foundation. Speaking virtually at an auto conference, the Tesla CEO said that Twitter's ban of Trump was a "morally bad decision" and "foolish in the extreme." "I think that was a mistake because it alienated a large part of the country and did not ultimately result in Donald Trump not having a voice," Musk said Tuesday at the Future of the Car summit hosted by the Financial Times. He said he preferred temporary suspensions and other narrowly tailored punishments for content that is illegal or otherwise "destructive to the world." Earlier in the day, Musk met with EU Internal Market Commissioner Thierry Breton to discuss the bloc's online regulations. Thierry told The Associated Press that he outlined to Musk how the EU aims to uphold free speech while also making sure whatever is illegal "will be forbidden in the digital space," adding that Musk "fully agreed" with him. In a video Breton tweeted late Monday, Musk said the two had a "great discussion" and added that he agrees with the Digital Services Act, which is expected to get final approval later this year. It threatens Twitter and other Big Tech firms with billions in fines if they don't police their platforms. Shares of Twitter dropped 1.5% Tuesday to $47.24 per share. That's 13 percent below the offer of $54.20 per share that Musk made on April 14, a reflection of Wall Street's concerns that the deal could still fall through. Musk emphasized Tuesday that it is "certainly not a done deal." "If Musk is concerned that many people were upset that Trump was banned, he should see how many more people would be upset if Trump was not banned," said Kirsten Martin, a professor of technology ethics at the University of Notre Dame. "Musk only appears to be worried about the opinion of a small group of individuals who incite violence or perpetuate hate speech." Trump has previously said that he had no intention of rejoining Twitter even if his account was reinstated, telling Fox News last month that he would instead focus on his own platform, Truth Social, which has been mired in problems since its launch earlier this year. A Trump spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment in response to Musk's remarks. While Trump was president, his Twitter feed offered a mix of policy announcements, often out of the blue; complaints about the media; disparagement of women, minorities and his perceived enemies; and praise for his supporters, replete with exclamation marks, all-caps, and one-word declarations such as "Sad!" He fired numerous officials on Twitter and his posts, like his speeches at rallies, were a torrent of misinformation. In announcing its 2021 ban of Trump, Twitter said his tweets amounted to glorification of violence when read in the context of the Jan. 6 Capitol riot and plans circulating online for future armed protests around the inauguration of then President-elect Joe Biden. Musk's remarks Tuesday raise questions about whether those banned besides Trump could also return. The long list of people banned from Twitter includes QAnon loyalists, COVID deniers, neo-Nazis and former reality star Tila Tequila, who was suspended for hate speech. Other Trump allies kicked off Twitter include Michael Flynn and Sidney Powell, Lin Wood and Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, who was permanently banned in January for repeatedly spreading misinformation about COVID-19 and vaccine safety. White supremacist David Duke and the often violent Proud Boys organization have been banned, along with far-right trolls like one who goes by the name Baked Alaska, who promoted anti-Semitic tropes and faces charges stemming from his involvement in the Jan. 6 attack. Alex Jones, the creator of Infowars, was permanently banned in 2018 for abusive behavior. Last year, Jones lost a defamation case filed by the parents of children killed in the 2012 Newtown, Connecticut, school shooting over Jones' repeated claims that the shooting was fake. Twitter, Musk said Tuesday, currently has a strong bias to the left, largely because it is located in San Francisco. This alleged bias prevents it from building trust in the rest of the U.S. and the world, he said: "It's far too random and I think Twitter needs to be much more even handed." Twitter declined to comment on Musk's remarks. 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. BRACKETTVILLE After spending eight months in a Texas prison, Lester Hidalgo Aguilar walked into a small-town community center near the United States-Mexico border on Monday and waited for his trial to begin. Sitting in a vast, warehouse-like chamber, he listened for hours as a team of attorneys winnowed down a jury pool of about 75 local residents to six. After a lunch break, Aguilar, the jury and a swarm of county employees and attorneys from across the state moved into the local courthouse to hold trial. The court proceeding was a big event in this 1,600-person town in Kinney County, a rural border region about 100 miles west of San Antonio. With the popular local restaurant closed, a gas station clerk had to step behind the counter of the Subway during the courthouse lunch rush to help an overwhelmed employee whose co-workers were part of the jury pool. In another time or place, such a spectacle wouldnt be thought of for a case like Aguilars. After all, the 39-year-old was accused only of a misdemeanor: trespassing on private ranch land. But this case was unique among trespassing charges. Aguilar is the first migrant to stand trial in Gov. Greg Abbotts catch-and-jail initiative under Operation Lone Star, a multibillion dollar border security crackdown launched last March in response to a sharp rise in illegal immigration. In an attempt to deter border crossings, state police have arrested more than 3,000 men in Kinney County on trespassing charges since July. The county accounts for the vast majority of Operation Lone Stars trespassing arrests, with migrants typically picked up on its many hunting ranches or at a remote railyard. Out of Kinney Countys more than 3,100 reported trespassing arrests through April, 860 men have pleaded guilty, typically after spending weeks or months in prison before their first court appearance. But Aguilars was the first trespassing case to go to trial, and the county wasnt taking any chances. Aguilar was arrested in September about 15 miles from the Texas-Mexico border. U.S. Border Patrol agents spotted him and more than a dozen other men walking in the remote ranch land and called in the Texas Department of Public Safety to arrest the men under their new trespassing enforcement orders, according to the arrest report. I dont think I ever have been as impassioned about trying a case in a long time, Tony Hackebeil, a San Antonio attorney who led the prosecution for Kinney County, told jurors about the low-level charge Monday. Aguilars court-appointed defense attorney, Bryan Owens, pressed the jury to remember the migrants case was not about immigration laws or border enforcement. A guilty verdict is not going to deter even one person from trying to cross the border, the attorney said. Still, six jurors, all of whom had Spanish surnames, found Aguilar guilty of trespassing on a fenced ranch land Monday evening after deliberating for less than 20 minutes. While the judge weighed an appropriate jail sentence for his conviction, Aguliar showed what he said was a machete-inflicted scar on his forehead. He raised his hands to reveal only nine fingers, explaining his pinky was taken when he was kidnapped and tortured by cartel operatives. State District Judge Roland Andrade gave Aguilar the maximum punishment for trespassing: a year in jail. But, against the wishes of the three prosecutors on the bench, Andrade declined to issue an accompanying fine, the maximum of which would be $4,000. By Monday, Aguilar had already served about eight months of that jail sentence in the two state prisons Abbott cleared out to make room for Operation Lone Star arrestees. The migrant had remained in jail before trial, unable to post $1,500 in cash to bond out. But it was not immediately clear how much longer Aguilar will actually serve. Many counties offer good time credit for misdemeanor jail sentences. In Kinney County, inmates are given a credit of three days for every one that is served, essentially turning a year sentence into four months in jail. But the sheriff was unsure how that would transfer to migrant detainees, as they are held in state prisons, not his jail. Whenever Aguilar is released, Owens assured the court the end result will be the same. After a costly imprisonment and extensive trial procedure, he said the Honduran migrant will be deported. Those curious about their family history can visit a new genealogical research center at the Brazos Valley African American Museum that debuted Tuesday. Utilizing computers and research databases, patrons can learn more about their lineage while assisted by volunteer researchers from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The free-to-use research center is open between noon-4 p.m. on Wednesday and Saturday, according to museum board member Barry Davis. Patrons will be required to make an appointment three days in advance, Davis said. Patrons are suggested to bring as much information about their family history as possible for better results, said Lisa Mouton, local communications director for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. We recommend filling out a four-generation pedigree chart and we can provide a copy of that to patrons who wish to use this service, Mouton said. Dubbed The Pruitt-Sadberry Genealogy Family History Search, the research center honors the museums co-founders, Willie Pruitt Sr. and Mell Pruitt, along with the museums former curator, Wayne Sadberry. Sadberry died in January, but during the museums 15-year anniversary he had discussed his desire to start a genealogical research center at the museum, said Rich Boivie, the community outreach specialist for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Its becoming more and more prevalent that people really want to know where they came from, Boivie said. Who are my ancestors? Maybe part of my personality comes from an ancestor? They want to learn about this, so it provides another opportunity for people to do that. While testing the research center, Davis said he discovered the identity of his great-grandparents via a census taken in 1910. Davis said he has started a FamilySearch research log that helps him keep track of his research that will be provided to patrons at some point. Being able to identify a great-grandfather who I didnt know and a great-grandmother has been really great, Davis said. I knew my [grandmothers] name, background and everything, but I didnt know a lot about her father or mother. While a genealogy research center is nothing new to the community Davis said its like having another good restaurant to eat at. If museum personnel hit a roadblock in determining someones genealogy, they will suggest patrons continue their search at Carnegie History Center, Davis said. Maybe theyll start to learn a little bit more, maybe people will start using the library a little bit more and see all the things the library has to offer just by being a member, Davis said. It can only make things better. Boivie said he hopes that people will be excited to learn more about their ancestors and that theyll continue their research in the comforts of their own home. You can use your smartphone, computer or laptop to do research and that will increase the number of people finding their roots. Thats really what its all about, he said. Davis said the Pruitts have always wanted the museum to be a place for everyone to learn about history and the genealogical research center is just another way of opening up to more members of the community. Sometimes people think what were doing here at the museum is about African Americans, Davis said. No, no, no, its about everybody and anybody because sometimes we can find out about our roots and then we can add on or find out something we didnt know. Appointments can be scheduled at bvaam.org/family-history-center/. Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. DALLAS Former President Donald Trump on Monday urged Republican donors to continue to question his 2020 election loss, but simultaneously rally for victories in Novembers midterm contests and beyond. Republicans cannot stop looking at the election, but we also have to go on and we have to go forward, Trump told about 700 people gathered at a Dallas fundraiser for House Republican candidates. We cannot stop looking. We have to find it, because otherwise they will do it again. Trump was the headline speaker at the event sponsored by the National Republican Campaign Committee, the political arm of GOP members of the U.S. House. The fundraiser was closed to the public and media, but The Dallas Morning News obtained an audio recording of the former presidents speech. At 70 minutes, it sprawled late into the Dallas evening. While much of Trumps remarks were about his successes as president, he often veered back into his grievances over his 2020 defeat to President Joe Biden. There is no credible evidence that the 2020 election was stolen or fraudulent. Still, Trump told the audience that Republicans would prevent a repeat of 2020 by swamping Democrats in the midterm elections. The more votes we get, the more difficult it is for them to cheat, Trump said. Were going to turn out in massive numbers and deliver landslides so big that theyre not going to be able to rig it, or steal it. Trump said one of the reasons the GOP would score big in November is that America is rejecting the policies of Biden and Democrats. He even said a positive from his 2020 loss was Bidens performance. The one good thing about this horrible election, this fake election, with the fake votes and fake ballots and using COVID is that we see how bad of a job they do, Trump said. This year were going to expand the map even further. Throughout the speech, Trump praised the crusade that swept him into the White House in 2016. The America First movement and the America First agenda has turned swing states into red states and it has turned blue states into swing states and were just getting started, he said. He said the Republican rout would continue past 2022, though he did not say whether he would run for the White House in 2024. Nov. 8 is not the end of our job. Its just the beginning of our job, Trump said of the midterm elections. The opportunity for 2023 and 2024 and beyond is enormous. The former president said Republicans must continue to pound a message of border security, energy independence, while pushing conservative culture. We have to be fiercely pro-police, strongly pro-parent, proudly pro-life, pro-God and confidently pro-freedom, Trump said. The Dallas stop is the first of two Texas appearances this week. Hes scheduled to stage a public rally in Austin on Saturday. Trump has endorsed numerous candidates in Texas elections, including May 24 runoff contests. His runoff choices included incumbent Attorney General Ken Paxton, who is trying to weather a GOP primary challenge from Texas Land Commissioner George P. Bush. During his Dallas speech, Trump touted his 33-0 record this year in Texas races. He said hes 55-0 in primaries nationwide. Last week in Ohio we saw the power of the America First movement, Trump said, mentioning his successful backing of Republican Senate nominee J.D. Vance. He said some bad (expletive) about me. He said horrible things about me, but then I look at everyone else and they were all saying bad things about me. If I went by that standard, I would never be able to endorse anybody. Trump also blasted names on his GOP enemies list. He said Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., was at her lowest point ever in the polls. And he said he should have never endorsed Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky. How stupid was that? he asked. Cheney and McConnell have criticized Trumps role in the Jan. 6 Capitol riot. Cheney voted for Trumps impeachment that resulted from the riot. WASHINGTON Texas Democrats in Congress have asked the U.S. Treasury to investigate whether Gov. Greg Abbott has misused up to $1 billion in pandemic relief funds to pay for the states controversial border security effort. Governor Abbott must not be allowed to use federal coronavirus relief funds to further his political theater at the expense of Texas families, they wrote Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, noting that the funding in question was intended to help Texans rebuild from the pandemic. A Treasury official said Tuesday the department has received and is reviewing the letter from Reps. Joaquin Castro of San Antonio and Veronica Escobar of El Paso and seven others. Abbotts office has denied misuse of federal COVID-19 funds, a $15.8 billion windfall from Congress last year intended to help states cope with the pandemic. With few strings attached, Abbott has been able to beef up border spending by tapping health and prison budgets, then backfilling with the federal relief funds. Between legislative sessions, in the event of a disaster, there are mechanisms to reallocate state dollars, if necessary, to respond to the disaster and we have had to use $4 billion of state dollars for Operation Lone Star to do the federal governments job, Abbott spokeswoman Renae Eze said. Rather than attacking Texas for responding to their border disaster that they have created and escalated in the last year, President Biden and Democrats in Congress need to stop playing politics and do their jobs to secure our border. On April 29, the governor, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, Speaker Dade Phelan, Senate Finance Committee Chairwoman Joan Huffman and House Appropriations Committee Chairman Greg Bonnen signed a letter shifting $495 million from six state agencies to pay for ongoing border operations. All but $30 million will pay for 10,000 Texas National Guard and Texas State Guard deployed to as part of Operation Lone Star, Abbotts immigration dragnet at the border. Funding would otherwise have run out the next day. The rest goes to other state agencies involved with the border effort. The letter glosses over the true source of the funds, saying only that the transfer from the Texas Departments of Health and Human Services, Criminal Justice, Juvenile Justice and other agencies is fully funded with other sources. The governor has used the maneuver before. In June, he shifted $250 million from the prison budget to continue building the Trump border wall. The running tally is now roughly $1 billion. So far the Biden administration hasnt objected, though Democrats squealed at the use of COVID-19 funds for a wall that President Joe Biden had halted. In March 2021, he signed the massive American Rescue Plan, a COVID-19 relief package that, among many other things, set aside $350 billion in emergency funds for states and local governments. The only strings attached: prohibitions on using the money to offset tax cuts or make a pension fund deposit. We are now concerned that this relief funding will be misappropriated to support the failed Operation Lone Star program, says the letter from Castro and Escobar, dated Monday and co-signed by Reps. Colin Allred of Dallas, Marc Veasey of Fort Worth, Lloyd Doggett of Austin, and four colleagues from Houston: Sheila Jackson Lee, Al Green, Sylvia Garcia and Lizzie Fletcher. As you have stated in your agencys Final Rule for the Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds, they wrote Yellen, the funding should be used to replace lost public sector revenue due to the pandemic, respond to the far-reaching public health and negative economic impacts of the pandemic, provide premium pay for essential workers, and invest in water, sewer and broadband infrastructure. Instead, Governor Abbott is taking this funding away from integral public sector resources and allocating it to Operation Lone Star, which the Texas Legislature has already funded with almost $2 billion toward border security over the next two years. In early April, Sarah Hicks, director of policy and budget in Abbotts office, explained the mechanism to the state Senate Committee on Border Security: The state could cover an expected shortfall of up to $600 million at the border by tapping salary budgets at state health, law enforcement and prison agencies, with the agencies made whole using federal relief funds. Of the $15.8 billion, $2 billion has gone to the Department of State Health Services, $378 million went to the Health and Human Services Commission and $360 million went to the Texas Department of Criminal Justice. On Friday, Abbott touted 242,000 apprehensions of migrants, more than 12,000 felony charges and seizures of weapons, money and illegal drugs. If President Biden and Democrats spent half as much energy fighting to secure our nations borders as they do fighting leaders like Governor Abbott who are trying to stem the historic flow of illegal immigrants, human trafficking, cartel profiteering and enough fentanyl to kill every American, we might be able to end the humanitarian crisis of their own making, Eze said. Buying drugs on the street is a game of Russian roulette. From Xanax to cocaine, drugs or counterfeit pills purchased in nonmedical settings may contain life-threatening amounts of fentanyl. Physicians like me have seen a rise in unintentional fentanyl use from people buying prescription opioids and other drugs laced, or adulterated, with fentanyl. Heroin users in my community in Massachusetts came to realize that fentanyl had entered the drug supply when overdose numbers exploded. In 2016, my colleagues and I found that patients who came to the emergency department reporting a heroin overdose often only had fentanyl present in their drug test results. As the Chief of Medical Toxicology at UMass Chan Medical School, I have studied fentanyl and its analogs for years. As fentanyl has become ubiquitous across the U.S., it has transformed the illicit drug market and raised the risk of overdose. Fentanyl and its analogs Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that was originally developed as an analgesic or painkiller for surgery. It has a specific chemical structure with multiple areas that can be modified, often illicitly, to form related compounds with marked differences in potency. Fentanyls chemical backbone (the structure in the center) has multiple areas (the colored circles) that can be substituted with different functional groups (the colored boxes around the edges) to change its potency. Christopher Ellis et al., CC BY-NC-ND For example, carfentanil, a fentanyl analog formed by substituting one chemical group for another, is 100 times more potent than its parent structure. Another analog, acetylfentanyl, is approximately three times less potent than fentanyl, but has still led to clusters of overdoses in several states. Lacing or replacing drugs with fentanyl Drug dealers have used fentanyl analogs as an adulterant in illicit drug supplies since 1979, with fentanyl-related overdoses clustered in individual cities. The modern epidemic of fentanyl adulteration is far broader in its geographic distribution, production and number of deaths. Overdose deaths roughly quadrupled, going from 8,050 in 1999 to 33,091 in 2015. From May 2020 to April 2021, more than 100,000 Americans died from a drug overdose, with over 64% of these deaths due to synthetic opioids like fentanyl and its analogs. Illicitly manufactured fentanyl is internationally synthesized in China, Mexico and India, then exported to the United States as powder or pressed pills. Additionally, the emergence of the dark web, an encrypted and anonymous corner of the internet thats a haven for criminal activity, has facilitated the sale of fentanyl and other opioids shipped through traditional delivery services, including the U.S. Postal Service. Fentanyl is both sold alone and often used as an adulterant because its high potency allows dealers to traffic smaller quantities but maintain the drug effects buyers expect. Manufacturers may also add bulking agents, like flour or baking soda, to fentanyl to increase supply without adding costs. As a result, it is much more profitable to cut a kilogram of fentanyl compared to a kilogram of heroin. Unfortunately, fentanyls high potency also means that even just a small amount can prove deadly. If the end user isnt aware that the drug they bought has been adulterated, this could easily lead to an overdose. Preventing fentanyl deaths As an emergency physician, I give fentanyl as an analgesic, or painkiller, to relieve severe pain in an acute care setting. My colleagues and I choose fentanyl when patients need immediate pain relief or sedation, such as anesthesia for surgery. But even in the controlled conditions of a hospital, there is still a risk that using fentanyl can reduce breathing rates to dangerously low levels, the main cause of opioid overdose deaths. For those taking fentanyl in nonmedical settings, there is no medical team available to monitor someones breathing rate in real time to ensure their safety. One measure to prevent fentanyl overdose is distributing naloxone to bystanders. Naloxone can reverse an overdose as it occurs by blocking the effects of opioids. Another measure is increasing the availability of opioid agonists like methadone and buprenorphine that reduce opioid withdrawal symptoms and cravings, helping people stay in treatment and decrease illicit drug use. Despite the lifesaving track records of these medications, their availability is limited by restrictions on where and how they can be used and inadequate numbers of prescribers. Despite the evidence supporting these measures, however, local politics and funding priorities often limit whether communities are able to give them a try. Bold strategies are needed to interrupt the ever-increasing number of fentanyl-related deaths. ___ Kavita Babu receives research support from the National Institutes of Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the Massachusetts Department of Health Bureau of Substance Abuse Services and royalties from UptoDate. ___ An espionage-focused threat actor known for targeting China, Pakistan, and Saudi Arabia has expanded to set its sights on Bangladeshi government organizations as part of an ongoing campaign that commenced in August 2021. Cybersecurity firm Cisco Talos attributed the activity with moderate confidence to a hacking group dubbed the Bitter APT based on overlaps in the command-and-control (C2) infrastructure with that of prior campaigns mounted by the same actor. "Bangladesh fits the profile we have defined for this threat actor, previously targeting Southeast Asian countries including China, Pakistan, and Saudi Arabia," Vitor Ventura, lead security researcher at Cisco Talos for EMEA and Asia, told The Hacker News. "And now, in this latest campaign, they have widened their reach to Bangladesh. Any new country in southeast Asia being targeted by Bitter APT shouldn't be of surprise." Bitter (aka APT-C-08 or T-APT-17) is suspected to be a South Asian hacking group motivated primarily by intelligence gathering, an operation that's facilitated by means of malware such as BitterRAT, ArtraDownloader, and AndroRAT. Prominent targets include the energy, engineering, and government sectors. The earliest attacks distributing the mobile version of BitterRAT date back to September 2014, with the actor having a history of leveraging zero-day flaws CVE-2021-1732 and CVE-2021-28310 to its advantage and accomplishing its adversarial objectives. The latest campaign, targeting an elite entity of the Bangladesh government, involves sending spear-phishing emails to high-ranking officers of the Rapid Action Battalion Unit of the Bangladesh police (RAB). As is typically observed in other social engineering attacks of this kind, the missives are designed to lure the recipients into opening a weaponized RTF document or a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet that exploits previously known flaws in the software to deploy a new trojan dubbed "ZxxZ." ZxxZ, named so after a separator used by the malware when sending information back to the C2 server, is a 32-bit Windows executable compiled in Visual C++. "The trojan masquerades as a Windows Security update service and allows the malicious actor to perform remote code execution, allowing the attacker to perform any other activities by installing other tools," the researchers explained. While the malicious RTF document exploits a memory corruption vulnerability in Microsoft Office's Equation Editor (CVE-2017-11882), the Excel file abuses two remote code execution flaws, CVE-2018-0798 and CVE-2018-0802, to activate the infection sequence. "Actors often change their tools to avoid detection or attribution, this is part of the lifecycle of a threat actor showing its capability and determination," Ventura said. The Five Eyes nations comprising Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the U.K., and the U.S., along with Ukraine and the European Union, formally pinned Russia for masterminding an attack on an international satellite communication (SATCOM) provider that had "spillover" effects across Europe. The cyber offensive, which took place one hour before the Kremlin's military invasion of Ukraine on February 24, targeted the KA-SAT satellite network operated by telecommunications company Viasat, crippling the operations of wind farms and internet users in central Europe. Viasat, in late March, disclosed that it had shipped nearly 30,000 modems to distributors to restore service to customers whose modems were rendered unusable. "This cyberattack had a significant impact causing indiscriminate communication outages and disruptions across several public authorities, businesses and users in Ukraine, as well as affecting several E.U. Member States," the Council of the European Union said. Calling it a deliberate and unacceptable cyberattack, the nations pointed fingers at Russia for its "continued pattern of irresponsible behavior in cyberspace, which also formed an integral part of its illegal and unjustified invasion of Ukraine." The U.S. State Department said the digital assaults against commercial satellite communications networks were orchestrated to disrupt Ukrainian military command-and-control capabilities during the invasion. An analysis from cybersecurity firm SentinelOne published last month revealed that the intrusion aimed at Viasat involved the use of a data-wiping malware dubbed AcidRain that's designed to remotely sabotage tens of thousands of vulnerable modems. Furthermore, the discovery unearthed similarities between AcidRain and "dstr," a third-stage wiper module in VPNFilter, a botnet malware previously attributed to Russia's Sandworm group. Besides the Viasat attacks, Australia and Canada also blamed the Russian government for targeting the Ukrainian banking sector in February 2022, COVID-19 vaccine research and development in 2020, and interfering in Georgia's 2020 parliamentary elections. The attribution comes as Ukraine has been at the receiving end of a number of destructive attacks directed at public and private sector networks since the start of the year, launched as part of Russia's "hybrid" warfare strategy in concert with ground warfare. The U.K.'s National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) noted that Russian military intelligence agencies were "almost certainly" involved in the deployment of WhisperGate wiper malware and the defacements of several Ukrainian websites in January 2022. AcidRain and WhisperGate are part of a long list of data wiper strains that has hit Ukraine in recent months, which also includes HermeticWiper (FoxBlade aka KillDisk), IssacWiper (Lasainraw), CaddyWiper, DesertBlade, DoubleZero (FiberLake), and Industroyer2. "Russian hackers have been waging war against Ukraine in the cyberspace for the past eight years," the State Service for Special Communication and Information Protection of Ukraine (SSSCIP) said in a statement, adding they "pose a threat not only to Ukraine, but to the whole world." "Their purpose is to damage and destroy, to wipe out data, to deny Ukrainian citizens' access to public services as well as to destabilize [the] situation in the country, to spread panic and distrust in the authorities among the people." Cybersecurity researchers have discovered a number of malicious packages in the NPM registry specifically targeting a number of prominent media, logistics, and industrial firms based in Germany to carry out supply chain attacks. "Compared with most malware found in the NPM repository, this payload seems particularly dangerous: a highly-sophisticated, obfuscated piece of malware that acts as a backdoor and allows the attacker to take total control over the infected machine," researchers from JFrog said in a new report. The DevOps company said that evidence points to it being either the work of a sophisticated threat actor or a "very aggressive" penetration test. All the rogue packages, most of which have since been removed from the repository, have been traced to four "maintainers" - bertelsmannnpm, boschnodemodules, stihlnodemodules, and dbschenkernpm indicating an attempt to impersonate legitimate firms like Bertelsmann, Bosch, Stihl, and DB Schenker. Some of the package names are said to be very specific, raising the possibility that the adversary managed to identify the libraries hosted in the companies' internal repositories with the goal of staging a dependency confusion attack. The findings build on a report from Snyk late last month that detailed one of the offending packages, "gxm-reference-web-auth-server," noting that the malware is targeting an unknown company that has the same package in their private registry. "The attacker(s) likely had information about the existence of such a package in the company's private registry," the Snyk security research team said. ReversingLabs, which independently corroborated the hacks, said that the rogue modules uploaded to NPM featured elevated version numbers than their private counterparts to force the modules onto target environments a clear indicator of a dependency confusion attack. "The targeted private packages for the transportation and logistics firm had versions 0.5.69 and 4.0.48, while the malicious, public versions were identically named, but used versions 0.5.70 and 4.0.49," the cybersecurity firm explained. Calling the implant an "in-house development," JFrog pointed out that the malware harbors two components, a dropper that sends information about the infected machine to a remote telemetry server before decrypting and executing a JavaScript backdoor. The backdoor, while lacking a persistence mechanism, is designed to receive and execute commands sent from a hard-coded command-and-control server, evaluate arbitrary JavaScript code, and upload files back to the server. "The attack is highly targeted and relies on difficult-to-get insider information," the researchers said. But on the other hand, "the usernames created in the NPM registry did not try to hide the targeted company." The findings come as Israeli cybersecurity firm Check Point disclosed a monthslong information stealer campaign targeting the German auto industry with commodity malware such as AZORult, BitRAT, and Raccoon. Update: A German penetration testing company named Code White has owned up to uploading the malicious packages in question, adding it was an attempt to "mimic realistic threat actors for dedicated clients." The dependency confusion attacks were engineered by an intern at the company who was tasked with "research(ing) dependency confusion as part of our continuous attack simulations for clients," it acknowledged in a set of tweets. A previously undocumented remote access trojan (RAT) written in the Go programming language has been spotted disproportionately targeting entities in Italy, Spain, and the U.K. Called Nerbian RAT by enterprise security firm Proofpoint, the novel malware leverages COVID-19-themed lures to propagate as part of a low volume email-borne phishing campaign that started on April 26, 2022. "The newly identified Nerbian RAT leverages multiple anti-analysis components spread across several stages, including multiple open-source libraries," Proofpoint researchers said in a report shared with The Hacker News. "It is written in operating system (OS) agnostic Go programming language, compiled for 64-bit systems, and leverages several encryption routines to further evade network analysis." The messages, amounting to less than 100 in number, purport to be from the World Health Organization about safety measures related to COVID-19, urging potential victims to open a macro-laced Microsoft Word document to access the "latest health advice." Enabling the macros displays COVID-19 guidance, including steps for self-isolation, while in the background, the embedded macro triggers an infection chain that delivers a payload called "UpdateUAV.exe", which acts as dropper for Nerbian RAT ("MoUsoCore.exe") from a remote server. The dropper also makes use of the open-source Chacal "anti-VM framework" to make reverse engineering difficult, using it to carry out anti-reversing checks and terminating itself should it encounter any debuggers or memory analysis programs. The remote access trojan, for its part, is equipped to log keystrokes, capture screenshots, and execute arbitrary commands, before exfiltrating the results back to the server. While both the dropper and the RAT are said to have been developed by the same author, the identity of the threat actor remains unknown as yet. Furthermore, Proofpoint cautioned that the dropper could be customized to deliver different payloads in future attacks, although in its current form, it can only retrieve the Nerbian RAT. "Malware authors continue to operate at the intersection of open-source capability and criminal opportunity," Sherrod DeGrippo, vice president of threat research and detection at Proofpoint, said in a statement. Misfortune is trailing Vincent Nagel while hes in jail. Police arrested the 40-year-old Grand Island man April 26 in connection with gunshots fired the previous day at the Island Inn Motel, 2311 S. Locust St. Nagel has remained in Hall County Jail since Hall County Court Judge John Rademacher set bond at $1 million on April 27. On Saturday morning, Grand Island police were notified that a storage unit rented by Nagel was burglarized. The storage unit was at Iron Eagle Storage at 129 Waldo Ave. Early Tuesday morning, police were informed that a car owned by Nagel was on fire. The car, a black 1993 Cadillac Eldorado, was parked in the driveway of Nagels residence at 1404 W. John St. The fire occurred at about 2 a.m. Other people who live in the house reported the fire. Nagel did not report the fire from jail, said GIPD Capt. Jim Duering. As far as police know, the car hadnt been moved for some time. There are some indications that there was the potential for an accelerant to be used, but they also had a fuel leak caused by the fire, Duering said. So its hard to determine what caused the fire, but right now police are treating the blaze as arson until they know otherwise, he said. The circumstances are definitely suspicious, he said. Police dont know yet what was taken from the storage unit. But it looks as though someone gained entry, Duering said. Police allege that Nagel fired a handgun at 31-year-old Joaquin Garcia, narrowly missing him, at the motel on April 25. Video from the incident and evidence recovered from the scene shows that Nagel fired in the direction of Garcia from a short distance away, says the affidavit. The shots missed Garcia and struck the exterior of the hotel. The Grand Island Police Departments tactical response team arrested Nagel while serving a high-risk search warrant April 26 at 1404 W. John St. Two other men were arrested at the same time. They were 20-year-old Alex Cruz of Grand Island and Ryan Fuentes, a 32-year-old Kearney man. On April 27, Nagel was charged with criminal attempt at second-degree murder, three counts of use of a deadly weapon to commit a felony, unlawful discharge of a firearm from or near a vehicle, unlawful discharge of a firearm, possession of a deadly weapon by a prohibited person and possession of a controlled substance. Rademacher scheduled Nagels preliminary hearing for 1:30 p.m. May 31. Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. In the first of two races between Loren Lippincott and Michael Reimers for the District 34 legislative seat, Lippincott easily came out ahead in Tuesdays primary. Lippincott captured 69.7% of the vote while Reimers had 30.3%. The two men will face each other again in November for the right to succeed Curt Friesen of Henderson, who was term-limited. In all legislative races, the top two finishers run off against each other in the general election. Lippincott thanked the voters for their vote of confidence. The outcome was humbling, he said. However, the work is far from over, said Lippincott who said hes committed to spending the next six months continuing to connect with voters in the district. In the primary campaign, he knocked on 5,100 doors and attended dozens and dozens of events, he said. Lippincott, 67, lives halfway between Central City and Fullerton. He was an F-16 pilot in the U.S. Air Force and had a 30-year career as a Delta Air Lines pilot. He now helps on the family farm. He has never run for office before. Reimers, who lives in Central City, is a service technician and does traveling sales for automotive support equipment. An Aurora native, he has also farmed and raised livestock. He served for 26 years in the Nebraska Air National Guard at Lincoln. While Reimers has not served in government or been elected to public office before, he has been active in the American Legion as a district and state level commander. District 34 consists of Hamilton, Merrick and Nance counties and a portion of Hall County, including part of the city of Grand Island. Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. With only two candidates for Nebraska State Board of Education in each of Districts 5 and 6, theoretically the primaries could be skipped and the candidates shortcut to the general election. Not so. According to Tracy Overstreet, Hall County Election Commissioner, in Hall county three races that never automatically advance are: Nebraska State Board of Education, Legislature and State Board of Regents. (Those three races) never auto-advance, regardless if the number of candidates are too few to pare anybody down. The State Board of Education races in District 6 (which includes Hall, Buffalo, Adams and Merrick Counties) and District 5 (including Hamilton, York and Merrick Counties) each have two candidates competing in one spot per district. In District 6, Sherry Jones and Danielle Helzer were on the primary ballot. Jones received 69.18% of the votes (29,695); Helzer, 30.82% (13,227). All precincts had reported. There are no incumbents running in District 6. Sherry Jones and Danielle Helzer are in contest to take the seat held by Maureen Nickels. Nickels declined to run for re-election. She was elected to represent District 6 in 2014. Helen Raikes and Kirk Penner are vying for a spot representing District 5. With all precincts reporting, Penner received 60.92% of the votes (32,150); Raikes, 39.08% (20,624). The District 5 spot was vacated by Patricia Timm, who announced her resignation in October 2021, 17 years after being appointed to the seat by then-governor Mike Johanns. Penner was appointed to his District 5 seat in December 2021 by Governor Pete Ricketts to fill Timms spot. Having a primary election for State Board of Education, Legislature and State Board of Regents does have value, Overstreet explained. It ends up being sort of a litmus test for those candidates. They can see where they had strengths where they had weakness, where they maybe need to do some campaigning before the general election. In cases like these, primaries have No winner or loser, Overstreet said. They will be on the general ballot again. Jessica Votipka is the education reporter at the Grand Island Independent. She can be reached at 308-381-5420. Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. YORK York County Sheriff Paul Vrbka has been reelected. He was challenged by Scott Wiemer, a former York County deputy and a current deputy with the Seward County Sheriffs Department. While this was the Primary Election, Vrbka has ultimately been reelected because both candidates are Republicans and there were no other candidates with other party affiliations. So his will be the lone name on the General Election ballot in November. A total of 2,156 York County voters cast ballots for Vrbka, compared to 648 for Wiemer. Vrbka has already served 3 years as sheriff, being elected after the retirement of former sheriff, Dale Radcliff, had been announced. Prior to being elected sheriff, he served 15 years as lieutenant for the York County Sheriffs Department during which time he was second in command and assisted Radcliff. He also served 17 years of supervision as a night shift sergeant. Sheriff Vrbka is state certified to hold the position of sheriff; has a bachelor of science degree in criminal justice management and an associates degree in criminal justice; he has state certifications in supervision and management, critical incident management and county jail management; he is certified in advanced homicide investigation; is a certified reserve officer; is a certified law enforcement officer; is certified in intermediate and advanced accident investigation; he studied martial arts for 20 years; and he is the Southeast District Representative Fourth President for the Nebraska Sheriffs Association. During a pre-election question/answer interview, Sheriff Vrbka asked if he was up for the rigors of the 24-7 requirements of being in this position. He said, After 40 years in my law enforcement career, I am accustomed to working a job where I must be committed to being on call 24 hours a day, seven days a week. My position has never been working 9-5. As sheriff, I have a responsibility to be available to provide assistance and service to York County at any given time. I also have responsibility to be available to provide leadership and assistance to my employees. He also noted his top priorities remain reducing illegal drugs and crimes against children. My department will continue to utilize outreach programs and pursue an aggressive stance on illegal drugs in York County. I will continue the existing programs in York County schools. Also, crimes against children have increased and the sheriffs department works diligently and successfully along with Health and Human Services and the Child Advocacy Center in these investigations. While doing so, he also wants to provide top notch equipment and training for the staff of the sheriffs department, as well as competitive wages in order to retain and recruit. And he is looking forward to a new pilot program within the jail which will start this month, which will be a peer mentoring/counseling experience for inmates in an effort to help them maintain their sobriety when leaving the confines of the county jail. When asked why he filed to run for reelection, Vrbka said, As York County Sheriff, I am a strong leader, straightforward and genuine. It would be an honor to continue serving as the York County Sheriff. For me, it takes about two days to get rid of that proverbial "stupid song that's stuck in your head." It's often a forgettable melody or lyric that you wish you'd never even heard in the first place, like "It's Raining Tacos," by Parry Gripp. That tune, along with "Baby Shark," was so annoying that the city of West Palm Beach reportedly played it loudly over speakers to deter homeless people from congregating in certain areas. Another one, apparently sung from the perspective of an evil clown wanting to do away with his girlfriend, is "No More Hot Dogs," by Hasil Adkins. Stop! Don't look up that song you'll be sorry. Instead, let's focus on memorable songs, ones that a listener finds pleasurable enough to keep for the future ones that you're glad are knocking around in your head all day. Sometimes a piece of music is compelling enough that a listener feels the need to share it with others. For example, it might perfectly exemplify a genre or a music style and, therefore, must be preserved. Archiving means that the item must be carefully preserved and stored for posterity by whatever appropriate means are necessary. Whether audio tape recordings, paintings, sculptures, photographs or digital media, archival storage takes into account factors like temperature, light and humidity that can affect deterioration. Sticking with music which, like all art, is in the eye or ear of the beholder questions arise, such as what particular pieces of music should be archived, who chooses the archived songs and where should the archives be stored? Dr. Carl Sagan made an interesting choice of archival recordings for NASA back in 1977. Along with a team of associates, Sagan chose what audio would be pressed onto a "Golden Record" that was attached to the outside of the Voyager 1 and 2 spacecrafts. Labeled "The Sounds of Earth," the 12-inch gold-plated copper disk contained the audio of surf, wind, thunder and animals in order to show life and culture on our planet. The record also had music and spoken greetings in 55 different languages. There are at least 39 different audio archive projects in existence around the world. In the U.S., the National Archives is a government resource doing its best to catalog all kinds of sound. It also has archives relating to history, military records, ancestry and much more. The National Archives, located in Washington, D.C., is open to the public and can be accessed at archives.gov. Another institution, created by the U.S. government in 1846, is the Smithsonian Institution, a network of 19 museums, 21 libraries, nine research centers and even a zoo. As you might guess, the Smithsonian contains extensive audio archives, one of which is the Hirshhorn Museum Library Audio Archive. In addition to lectures and broadcast programming, it also has 306 digital audio files reformatted from audio cassettes on various topics ranging from 1969 to 2004. Smithsonian Folkways is a division founded in 1948 with a stated purpose "to record and document the entire world of sound." One of its archivists is Grateful Dead drummer Mickey Hart, recognized for his deep appreciation for "world beat" and other indigenous music. Thanks to Robbie Stokes' connection with Hart Robbie played on Mickey's "Rolling Thunder" album I was backstage at two different Grateful Dead music concerts and met the legendary drummer. Some of Mickey's Folkways efforts include recordings made in remote locations around the world. "The Music of Upper and Lower Egypt" was recorded when the Grateful Dead played concerts there; "Sarangi: The Music of India" documents melodies played on the traditional Indian stringed instrument, the sarangi; "Music to Be Born By" is Mickey's take on sound for the otherwise antiseptic environment of a hospital; "Freedom Chants from the Roof of the World" captures sounds of the Tibetan Buddhist Gyuto Monks. Hart also recorded two albums of rainforest sounds, a 67-voice female choir from Latvia, a record of songs by six different Native American tribes, field recordings from the Philippines, tribal folk music from west Africa and many more. You may be surprised to find out that Mickey and fellow Grateful Dead drummer Bill Kreutzmann provided a percussion underscore for Francis Ford Coppola's 1979 epic "Apocalypse Now." One of my favorite archives of music can be found at archive.org. With a mission of "universal access to all knowledge," it has free public access cataloging websites, software applications, games, books, movies, video and music. Archive.org contains what's likely the most extensive collection of Grateful Dead recordings available in one place. It also has audio from numerous band concerts in which your humble narrator performed. Don't forget there's also a wonderful archival resource located right here in Carbondale at Morris Library, on the SIU campus. Many audio recordings can be found at its Special Collections department, which also may be accessed on the internet. Several archive sources have been mentioned, above, as well as the storage location on servers and accessible via "the cloud." Let's now consider who chooses what gets archived. While the appreciation of music is up to the listener and everyone's opinion is equally valid, we should take notice of lists created by Rolling Stone magazine. Although they didn't ask the general public, the publication took a poll of more than 250 musicians, producers, journalists and industry professionals to produce a list of their top 500 songs or albums, or guitarists, or drummers, etc. The results were tabulated by a third party and ended up with a fair approximation and consensus of what's best. The lists of the "500 Greatest Albums of All Time" and "500 Greatest Songs of All Time" were first created in 2003 and then updated in 2010 and 2021. We could argue all day over the definition of "Greatest" as well as whether the 2003 list is more valid than the more recent updated rankings. Nevertheless, here are the latest results for the top five of Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. #5, "Abbey Road," The Beatles, 1969. #4, "Songs in the Key of Life," Stevie Wonder, 1976. #3, "Blue," Joni Mitchell, 1971. #2, "Pet Sounds," The Beach Boys, 1966. And #1, "What's Going On," Marvin Gaye, 1971. And here is the latest top five from the magazine's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. #5, "Smells Like Teen Spirit," Nirvana, 1991, written by Kurt Cobain. #4, "Like a Rolling Stone," Bob Dylan, 1965. #3, "A Change Is Gonna Come," Sam Cooke, 1964. #2, "Fight the Power," Public Enemy, 1989, written by Carlton Ridenhour, Eric Sadler, Hank Shocklee and Keith Shocklee. And the #1 song, "Respect," Aretha Franklin, 1967, written by Otis Redding. Go figure. Gary Gibula is an SIU alum, musician, writer, editor and author of the Music Historicity columns. He can be reached at gary@gratefulgary.com. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 JACKSON COUNTY The identities have been announced of the two people that were found dead following a house fire Saturday. Cynthia and Jackson Clendenin were found dead following a structure fire in rural Rockwood, police said. At 6:29 p.m. the Jackson County Sheriffs Office received a 911 call about the fire. Upon arrival, first responders found the home engulfed in flames. Preliminary findings showed that two people died in the fire, police said. Their names have been withheld by police pending next of kin notification. The following agencies assisted with the fire: Campbell Hill Fire Department, Jackson County Ambulance Service, Ava Fire Department, Steelville Fire Department, Sparta Fire Department, Chester Fire Department, Percy Fire Department, Jackson County Sheriffs Office and the Illinois State Fire Marshal. An investigation into the fire is ongoing. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Sign up for our Crime & Courts newsletter Get the latest in local public safety news with this weekly email. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. CARBONDALE SIU math Professor MingQing Xiao was acquitted last week of grant fraud, but he was convicted of tax charges related to a Chinese Bank account. Xiao, 60, of Makanda, was convicted on May 4 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, according to the U.S. Department of Justice in a news release. Previous reporting by The Southern states he was indicted under former President Donald Trump's China Initiative for allegedly fraudulently obtaining $151,099 in federal grant money from the National Science Foundation (NSF) by concealing support he was receiving from the Chinese government and a Chinese university, according to allegations outlined by the U.S. Department of Justice. In November, the DOJ brought forth a superseding indictment accusing Xiao of wire fraud, tax fraud and the failure to report a foreign bank account. That's in addition to the previous indictments by a grand jury in April on two counts of wire fraud and one count of making a false statement. However, Xiao was acquitted of the wire fraud charges by U.S. District Judge Staci Yandle and found not guilty of the false statement charge by the jury. Several SIU students and faculty, including Edward Benyas, have said Xioas was unjustly targeted in these federal proceedings. He has had to use is life savings to defend himself from these baseless charges, Benyas said. This is an unjust prosecution pursuant to the China Initiative, the xenophobic Chine Initiative. In the case of Ming there is absolutely no charge of espionage. There is no charge of intellectual property theft. So instead they choose to suggest that he committed grant fraud. Anything related to his job at SIU he was completely exonerated. Benyas wife has even set up a GoFundMe for Xiao which can be found at https://www.gofundme.com/f/legal-defense-fund-for-mingqing-xiao?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=p_lico%2Bupdate&fbclid=IwAR2NVnmLYJAxBodgXZS_F2kvpKfcB07x3D1r5qmkpTKIsFcrnJ8ImkIV2r8. Anne Fletcher, SIU Faculty Association President, has also expressed her support of Xiao. The SIUC-FA stands by Ming and continues to support him with regard to his paid leave, Fletcher said. The charges on which Ming was convicted have nothing to do with his effectiveness as a professor, and we continue to urge SIU to drop disciplinary action against him. Despite the support of students and faculty Xiao has been accused by FBI Special Agent in Charge David Nanz of a blatant lack of truthfulness in his tax responsibilities since his convictions. Failing to disclose a foreign bank account and filing false tax returns demonstrates a lack of truthfulness and an abdication of the duties of citizenship, Nanz said. Xiao received money from a Chinese employer and knowingly failed to report those funds, thereby evading his income tax responsibilities. The FBI is committed to investigate and bring to justice anyone who avoids their obligation to live by our nations laws. The charge of making and subscribing false income tax returns provides for a sentence of up to three years in prison, one year of supervised release and a $100,000 fine. The charge of failing to file an FBAR provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors, the news release said. Xiaos sentencing is set for August 11. The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation-Springfield Field Office and the Internal Revenue ServiceCriminal Investigations. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. The leaked U.S. Supreme Court draft opinion that could end or limit abortion access for millions has sent shockwaves through diverse faith communities. Opponents of abortion view it as morally wrong, and in conservative Christian corners, the draft opinion has sparked hope. However many members of minority faiths that don't prohibit abortion fear their religious freedom will be infringed upon. Some faith leaders are preparing to support women who travel to more liberal states seeking abortions if 1973's Roe v. Wade decision is overturned by the court. Polls show a majority of Americans support abortion rights. America's faithful are bracing some with cautionary joy and others with looming dread for the Supreme Court to potentially overturn the landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade decision and end the nationwide right to legal abortion. A reversal of the 49-year-old ruling has never felt more possible since a draft opinion suggesting justices may do so was leaked this week. While religious believers at the heart of the decades-old fight over abortion are shocked at the breach of high court protocol, they are still as deeply divided and their beliefs on the contentious issue as entrenched as ever. National polls show that most Americans support abortion access. A Public Religion Research Institute survey from March found that a majority of religious groups believe it should be legal in most cases with the exception of white evangelical Protestants, 69% of whom said the procedure should be outlawed in most or all cases. In conservative Christian corners, the draft opinion has sparked hope. Faith groups that have historically taken a strong anti-abortion stance, including the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, have urged followers to pray for Roe's reversal. The Rev. Manuel Rodriguez, pastor of the 17,000-strong Our Lady of Sorrows Catholic church in New York City's Queens borough, said his mostly Latino congregation is heartened by the prospect of Roe's demise at a time when courts in some Latin American countries such as Colombia and Argentina have moved to legalize abortion. "You don't fix a crime committing another crime," Rodriguez said. Bishop Garland R. Hunt Sr., senior pastor of The Father's House, a nondenominational, predominantly African American church in Peachtree Corners, Georgia, agreed. "This is the result of ongoing, necessary prayer since 1973," Hunt said. "As a Christian, I believe that God is the one that gives life not politicians or justices. I certainly want to see more babies protected in the womb." No faith is monolithic on the abortion issue. Yet many followers of faiths that don't prohibit abortion are aghast that a view held by a minority of Americans could supersede their individual rights and religious beliefs. In Judaism, for example, many authorities say abortion is permitted or even required in cases where the woman's life is in danger. "This ruling would be outlawing abortion in cases when our religion would permit us," said Rabbi Danya Ruttenberg, scholar in residence at the National Council of Jewish Women, "and it is basing its concepts of when life begins on someone else's philosophy or theology." In Islam, similarly, there is room for "all aspects of reproductive choice from family planning to abortion," said Nadiah Mohajir, co-founder of Heart Women and Girls, a Chicago nonprofit that works with Muslim communities on reproductive rights and other gender issues. "One particular political agenda is infringing on my right and my religious and personal freedom," she said. According to new data released Wednesday by the Institute for Social Policy and Understanding, 56% of U.S. Muslims say abortion should be legal in most or all cases, a figure that's about on par with the beliefs of U.S. Catholics. Donna Nicolino, a student at Fire Lotus Temple, a Zen Buddhist center in Brooklyn, said her faith calls on followers to show compassion to others. Restricting or banning abortion fails to consider why women have abortions and would hurt the poor and marginalized the most, she said. "If we truly value life as a culture," Nicolino said, "we would take steps like guaranteeing maternal health care, health care for children, decent housing for pregnant women." Sikhism prohibits sex-selective killings female infanticide but is more nuanced when it comes to abortion and favors compassion and personal choice, said Harinder Singh, senior fellow of research and policy at Sikhri, a New Jersey-based nonprofit that creates educational resources about the faith. A 2019 survey he co-led with research associate Jasleen Kaur found that 65% of Sikhs said abortion should be up to the woman instead of the government or faith leaders, while 77% said Sikh institutions should support those who are considering abortions. "The surveyed Sikh community is very clear that no religious or political authority should be deciding this issue," Singh said. Compassion is a virtue emphasized as well by some Christian leaders who are calling on their ardently anti-abortion colleagues to lower the temperature as they speak out on the issue. The Rev. Kirk Winslow, pastor of Canvas Presbyterian Church in Irvine, California, said he views abortion through a human and spiritual lens instead of as a political issue. Communities should turn to solutions such as counseling centers, parenting courses, health care and education, he said, instead of getting "drawn into a culture war." He has counseled women struggling with whether to have an abortion, and stresses the importance of empathy. "Amidst the pain, fear and confusion of an unexpected pregnancy, no one has ever said, 'I'm excited to get an abortion,'" Winslow said. "And there are times when getting an abortion may be the best chance we have to bring God's peace to the situation. And I know many would disagree with that position. I would only respond that most haven't been in my office for these very real and very difficult conversations." Likewise, Caitlyn Stenerson, an Evangelical Covenant Church pastor and campus minister in Minnesota's Twin Cities area, called on faith leaders to "tread carefully," bearing in mind that women in their pews may have had abortions for a variety of reasons and may be grieving and wrestling with trauma. "As a pastor my job isn't to heap more shame on people but to bring them to Jesus," Stenerson said. "We are called to speak truth, but with love." Ahead of a final court ruling expected to be handed down this summer, faith leaders on both sides are preparing for the possibility of abortion becoming illegal in many states. The Rev. Sarah Halverson-Cano, senior pastor of Irvine United Congregational Church in Irvine, California, said her congregation is considering providing sanctuary and other support to women who may travel to the state to end their pregnancies. On Tuesday, the day after the draft opinion leaked, she led congregants and community members in a rally for abortion rights in nearby Santa Ana. "Our faith calls us to be responsive to those in need," Halverson-Cano said. "It's time to stand with women and families and look into how to respond to this horrible injustice." Niklas Koehler, president of the Students for Life group at Franciscan University of Steubenville, a private Catholic college in eastern Ohio, said he and others regularly attend a special Mass on Saturday with prayers for an end to abortion. They then travel across the state line to nearby Pittsburgh to hold a prayer vigil and distribute leaflets outside an abortion clinic. Actions like that will continue to be necessary even if the draft opinion becomes the law of the land, Koehler said, because abortion will likely remain legal in states such as Pennsylvania. "We will still be going to pray outside the clinic," he said. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Ferdinand Marcos Jr.'s landslide victory in Monday's Philippine presidential election is expected to ensure the continuity of an independent Philippine foreign policy conducive to the Philippines-China good-neighborly friendship and cooperation. Last year, the former senator told local media that the Philippines and China are neighbors and consolidating the good-neighborly friendship between the two countries is for the people's benefit. He pledged to strengthen bilateral relations and promote cooperation in economy and trade, education, and people-to-people and cultural exchanges. China and the Philippines enjoy a long history of friendly exchanges. In recent years, the two countries have established a comprehensive strategic cooperative relationship, deepened the synergy between the joint construction of the Belt and Road Initiative and the plan of "Build, Build, Build," and jointly promoted cooperation in major programs, with bilateral trade flourishing. In the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, China and the Philippines have stood by each other to keep their citizens safe and healthy. The two sides' proper handling of the South China Sea issue has laid an important foundation for the China-Philippines friendly cooperation, benefited the two peoples and also effectively safeguarded regional peace and stability. Against the headwinds of rising global challenges, it is more important than ever for China and the Philippines to consolidate their friendship and cooperation, properly manage their differences, uphold the vision of common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security, and jointly safeguard the hard-won peace and stability in the region. Looking into the future, there will be greater scope for China and the Philippines to deepen their win-win cooperation in such fields as anti-pandemic, economy and trade, infrastructure, tourism, education and public health. China, as outgoing President Rodrigo Duterte has said, is a true and reliable friend of the Philippine people. Indeed, building a closer China-Philippines partnership is in the interests of both sides. Marcos is scheduled to begin his term on June 30. It is a shared hope that China-Philippines relations will become stronger and their cooperation more fruitful. Money is being raised to decorate downtown Orangeburg with American flags in time for the Memorial Day weekend. The flags will replace flags that were purchased in past years. The new American flag banners will be a welcoming feature to our historic downtown district, Downtown Orangeburg Revitalization Association Executive Director Candice Roberson said. We felt that this is a community project that highlights our American pride while welcoming visitors to our community, Roberson said. DORA and Orangeburg resident Jeanne Gue are spearheading the effort to place the flags downtown. The flags will be given in honor and memory of loved ones. Currently, about $450 has been raised, Roberson said. The goal is to raise $2,000. The fundraising effort began two weeks ago. Banners are scheduled to go up the Friday before Memorial Day and fly through Labor Day. The flags will be put up by the Orangeburg Department of Public Utilities. Flags will be placed on the 1100 1300 block of Russell, around Memorial Plaza and down Middleton from Amelia to John C Calhoun Drive. I am thrilled they're going up again, Gue said, who worked on the earlier effort to have flags placed downtown about four years ago. We are going to get ones that are more stable and will hang up better this time, she said. Gue got the idea of placing flags downtown as she was traveling and noticed a number of small towns in South Carolina had flags flying while Orangeburg did not. In 2018, DORA raised money for the initial flag project. Those flags deteriorated to the point where they are not able to be used. Individuals who want to donate toward the purchase of a flag can find donation forms on the DORA website: downtownorangeburg.com; on its Facebook page - Downtown Orangeburg Revitalization Association; and at the DORA Farmers Market on Tuesdays from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. A $50 donation is recommended for a flag. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Bamberg Countys school district consolidation is moving forward now that a bill dissolving the former Bamberg County School District 1 and 2 boards is now law. The superintendent of the newly consolidated district says the change will create a more streamlined consolidation process. The passing of this bill is beneficial to our district as it allows us to progress further in the consolidation process as we are fast approaching July 1, our consolidation date. The passing of this bill just streamlines board processes and operations, Bamberg County School District Superintendent Dottie Brown said. The bill was signed into law by Gov. Henry McMaster on April 13. The two districts have already been sharing key personnel, with consolidation planned for 2022-23. The new, nine-member Bamberg County School District board includes three members from each of the former BSD1 and BSD2 boards. The members of the new, consolidated board were appointed by members of the Bamberg County Legislative Delegation, Rep. Justin Bamberg and Sen. Brad Hutto, and sworn into office in February. Bamberg County voters will begin electing new members in 2024. Bamberg said the bill's passage is, further evidence that the process is working. We're officially moving forward. Things have been going very, very well. I'm excited at what the future holds for the communities in Bamberg County and the people there, he said. Brown said, The consolidated board will continue to meet to conduct board operations. The remaining tasks involved in consolidation are combining pupil and personnel databases. We are either on task or ahead of schedule regarding these. We are confident we'll be in good shape on July 1." The superintendent said she is excited about, the future of our consolidated district and for the opportunities our consolidation brings to all students in our county. The board chairpersons of BSD1 and BSD2, Janeth Walker and Beverly Bonaparte, are both members of the new, consolidated board. Walker serves as chairperson of the new board, with Bonaparte serving as vice chairperson. Other members include Secretary Tonie A. Holman and trustees Harriet H. Coker, Naomi Eckels, John L. Hiers, Cynthia F. Hurst, Blossom J. Thompson and Gwendolyn D. Bamberg. I hope that this marks the first of many instances in the future where we can be unified. It doesn't matter if you're from Denmark, Ehrhardt, Bamberg, Olar or Govan. You're from Bamberg County first ... and that is how we're going to survive, Rep. Bamberg said. The BCSD board meets the first Monday of each month at 6 p.m. Contact the writer: dgleaton@timesanddemocrat.com or 803-533-5534. Follow "Good News with Gleaton" on Twitter at @DionneTandD. Love 1 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 1 Angry 0 Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. One of the founders of a local housing ministry is being remembered for his warm smile, wonderful work ethic and wholehearted dedication to his community. Michael G. Salley Jr., who was a founder of Edisto Habitat for Humanity in 1989 and went on to work on more than 80 homes, passed away Sunday at the age of 84. Known as the "Edisto Habitat Father," Salley is being remembered for his commitment to his family, his church and the community members he enjoyed serving over the years. "He was just a good, fine person. He was a very good and wonderful husband and a very loving father. He just enjoyed life and all the people he met," said his wife, Sara "Penny" Moore Salley. The couple shared two children and three grandchildren, with Mrs. Salley referring to Edisto Habitat for Humanity as another of her husband's greatest passions. "He was a strong supporter of the Habitat houses. That was his priority, and he got out there and worked. He worked on a lot of them and got to know the families that were going into the houses. Every time that they saw each other, it was handshakes, hugs and a lot of talking about the homes," Mrs. Salley said. She continued, "He was just oriented to do stuff like this. I think his parents taught him very well that he gives back to others. He was also involved so much with St. Andrew's United Methodist Church and did a lot of stuff up there. You would holler for him if something had gone wrong somewhere, and he'd be right there." Mrs. Salley said her husband would continue to help families that had been in their Habitat home for years. "He went over a good bit and adjusted things and fixed them. He just enjoyed talking to people and getting to know them. He would stop and do things for people just because the problem was there and he needed to help," she said. Tom Kerr, an EHFH board member who also attended church with Salley, described him as a "wonderful man and mentor" who got him started working with Habitat more than 20 years ago. "He was a wonderful, sweet man. He could not say no. Everybody who'd ask him to do something to help, he was willing and happy to do it. He was involved with all of the houses up until recently. He didn't want to say no to anybody. He was just that kind of person," Kerr said. He continued, "He never slowed down. He was just such a wonderful person. In church, he sang in the choir and was just a faithful church member for years and years. He did projects around the church. He never met a weed that he didn't want to pull. So he was just constantly going around and cleaning the place up." Kerr said Salley's dedication to his work was noteworthy -- and there will be many left to help carry on his legacy of service. "He was a great trainer. He took people under his wings, got a lot of people involved with Habitat and taught them how to do things when they started. Now we can finally do it without him because he was such a good teacher. He was just the best mentor. He just taught you what it was like to do the right thing and be helpful to people," Kerr said. Former EHFH Executive Director Jamie Wood said she met Salley long before she became executive director in 2001. "My first impression of Mr. Michael 30 years ago was, in fact, accurate and remains the same thought I have of him each time he crosses my mind, and that is a good and faithful servant of the Lord," Wood said. "Since the affiliate's inception in 1991, his dream of seeing low-income families in the Orangeburg community have a better way of life through decent and affordable housing has come true nearly 100 times now," she said. The former EHFH director said Salley was vital to the housing ministry in more ways than one. "He did the work of an entire team of volunteers. He ordered all of the building supplies, he lined up the volunteers, he found subcontractors for the work volunteers could not perform, he delivered all the supplies to the site, he lined up lunches for the volunteers, and the list goes on and on," Wood said. She said Salley led by example. "Through the years, he taught me to slow down and take time for people, resting in the fact that the house would get built in its own time. I was blessed dearly by this lesson, my time at Edisto Habitat for Humanity and by Mr. Michael," Wood said. Salley was the recipient of several awards, including the United Way of the Midlands Community Impact Award in 2007 and the Austin Cunningham Award ("The Austin") at the Orangeburg County Chamber of Commerce's annual banquet in 2010. Salley, who was the Kiwanis Club's Orangeburg Citizen of the Year in 2016, also worked with the Boy Scouts of America, was a longtime member of the Lions Club and served as grand marshal of the 2009 Orangeburg County Christmas Parade. The Orangeburg County Community Park was named in Salley's honor in 2019, when EHFH officials, along with city and county government officials, converged upon 1071 Kings Road in Orangeburg for its dedication. EHFH Executive Director Jessica Burgoyne said, I respect the amazing work he has done. He was just an amazing man. He lived a life of service. Burgoyne said Salleys family will be providing funding for a home to be built in his honor in the first quarter of 2023. "Michael G. Salley's fingerprint is on everything for Edisto Habitat for Humanity. It's very evident that he was the heart of Habitat, and everyone is mourning a great loss, she said. She said the EHFH office, building sites and Home Store will all be closed on Saturday, when Salleys memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. at St. Andrew's UMC. Contact the writer: dgleaton@timesanddemocrat.com or 803-533-5534. Follow "Good News with Gleaton" on Twitter at @DionneTandD Love 1 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. The American Red Cross is helping two T&D Region families whose homes burned on Tuesday. A Mayes Road home in Orangeburg was damaged by a fire Tuesday morning. The Red Cross is helping two people by providing financial assistance for immediate needs such as food, clothing and shelter, along with referrals to much-needed resources. In addition, a home on McCrae Avenue in Denmark was damaged by a fire Tuesday afternoon. The Red Cross is helping two people. Visit redcross.org/volunteertoday to learn how to help with the efforts of the Red Cross. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 1 Angry 0 The Post and Courier has received first-place honors in the prestigious National Headliner Awards for its collaborative series aimed at exposing government corruption and misconduct throughout South Carolina. The Uncovered project received the top award for public service among newspapers in smaller media markets. The Post and Courier teamed with 18 community newspapers, including The Times and Democrat, throughout the Palmetto State to examine questionable conduct among public officials, producing some 40 stories along the way. In doing so, the ongoing series also highlighted the vital role newspapers play as watchdogs of taxpayer dollars and democracy. Recognizing that the decline of the newspaper industry seemed coincident with the rise of local graft in South Carolina, The Post and Courier organized a statewide SWAT team of media outlets to support one another and lend muscle to investigative reporting on the micro level, the award judges wrote in their comments. The National Headliner Awards were founded in 1934 by the Press Club of Atlantic City. The annual contest is one of the oldest and largest in the country that recognizes journalistic merit in the communications industry. Top finalists in the public service category included The Kingsport Times-News in Tennessee, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Madison Capital Times and Appleton-Post-Crescent. Other top winners included The Los Angeles Times, The New York Times and The Philadelphia Inquirer. Uncovered previously received a special citation from the Selden Ring Award, whose judges said the series and its local partnership provides a model for news organizations in other communities with news deserts. Uncovered also led the way in the S.C. Press Associations 2021 News Contest, claiming the prestigious Public Service award and first place for Investigative Reporting and Innovation. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Competitors participate in a vocational skills competition at a vocational school in Chongqing, on May 7, 2022. [Photo/cfp.cn] China's newly revised Vocational Education Law took effect on May 1, which is expected to promote high-quality development of the country's vocational education sector. This is the first time the law has been revised since it was adopted in 1996. According to the revised law, vocational education will enjoy the same importance as general education, thus signifying that the status of vocational education will be further improved. Over the past four-plus decades since reform and opening-up, China has set up the world's largest vocational education system, establishing over 10,000 vocational schools with over 30 million students. Such a large-scale vocational education system has played an important role in cultivating talents and promoting employment and entrepreneurship in the country. However, due to ongoing industrial upgrading and economic restructuring, demands for technical and skilled personnel are booming in China, which requires further integrated development between vocational education and general education. For years, China's general education has received more attention, with those who fail the high school admission or college entrance exams often attending vocational schools. The newly revised law stipulates that vocational education is as important as general education, and vocational school graduates will have increased access to degrees in higher education than what was previously available. Moreover, the law also stresses that vocational school students enjoy the same opportunities as students from regular schools in terms of employment and career development. All these measures will significantly improve the status of vocational education. Likewise, vocational schools will become more attractive for students. To further integrate vocational education into China's economic development, the revised law also encourages more enterprises to participate in vocational education, such as by establishing their own vocational schools and setting up full-time or part-time trainee posts for vocational students. These are intended to provide vocational school students with more practical skills and abilities. In this regard, more opportunities and access to employment will be offered for vocational school graduates, which will facilitate their career development. The newly revised law will bring vocational education more attention from all of society. In the years to come, China's vocational education is expected to play a more critical role in meeting people's needs for a more diversified education and better support the country's development. Xie Bo is a professor with Xi'an Jiaotong-Liverpool University. Opinion articles reflect the views of their authors, not necessarily those of China.org.cn. If you would like to contribute, please contact us at opinion@china.org.cn. The federal government on Tuesday requested more time to decide whether it will appeal a March court ruling that invalidated 193 Wyoming oil and gas leases over threats to sage grouse. Environmental law nonprofit Earthjustice sued in 2018, on behalf of several conservation groups, over federal leases sold in Wyoming, Montana and Nevada in late 2017 and the first half of 2018. The March decision, issued by Chief Judge Brian Morris of the U.S. District Court for the District of Montana, was Earthjustices second win in the case: A 2020 ruling previously canceled the Montana leases and some Wyoming leases. Companies holding the remaining Wyoming and Montana leases, which they purchased in December 2017 and March 2018, held off on developing them due to the ongoing litigation. And while the decision to vacate those leases didnt affect active production, it was still unwelcome to industry. The U.S. Department of the Interior has not yet announced whether it intends to challenge the ruling. This procedural step provides the federal government the time needed to assess its path forward, an Interior Department spokesperson said in an email to the Star-Tribune, and does not signal that an appeal will be pursued. Greater sage grouse populations have fallen by 80% across the West since the 1960s. The scientific consensus is that their decline has been driven by habitat loss, fragmentation and degradation. The birds declining numbers have driven concern it would require an endangered species listing, which industry groups worry would imperil Wyomings energy sector. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 The business news you need Get the latest local business news delivered FREE to your inbox weekly. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. The Magpul Wyoming Governors Match, a target-shooting competition, will be held in Casper from July 28-31 at the Stuckenhoff Shooters Complex. Founded in 2017, the event draws shooters from across the U.S. and Canada. Up to 360 people are expected to compete, according to a Tuesday news release. This is the first time the competition is coming to Casper, with Cody and Cheyenne hosting it in previous years. Competitors will be scored for completion and accuracy over 10 stages. Not only does this high-level shooting competition provide an exciting opportunity for recreational shooters, but it also brings in hundreds of visitors from across the country that boost our local and state economies with additional travel and tourism dollars, said Laurel Thompson, outreach coordinator for Wyoming Office of Outdoor Recreation. The office is partnering with Visit Casper and the Casper Shooters Club to organize the event. Its sponsored by Vortex Optics, which makes optical equipment for firearms. The competition is open to the public. For more information, visit caspershooters.com. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. CHEYENNE Despite an objection by the Laramie County district attorney, the trial of a man accused of killing a local 2-year-old and putting his body in a dumpster was rescheduled for a second time Monday afternoon. Following a motion filed by state public defender Diane Lozano and public defender Brandon Booth on behalf of Wyatt Dean Lamb, Laramie County District Judge Steven Sharpe rescheduled the jury trial for Feb. 6. Lozano and Booth argued they needed more time to find particular experts, including a forensic pathologist, which they said is crucial to Lambs defense. The severity of the charges, the voluminous amount of evidence and a shortage of attorneys in the Office of the State Public Defender also contributed to their request for more time. A jury trial in the case was initially set for Jan. 4 of this year after Lamb pleaded not guilty last August. The trial was later reset to Aug. 2, 2022. Laramie County DA Leigh Anne Manlove objected to the continuance. She said the state had filed its pre-trial memorandum a summary of the prosecutions planned arguments and potential witnesses in December, and that they were ready to go to trial. In an interview Tuesday, Manlove said she also objected to the continuance because she believes the decision to push the trial to early next year may privilege Lamb. I will not make a plea offer in that case, and Mr. Lamb wants a plea offer that gives him an opportunity for parole, and I wont do that, Manlove told the Wyoming Tribune Eagle. So the concern I have is, depending on how elections go, what if Im not the district attorney and my (successor) agrees to give him parole? Manlove said that, for a 15-month-old case, she doesnt see much difference between her requested continuance to December 2022 and the defenses request of Feb. 6, 2023. She said she thinks Lambs attorneys believe its in their clients interest that Manlove is not district attorney when his case is resolved. They hope its somebody who will agree that he can have the possibility for parole, and I wont do that, because this is a tortured, murdered 2-year-old who was thrown away like garbage, and the strength of the states case is such that there should never be a plea offer in this case that gives Mr. Lamb an opportunity to get out of prison, the district attorney said by phone. Manlove is up for re-election in November, and her current term ends in January 2023. She told the WTE on Tuesday that voters would know whether she planned to run for a second term on May 27, the filing deadline for state, county and municipal candidates who wish to be nominated through a partys primary. Manlove was elected in November 2018 and began her first term in January 2019. The district attorney has faced a barrage of criticism from contingents of the Wyoming State Bar, as well as Laramie County circuit and district court judges and some former employees. This was first reported last June, when the Office of Bar Counsel filed a formal disciplinary complaint with its Board of Professional Responsibility alleging mishandling of certain cases, inappropriate dismissals of cases and a toxic work environment fostered by Manlove. This was followed by a second formal charge against the district attorney, which was filed in October. After an eight-day hearing this past February, the three-person panel appointed by the board recommended Manlove be disbarred for allegedly violating multiple rules of conduct for attorneys. The disciplinary case is ultimately in the hands of the Wyoming Supreme Court, which may not make a decision for several more months. Hearing Judge Sharpe noted early in Mondays hearing that the outcome of the November election is an unknown. Manlove asked if Lambs trial could be scheduled for December, and if Sharpe did not have time for it, that the jury trial be reassigned to another Laramie County District Court judge. Manlove said during the hearing that shed asked prosecutors around the state whether theyd be willing to take on the case. She told Sharpe none were. During Tuesdays interview, the DA attributed this to a statewide shortage of prosecuting attorneys. Lozano, during the court hearing, said a domestic violence jury trial in which Lamb is the defendant had already been reset to Feb. 20, 2023, by Laramie County District Judge Catherine Rogers. Should Lamb be convicted of murder or child abuse, any potential sentence would likely engulf that of a domestic violence conviction, Lozano said. She added that Lamb did not want to go to trial in the domestic violence case. A phone call to Lozano was not returned Tuesday afternoon. One legal expert said Tuesday he had never heard of an upcoming election being cited as an argument for a court to schedule consideration of a case during a certain time period. It was the first that I ever heard of something like that, said the University of Wyomings Darrell Jackson. A former local and federal prosecutor in the Washington, D.C., area, he said that front-line prosecuting attorneys do not tend to turn over even when their boss leaves. For all of the high-level first-tier officials like that, their line doesnt necessarily change just because they change, Jackson said. They usually have a cadre of attorneys working underneath them. Nonetheless, there are valid reasons for the government to oppose delaying a trial, according to Jackson, a UW professor of law and director of the Prosecution Assistance Program. With the passage of time, evidence can get lost, or may be hard to keep track of. And peoples memories fade. With each day, peoples memory gets worse, and with each day, evidence (is more likely to have) problems, Jackson said by phone Tuesday. With each continuance, the percentage and likelihood of those issues coming up gets bigger and bigger and bigger. Lamb pleaded not guilty in August to first-degree murder as well as to 10 felony counts of child abuse with injury. The murder charge carries a maximum sentence of life in prison or death, with each child abuse charge carrying a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison or a $10,000 fine. There was no discussion of bond at Mondays hearing. Lambs bond was set at $1 million cash in the murder case at his initial appearance last June, and he remains in custody at the Laramie County jail. The 2-year-old victim in the case, Athian Rivera, was reported missing by his mother, Kassandra Orona, at around 1 p.m. on Feb. 19, 2021. His body was discovered around 3 that afternoon in a dumpster just outside an entrance to Oronas apartment, located in the 400 block of Desmet Drive. The toddler died from brain swelling caused by blunt force trauma, restriction of oxygen or both, according to a probable cause affidavit filed in the case. Laramie County Coroner Rebecca Reid determined Athian died between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. on Feb. 19. His body was wrapped in a fitted bed sheet and a blanket, which were inside five black plastic trash bags, according to the affidavit. Forensic pathologist James Wilkerson noted scattered blunt force injuries over much of the body, including multiple contusions and abrasions, as well as burn marks on the toddlers genitals, upper legs and groin area consistent with a handheld torch found at Oronas apartment, according to an autopsy conducted by Reid and Wilkerson. Wilkerson issued the autopsy report, signed on May 6, which ruled Athians death a homicide. He advised Reid that the cause of death was cerebral edema with herniation, with three contributing factors: blunt force injuries, suffocation and thermal injuries. He said Athian was the victim of non-accidental trauma, according to the affidavit. Wilkerson also observed complete or partial collapse of a lung or lung area, which he said was caused by suffocation or manual strangulation. The autopsy, conducted Feb. 20, 2021, was observed by two detectives with the Cheyenne Police Department. Lamb was identified as a suspect in Athians death by CPD on Feb. 23, 2021. That is when the department announced it had recommended charges of murder and aggravated child abuse against Lamb to the Laramie County District Attorneys Office. Bond conditions set in March 2020 in a separate case by a Laramie County Circuit Court judge prohibited Lamb from having contact with Orona and from being within one block of her home, according to court documents. Lamb was charged with felony strangulation of a household member, misdemeanor property destruction and interference with a peace officer after an incident involving Orona. On March 4, 2021, Lamb entered a denial to two bond revocation accusations filed by the state, including that he violated his bond conditions in the strangulation case by living with Orona since August 2020. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Police have arrested a man considered a person of interest in the case of a Gillette woman who went missing under suspicious circumstances. Investigators arrested Nathan J. Hightman at 3:30 p.m. Tuesday, police said. Hes been charged with two felony counts of theft, one felony count of unlawful use of a credit card and two felony counts of crimes against intellectual property. Police say Irene Gakwa, the missing woman, is considered the victim in the crimes that Hightman has been charged with. The Gillette News Record identified Hightman as Gakwas fiance. He has declined to be interviewed by officers, police said. Gakwa, 32, remains missing under what police say are suspicious circumstances. She was last seen on a Feb. 24 video call with her parents. Police received a missing persons report for Gakwa on March 20. Investigators have said they received a tip she may have been taken to a rural area, including possibly a mine or oil and gas site, in a car or crossover SUV sometime between Feb. 24 and March 20. Detectives are asking the public for information concerning a gray or silver Subaru Crosstrek with Idaho license plates that may have been trespassing or appearing out of place in rural Converse County between those dates. Police are also seeking information about a possible 55-gallon metal drum that may have been burned or abandoned in the county. Anyone with information related to Gakwas disappearance should contact the Gillette Police Department at (307) 682-5155. Gakwa is a 32-year-old Black woman described as 5 feet, 1 inch tall and weighing around 89 pounds, with black hair and brown eyes. Staff writer Ellen Gerst contributed to this report. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 1 Sad 0 Angry 0 Sign up for our Crime & Courts newsletter Get the latest in local public safety news with this weekly email. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. A DIFFERENCE of opinion on how Guardian Holdings Ltd (GHL), a publicly traded company in T&T and Jamaica, should deal with deferred taxes in its first-quarter financials resulted in the departure of its former chief financial officer, David Maraj. GHLs chief executive officer, Ravi Tewari, declined to give details of the circumstances that led to Marajs sudden departure from the company. Based on the autopsy report on infant Kimani Francis, which showed death was caused by drowning, police investigators are now building a case of negligence that could lead to a charge of manslaughter against a person of interest in the case. Whether the statements and evidence being collected by police will be sufficient to support such an indictment will be determined when the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) is asked to review the file. Flash Chinese President Xi Jinping spoke with French President Emmanuel Macron on the phone on Tuesday afternoon. Xi noted his close contact with Macron over the past five years, which has helped guide the two countries in sustaining the positive momentum of bilateral ties, conducting fruitful cooperation, and fulfilling the responsibilities of major countries on climate change, biodiversity conservation and other issues. In a world undergoing changes unseen in a century, China and France, two permanent members on the United Nations Security Council and independent major countries, should uphold "independence, mutual understanding, strategic vision and win-win cooperation," a commitment the two sides made when establishing diplomatic relations, stick to their close and enduring comprehensive strategic partnership, respect each other's core interests and major concerns, and strengthen coordination and cooperation in the bilateral, China-Europe and global contexts, he said. Xi added that China will keep close exchanges with France at all levels to promote the healthy growth of China-France relations and maintain world peace and stability. Xi stressed the need to identify, through bilateral dialogue mechanisms, cooperation priorities in the coming five years. He called on the two sides to step up cooperation in emerging areas including artificial intelligence and clean energy, while advancing cooperation in traditional areas like civilian nuclear energy, and aerospace. The Chinese president said China is ready to import more quality products from France, welcomes French financial and hi-tech companies to China for business cooperation, and hopes that the French side will provide a fair, equitable and non-discriminatory business environment for Chinese enterprises that conduct investment and cooperation in France. Xi said that it is important that China and France make good use of big occasions like the 60th anniversary of China-France diplomatic relations and the Paris Olympics, both to take place in 2024, as important opportunities to further increase people-to-people and cultural exchanges and enhance mutual understanding. He added that the two sides should follow true multilateralism, uphold the international system with the United Nations at its core and the international order based on international law, support multi-polarity and economic globalization, and deepen cooperation on climate change and biodiversity. Xi stressed that the two sides need to increase communication and coordination at the Group of 20 and on global food and energy security, expand trilateral cooperation in Africa and other regions, and explore cooperation on the Global Development Initiative and the Global Security Initiative. The Chinese president pointed out that the steady and sound growth of China-EU relations serves the interests of people in China, in Europe and in all other countries, adding that China appreciates France's commitment to strategic autonomy, and hopes that France will encourage the EU to keep a right perception of China and work with China in the same direction by managing differences properly and building on converging interests for closer cooperation in economy and trade, green and digital development, and people-to-people exchanges. Xi also expressed his hope for France, who holds the rotating presidency of the EU, to play a positive role in promoting the sound development of China-EU relations. For his part, Macron commended the open spirit with which the two sides have developed their relations since establishing diplomatic ties. Over the past five years, the two sides have carried out fruitful cooperation across the board, Macron said. For the next five years, France will work with China to deepen cooperation in areas including agriculture, aviation, civilian nuclear energy and culture and to scale up cooperation in climate change and biodiversity, with a view to greater achievements in France-China relations, said the French president. France is willing to play a positive role in the development of EU-China relations, he added. The two leaders also exchanged views on the situation in Ukraine and agreed that relevant parties should support Russia and Ukraine in restoring peace through negotiations. Xi stressed that China has been working in its own way to promote peace talks, and that China supports European countries in keeping the security of Europe in their own hands. He urged vigilance against bloc confrontation, which poses a bigger and more persistent threat to global security and stability. Macron noted the many common understandings between France and China on the issue of Ukraine, adding that France stands ready for closer coordination and cooperation with China at both bilateral and multilateral levels. France and the EU are committed to strategic autonomy and will not endorse or take part in bloc confrontation, he said. Sooner or later, it will happen. As national conditions inevitably worsen, another massive coalition will emerge incrementally to coalesce, like in 1986 and 2010, to challenge the Peoples National Movement (PNM). Tobago has already led the way again. The political earthquake of the Progressive Democratic Patriots (PDP), winning the THA election 14-1, was an overwhelming repudiation of the PNM which had ruled the roost there for 21 years. Not hamstrung by Trinidads tribalism, Tobago provided another chance to move the politics forward. "Every Cloak Rolled in Blood" by James Lee Burke; Simon & Schuster (288 pages, $27) Grief can shatter your world. Losing a loved one suddenly is a shock to the system that can tear loose time and render what we think of as reality an alien territory. That kind of disorienting loss is the emotional setting of "Every Cloak Rolled in Blood," the latest novel from revered author James Lee Burke. Its main character, Aaron Holland Broussard, was also the protagonist in Burkes 2021 novel, "Another Kind of Eden" (and appeared in earlier books). In "Another Kind of Eden," set in 1962, Aaron was a young man. In this novel, set in the present, he is an old one. Since the earlier book he has found success as a writer, married, had a daughter, lost his wife not long after in an accident and settled into life on his Montana ranch. He raised the daughter, Fannie Mae, on his own, and she became the light of his life smart, funny, generous and kind, although she dealt with trauma in her life as well, trauma that led to struggles with substance abuse and mental illness. But she had finally gotten clean and sober. And then she died, suddenly and unexpectedly, of natural causes. Aaron tells us he does not think he will ever get over her death. He prays for her to give him a sign; he admits, after a time, to seeing her. The reason I did not mention these other visitations is my fear that I am having a nervous breakdown, he tells the reader. All the signs are there: suicidal thoughts, depression, insomnia, psychoneurotic anxiety, and the ennui and daily misery that can put you in the white-coated custody of people whose gloved hands you will not forget. But I do not want Fannie Mae to go away. If she does, I know I will want to go with her. In fact, if Im allowed to bargain, I will ask that I be allowed to step aboard the same vehicle and go somewhere among the stars, maybe in the cold white smoke of the Milky Way, far from where moth and rust doth corrupt and where thieves break through and steal. But Fannie Maes ghost isnt the only restless spirit in the harshly beautiful Bitterroot Mountains. As the novel opens, Aarons mourning is interrupted when a couple of men drive onto his property and up to his barn, where a teenage boy spray-paints a swastika on the door as Aaron watches from his veranda. Mystified by the vandalism he has lived on the ranch for decades without friction with his neighbors Aaron reports it to the state police. The trooper who answers the call, Ruby Spotted Horse, knows who he is and thinks his letters to the editor in the local paper have stirred up some white supremacists. Shes sympathetic, but both of them know an investigation is unlikely. Aaron thinks he knows who the men in the truck were, and he confronts one of them, more as an outlet for his grief than anything else. It ends in a standoff, but he fears his own rage and goes to Ruby for help. In her handsome but crumbling old house, he discovers hes not the only one dealing with the supernatural although whats trapped behind ancient barriers in her basement is a far cry from Fannie Maes benign spirit. The white supremacist trail leads to drug dealing, a corrupt preacher and more. But those earthly evils seem to connect to something worse. Aaron has been haunted much of his life, by the men he fought beside in Korea and by his ancestors who fought for slavery in the Civil War and who killed in the name of manifest destiny in the American West. But now something, whether its Fannie Maes death or his own reaction to it, has opened passages that leave him doubting the people around him and perhaps fighting for someones life. His ranch is hard by the site of the Marias Massacre, a terrible attack in 1870 by the U.S. Army that killed about 200 Piegan Blackfeet people, most of them women, children and elders. When he goes outside at night, Aaron begins to see and hear the horrific events of the massacre. The soldiers who slaughtered the Blackfeet were led by Major Eugene Baker, whose ghost speaks to him, and Baker becomes a symbol to Aaron of the brutality of war and racism. Why do I brood in this fashion? Aaron says. Maybe we have already entered the time of Major Eugene Baker and those like him. Maybe were about to see the horses in the Book of John up close and personal, their chests heaving, their breaths hot, their mouths and necks lathered, thundering across a ruined world peopled with skeletons. But the darkest hour is not in the prophecy of a Hebrew evangelist who lived two thousand years ago; its in the soul. Thats why I sit here shaking in the dark. ... In his letter to readers at the beginning of "Every Cloak Rolled in Blood," Burke writes that the book is personal in many ways. In 2020, one of his daughters, Pamala Burke McDavid, died suddenly, of natural causes. The parallels between her life and character and Fannie Maes are many, he tells us, and writes that the greatest darkness we can experience is to lose ones child. With this novel, Burke has turned his heartbreak into art. Subscribe to stay connected to Tucson. A subscription helps you access more of the local stories that keep you connected to the community. Arnett, William "Bill" L. 09/27/1956 - 05/05/2022 Bill loved the water, sun and boating. He designed the pool of his dreams. A true craftsman, when he needed something, he built it. After graduation from Prescott High School in 1974, he served as a U.S. Marine for .... Read more FICTION: An ambitious inventor leaves behind a troubling legacy. "The Immortal King Rao" by Vauhini Vara; Norton (384 pages, $27.95) King Rao in Vauhini Vara's thrilling debut novel, "The Immortal King Rao," is not exactly royalty. But on a coconut plantation in his Indian village of Kothapalli, his prosperous Dalit family raises the auspicious firstborn son of a firstborn son to believe in his inherent greatness. In 1974, as a computer science graduate student, Rao moves to Puget Sound, where he meets and later marries Margie, an equally curious and keen striver. Together, they design a personal computer, one of the first of its kind. Decades later, nationalism and a pandemic sweep the globe and further destabilize nations. Rao and Margie's dogged pursuit of technological advancement eventually yields catastrophic results. Their innovations lead to the dismantling of governments, which in turn accelerate the climate crisis on what will come to be known as Hothouse Earth. Vara has penned a dynamic and haunting world. The new international and corporate-run influencer empire, Shareholder Government, utilizes Social Capital as its main currency. An all-knowing "Algo," employing a master algorithm, doles out punishments for misdeeds and extracts Capital for services. The Blanklands, islands outside of Shareholder Government's jurisdiction, serve as the home to anti-tech resisters who lead analog lives and reject the new order's authority. Vara deftly paints Rao, who lives for more than a century, as an eccentric genius whose childhood memories shape his entrepreneurial spirit. He names his computer Coconut, the exalted fruit of his family's livelihood, and carries with him the words of his beloved paternal uncle, Chinna: "If you just make the world better than when you got here, that's a good life." Unfortunately, Rao badly misconstrues "better." At its heart, "The Immortal King Rao" is a jarring and meticulous critique of how progress is often confused with goodness. Can faster, more efficient and more accurate technology bring about equality? Can code find a way to deepen human beings' connections to one another? It is only in his twilight years that Rao begins to hold himself accountable for the disastrous circumstances he has wrought. But his solution, as always, lies in yet another new invention one that can transfer memories between people. The first recipient of his own memories is also the book's fearless narrator Rao's 17-year-old daughter, Athena. She is born to a surrogate when her father is in his 90s and serves, unknowingly, as his guinea pig. They live on Blake Island where Rao, long exiled from Shareholder Government, keeps his daughter's existence a secret. Her childhood seems idyllic until, during adolescence, the horror of her father's grievous sins fully come into focus. Not long after Rao is murdered, Shareholder Government imprisons Athena. It is here where she makes her case to us, her audience (who she addresses as "dear Shareholder"), as if we are both judge and jury. It is a clever narrative choice on Vara's part, but also, highly effective. For aren't we all, as fervent believers in technology, equally complicit in her fate? Anjali Enjeti is the author of "Southbound: Essays on Identity, Inheritance, and Social Change" and "The Parted Earth." Subscribe to stay connected to Tucson. A subscription helps you access more of the local stories that keep you connected to the community. Arnett, William "Bill" L. 09/27/1956 - 05/05/2022 Bill loved the water, sun and boating. He designed the pool of his dreams. A true craftsman, when he needed something, he built it. After graduation from Prescott High School in 1974, he served as a U.S. Marine for .... Read more To Kathy Barnette and her ardent supporters in Pennsylvania's Republican Senate primary, former President Donald Trump made a mistake. It's not that Barnette and her supporters don't still support the former President. They do, and many of her backers remain Trump's most fervent defenders. But when the former President endorsed celebrity Dr. Mehmet Oz in the Republican Senate primary, it opened a pathway for Barnette to run further to the right, and more in line with the "MAGA movement" than any of her primary opponents. "As much as people support Trump, hey, he ain't God," said Gary Smith, chair for the Constitutional Republicans of Western Pennsylvania in Jefferson County who personally plans to vote for Barnette. "He made a mistake. I think it is one of the worst mistakes he has made in his endorsements because Oz is everything we are not." Smith added: "This is Trump country. A year later, all the signs are still up. ... But I would say right now, 90 some percent of our group is probably going to vote for her." Barnette's campaign has been a surprising success in the final months of the primary, according to top Pennsylvania Republican operatives and county officials, many of whom have been impressed by the durability and strength of the author and commentator's Senate bid in the face of unmatched money. That persistence was rewarded this week when a string of Republican groups announced they were going to give Barnette last minute, big money support. Club for Growth, a top Republican super PAC, reserved nearly $2 million in ads on behalf of Barnette on Tuesday, according to the ad tracker AdImpact. And two anti-abortions organizations -- the super PAC arm of Susan B. Anthony List and CatholicVote -- announced on Tuesday they were endorsing Barnette. Both groups now plan to use their vast nationwide networks to help the conservative candidate. While the top two Republicans in the race, Oz and former hedge fund manager Dave McCormick, self-fund their campaigns and spend millions on television ads, Barnette has crisscrossed the commonwealth in relative obscurity, holding events with a range of Republican groups, spending little money on television and winning over many of the activists who will make up the electorate in Tuesday's primary. "She is getting out in the public, going to these events and meeting, not just committee members, but local Leigh residents," Joe Vichot, chairman of the Lehigh County Republican Committee, said of Barnette, who recently upstaged her better funded rivals by winning the county party's straw poll. Vichot said that while there is a subset of the party who will vote for whoever Trump backs, many aren't as tied to the former President's support as they are looking for someone who they believe embodies the former President. "That's resonating," he added, noting questions about Oz's conservative credentials. "Some people will vote for Oz because Trump says so, but that's not always the case. They love what Trump has done and they like what he is standing up and fighting for. That is what she has." A new Fox poll released Tuesday showed a wide-open primary with Oz at 22%, McCormick at 20% and Barnette at 19% -- within the survey's margin of error -- and 18% of Republican voters undecided. Barnette's standing was up 10 points from where she was in Fox's March poll. And if Barnette can benefit from the top two candidates being narrowly focused on each other and pull off an unexpected victory in Tuesday's primary, it will be, in part, because of blowback to Trump's decision to endorse Oz. "MAGA does not belong to President Trump," Barnette said at a recent debate to explain why she did not receive the former President's endorsement. "Although he coined the word, MAGA actually belongs to the people. Our values never, never shifted to President Trump's values. It was President Trump who shifted and aligned with our values." It's a strategy Barnette has had for months. Smith recalled that Barnette told him back in October 2021 that her strategy was to embrace Trump and fill in the gap once the top candidates bludgeon each other with negative ads. "She told me, 'I am going to let the top three just beat each other up and them I am going slide in and win,'" Smith recalled. "And I think this girl is going to slide right in like this Kentucky Derby winner just did. It's going to be close... but I think she is going to pull it off." From 2020 loss to upstart Senate campaign Barnette is a relative newcomer to elected politics and both her book and campaign website are sparse on details about her ties to the commonwealth. She ran unopposed in a Republican congressional primary in 2020, only to lose to Democrat Madeleine Dean by 19 percentage points for a congressional seat in the Philadelphia suburbs. In her 2020 book "Nothing to Lose, Everything to Gain: Being Black and Conservative in America," Barnette details how she "grew up on a very small farm in southern Alabama in a one stop-sign town," in a house with no running water and an outhouse. In a recent debate, Barnette -- a mother of two who opted to homeschool her children -- also said she was a "byproduct of a rape" when a 21-year-old man impregnated her 11-year-old mother. She said she turned the trauma into the life she has now, using it to relate to those voters who oppose abortion. The book goes on to detail Barnette's views on being a conservative, how she associated being Black with being a Democrat -- "I was born into the Democratic Party just as much as I was born into brown skin," she writes -- and how Trump's 2016 campaign and his appeal to Black voters inspired her views on conservatism. From her "dirt poor" upbringing, Barnette's website says she would go on to graduate from college, served for 10 years in the Army reserves and went on to both work and teach corporate finance. It does not detail Barnette's ties to Pennsylvania, or when she moved to the state. What Barnette's campaign has lacked in funding -- she has spent a paltry $160,000 on television ads compared to $13 million for Oz and $12 million for McCormick -- it has made up for in energy. County officials tell CNN that Barnette is, by far, by the most responsive of the Senate candidates, often attending events in rural stretches of the state and spending time with activists and voters. Barnette's spots also focus more on issues like rising prices than they do on tearing down her opponents. "I know what matters most to you and your family, because I am you," she says in a recent video. "Everything is up. Our ability to live is being squeezed. Biden did this." Barnette has also staked out far right positions that are popular among Republican activists. She is proudly skeptical of the coronavirus vaccine -- her Facebook photo features one sign: "HIRING THE UN-VACCINATED" -- and she has said that politicians on both sides of the aisle "allowed COVID-19 to trump the Constitution." She also routinely sprinkles her stump speech with baseless claims about election fraud in 2020, arguing that the Republican Party should "absolutely not" move on from talking about the last election and at times arguing there were "irregularities" in her overwhelmingly congressional loss. She has endorsed state Sen. Doug Mastriano's bid to be governor. Mastriano is one of the commonwealth's most outspoken proponents of the falsehood that the 2020 election was stolen from Trump. Mastriano, who polls have as the lead Republican in the gubernatorial primary, has reciprocated the endorsement, backing Barnette and the two have since campaigned together. 'Because you are a liberal' Even as Barnette has opted not to make her primary opponents the focus of her campaign, she has routinely accused Oz and McCormick of being fake conservatives who, to win a Senate seat, moved to Pennsylvania for the primary. Both top Republicans have roundly been accused of being carpetbaggers: Oz, until recently, lived in New Jersey, and McCormick used to reside in Connecticut. The strategy has clearly gotten under their skin -- especially Oz. At a March forum, Barnette was persistent in her attacks of Oz, charging that the race was "not a talk show" and that Pennsylvania voters "need people who understand what the issues are and who don't simply sit in a room, learn our talking points, and then come back and parrot them to us." She went on to argue that Oz spent his entire career trying to be a "liberal working beside Oprah and Michelle Obama." Oz erupted at the comment, given the rules of the forum stipulated candidates were not supposed to attack each other. Oz, trying to turn the situation on Barnette, used his closing to ask, "You should all ask yourselves, why is everyone attacking me?" Barnette, undeterred, interrupted: "Because you are a liberal." It's that combativeness -- something that many Trump supporters associate with the former President -- that has won over many of Pennsylvania's most conservative voters, along with the desire to show up. "She came across as the real deal," said Donna DePue, vice president of the Wyoming County Council of Republican Women, a group Barnette spoke to in late April. Barnette's campaign, her supporters say, has exposed a lack of base excitement for either Oz or McCormick, an issue that was exacerbated by Trump's decision to -- wrongfully, in their eyes -- back the TV doctor. "That helped her. I hear very few people in this county or the surrounding rural counties who are excited about Oz or McCormick, neither one of them. They are very disappointed that President Trump endorsed him," said DePue, who added that while Republicans will support either candidate in the general, it may be reluctant. That was clear when the Susquehanna County Farm Bureau recently sent all Senate candidates an invite for their spring meeting. Barnette was the Senate candidate to accept the invite, said David DeLeon, president of the farm bureau in the Northeastern Pennsylvania county. Barnette showed up at the event and spent around an hour with the group, socializing with members and giving a speech about her rural upbringing and her views on politics. DeLeon, who plans to vote in the Democratic primary, said while they sent letters to each candidate, they only got a return to sender from one -- Oz -- a first for the group. "If you had asked me (could Barnette win) two weeks ago, absolutely not, no chance. Today, there is a chance now, absolutely," DeLeon said. "All I see on television all the time is McCormick and Oz, McCormick and Oz. ... There is the opportunity for the two big money boys to split down the middle and it allows someone to sneak up." The-CNN-Wire & 2022 Cable News Network, Inc., a WarnerMedia Company. All rights reserved. Subscribe to stay connected to Tucson. A subscription helps you access more of the local stories that keep you connected to the community. A homicide investigation is underway in the 100 block of E. Prince Rd. Just before 6 a.m., officers from @OperationsWest responded to a reported shooting. An adult victim was located with obvious signs of trauma. The victim has passed away. Details are limited at this time. pic.twitter.com/wvLFRI9hvo NASAs new James Webb Space Telescope is still about two months away from its first science observations, but it is already dazzling people back on Earth with what it can do so far. Astronomers showed off a comparison on Monday between one of Webbs infrared test images of the Large Magellanic Cloud, a small satellite galaxy of the Milky Way, and the same view captured by NASAs previous infrared observatory, the Spitzer Space Telescope. What looks like blurry orange and white blobs in the Spitzer image sharpen into distinct stars and whispy clouds of gas when viewed using Webbs Mid-Infrared Instrument, or MIRI. University of Arizona Regents professor of astronomy George Rieke helped design MIRI and now serves as science team lead for the instrument. His wife, fellow U of A regents astronomy professor Marcia Rieke, led the team that built Webbs primary optical sensor, and she continues to serve as chief scientist for the device known as the Near Infrared Camera or NIRCam. Its not until you actually see the kind of image that it delivers that you really internalize and go wow! said Marcia Rieke during Mondays NASA briefing on the calibration process for the $10 billion telescope. Just think of what were going to learn. Scientists finished alligning each of Webbs 18 mirror segments late last month and are now in the commissioning phase for the spacecrafts various instruments. The first science observations are slated to begin in July, but NASA is keeping the identity of Webbs first official target a secret for now. The telescope, launched into space nearly three decades after the Hubble Space Telescope, is designed to explore the cosmos both near and far, from the atmospheres of moons orbiting planets in our own solar system to the most distant observable galaxies in the early universe. Launched into space from a South American spaceport on Christmas Day, Webb is the largest and most powerful astronomical observatory ever sent into space. Each of its individual mirror segments is bigger than the entire mirror on Spitzer, with improved detectors that will allow astronomers to peer into the infrared sky with unprecedented clarity and depth. It reached its final destination on Jan. 24: an orbital point around the sun that will keep it in line with Earth at a distance of about 1 million miles. Once the science starts, U of A researchers should find themselves in the thick of it. NASA has allotted 13% of Webbs total observing time to the university, the most of any astronomy center in the world. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Contact reporter Henry Brean at hbrean@tucson.com or 573-4283. On Twitter: @RefriedBrean Where's Webb? NASA has set up an interactive webpage where can follow the James Webb Space Telescope's progress as it prepares for the first science observations in July. You can find it at: https://webb.nasa.gov/content/webbLaunch/whereIsWebb.html Subscribe to stay connected to Tucson. A subscription helps you access more of the local stories that keep you connected to the community. Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Of course a candidate wouldnt campaign on banning contraception. That would be crazy way out of the mainstream. Right? Well, maybe yes and maybe no. And maybe now after the leak of a proposed Supreme Court opinion overturning Roe v. Wade its past time to consider some of the ramifications of the courts potential abortion ruling. Its not just about recent decisions such as the legalization of gay marriage. The idea that U.S. Senate candidate Blake Masters, a Tucson Republican, supports banning contraception emerged Friday in a story in the Arizona Mirror. Reporter Dillon Rosenblatt noted that on his website, Masters said that not just Roe v. Wade and Planned Parenthood v. Casey the main abortion-rights cases should be overturned, but Griswold v. Connecticut should be too. Griswold is the 1965 U.S. Supreme Court ruling that concluded a constitutional right of privacy exists and prevents the government from interfering in a married couples decision whether to use contraception. Griswold and a subsequent ruling prohibited states from banning contraception and also prepared the ground for the Roe v. Wade decision eight years later. GOP Senate candidate Blake Masters wants to allow states to ban contraception use, was the headline on the May 7 Arizona Mirror story. Days later, the word circulated on social media that Masters wants to ban condoms not true, of course. Masters lashed out after the Mirror story was initially published, calling it unethical, because the attempts to reach his campaign were inadequate, and wrong. In an email to me Tuesday, he said, I do not support banning contraception at any level, whether local, state or federal. Explaining his point of view about the Griswold case on Twitter Saturday, he said: In Griswold, the justices wholesale *made up a constitutional right* to achieve a political outcome. I am opposed to judges making law. Its the job of the legislative branch to create laws, not the courts. A realistic chance It would be easy to let this debate rest there especially since Masters had a lawyer send a letter on Sunday threatening to sue the Arizona Mirror for defamation. But the debate really doesnt end there, in part because contraception ends up being part of the abortion debate, and in part because people having children itself is an issue Masters has raised in his campaign. Also, it matters because Masters has a realistic chance to be the candidate to face Democratic U.S. Sen. Mark Kelly in this years general election. At present, most polls are placing Masters in third place, behind Jim Lamon and Attorney General Mark Brnovich. A Trafalgar Group poll of 1,064 likely Arizona voters taken in late April shows Jim Lamon receiving 24.8% support, Brnovich with 23.9% support and Masters with 19.4% support. The margin of error was 2.99%. So people shouldnt write Masters off. Although just 35 and possessing little political experience, he is the chosen candidate of his former boss, billionaire Peter Thiel, who established a political action committee that supports Masters. And a candidate similarly related to Thiel, author J.D. Vance, just won the Republican nomination for U.S. Senate in Ohio after being behind in the polls for months. Vance won the coveted Trump endorsement, which may have put him over the top in Ohio and could also be the deciding factor in Arizonas GOP primary. Opposition to Roe v. Wade doesnt distinguish any of the candidates from each other. But when I called around asking the campaigns about their positions on Griswold, I got nothing specific to that case. The overlap between abortion-rights cases and contraception happens around methods such as intra-uterine devices and morning-after pills. Some anti-abortion-rights activists consider these to be abortifacients, meaning that they stop a potential human life by preventing a fertilized egg from being implanted in the uterine wall. So in some states with a legislative majority wanting to end abortion, Plan B or morning-after pills could be banned, and so could IUDs, depending on the wording of the law and its interpretation. The debate over whether an abortion ban also bans these forms of contraception is happening now in Louisianas legislature. So, Roe v. Wade and Griswold are like two layers of protection for these methods of contraception. More kids younger In Masters campaign, he has also made central the idea of child-rearing and traditional families. Hes featured his kids in his campaign videos and social-media posts, hes discussed his wifes home-schooling of the children and hes extolled the idea that families should be able to survive economically on a single income, though he has not stated that the man should be that breadwinner. The developed worlds fertility crisis isnt just about childlessness (though that is a problem), he said in an August 2021 tweet. People arent having as many kids as they want, theyre unable to conceive as late as theyve been told they can, etc. The left (and modernity itself) really does promote an anti-family culture, where young adults are taught to hesitate to start families because they see the birth of a child as the death of their perpetual adolescence, he went on to write. (Vance has hit the same point but been more vicious, complaining that the country is being run by "childless cat ladies.") So while Masters would oppose a contraception ban, the revocation of Griswold and potential limitation of contraception methods would also tend to support his vision for a society where married adults have children younger and stem the fertility crisis. I believe its important for our society to continue to exist, and for us to pass our culture and our values on to future generations, he said in Tuesdays email. He went on, And there are a number of reasons having children early is preferable for adults, not the least of which is a lot of adults struggle with infertility as they get older. When I asked if he would support extending the advanced child tax credit payments that parents of minor children received during the pandemic, he said yes with an interesting condition. Yes, I would absolutely support expanded child tax credits for married couples who want to have children. Catch that? He said for married couples. The children of unmarried adults would apparently lose out. So I take Masters at his word that he doesnt want to ban contraception, definitely not condoms. But if the Supreme Court were to roll back Roe v. Wade and Griswold v. Connecticut, the consequences could be unpredictable and the ramifications even further reaching than we usually think. Contact columnist Tim Steller at tsteller@tucson.com or 520-807-7789. On Twitter: @senyorreporter Subscribe to stay connected to Tucson. A subscription helps you access more of the local stories that keep you connected to the community. Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) Arkansas Senate candidate Jake Bequette filed a lawsuit Tuesday after two counties incorrectly listed his first name as Jack" on their ballots for this month's Republican primary election, with early voting already underway. Attorneys for Bequette, who's challenging two-term GOP Sen. John Boozman, asked a judge to order state and local election officials to correct the typo on the ballots in Craighead County. An attorney for Bequette said he planned to add Phillips County, which also listed the wrong first name for Bequette, to the lawsuit. The chair of the Craighead County Election Commission did not return a call Tuesday afternoon. Early voting began Monday for the state's May 24 primary. Bequette is one of three candidates challenging Boozman in the Republican Senate primary. Conservative activist Jan Morgan and Stuttgart pastor Heath Loftis are also seeking the GOP nomination. Its disgusting, and it should be fixed immediately," Bequette said in a statement. The lawsuit asks the judge to order officials to provide uniform statewide notice to all voters" of the error. Secretary of State John Thurston said Bequette's name was correct on the certified list of candidates his office sent to each county, but that Craighead County made an error during preparation of the ballot. Thurston said his office contacted Craighead County on April 28 to alert them they had the wrong first name for Bequette on their ballot. We strongly advised them to correct the ballot as there was still ample time," Thurston said in a statement. We also alerted the county that Arkansas code requires a county to hold a public meeting to explain the error, give a solution to the error, or explain why the error cant be fixed. The county failed to comply in both cases." Thurston said it had discovered the same error on Phillips County's ballot on Friday and that the county was working to rectify the situation." Harold Boals, the Phillips County Election Commission chairman, said it was his understanding the mistake was made by the state but declined to comment further. Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. Subscribe to stay connected to Tucson. A subscription helps you access more of the local stories that keep you connected to the community. You are here: World Flash Visiting German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock on Tuesday said the government of Germany is working to provide modern weapons to Ukraine, the Ukrainian government-run Ukrinform news agency reported. "We are working with German enterprises to ensure that Ukraine receives the most modern weapons," Baerbock told reporters during a press conference with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba. In the coming days, Germany will begin training Ukrainian soldiers on using mobile howitzers, Baerbock added. Besides, she said Germany will assist Ukraine in demining efforts and support Ukraine's aspirations to join the European Union (EU). "We insist on Ukraine's full membership in the EU," said Baerbock. For his part, Kuleba voiced his hope that European countries will continue to provide Ukraine with economic and military support and continue sanctions on Russia over the conflict with Ukraine. Baerbock also held talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, according to a statement from the German Foreign Ministry. Baerbock's trip marks the first visit by a German government member to Ukraine since the outbreak of the conflict. Senate bid to save Roe v. Wade falls to GOP-led filibuster WASHINGTON (AP) The Senate has fallen far short in a vote toward enshrining Roe v. Wade abortion access into federal law. Wednesday's 51-49 negative vote almost along party lines provided a stark display of the nations partisan divide over the landmark court decision and the limits of legislative action. The afternoon roll call promised to be the first of several efforts in Congress to preserve the nearly 50-year-old court ruling. President Joe Biden called on Congress to pass legislation that would guarantee the constitutional right to abortion services after the disclosure of a draft Supreme Court opinion that would overturn Roe v. Wade. But Democrats in the split Senate lacked the votes to overcome a Republican-led filibuster. Ukraine to hold first war crimes trial of captured Russian ZAPORIZHZHIA, Ukraine (AP) Ukraine's top prosecutor says the country plans to hold its first war crimes trial of a captured Russian soldier. Prosecutor General Iryna Venediktova said Wednesday that her office charged 21-year-old Sgt. Vadin Shyshimarin in the Feb. 28 killing of an unarmed 62-year-old civilian in northeastern Ukraine. She didn't say when the trial will start, but her office has said it has been investigating more than 10,700 alleged war crimes committed by Russian forces and has identified over 600 suspects. Meanwhile, Ukraine shut down one of the pipelines that carry Russian gas across the country to Western Europe. And a Kremlin-installed official in the captured Kherson region says he wants Moscow to annex the region. Judge: Trump must pay $110K, meet conditions to end contempt NEW YORK (AP) A New York judge says he will lift his contempt of court order issued against Donald Trump if the former president meets certain conditions. Those include paying $110,000 in fines racked up for being slow to respond to a subpoena in a civil investigation into his business practices. Judge Arthur Engoron said he will conditionally lift Trumps contempt finding if, by May 20, Trump submits additional paperwork detailing efforts to search for the subpoenaed records. Trump must also explain his and his companys document retention policies, among other conditions. Engoron found Trump in contempt on April 25 and fined him $10,000 per day for not complying with New York Attorney General Letitia James' investigation. Slain Al Jazeera journalist was icon of Palestinian coverage A veteran Al Jazeera correspondent who was shot dead while reporting on an Israeli raid in the West Bank was a highly respected and familiar face in the Middle East. Shireen Abu Aklehs death reverberated across the region and set social media alight. Her unflinching coverage of the harsh realities of Israels military occupation was inextricably linked with her own identity as a Palestinian journalist on the front lines. Since 1997, the 51-year-old journalist had reported on forced home evictions, the killings of unarmed Palestinian youth, hundreds of Palestinians held without charge in Israeli prisons and expansion of Jewish settlements. Her death Wednesday underscores the heavy price the conflict continues to exact on Palestinians. North Korea confirms 1st COVID outbreak, Kim orders lockdown SEOUL, South Korea (AP) North Korea imposed a nationwide lockdown Thursday to control its first acknowledged COVID-19 outbreak of the pandemic. It has held for more than two years to a widely doubted claim of a perfect record keeping out the virus that has spread to nearly every place in the world. The size of the outbreak wasnt immediately known, but it could have serious consequences because the country has a poor health care system and its 26 million people are believed to be mostly unvaccinated. Some experts say the North, by its rare admission of an outbreak, may be seeking outside aid. Creeping COVID-19 cases result in few schools mask mandates CAMBRIDGE, Mass. (AP) U.S. coronavirus cases are up, leading a smattering of school districts, especially in the Northeast, to bring back mask recommendations and requirements. Their return comes for the first time since the omicron winter surge ebbed and as the United States approaches 1 million deaths from the virus. Districts in Maine, New Jersey and Pennsylvania have brought masks back in schools, with a few in Massachusetts also recommending them. The uptick in cases is a vast undercount because testing has dropped considerably and most tests are being taken at home and are not reported to health departments. Biden calls to congratulate presumptive Philippine president MANILA, Philippines (AP) President Joe Biden has called Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to congratulate him on his apparent landslide victory in the Philippine presidential election. Biden is among the first world leaders to recognize the electoral triumph of the namesake son of an ousted dictator whose candidacy worried human rights and pro-democracy activists. Philippine Ambassador to Washington Jose Manuel Romualdez said by telephone on Thursday that Biden and Marcos Jr. spoke for more than 10 minutes on the call. The ambassador said Biden told Marcos Jr. that Washington is looking forward to working with him and cited the shared history of the longtime treaty allies. Justices to meet for 1st time since leak of draft Roe ruling WASHINGTON (AP) The Supreme Courts nine justices will gather in private Thursday for their first scheduled meeting since the leak of a draft opinion that would overrule Roe v. Wade and sharply curtail abortion rights in roughly half the states. The meeting in the justices private, wood-paneled conference room could be a tense affair in a setting noted for its decorum. No one aside from the justices attends and the most junior among them, Justice Amy Coney Barrett, is responsible for taking notes. Thursdays conference comes at an especially fraught moment, with the future of abortion rights at stake and an investigation underway to try to find the source of the leak. Lawyers: Nearly $1B tentative settlement in condo collapse ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) Lawyers representing families of victims and survivors of the condominium collapse in Surfside, Florida, last June have told a judge that they've reached a nearly $1 billion tentative settlement. Harley S. Tropin is a lawyer representing the plaintiffs. He announced the settlement during a hearing Wednesday before Miami-Dade Circuit Court Judge Michael Hanzman. Still pending final approval, the settlement involves developers of an adjacent building, insurance companies and other defendants. The 12-story Champlain Towers South condominium partially collapsed in the early-morning hours of June 24, almost instantly destroying dozens of individual condo units and burying victims under tons of rubble. A total of 98 people were killed. Holiday stops Celtics' last 2 plays, Bucks take 3-2 lead BOSTON (AP) Bobby Portis made a putback off Giannis Antetokounmpos missed free throw with 15 seconds left, Jrue Holiday snuffed Marcus Smart on Bostons final two possessions and the Milwaukee Bucks beat the Celtics 110-107 on Wednesday night to take a 3-2 series lead. Antetokounmpo had 40 points and 11 rebounds, Holiday finished with 24 points, eight rebounds and eight assists and Portis added 14 points and 15 rebounds for the defending NBA champion Bucks. Milwaukee has a chance to wrap up the Eastern Conference semifinal in Game 6 at home Friday night. Jaylen Brown scored 26 points for Boston. Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Subscribe to stay connected to Tucson. A subscription helps you access more of the local stories that keep you connected to the community. FLORENCE, Ariz. (AP) An Arizona man convicted of killing a college student in 1978 was put to death Wednesday after a nearly eight-year hiatus in the states use of the death penalty brought on by a nearly two-hour execution that critics say was botched. Clarence Dixon, 66, died by lethal injection at the state prison in Florence for his murder conviction in the killing of 21-year-old Arizona State University student Deana Bowdoin, making him the sixth person to be executed in the U.S. in 2022. Dixons death was announced late Wednesday morning by Frank Strada, a deputy director with Arizona Department of Corrections, Rehabilitation and Reentry. The execution appeared to track the states protocol, though the medical team had some difficulty finding a vein to administer the lethal drugs. They first tried Dixon's arms and then made an incision in his groin area. That process took about 25 minutes. After the drugs were injected, Dixon's mouth stayed open and his body did not move. The execution was declared completed about 10 minutes after he was injected. In the final weeks of Dixon's life, his lawyers tried to postpone the execution, but judges rejected the argument that he was not mentally fit to be executed and did not have a rational understanding of why the state wanted to execute him. The U.S. Supreme Court rejected a last-minute delay of Dixons execution less than an hour before the execution began. Dixon earlier declined the option of being killed in Arizona's gas chamber that was refurbished in 2020 a method that hasnt been used in the U.S. in more than two decades. Shortly before he was executed with pentobarbital, Strada said Dixon declared: The Arizona Supreme Court should follow the laws. They denied my appeals and petitions to change the outcome of this trial. I do and will always proclaim innocence. Now, lets do this (expletive)." And as prison medical staff put an IV line in Dixon's thigh in preparation for the injection, he chided them, saying: This is really funny trying to be as thorough as possible while you are trying to kill me. Leslie James, Bowdoins older sister and a witness to the execution, told reporters after it was conducted that Deana Bowdoin had been poised to graduate from ASU and was planning a career in international marketing. James described her sister as a hard worker who loved to travel, spoke multiple languages and wrote poetry. She characterized the execution as a relief but criticized how long it took to happen: This process was way, way, way too long, James said. He had been on death row since his 2008 conviction. The last time Arizona executed a prisoner was in July 2014, when Joseph Wood was given 15 doses of a two-drug combination over two hours in an execution that his lawyers said was botched. Wood snorted repeatedly and gasped more than 600 times before he died, and an execution that normally would take 10 minutes to complete lasted nearly two hours. The process dragged on for so long that the Arizona Supreme Court convened an emergency hearing during the execution to decide whether to halt the procedure. States including Arizona have struggled to buy execution drugs in recent years after U.S. and European pharmaceutical companies began blocking the use of their products in lethal injections. Authorities have said Bowdoin, who was found dead in her apartment in the Phoenix suburb of Tempe, had been raped, stabbed and strangled with a belt. Dixon, who lived across the street from Bowdoin, had been charged with raping Bowdoin, but the rape charge was later dropped on statute-of-limitation grounds. He was convicted of murder in her killing. In arguing that Dixon was mentally unfit, his lawyers said he erroneously believed he would be executed because police at Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff wrongfully arrested him in another case a 1985 attack on a 21-year-old student. His attorneys conceded he was lawfully arrested by Flagstaff police. Dixon was sentenced to life in prison in that case for sexual assault and other convictions. DNA samples taken while he was in prison later linked him to Bowdoins killing, which had been unsolved. Prosecutors said there was nothing about Dixons beliefs that prevented him from understanding the reason for the execution and pointed to court filings that Dixon himself made over the years. Defense lawyers said Dixon was repeatedly diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia, regularly experienced hallucinations over the past 30 years and was found not guilty by reason of insanity in a 1977 assault case in which the verdict was delivered by then-Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Sandra Day OConnor, nearly four years before her appointment to the U.S. Supreme Court. Bowdoin was killed two days after that verdict, according to court records. Another Arizona death-row prisoner, Frank Atwood, is scheduled to be executed on June 8 in the killing of 8-year-old Vicki Lynne Hoskinson in 1984. Authorities have said Atwood kidnapped the girl. The childs remains was discovered in the desert northwest of Tucson nearly seven months after her disappearance. Experts could not determine the cause of death from the bones that were found, according to court records. Arizona now has 112 prisoners left on the state's death row. Billeaud reported from Phoenix. Associated Press writer Bob Christie in Phoenix contributed to this report. Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. Subscribe to stay connected to Tucson. A subscription helps you access more of the local stories that keep you connected to the community. SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) A California legislator who is the wife of state Attorney General Rob Bonta disclosed Tuesday that she had an abortion as a 21-year old. Democratic Assemblywoman Mia Bonta joins a growing number of public officials, celebrities and musicians who have discussed their experiences after a leaked draft opinion suggested that the U.S. Supreme Court could strike down the landmark Roe v. Wade decision that legalized abortion. Speaking at a state Capitol event supporting reproductive rights, Bonta said she was coming out of Yale University and had obtained her first job when she learned she was pregnant. She was dating her future husband at the time -- Bonta says he held her hand when she made her choice. I had to weigh all of the decisions that came with that reality. And I chose to get an abortion. I chose to own my body, Bonta said. She added that her decision allowed her to break what she called the cycle of poverty in my family. If the Roe ruling falls those choices and those decisions will not be available for women in places like Mississippi or Georgia or 20 other states," she added, calling the prospect "unfathomable. Bonta, a Black Latina, called the potential court ruling an attack on women of color. She serves in the San Francisco Bay Areas 18th Assembly District, a seat her husband held before being appointed attorney general. The couple has three children. The court's draft ruling could change, and a decision is not expected until the end of the courts term in June. California is seeking to expand abortion rights. Gov. Gavin Newsom wants the state to be a refuge for those seeking an abortion. One proposal in Legislature would cover costs for pregnant women to come from out of state. Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. Subscribe to stay connected to Tucson. A subscription helps you access more of the local stories that keep you connected to the community. Many homes near Americas largest wildfire survived the latest barrage of howling winds and erratic flames but New Mexicos governor said Tuesday the risk of more destruction is high and that the long-term costs of recovering from the massive blaze will soar. Two more days of strong winds and dangerously bone-dry conditions are in the forecast before some relief is expected Friday. Crews were most concerned Tuesday night about the potential for the massive fire east of Santa Fe to spread farther north toward rural towns and mountain resort communities closer to Taos about 20 miles (32 kilometers) from its current northern edge. Gusty winds that grounded aerial attacks Tuesday were pushing flames that direction along the the Sangre de Cristo Range on the southern edge of the Rocky Mountains stretching out of Colorado. The main highway north from Holman to Taos was closed and additional communities were placed on alert for potential evacuations. It is very active. This is a big push, a lot of energy right now, fire spokesman Todd Abel warned Tuesday night. Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham said during a briefing earlier Tuesday that she has not received any reports in recent days of widespread damage to homes amid the latest round of fierce winds that fanned the blaze and created challenges for firefighting crews. Crews have been trying to direct flames around homes in numerous small villages on the northern and southern ends of the fire bulldozing firebreaks, putting up sprinklers, clearing trees and raking pine needles. A force of nearly 1,800 firefighters and support personnel are assigned to the blaze, including specially trained teams. The cost of fighting the blaze and another smaller fire burning near Los Alamos National Laboratory has topped $65 million. The cost is expected to grow with wind predicted through Wednesday, and Lujan Grisham said the cost to reconstruct homes, prevent post-fire flooding and restore the forest charred by the larger fire after it is out will likely reach billions of dollars. When you think about rebuilding communities, it is not an overnight process, Lujan Grisham said. So we should be thinking in terms of significant resources and those resources in my view should largely be borne by the federal government given the situation. The nearly 320-square-mile (830-square-kilometer) wildfire has burned about 300 structures, including homes, since it started last month. Some areas remain under evacuation orders, but authorities on Monday started letting some residents on the fire's eastern flank return home. A federal disaster already has been declared due to the blaze, which is partly the result of a preventative fire set in early April that escaped containment. The flames merged with a separate fire a couple of weeks later, and as of Tuesday the jagged perimeter stretched more than 356 miles (573 kilometers). Structure protection was focused Tuesday night around Mora and Holman, where Highway 518 north to Taos was closed. Authorities stressed there was no immediate threat to communities around Taos but new alerts about potential evacuations stretched as far north as the Angel Fire ski resort east of Taos. Coming up toward Taos, Black Lake, Angel Fire, there is the possibility with the models we are running that those areas are going to see fire, Abel, an operations chief on the fire in the Santa Fe National Forest, said at a briefing Tuesday evening. The governor said she'd challenge anyone who didn't believe the federal government should accept significant liability. Its negligent to consider a prescribed burn in the windy season in a state that is under an extreme drought warning, she said. Members of New Mexico's congressional delegation and others have called for an investigation. While forest officials have yet to release planning documents related to the prescribed fire, they have said forecasted weather conditions were within parameters for the project. Meanwhile, the smaller blaze burning in the Jemez Mountains prompted officials at Los Alamos National Laboratory, where nuclear research is conducted, and the nearby town of Los Alamos to prepare for evacuations as a precaution. Nearly 900 people were fighting that fire, with its price tag nearing $16 million on Tuesday. Towering columns of smoke from both fires could be seen from miles away as the winds picked up Tuesday afternoon. Wind and low humidity levels continue to be big wildfire threats around the West as the National Weather Service issued red flag warnings for extreme fire danger in much of New Mexico and parts of Nevada, Arizona, Colorado and Texas. Forecasters said New Mexico is outpacing most other recent years for the number of red flag days in April and so far this month. Crews also were battling smaller fires elsewhere in New Mexico and Arizona. Associated Press writer Scott Sonner contributed to this report from Reno, Nevada. Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. Subscribe to stay connected to Tucson. A subscription helps you access more of the local stories that keep you connected to the community. A roundup of political stories in the news today: TOP STORIES Political reality: Congress can't save or end abortion After fighting for decades over abortion policy, Congress is about to run into the political limits of its ability to act in either direction on the issue. President Joe Biden has called on Democrats to enshrine the Roe v. Wade abortion access protections into law. But a test vote Wednesday in the Senate is expected to fail, blocked by a Republican-led filibuster. At the same time, Republicans led by Sen. Mitch McConnell face similar political problems trying to ban abortions nationwide, even if they wrest control of the chamber in the midterm elections. Instead, the Supreme Court's pending decision on the issue is igniting a new era of political fighting in Congress over abortion policy. Full story: --- 4 takeaways from the Nebraska and West Virginia primaries Tuesday's Republican primaries in Nebraska and West Virginia were a test with mixed results for former President Donald Trump's endorsement power. Trump suffered his first big loss of 2022 in Nebraska, where his chosen candidate for governor in the Republican primary lost to the state party's choice. He fared better in West Virginia, where his pick in a hotly contested GOP House primary cruised to victory in a battle of Republican incumbents -- one backed by the former President, the other endorsed by the state's GOP governor and Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin -- drawn against each other by the state's congressional mapmakers. Here are 4 takeaways from Tuesday's contests: *** MORE POLITICS *** BATTLE FOR THE SENATE The latest 2022 rankings: These 10 Senate seats are most likely to flip in November 1. Pennsylvania 2. Georgia 3. Nevada 4. Arizona 5. Wisconsin 6. New Hampshire 7. North Carolina 8. Florida 9. Ohio 10. Missouri Interactive: 10 Senate seats most likely to flip An analysis: May primaries will set up several November races Subscribe to stay connected to Tucson. A subscription helps you access more of the local stories that keep you connected to the community. LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) A former Drug Enforcement Administration agent who admitted to taking thousands of dollars in bribes from a drug trafficker was sentenced Wednesday to more than 11 years in prison. U.S. District Judge Brian Miller sentenced Nathan Koen, who pleaded guilty last year to one count of bribery, to 135 months in prison and two years of supervised release. This defendants actions are a disgrace to the thousands of dedicated law enforcement officers who work with integrity every day to protect and serve our communities, U.S. Attorney Jonathan D. Ross said in a statement after the hearing. Federal prosecutors said that Koen, who began working for the DEA in 2002, accepted the bribes in exchange for providing sensitive information that allowed the drug trafficker to avoid detection by law enforcement and run his drug organization. The FBI in 2018 began investigating Koen, who had transferred from Jacksonville, Florida to Little Rock, Arkansas, in 2016. Todays sentencing reflects DEAs commitment to hold accountable any DEA employee who abuses the trust of the American people by violating their oath as a federal law enforcement officer, DEA Administrator Anne Milgram said in a statement released by prosecutors. Nathan Koen put himself ahead of the principles he swore to protect. I commend our federal law enforcement partners who investigated this case and the U.S. Attorneys who prosecuted it. The drug trafficker had paid $31,500 to Koen before he began cooperating with the FBI, prosecutors said. Koen was arrested after prosecutors said the FBI recorded him accepting a $9,000 bribe from the trafficker inside a Las Vegas casino. Blake Hendrix, an attorney for Koen, said he planned to appeal the sentence. Koens sentencing follows a number of embarrassing cases of serious misconduct in recent years that have rocked the U.S. premier narcotics law enforcement agency. Jose Irizarry, a once standout agent in Colombia and Miami, was sentenced in December to more than 12 years in federal prison after adopting the lavish lifestyle of the criminal informants he was supposed to be supervising but instead helped launder money from undercover operations. Prior to being locked away, Irizarry lashed out against his fellow agents, blaming the DEA for fostering a culture of corruption and gift taking that he said desensitized him to the implications of violating the law. Irizarrys accusations, some of which were detailed in a scathing Inspector General report, prompted the DEAs new administrator, Ann Milgram, to order an outside review of the agencys foreign operations, which is ongoing. Another longtime agent, Chad Scott, was also sentenced last year to more than 13 years behind bars for stealing money from suspects, falsifying government records and committing perjury. A federal narcotics agent in Chicago also pleaded guilty to supplying firearms to a drug trafficker known for slaughtering his rivals, while a Colombian police captain who headed a vetted unit that works closely with the DEA was charged with selling evidence and information to key targets of U.S. investigations. Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. Subscribe to stay connected to Tucson. A subscription helps you access more of the local stories that keep you connected to the community. TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) A congressional map approved by Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis and drawn by his staff is unconstitutional because it breaks up a district where Black voters can choose their representatives, a state judge said Wednesday. Leon County Circuit Judge Layne Smith said he would issue a formal order Thursday or Friday to keep the maps from taking effect in Novembers election. He made it clear he would rule in favor of voting rights groups challenging the maps. Smith said the order will likely replace the DeSantis map with one of two that the Legislature included in a bill and sent to DeSantis in March. The governor vetoed the bill and later called the Legislature back into special session. The Republican-dominated House and Senate chose not to draw a new map, and instead passed the DeSantis map. The challenge focuses on a north Florida district now held by Democratic U.S. Rep. Al Lawson. The district runs from Jacksonville west more than 200 miles (322 kilometers) to Gadsden County and nearly half of its population is Black. DeSantis proposal prompted a protest by Black House members as the chamber was preparing to vote on the maps. Smith said he will issue his order as soon as he can so the state can immediately appeal it. It may be the conservative state Supreme Court that ultimately resolves the dispute. Smith said that while the DeSantis map is more compact, the issue of allowing Black voters to choose their representatives is more important. The district that has since been enacted and signed into law by the governor does disperse 367,000 African American votes between four different districts," Smith said in a video call with both sides. The African American population is no way near a plurality or a majority. The governors office drew up a map it described as neutral on race and party affiliation, and which it said abided by both the state and federal constitutions. Smith said his ruling will be based on the state constitution, not the U.S. Constitution. Qualifying for federal office will run from June 13-17. Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. Subscribe to stay connected to Tucson. A subscription helps you access more of the local stories that keep you connected to the community. KYIV, Ukraine An adviser to the Mariupol mayor said Wednesday that Russian forces have blocked all evacuation routes out of the city. The adviser, Petro Andriushchenko, said there were few apartment buildings fit to live in after the weeks of bombardment and very little food or drinking water. Andriushchenko said some residents who have remained in the city are cooperating with the Russian occupying forces in exchange for food. Meanwhile, Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk says Ukraine has offered to release Russian prisoners of war if Russia will allow the badly injured fighters to be evacuated from the Mariupol steel plant. Russian forces have surrounded the plant, the last bastion of Ukrainian resistance in the southern port city. Vereshchuk said no agreement has been reached but negotiations were underway. The fighters trapped in the plant have refused to surrender to the Russians, saying they fear being tortured or killed. KEY DEVELOPMENTS IN THE RUSSIA-UKRAINE WAR: Ukrainians make gains in east, stop Russian gas at one hub Wartime birth amid the air raid sirens in Ukraine hospital US, Western Europe fret over uncertain Ukraine war endgame Fighters appeal for evacuation of wounded from Mariupol mill House approves $40B in Ukraine aid, beefing up Biden request Leonid Kravchuk, independent Ukraines 1st president, dies Ambassador nominee for Ukraine seeks quick embassy reopening Follow all AP stories on Russias war on Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine OTHER DEVELOPMENTS: WASHINGTON U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo said a ban on sales of semiconductors and other technology to Russia by the U.S. and its allies is having a serious impact on Russias ability to manufacture military equipment. We have reports from Ukrainians that when they find Russian equipment, military equipment, on the ground, its filled with semiconductors that they took out of dishwashers and refrigerators, Raimondo said Wednesday during a Senate hearing, adding that she met a few weeks ago with Ukraines prime minister. Raimondo said two of Russias tank manufacturing plants have shut and many of its auto makers have furloughed workers and closed down. And so the point is, we are having a very serious effect, she said. What we need to do in order to continue this is enforcement, enforcement, enforcement. Raimondo said U.S. exports of technology to Russia are down nearly 70% since late February when the Biden administration, in coordination with European and Asian allies, imposed sanctions and export controls on Russia in response to its invasion of Ukraine. WASHINGTON Final congressional approval of a $40 billion Ukraine aid bill seems certain within days, according to some lawmakers. The Senates top Republicans said Wednesday they expect strong GOP backing for the House-passed measure. That will signal a bipartisan, heightened commitment to helping thwart the bloody Russian invasion. In his nightly video address Wednesday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said funds from the aid bill will allow Ukraine to get more weapons and equipment plus help investigate war crimes by Russia. The bill also would help regional allies, replenish weapons the Pentagon has shipped overseas and provide $5 billion to address global food shortages caused by the wars crippling of Ukraines normally robust production of many crops. The new measure includes $6 billion to arm and train Ukrainian forces, $8.7 billion to restore American stores of weapons shipped to Ukraine and $3.9 billion for U.S. forces deployed to the area. Theres also $8.8 billion in economic support for Ukraine, $4 billion to help Ukraine and allies finance arms and equipment purchases and $900 million for housing, education and other help for Ukrainian refugees in the U.S. BERLIN The U.N. nuclear agency says it is again receiving remote data from the Chernobyl power plant in Ukraine following an interruption caused by the Russian occupation of the site. The International Atomic Energy Agency said late Wednesday that data transmission was re-established following a visit by its inspectors and technicians in April, after Russian forces withdrew. The agency said it was the first time in two months that it has received remote data from all nuclear power plants and spent fuel storage facilities in Ukraine where monitoring systems are in place. Its head, Rafael Mariano Grossi, said this was a very important step for the IAEA to continue to implement safeguards in Ukraine. Grossi cautioned, though, that on-site verification at the Zaporizhzhya nuclear plant continues to be challenging owing to the presence of Russian forces and Rosatom personnel at the site, calling the situation unsustainable. Grossi said he has proposed leading an expert visit to Zaporizhzhya after the necessary consultations and at the earliest possible opportunity. MOSCOW The governor of a Russian region near Ukraine says that at least one civilian has been killed and another six have been wounded in the Ukrainian shelling of a village close to the border. Belgorod Gov. Vyacheslav Gladkov said that the village of Solokhi came under shelling from the Ukrainian side late Wednesday. He said that the village residents will be evacuated. Gladkovs account couldnt be independently verified. Russian authorities in the regions near Ukraine have repeatedly reported incidents when border areas came under Ukrainian shelling. KYIV, Ukraine Ukraines Foreign Ministry has accused Russia of stealing the countrys grain and trying to sell some of it at global markets. The ministry said in Wednesdays commentary that the stealing of Ukrainian grain amounts to looting. It warned countries that purchase Russian grain that some of its shipments could contain the grain stolen from Ukraine, making its buyers possible accomplices. The ministry cited official estimates indicating that Russia already may have stolen 400,000-500,000 metric tons of grain that cost over $100 million. It charged that practically all ships leaving Sevastopol with a load of grain are carrying the grain stolen from Ukraine. It urged the global community to toughen the sanctions against Russia. TURIN, Italy A Ukrainian band thats competing in this years Eurovision Song Contest turned out in a Turin park for a rally with a few dozen of their compatriots to express solidarity for their war-ravaged homeland. Ahead of Wednesday nights competition, the Kalush Orchestra posed for photos with some 50 Ukrainians who live in Italy. Each of the rallys participants put a hand to the heart in a sign of devotion to Ukraine. Kalush Orchestra this week was one of the entrants advancing to the finals of the wildly popular European annual songfest, whose winner will be decided on Saturday. The Ukrainians rallied behind a stage where free concerts by some of the musical groups from among the 35 nations sending entries are held nightly on the sidelines of the actual competition. The upbeat entry by Kalush Orchestra for the competition is a song that was composed by the bands front-man as a tribute to his mother. But the song, Stefania, has been transformed to a kind of anthem to Ukraine, which was invaded by its powerful neighbor Russia on Feb. 24. The song quickly became a sentimental favorite for many of Eurovisions fans. SOFIA, Bulgaria A pro-Russian nationalist party staged a protest rally in front of the parliament building in Bulgarias capital, Sofia, on Wednesday, calling for the government to resign and accusing it of failing to tackle the economic crisis. Several hundreds supporters of the Vazrazhdane party demanded that the centrist coalition of Prime Minister Kiril Petkov step down because it draws Bulgaria into the war of the United States against Russia in Ukraine. Waving Bulgarian and some Russian flags, participants shouted antigovernmental slogans accusing the Cabinet of being more concerned about Ukraine instead of taking care of their own people. Organizers insisted that Bulgaria should act as a conciliator, rather than arming one side and thus fueling the conflict. They urged the government to resign and clear the way for new elections which would allow their party to rule Bulgaria in line with national interests. Later, the protesters marched to the nearby Sofia municipality, where they clashed with police as they tried to remove an Ukrainian flag from the building. Bulgaria, which was among Moscows closest allies during Soviet times, is now a NATO and EU member state. Traditional bonds with Russia, based on common religion and cultural heritage are being harmed as many are horrified by the bloodshed caused by Russias aggression. Still, many Bulgarians share strong pro-Russian sentiments that play in favor of populist leaders. Vazrazhdane has currently 13 legislators in the 240-seat National Assembly, who have been strong supporters of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. KYIV, Ukraine A Ukrainian general says that Russia hasnt abandoned hopes to capture the Ukrainian capital. Brig. Gen. Oleksiy Hromov said at Wednesdays briefing that the Russians harbor plans to take control over the southern Mykolaiv and Odessa regions to build a land corridor to the Transnistria separatist region of Moldova and also try to storm Kyiv. Hromov said that Russia still hopes to capture more Ukrainian territories and call a sham vote to make them part of Russia. He added that such Russian plans will be foiled by the Ukrainian resistance. The Russian forces tried to capture the Ukrainian capital in the first weeks of the invasion, but have pulled back after facing staunch Ukrainian defenses and shifted their focus on the countrys east, where Moscow-backed separatists have been fighting Ukrainian forces since 2014. WASHINGTON Ukraines leaders must start shaping their terms for an acceptable peace deal, especially in light of Russias surprising failure to win its war outright, Italys premier said Wednesday. When Russia first launched its invasion of Ukraine, we thought there was a Goliath and a David, Mario Draghi told reporters at a news conference in Washington. But what seemed like an invincible power has proved not to be, Draghi said, referring to Russian forces inability to overcome the defense mounted by Ukraines military, with heavy Western backing. Draghi spoke after meeting with President Joe Biden on Tuesday. Draghi says he urged Biden to push to get all key players, including the United States and Russia, into talks to end the war. But any rush to close a peace deal that leaves Ukrainians angry and resentful risks a return to fighting, the Italian leader said Wednesday. We have to remove any thought that we can reach an imposed peace, Draghi said. That is a recipe for disaster. BERLIN The German army says it has begun training Ukrainian soldiers to use a powerful artillery system that Germany and the Netherlands plan to supply to Ukraine. The Defense Ministry said 18 crews are being trained to use the Panzerhaubitze 2000, an advanced, self-propelled howitzer. This is a clear sign of our solidarity, the ministry said. But Germany wont become a party to the conflict because of the training or delivery of the howitzers. DONETSK Separatists in Donetsk on Wednesday celebrated the eighth anniversary of self-proclaimed independence from Ukraine. Constitution square in the city center was renamed after a Russian officer who was among the first Russian servicemen killed in the special military operation. The head of the self-proclaimed Donetsk Peoples Republic, Denis Pushilin, and Engels Gadzhimagomedov, the father of the killed officer, installed a new street sign. Local residents who support the pro-Russian separatists came to lay flowers. The Day of Donetsk Peoples Republic was celebrated without the usual mass events this year due to security reasons. BUCHAREST, Romania Romanias foreign ministry says that two Romanian journalists were detained Tuesday in the Russia-backed breakaway region of Transnistria in neighboring Moldova. The two journalists were detained by security forces in Transnistrias de facto capital of Tiraspol and released hours later after diplomatic efforts from both Romania and Moldova, the ministry said Wednesday in a statement. (The) Romanian diplomatic mission in Chisinau was not informed in advance about the intention of the two journalists, it said, adding that the so-called Transnistrian authorities recently banned foreign journalists from entering the region. The incident follows a series of mysterious attacks in the Russia-backed region in recent weeks that have alarmed officials in Moldovas capital, Chisinau. In late April, grenades were launched at the regions state security office, and a day later two large broadcast antennas were downed. Last week, police in Transnistria said explosive devices were dropped from a drone near a village. No one was injured in the incidents. Transnistria, a thin strip of land that borders Ukraine and has a population of around 470,000, broke away after a short civil war in the early 1990s. An estimated 1,500 Russian soldiers are stationed there. WARSAW, Poland Former Swedish prime minister Carl Bildt says that the U.N. Security Council should adopt a resolution protecting grain shipments from the Ukraine amid the Russian invasion. Bildt was speaking to Polands TVN24 during the Impact22 congress about energy and technology prospects, in Poznan, western Poland. Will Russia dare to stop shipments of grain under U.N. protection?, Bildt asked, stressing the escort initiative is worth discussing. The Security Council is to be briefed Thursday on humanitarian issues in Ukraine as it is fighting Russian invasion, and that may open an opportunity for discussing protection of the grain exports. Separately, the European Union is to announce a plan this week to help Ukraine get around Russias blockade of its ports by shipping food supplies by rail and truck. Ukraine is one of the worlds top producers of corn and wheat, and is called Europes bread basket. The lack of millions of tons of its grain on world markets is already leading to hikes in the prices of grain products. PRAGUE Czech President Milos Zeman has approved a request of 103 Czechs to join Ukraines armed forces to help them fight Russian aggression. Czech citizens are banned from service in foreign armies which is a crime punishable by a prison term of up to five years. Those 103 belong to a total of some 400 Czechs who have applied for an exemption from the ban, according to the Defense Ministry. The authorities still have to process most of the requests. Its not clear how many Czech have already been fighting on the Ukrainian side against invading Russian troops. The presidents approval has to be co-signed by Prime Minister Petr Fiala who said through his spokesman he would sign all requests that have been approved by the Czech authorities. BERLIN The German government has dismissed suggestions that it might activate the Nord Stream 2 pipeline from Russia to Germany to compensate for reduced flows via Ukraine. A spokeswoman for the Energy Ministry said Wednesday that Germany is currently receiving a quarter less gas through Ukraine after Ukrainian authorities shut down a pipeline saying it no longer controls a key compressor station thats in Russian hands. Annika Einhorn, the ministry spokeswoman, said the shortfall is being partly compensated for through increased supplies from Norway and the Netherlands. Nord Stream 2 has really died after Russian attacked Ukraine and nobody is thinking about switching to that, she said. She also noted that the majority of Russian gas reaches Germany through a sister pipeline, Nord Stream 1, rather than via Ukraine. Germany has pledged to end imports of Russian natural gas by 2024 at the latest. MOSCOW A senior Russian official has denounced the U.S. aid for Ukraine as part of Washingtons proxy war against Russia. Dmitry Medvedev, the deputy head of Russias Security Council who served as president in 2008-2012 when Vladimir Putin shifted to prime ministers position due to term limits, said Wednesday on a messaging app that the $40 billion aid package for Ukraine approved by the U.S. Congress was driven by a desire to inflict a heavy defeat on our country, restrict its economic development and political influence in the world. He described the aid package as part of the U.S. proxy war against Russia and predicted that the United States will fail while the goals of Russias special operation in Ukraine will be fulfilled. In another statement Wednesday, Vyacheslav Volodin, the speaker of the lower house of Russian parliament, accused the United States of using the aid package to drive Ukraine deeper into debt and try to take control of the countrys grain reserves. PARIS Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says Russias war in Ukraine is pushing a number of countries toward NATO membership. With Finland and Sweden moving toward joining the alliance, he said, These countries want to be protected from Russia because their people see whats happening in Ukraine and want to live in security, in their own house, and spend time calmly with their family. Russia has cited NATOs expansion toward its borders as a reason for invading Ukraine. Speaking Wednesday to French university students via video link, Zelenskyy also proposed preventive sanctions against Russia and any countries that threaten to use nuclear weapons. He also called for international debate about nuclear disarmament. He said Russias suggestions that it could use nuclear force in the war in Ukraine should not go unpunished, but didnt elaborate. He urged more unity in European policy, as the EUs 27 members haggle over a sixth round of sanctions that include an oil embargo. Asked how the war could end, he said, The war will end when we restore our unity and territory...when we get back what belongs to us. LVIV, Ukraine Satellite photos analyzed by The Associated Press show that a Russian ship believed to be carrying stolen Ukrainian grain has docked in Syria. The photo taken Tuesday by Planet Labs PBC showed the Russian-flagged Matros Pozynich at dockside in Latakia, Syria. The ship seen in the photo matched known characteristics of the bulk carrier, as well as its dimensions. The ship turned off its transponders nearly a week ago off the island of Cyprus in the Mediterranean Sea. Samir Madani, the co-founder of the online research firm TankerTrackers.com, also told the AP that he believed the ship docked in Latakia was the Matros Pozynich, based on its dimensions and last-known position. Ukraine has alleged that the ship had 27,000 tons of grains Russia stole from the country. It alleged Russia initially tried to ship the grains to Egypt, which refused to take the cargo. Ukrainian diplomats had been asking nations not to accept the grain. The ships registered owners, Crane Marine Contractor LLC of Astrakhan, Russia, did not immediately respond to a request for comment. A Russian bombing campaign and support from Iran beat back insurgents who nearly toppled Syrian President Bashar Assad after the 2011 Arab Spring. Russia still maintains a navy and air base in Syria, though it has reportedly rotated forces out of the country to aid its war on Ukraine. Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. Subscribe to stay connected to Tucson. A subscription helps you access more of the local stories that keep you connected to the community. RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) A civil rights leader said Tuesday that he won't stop raising his voice for the poor, uninsured and downtrodden, although his trespassing conviction for a demonstration five years ago at North Carolina's Legislative Building was allowed to stand. The Rev. William Barber II of Goldsboro, president of the national Repairers of the Breach group, spoke outside the building where he was arrested in May 2017. The state Supreme Court refused last week to hear Barbers appeal after the Court of Appeals in December upheld his misdemeanor conviction for second-degree trespassing following a jury trial in 2019. His attorneys told the justices that the case merited review in part because it involved legal principles related to the First Amendment. I wear this conviction as a badge of honor," Barber said at a news conference, knowing that in the grand span of history, the truth will be told and the truth will be known. As head of the North Carolina NAACP at the time, Barber was leading a call-and-response chant with dozens of people protesting the General Assembly's failure to expand Medicaid to more poor adults. The Legislative Building rules prohibit noise from reaching levels that impair conversations and disrupt the ability of legislators and staff to carry out their duties. The majority Court of Appeals opinion declared that Barber's free speech rights weren't harmed because he was removed from the General Assembly for the volume of his words, not the content. Barber said people have a right to assemble and bring grievances to legislators. Im neither perfect nor always right, but as a gospel preacher and a bishop of the church, Im supposed to preach in season and out of season, Barber said in prepared remarks Tuesday. Barber received a suspended one-day sentence, unsupervised probation, a $200 fine and 24 hours of community service. Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. Subscribe to stay connected to Tucson. A subscription helps you access more of the local stories that keep you connected to the community. Flash The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) on Tuesday welcomed the release of illegal migrants from detention in Libya's capital city Tripoli. "UNHCR welcomes the decision by the authorities to authorize the transfer of 59 men, women and children out of Ain Zara detention center, following UNHCR's advocacy with the Libyan authorities," UNHCR said in a statement. The migrants were provided with medical aid, emergency cash, and food assistance, the statement said. The UN refugee agency will help the most vulnerable in finding temporary shelters, according to the statement. The UNHCR also reiterated its call for the orderly release of all detained asylum seekers and refugees. Libya has been suffering insecurity and chaos since the fall of the late leader Muammar Gaddafi in 2011, making the North African country a preferred point of departure for illegal migrants who want to cross the Mediterranean Sea to European shores. So far this year, a total of 32,425 illegal migrants were rescued and returned to Libya, while 662 died and 891 others went missing off the Libyan coast, according to the International Organization for Migration. FLORENCE An Arizona man convicted of killing a college student in 1978 was put to death Wednesday after a nearly eight-year hiatus in the states use of the death penalty brought on by an execution that critics say was botched and the difficulty state officials faced in sourcing lethal injection drugs. Clarence Dixon, 66, died by lethal injection at the state prison in Florence for his murder conviction in the killing of 21-year-old Arizona State University student Deana Bowdoin, making him the sixth person to be executed in the U.S. in 2022. Dixons death was announced late Wednesday morning by Frank Strada, a deputy director with Arizona Department of Corrections, Rehabilitation and Reentry. Dixons death appeared to go smoothly, said Troy Hayden, an anchor for the Fox10 TV news program who witnessed the execution. Once the drugs started flowing, he went to sleep almost immediately, Hayden said. After the drugs were injected, Dixons mouth stayed open and his body did not move, Hayden and other witnesses said. The execution was declared completed about 10 minutes after he was injected. Hayden said Dixon delivered his last words after the injection, saying: Maybe Ill see you on the other side, Deana. I dont know you, and I dont remember. In the final weeks of Dixons life, his lawyers tried to postpone the execution, but judges rejected the argument that he was not mentally fit to be executed and did not have a rational understanding of why the state wanted to execute him. The U.S. Supreme Court rejected a last-minute delay of Dixons execution less than an hour before the execution began. Dixon earlier declined the option of being killed in Arizonas gas chamber that was refurbished in 2020 a method that hasnt been used in the U.S. in more than two decades. Shortly before he was executed with pentobarbital, Strada said Dixon declared: The Arizona Supreme Court should follow the laws. They denied my appeals and petitions to change the outcome of this trial. I do and will always proclaim innocence. Now, lets do this (expletive). And as prison medical staff put an IV line in Dixons thigh in preparation for the injection, he chided them, saying: This is really funny trying to be as thorough as possible while you are trying to kill me. Leslie James, Bowdoins older sister and a witness to the execution, told reporters after it was conducted that Deana Bowdoin had been poised to graduate from ASU and was planning a career in international marketing. James described her sister as a hard worker who loved to travel, spoke multiple languages and wrote poetry. She characterized the execution as a relief but criticized how long it took to happen: This process was way, way, way too long, James said. He had been on death row since his 2008 conviction. The last time Arizona executed a prisoner was in July 2014, when Joseph Wood was given 15 doses of a two-drug combination over two hours in an execution that his lawyers said was botched. Wood snorted repeatedly and gasped more than 600 times before he died. States including Arizona have struggled to buy execution drugs in recent years after U.S. and European pharmaceutical companies began blocking the use of their products in lethal injections. Authorities have said Bowdoin, who was found dead in her apartment in the Phoenix suburb of Tempe, had been raped, stabbed and strangled with a belt. Dixon, who lived across the street from Bowdoin, had been charged with raping Bowdoin, but the rape charge was later dropped on statute-of-limitation grounds. He was convicted of murder in her killing. In arguing that Dixon was mentally unfit, his lawyers said he erroneously believed he would be executed because police at Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff wrongfully arrested him in another case a 1985 attack on a 21-year-old student. His attorneys conceded he was lawfully arrested by Flagstaff police. Dixon was sentenced to life in prison in that case for sexual assault and other convictions. DNA samples taken while he was in prison later linked him to Bowdoins killing, which had been unsolved. Prosecutors said there was nothing about Dixons beliefs that prevented him from understanding the reason for the execution and pointed to court filings that Dixon himself made over the years. Defense lawyers said Dixon was repeatedly diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia, regularly experienced hallucinations over the past 30 years and was found not guilty by reason of insanity in a 1977 assault case in which the verdict was delivered by then-Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Sandra Day OConnor, nearly four years before her appointment to the U.S. Supreme Court. Bowdoin was killed two days after that verdict, according to court records. Arizona Death Row Inmates Arizona Death Row Inmates Jose Acuna-Valenzuela John Allen Frank W. Anderson Wendi E. Andriano Michael Apelt Shad D. Armstrong Frank J. Atwood Patrick W. Bearup Trent C. Benson Steve A. Boggs Eric D. Boyston Johnathan I. Burns Jason E. Bush Michael Carlson Alan M. Champagne Derek D. Chappell Scott D. Clabourne Benjamin B. Cota Robert L. Cromwell Leroy D. Cropper John M. Cruz Donald D. Delahanty David S. Detrich Clarence W. Dixon Richard K. Djerf Eugene A. Doerr Charles D. Ellison John V. Fitzgerald Shawna Forde Micahel Gallardo Alfredo L. Garcia Ruben Garza Fabio Gomez Ernest V. Gonzales Mark Goudeau Richard H. Greenway Vincent J. Guarino David Gulbrandson Aaron B. Gunches Tracy A. Hampton Rodney E. Hardy Christopher A. Hargrave Charles M. Hedlund Robert Hernandez Abel D. Hidalgo Murray Hooper Richard D. Hurles James C. Johnson Ruben M. Johnson Barry L. Jones Danny L. Jones Ronnie L. Joseph George R. Kayer Alvie C. Kiles Darrell E. Lee Chad A. Lee Scott Lehr Andre M. Leteve Eric Mann Jahmari Manuel Gilbert Martinez Ernesto S. Martinez Edward McCauley Frank D. McCray Leroy McGill James E. McKinney Efren Medina William Miller Julius J. Moore Cory D. Morris Roger W. Murray Israel Naranjo Brad Nelson Steven Newell Scott Nordstrom Manuel Ovante Darrel P. Pandeli Steven Parker Isiah Patterson Christopher Payne Robert A. Poyson Wayne B. Prince David M. Ramirez Stephen Reeves Charles B. Rienhardt Thomas M. Riley Dwandarrius J. Robinson Pete C. Rogovich Edward Rose Homer R. Roseberry Sean B. Running Eagle Dauntorian L. Sanders John E. Sansing Ronald D. Schackart Eldon M. Schurz Roger M. Scott Allyn A. Smith Joe C. Smith Todd L. Smith Anthony M. Spears Paul B. Speer Christopher J. Spreitz Preston A. Strong James L. Styers Eugene R. Tucker Sammantha E. Uriarte Pete Vanwinkle Juan Velazquez Robert L. Walden Theodore Washington Ronald T. Williams Brian A. Womble Billeaud reported from Phoenix. Associated Press writer Bob Christie in Phoenix contributed to this report. Tucson killer Frank Atwood faces June execution Frank Atwood is scheduled to be executed on June 8 in the killing of Vicki Lynne Hoskinson in 1984. Atwood kidnapped the 8-year-old Tucson girl as she rode her bicycle to mail a letter for her mom, authorities have said. Vicki Lynnes remains was discovered in the desert northwest of Tucson nearly seven months after her disappearance. Experts could not determine the cause of death from the bones that were found, according to court records. Subscribe to stay connected to Tucson. A subscription helps you access more of the local stories that keep you connected to the community. Federal authorities say 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. The U.S. Attorneys Office for the District of Columbia says Jerry Ryals, from Fort Gibson, pleaded guilty in federal court in Washington, D.C. on Friday to a charge of civil disorder. Ryals, an apprentice electrician, illegally walked through or stayed in several areas of the Capitol building, taking photos and videos after being told to go outside. In one video, he said, They are tear gassing, throwing flash bangs, pepper spray, but we will not concede. He is set to be sentenced Oct. 18 and faces up to five years in prison. Canoo said in a filing, "there is substantial doubt about the company's ability to continue as a going concern." The electric vehicle start-up last year announced plans to build a factory at MidAmerica Industrial Park in Pryor. Electric vehicle start-up Canoo reported first-quarter losses of $125.4 million this week while casting substantial doubt on its ability to move forward as a company in Oklahoma and Arkansas. Our business plans require a significant amount of capital, Canoo wrote in a regulatory filing to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. If we are unable to obtain sufficient funding or do not have access to capital, we will be unable to execute our business plans and could be required to terminate or significantly curtail our operations and our prospects, financial condition and results of operations could be materially adversely affected. Canoo added that there is substantial doubt about the companys ability to continue as a going concern. A going concern warning is issued by a companys management or auditors or both when they believe that within the upcoming 12 months from the date of the report it is probable that the company will not have the liquidity to pay its obligations as they come due or will violate a debt covenant. Canoos net loss for the first quarter was more than eight times that for the same period a year ago, when it was $15.2 million. The startup last year announced plans to provide at least 1,500 jobs by building a 3-million-plus-square-foot factory at MidAmerica Industrial Park in Pryor. Canoo set up its headquarters in Bentonville, Arkansas, where it wants to build an advanced manufacturing facility. Company CEO Tony Aquila said earlier this year that a plant capable of producing 300,000 units annually could be operational in Pryor by 2024. Canoo reported that it had roughly $105 million in cash left as of the end of March, less than the $120 million it used in operating expenses during the first three months of the year. Capital expenses during the first quarter were $28.4 million on zero dollars of revenue. Aquila said the company had at least $600 million in accessible capital to fund the start of vehicle production and significant experience raising capital in challenging markets. Canoo said it has received 17,500 pre-orders with a projected value of $750 million. In an SEC filing, the firm said that if we fail to successfully build and tool our manufacturing facilities or if our manufacturing facilities become inoperable, we will be unable to produce our vehicles and our business will be harmed, adding that we may not be able to realize the non-dilutive financial incentives offered by the States of Oklahoma and Arkansas where we will develop our own manufacturing facilities. Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt confirmed in March that he plans to award electric vehicle start-up Canoo a state-record $15 million from the Quick Action Closing Fund to support the companys total investment of more than $560 million at facilities in Pryor, Tulsa and Oklahoma City, documents show. We have been clear with our partners and associates regarding our philosophy of raising capital judiciously, Aquila said this week. We will continue with this disciplined approach. It is a different market today, one with challenging conditions, but our strategy aligns with this type of market environment. We live in uncertain times. The team and myself have successfully navigated similar turbulent markets in the past. I reiterate we will raise appropriate amounts to satisfy what we need, bridge 2 milestones and be in a position to take advantage of our track record, our value creation and potentially improving market conditions. Brent Kisling, executive director of the Oklahoma Department of Commerce, said in a statement that the department remains optimistic on Canoos ongoing progress in Oklahoma. . All state incentive offerings protect Oklahoma taxpayers by ensuring that they are performance-based and result in a net economic benefit to the state. To date, no payments have been made to Canoo. We continue to see positive momentum in our automotive recruiting efforts and remain steadfast in our pursuit of jobs and economic prosperity for all Oklahomans. Featured video: Auto maker Canoos development in Oklahoma gets assist from former U.S. senator Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. A 14-year-old Clyde Boyd Middle School student was arrested Wednesday morning after a bomb threat targeting the school was called in to 911, police said. Sand Springs Police Deputy Chief Todd Enzbrenner said a dispatcher received a 911 call about 8:15 a.m. from somebody who said they had a bomb. Authorities were able to determine that the call was placed from Clyde Boyd, so they notified school district officials, who, Enzbrenner said, decided that it was in the best interest of safety to evacuate the school and the adjacent Sixth Grade Center. As a precaution, Sand Springs police requested assistance from the Tulsa Police Departments Bomb Squad and K-9 units, and the schools were thoroughly searched, he said. No explosive device was located, he said. Once the schools were deemed safe, students returned to class about 10 a.m. In the meantime, Enzbrenner said, police located a group of kids that were together that we identified and separated from the rest of the group and talked to them, and as a result of that conversation, we were able to determine which kid had made the call. The eighth-grader was arrested and booked into jail, then released to the custody of his parents, Enzbrenner said. He said police are seeking a charge of threatening a violent act but that prosecutors ultimately will decide how the case is handled in the courts. The student was not known to be a chronic troublemaker, Enzbenner said. Essentially it was a prank, he said. Sand Springs Public Schools Superintendent Sherry Durkee said Wednesday afternoon that the district will address the incident internally, as well. She said she didnt yet know what punishment the student would face but that there will be some consequences. We have policies, and well be following them, she said. A 70-year-old woman depicted on a body cam video being arrested while said to be suffering a mental health crisis is suing the Tulsa Police Department, three officers involved in the arrest and Mayor G.T. Bynum. Ladonna Paris said during a news conference Tuesday that she will remember the date of her arrest Oct. 25 forever. I was mocked, taunted and brutalized, Paris said during a meeting with the media that was viewed by the Tulsa World on a Facebook video. Joined by her attorneys and family members, Paris said her ordeal with police left her terrified. This is a time for justice, Paris said. This is a time that the police are held to a standard of accountability for all the wrongs that have been done to others and to me. A lawsuit filed Tuesday in Tulsa County District Court names the Police Department, Tulsas mayor and Officers Ronni Carrocia, Daylan Root and Ty Burns as defendants. The petition describes Paris as a great-grandmother and seminary student who suffers from late onset bipolar disorder. Paris was charged on Oct. 28 with attempted arson, assault and battery upon a police officer, resisting an officer, trespassing and cruelty to animals. She was held in the Tulsa County jail for approximately a month before the case was dismissed on Nov. 23 in the interest of justice and civil diversion. Word of Paris October arrest became public in late March when a YouTube video was posted that depicted edited portions of officer body cam footage recorded outside a restroom door at the Habitat for Humanity ReStore at 1234 S. Norwood Ave. According to police, officers were called to ReStore by an employee of the business who said Paris had been in the restroom for four hours and had left a dog in the U-Haul in which she arrived. Police said they had hoped to have their Community Response Team, which includes mental health specialists, respond to the call but that no members of the team were available. She was in the bathroom for five hours. They asked her to leave. She said no, Carrocia can be heard telling an EMSA employee on the YouTube video. Then we asked her to leave. She said no. And we had to force into the bathroom to remove her from here. She tried to set the bathroom on fire; she had a lighter with like the (aerosol) spray. She had a lighter with the spray, like spraying at the door and at us, so she gets to go to jail now for probably arson, trespassing, obstruction cause she wouldnt leave resisting, all that stuff. Attorneys for Paris said Tuesday that Paris had no prior criminal record and was suffering a severe mental health crisis at the time of her arrest. Attorney Damario Solomon-Simmons called the video of Paris arrest one of the most disgusting things I have ever seen in my life. He said officers knew Paris was in a severe mental health crisis at the time and yet opted to treat her like a dog. The lawsuit claims that Paris locked the restroom door because she was in the midst of a bipolar manic episode, which included paranoia and delusions that caused her to think police were trying to kill her. Paris was held in jail for over a month on bogus charges before a judge dismissed her case, Solomon-Simmons said. While in jail, Solomon-Simmons said, Paris was never provided treatment for her mental health condition. However, a spokeswoman for Tulsa County Sheriff Vic Regalados office challenged that claim when contacted by the Tulsa World. The Tulsa County Sheriffs Office cannot disclose specific details about medical/and or mental treatment of inmates, said Sheriffs Office Communications Director Casey Roebuck. However, had legitimate inquiry been made into the treatment of Ms. Paris prior to todays news conference, counsel would have been aware that our records indicate that she received adequate and effective treatment while incarcerated in the Tulsa County Jail. At one point in the video, Carrocia, who is listed as the arresting officer, can be seen talking to another officer as they wait for a third officer to assist with knocking down the door. I really hope it is (name unclear) because I really like the way he works, Carrocia says. He is going to pound the door open and spray her. During another segment of the video, she taps the door with her fingertips to rattle it, laughs and says: I love my job. Police said later that they opted not to use pepper spray when taking Paris into custody. The video depicts an officer breaking down the door and tackling Paris, instead. Police said in March that the officers overall actions and the way the call was handled were within the departments policies. Solomon-Simmons faulted the citys claim. They all looked at the video and said what happened was OK, Solomon-Simmons said. They all looked at the video and said these officers did exactly what we teach them to do. We cannot stand for that. This is ridiculous. The lawsuit makes 14 claims against the defendants, including use of excessive force, deliberate indifference to medical need, violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act, assault and intentional infliction of emotional distress. It seeks actual damages in excess of $75,000 and punitive damages to the extent authorized by law. A spokeswoman for the city of Tulsa declined to comment on the lawsuit. Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. As the uproar over Elon Musks $44 billion buyout of Twitter reached a crescendo, another Musk drama was back in court. That 2018 spectacle started, ironically enough, with a Musk tweet about doing an audacious deal. Weeks later, the Tesla CEO abandoned talk of buying all the electric car makers stock, admitting it might be too much trouble. With regulators preparing to sue the billionaire for defrauding investors, he pondered his position in a livestreamed interview while puffing on pot. It was a confounding study in Musks persistent ambition and his delight in contradiction. Yet as the worlds richest man pursues Twitter even those whove long watched him remain flummoxed about what he has up his sleeve. This is a guy whos more transparent than 99.99 percent of other CEOs and yet hes harder to predict because he has the confidence to be able to publicly change his mind, said Erik Gordon, a University of Michigan business professor. Would Musk be more successful if he toned it down? I think the answer is no, because he wouldnt be Musk. Weeks after Twitters board accepted Musks offer, observers are puzzling over what a takeover would mean and even whether hell complete the deal. If the 50-year-old Musks gambit has made anything clear its that he thrives on such contradiction. Musk, whos worth about $240 billion, boasts of acquiring Twitter to defend freedom of speech. But he has long used the platform to attack perceived foes. He is supremely confident in his own judgment. But he has openly acknowledged vulnerabilities, disclosing angst over a breakup in one interview and telling a Saturday Night Live audience last year that he was the first host with Aspergers syndrome. Hes a widely admired visionary. But he trashes the conventions of corporate behavior, alienating analysts, regulators and others. I dont think youd necessarily want to be me, he told podcaster Joe Rogan in 2018. Its very hard to turn it off. Musk has been something of an outlier since childhood, teaching himself computer programming at 10 and selling a video game he created two years later, according to a 2015 biography. He left South Africa at 16 for Canada before moving to the U.S. At 24 he dropped out of Stanford to try his luck in the 1990s dot-com boom. Together with brother Kimbal, he launched Zip2, an online business directory eventually sold to Compaq for $307 million. Musk used his share to found what would become PayPal, sold to eBay in 2002 for $1.5 billion. Musk then founded SpaceX to develop cost-effective reusable rockets, before investing in a startup called Tesla. But he soon clashed with co-founder Martin Eberhard. Every time there was an article that didnt feature him, he blew a gasket, Eberhard, who sued Musk and Tesla after he was ousted, said during a 2018 interview with the AP. On Twitter, Musk recently called Eberhard a liar. As Teslas chairman, Musk pushed employees to meet goals many considered impossible, said Gene Berdichevsky, the battery engineer on the companys first vehicle. Hell likely be similarly unrelenting at Twitter, said Berdichevsky, who now leads a company developing new types of battery chemistry. Managers will be asked to do things that they dont necessarily think are reasonable, Berdichevsky said. Some of them will not be reasonable and others will completely transform things. Musks creative energy, though, is intertwined with his erratic behavior. That was spotlighted in 2018, as Tesla ramped up production of its Model 3 sedan. Musk berated engineers for problems before acknowledging that his overreliance on automation was a primary cause. Meanwhile, he scolded analysts for asking bonehead questions. That August he stunned observers, tweeting that he was considering taking Tesla private and had secured financing. The stock soared before he backtracked. The Securities and Exchange Commission sued, alleging Musks talk of a deal was largely fiction. Musk and Tesla settled, paying fines of $20 million each and agreeing that tweets potentially affecting the stock price be reviewed by a lawyer. A federal judge recently rejected Musks contention that the settlement violates his right to free speech. Some people use their hair to express themselves, hes said. I use Twitter. Musk and his fans, though, sometimes use the platform to go after perceived adversaries. A California short seller has alleged that the CEO and one of his acolytes, Omar Qazi, were responsible for tweets insulting him and falsely asserting he had been arrested for child abduction. They were among 80,000 coordinated tweets praising Tesla and attacking its critics, according to investor Aaron Greenspans lawsuit. Qazi called the allegations absurd, in an email. Tesla lawyers have dismissed charges of a Musk-led Twitter mob as conspiracy theories. Musk did not respond to an interview request for this story. But speaking briefly with AP at New Yorks Met Gala, he reiterated his pledge to rid Twitter of spam bots and trolls spreading junk messages. Thats obviously diminishing the user experience, he said. Im on the warpath, so if somebody is operating a bot and troll army, then Im definitely their enemy. But a University of Maryland researcher recently concluded that such bots have generated thousands of positive tweets about Tesla, potentially buoying its stock. Neither the company nor its supporters has taken responsibility. But Musk has said that for real people on Twitter, most anything is fair game. Twitters a war zone, he said in a 2018 interview with 60 Minutes. If somebodys gonna jump in the warzone, its like, Okay, youre in the arena. Lets go. Twitters reliance on advertising has been the impetus for its efforts to cap extremism and misinformation, said Angelo Carusone of watchdog Media Matters. If Musks loosens those standards, he risks running afoul of Apple and Google. Both have stringent policies theyve cited in booting some apps from their devices. Musk hasnt addressed what hed do if his efforts to open Twitter jeopardize its accessibility. Then again, hes has never been one to shy away from contradiction. Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. RUTLAND, Vt. (AP) A 28-year-old man who was rescued from a raft off the coast of New England in 2016 after his boat sank pleaded not guilty Wednesday to charges he killed his mother at sea to inherit the familys estate. Nathan Carman was arraigned in federal court in Rutland on multiple fraud charges and a first-degree murder charge in the death of Linda Carman of Middletown, Connecticut. He shouted not guilty in the direction of reporters who had asked him on his way into the courthouse whether he killed his mother. Authorities alleged in an indictment unsealed Tuesday that Nathan Carman also killed his grandfather, John Chakalos, at his home in Windsor, Connecticut, in 2013 as part of a scheme to obtain money and property from his grandfathers estate, but he was not charged with that killing. As a central part of the scheme, Nathan Carman murdered John Chakalos and Linda Carman, the indictment reads. Nathan Carman was found in an inflatable raft eight days after leaving a Rhode Island marina to go fishing with his mother, who was never found. Prosecutors allege he altered the boat to make it more likely to sink that day. He has denied doing anything to intentionally make the boat unseaworthy. Carman, who was arrested Tuesday, faces life in prison if convicted of killing his mother. His attorney did not comment after the arraignment. Federal prosecutors said in a court document filed Wednesday he should remain detained because he poses a flight risk and is a danger to the community. They wrote that Carman was treated for mental health issues from when he was a small child until he was 17 years old and has avoided any treatment since then. He remains jailed at least until a hearing scheduled for Monday. For an individual who would kill his own family members, nothing is off the table, prosecutors wrote. Prosecutors allege the inheritance scheme spanned nearly a decade and began with Carman buying a rifle in New Hampshire that he used to shoot Chakalos on Dec. 20, 2013, while he slept. He then discarded his computer hard drive and the GPS unit that had been in his truck, prosecutors said. Police have said Carman was the last person to see his grandfather alive and owned a semi-automatic rifle similar to the one used to kill Chakalos but the firearm disappeared. After Chakalos death, Carman received $550,000 from two bank accounts that his grandfather had set up and that he was the beneficiary of when Chakalos died. He moved from an apartment in Bloomfield, Connecticut, to Vernon, Vermont, in 2014. He was unemployed much of the time and by the fall of 2016, was low on funds, prosecutors said. In September 2016, Carman arranged to go on a fishing trip with his mother on his boat named the Chicken Pox. Nathan Carman planned to kill his mother on the trip, the indictment reads. He also planned how he would report the sinking of the Chicken Pox and his mothers disappearance at sea as accidents. Before the trip, Carman altered the boat by removing two forward bulkheads and trim tabs from the transom of the hull, the indictment states. After leaving the marina, Nathan Carman killed his mother, Linda Carman, and eventually sank the Chicken Pox, it states. In 2019, a federal judge in Rhode Island decided that Carman contributed to the sinking of the boat. U.S. District Judge John McConnell issued a written decision in favor of an insurance company that had refused to pay an $85,000 claim to Carman for the loss of his 31-foot fishing boat. Carmen denied the allegations, telling the Coast Guard that when the boat filled quickly with water, he swam to the life raft and called for his mother but never saw her again. He was found floating in the raft off the coast of Marthas Vineyard, a Massachusetts island, by the crew of a freighter eight days after the boat was reported missing. Chakalos, who was a real estate developer, left behind an estate that was worth nearly $29 million, which was to be divided among his four daughters. Carman is in line to get about $7 million of the estate, as his mothers only heir. Chakalos three surviving daughters sued Carman in New Hampshire probate court, seeking to bar him from receiving any money from Chakalos estate. A judge dismissed the case in 2019, saying Chakalos was not a New Hampshire resident. The probate case was refiled in Connecticut, where it remains pending. William Michael, an attorney for Carmans mothers sisters, said Tuesday the family had no immediate comment. AP reporters Kathy McCormack in Concord, New Hampshire, Lisa Rathke in Montpelier, Vermont, and Dave Collins in Hartford, Connecticut, contributed to this report. Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. Flash At the 5G Mobile Private Networks Roadshow hosted by the Spanish capital on May 9-10, Chinese multinational technology company Huawei highlights the transformative power of 5G technology in industry and society. At Atletico Madrid's Wanda Metropolitano Stadium, Huawei showcases the innovative possibilities offered by the new 5G networks. The company's aim is to show how these technologies will transform the industries and businesses, and improve the lives of people and the environment in areas such as teleworking, culture, leisure, tourism, sports, shopping, internet browsing and access to multimedia content. "5G is bringing about a real revolution in society at all levels. However, today it is in the industrial field where this change is being most appreciated and where it is providing mobile operators around the world with revenues of more than 2,000 million euros (2,100 million U.S. dollars)," Eric Li, chief executive officer (CEO) of Huawei Spain, explained. At its mobile demonstration center, Huawei displays different applications and uses for 5G technology in areas such as logistics, the automobile industry, petrochemicals, ports, mining or metallurgy. Huawei is helping Spain promote its 2025 Digital Agenda and is actively collaborating in the deployment of telecommunications infrastructure, especially in the fields of fiber and 5G networks, where it is involved in three of the country's ten main pilot projects. On a global scale, the company boasts the second highest investment in research and development (R&D), as reflected in the European Union's (EU) 2021 Industrial R&D Investment Scoreboard. JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) Missouri's top election official on Wednesday warned that it may be too late to pass new congressional districts for the Aug. 2 primary without causing errors that could undermine confidence in the election. Republican Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft said that even if lawmakers were to approve a new U.S. House map before Friday's deadline to pass legislation, it wouldn't leave local election authorities with enough time to ensure that everyone's voting addresses are accurately assigned to the new districts. Were running the risk of having a good amount of individuals that could end up with the wrong ballot, Ashcroft told The Associated Press. He suggested it would be better to hold congressional primaries under current voting districts, though multiple lawsuits contend those are unconstitutional because they are based on the 2010 census and no longer have equal populations. Missouri is one of only a few states that have yet to enact new congressional districts based on the 2020 census. Though Republicans hold large majorities in the state House and Senate, they have been at loggerheads over how aggressively to draw districts to their favor and which communities to divide. Republicans currently hold six of Missouri's eight U.S. House seats. Ashcroft had been among those advocating for an approach that would give Republicans a shot at winning seven of those seats. But some GOP legislative leaders feared that could backfire by spreading Republican voters too thin. The debate more recently has focused on efforts to shore up GOP strength in the 2nd Congressional District in suburban St. Louis, the only one which is relatively competitive. Earlier this week, the House passed another attempt at a redistricting plan that is now pending in the Senate. Even if the Senate passes that plan, my concern is that it will turn out to be too late for all the work that has to be done, and Im afraid it will cause confusion and problems in the August election, and I do not want that to happen, Ashcroft said. His concerns were echoed by Shane Schoeller, president of the Missouri Association of County Clerks & Election Authorities. If the Legislature were to pass a redistricting plan by Friday and Gov. Mike Parson were to quickly sign it, election authorities would have only about one week to make the necessary changes before the state's centralized voter registration system is locked in place on May 25 for the preparation of ballots that must be available for absentee voters in mid-June, Schoeller said. If theyre concerned about fair and accurate elections, they cannot pass a map this week and be assured that the congressional districts will be accurate when voters go to vote, said Schoeller, a Republican who is the Greene County clerk. The time crunch poses a problem primarily for counties that are split among multiple congressional districts. The latest redistricting plan passed by the state House would split several counties in the St. Louis and Kansas City areas, as well as Columbia's home of Boone County, Webster County to the east of Springfield, and Camden County, which contains part of the Lake of the Ozarks. Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. ALEXANDRIA, Va. (AP) A federal judge ruled Wednesday that a lawsuit against two former police officers accused of protecting a sex trafficking ring in northern Virginia in exchange for sex can move forward. The former Fairfax County officers, Michael O. Barbazette of Manassas and Jason J. Mardocco of Gainesville, had asked a judge at a hearing Friday in U.S. District Court in Alexandria to have the case tossed out. In a ruling issued Wednesday, Judge Anthony Trenga rejected the motion to dismiss. He did toss out some counts on technical issues, but is allowing the plaintiff to file an amended complaint that will comply with the technical failings and allows the substantive accusations to move forward intact. The lawsuit is filed on behalf of a Costa Rican woman identified in court papers only as Jane Doe. She alleges she was duped into coming to the U.S. in 2010 on the promise of work as a social escort. When she arrived in the U.S., though, her traffickers took her passport and forced her into prostitution for several years. When she was finally able to escape in 2015, she reported her traffickers to the FBI. She says in the lawsuit she did not go to Fairfax County Police because she was warned by other women that Fairfax County police were protecting the traffickers. Hazel Sanchez Cerdas pleaded guilty in federal court in Alexandria to running the prostitution ring and she was sentenced to 2 1/2 years in prison in 2019. Prosecutors in that case said women in Sanchezs operation were required to have sex with up to 17 customers a day and instructed to comply with requests even for particularly humiliating or dangerous sex acts. At Friday's hearing, lawyers for the accused officers said the complaint was thin on substantiating details and should be dismissed. Jane Doe's lawyer, Vic Glasberg, acknowledged he still needs to ferret out more details, but said there is substantial evidence already to support Doe's claims. One of the officer's phone numbers was found on a cellphone linked to the trafficking ring, the lawsuit states. The woman's claims were investigated by the FBI and sent over to the Fairfax County police's Public Corruption unit. After that occurred, the officers resigned. The lawsuit also includes allegations from a former Fairfax County detective, William Woolf, who was assigned to a federally funded trafficking task force. Woolf alleges in the complaint that Barbazette, his supervisor, took an unusual interest in his work and tried to hamper his investigations. Ultimately, the lawsuit alleges that Barbazette and Mardocco would tip off Sanchez when police would conduct sex trafficking stings so she could steer clear of them, in exchange for sex. There's a whole boatload of evidence to suggest there's something rotten in the state of Denmark, Glasberg said at Friday's hearing. The lawyer for Barbazette and Mardocco acknowledged the fact that the officers were asked to resign looks bad, but it doesn't go to show there's some conspiracy here. It doesn't carry the weight the plaintiff suggests it does. The lawsuit also accuses supervisors in the Fairfax County Police Department, including then-Chief Ed Roessler, of covering up the officers' misdeeds. The lawyer for Roessler and the other supervisory defendants declined comment after Friday's hearing. Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. OKLAHOMA CITY Payments into Oklahoma state government's primary operating fund continued to run far ahead of expectations in April, the Office of Management and Enterprise Services reported Tuesday. General revenue totaled almost $1.2 billion for the month, which was 32% above the estimate and 58% more than for the same month in 2021. For the the first 10 months of fiscal year 2022, general revenue is $1.4 billion, or 25%, above the estimate upon which the current state budget is based. OMES Executive Director and Oklahoma Chief Operating Officer Steven Harpe noted that last month was the first April since 2019 for usual state income tax deadlines to be observed. "That played a large role in the monthly collections topping $1 billion for the first time in history, said Harpe. While this is encouraging for Oklahoma, we still must be mindful of market volatility that could impact state revenues. April's report is one more indication the state is likely to run a large surplus this fiscal year, thus swelling reserves already in excess of $2 billion. State officials have warned, however, that that such surpluses could soon subside as federal COVID relief funds move through the economy. For the fiscal year, net income tax receipts are 26% ($641 million) above projections. States sales taxes are 15.6% ($276.9 million) higher, and gross production taxes are 91.6% ($385.9 million) higher. Total general revenue to date is $6.9 billion, compared to $5.5 billion through the first 10 months of FY 2021. Get Government & Politics updates in your inbox! Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. The question of whether abortions can be provided on Indian reservations in anti-abortion states isnt a new one, but its been renewed in the past week. With the U.S. Supreme Court poised to reverse the Roe v. Wade decision, choice advocates are finding ways for women to obtain abortion services in states like Oklahoma, which will ban the procedure except to save the life of the woman. One possibility is for abortions to be provided on tribal lands. In Oklahoma, the 2020 Supreme Court ruling known as McGirt found that the Muscogee reservation was never de-established for purposes of criminal prosecutions. That has been extended to five other tribes located in the state, covering about 40% of eastern Oklahoma. The decision reaffirmed the reservations existence but didnt give a clear view on how that intersects with anti-abortion laws, says Aila Hoss, an assistant professor of law at the University of Tulsa specializing in Indian law and health law. Other tribes have wrestled with this question, she said. The same conversation about safe havens happened in 2006 in South Dakota when abortion bans were being passed. None of this is unique to Oklahoma. The criminal jurisdiction is the same anywhere in Indian Country. The federally funded Indian Health Service cannot provide abortions because of the 1976 Hyde Amendment. It forbids using federal money for abortions except in cases of rape or incest or to save the womans life. States that provide coverage for abortions as part of their Medicaid programs have gotten around the law by keeping federal funds separate from operations of abortion facilities. With tribal sovereignty, its possible for tribal citizens with medical licenses to perform abortions because the state doesnt have the authority to prosecute them. It could cause problems if the state decides to assess a fine or revoke the medical license. The situation of legality depends on who owns the clinic, state law, tribal code and tribal citizenship status of the patient and provider, Hoss said. It really depends on a lot of factors, she said. Case law around the power of states regulating activities on tribal land typically addresses taxation, but the principles may fold into health regulation. A 1980 Supreme Court case The Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation v. Washington found that a state could exert regulation over non-tribal citizens on tribal reservations in certain situations. The case dealt with cigarette taxation in tribal smokeshops. A companion case that year the White Mountain Apache Tribe v. Bracker held that a non-Indian contractor working exclusively for a tribe on the tribes reservation was not subject to state taxation. It gets murkier when Indian law moves into civil cases. Oklahoma passed a Texas-style civil abortion law, Senate Bill 1503, that opens up a Wild West of potential lawsuits. Anyone can sue anyone suspected of assisting in an abortion like providing a phone number, giving a ride or providing funding. When entering civil jurisdiction, things get complicated, Hoss said. There is more variability in how courts decide when a state can assert jurisdiction within the boundaries of the reservation, especially over members. The analysis is very unpredictable. That unpredictability is what the law was meant to create: a chilling effect. Lawmakers supporting the bill want the threat of a lawsuit to scare people away. Challenges to the Texas law are making their way through the courts, centered on whether civil jurisdiction is appropriate to enforce criminal laws. It could be overturned eventually. In the context of a state asserting civil jurisdiction in Indian country, the federal courts have been inconsistent in rulings, Hoss said. There is a political and legal calculus, especially post-McGirt, Hoss said. McGirt created so much animosity and misinformation about criminal jurisdiction in Indian County. The Supreme Court could change settled criminal or civil jurisprudence. Are you willing to take that risk? The more legal issues that come up, the more opportunity there is to litigate and more opportunity to change the law. There are a lot of things to think through. The backdrop is that Indigenous women are two times more likely to experience rape or sexual assault. Three out of five Native women have been assaulted in their lifetime. Access to abortion care is incredibly important for Indigenous people because of a variety of issues, Hoss said. They have been denied access to health care, and federal law long failed tribes in providing consistent quality care. The Hyde Amendment disproportionately burdens Indigenous women if you get primary care through Indian Health Services. Subscribe to Daily Headlines Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Catch the latest in Opinion Get opinion pieces, letters and editorials sent directly to your inbox weekly! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Among the corrections sought in the unraveling of the Swadleys Bar-B-Q state contract is a request from Lt. Gov. Matt Pinnell to give power back to an oversight commission. Its a good idea that would go far in preventing financial mismanagement. For about five years, the Legislature has been moving authority away from citizen oversight boards and commissions and placing it in the hands of the governor. We previously supported this position so governors could enact the agenda voters elected them to do. For decades, governors coming into office have been frustrated by having to work through a predecessors agency appointees, often stopping their vision for change. It would take at least four years of turnover to get their agency leaders in place. Those supporting this power shift argued it would streamline decision-making and make supervision more efficient. In general, we still believe governors need enough authority to make their platform promises. But, we are experiencing how the pendulum can swing too far. Swadleys is accused of questionable business practices that may involve fraud and corruption. It joins a list of problematic state contracts across agencies and offices that includes purchases of PPE, a now-debunked drug to treat COVID-19 and a governors education program to distribute pandemic funds to families. All have led to some level of investigation by state and/or federal officials. A reality of eliminating authority from citizen commissions is it took away a critical tool in oversight and transparency. More eyes on a budget makes for better, more sound, financial decisions. Taking away the scrutiny a board provides is a risk, and we are now seeing how that can lead to trouble. The removal of citizen board input opens a chance something can go wrong, whether willful mismanagement or honest mistakes. Pinnell has encouraged amending House Bill 3603 that was passed in 2018 to downgrade the Oklahoma Tourism and Recreation Commission to an advisory role. Its duties were given to the agencys executive director, who is appointed by and responsible to the governor. But, the governor cannot doublecheck the work in every agency. Pinnell is asking to reinstate the authority of the Tourism Commission to approve all budgets and contracts. We support that request. This still allows the governor to choose the agency head while adding more supervision on budget actions, striking a nice compromise. It is unclear how such adjustments are needed in other agencies. We encourage lawmakers to be vigilant and open to making modifications. Democracy works well with independent branches of government working as a checks and balances. Citizen oversight boards play an important role. Pinnells recommendation is warranted and good governance. Subscribe to Daily Headlines Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Educational authorities in the north-central Vietnamese province of Nghe An have suspended a teacher from in-person teaching after a local resident accused her of beating her child with a ruler, causing several bruises on the girl's body. The Nghe An Department of Education and Training decided that the female teachers suspension will last 15 days, Nguyen Trong Hoan, an official of the department said on Wednesday afternoon. The teacher is also requested to coordinate with the family of the student in question to seek medical care for the childs wounds. Meanwhile, the education division of Dien Chau District, which manages Dien Yen 1 Elementary School, where the teacher is working, has to further clarify the case. Preliminary working results have shown that the teacher used a ruler to hit Ph., a third-grade student at Dien Yen 1 Elementary School, on Tuesday as a punishment for not completing an assignment in class, according to Mai Ngoc Long, head of the education division of Dien Chau District. T.T.P., Ph.s 28-year-old mother, noticed several bruises on her shoulders and back when the child was taking a bath that afternoon. As P. repeatedly asked Ph. where the bruises came from, the student told the mother that a teacher had beaten her with a ruler for failing to do classwork. P. immediately reported the incident to the schools management board. The school principal and Ph.s homeroom teacher visited her house and apologized to the family right on Tuesday evening. After the conclusion [of the investigation], depending on the severity of the [teachers] violation, we will order the school to hold a council meeting to figure out a proper disciplinary action in accordance with regulations, said official Long. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! 10 has now confirmed its Election Night coverage, 10 News First: Your Decision, which features Sandra Sully, Peter van Onselen, Waleed Aly, Hugh Riminton, Jan Fran and Narelda Jacobs. In attendance are politicians Anne Ruston, Ed Husic, Hollie Hughes and Stephen Jones. After weeks of intense, nation-wide campaigning, it all comes down to this. The battle for the Prime Ministers office will reach its crescendo on Saturday, 21 May, as Australians take to the ballet box to cast their vote in the 2022 Federal Election. As the final votes are lodged and counted, Network 10s extensive, multi-platform election night coverage, 10 News First: Your Decision will deliver all the latest breaking news, live results, bold predictions, expert analysis, insights, smart and informed conversation and important interviews across the evening. Live from 6.00pm AEST, join host Sandra Sully, one of Australias most experienced and respected News presenters, with Network 10s Political Editor, Peter van Onselen, political expert and The Project co-host Waleed Aly, veteran of the Canberra press gallery and Network 10s National Affairs Editor, Hugh Riminton, and Walkey-award winning journalist and TV presenter, Jan Fran. 10 News First presenter and journalist, Narelda Jacobs will analyse the results as they come through and give an insight into what they mean to the bigger election picture. 10 News First reporters will be on the ground covering all key electorates, and as Australias political race comes to a close, political reporters Stela Todorovic and Chloe Bouras will report live from Scott Morrison and Anthony Albaneses camps. Also joining the election coverage will be Anne Ruston, Ed Husic, Hollie Hughes and Stephen Jones who will bring the political muscle to the interactive and dynamic coverage. Network 10 is joining forces with The Daily Auss innovative and creative duo of Zara Seidler and Sam Koslowski, who will present insights and data throughout the live broadcast, along with a comprehensive social offering and exclusive behind-the-scenes coverage. Watch 10 News First: Your Decision for an intelligent, engaging, insightful, interactive and informative election night. 6pm AEST Saturday May 21 on 10. Former ABC presenter Kerry OBrien has fronted a campaign video produced by ABC Alumni urging supporters of the broadcaster to back candidates who support ABC funding. OBrien stops short of endorsing any particular candidates, however. I dont work for the ABC these days, nor speak for it. But at no point in my lifetime has the ABC been more important than it is today, he said. The time has come for those who say they love the ABC, who say they rely on the ABC, to stand up and be counted. Our vote is one of the most precious things we have so is the ABC. So please, make your vote count. Back the candidates who support a stronger, better-funded ABC. OBrien will be a keynote speaker at a Rally in support of the ABC in Sydney this coming Sunday, organised by ABC Friends. Other confirmed speakers are: Labor Shadow Minister for Communications Michelle Rowland, Greens Spokesperson for Arts & Communications Sarah Hanson-Young, Independent Member for Warringah Zali Steggall and ABC Friends National President Margaret Reynolds. Communications Minister Paul Fletcher has also been invited to attend, but has not responded as yet. Theres no word on other rallies outside Sydney although Friends of ABC Victoria is also campaigning locally. WIN TV has been cleared by the media watchdog over a complaint not being available on Judge Judy. A complaint to the Australian Communications & Media Authority claimed that since an affiliate switch last July WIN TV in Mildura has not been broadcasting captions for the deaf and hearing impaired community. They cited an episode of Judge Judy on July 21st 2121 as an example. Under the Broadcasting Services Act licensees must provide a captioning service for programs transmitted on main channel between 6 am and midnight. WIN advised that some viewers might not have been able to access the captioning service due to a technical issue but that a captioning service was available and could be accessed if it was selected using the manual TXT 801 process on the television remote instead of the short-cut SUBT function. It conceded the error was theirs but that the matter was resolved on Thursday 29th July 2021. ACMA found that while some viewers might not have been able to access the captioning service through their preferred method on the television remote -a captioning service was capable of being accessed. It ruled there was no breach by WIN TV. Would Judge Judy have ruled in favour of the broadcaster too.? Flash Visiting Chinese Vice President Wang Qishan (L) meets with South Korea's newly sworn-in President Yoon Suk-yeol in Seoul, South Korea, May 10, 2022. [Photo/Xinhua] Visiting Chinese Vice President Wang Qishan and South Korea's newly sworn-in President Yoon Suk-yeol agreed on Tuesday to further bilateral ties and pragmatic cooperation. As Chinese President Xi Jinping's special representative, Wang attended the inauguration ceremony of Yoon earlier in the day. During the meeting with Yoon, Wang conveyed Xi's cordial greetings and best wishes to him. China and South Korea, as close neighbors and important partners, have witnessed all-round and rapid development in bilateral relations with increasing common interests since the establishment of diplomatic ties, Wang said, adding that in the face of a changing world and a pandemic unseen in a century, it's of greater importance for both sides, the region and the whole world to strengthen China-South Korea cooperation. China is willing to work with South Korea to continuously lift the China-South Korea strategic cooperative partnership to a higher level and in keeping with the times, he stressed. Wang proposed a five-point proposal on the next development of bilateral relations. Firstly, China and South Korea should enhance strategic communication and high-level exchanges, as well as further invigorate dialogue and exchanges at all levels. Secondly, the two sides should deepen pragmatic cooperation, strengthen the alignment of development strategies of the two countries, and deepen cooperation in key areas and third-party markets to upgrade bilateral cooperation. Thirdly, as China and South Korea are geographically linked, their peoples are connected by kinship and cultures enjoy a natural affinity, the two countries should give full play to this advantage and take the 30th anniversary of diplomatic ties and the China-South Korea Year of Cultural Exchanges as an opportunity to plan and implement more activities conducive to enhancing people-to-people friendship, so as to continuously inject positive energy into the growth of bilateral ties. Fourthly, the two countries should strengthen communication and coordination in international and regional affairs, be committed to upholding multilateralism and the free trade system, and promote regional and global development and prosperity. Fifthly, the two sides should jointly boost coordination and cooperation in the Korean Peninsula affairs and properly handle sensitive issues. China sincerely supports the two sides of the Korean Peninsula in improving relations and promoting reconciliation and cooperation, and stands ready to cement communication with South Korea to advance the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and promote lasting peace on the peninsula. For his part, Yoon asked Wang to send his best regards to President Xi. Since the establishment of diplomatic ties, the two countries have witnessed rapid progress in the development of bilateral relations, and the two-way trade has reached an all-time high despite the COVID-19 pandemic, Yoon said. He noted that the South Korean government, on the basis of mutual respect, is ready to take the 30th anniversary of diplomatic ties as an opportunity to promote closer high-level strategic communication and exchanges at all levels, further strengthen exchanges and cooperation in all areas and enhance the people-to-people friendship, so as to usher in a new era for bilateral relations. South Korea is willing to strengthen communication and coordination with China to jointly promote peace, stability and prosperity on the Korean Peninsula, he added. Boris Johnson and Swedish Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson exchange files as they sign a security assurance (Frank Augstein/PA) (PA Wire) Boris Johnson will sign historic security assurance declarations with Sweden and Finland in the face of Russias invasion of Ukraine, pledging to bolster military ties and support both countries should they come under attack. The Prime Minister arrived in Stockholm on Wednesday before travelling to Harpsund, the country residence of his Swedish counterpart, Magdalena Andersson, where he set out a UK commitment to come to the countrys aid in the event of a crisis. Mr Johnson is set to visit to Finland later in the day, where he is expected to formalise a similar agreement with the countrys President Sauli Niinisto during a whirlwind 24 hours. (PA Graphics) (PA Graphics) An offer to increase deployments to the region, including with Royal Air Force, British Army and Royal Navy personnel and assets, will also be made. It comes as both countries consider the prospect of Nato membership in the face of Russian President Vladimir Putins ongoing military aggression. Mr Johnson said: We are steadfast and unequivocal in our support to both Sweden and Finland and the signing of these security declarations is a symbol of the everlasting assurance between our nations. Prime Minister Boris Johnson is welcomed by the Ambassador of the United Kingdom in Sweden, Judith Gough (Frank Augstein/PA) (PA Wire) These are not a short-term stop-gap, but a long-term commitment to bolster military ties and global stability, and fortify Europes defences for generations to come. The declarations build on claims made earlier in the month that the UK would always aid Finland if it were attacked by Russia, regardless of whether the country was a member of Nato. Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said it was inconceivable that Britain would not help either Finland or Sweden if it were in crisis, even without any big formal agreement. (PA Graphics) (PA Graphics) Mr Johnson held talks with Ms Andersson and Mr Niinisto in March as part of a meeting of the Joint Expeditionary Force nations, which includes Denmark, Estonia, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania the Netherlands and Norway. After the meeting, Downing Street said the two leaders agreed that Putins invasion had dramatically changed the landscape of European security. Finland shares a lengthy land border with Russia and is only about 250 miles from St Petersburg. Sky News The number of people seeking help for long COVID has doubled and the NHS is struggling to keep up, a charity has warned. Asthma and Lung UK said that over the last six months about half a million had visited its long COVID advice pages or called its helpline - and some are at "crisis point". There was a near-doubling between September and March this year as the Omicron variant surged in the UK, the charity said. Helder Costa of Valencia CF during the La Liga match between Valencia CF and Rayo Vallecano played at Mestalla Stadium Credit: PA Images Leeds United have learned that Valencia now have no intention of meeting their transfer option on loan winger Helder Costa and he now looks likely to return to Elland Road this summer. The Angola international joined Leeds in an initial loan deal in summer 2019, United bringing him in in the wake of their failed promotion push. Signing from Wolves, he was viewed at the time as a potential long-term heir to the ageing Pablo Hernandez. However, during his two seasons at Elland Road, Costa struggled to replicate his very best form. Indeed, in 61 appearances for Leeds, Costa scored just eight times and assisted in seven more. During their first season back in the Premier League, he was given very little game-time as Leeds finished ninth. As such, it was no surprise to see Costa allowed to depart last summer, joining Valencia on a seasons loan. That arrangement gave Valencia the chance to make move permanent at the end of the 2021/22 campaign. And their option on the winger was worth 17.1m (20m) money which would have been a welcome addition to the Leeds transfer kitty. At first, Costa settled in well into his surroundings. Given game time in LaLiga, he quickly got an assist to his name to impress his new public. The January window, however, changed everything for Costa, with Los Che bringing in Bryan Gil from Tottenham. The Spanish youngster quickly took Costas place in the side, reducing the on-loan Leeds man to a bit-part role. Option on transfer will not be taken up However, in recent weeks Valencia manager Jose Bordalas has changed his system with wingers no longer featuring. That has pushed Gil out of the side and seen Costa pushed even further into the wilderness. Now, according to El Desmarque, Valencia have told Leeds they have no intention of taking up the option to sign him permanently. Branding the fee inaccessible, Valencia would need Leeds to seriously re-negotiate that fee down to have any chance of a permanent deal. Story continues The report claims that instead Bordalas plans to ask Spurs instead if they can keep Gil on another years loan. Gil appears way down the pecking order at Tottenham. And while Antonio Conte would prefer a permanently sale, Spurs are likely to be open to another years loan. As a result, Costas chances of making the move permanently to the Mestalla look to be over. As it stands, he will likely return to Leeds this summer, leaving Leeds with something of a headache. Helder Costa a poor signing for Leeds Leeds United will now either have to find a way to intergrate Costa back into their set-up, or find another club willing to take him. And if they do find another club to take him on loan, they are then at risk of losing the player for an even greater loss. The 28-year-old is contracted to Leeds until summer 2024 and they will know his peak value, especially given his age, will be this summer. Generally speaking, Helder Costa has proven a poor signing for Leeds. Arriving with a big reputation from Wolves, his was a signing that really excited Leeds supporters at the time. Of course, Leeds did earn promotion with Costa playing a role in their return to the Premier League. But he rarely displayed the qualities that convinced Leeds to spend big cash on him in the first place. And given he was their first 10m+ signing for a number of years, Costa will ultimately go down as a failure for Leeds. Jesse Marsch future: Leeds boss opens up on claims he could quit in the event of relegation The article Helder Costa future: Valencia come to decision to punish Leeds and present hope to Tottenham appeared first on Teamtalk.com. Flash Wang Chen, vice chairman of the National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee, met with Suchart Tancharoen, first deputy speaker of the House of Representatives of Thailand, via video link on Tuesday. Wang said that under the strategic guidance of the leaders of the two countries, the China-Thailand traditional friendship has become more profound and flourishing, and the two countries have firmly supported each other on issues concerning their core interests and major concerns. He added that China is ready to work with Thailand to give full play to the positive role of the legislatures, strengthen exchanges and mutual learning in rule of law, and advance the implementation of the Global Development Initiative and Global Security Initiative, contributing to the development of bilateral relations and enhancing friendship between the two peoples. Suchart Tancharoen said Thailand firmly upholds the one-China policy, expressing hopes to deepen exchanges between the legislatures of the two countries and provide a sound legal environment for bilateral practical cooperation. Avian flu continues in Volusia County Residents urged to avoid handling sick or dead wild birds Media contact: Pat Kuehn, CPRC Community Information Specialist 386-822-5062, ext.12934 Avian flu, a highly contagious viral infection that occurs naturally in birds, continues to be detected in Volusia County. Technically known as highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), the disease was documented in Volusia County in February when three sick water birds were brought to the Marine Science Center and park rangers at Hontoon Island State Park noticed that black vultures were dying at higher-than-normal rates. Since then the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) has confirmed cases in 24 Florida counties. Officials have been coordinating closely with other state and federal agencies to monitor, investigate and document ongoing cases in Florida. Wild birds can carry the virus but may not always show signs of illness. They can bring the disease to new areas when migrating, potentially exposing domestic poultry. Vultures are of particular concern because they can pick up the virus while feeding on carcasses. Domesticated birds such as chickens, ducks and turkeys are also at risk because they seem to have less ability to fight off the disease. There is a low risk of transmission to humans, but in late April the CDC confirmed the first human case in the United States. A Colorado man who had direct exposure to poultry and the culling of birds with presumptive bird flu was sickened but has recovered after experiencing fatigue. To prevent the spread of avian flu, the FWC advises the public to avoid handling sick or dead wild birds, keep wild birds away from domestic birds, and report wild bird mortalities at https://app.myfwc.com/FWRI/AvianMortality/. Although the Marine Science Centers bird hospital is closed to admissions, residents who find injured or orphaned birds can call staff at 386-304-5530 for advice. The FWC recommends that residents avoid placing bird baths and feeders near domestic poultry, wear rubber gloves while cleaning bird feeders, and wash hands with soap and water or alcohol wipes immediately after cleaning bird feeders. According to Tracy Dawson, manager of the Marine Science Centers bird hospital, most of the current Volusia County cases are in black vultures. Other species affected in Florida include bald eagles, great horned owls, and mallard and Muscovy ducks. Dawson reports that the centers 18 permanent avian ambassadors remain healthy. To keep the animals safe, the bird hospital remains closed to bird admissions. The bird exhibits, however, are open to public viewing. This is the largest outbreak of avian flu to affect the United States. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), avian flu has been detected in 34 states. With 197 cases, North Dakota has the highest total, followed by North Carolina with 143 and Florida with 74. The number of Florida cases is expected to increase as northern birds migrate south this fall. The USDA website reports: The outbreak in Florida is believed to have followed the introduction of the virus last year from Europe into Canada. The virus then traveled with migratory waterfowl down the Atlantic Flyway to Florida and other states. The current outbreak of HPAI in wild birds in Florida is unprecedented. Fact Sheet: Avian Flu Fact Sheet States with HPAI detections in wild birds: Source: https://www.aphis.usda.gov/animal_health/animal_diseases/avian/images/hpai-wild-birds-map.png WASHINGTON (AP) The Senate fell far short Wednesday in a rushed effort toward enshrining Roe v. Wade abortion access as federal law, blocked by a Republican filibuster in a blunt display of the nation's partisan divide over the landmark court decision and the limits of legislative action. The almost party-line tally promises to be the first of several efforts in Congress to preserve the nearly 50-year-old court ruling, which declares a constitutional right to abortion services but is at serious risk of being overturned this summer by a conservative Supreme Court. President Joe Biden called on the Congress controlled by Democrats to pass legislation to protect abortion services for millions of Americans. But his party's slim majority proved unable to overcome the filibuster led by Republicans, who have been working for decades to install conservative Supreme Court justices and end Roe v. Wade. The vote was 51-49 against proceeding, with 60 votes needed to move ahead. "The American people are watching," said Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer ahead of the vote. "The public will not forget which side of the vote senators fall on today." Congress has battled for years over abortion policy, but the Wednesday vote to take up a House-passed bill was given new urgency after the disclosure of a draft Supreme Court opinion to overturn the Roe decision that many had believed to be settled law. The outcome of the conservative-majority court's actual ruling, expected this summer, is sure to reverberate around the country and on the campaign trail ahead of the fall midterm elections that will determine which party controls Congress. Read the full story and more Roe v. Wade updates: Associated Press writers Mary Clare Jalonick, Kevin Freking, Darlene Superville and Farnoush Amiri in Washington and David Sharp in Maine contributed to this report. WAVERLY Agriculture hasnt always run in Emelia Rourkes blood. The soon-to-be Waverly graduate didnt grow up on a farm, and she had never driven a tractor until recently. But at the Nebraska State FFA Convention in April, Rourke was selected to be the State FFA Secretary for the 2022-23 school year. The office is just the next step since a life-altering decision that has set Rourke on a course to grow in the ag industry for years to come. Rourke sat in her animal science class in January of her sophomore year when the teacher and Waverlys FFA chapter adviser Kris Spath told Rourke she would make a good fit on Waverly FFAs competitive team. She said, There's a career development event competition in March. I want you to compete. Even if you dont want to stay in FFA, just do that, Rourke said. Rourke agreed and joined as part of the chapters ag sales team, which was tested on its knowledge of specific agricultural products. That year, the product was Purina chicken feed. Its a really neat opportunity because it doesnt feel like a test. Its just like Im talking to somebody, Rourke said. I liked the competition itself so much that I decided I wanted everything that FFA had in store for me. One month after the competition, Rourke was elected to be the chapters president. Spath said Rourke was an easy candidate for students to vote for because of her infectious enthusiasm. I think that speaks to her personality and her leadership ability, Spath said. People around her get excited just because of who she is. Rourke served in the role during her junior and senior years at Waverly. But she knew she didnt want her FFA career to end after graduation. I wanted another year of FFA, Rourke said in an interview after her selection to the state officer team. I joined (FFA), and I was like, Where can I get more of this? Of the seven Nebraska high school seniors chosen to the state officer team, Rourkes chapter is the farthest east her fellow officers come from Albion, Ainsworth and as far away as Creek Valley High School in the Nebraska Panhandle. Rourke says she relishes the opportunity to work with and counsel FFA members from across the state, many of whom were at Pinnacle Bank Arena in Lincoln when she was chosen to be a state officer. When my name was called, it was just such a rush, she said, because I was excited for all the opportunities ahead of me to be able to advocate for agriculture, as well as serve so many students. Part of Rourkes passion for FFA lies in a shared mission with many other future farmers to communicate the importance of agriculture to Nebraskas economy and to the welfare of its people. Being able to advocate for the industry that feeds, clothes and fuels our nation is so important, because there's a lot of people who don't necessarily realize or appreciate how important it is in their everyday lives, she said. Now, instead of leading several dozen students at Waverly High School, Rourke will counsel hundreds of FFA members from across the state. Her first big task is the 20-day gauntlet Chapter Officer Leadership Training sessions in Aurora, where she will prepare next years FFA officers for their new roles. Each of the four sessions includes some 250 FFA members. Rourke thinks shes up to the task. Im really excited to just dive right in, she said. My advisor and our state advisors have done a great job preparing us and making sure that we are able to serve FFA members to the best of our abilities. But her duties wont stop there. When Rourke attends the University of Nebraska-Lincoln this fall, shell split her time between her classes and running workshops with FFA chapters in a yet-to-be-assigned region of the state. She said she hopes she is assigned the central region, so she can visit her family and grandparents in Cozad. At school, shell major in animal science and hopes to one day become a beef cattle consultant. She cares deeply about the ag industry itself, but its the people within it who have affirmed it for her shes in it for life. Whether it be FFA members, teachers, producers; theyve been just the kindest people that Ive ever met, Rourke said. They just want to see whats best for the future of agriculture. Sam Crisler is a reporter for The Waverly News. Reach him via email at samuel.crisler@wahoonewspaper.com. WAHOO A jury worked into the night May 3 before finding a Malmo man guilty of first-degree murder for killing his 27-year-old fiancee at their home as her two children slept. Kolton Barnes said what happened early July 15, 2020, was self-defense. That Kayla Matulka attacked him with a knife when he returned home from the bar. The state said the killing was first-degree murder. That Barnes kicked his way into the house, just as hed threatened to do in texts later deleted, after she told him their relationship was over and not to come home. She wanted out and he refused to accept that, and because of that Kayla Matulka is dead, Assistant Nebraska Attorney General Sandra Allen told the jury in closing arguments earlier Tuesday. She said Matulka, who was found naked on the floor with a restraint system attached to one of her wrists, a black eye and purple, finger-shaped bruises on an elbow, was fighting for her life. He beat her, he strangled her and he stabbed her, Allen said. Not once or twice, but 27 times. You cannot tell me you arent thinking about what you are doing, she said. That is premeditation. Addressing the jury, Matt McDonald of the Nebraska Commission on Public Advocacy said the state had to prove to them without hesitation that Barnes wasnt acting in self-defense. They have not done that. They havent even come close, he said. Based on the evidence theres a lot more than hesitation about what happened that night. McDonald said Barnes admitted he tampered with evidence, one of the seven felony charges he faced, but argued the state overcharged the case, throwing the book at Barnes to see what would stick with the jury. The state charged Barnes with two counts of child abuse for leaving Matulka dead with her 6- and 11-year-old children alone to find her and a count of animal cruelty and use of a deadly weapon for stabbing his dog to death. (On the stand, Barnes said Matulka had done it.) And by alleging the murder was either premeditated or done in the perpetration of a sexual assault or attempted sex assault despite the pathologist saying there was no evidence of sexual assault. McDonald said there was no evidence Barnes had been jealous or abusive to Matulka, he said. The state was trying to paint a picture of him that doesnt exist. He pointed to testimony of one of Barnes ex-boyfriends who said Barnes, who had been diagnosed with mental illness, once tried to stab him and his dog. Theyre just hoping that you will say well shes dead, he must have done this and it had to happen this way that theyre speculating about, the defense attorney said. Isnt it much more likely that what Kolton said is the truth? Barnes said he went in the bedroom and saw his dog, Diesel, on the floor. Then, in the light of the TV, he saw Matulka coming at him with a knife in her hand. He said he put his hand up to block her and punched her three times and they struggled, falling to the floor with him on top of her, the knife in her chest. Were never going to know exactly what happened ... because Kolton told you he cant remember everything, McDonald said. That doesnt mean hes lying, he said. Allen said Barnes story continued to evolve. First he said he had no idea what happened, that someone was setting him up. Then, for months, he said Matulka had killed herself, until it was clear two of the stab wounds came after she was dead. Finally, at trial, he said for the first time that Matulka attacked him. Whats happening is Mr. Barnes is receiving bits and pieces of information from the evidence, and what hes doing is hes taking that evidence and hes trying to conform a story to match that evidence. To try to get away with the murder of Kayla Matulka, she said. Thats what hes doing. The jury of 11 men and one woman got the case for deliberations at 2:46 p.m. Tuesday and returned with guilty verdicts on all counts shortly after 7:30 p.m. Sentencing is set for July. Grand jury reports have been filed in six in-custody deaths in Lancaster County, including the death of a 20-year-old Lincoln man who fled a traffic stop in a residential area early Christmas morning and ran into a parked car at more than 55 mph. The grand jury, which met in mid-March, ruled Ahmad Gregory's death accidental. Lincoln Police Officer Grant Powell, a crash reconstructionist, told the grand jury the incident began at about 12:50 a.m. Dec. 25 when a Nebraska State Patrol trooper tried to stop Gregory, who was driving a Mercedes sedan with no license plates near 27th and Vine streets. Powell said the car ended up having in-transit tags. According to the grand jury transcript, investigators determined Gregory was driving too fast when he hit dips in the road at 31st and Hitchcock streets, causing him to lose control. He sideswiped a car, then struck a Honda Ridgeline essentially head-on. Powell said he was going at least 57 mph at impact. Gregory, who wasn't believed to be wearing a seat belt, was taken to a hospital with life-threatening injuries and later died. Powell said a baggie of marijuana, cash and a scale were found in the car. At the hearing, a juror asked about the criteria for maintaining a high-speed pursuit in a residential area, particularly in stops that aren't for felonies. Powell said different agencies have different policies regarding when and how long to pursue a vehicle and under what circumstances. Here, he said, there were no pedestrians or traffic visible in the trooper's cruiser video. So the risk to the public was relatively low, he said. The grand jury also determined the deaths of five others all serving prison sentences to be natural causes. Lawrence Ortiz died Oct. 4 of vascular disease; Marvin Lovette died Nov. 1 as a result of cardiac arrest; Jason Frost died Nov. 5 of COVID-19 pneumonia; Atlee Mosemann died Nov. 18 of stomach cancer; and Kristopher Prigge died Jan. 2 of leukemia. Reach the writer at 402-473-7237 or lpilger@journalstar.com. On Twitter @LJSpilger WATERLOO Avey Grouws Band returns to the RiverLoop Amphitheatre to kick off the RiverLoop Rhythms concert series, May 20. The performance is from 5:30 to 9:30 p.m. Admission is free. Food and beverages will be available to purchase. RiverLoop Rhythms shows are sponsored by Veridian in partnership with Waterloo Center for the Arts. Avey Grouws Band sound defies labeling, filled with blues roots, rock and soul. Their 2020 debut album, "The Devil May Care," reached No. 10 on the Billboard Blues Album Chart. Their sophomore album, "Tell Tale Heart," released last year, was recorded in Nashville with Grammy award winner Casey Wasner. It debuted at No. 7 on the Billboard Blues Album chart. For more information about RiverLoop Rhythms or other upcoming events and programs, visit waterloocenterforthearts.org. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 WEBSTER CITY Officers who were with Sgt. Jim Smith described trying to save his life after he was shot during a standoff in a Grundy Center home in April 2021. I thought Jim was gone, but I still knew that I needed to get him to someone who is a professional, and maybe theres a chance he could be saved, Trooper Matthew Lively said as the trial for Michael Thomas Lang, the man accused of killing Smith, continued Wednesday in Hamilton County District Court in Webster City. Lang, 42, is charged with first-degree murder, attempted murder and assault on a peace officer in the fatal shooting, the struggle during a traffic stop that preceded it and the shootout with officers in an armored vehicle that ended it. Troopers in an Iowa State Patrol tactical team led by Smith had cleared the attached garage and basement at Langs home after he refused to surrender on the night of April 9, 2021. Smith and Hardin County K-9 handler Mitchell Kappel were preparing to send police dog Ogon into the kitchen to continue the search for Lang when Lang came out of the dark kitchen and fired a shotgun slug at Smith, striking his collar bone area. Smith fell back into the garage. Nearby, Grundy Deputy Zachary Anderson said he couldnt fire his own weapon because other officers where close by. He said his initial instinct was to rush forward. I stepped forward, and then I stepped back because I knew I couldnt go in front of the door. From my training I know that its a fatal funnel. If you walk in front of that, you are either going to be a problem or create one, Anderson said. Kappel, who had been right next to Smith, initially thought about sending Ogon after Lang. I felt if I could get my K9 into the kitchen that we could have another person into the fight. I was going to try to get close to the door frame and throw my dog into the kitchen and have him help address the situation, Kappel said. But as he prepared to launch Ogon, he looked up and saw Lang holding a shotgun. They made eye contact. Kappel drew his .40-caliber Glock and fired twice. The handgun shots apparently missed, and Kappel retreated into the basement for cover. Lively, also stationed nearby in the garage, told jurors he called out to Smith but got no response. I grab him by the top of the shirt lapels here and drag him back from that location for at least some cover, just to get him out of the line of sight, get him off the X, Lively said. Behind cover in a back room off the garage, Lively did a blood sweep looking for Smiths injury and located the wound. He began applying pressure. Holding his pistol in one hand, he reached behind himself and unlocked a door to the outside and pulled Smith onto a back patio where they were exposed. Another officer came to help, and they brought him to an ambulance team nearby. Meanwhile, Kappel and Trooper Jordan Barnes became trapped in the basement because the top of the stairs passed that kitchen door. As the standoff dragged on, they could hear Lang walking around, using the microwave, loading more shells into his shotgun and opening a can. Lang would also call out taunts, telling them to get out of the house. He said that he was nice to the first guy by shooting him in the chest, but come sun up, hes going to shoot us in the face with a deer slug, Kappel said. Barnes said he heard Lang say You can leave. I wont shoot you in the back. Ill be a gentleman. Later, after brief negotiations over the phone appeared to be fruitless, a tactical team moved on the house, first using a post attached to the front of an armored Bearcat vehicle to break through a window. Thats when Lang appeared from the kitchen window and fired a slug at the vehicle. Driver Chass Ossian said he heard the blast and noticed spider webbing on the bullet-resistant windshield. If it made it through the windshield, I would have been hit, Ossian said. Other troopers returned fire, and Lang was wounded and detained. DCI crime scene teams said they found four fired shotgun shells, apparently from Langs weapon in the kitchen. In the house they found two .40-caliber casings from Kappels pistol, and 24 .223-caliber casings from officers rifles. Another 18 casings were also found outside. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Sign up for our Crime & Courts newsletter Get the latest in local public safety news with this weekly email. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. WATERLOO A fugitive suspected of murder in Georgia was apprehended by Waterloo Police Tuesday following a traffic stop. Patrol Officers conducted a traffic stop on a 26 (year old) male, Jalen Jahmal Gary who was wanted for Theft and two counts of Forgery, Police Chief Joel Fitzgerald said in a news release. A 24-year-old passenger was in the vehicle, as well. He said officers received information the passenger, Jamarius Bernard Johnson, gave them a false name, and through subsequent investigation determined that Johnson was wanted for murder in DeKalb County Georgia. Johnson was arrested and remains in custody at the Black Hawk County Jail on a no bond hold. No further information was available on the circumstances surrounding the murder he is a suspect in. Gary is charged with the two counts of forgery and second-degree theft. He is accused of depositing checks into his account at Veridian Credit Union, 1616 Lafayette St., on April 13 and 27 that were allegedly stolen and altered. According to a criminal complaint, two checks were stolen out of the mail in Grand Rapids, Mich. They were written from the accounts of Lutheran High School Northwest, Rochester Hills, Mich., and Gastroneurology Specialists, Grand Rapids, Mich. The payee was changed to Gary while the amounts were changed from $85 and $749.50 to $4,509.06 and $6,604.07, respectively. After the first check was deposited, he allegedly withdrew $500 and $4,500 in cash April 15. Love 0 Funny 1 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Sign up for our Crime & Courts newsletter Get the latest in local public safety news with this weekly email. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. WEBSTER CITY The last moments of Sgt. Jim Smiths life were captured on video. On Tuesday, jurors watched the brief footage as the state began presenting evidence in the trial of Michael Thomas Lang, the man accused of shooting Smith with a shotgun during standoff at Langs Grundy Center home following a traffic stop for speeding and a chase in April 2021. Smith, a trooper with the Iowa State Patrol and the lead for a patrol tactical team that went to detain Lang when he wouldnt come to the door, wasnt equipped with a body camera. But a Grundy County sheriffs deputy who was providing cover near him was. The footage shows officers standing inside Langs attached garage as they warned him there were about to send in a police dog and telling him he would get bit. There is barking, some yelling, officers calling Mike and telling him to put his hands up. Smith can be seen standing at the door to the house, his rifle raised. He backs up. The camera pans away as there is commotion. When it pans back, hes on the ground. Shots fired, shots fired, send medical, send medical, an officer yells. Assistant Attorney General Douglas Hammerand said deputies, trooper and police had announced their presence and had given Lang several opportunities to come to the door. This case is about a senseless killing, he told jurors. Sgt. Smith is in the lit garage. As hes looking in that kitchen, the defendant is standing in the dark coming forward, Hammerand said. He said Lang fired a 12-gauge slug into Smiths chest, the round impacting around the shoulder strap for his body armor, near the collarbone area and tearing into his lungs. Sgt. Smith was able to get off, before he fell, two rounds from his gun, Hammerand said. A second blast from the pump-action shotgun hit Smiths leg. Another deputy fired a few rounds into the kitchen, missing. Defense attorney Aaron Hawbaker told jurors Smiths death was tragic but didnt amount to murder. He asked jurors to pay attention to the significant amount of time that passed between the traffic stop and when officers began to enter his house. During that entire time while they are surrounding his house, not a shot comes out a window. No attempt to harm a peace officer, no shots going through doors, no shots going through walls, Hawbaker said. The first two (shots) were when that kitchen door was opened. Two shots, nothing more. He noted there was a second long lapse before officers began approaching with an armored vehicle and tried to rip the front off his house, and then there were two more shots. Jurors also saw video from a second body camera Tuesday, this one showing what led up to the deadly standoff. Officer Cody Niehaus with the Grundy Center Police Department said he was driving through town two hours earlier when Langs blue F150 pickup truck passed him on the towns main drag doing 38 mph in a 25 mph zone. A chase ensued, heading out into the country at speeds of 90 mph. Niehaus said Lang pulled over on a gravel road, exited and walked up to the squad car telling the officer to shoot him. Come on, boy, Lang told Niehaus as they struggled. Neihaus said he Tasered Lang, but Lang pulled out the barbs and they went to the ground with Lang ending up behind him with his arm around the officers neck. I felt that my radio cord was wrapped around my neck. I wasnt able to see what was going on because the defendant was behind me. All I knew was I could not breathe. I honestly thought at the moment I was going to die, Niehaus said. A passerby, Michael Dorothy of Waterloo, had followed the chase and intervened, giving Niehaus a chance to get to his feet. Sheriffs Deputy Samuel Broome pulled up, and Lang drove off. Earlier in the day, the judge has ruled the defense attorneys cant ask witnesses about whether law enforcement had warrants when they went to Langs home. Defense attorneys indicated they would like to argue self-defense. The state countered, requesting that the defense be precluded from inquiring about warrants, noting they werent needed because the original encounter a struggle with a police officer during a traffic stop was witnessed by law enforcement. The state also argued that the law doesnt allow for the resistance of an arrest. In a tentative ruling handed down Tuesday morning, Judge Joel Dalrymple said the warrant issue was a matter of law for the court to decide and a not question to put in front of the jury. Hawbaker asked if the defense could question witnesses if officers told Lang about any warrants or told him he was under arrest during the standoff. The judge did allow for the defense to make offers of proof, which is testimony outside the presence of the jury, to allow the defense to make further argument and to preserve the record. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Sign up for our Crime & Courts newsletter Get the latest in local public safety news with this weekly email. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. WAVERLY More than $400,000 has been trimmed out of construction budgets for two new elementary schools as builders prepare to move forward with the projects. The Board of Education Monday approved change orders that reduce contractor costs by $435,364 to $38.43 million. Seven of the 19 contractors involved in the building projects were able to make cost reductions. Waverly-Shell Rock Community Schools Superintendent Ed Klamfoth said budgets for both the northeast and west elementaries were impacted. They are a combination of the two, and are a byproduct of the value engineering that has taken place between the contractors, construction management firm, and architects, he explained in an email response to questions. Together they have identified areas of savings without substantially changing the scope or the quality. A number of the changes relate to using different materials, while others reduced costs by using a different product or brand. Each company deducted costs and one also had a small cost addition. Broken down by contractor, the savings are: Blackhawk Automatic Sprinklers, Cedar Falls, $5,500 for change in sprinkler piping. Plumb Tech, Waterloo, $26,739 for change in ductwork insulation. Ideal Floors, Des Moines, $3,244 for switch from rubber to vinyl base. Portzen Construction, Dubuque, $19,200 for change in casework pulls and addition of $706 for fire extinguisher cabinets. Wilson Restaurant Supply, Cedar Falls, $2,680 for change in kitchen heating cabinet brand. Black Hawk Roof Company, Cedar Falls, $282,597 for switch from fully adhered to mechanically fastened coverboad on roof deck. Pro Wall Construction, Plymouth, $96,060 for change in stud type. Ground work on the school sites is getting underway this month. The district is holding a groundbreaking ceremony Wednesday at the northwest elementary site. In other business, the board approved the purchase of food service equipment, 2022-23 substitute rates and starting wages for support staff, and an amended contract for Lied Education Center Principal Stacy Meisgeier. Two combi ovens and two kettles will be purchased for $126,263 from Wilson Restaurant Supply, the lowest of two bidders, as the district updates aging equipment. This is equipment for the high school and middle school, said Klamfoth. All of the food for the elementary schools and Janesville (Consolidated School) is prepared in these buildings. Waverly-Shell Rock Schools provide food service for the neighboring Janesville district. Starting hourly pay for non-bargaining secretaries, associate, custodians, custodial aides and bus drivers will increase 50 cents for a range of $14.50-$20. The district employs roughly 210 people in these positions along with nutrition workers, who didnt see a starting wage increase. Current employees earlier received a 3.5% raise. Substitute rates in those positions will grow by 50 cents to $1 for a range of $13-$17.50. Daily teacher substitute rates will grow by $5 to $130. Meisgeiers contract was amended to add the title of special education director, duties she had already been doing, and increase her pay by $4,000 annually. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Want to see more like this? Get our local education coverage delivered directly to your inbox. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. INDEPENDENCE $600,000 in funds from the American Rescue Plan Act for coronavirus fiscal recovery is going toward revitalizing housing above the Hardware Hank business in Independence. Lisa Kremer, director of the Buchanan County Economic Development Commission, said the abandoned space at 312 First St. E. has been underutilized, with apartments not having been up there for 40 or 50 years. But now, under the leadership of new building owners Brad and Kellie Cole, who took over about a year ago, the financial boost further guaranteed 10 new upper-scale and nicer apartments nine one-bedroom and one two-bedroom units would be feasible to add to the upper level. The downtown housing grant was considered competitive, said Kremer, in which a project with more than 10 units could receive up to $600,000. The grant provided $20 million in financial assistance for projects supporting local downtown revitalization through new and renovated housing opportunities in communities with less than 30,000 people, said a press release. The downtown housing grant program is a part of Gov. Kim Reynolds $100 million investment to increase the housing options and protect and expand housing opportunities for Iowans to live in or near the communities where they work. Waterloo man who broke into apartment pleads to burglary, is sentenced He received a 10-year suspended sentence for allegedly threatening a woman with a knife during the Jan. 30 incident. The state administration sees value in more housing, said Kremer, and that sentiment aligns with the goals of Buchanan County and Independence, in order to maintain the momentum of growth in the downtown and attract workers to the city. We are so thankful and excited for this opportunity to renovate the upper story of our building, said owners Brad and Kellie Cole in a press release. We couldnt have done is without the help of the City of Independence or Buchanan County Economic Development. We cant wait to get started. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Get Government & Politics updates in your inbox! Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. CEDAR FALLS A decision to discontinue structured adventure trips, a two-decade-old offering at the University of Northern Iowa, is final. The administration will not change its mind, according to the Presidents Office Chief of Staff Andrew Morse in response to emailed questions. Students and alumni have expressed displeasure with the end of a beloved tradition. Outdoors Adventure Trips ranged from single day outings, overnight weekend trips, and extended 10 day trips during breaks, according to the universitys website. Trips provided individuals with a truly unique experience that is awe-inspiring and reflective. Locations varied semester to semester, but some favorites were paddling trips to Minnesota, rock climbing trips to Kentucky, and backpacking to the bottom of the Grand Canyon. An online petition on Change.org to save the trips has racked up more than 750 signatures. And a Facebook post from the university solicited a couple dozen comments from people who reflected on past memories of their trips. According to Maycie Stanbro, a graduate assistant and office manager, and Jacob Kurt, a volunteer coordinator, the heartbreaking announcement came out of left field. Stanbro said she felt betrayed and disrespected by the decision as someone who believes the trips have the potential to impact someones path in life. It gives students the chance to try something new and learn about the outdoors, said Kurt. And its not just things like canoeing, its also about learning lessons like if you put your mind to something, you can do almost anything. A review of University of Northern Iowa Recreation Services led to the decision. UNI dementia simulation gives people greater understanding of experience living at home What makes this creation the first in Iowa, and possibly the entire country, is that the simulation resembles the experience of someone who has dementia and continues to lives at home. All programs and services at UNI undergo an internal review by departmental leadership and staff on a periodic basis, said Morse. Based on trend utilization data, UNI modified the outdoor program to assure efficiency while maintaining a high-level of service to students. The university said the money paid by structured adventure trip participants partially covered the full cost of the trips, although Stanbro said it covered its entirety. But the change in programming will produce a cost reduction to university operations, Morse said. The universitys Outdoor Recreation staff will continue to offer the outdoor gear rental program, trip planning assistance and the climbing wall for drop-in programming. Although structured adventure trips will cease, Outdoor Recreation staff will continue to assist individual students and student organizations in their outdoor pursuits, said Morse. UNI students are highly encouraged to pursue outdoor recreation opportunities on and off campus. The UNI campus offers hiking in the West Trail and Hillside Trail Complexes. Additionally, the North Pond will also continue to be accessible for water activities, including kayaking, canoeing, stand up paddle boarding, and fishing, he added. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Get Government & Politics updates in your inbox! Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. WATERLOO Dr. Glenn Hurst is the Tom Harkin-like candidate seeking to represent Iowa in the United States Senate. Harkin, the senator and congressman who represented Iowa for more than four decades, led the charge in delivering the American with Disabilities Act. My desire would be to deliver the Medicare for All Act to Iowa, the Democrat said in an interview with The Courier while in Waterloo. Hurst declared himself also to be an activist." Home is Minden City, a rural, small town, where he is a family practice physician and a city councilman. Hurst, also chair of the Iowa Democratic Partys Rural Caucus, believes there are similarities in the struggles of rural Iowa and more urban cities like Waterloo, where he toured Peoples Community Health Clinic and Hawkeye Community College on Tuesday. He is clearly the most progressive candidate. Im a Green New Deal Democrat. Im Medicare for all Democrat. I align more closely with an Elizabeth Warren than a Pete Buttigieg, he added. Hursts seeking the Democratic nomination in the June 7 primary election. Hes vying with Abby Finkenauer, a former congresswoman, and Michael Franken, a former admiral, in hopes of facing off against Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley, the longest-serving senator in Iowa history hes held that office since 1981 in November. We have a solid Democratic base that is waiting for a Tom Harkin-like candidate to appear, he said. Tom Harkin was the last Democrat to be elected to the U.S. Senate. Its not that were not a progressive state. Its that we havent had progressive candidates, and currently we only have one. Im confident Iowans will carry me there. UNI dementia simulation gives people greater understanding of experience living at home What makes this creation the first in Iowa, and possibly the entire country, is that the simulation resembles the experience of someone who has dementia and continues to lives at home. I know that youll go: What are you talking about? Its a red state. Its not a red state, he said. Its a state where the blue side of the state has stopped showing up because we keep putting candidates forward in the Democratic Party that in 1970 would have been running in the Republican primary. Health care and climate are key pieces of our federal policy that must be addressed at this time, said Hurst. He feels he is uniquely positioned as an independent physician. I run my own office. Im a business owner. Im a city councilperson. I just bring a unique set of life experience to these issues that are of paramount importance right now, he said. He also favors protecting voting rights and womens rights, and when it comes to equality and Roe v. Wade sees the filibuster as a significant hurdle. We have checks and balances. We dont need this additional check. This was meant to slow down debate in a time when news traveled by horseback. News travels instantly now. We can be a more nimble government, he added. He proposes a comprehensive Senate rules reform package that would include deadlines, removing partisanship from the makeup of committees and creating term limits for senators on any one committee and for committee leadership positions. I believe that those are tools that would be universally embraced, he said. His outside-the-box idea is expanding the Supreme Court to 19 justices in order to wash out the partisanship. More people should mean less partisanship. I dont believe that means Joe Biden appoints 10 justices. What it means is over the next 20 years, we increase the number of justices by two every two years to the point that we get to 19, he said. To round out his campaign, according to his website, he supports raising wages, and labor unions by fighting against collective bargaining limitations. Love 1 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Get Government & Politics updates in your inbox! Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. WATERLOO Learn more about dementia, living with the disease and tips for communicating with someone who has dementia at a free Dementia Friends on May 20. The session is from 10 to 11 a.m. at the YWCA, 425 Lafayette St. It is sponsored by Dementia Friends, an initiative that is now underway in Iowa in conjunction with the Northeast Iowa Area Agency on Aging. To register, contact Christine Zmolek at 319-231-6111. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 A severe shortage in baby formula has drawn the attention of members of Iowas congressional delegation and has become a campaign issue as well. Spot shortages in many groceries and pharmacies have been exacerbated by a Food and Drug Administration recall that stopped production at Abbots largest U.S. formula manufacturing plant in Michigan. As supply disruptions and the massive safety recall have continued, several big box retailers have begun rationing sales of the formula. Its very concerning, Sen. Chuck Grassley told reporters Wednesday. After hearing about the scarcity at his county meetings, Grassley wrote the FDA to ask what it is doing to address the shortage. He cited reports that at least 40% of baby formula supplies in the U.S. are completely depleted. Iowa was among six mostly Midwestern states where more than half of all baby formula was completely sold out during the week of April 24. Its pretty much looking for a needle in a haystack, Rachel Beadle, who recently moved from Marion to Des Moines, told The Gazette in April. According to the Biden administration, the FDA is "working around the clock to address the shortage. Manufacturers say they're producing at full capacity, but it's still not enough to meet demand. Im going to keep on top of it. We got to help families feed their kids, and empty shelves are unacceptable, Grassley said. Finkenauer push Thats not enough for former U.S. Rep. Abby Finkenauer, who is among Democrats seeking to challenge Grassley's re-election this fall. She called it shocking that it has taken Grassley and other members of Congress this long to address a national crisis when you have people not being able to feed their children the nutrition they need to thrive and survive. Finkenauer has called for the Biden administration to invoke the Defense Production Act to force manufacturers to produce more formula. We need all hands on deck to address the dangerous shortage of baby formula in Iowa and across the country, Finkenauer said. Invoking the act would bring any and all federal resources to the table to increase the supply of baby formula and address the shortage. It just seems like the rational and right thing to do, she said. It might be an appropriate tool, Grassley said when asked about invoking the act, but didnt think it would necessarily solve the contamination issues that led to the production shutdown at Abbott. You wouldn't want to put the Defense Production Act into action and then produce unsafe food, he said. Timeline sought Iowa Republican Rep. Ashley Hinson joined a colleague in writing the FDA asking for a timeline for when baby formula is expected to be sufficiently restocked as well as a long-term plan to minimize supply chain disruptions for formula. Parents who are unsure how to provide this essential sustenance for their babies and worried about the nutritional impacts of this supply chain shortage, Hinson and New York Republican Rep. Elise Stefanik wrote. As moms ourselves, we know the stress this is causing in so many households. Families already worried about higher food and fuel prices now have the added stress of not knowing if the baby formula they need will even be in stock," Hinson said. She called on the Biden administration to prioritize fixing supply chain disruptions to replenish the supply of infant formula. I'll work with anyone who will work with me to ensure that families don't have this extra burden, she said. Bipartisan effort Iowa Republican Rep. Miller-Meeks has joined bipartisan legislation to encourage competition, reduce costs and improve the quality of infant formula options available through the Women, Infants, and Children program by creating an online database. Its a companion to bipartisan Senate legislation. Fourth District Republican Rep. Randy Feenstra called the situation dire, threatening babies who rely on formula for their health and development. He joined a colleague in proposing the Formula Act, to direct the FDA to establish and communicate to Congress clear standards by which it domestically regulates infant formula. Gazette Des Moines Bureau Chief Erin Murphy contributed to this report. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh arrives in US Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh arrived in Washington D.C. on May 11 morning (local time), starting his seven-day trip to attend the Special ASEAN-US Summit and a working visit to the US and the United Nations. Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh (right, front) arrived in Washington D.C. on May 11 morning (local time) (Photo: VNA) Welcoming the leader and his entourage at Andrews military airport were US Ambassador to Vietnam Marc Knapper, Vietnamese Ambassador to the US Nguyen Quoc Dung and officials from the Vietnamese Embassy in the US. During the trip, PM Chinh will participate in activities within the framework of the Special ASEAN-US Summit, have bilateral meetings with leaders from the US and some ASEAN countries, and hold working sessions with UN leaders. He will also meet leaders of a number of US ministries, agencies, international organisations, businesses, experts and scholars, and visit some economic, cultural and education establishments in the country. The leader will deliver speeches at the US Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) and Harvard University, and tour several large groups such as Intel, Apple and Google. PM Chinh will attend trade, tourism and investment promotion activities, and meet Vietnamese community in the US. The PMs trip once again affirms Vietnams constant stance in implementing a foreign policy of independence and self-reliance for peace, friendship, cooperation and development, multilateralising and diversifying foreign relations; being a friend, a reliable partner, and an active, responsible member in the international community; ensuring the highest interest of the country and nation on the basis of fundamental principles of the UN Charter and international law as well as equality, cooperation and mutual benefit. Through the trip, the Vietnamese Government aims to continue to implement the overseas Vietnamese affairs, affirming that Vietnamese residing abroad, including the US, is an indispensable part of the Vietnamese community./. The Russian operation stopped criminal experiments on civilians in Ukraine. This was announced at a special briefing by the head of the RCBZ troops Igor Kirillov. The collective West used Ukraine as a testing ground for the development of biological weapons and testing of new drug samples. The Russian military has information about US experiments on psychiatric hospital patients in Kharkiv. Moreover, Germany, Poland and other NATO countries worked together with the United States on biological weapons in Ukraine. The main ideologists of the US military-biological activity in Ukraine are the leaders of the US Democratic Party. The counterfeit money distributed in Lugansk in 2020 was infected with a strain of tuberculosis resistant to special drugs. At the end of April, the Russian military found 10 more drones created for spraying biological weapons in the Kherson region. WtR Briefing on the results of the analysis of documents related to the military biological activities of the United States on the territory of Ukraine May 11, 2022 The Russian Defence Ministry continues to study materials on the implementation of military biological programs of the United States and its NATO allies on the territory of Ukraine. We have already mentioned Robert Pope, director of the Cooperative Threat Reduction Programme and author of the idea of the Central Depository of Highly Dangerous Microorganisms in Kiev. In his statement of April 10, 2022, Pope said that there is no reason to claim that research related to the development of biological weapons is taking place in Ukraine. He previously claimed that the Americans did not find biological weapons when they first started working with Ukraine, and they still havent. In addition, Ukraine lacks the infrastructure to develop and produce biological weapons. I would like to recall that the term biological weapons includes biological formulations that contain pathogenic micro-organisms and toxins, as well as the means of delivery and use of said formulations. While the priority for Ukrainian healthcare is socially significant diseases such as HIV, poliomyelitis, measles and hepatitis, US customers are interested in a completely different nomenclature: cholera, tularemia, plague and hantaviruses. As a result of the special military operation on the territory of Ukraine, facts of work with the specified pathogens, which are potential agents of biological weapons, have been revealed. At the same time, it was noted that Ukraine had sent a request to the manufacturing company regarding the possibility of equipping the Bayraktar drones with aerosol equipment. In addition on March 9, three unmanned aerial vehicles equipped with 30-litre containers and equipment for spraying formulations were detected by Russian reconnaissance units in Kherson region. At the end of April, 10 more were found near Kakhovka. All this information calls into question the statements of American experts. We have previously provided a scheme for US coordination of biological laboratories and research institutes in Ukraine. Its preliminary analysis suggests that Ukraine is essentially a testing ground for the development of biological weapons components and the testing of new samples of pharmaceuticals. The Russian Ministry of Defence was able to clarify the said scheme. It should be noted that the ideologues of US military-biological activities in Ukraine are the leaders of the Democratic Party. Thus, through the US executive branch, a legislative framework for funding military biomedical research directly from the federal budget was formed. Funds were raised under state guarantees from NGOs controlled by the Democratic Party leadership, including the investment funds of the Clintons, Rockefellers, Soros and Biden. The scheme involves major pharmaceutical companies, including Pfizer, Moderna, Merck and the US military-affiliated company Gilead. U.S. experts are working to test new medicines that circumvent international safety standards. As a result, Western companies are seriously reducing the cost of research programmes and gaining a significant competitive advantage. The involvement of controlled nongovernmental and biotechnological organisations, and the increase in their revenues, allows the leaders of the Democratic Party to generate additional campaign finance and hide its distribution. In addition to US pharmaceutical companies and Pentagon contractors, Ukrainian state agencies are involved in military bioweapons activities, whose main tasks are to conceal illegal activities, conduct field and clinical trials and provide the necessary biomaterial. Thus, the US Department of Defence, using a virtually internationally uncontrolled test site and the high-tech facilities of multinational companies, has greatly expanded its research capabilities, not only in the field of biological weapons, but also in gaining knowledge about antibiotic resistance and the antibodies to specific diseases in populations in specific regions. It should be noted that not only the US, but also a number of its NATO allies are implementing their military-biological projects in Ukraine. The German government has decided to launch a national biosafety programme independent of Washington, D.C., starting in 2013. Twelve countries, including Ukraine, are involved in the Programme. On the German side, the programme involves the Institute for Armed Forces Microbiology (Munich), the Robert Koch Institute (Berlin), the Loeffler Institute (Greifswald) and the Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine (Hamburg). New documents reveal that between 2016 and 2019 alone, three and a half thousand blood serum samples of citizens living in 25 regions of Ukraine were taken by military epidemiologists from the Bundeswehr Microbiology Institute. The involvement of institutions subordinate to the Bundeswehr confirms the military orientation of biological research carried out in Ukrainian laboratories and raises questions about the goals pursued by the German armed forces in collecting biomaterials of Ukrainian citizens. The documents obtained also show the involvement of Poland in Ukrainian biolaboratories. The participation of the Polish Institute of Veterinary Medicine in research aimed at assessing the epidemiological threats and spread of the rabies virus in Ukraine has been confirmed. Characteristically, the research in question was carried out jointly with the US-based Battelle Institute, a key contractor for the Pentagon. In addition, Polish funding for the Lvov Medical University, which includes a member of US military biology projects, the Institute of Epidemiology and Hygiene, has been documented. The organisation has been running a retraining programme for specialists with experience of working with dual-use materials and technologies since 2002. The special military operation by Russian troops succeeded in obtaining additional information about bio-incidents in Ukraine. For example, materials indicating the intentional use of a multidrug-resistant tuberculosis pathogen in 2020 to infect the population of the Slavyanoserbsky district of the LPR were examined. The flyers, made in the form of counterfeit currency notes, were infected with the tuberculosis agent and distributed to minors in Stepovoe village. The organisers of this crime took into account the behaviour of children, who have a habit of putting everything in their mouths and taking food with unwashed hands. The results of bacteriological studies have confirmed the resistance of the isolated bacteria to first- and second-line anti-TB drugs, meaning that the disease caused by them is much more difficult to treat and the cost of treatment is much higher. According to the conclusion of the Lugansk Republican Sanitary and Epidemiological Station, the contamination of the notes was most likely carried out artificially, as the material contains extremely dangerous strains of the pathogen in concentrations capable of ensuring infection and development of the tuberculosis process. In his conclusion, the chief doctor of the Lugansk Republican TB Dispensary also notes that there are all signs of deliberate, man-made contamination of the flyers with highly pathogenic biomaterial. We previously reported on trials of potentially dangerous biological drugs on one of the least protected categories of people patients of the Kharkov Regional Clinical Psychiatric Hospital No 3. We have received new information revealing details of the Pentagons inhuman experiments on Ukrainian citizens in Psychiatric Hospital No 1 (Streleche village, Kharkov region). The main category of subjects was a group of male patients aged 40-60 years with a high stage of physical exhaustion. In order to conceal their US affiliation, the biological research experts travelled via third countries. Here is a photograph of Florida native Linda Oporto, who was directly involved in these works. In January 2022, the foreign nationals conducting the experiments were evacuated in an emergency and the equipment and drugs they were using were taken to western Ukraine. Russian Defence Ministry specialists have carried out work directly in two biolaboratories in Mariupol. Evidence of emergency destruction of documents confirming work with the US military establishment was obtained. A preliminary analysis of extant documentation indicates the use of Mariupol as a regional centre for cholera pathogen collection and certification. The selected strains were sent to the Public Health Centre in Kiev, which is responsible for the onward shipment of biomaterials to the United States. These activities have been carried out since 2014, as evidenced by the transfer of strains. An act of destruction of the pathogen collection dated February 25, 2022, according to which cholera, tularemia and anthrax pathogens were handled there, was found in the sanitary and epidemiological laboratory. Part of the collection of the veterinary laboratory was not destroyed in a hurry. In order to ensure safety and secure storage, 124 strains were exported by Russian specialists and their study was organised. The presence in the collection of pathogens that are uncharacteristic of veterinary medicine, such as typhoid, paratyphoid fever and gas gangrene, is a cause for concern. This could indicate the laboratorys misuse and involvement in a military biological programme. We will continue to examine the full volume of material received from the Mariupol biolaboratories and will inform you about the results. The Russian Ministry of Defence has information that provocations are being prepared to accuse the Russian Armed Forces of using weapons of mass destruction, followed by a Syrian scenario investigation to fabricate the necessary evidence and assign blame. The high likelihood of such provocations is confirmed by requests from the Kiev administration for personal skin and respiratory protection equipment that provides protection against toxic chemicals and biological contaminating agents. The supply to Ukraine of organophosphorus poisoning antidotes raises concerns. In 2022 alone, more than 220,000 ampoules of atropine, as well as preparations for special treatment and disinfection, were delivered from the USA at the request of the Ukrainian Ministry of Health. Thus, the information obtained confirms that the United States is implementing an offensive military-biological programme in Ukraine to study the possibility of forming controlled epidemics in specific territories. The special military operation of the Russian Armed Forces has crossed the US military-biological expansion in Ukraine and stopped criminal experiments on civilians. WtR Evidence of emergency destruction of documents confirming work with the US military establishment was obtained. A preliminary analysis of extant documentation indicates the use of Mariupol as a regional centre for cholera pathogen collection and certification. The selected strains were sent to the Public Health Centre in Kiev, which is responsible for the onward shipment of biomaterials to the United States. These activities have been carried out since 2014, as evidenced by the transfer of strains. An act of destruction of the pathogen collection dated February 25, 2022, according to which cholera, tularemia and anthrax pathogens were handled there, was found in the sanitary and epidemiological laboratory. Part of the collection of the veterinary laboratory was not destroyed in a hurry. In order to ensure safety and secure storage, 124 strains were exported by Russian specialists and their study was organised. The presence in the collection of pathogens that are uncharacteristic of veterinary medicine, such as typhoid, paratyphoid fever and gas gangrene, is a cause for concern. This could indicate the laboratorys misuse and involvement in a military biological programme. We will continue to examine the full volume of material received from the Mariupol biolaboratories and will inform you about the results. Read more @mod_russia_en WtR Lavrov: West Cant Be Trusted To Negotiate or Respect Intl Law Russian FM Sergey Lavrov has reiterated Russias aims to protect Donetsk & Lugansk residents from Kievs neo-Nazi regime at a presser in Oman, where hed discussed energy links and relations between Moscow & Muscat. Here are some key points: Special operation hopes to stop Wests attempts to undermine intl law, ignore and grossly violate UN Charters, including principle of sovereignty, and force West to stop promoting unipolar world dominated by US. Russia interested in all civilians leaving special operation zones in Ukraine; aim to ensure West will not build military threats to security of Russian from Ukraine. Russia absolutely does not want war in Europe, but its West that says necessary to defeat Russia. Main conclusion is not to rely on plans of West to negotiate. West capable of committing crimes against its own principles to establish hegemony, including open theft and robbery. RT t.me/rtnews WtR PS: You have to ask, Why does the USA want to destroy Russia? Not only the US, but also a number of its NATO allies are implementing their military-biological projects in Ukraine. The German government has decided to launch a national biosafety programme independent of Washington, D.C., starting in 2013. Twelve countries, including Ukraine, are involved in the Programme. On the German side, the programme involves the Institute for Armed Forces Microbiology (Munich), the Robert Koch Institute (Berlin), the Loeffler Institute (Greifswald) and the Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine (Hamburg). New documents reveal that between 2016 and 2019 alone, three and a half thousand blood serum samples of citizens living in 25 regions of Ukraine were taken by military epidemiologists from the Bundeswehr Microbiology Institute. The involvement of institutions subordinate to the Bundeswehr confirms the military orientation of biological research carried out in Ukrainian laboratories and raises questions about the goals pursued by the German armed forces in collecting biomaterials of Ukrainian citizens. The documents obtained also show the involvement of Poland in Ukrainian biolaboratories. The participation of the Polish Institute of Veterinary Medicine in research aimed at assessing the epidemiological threats and spread of the rabies virus in Ukraine has been confirmed. Characteristically, the research in question was carried out jointly with the US-based Battelle Institute, a key contractor for the Pentagon. In addition, Polish funding for the Lvov Medical University, which includes a member of US military biology projects, the Institute of Epidemiology and Hygiene, has been documented. The organisation has been running a retraining programme for specialists with experience of working with dual-use materials and technologies since 2002. @mod_russia_en WtR The Joint Coordination Headquarters of the Russian Federation for Humanitarian Response, in cooperation with the authorized federal executive bodies and law enforcement agencies, continues to record in detail numerous facts of the inhuman attitude of the Kiev authorities towards their own people and the organization of provocations against the civilian population of Ukraine. Today at around 2 p.m. near Dolgenkoe, Kharkov region, with the aim of accusing the Russian army of using chemical weapons, the Ukrainian security service and nationalists carried out an explosion of a tanker with fertilizer, presumably ammonium nitrate, which resulted in a cloud of orange smoke that dissipated after some time. There were no casualties as a result of this provocation among the military and the local population. The Russian side has repeatedly warned of such provocations being prepared by the nationalists, the main purpose of which is to force additional military aid from the West by the Kiev regime. In Kramatorsk-Slavyansk agglomeration, just as previously in Mariupol, AFU units equipped united fortified area of over 170 sq km and created the necessary reserves of weapons, ammunition, fuel, food and medicines. In densely populated areas, the militants have placed heavy weapons and equipment, set up firing points in houses, kept locals in basements under the pretext of allegedly ensuring their safety, and sprayed signs on building walls saying Attention! Children!, There are children here! Dont shoot!. In total, over 90,000 civilians are blockaded by nationalists in residential areas and on the grounds of more than a dozen large industrial enterprises in Kramatorsk and Slavyansk, using them as human shield. Any attempts by civilians to evacuate on their own to safe areas, either towards Russia or to Kiev-controlled territory, are harshly suppressed by fighters from nationalist battalions. The particular cynicism of such actions is that the Kiev regime is prepared to sacrifice thousands of lives of its own citizens to achieve its criminal goals, which fully replicates the methods used by the Nazis during the Great Patriotic War to create fortress cities. Once again, we emphasize to the world community that such actions of Ukrainian neo-Nazis against civilians contradict all generally accepted norms of morality and principles of international humanitarian law and, in fact, are crimes against humanity and terrorism, while officials of the Kiev regime and direct executors are war criminals and terrorists. Understanding the real threat of a catastrophic humanitarian situation with many civilian casualties in Kramatorsk and Slavyansk cities, we call on the international community, the United Nations, the OSCE, the International Committee of the Red Cross and other international organizations to immediately take all measures to safely evacuate civilians from these cities controlled by AFU units as soon as possible. According to available information, at the exit from Dnepr city via Kaidak bridge, militants of the territorial defence battalions only allow civilians to pass in the direction of the Donetsk Peoples Republic and Kharkov region for a fixed fee, demanding unaffordable money of 200$ per person for most ordinary people. In addition, it has been reliably established that this bridge is mined and will be blown up if Russian units and formations of the Donetsk Peoples Republic approach. Subsequently, the Ukrainian side plans to cynically accuse the Russian Armed Forces of allegedly indiscriminate strikes against vital social infrastructure, following a well-tested scenario. We stress once again that in carrying out the tasks of the special military operation, the Russian Armed Forces treat the civilian population with the utmost humanity and do not strike at civilian infrastructure. Despite all the difficulties and obstacles posed by Kiev, over the past 24 hours, without the involvement of the Ukrainian authorities, 9,456 people, including 1,353 children, have been evacuated from dangerous areas of the Donetsk and Lugansk peoples republics and Ukraine to the Russian Federation. Since the beginning of the special military operation, a total of 1,217,681 people have been evacuated, including 211,577 children. The state border of the Russian Federation was crossed by 158,066 personal vehicles including 1,415 per day. We continue to maintain a sufficient number of comfortable buses at checkpoints to transport people to their chosen places of residence or temporary accommodation, where hot meals are provided and qualified medical and psychological assistance is provided in a timely manner. More than 9,500 temporary accommodation centres continue to operate in the regions of the Russian Federation. The refugees are dealt with on an individual basis and are promptly assisted with various pressing issues relating to onward accommodation, employment assistance, places for children in kindergartens and educational institutions, and the provision of entitlements to social benefits. Over the past 24 hours, the hotline of the Interdepartmental Coordination Headquarters of the Russian Federation for Humanitarian Response, federal executive authorities, constituent entities of the Russian Federation and various NGOs received 123 requests from foreign and Ukrainian citizens to evacuate to Russia, the Donetsk and Lugansk peoples republics, as well as to the Russian Armed Forces-controlled areas of Zaporozhye, Nikolaev, Kharkov and Kherson regions. In total there are 2,755,353 such appeals from 2,135 locations in Ukraine in the database. In addition, 75 foreign vessels from 17 countries remain blocked in 7 Ukrainian ports (Kherson, Nikolaev, Chernomorsk, Ochakov, Odessa, Yuzhniy and Mariupol). The threat of shelling and high mine danger created by official Kiev in its internal waters and territorial sea prevents vessels from safely leaving the ports and reaching the open sea. In confirmation of this, the Russian Federation is opening daily from 08:00 to 19:00 (Moscow time) a humanitarian corridor, which is a safe lane south-west of Ukraines territorial sea, 80 nautical miles long and 3 nautical miles wide. Detailed information in English and Russian on the modus operandi of the maritime humanitarian corridor is broadcast daily every 15 minutes on VHF radio on 14 and 16 international channels in English and Russian. At the same time, the Kiev authorities continue to avoid engaging with representatives of states and ship-owning companies to resolve the issue of ensuring the safe passage of foreign vessels to the assembly area. The danger to navigation from Ukrainian mines drifting off their anchors along the coasts of Black Sea states remains. The Russian Federation is taking a full range of comprehensive measures to ensure the safety of civilian navigation in the waters of the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov. Federal executive authorities, together with the subjects of the Russian Federation, various public organizations, patriotic movements, continue to accumulate humanitarian aid. More than 23,000 tonnes of basic necessities and food kits, including baby food and life-saving medicines, have been prepared at collection points. WtR Getty Images News En espanol Gasoline prices are soaring again, after a little respite in mid-April. At last check, the national average for a regular gallon of gas stood at $4.40. Thats up about 50 percent from a year ago and sets a new record high. It surpasses the previous high of $4.33 per gallon, set in March. In the past two weeks prices at the pump have jumped 20 cents. Since Russia invaded Ukraine at the end of February, gas prices have risen about 80 cents per gallon. That surge at the pump has left many Americans scratching their heads. Just when they thought gas prices were finally bottoming out, they set new highs. While the war in Ukraine can be blamed, its not the only cause of soaring prices. For April the Consumer Price Index, a broad measure of the prices of goods and services, jumped 8.3 percent year-over-year. Here are four reasons youre paying more at the pump now and will into the foreseeable future. 1. Crude oil prices Russias invasion of Ukraine has had a direct impact on the price of crude oil and, thus, the amount you pay at the pump. With the war nearing its third month and with no end in sight, Russia will continue to be a big culprit for rising gas prices. Last week was a great example. The global price for crude oil skyrocketed after the European Union announced it would ban the use of Russian oil over the next six months. That sent the price of crude oil up $10 a barrel last week, according to Robert Sinclair, a spokesman for AAA Northeast. Crude oil makes up 50 percent of gasoline. Its the main ingredient and is now much more expensive, he says. Even Saudi Arabias announcement that it will sell crude oil to European and Asian customers at a discount may not help. Saudi Arabia may sell at a discount, but they didnt say they will produce more. Even with a discount, everybody has the same amount of crude oil, Sinclair points out. 2. Weather extremes Hurricane season in the U.S. kicks off June 1 and is expected to be a busy one. Although that is not exerting pressure on gas prices today, it takes only one storm on the Gulf Coast for those prices to be off the charts tomorrow, Sinclair says. According to Colorado State Universitys Seasonal Hurricane Forecasting Report, 19 storms are expected this year, with nine of them hurricanes. That compares with 14.4 storms and 7.2 hurricanes, on average, from 1991 through 2020. The university expects four major hurricanes this season, instead of the average 3.2. We anticipate an above-average probability for major hurricanes making landfall along the continental United States coastline and in the Caribbean, the university wrote in its forecasting report. Mining of Bulk Sample Completed Perth, May 11, 2022 AEST (ABN Newswire) - Classic Minerals Limited ( ASX:CLZ ) is pleased to announce that mining of the bulk sample at Kat Gap was finalised on 5th May 2022. The pit was mined within design parameters taking approximately 8 weeks to complete. The gold rich ore zone which came within 6 metres of the surface was extracted with minimal dilution and placed on a stockpiled separate from the waste. The ore zone was easily distinguished from the waste material during mining mainly due to the extensive quartz veining and biotite alteration. The ore contained very clear footwall and hanging wall contacts making it easy to extract. It was also moderately thicker on the pit floor than predicted by the resource model which is a positive for future mining operations. The Company is currently compiling the final production figures which it expects to release to the market in the coming week.The following images below* show the progression of the bulk sample pit since the ASX announcement of 03 March 2022 advising the recommencement of mining operations.Dean Goodwin said: "We have completed another significant milestone. The mining of the bulk sample has enabled the Kat Gap Gold Ore to see the light of day for the very first time. I am pleased to report the ore zone has behaved perfectly, it's almost exactly how I pictured it would look like. I've also been pleasantly surprised at the clean lines separating the ore from waste on the footwall and hangingwall contacts and can say with confidence that the extracted ore has been taken out with minimal dilution. This all bodes well for our future mining operations as the ore is very visible and easy to extract.Now that the bulk sample is complete, we can get cracking on final metallurgical test-work for the Gekko plant and get our final pit design work completed ahead of the operational phase for the Kat Gap gold project.My thanks to the team for a clean and efficient operation. Great work!"*To view photographs, please visit:About Classic Minerals Limited Classic Minerals Limited (ASX:CLZ) is an exploration and development company focused on gold deposits in Western Australia's famous Goldfields region. In March 2017, Classic acquired the Forrestania Gold Project, with seven tenements stretching across 450km2. Strategically located in a very prospective region, the FGP is an underexplored package surrounded by multimillion ounce deposits such as Bounty (2Moz) and Yilgarn Star (1.5Moz). Copyright 2022 Albuquerque Journal Five Taos County residents each face multiple felony charges in the 2020 shooting and stabbing death of a man whose decomposed body was found last year in a forested area near Vadito. The skeletal remains of Leroy Damasio Fresquez were found March 8, 2021, about three months after family members reported him missing around Thanksgiving Day 2020. New Mexico State Police received key information about the killing in a letter written by a witness, according to a police affidavit. The letter said that, on Nov. 26, 2020, Fresquez became upset about a missing gun and a bag of heroin, prompting others to plan his murder, the affidavit said. Juanita Romero, 39, Precious Aguilar, 21, Ronnie Tafoya, 32, and Ezekiel Martinez, 33, each are charged with first-degree murder, kidnapping, aggravated battery, and multiple counts of conspiracy and tampering with evidence in connection with Fresquezs death. Steven Aguilar, 45, is charged with conspiracy to commit first-degree murder, kidnapping and other charges in the killing. Taos County officials have asked a judge to hold all five in custody while awaiting trial. Court records show that Taos County officials issued warrants for their arrests April 25. Romero also faces six counts of drug trafficking in Bernalillo County stemming from her April 26 arrest at an Albuquerque motel. Officers found her in possession of methamphetamine, heroin and crack cocaine when they arrested her on the Taos County charges, according to a criminal complaint. State Police allege the five conspired to kill Fresquez and drove to a remote location near Vadito for the purpose. According to the letter, Fresquez was sitting in the front passenger seat of a vehicle when Romero began stabbing him from the seat behind him, the complaint said. An occupant of the car told police he threw the knife beside a roadway where it was later found by police. Fresquez exited the vehicle and ran into the mountains with Romero and Martinez in pursuit, armed with a .380-caliber pistol, the complaint said. Witnesses told investigators they later heard a single gunshot. A witness also told investigators she saw Romero and Martinez cleaning the vehicle with bleach and burning blood-stained clothing, the complaint said. CHARLESTON, W.Va. In an early victory for a Donald Trump-endorsed candidate at the start of midterm season, Rep. Alex Mooney on Tuesday beat fellow incumbent Rep. David McKinley in West Virginias 2nd Congressional District Republican primary. Donald Trump loves West Virginia, and West Virginia loves Donald Trump, Mooney said in his victory speech. McKinley was sharply criticized by the former president when he broke with his party as one of 13 Republicans to vote with the Democrats to support President Joe Bidens $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill. Trump called McKinley a RINO, or Republican in Name Only and endorsed Mooney the day Biden signed the infrastructure law. The two incumbents, who have taken dramatically different approaches to their time in office, were pitted against each other in the states 2nd Congressional District after population losses cost West Virginia a U.S. House seat. McKinley, who has represented the state in the House since 2011, said in a statement Tuesday night that serving the people of West Virginia had been the honor of his life and made a subtle reference to the infrastructure vote. Im proud that I have always stood up for whats right for West Virginia even when it hurt me politically, he said. The groundwork we have laid over the last twelve years has paved the way for a more prosperous and diverse West Virginia economy. Mooney, who has served in West Virginias House delegation since 2015, gave his victory speech surrounded by supporters at a hotel watch party in Charles Town in West Virginias eastern panhandle, where he lives. McKinley was watching the results come in at home with his family. West Virginias election was the first of five primaries in which two incumbent U.S. House members will compete against each other. It will be followed by similar contests in Georgia and Michigan and in two Illinois districts. The race was one of the most-watched of the day. In Nebraska, another Trump-backed candidate, Charles Herbster, was in a crowded field of GOP contenders for governor. The contests came on the heels of a victory by Trump-endorsed conservative JD Vance, author of the bestselling memoir Hillbilly Elegy, who defeated six other candidates to win the Ohio Republican primary for U.S. Senate last week. Earlier Tuesday night, Trump-endorsed incumbent U.S. Rep. Carol Miller breezed to the Republican nomination in West Virginias 1st District, defeating four little-known candidates and setting herself on a clear path to reelection. Miller will vie for her third term in the House in the fall against Democrat Lacy Watson, who was unopposed in the Democratic primary. Watson, of Bluefield, lost in the 2020 Democratic primary in the former 3rd District. In Nebraskas 2nd Congressional District, in the Omaha area, three-term Republican Rep. Don Bacon won the primary over long-shot candidate Steve Kuehl, an Omaha consultant who got a shoutout from Trump when the former president visited earlier this month. Trump blasted Bacon as a bad guy during a recent rally in the state and had criticized him previously for his support of a federal infrastructure bill that most GOP lawmakers opposed. Bacon also has been mildly critical of Trump in the past, saying the former president bore some responsibility for the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol. Trump stopped far short of officially endorsing Kuehl, however, saying: I think Steve will do well. Good luck, Steve, whoever the hell you are. Sen. Mike Flood, a former speaker of the Nebraska Legislature, won in the states 1st Congressional District over five other Republican candidates. Flood wants to fill the seat abandoned by Jeff Fortenberry, a Republican who resigned from office and ended his reelection bid after he was convicted of lying to federal authorities about an illegal campaign contribution. Fortenberrys name still appeared on the ballot for the 1st Congressional District because he withdrew after a deadline to certify the ballot. In the rural, geographically vast 3rd Congressional District, Republican U.S. Rep. Adrian Smith easily won his partys nomination. Two Democrats were vying for their partys nomination within the district, which is overwhelmingly Republican. In West Virginias 2nd Congressional District, McKinleys decision to support the infrastructure bill was on voters minds. Susan Smith, a small-business owner in Valley Grove, voted for Mooney at a local elementary school Tuesday morning. She lives in McKinleys former district and said she always voted for him in the past. But not in this election. When Mr. McKinley started voting with the Democrats and the current administration, thats when things changed, said Smith, who cited McKinleys vote for Bidens infrastructure bill and the Jan. 6 commission. Im sorry to be losing a congressman, but we cannot have a Republican congressman voting with the Democrats. West Virginia did not need the money from this un-infrastructure bill. In the general election, Mooney will face openly gay former Morgantown city councilor Barry Wendell, who bested security operations manager Angela Dwyer during Tuesdays Democratic primary. Mooney enters the general election as a heavy favorite to win. West Virginia hasnt elected a Democrat to the House since 2012. ___ Associated Press writer Grant Schulte in Omaha, Nebraska, contributed to this report. ___ Follow AP for full coverage of the midterms at https://apnews.com/hub/2022-midterm-elections and on Twitter at https://twitter.com/ap_politics. Assuming Austin Tex-Mex is kinder and gentler to Donald Cowboy Cerrones stomach than Phoenix tacos (or whatever), the Edgewood MMA fighter will be back in the Octagon on June 18. As first reported by mmafighting.com, Cerrones lightweight (155-pound) fight against fellow UFC veteran Joe Lauzon, canceled on Saturday after Cerrone became ill, has been rescheduled for June in Austin, Texas. The UFC has made no announcement, but Cerrone appeared to confirm the news Tuesday on Instagram. Donald Cowboy Cerrone is shown in the ring before fighting Conor McGregor in a UFC 246 welterweight mixed martial arts bout Saturday, Jan. 18, 2020, in Las Vegas, Nevada. (AP Photo/John Locher) Just got off the phone with (Lauzon) and we are rebooking Fight! Cerrone wrote Thank you @ufc and all the Fans see ya in a few weeks. Cerrone (36-16-2) and Lauzon (28-15) were to have faced each other in Phoenix on Saturday in what would have been Cerrones 49th fight under the banner of Zuffa, UFCs parent company. Cowboy however, became so violently ill after a post-weigh-in meal UFC President Dana White said tacos were the culprit that he couldnt recover in time for Saturdays card. Cerrone, who hadnt fought in the Octagon in almost exactly a year, was devastated. My heart is broken and torn, he said in an Instagram video. I cannot believe I had to make that call. If you know me, you know I only pulled out because I had to. Thank you to the UFC and the medical division for helping me as far as we could, trying to make that buzzer, but we just couldnt get it. The rescheduling of the fight would draw Cerrone, 39, oh, so close to his goal: 50 fights with Zuffa. My number is 50, gentlemen, he said. Ill retire when I get 50. I want 50 fights, then Im bowing out. Im out of here, boys. So Ill be back stronger than ever, ready to take on the world. Lets go. MEANS-CERRONE, ANYONE? Assuming Cerrones digestive tract permits, hell be joining fellow New Mexico fighter Tim Means in Austin on June 18. Means (32-12-1), of Moriarty, is matched against Kevin Holland (22-7) in a welterweight (170-pound) fight. Some six years ago, Means and Cerrone were scheduled to fight each other on a UFC card in Pittsburgh. But Means failed a drug test and was suspended, though it was accepted that the positive test was an unintentional result of having ingested a tainted supplement. The two New Mexicans arent currently fighting in the same weight class, but Cerrone has fought at 170 pounds several times in the past. With Means and Cerrone on the same schedule fighting on the same card in June a late 2022 showdown between the two for Cerrones 50th seems like an idea whose time should come. Copyright 2022 Albuquerque Journal TIERRA MONTE Elizabeth Esquibel looked on in helpless resignation at the ashes, twisted metal and charred debris of what had once been her home along N.M. 94, about 20 miles north of Las Vegas, New Mexico. Fire rolling out of the hills behind the house chased her and other family members from here at 3:30 p.m. on April 22. She knew that, about two hours later, the house had been reduced to smoking rubble. But Tuesday was the first time she had seen the grim remains with her own eyes. Its devastating, Esquibel, 60, said. Everything is just gone. It is hard to realize that, at this point in your life, you are literally homeless. The Calf Canyon/Hermits Peak Fire is still roaring near Las Vegas. The northern New Mexico wildfire has grown to 203,920 acres and is 39% contained as of Tuesday evening. Even as some residents are now able to return to their properties, new evacuations have spread into Taos County. Officials issued mandatory evacuation orders Monday afternoon for the community of Angostura northwest of Holman. But the blaze has been beaten back from such communities as Manuelitas, Tierra Monte, Rociada and Pendaries along N.M. 94. Esquibel and other residents are beginning to come back into the area to assess damages or, if their homes and property were spared, to count their blessings. There are dark swaths of burned land along either side of N.M. 94, while nearby stretches appear unscathed. Hills studded with the black skeletons of trees overlook pastures with green or tawny grasses. Esquibels three-bedroom home was on the south side of N.M. 94 between Manuelitas and Tierra Monte, 6miles west of the highways junction with N.M. 518. And 18 miles to Walmart (in Las Vegas), Esquibel said as she gazed at what had been her dream home. We were going to build a greenhouse and add a bedroom. We had just put new tiles and cabinets in my kitchen. The fire consumed a thousand dollars worth of lumber stored on the property for the purpose of building the new bedroom. On Tuesday, Esquibel absorbed her loss in the company of her daughter, Amanda Orozco; Amandas husband, Cornelio Sanchez; Amandas children, Tatiana, 18, and Ezra Orozco, 5; and Esquibels father, John, 84. The family, using three trucks, managed to get some things out of the house. A new pellet stove, two new mattresses, photographs and other items of sentimental value. You get what you can, Esquibel said. Turned to powder Esquibels house was not old, not a place that had been passed down through generations, as are many homes in this part of New Mexico. She grew up in Las Vegas, New Mexico, but moved with her husband and Amanda to Denton, Texas, about 35 years ago. In 1994, the family came back to New Mexico and settled on this property, living first in a camper and then in a small shed while they built the house over the next year and a half. It was a process, a lot of work, Amanda, 39, said. We did it ourselves. We didnt have a contractor. It was my dad, my uncle, whoever. An uncle did the plumbing. Esquibel and her husband divorced, but she kept the house on N.M. 94. I remember (Ezra) doing circles on the front porch in a bouncy swing when he was just 1, she said. A lot of good memories. It is so beautiful here in the summer. And we used to get big snows here. One year, we had 3 feet. I said, Im not shoveling snow any more. I got a four-wheeler with a snowplow five years ago. And you know, it hasnt snowed that much since then. Amanda said the most precious thing her mother lost in the fire was her collection of unique Bibles, in different translations, maybe as many as a hundred of them. We found them, Amanda said. Some still had words on them. But, when you touched them, they turned to powder. It was her peace Esquibel had been splitting time between her house on N.M. 94 and her dads house in Las Vegas, caring for him as he got older. The plan had been for the family to live together in the house after Amanda completed her nursing program at Luna Community College this month. The new bedroom was to be used by Esquibels dad. But now what? Esquibel is not sure. She had some insurance, but not enough to rebuild the house. Can she live here again? Does she want to? Stark trees stripped by fire stand like perpetual shadows behind the ruins of the house. Two mobile homes on an adjacent piece of property have been ruined by the blaze. So have a horse trailer and a boat on Esquibels land. Near her house site, a small cinderblock building that once served as a church for a Christian community in the area is a charred wreck. She would come here for the quiet and the greenery, Amanda said of her mother. This was her peace. But now the greenery is gone. It may bring back bad memories. It may be somber. Esquibel retired after working 22 years in administrative secretary positions at New Mexico Highlands University. I worked hard all my life, she said, the sentence slipping unfinished from her tongue as her thoughts turned to others, people who have lost the only homes they have ever known. A lot of people here are elderly, she said. They are living on Social Security. What happens to them? I may have a little energy left. But do they? Rolling the dice More than 1,750 firefighters are assigned to the blaze. Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham said during a Tuesday morning briefing that residents in mandatory evacuation areas who choose not to leave are rolling the dice during days of high-risk fire weather. These fires move extremely fast, she said. The blaze is the nations largest current wildfire and the second-largest in New Mexico history. Colfax County communities may be impacted during red flag days on Wednesday and Thursday, said operations section chief Todd Abel. Black Lake, Angel Fire, there is the possibility this fires got enough energy that those areas could see fire, Abel said. The team is also working on the fires southwest flank to keep it from moving toward Pecos. Incident commander Dave Bales said that high winds on Monday blew embers ahead of the main fire, in some places spotting ahead up to 2 miles. The fires north end has made a run toward Chacon and Guadalupita. Trying to go on a direct fire edge with a dozer or a hand crew, or even a retardant line a 2-mile spot is going to jump that, Bales said. That has been our biggest challenge so far. Officials have to date spent about $51 million fighting the Calf Canyon/Hermits Peak Fire, according to state forester Laura McCarthy and data from the National Interagency Coordination Center. The Cerro Pelado Fire east of Jemez Springs has racked up $15.8 million in firefighting costs. The New Mexico Environment Department on Tuesday issued precautionary water advisories for several public systems that serve nearly 4,000 people in San Miguel and Mora counties because of wildfire-related power outages. NMED recommends residents use another source of drinking water. State Engineer Mike Hamman has temporarily restricted water diversions from the middle reach of the Gallinas River, Storrie Canal and Storrie Lake. The restrictions will preserve water supply for firefighting and the city of Las Vegas. Lujan Grisham said that she believes there will be significant federal liability for destruction caused by Hermits Peak. The wildfire began as a U.S. Forest Service prescribed burn in early April. When you think about rebuilding communities, Lujan Grisham said, it is not an overnight process. Copyright 2022 Albuquerque Journal SANTA FE Four of the seven candidates running for governor this year have voluntarily released their tax returns for the last two years, though some candidates only provided partial returns or summaries of their taxes. The Journal asked all candidates who have qualified for the June 7 primary election ballot to release their tax returns, in order to provide information to voters about income sources. Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, who is unopposed in next months Democratic primary, was joined in releasing her tax returns by Republicans Mark Ronchetti, Jay Block and Rebecca Dow. The two other GOP candidates in the race Greg Zanetti and Ethel Maharg did not release their returns. Libertarian candidate Karen Bedonie also did not immediately comply with the Journals request. New Mexico state law does not require the release of tax returns by gubernatorial candidates, unlike some states like California and Vermont that do mandate such disclosure. But there is recent precedent for doing so, as both Lujan Grisham and Republican nominee Steve Pearce released their tax returns in the run-up to the 2018 race for governor, though Pearce only released tax return cover sheets. For this years race, some candidates who did not release their tax returns indicated they might consider doing so in coming days or weeks. I prefer to do that after the primary, said Maharg, the former mayor of Cuba who is one of five Republicans vying for the partys nomination in the June 7 primary race. Here are synopses of tax returns released by the candidates who complied with the Journals request: Michelle Lujan Grisham The states Democratic incumbent governor, who is seeking reelection this year, released her entire tax returns for both 2020 and 2021. Specifically, she reported making $79,629 in 2021 adjusted gross income after deductions, with the bulk of that figure coming from her $110,000 annual salary as governor set in state law. Lujan Grisham also made about $8,200 in investment earnings and interest. After paying $11,151 in federal taxes and $3,036 in state taxes, the governor received a $1,134 federal tax refund and a $30 state refund. Lujan Grishams income level was similar in 2020, her second full year of governor, when she made $76,144 in total income, according to her tax return provided to the Journal. She also received slightly larger tax refunds that year. Governor Lujan Grisham is committed to transparency and thats why she believes it is fundamental to release her tax returns, her campaign spokeswoman Kendall Witmer told the Journal. While Lujan Grisham filed her taxes as a single individual, her filing status could be set to change. Thats because the governor is set to marry her longtime fiance Manny Cordova later this month. Mark Ronchetti Ronchettis campaign released a letter from his accountant that detailed the 2020 returns Ronchetti filed jointly with his wife, Krysty OQuinn Ronchetti, but did not release the actual tax returns. The Ronchettis have not yet filed their 2021 tax returns, as they applied for an extension due to a delay in receiving income tax documents, a campaign spokesman said. In 2020, the Ronchettis reported an adjusted gross income of $78,410, which includes wages from both Ronchettis job as a KRQE-TV meteorologist and his wifes work with a communications firm, according to their accountant. Ronchetti only worked for part of 2020, as he stepped down from his meteorologist job that year in order to run for an open U.S. Senate seat. He won a three-way GOP primary, but was defeated in that years general election by Democrat Ben Ray Lujan. After the election, Ronchetti returned to KRQE for most of 2021. He stepped down again in October shortly before announcing his campaign for governor. Meanwhile, the Ronchettis also reported 2020 income from pensions and annuities, investment earnings and from a pass through entity, or a business that passes its income and losses on to the business owners or investors. That entity is SJ Communications Inc., an Albuquerque-based company that was founded and is led by Krysty Ronchetti, according to state business records. The firm has done public relations work for the state Tourism Departments New Mexico True marketing campaign, among other clients. Rebecca Dow Dow, a three-term state lawmaker from Truth or Consequences, filed taxes jointly with her husband in both 2020 and 2021. Dows campaign released only her state and federal tax return cover sheets not the attached tax schedules that showed the couple had an adjusted gross income of $178,851 for 2021 and $98,888 for 2020. They also reported receiving, selling or exchanging virtual currency in both years, though her campaign manager Josh Siegel did not respond to a Journal question about the transactions. Dow, who reported loaning $40,000 to her campaign in April, said on a mandatory state financial disclosure form in January that she is self-employed. She previously founded an early childhood learning center in Sierra County. Her husband, Aaron Dow, is the president of Dow Technology, a software development company, and Rebecca Dow is listed as the companys vice president, according to state records. He also worked for the state Department of Health, but quit his job due to COVID-19 vaccine and testing requirements, Dows campaign has previously said. Meanwhile, the Dows gave $6,150 in charitable contributions in 2020, her campaign manager told the Journal. Jay Block Block, who released his entire tax returns for both years, reported making $192,330 in adjusted gross income in 2021, with most of that income stemming from his work as both a defense consultant and as a Sandoval County commissioner. He also received $43,203 from his military retirement as a U.S. Air Force officer for more than 20 years. Those income levels represented an increase from 2020, as Block reported making $131,580 in adjusted gross income that year, with $29,336 coming from his military pension benefits. Block faced a 2021 federal tax bill of $36,122 and a state tax bill of $8,503, which were both higher than his tax payments from a year earlier. Block, who filed his returns as a single taxpayer, also reported a charitable contribution of $3,715 to Gospel Light Baptist Church in Rio Rancho in 2021. A couple of years ago, a reader told me about the solemn, almost whispered conversations between his mother, an obstetrics nurse, and his godmother, one of the first female obstetrician/gynecologists in the country, about the ward in the basement of the Los Angeles County General Hospital. In the decades before the Roe v. Wade decision of 1973, the ward was where women, eviscerated and septic and bleeding from botched back-alley abortions, were brought to die. He wrote of his hope that we will never again return to the horrors of a time long gone. In early 2016, I had the privilege of sitting down with four pioneers of the fight for womens reproductive rights and dominion over their own bodies. Each of the women had worked for Planned Parenthood in New Mexico in volunteer, staff or leadership roles in pre- and post-Roe years. Mary Lou Edward, a charter member of the board of directors in 1964 and later president, told me then that she still thought about a young wife taken into an emergency room with a hanger protruding through her lung, the gruesome result of a back-alley abortion in the 1960s. Lori Feibelman, former vice president for development, told me about the weary helplessness of low-income women who were forced to carry a pregnancy they could ill afford financially, physically or emotionally. There was such desperation then, she said. Betsy Schmidt-Nowara, a past board president, told me about the Boston hospital where her physician father worked in the 1940s and 1950s where an entire ward was filled with women butchered by illegal abortions. All of the women said they fought hard so that American women would never be forced back to those harrowing days, but even during our chat six years ago they worried the fight wasnt over. Then last week came the leak of a brutal Supreme Court draft opinion written by Justice Samuel Alito that eviscerates Roe. When I first heard about the leaked draft decision, I could not wrap my head around it, Schmidt-Nowara said. Im so so angry at the direction of our country. Young women, she said, have never known, likely never imagined, that a right thats been in the books for 49 years could disappear. And maybe they never appreciated how hard-won that right was. The battle for the right of women to make their own decisions regarding their health care has been a long one, and it is disheartening to see that it is likely to be taken away, said Diane Goldfarb, a past president of the local Planned Parenthood. Flames practically flew from Feibelmans email over the Alito draft. The image of a woman mutilating herself with a wire coat hanger illustrates just how crucial the rights to privacy and choice are to women of all walks of life, she said. Even women who do not believe in abortion sometimes find that they or their precious daughters need an abortion. Should they have to risk their lives and futures to an unregulated, unsupervised, illegal medical procedure? No! They should not! Abortions wont end because of the ruling. They will go underground and women will die, Schmidt-Nowara said. And so its back to the fight. Planned Parenthood, the Womens March, UltraViolet and MoveOn are organizing Bans Off Our Bodies rallies this Saturday across the country, including in Albuquerque, Santa Fe, Las Cruces and Alamogordo. As soon as the news of Alitos draft became public, my daughter-in-law texted me and her mother and asked if we were ready to march again, Goldfarb said. She is. I do have confidence that a younger generation of women will not tolerate having this right taken away, she said. I became pro-choice when I was 10, though as a Catholic schoolgirl in the late 1960s I knew almost nothing about where babies came from. Even then, though, it didnt seem fair to me that women were saddled with this horrifically painful decision while men could walk free. It didnt seem fair that anybody, least of all uterus-exempt men, least of all a minority of the population as reported in numerous polls over time, should deny women their bodily autonomy. Fifty-five years of life experience, research, soul-searching, conversation and common sense later, I remain pro-choice, more informed, more ardent and, now, more enraged that once again our choice is in peril. As always, I expect some of you will rail at me about how you believe abortion is murder, baby killing and mortal sin. You will try to convince me that I and nearly every woman I know are wrong. Please, save your energy. You havent a prayer to change my 55 years of thought and study. You have no idea just how pissed off many women are right now. There are two time-honored slogans that say it all, Feibelman says. Every child a wanted child. And Against Abortion? Dont have one.' Let me add one more: Speak up, stand up, march as if you had no choice. Because soon you may not have a choice. UpFront is a front-page news and opinion column. Reach Joline at 730-2793, jkrueger@abqjournal.com. Copyright 2022 Albuquerque Journal Unable to resolve an outstanding debt to the city of more than $155,000, HopeWorks, one of the citys larger contractors providing services to the homeless and poor, will no longer be eligible to receive contracts from the city of Albuquerque. Under our procurement rules and administrative requirements, when a debt is owed to the city, that service agency is ineligible to contract with our department, Carol Pierce, director of the citys Department of Family and Community Services, said Tuesday. We are now working with other homeless agencies to provide those services in the community. A report issued in December from the citys Office of the Inspector General said HopeWorks defrauded the city of $155,586 by double billing the city and Medicaid with respect to an Assisted Outpatient Treatment program. The OIG report said the city and HopeWorks were both remiss in having adequate practices of monitoring in place. That lack of internal controls, the report said, makes the city susceptible to fraud, waste and abuse, as indicated by inaccurate reporting of contract revenues and expenditures, resulting in noncompliance of the contract. In response to being shut out of contracts with the city, HopeWorks CEO Annam Manthiram said Tuesday, It is unfortunate that the city has taken this stance with HopeWorks, and has decided to withhold current and future contracts. The city has not provided a legitimate basis for its position that HopeWorks owes the city funds. Manthiram said HopeWorks had the OIGs findings reviewed by an external auditor who determined that the nonprofit had not committed any financial misconduct. In a letter to the Journal published in January, HopeWorks board president William Miller wrote that the $155,000 discrepancy is a result of the citys misunderstanding of the difference between the distinct revenue streams of Medicaid and grant billing. Based on applicable billing codes, Miller said, When we bill city grants, including the Assisted Outpatient Treatment contract in question, we are not billing for services rendered, but for program staff, cellphones and mileage, necessary supplies and other program costs. However, Pierce said in the conversations the city has had with representatives from HopeWorks since the OIG report was issued, an accounting of how those funds were spent was requested repeatedly, and it hasnt resulted in any further documentation from HopeWorks to prove that they dont owe that outstanding debt. According to Manthiram, If the city wanted to provide a waiver so that HopeWorks can continue to partner with the city, it could. Instead, the city has chosen to take this punitive stance, which only hurts our unhoused population at a time when the problem is growing in severity and the city is being questioned for its strategies regarding this issue. HopeWorks currently has three ongoing contracts with the city that will continue. One, worth about $134,000 and which ends Sept. 30, is for transitional housing. HopeWorks indicated it did not want to continue after its expiration, Pierce said. Another is a $700,000 rental assistance program that has been extended until April 30, 2023, and the third is a rapid rehousing program to provide vouchers worth about $1.4 million, and expires Nov. 30. In the past, city contracts with HopeWorks have included a displaced tenant relocation program, a meals program, a street sweepers program, an outreach program and various housing programs. Those contracts have been worth in excess of $5 million, Pierce said. They will be transitioned to other providers that do similar services and who are willing to take on that work, so there wont be any gaps in the services, she said. A can of soup, a tin of sardines or a packet of noodles can make all the difference to a person who is struggling with hunger; multiply that can, tin and packet thousands of times and it can have a much larger positive impact that reaches farther into communities. The annual Stamp Out Hunger campaign will be held Saturday and residents of Albuquerque, Rio Rancho, Los Lunas, Belen and communities around the state can help be part of that impact by leaving nonperishable food items by their mailboxes. Mail carriers will pick up the items and take them to local post offices, where volunteers will sort the food for transfer to the Roadrunner Food Bank. In New Mexico, one in four children and one in six people overall are at risk of hunger, said Roadrunner spokeswoman Sonya Warwick. Last year, Roadrunner distributed 60 million pounds of food through its network of 500 partners, she said. Anyone age 12 and older can volunteer to help unload letter carrier vehicles and sort food alongside food bank staff members. A sign-up sheet is available at the Roadrunner Food Bank website, www.rrfb.org. SANTA FE New Mexico officials have released a draft plan to address an ongoing education lawsuit brought by underserved K-12 students, and education advocates and tribal leaders are expected to comb through the document in the coming days. The New Mexico Public Education Department says its looking for feedback on the plan, which is intended to address a 2018 state court ruling that has dominated education policy and funding discussions among state lawmakers ever since. In 2018, the court concluded the state has fallen short of its constitutional duty to provide an adequate education, at least to some 70% of K-12 students, including Native Americans, English learners and those who come from low-income families or have disabilities. The court said students had unequal access to qualified teachers, quality school buildings and other lessons that engage them tailored to their cultural background and needs. The 55-page Martinez/Yazzie Discussion Draft Action Plan is named for the mothers of students who sued the state separately, and combined in a lawsuit in 2015. The draft plan outlines targets for improving the diversity of teachers by 20%, increasing graduation rates by 15%, and boosting reading and math proficiency by 50% for groups identified in the lawsuit by 2025, compared to 2019 levels. It also catalogs changes the administration has made so far, including major salary raises for teachers and improved social studies standards. The Martinez/Yazzie Discussion Draft Action Plan is not just a plan for the future; it also reflects all the work thats taken place since the beginning of this administration, and it challenges all of us with strong performance targets to move the needle on key student outcomes, said state Education Secretary Kurt Steinhaus. In 2020, a state judge denied a request by Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham to dismiss the lawsuit. The same judge ruled in 2021 that many of the vulnerable students werent being provided computers and internet sufficient for them to participate in remote learning, despite efforts by education officials to deploy Wi-Fi hot spots and secure laptops for many students. The education department had promised to release the draft in December, before the state Legislatures annual meeting that determines education funding, but did not do so, to the chagrin of tribal leaders. The budgets passed earlier this year. On Tuesday, Elon Musk said he would reverse Twitters ban of former President Donald Trump, who was booted in January 2021 for inciting violence at the U.S. Capitol, should he succeed in acquiring the social platform for $44 billion. But the day before, the Tesla CEO also said he agrees with the European Unions new Digital Services Act, a law that will require big tech companies like Twitter, Google and Facebook parent Meta to police their platforms more strictly for illegal or harmful content such as hate speech and disinformation. The apparent contradiction underscores the steep learning curve awaiting the worlds richest man once he encounters the complexity of Twitters content moderation in dozens of languages and cultures. Twitter has to comply with the laws and regulations of multiple countries while taking into account the reaction of advertisers, users, politicians and others. He certainly wouldnt be the first person to say, Im going to do this and then realize that either they dont really want to do it or their users dont want them to do it, said David Greene, civil liberties director at the Electronic Frontier Foundation. Speaking virtually at an auto conference, the Tesla CEO said that Twitters ban of Trump was a morally bad decision and foolish in the extreme. I think that was a mistake because it alienated a large part of the country and did not ultimately result in Donald Trump not having a voice, Musk said Tuesday at the Future of the Car summit hosted by the Financial Times. He said he preferred temporary suspensions and other narrowly tailored punishments for content that is illegal or otherwise destructive to the world. Earlier in the day, Musk met with EU Internal Market Commissioner Thierry Breton to discuss the blocs online regulations. Thierry told The Associated Press that he outlined to Musk how the EU aims to uphold free speech while also making sure whatever is illegal will be forbidden in the digital space, adding that Musk fully agreed with him. In a video Breton tweeted late Monday, Musk said the two had a great discussion and added that he agrees with the Digital Services Act, which is expected to get final approval later this year. It threatens Twitter and other Big Tech firms with billions in fines if they dont police their platforms. Shares of Twitter dropped 1.5% Tuesday to $47.24 per share. Thats 13 percent below the offer of $54.20 per share that Musk made on April 14, a reflection of Wall Streets concerns that the deal could still fall through. Musk emphasized Tuesday that it is certainly not a done deal. If Musk is concerned that many people were upset that Trump was banned, he should see how many more people would be upset if Trump was not banned, said Kirsten Martin, a professor of technology ethics at the University of Notre Dame. Musk only appears to be worried about the opinion of a small group of individuals who incite violence or perpetuate hate speech. Trump has previously said that he had no intention of rejoining Twitter even if his account was reinstated, telling Fox News last month that he would instead focus on his own platform, Truth Social, which has been mired in problems since its launch earlier this year. A Trump spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment in response to Musks remarks. While Trump was president, his Twitter feed offered a mix of policy announcements, often out of the blue; complaints about the media; disparagement of women, minorities and his perceived enemies; and praise for his supporters, replete with exclamation marks, all-caps, and one-word declarations such as Sad! He fired numerous officials on Twitter and his posts, like his speeches at rallies, were a torrent of misinformation. In announcing its 2021 ban of Trump, Twitter said his tweets amounted to glorification of violence when read in the context of the Jan. 6 Capitol riot and plans circulating online for future armed protests around the inauguration of then President-elect Joe Biden. Musks remarks Tuesday raise questions about whether those banned besides Trump could also return. The long list of people banned from Twitter includes QAnon loyalists, COVID deniers, neo-Nazis and former reality star Tila Tequila, who was suspended for hate speech. Other Trump allies kicked off Twitter include Michael Flynn and Sidney Powell, Lin Wood and Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, who was permanently banned in January for repeatedly spreading misinformation about COVID-19 and vaccine safety. White supremacist David Duke and the often violent Proud Boys organization have been banned, along with far-right trolls like one who goes by the name Baked Alaska, who promoted anti-Semitic tropes and faces charges stemming from his involvement in the Jan. 6 attack. Alex Jones, the creator of Infowars, was permanently banned in 2018 for abusive behavior. Last year, Jones lost a defamation case filed by the parents of children killed in the 2012 Newtown, Connecticut, school shooting over Jones repeated claims that the shooting was fake. Twitter, Musk said Tuesday, currently has a strong bias to the left, largely because it is located in San Francisco. This alleged bias prevents it from building trust in the rest of the U.S. and the world, he said: Its far too random and I think Twitter needs to be much more even handed. Twitter declined to comment on Musks remarks. ___ OBrien reported from Providence, Rhode Island; Krisher reported from Detroit. Associated Press writers Barbara Ortutay in San Francisco and David Klepper in Providence, Rhode Island contributed to this report. ___ See all of APs tech coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/technology. REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS FOR CONSTRUCTION Project Name: Construction Services On-Call Contract 2022-1 Project No. 802800 OVERVIEW: The City of Albuquerque, through its Department of Municipal Development is requesting competitive sealed proposals with the intent of entering into a contract with a general contractor for the purpose of providing construction services for City-owned infrastructure. This procurement process is a combined technical qualifications and cost-based selection. The Offeror is required to provide qualifications and other documents as part of the Technical Proposal. The Cost Proposal will be evaluated separately from the Technical Proposal. Offerors attention is specifically directed to: the Instructions to Offerors; Special Provisions; and, the Supplemental Special Provisions contained in the Proposal Documents. All Part 6 forms (Cost Proposal), AND SEPARATELY , all Part 2 forms (Technical Proposal), shall be received in the office of the City Clerk of the City of Albuquerque via electronic upload, for the project described herein no later than 1:30 p.m. MST on Tuesday, June 7, 2022 . The links for electronic upload are provided in the Instructions to Offerors, 1.9 Submission of Offers. Upload of the Proposals is the sole responsibility of the Offeror. For Instructions to Offerors, Cost and Technical Proposal Requirements, and other contract documents, including plans, etc. to be used in connection with the submission of proposals, Offerors are invited to contact Academy Reprographics at (505) 821-6666, 8900-N San Mateo Blvd. NE, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87113. A $150.00 deposit will be required for each set of proposal documents. This deposit is refundable provided the Contract Documents are returned in usable condition within ten (10) consecutive calendar days after the submission date above. A Pre Proposal Conference will be held on Wednesday, May 25, 2022, at 11:00 a.m. local time via video conference https://cabq.zoom.us/j/87957988567 . Attendance at the Pre-Proposal Conference for this project is not mandatory to qualify to submit a Proposal. Description of Work : Miscellaneous issued work orders for public roadway, pedestrian facility, traffic signalization, storm drainage and pavement improvements and repairs at various locations within the City of Albuquerque. Name, Email Address, Phone # of Project Manager: City of Albuquerque Justin Muniz, DMD, Construction Services jamuniz@cabq.gov 505.924.3410 All inquiries and questions from Offerors or interested parties should be emailed to the project e-mail address of jamuniz@cabq.gov. Journal: May 11, 18, 2022 TUCUMCARI MUNICIPAL AIRPORT IMPROVEMENTS 2022 RUNWAY 8-26 PAVEMENT MAINTENANCE AIP PROJECT NO. 3-35-0043-026-2022 NMDOT AVIATION DIVISION GRANT # TCC -22-01 SPONSOR BID NO. IFB# 22-02 ADVERTISEMENT FOR BIDS Tucumcari Municipal Airport Improvements 2022 Runway 8-26 Pavement Maintenance Tucumcari, New Mexico AIP Project No. 3-35-0043-026-2022 3-35-0043-026-2022 NMDOT Aviation Division Grant No. TCC -22-02 City of Tucumcari, New Mexico Bid No. IFB# 22-02 v1 The Commission of the City of Tucumcari, New Mexico will receive sealed bids for construction of the Tucumcari Municipal Airport Improvements 2022, until 3:00 p.m. (local time) May 26, 2022, at the City Hall, at which time bids will be publicly opened, read aloud and tabulated. Bids should be addressed to: Angelica M. Gray City Clerk/Chief Procurement Officer 215 E. Center St Tucumcari, New Mexico, 88401 (575) 461-3451 The bids received will be considered by the Commission at a regular meeting or at a special meeting as may be required. No bid will be received or considered if received by the Purchasing Agent after the hour of 3:00 p.m. (local time) on May 26, 2022. Copies of plans and specifications together with contract documents are available for public inspection at the office of the Angelica M. Gray, City Clerk/Chief Procurement Officer, 215 E. Center St, Tucumcari, New Mexico 88401. Electronic copies of the bidding documents are available from Bohannan Huston at: http://bhitracker.bhinc.com/BiddingList.aspx or clicking on Bid Tracker at: https://www.bhinc.com/tracker-portal/under Tucumcari Municipal Airport Runway 8-26 Pavement Maintenance. Technical questions should be addressed to the engineer of record at Bohannan Huston at (505) 823-1000. Each bidder shall be prepared to furnish the owner with satisfactory evidence of their competency to perform the work contemplated. Each bidder will be required to submit with their bid, a certified check, cashiers check or bid bond in the amount of 5% of their bid, made payable to the City of Tucumcari, New Mexico. The City agrees to carefully canvass and consider each bid submitted. In consideration thereof, no bids may be withdrawn after the scheduled closing time for receipt of bids for at least 60 calendar days. The Commission reserves the right to reject any or all bids, to waive technicalities and to accept the bid it deems to be in the best interest of the City to accept. Minimum wage rates on this project shall not be less than the rates in the U.S. Department of Labor Wage Rate Decision No. NM20220037 or the New Mexico Department of Workforce Solutions, QU-22-0667-A whichever is the higher for each trade or labor classification. Federal Contract Provisions/Clauses Access to Records and Reports Affirmative Action Requirement Breach of Contract Buy American Preferences (1) Buy American Statement (2) Buy American Total Facility Civil Rights General Civil Rights Title VI Assurances (1) Notice Solicitation (2) Clause Contracts (6) List Pertinent Authorities Clean Air/Water Pollution Control Contract Work Hours and Safety Standards Copeland Anti-Kickback Davis Bacon Requirements Debarment and Suspension Disadvantaged Business Enterprise Distracted Driving Energy Conservation Requirements Equal Employment Opportunity (1) EEO Contract Clause (2) EEO Specification Federal Fair Labor Standards Act Foreign Trade Restriction Lobbying Federal Employees Occupational Safety and Health Act Prohibition of Segregated Facilities Recovered Materials Rights to Inventions Seismic Safety Seismic Safety Construction Contracts Tax Delinquency and Felony Conviction Termination of Contract Termination For Convenience (Construction & Equipment Contracts) Termination For Default (Construction) Veterans Preference Project Description: Runway pavement maintenance by marking removal, crack filling, seal coat, and airfield markings. The work requires the following licenses from New Mexico Construction Industries Division: Runway and Taxiway Construction: GF-1 Fixed Works, Airports or GF-98 Fixed Works, Construct, alter, or repair fixed works facilities. These licenses will be required at the time bids are opened by any contractor bidding on this work. The procurement code, Sections 13-1-28 through 13-1-199, NMSA 1978 (as amended), imposes civil and criminal penalties for its violation. In addition, the New Mexico Criminal Statutes impose felony penalties for illegal bribes, gratuities and kickbacks. City of Tucumcari, New Mexico Journal: May 11, 2022 NOTICE OF SPECIAL MEETING OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF THE MONTECITO ESTATES PUBLIC IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that a special meeting of the Board of Directors of the Montecito Estates Public Improvement District (the District) will be held in Albuquerque, New Mexico at the Albuquerque Government Center, One Civic Plaza, N.W., City Council Policy Conference Room, on Wednesday, May 25, 2022 at 1:00 p.m. The meeting will be open to the public. An agenda for the meeting may be obtained 72 hours prior to the meeting from the City Council Offices, which are located on the Ninth Floor, Albuquerque Government Center, One Civic Plaza N.W., Albuquerque, New Mexico. If you are an individual with a disability who is in need of a reader, amplifier, qualified sign language interpreter, or any other form of auxiliary aid or service to attend or participate in the hearing or meeting, please contact the District at the City Council Offices, Ninth Floor, Albuquerque Government Center, One Civic Plaza, N.W., Albuquerque, New Mexico, at least one week prior to the meeting or as soon as possible. Public documents, including the agenda and minutes, can be provided in various accessible formats. Please contact the District at the City Council Offices, Ninth Floor, Albuquerque Government Center, One Civic Plaza, N.W., Albuquerque, New Mexico, if a summary or other type of accessible format is needed. This notice is given pursuant to NMSA 1978, Section 5-11-23 (2001, as amended), the New Mexico Open Meetings Act, NMSA 1978, Sections 10-15-1 to -4 (1974, as amended), and District Resolution No. 2021-03. Journal: May 11, 2022 NOTICE OF SPECIAL MEETING OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF THE TIERRA DEL ORO PUBLIC IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT Virtual via GoToMeeting https://meet.goto.com/741174469 NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that a special meeting of the Board of Directors (the Board) of the Tierra Del Oro Public Improvement District (the District) will be held in Rio Rancho, New Mexico at the Finance Division Conference Room, 3rd Floor 3200 Civic Center Circle NE, on Wednesday, May 25, 2022 at 2:00 p.m. The meeting will be open to the public. For instructions on how to virtually attend this meeting please contact the Special District Administrator, 505-896-8700. An agenda for the meeting may be obtained 72 hours prior to the meeting from the Special District Administrator, 3rd floor, Finance Division of Rio Rancho City Hall at 3200 Civic Center Circle NE, Rio Rancho, New Mexico 87144. At this meeting, the Board will determine, among other things, whether the District should acquire public infrastructure described in the general plan of the District (collectively, the Series 2022 Project). A copy of the general plan of the District is included in the Notice of Formation Resolution recorded on July 8, 2019, in the real property records of Sandoval County, New Mexico as Document #2019015005 at Book 422, page 15005. In making this determination, the Board will (i) consider the study of the feasibility and benefits of the public infrastructure improvement project, which includes the Series 2022 Project, prepared in accordance with the Public Improvement District Act, NMSA 1978, Sections 5-11-1 to -27 (2001, as amended through 2019) (the Feasibility Study) and (ii) hold a public hearing on (a) the Series 2022 Project and (b) the related Feasibility Study. If you are an individual with a disability who is in need of a reader, amplifier, qualified sign language interpreter, or any other form of auxiliary aid or service to attend or participate in the hearing or meeting, please contact the Tierra Del Oro Public Improvement District at the Department of Development Services located on the first floor of Rio Rancho City Hall at 3200 Civic Center Circle NE, Rio Rancho, New Mexico 87144, at least one week prior to the meeting or as soon as possible. Public documents, including the agenda and minutes, can be provided in various accessible formats. Please contact the Tierra Del Oro Public Improvement District at the Department of Development Services located on the first floor of Rio Rancho City Hall at 3200 Civic Center Circle NE, Rio Rancho, New Mexico 87144, if a summary or other type of accessible format is needed. This notice is given pursuant to Section 5-11-23 (2001), the New Mexico Open Meetings Act, NMSA 1978, Sections 10-15-1 to -4 (1974, as amended), and District Resolution No. 2021-01. Journal: May 11, 2022 NOTICE OF SPECIAL MEETING OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF THE THE BOULDERS PUBLIC IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that a special meeting of the Board of Directors of the Boulders Public Improvement District (the District) will be held in Albuquerque, New Mexico at the Albuquerque Government Center, One Civic Plaza, N.W., City Council Committee Room, 9th Floor, Room 9081 on Thursday, May 26, 2022 at 2:30 p.m. The meeting will be open to the public. An agenda for the meeting may be obtained 72 hours prior to the meeting from the City Council Offices, which are located on the Ninth Floor, Albuquerque Government Center, One Civic Plaza N.W., Albuquerque, New Mexico. If you are an individual with a disability who is in need of a reader, amplifier, qualified sign language interpreter, or any other form of auxiliary aid or service to attend or participate in the hearing or meeting, please contact the District at the City Council Offices, Ninth Floor, Albuquerque Government Center, One Civic Plaza, N.W., Albuquerque, New Mexico, at least one week prior to the meeting or as soon as possible. Public documents, including the agenda and minutes, can be provided in various accessible formats. Please contact the District at the City Council Offices, Ninth Floor, Albuquerque Government Center, One Civic Plaza, N.W., Albuquerque, New Mexico, if a summary or other type of accessible format is needed. This notice is given pursuant to NMSA 1978, Section 5-11-23 (2001, as amended), the New Mexico Open Meetings Act, NMSA 1978, Sections 10-15-1 to -4 (1974, as amended) and District Resolution No. 2021-02. Journal: May 11, 2022 NOTICE OF SPECIAL MEETING OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF THE JUAN TABO HILLS ESTATES PUBLIC IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that a special meeting of the Board of Directors (the Board) of the Juan Tabo Hills Estates Public Improvement District (the District) will be held in Albuquerque, New Mexico at the Albuquerque Government Center, One Civic Plaza, N.W., City Council Committee Room, 9th Floor, Room 9081on Thursday, May 26, 2022 at 3:30p.m. The meeting will be open to the public. An agenda for the meeting may be obtained 72 hours prior to the meeting from the City Council Offices, which are located on the Ninth Floor, Albuquerque Government Center, One Civic Plaza, N.W., Albuquerque, New Mexico. If you are an individual with a disability who is in need of a reader, amplifier, qualified sign language interpreter, or any other form of auxiliary aid or service to attend or participate in the hearing or meeting, please contact the District at the City Council Offices, Ninth Floor, Albuquerque Government Center, One Civic Plaza, N.W., Albuquerque, New Mexico, at least one week prior to the meeting or as soon as possible. Public documents, including the agenda and minutes, can be provided in various accessible formats. Please contact the District at the City Council Offices, Ninth Floor, Albuquerque Government Center, One Civic Plaza, N.W., Albuquerque, New Mexico, if a summary or other type of accessible format is needed. This notice is given pursuant to NMSA 1978, Section 5-11-23 (2001, as amended), the New Mexico Open Meetings Act, NMSA 1978, Sections 10-15-1 to -4 (1974, as amended), and District Resolution No. 2021-04. Journal: May 11, 2022 WASHINGTON An interminable and unwinnable war in Europe? Thats what NATO leaders fear and are bracing for as Russias war in Ukraine grinds into its third month with little sign of a decisive military victory for either side and no resolution in sight. The possibility of a stalemate is fueling concerns that Ukraine may remain a deadly European battlefield and a source of continental and global instability for months, or even years, to come. Energy and food security are the most immediate worries, but massive Western support for Ukraine while the world is still emerging from coronavirus pandemic and struggling to deal with the effects of climate change could deepen the toll on the global economy. And should Russia choose to escalate, the risk of a broader conflict rises. The U.S. and its allies are pumping a steady stream of lethal weaponry into Ukraine to keep it in the fight. While most analysts say Kyiv is holding its own at the least, those infusions must continue if they are to support President Volodomyr Zelenskyys vow to win, or at least continue to match or beat back, Moscows advances. Just as Russian President Vladimir Putin has not signaled a willingness to intensify the invasion with either a general mobilization of troops or the use of unconventional arms, neither has he shown any sign of backing down. Nor has Zelenskyy, who is now asserting that Ukraine will not only beat back the current Russian invasion but regain control of Crimea and other areas that Russia has occupied or otherwise controlled since 2014. Its very difficult to see how you could get a negotiated solution at this point, said Ian Kelly, a retired veteran diplomat who served as U.S. ambassador to Georgia, another former Soviet republic on which Russia has territorial designs. He added, Neither side is willing to stop fighting and probably the likeliest outcome is a war that lasts a couple of years. Ukraine would be a festering sore in the middle of Europe. Theres no way that Ukraine is going to step back, Kelly said. They think theyre gonna win. At the same time, Kelly said that no matter how many miscalculations Putin has made about the strength and will of Ukraine to resist or the unity and resolve of the NATO allies, Putin cannot accept defeat or anything short of a scenario that he can claim has achieved success. It would be political suicide for Putin to withdraw, Kelly said. U.S. officials, starting with President Joe Biden, seem to agree, even after Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin raised eyebrows by saying after a visit to Kyiv last month that Washingtons goal is not only to help Ukraine defend itself but to weaken Russia to the point where it does not pose a threat. Putin doesnt have a way out right now, and Im trying to figure out what we do about that, Biden said on Monday even after he signed legislation designed to reboot the World War II-era lend-lease program and appealed to Congress to approve a $40 billion package of military and humanitarian aid for Ukraine. So what to do? French President Emmanuel Macron has placed a premium on a negotiated settlement that saves face for both Russia and Ukraine. We will have a peace to build tomorrow, let us never forget that, Macron said on Monday. We will have to do this with Ukraine and Russia around the table. The end of the discussion and the negotiation will be set by Ukraine and Russia. But it will not be done in denial, nor in exclusion of each other, nor even in humiliation. U.S. officials arent so sure, although they allow that the endgame is up to Ukraine. Our strategy is to see to it that Ukraine emerges from this victorious, State Department spokesman Ned Price said this week. Ukraine will do so at the negotiating table. Our goal is to strengthen Ukraines position at that negotiating table as we continue to place mounting costs on the Russian Federation. But, the high-stakes uncertainty over what constitutes a victorious Ukraine has alarmed officials in some European capitals, notably those in the Baltic states of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, which are NATO members bordering Russia and especially worried about Moscows possible future intentions. For Baltic nations and other countries on NATOs eastern flank, the threat is real and memories of Soviet occupation and rule remain fresh. Concessions to Russia in Ukraine will only embolden Putin to push further west, they say. To be honest, we are still not talking about the endgame, Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis lamented to the The Associated Press in an interview on Monday. He said any territorial concessions in Ukraine would usher in a world where the rules-based order has been replaced by a jungle rules-based order. Landsbergis suggested that Western nations issue public statements about what success would be. Where we would consider what we would take for victory, actual victory? What would be the scenario that we would like? Landsbergis has been outspoken in calls for Putin to be ousted as Russias leader, going well beyond the U.S. position and that of other NATO leaders. He says regime change in Moscow is the only way to protect European and Western security in the long term. Coming from me its much easier to say we need regime change in Russia, so weve been quite blunt and open about it, he said. Maybe for United States its much more much more difficult to be open about it, but still, at some point we have to talk about this because its so important. JERUSALEM Veteran Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh, one of the satellite channels best-known reporters, was shot and killed on Wednesday while covering an Israeli military raid in the occupied West Bank. The broadcaster and two reporters who were with her blamed Israeli forces. Israels defense minister, Benny Gantz, promised a transparent investigation, and said he was in touch with U.S. and Palestinian officials. The Israeli military initially suggested that Abu Akleh might have been killed by stray fire from Palestinians, but Gantz was more cautious Wednesday evening. We are trying to figure out exactly what happened, he said. I dont have final conclusions. He said Israel asked the Palestinian medical team that performed a preliminary autopsy to hand over the fatal bullet for further examination. The head of the Palestinian forensics institute, Rayan al-Ali, said earlier Wednesday that the bullet was deformed, and that he could not yet determine who fired it. Abu Aklehs death could draw new scrutiny of Israels military justice system, which is being examined as part of a war crimes probe conducted by the International Criminal Court. It also threatened to further strain often rocky relations between the army and the international media. Abu Akleh, 51, was a respected and familiar face in the Middle East, known for her coverage on Al Jazeera Arabic of the harsh realities of Israels open-ended military occupation of the Palestinians, now in its 55th year. She was widely recognized in the West Bank and was also a U.S. citizen. Her death reverberated across the region. Arab governments condemned the killing. There was also an outpouring of grief in the West Bank. In Ramallah, the seat of the Palestinian autonomy government, Abu Aklehs body, draped in a Palestinian flag and covered by a wreath of flowers, was carried through downtown streets. Hundreds chanted, with our spirit, with our blood, we will redeem you, Shireen. On Thursday, a procession was to take the body for burial in Jerusalem, where Abu Akleh was born. In east Jerusalem, dozens of mourners gathered at the family home to honor her. Lina Abu Akleh, her niece, called her my best friend, my second mom, my companion. I never thought this day would come, where the news would be about her and she wont be the one covering the news, she said. At one point, a group of Israeli police entered the home, where they were immediately met with shouts of killers and occupiers and chants to get out. It was not immediately clear why the police came, and the officers quickly left. Palestinians gathered outside the familys house on Wednesday evening, some holding Palestinian flags and posters with the journalists photo. When the group walked toward a main thoroughfare, Israeli police tried to stop them. Scuffles ensued. Five Palestinians were hurt and about half a dozen were detained. Abu Akleh was killed by a shot to the head while on the outskirts of the Jenin refugee camp in the northern West Bank, known as a bastion of militants. Israel has conducted near-daily raids in Jenin in recent weeks following a series of deadly attacks inside Israel carried out by militants from the area. Gantz said Israeli forces came under attack by indiscriminate fire by Palestinian militants from several directions. The army released a body cam video of forces in the town while heavy fire is heard in the background. Gantz described the situation as chaotic. He said the soldiers at the scene had all been questioned, but that the investigation could only make progress with the cooperation of the Palestinian forensic team. I am very sorry for what happened, Gantz told reporters. Currently we do not know what was the direct cause of Shireens death. We are very decisive to have a full-scale investigation and we hope to get Palestinian cooperation on this issue. Al Jazeera accused Israel of deliberately targeting and killing our colleague. Palestinian journalists who were with Abu Akleh at the time said they made their presence known to Israeli soldiers, and that they did not see militants in the area. Abu Aklehs producer, Palestinian journalist Ali Samoudi, was hospitalized in stable condition after being shot in the back. He said any suggestion they were shot by militants was a complete lie. Relations between Israeli forces and the foreign media, especially Palestinian journalists, are strained. During last years war between Israel and Gazas militant Hamas rulers, an Israeli airstrike destroyed the building in Gaza City housing the offices of The Associated Press and Al Jazeera. Residents were warned to evacuate and no one was hurt in the strike. Israel said Hamas was using the building as a command center but has provided no evidence. The outcome of Israels military investigation will be closely watched. The International Criminal Court has opened an investigation into possible war crimes by Israel in both the occupied West Bank and the Gaza Strip. Israel does not recognize the courts jurisdiction and has called the investigation unfair and antisemitic. One of its key arguments against the probe has been that its military justice system is capable of investigating itself. The findings of its probe into Abu Aklehs death could draw new scrutiny. Hussein Al Sheikh, a top Palestinian official, said the Palestinians would transfer information on the case to the court. In New York, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, called Abu Aklehs death really horrifying and called for a transparent investigation. She said protecting American citizens and journalists was our highest priority. Thomas-Greenfield said Abud Akleh did an extraordinary interview with her in the West Bank last November. I left there feeling extraordinary respect for her, she said. The U.N. Human Rights office urged an independent, transparent investigation into her killing. Impunity must end. The White House also called for a thorough probe. Investigating attacks on independent media and prosecuting those responsible are of paramount importance, deputy press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said. At the United Nations, the Palestinian U.N. Ambassador Riyad Mansour, flanked by representatives of the Arab League and the U.N.s Arab Group, demanded an international independent investigation. Al Jazeera, which has long had strained relations with Israel, interrupted its broadcast to announce Abu Aklehs death early Wednesday. In a statement flashed on its channel, it called on the international community to condemn and hold the Israeli occupation forces accountable for deliberately targeting and killing our colleague. It aired a video showing Abu Akleh lying motionless on the side of a road wall as another journalist crouches nearby and a man screams for an ambulance. Gunfire rings out in the background. Both reporters were wearing blue flak jackets clearly marked with the word PRESS. The video did not show the source of the gunfire. The Palestinian Authority, which administers parts of the occupied West Bank and cooperates with Israel on security matters, condemned what it said was a shocking crime committed by Israeli forces. Qatar, the Arab League and Jordan all condemned the shooting, and in the Jordanian capital of Amman, a group of journalists and activists held a solidarity march outside Al Jazeeras offices. Israelis have long been critical of Al Jazeeras coverage, but authorities generally allow its journalists to operate freely. A number of Palestinian reporters have been wounded by rubber-coated bullets or tear gas while covering demonstrations in the West Bank and east Jerusalem. Two Palestinian journalists were shot and killed by Israeli forces while filming violent protests along the Gaza frontier in 2018. In November of that year, AP cameraman Rashed Rashid was covering a protest near the Gaza frontier when he was shot in the left ankle, apparently by Israeli fire. The military has never acknowledged the shooting. The Foreign Press Association, which represents some 400 journalists working for international media, said it was appalled and deeply shocked by the killing and expressed hope that those responsible for this horrible death will be held accountable. ___ Associated Press writers Joseph Krauss in Jerusalem; Aref Tufaha in Jenin, West Bank; Jalal Hassan in Ramallah, West Bank; Isabel DeBre in Dubai, United Arab Emirates; Darlene Superville in Washington and Edith M. Lederer at the United Nations contributed to this report. VATICAN CITY The wives of two Ukrainian soldiers defending the Mariupol steel mill met with Pope Francis on Wednesday and begged him to intervene to arrange for a third-party evacuation of the troops before Russian soldiers capture or kill them. You are our last hope. We hope you can save their lives. Please dont let them die, said a weeping Kateryna Prokopenko as she greeted Francis at the end of his weekly general audience in St. Peters Square. Standing by her side, Yuliia Fedusiuk, told Francis that food and water were running out in the mill, that some soldiers were injured or dead and that those who are alive were ready to lay down their arms if they could be evacuated to a third country. They will not go to Russian captivity because they will be tortured and killed, Fedusiuk told Francis, according to a video of the encounter shot by another member of their entourage, Pyotr Verzilov, a prominent member of the Russian protest group Pussy Riot who is working on a documentary about Ukraine. Prokopenkos husband, Denys Prokopenko, is the commander of the Azov Regiment in the Azovstal mill, while Fedusiuks husband, Arseniy Fedusiuk, is one of the Azov fighters who have been defending the mill from encroaching Russian forces for more than two months. The young women have been in Italy for over two weeks seeking to rally international support for a diplomatic resolution to the standoff at the plant, the last holdout of Ukrainian resistance in the strategic port city. Francis, who has been hobbled by knee trouble that makes walking and standing painful, stood up to greet the women, a gesture he didnt extend to others who lined up to see him Wednesday at the end of the audience. He held their hands as they wept, blessed them and said he had spoken about the plight of the soldiers with Cardinal Konrad Krajewski, whom he has dispatched to Ukraine. Verzilov told Francis that time was running out for the troops in the Azovstal mill. We feel that if some emergency intervention does not happen in the next few days it will end in a big tragedy, Verzilov told The Associated Press afterward. He said Francis said he was aware of the standoff. He understands how tragic it is and will do what he can. The United Nations and the International Committee of the Red Cross have organized a series of evacuations of civilians from the mill, which had sheltered hundreds of people in its warren of underground tunnels and bunkers. But soldiers, and apparently some of their family members, have stayed behind. Verzilov, the Russian activist and a publisher of independent news site Mediazona, said Turkey has been trying to seek a resolution to the standoff, but that none had been found. Our soldiers are ready to be evacuated to a third country. They are ready to lay down their arms in case of evacuation to a third country, Propkopenko told journalists after the brief meeting. We all are ready to help them I hope. Fedusiuk said her husband had recently asked her to research how to survive without water. Water is running out. They have no food, no water, no medicine, she said. They are dying every day. Every day one or two injured soldiers are dying. She said she understood some civilians, who were relatives of the soldiers, remained in the mill because they feared they would be identified at Russian-run filtration camps along the evacuation route and wouldnt be allowed to enter Ukrainian territory. ___ Trisha Thomas contributed to this report. ___ Follow the APs coverage of the war at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine WASHINGTON The Senate fell far short Wednesday in a rushed effort toward enshrining Roe v. Wade abortion access as federal law, blocked by a Republican filibuster in a blunt display of the nations partisan divide over the landmark court decision and the limits of legislative action. The almost party-line tally promises to be just the first of several efforts in Congress to preserve the nearly 50-year-old court ruling, which declares a constitutional right to abortion services but is at serious risk of being overturned this summer by a conservative Supreme Court. President Joe Biden said that Republicans have chosen to stand in the way of Americans rights to make the most personal decisions about their own bodies, families and lives. Biden urged voters to elect more abortion-rights lawmakers in November and pledged in the meantime to explore other ways to secure the rights established in Roe. For now, his partys slim majority proved unable to overcome the filibuster led by Republicans, who have been working for decades to install conservative Supreme Court justices and end Roe v. Wade. The vote was 51-49 against proceeding, with 60 votes needed to move ahead. Congress has battled for years over abortion policy, but the Wednesday vote to take up a House-passed bill was given new urgency after the disclosure of a draft Supreme Court opinion to overturn the Roe decision that many had believed to be settled law. The outcome of the conservative-majority courts actual ruling, expected this summer, is sure to reverberate around the country and on the campaign trail ahead of the fall midterm elections that will determine which party controls Congress. Security was tight at the Capitol where Vice President Kamala Harris presided, and it has been bolstered across the street at the Supreme Court after protesters turned out in force last week following the leaked draft. Scores of House Democratic lawmakers marched protest-style to the Senate and briefly watched from the visitor galleries. Harris can provide a tie-breaking vote in the 50-50 split Senate, but that was beside the point on Wednesday. One conservative Democrat, Joe Manchin of West Virginia, voted with the Republicans, saying he supported keeping Roe v. Wade but believed the current bill was too broad. The Senate is not where the majority of Americans are on this issue, Harris said afterward. Over several days, Democratic senators delivered speeches contending that undoing abortion access would mean great harm, not only for women but for all Americans planning families and futures. Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto, D-Nev., said that most American women have only known a world where abortion access was guaranteed but could face a future with fewer rights than their mothers or grandmothers. That means women will not have the same control over their lives and bodies as men do, and thats wrong, she said in the run-up to Wednesdays vote. Few Republican senators spoke in favor of ending abortion access, but they embraced the filibuster to block the bill from advancing. Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell, an architect of the effort to install conservative justices on the Supreme Court including three during the Trump era has sought to downplay the outcome of any potential changes in federal abortion policy. This issue will be dealt with at the state level, McConnell said. Some other Republicans, including Sen. John Thune of South Dakota, argue that the House-passed bill is more extreme than Roe, and would expand abortion access beyond what is already the law. About half the states already have approved laws that would further restrict or ban abortions, including some trigger laws that would take effect once the court rules. Polls show that most Americans want to preserve access to abortion in the earlier stages of pregnancy, but views are more nuanced and mixed when it comes to later-term abortions. The draft court ruling on a case from Mississippi suggested the majority of conservative justices are prepared to end the federal right to abortion, leaving it to the states to decide. Whatever the Supreme Court says this summer, it will almost guarantee a new phase of political fighting in Congress over abortion policy, filibuster rules and the most basic rights to health care, privacy and protecting the unborn. In recent years, abortion debates have come to a political draw in Congress. Bills would come up for votes to expand or limit services only to fail along party lines or be stripped out of broader legislative packages. In the House, where Democrats have the majority, lawmakers approved the abortion-rights Womens Health Protection Act last year on a largely party line vote after the Supreme Court first signaled it was considering the issue by allowing a Texas laws ban to take effect. But the bill has languished in the Senate, evenly split with bare Democratic control because of Harris ability to cast a tie-braking vote. Wednesdays failure renewed calls to change Senate rules to do away with the high-bar filibuster threshold, at least on this issue. The two Republican senators who support abortion access Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, who faces her own reelection in November, and Susan Collins of Maine were also no votes, having proposed their own more tailored approach to counter the Supreme Courts potential action. Both of the Republican senators, who voted to confirm most of former President Donald Trumps justices, are in talks over alternatives. But Democrats have largely panned the Collins-Murkowski effort as insufficient I plan to continue working with my colleagues on legislation to maintain not expand or restrict the current legal framework for abortion rights in this country, Collins said in a statement. Pressure is building on those two senators to join most Democrats in changing the filibuster rules, but that appears unlikely. Five years ago, it was McConnell who changed Senate rules to selectively do away with the filibuster to confirm Trumps justices after blocking Barack Obamas choice of Merrick Garland to fill a Supreme Court vacancy at the start of the 2016 presidential campaign, leaving the seat open for Trump to fill after he won the White House. Both parties face enormous pressure to convince voters they are doing all they can the Democrats working to preserve abortion access, the Republicans to limit or end it with the fall elections coming up. The congressional campaign committees are fundraising off the abortion issue, and working furiously to energize voters who are already primed to engage. Associated Press writers Farnoush Amiri, Alan Fram, Mary Clare Jalonick, Kevin Freking and Darlene Superville in Washington and David Sharp in Maine contributed to this report. As the uproar over Elon Musks $44 billion buyout of Twitter reaches a crescendo, another Musk drama, still chaotic four years after it began, has been back in court. Ironically, that spectacle started with a Musk tweet about doing an audacious deal. Then, with Wall Street awaiting his next move, the Tesla CEO changed directions, admitting that his plan to buy all the electric car makers stock might be too much trouble. As regulators prepared to sue the billionaire for defrauding investors, he pondered his position in the corporate universe in a livestreamed interview while puffing on pot. The episode made for a confounding, but now familiar, study in both Musks manic ambition and his delight in contradiction. Its no wonder then that, as the worlds richest man pursues a Twitter takeover described by one investment firm as veering from comical to surreal, even those whove watched him for years remain flummoxed about what he has up his sleeve. This is a guy whos more transparent than 99.99 percent of other CEOs and yet hes harder to predict because he has the confidence to be able to publicly change his mind, said Erik Gordon, a University of Michigan business and law professor. Would Musk be more successful if he toned it down? I think the answer is no, because he wouldnt be Musk. This week Musk is again keeping people guessing. First he embraced a European measure to keep hate speech and misinformation off social media. Less than 24 hours later, he announced that hed reverse Twitters ban of former President Donald Trump, who was kicked off the platform for inciting violence. Meanwhile, doubt remains about whether Musk will even go through with the deal. He could still walk away by paying Twitter a $1 billion termination fee, a huge figure yet a fraction of his total fortune. But if the 50-year-old Musks gambit has made anything clear its that he thrives on contradiction. Musk boasts that hes acquiring Twitter to defend freedom of speech. But he has long used the platform to attack perceived foes who dare to disagree with him. He is supremely confident in his own judgment and abilities. But he has openly acknowledged vulnerabilities, disclosing his angst over a breakup in a 2017 interview with Rolling Stone and telling a Saturday Night Live audience last year that he was the shows first host with Aspergers syndrome. Hes a brilliant visionary, widely admired for reimagining what a car can be, not to mention his ventures in rocket travel, solar energy, computerized brain implants and constructing a network of underground tunnels. But his apparent joy in trashing the conventions of corporate behavior has alienated analysts, regulators, employees and others unsure what to make of him. Even Musk seems to get that many people dont get him. I dont think youd necessarily want to be me, he told podcaster Joe Rogan in the 2018 interview during which the CEO, wearing an Occupy Mars T-shirt, took a drag on a blunt stuffed with tobacco and marijuana. I think people wouldnt like it that much. Its very hard to turn it off. That combination of intellect, will and the power of enormous wealth thrill some and scare others. Either way, Musk whose 92 million followers on Twitter rivals uber celebrities like Taylor Swift and Lady Gaga is impossible to ignore. Hes the poster child for disruption, said Benjamin Breier, the former CEO of Kindred Health Care and author of a book about unconventional corporate leadership. Born in South Africa, Musk has been something of an outlier since childhood, teaching himself computer programming at 10, according to a 2015 biography by journalist Ashlee Vance. Two years later he pocketed $500 from the sale of a video game he created that had users shoot down alien spacecraft. He left Pretoria at 16 for his mothers native Canada before moving to the U.S. on a student visa. At 24 he dropped out of Stanford after two days in its Ph.D. physics program to try his luck in the 1990s dot-com boom. Together with brother Kimbal, he launched Zip2, an online business directory. Short on cash, Musk did all the coding, squatting in a small office whose landlord was out of the country. The brothers slept on a futon in turn, showering at a YMCA and living on food from a 24-hour Jack-in-the-Box, they told a group of admirers during a 2020 discussion available on YouTube. A year later, a venture capital firm agreed to back the business and eventually Zip2 was sold to Compaq for $307 million. Musk used his share of the profits to found what would become the PayPal online payment business. That sold to eBay in 2002 for $1.5 billion. After that, he thought, well, should he do space research or solar energy or electric cars? his mother, Maye Musk, recalled during a 2021 appearance on CBS This Morning. I said just choose one, and of course he didnt listen to me. Musk, fascinated by rockets since childhood, founded Space Exploration Technologies, better known as SpaceX, to develop cost-effective reusable rockets. Two years later he was courted to invest in a startup called Tesla. But he soon clashed with co-founder Martin Eberhard, who recalls Musk as craving attention and anxious to claim credit as a visionary. Every time there was an article that didnt feature him, he blew a gasket, Eberhard, who sued Musk and Tesla after he was ousted from the CEOs post, said during a 2018 interview with the AP. As you can see from his personality right now, hes very interested in the limelight. On Twitter, Musk recently called Eberhard a liar. As Teslas chairman, Musk could be incredibly demanding, pushing employees to meet goals many considered impossible, said Gene Berdichevsky, the battery engineer on the companys first production vehicle. Some ideas failed despite exhaustive efforts. But those that proved correct ended up changing the world, he said. Musk is likely to be just as unrelenting at Twitter, said Berdichevsky, who now leads a company developing new types of battery chemistry. There will be immense pressure on the management team, he said. They will be asked to do things that they dont necessarily think are reasonable. Some of them will not be reasonable and others will completely transform things. Keith Rabois, a venture capitalist who worked with Musk at PayPal, said such idiosyncrasies are not unusual among people whose ideas upend the status quo. Elon on his worst day is probably 100 times more effective than anybody else in America, Rabois said in a 2018 interview with AP. Musks creative energy, though, is intertwined with a penchant for erratic behavior. That was spotlighted in 2018, as Tesla struggled to ramp up production of its Model 3 sedan. Inside its California factory, Musk berated engineers for delays and defects before acknowledging that his overreliance on automation was the source of many of the problems. Meanwhile, he scolded analysts for asking boring, bonehead questions about Teslas ability to deliver. Then Musk tweeted out of the blue that he was considering taking Tesla private and had secured the financing. Teslas stock soared before he backtracked and the Securities and Exchange Commission sued him for defrauding investors. Musk and Tesla ended up paying fines of $20 million each and agreeing that any tweets potentially affecting the stock price be reviewed by a Tesla lawyer. Musk dismisses the fine, but bridles at the restriction. Late last month a federal judge rejected his contention that the settlement violates his right to free speech. The prolonged battle with the SEC reflects Musks disdain for public officials who challenge him. In 2020 he tangled with health officials who limited staffing at the California factory to prevent the spread of COVID, calling stay-at-home orders fascist. This year he clashed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration over a recall of so-called Full Self-Driving vehicles programmed to roll through stop signs at low speed if there was no crossing traffic. Lawyers answering to Musk have lashed out at California officials, painting them as bullies for a lawsuit accusing Tesla of rampant racial discrimination at its plant. Musk seems to relish taunting regulators, calling the SEC the Shortseller Enrichment Commission and worse. You have a guy who probably has an unmeasurable IQ and who also is a little bit of a fifth grader who says something in class that he knows will get him sent to the principals office, and delights in doing so, said Gordon, the Michigan professor. But the pushback against the SEC is about more than ego. It also spotlights the way Musk has latched on to Twitter to express his personal and corporate identity. Musk, whose account has the sixth-highest number of followers, has posted more than 17,000 times, according to Socialtracker, often long after the workday is over. Hes suggested that some of those tweets are composed under the influence of red wine, vintage records and the sleeping pill Ambien. Some people use their hair to express themselves, hes said. I use Twitter. Musk and his fans, though, also use the platform to go after those seen as adversaries. Days before agreeing to buy Twitter, Musk tweeted a photo of Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates, using a crude sexual term to make fun of his belly. That was relatively mild. A San Francisco short seller who questioned Musks leadership of Tesla has alleged that the CEO and one of his acolytes, Omar Qazi, were responsible for a series of tweets insulting him and falsely asserting he had been arrested for child abduction. The diatribes were part of a campaign of 80,000 coordinated tweets praising Tesla and attacking its critics, according to the lawsuit filed by investor Aaron Greenspan, who runs a legal document website. Qazi called the allegations absurd, in an email. In court papers, Tesla lawyers have dismissed the charges of a Musk-led Twitter mob as conspiracy theories. But a recent Musk tweet critical of a top Twitter executive was followed by a flood of racist and misogynistic attacks by trolls backing the CEO. Musk did not respond to an interview request for this story. But speaking briefly with AP at New Yorks Met Gala, he reiterated his pledge to rid Twitter of spam bots and trolls spreading junk messages online. Thats obviously diminishing the user experience, Musk said. Im on the warpath, so if somebody is operating a bot and troll army, then Im definitely their enemy. But a University of Maryland researcher recently concluded that such bots have been used to generate hundreds of thousands of positive tweets about Tesla, potentially buoying its stock in years when it was under pressure. Neither the company nor its supporters has taken responsibility for those bots. But Musk has said that for real people who use Twitter, most anything is fair game. Twitters a war zone, he said in a 2018 interview with 60 Minutes. If somebodys gonna jump in the warzone, its like, Okay, youre in the arena. Lets go. Statements like that raise numerous questions about how Twitter would change with him in charge. Musk, worth about $240 billion, appears to believe that pressure to produce profits is responsible for Twitters efforts to curb hateful speech and misinformation that alienate advertisers. As a private company, Twitter would answer only to Musk and the targets he sets, focusing less on profit and instead on opening itself to more voices, said Eric Talley, a Columbia Law School professor specializing in corporate finance. That sounds to many like a worthy idea. But Twitters reliance on advertising was the impetus for its efforts to detect and cap extremism and misinformation, said Angelo Carusone of Media Matters, a watchdog group. Without that pressure, Musk seems set on reshaping a platform he says has shifted too far left after banishing Trump and others. But for all Musks confidence, he risks running afoul of Apple and Google, which power most of the worlds smartphones. Both have stringent policies against misinformation, hate speech and other misconduct, previously enforced to boot apps like the social media platform Parler from their devices. This could turn into one of those moments where you have an unstoppable force coming up against two immovable objects, said Carusone, who admitted concern about how the tech giants might apply their standards. Musk, who waxes about preserving Twitter as the public square of the internet, hasnt addressed what hed do if his efforts to open it to more voices wind up jeopardizing its accessibility. Then again, the billionaire has never been one to shy away from a contradiction. ___ AP writer Barbara Ortutay contributed to this report from San Francisco. Krisher reported from Detroit; Liedtke from San Francisco. FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. A first-of-its-kind federal study of Native American boarding schools that for over a century sought to assimilate Indigenous children into white society has identified more than 500 student deaths at the institutions, but officials expect that figure to grow exponentially as research continues. The Interior Department report released Wednesday expands to more than 400 the number of schools that were established or supported by the U.S. government, starting in the early 19th century and continuing in some cases until the late 1960s. The agency identified the deaths in records for about 20 of the schools. The dark history of Native American boarding schools where children were forced from their families, prohibited from speaking their languages and often abused has been felt deeply across Indian Country and through generations. Many children never returned home, and the Interior Department said that with further investigation the number of known student deaths could climb to the thousands or even tens of thousands. Causes included disease, accidental injuries and abuse. Each of those children is a missing family member, a person who was not able to live out their purpose on this Earth because they lost their lives as part of this terrible system, said Interior Secretary Deb Haaland, whose paternal grandparents were sent to boarding school for several years. The agency is in the process of poring through thousands of boxes containing more than 98 million pages of records, with help from many Indigenous people who have had to work through their own trauma and pain. Accounting for the number of deaths will be difficult because records werent always kept. A second volume of the report will cover burial sites as well as the federal governments financial investment in the schools and the impacts of the boarding schools on Indigenous communities, the Interior Department said. It has so far identified at least 53 burial sites at or near boarding schools, not all of which have marked graves. Tribal leaders have pressed the agency to ensure that any childrens remains are properly cared for and returned to their tribes, if desired. To prevent them from being disturbed, the burial sites locations will not be publicly released, said Bryan Newland, the Interior Departments assistant secretary for Indian Affairs. At a news conference Wednesday, Haaland choked back tears as she described how the boarding school era perpetuated poverty, mental health disorders, substance abuse and premature deaths in Indigenous communities. Recognizing the impacts of the federal Indian boarding school system cannot just be a historical reckoning, she said. We must also chart a path forward to deal with these legacy issues. Haaland, who is Laguna, announced an initiative last June to investigate the schools troubled legacy and uncover the truth about the governments role in them. The 408 schools her agency identified operated in 37 states or territories, many of them in Oklahoma, Arizona and New Mexico. Others who spoke included Deborah Parker, chief executive of the National Native American Boarding School Healing Coalition, who tearfully recalled stories of a boarding school on the Tulalip reservation, where shes from in Washington state. The school had a small jail cell and a basement where at least one girl routinely was chained to a heater and beaten, she said. Others hid to shield themselves from abuse. I am concerned when we begin to open these doors for our boarding school survivors to come forward and share their stories, Parker said. Basil Brave Heart attended Holy Rosary Mission in Pine Ridge, South Dakota, in the 1940s. He called having his hair cut by older students a divide and conquer strategy that made Native children take part in their own cultural destruction. He was prohibited from practicing Lakota spiritual traditions and speaking his language that he said has a spiritual resonance not easily translated into English. Taking our language away is huge, he said Wednesday. It goes to our identity. The Interior Department acknowledged the number of schools identified could change as more data is gathered. The coronavirus pandemic and budget restrictions hindered some of the research over the past year, said Newland, a citizen of the Bay Mills Indian Community. The U.S. government directly ran some of the boarding schools. Catholic, Protestant and other churches operated others with federal funding, backed by U.S. laws and policies to civilize Native Americans. The federal government still oversees more than 180 schools in nearly two dozen states that serve Native Americans, but the schools missions are vastly different from the past. The Interior Department report was prompted by the discovery of hundreds of unmarked graves at former residential school sites in Canada that brought back painful memories for Indigenous communities. Haaland also announced Wednesday a yearlong tour for Interior Department officials that will allow former boarding school students from Native American tribes, Alaska Native villages and Native Hawaiian communities to share their stories as part of a permanent oral history collection. The conditions at boarding and residential schools varied across the U.S. and Canada. While some former students have reported positive experiences, children at the schools often were subject to military-style discipline. James LaBelle Sr., who is Inupiaq, said he attended to two federal boarding schools where he learned about European and American history and language, math and science but nothing about Indigenous cultures and traditions. I came out not knowing who I was, he said. The boarding school coalition, which created an early inventory of the schools and shared its research with the Interior Department, praised Interiors work but noted the agencys scope is limited. The coalition has identified about 90 other boarding schools that fall outside the federal governments criteria. A U.S. House subcommittee on Thursday will hear testimony on a bill to create a truth and healing commission modeled after one in Canada. Parker said its important in revealing a fuller truth about what happened to Native children. Our children deserve to be found, she said. Our children deserve to be brought home. We are here for their justice. And we will not stop advocating until the United States fully accounts for the genocide committed against Native children. ___ Fonseca is a member of the APs Race and Ethnicity team. Follow her on Twitter at https://twitter.com/FonsecaAP. Associated Press writer Peter Smith in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, contributed to this report. A federal judge scheduled a trial next year for a far-right internet troll after the man, known to his social media followers as Baked Alaska, balked at pleading guilty on Wednesday to a criminal charge stemming from the U.S. Capitol riot. U.S. District Judge Emmet Sullivan refused to accept a guilty plea by Anthime Gionet after he professed his innocence at the start of what was scheduled to be a plea agreement hearing. Instead, the judge set a March 2023 trial date for Gionet, who is charged with a misdemeanor count of parading, demonstrating or picketing inside a Capitol building. If he wants a trial, hell get a fair trial, Sullivan said. After privately conferring with Gionets lawyers, Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth Aloi said prosecutors would leave the plea offer open for 60 days. The judge scheduled a July 22 status hearing for the case. Gionet would have faced a maximum sentence of six months imprisonment if he had pleaded guilty to the misdemeanor. During the riot on Jan. 6, 2021, Gionet streamed live video that showed himself inside the Capitol and repeatedly encouraging other rioters to stay there. He joined others in chanting, Patriots are in control and Whose house? Our house! Before leaving, he profanely called a police officer an oathbreaker, the FBI said. Gionet told the judge that he wanted a trial but claimed prosecutors had threatened to hit him with an additional felony charge. So I think this is probably the better route, he added. Are you pleading guilty because youre guilty? Sullivan asked. I believe Im innocent, your honor, Gionet replied. I cant take your plea of guilty if you tell me youre innocent, the judge said. Aloi said prosecutors never threatened to charge Gionet with a felony if he didnt take the plea deal. We did say that the case would continue to be investigated and where the facts led is where the charges would ultimately lead, she said. I accept that representation, the judge said. Your office has proceeded in a very honorable manner. Gionets lawyer has claimed he only went to Washington, D.C., to document what happened that day. Prosecutors disputed Gionets contention that he is a member of the news media. Other riot defendants have argued that they merely went to the Capitol as journalists to document what happened on Jan. 6. Infowars host Jonathan Owen Shroyer has asked a judge to throw out his riot charges, accusing prosecutors of trampling on his First Amendment rights to protest, speak freely and report the news. Federal authorities have used Gionets video to prosecute other rioters, including three men from New York City. Antonio Ferrigno, Francis Connor and Anton Lunyk pleaded guilty on April 28 to riot-related charges. Gionets livestream showed them in Sen. Jeff Merkleys office, according to court filings accompanying their plea agreements. Gionet was arrested in Houston less than two weeks after the riot. He has moved from Arizona to Florida since his arrest. Gionet, who grew up in Anchorage, Alaska, used social media to build a following in far-right political circles. He became known for posting videos in which he attempts to troll or pull pranks on his targets He was scheduled to speak at the white nationalist Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, before it erupted in violence and bloodshed in 2017. BuzzFeed, where Gionet once worked, reported that Twitter permanently banned him from its platform after the Charlottesville rally. In January, Gionet was sentenced to 30 days in jail for misdemeanor convictions stemming from a December 2020 encounter in which authorities say he shot pepper spray at an employee at a bar in Scottsdale, Arizona. More than 790 people have been charged with federal crimes related to the Capitol riot. Over 280 of them have pleaded guilty, mostly to misdemeanors, and over 170 have been sentenced. Approximately 100 others have trial dates. WASHINGTON Democrats on the House Natural Resources Committee asked the Justice Department on Wednesday to investigate whether a Trump administration interior secretary engaged in possible criminal conduct while helping an Arizona developer get a crucial permit for a housing project. The criminal referral says David Bernhardt pushed for approval of the project by developer Michael Ingram, a Republican donor and supporter of former President Donald Trump, despite a federal wildlife officials finding that it would threaten habitats for imperiled species. Bernhardt led Interior from 2019 to 2021. In 2017, he was the No. 2 official at the department when the Fish and Wildlife Service, an Interior Department agency, reversed its opposition to the Villages at Vigneto, the proposed 28,000-home development in southern Arizona, and allowed it to move forward. Democrat Reps. Raul Grijalva of Arizona, the committee chairman, and Katie Porter of California, who leads a subcommittee on oversight and investigations, made the referral in a letter to Attorney General Merrick Garland. They said the committee has conducted an extensive investigation into the circumstances surrounding the 2017 decision. A high-ranking interior official had said issuing a Clean Water Act permit for the project could adversely affect endangered species or critical habitat in the area. The region is home to birds such as as the southwestern willow flycatcher and yellow-billed cuckoo, as well as the northern Mexican garter snake. In their referral, Democrats say Ingram met with Bernhardt in August 2017, two weeks before a Fish and Wildlife official received the phone call directing him to reverse the decision blocking the project. The meeting was not disclosed in Bernhardts public calendar or travel documents. Two months later, Ingram made a $10,000 donation to the Trump Victory Fund. The permit was approved later that month. At least nine other donors associated with Ingram also donated to the Trump Victory Fund in the days after Ingrams donation, Democrats said. Evidence strongly suggests the decision was the result of a quid pro quo between Vignetos developer, Michael Ingram, and senior level officials in the Trump administration, including Bernhardt, who was then the deputy Interior secretary, the Democrats wrote. Ingram had frequent access to high-ranking officials across the Trump administration, including Bernhardt, then-Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke and then-Environmental Protection Agency head Scott Pruitt, Democrats said. Zinke, who led Interior from March 2017 to January 2019, met with Ingram in May 2017 and April 2018, the Democrats said in documents submitted with the referral. Zinke and his staff emailed Ingram multiple times, using personal email addresses, Democrats said. Bernhardt, now a lawyer in private practice, called the Democrats letter a pathetic attempt by career politicians to fabricate news. A Justice Department spokesman said the department received the letter and will review it. The lawmakers asked Garland to investigate and consider bringing criminal charges against Bernhardt or other officials. The findings of this investigation show us yet again that the previous administration cast career staff expertise aside while they handed out federal agency decisions to Trumps buddies and big donors on a pay-to-play basis, Grijalva said in a statement. Porter said that an exchange of money for a specific government action is the clearest form of corruption there is, and Americans Democrats, Republicans and independents share an understanding that this kind of quid pro quo erodes our democracy. Lanny Davis, a lawyer for El Dorado Holdings, a company owned by Ingram, called the referral by Grijalva and Porter false, misleading (and) unfair and said it used innuendo as a surrogate for fact. El Dorado participated in multiple meetings with the committee, acted in full transparency and gave full cooperation without a subpoena, Davis said in a statement. Even so, the company was denied the opportunity to rebut the allegations in the referral or even a chance to speak to Grijalva, Davis said. Unfortunately, the American people have been numbed and accustomed to political attacks that have little to do with the truth, and there needs to be bipartisan outrage when this occurs, added Davis, a prominent Democrat who was special counsel to former President Bill Clinton. Jennifer Rokala, executive director of the left-leaning Center for Western Priorities, called the allegations against Bernhardt extremely serious, adding that the Justice Department should launch a full investigation. We said all along that David Bernhardt was too compromised and too corrupt to be a cabinet secretary. This is damning evidence of a straight up pay-for-play favor, she said. ___ Associated Press writer Michael Balsamo contributed to this report. In life, there are those full circle moments. For Arlyn Broche it happened while on the set of the NBC series, Young Rock. It was 20 years ago when Broche met Dwayne The Rock Johnson and his then-wife Dany Garcia. Flash forward to today and Broche is portraying Garcia in the TV series. Ive had over 700 auditions over the span of my acting career, Broche says. When I read for the part, they used the name Gaby Diaz. After reading the script and understanding the dynamics, it was an exchange between Dany and Dwayne. Young Rock tells the story of Johnsons humble beginnings all the way until today, where he is a global superstar. The second season of Young Rock delves back into Johnsons life, continuing the storylines from Season 1, while also introducing new chapters we havent yet seen. As Johnson and his loving, resilient family face new challenges and meet new wild characters of professional wrestling, he contemplates embracing the grind of professional wrestling himself. The show explores the crazy rollercoaster that has shaped Johnson into the man he is today and the larger-than-life people hes met along the way. The series airs at 7 p.m. Tuesday, May 17, on NBC. The previous episodes can be streamed on Peacock and on NBC on demand. Broche has been a fan of Garcias since the two met. Dany is powerhouse with all the letters, Broche says. Shes a very impressive business person. But what I really love about her is her kindness and authenticity. When I did speak with her, she was like, Listen, I couldnt have picked a better person to be in the show. She was very reassuring and shes someone you want to have on your team. Shes a strong Latina and thats one part of why I identify with her. Filming for the series took place in Australia at Village Roadshow. It was the same place they filmed Aquaman, Broche says. It was surreal. I was in a totally different country. Watching the producers and directors and how well coordinated set was, it was great. The way they handled the COVID guidelines was impressive overall. Everyone from the cast including myself was flown out to the show. They really put it together and got it done. Born as the daughter of Cuban immigrants, the Miami native had acting in her blood, as her father was one of the biggest actors in Cuba. A gifted and creative child, she caught the acting bug at the age of 9, performing at an adult level as Juliet in Shakespeares classic play Romeo & Juliet. That was part of my gifted program, she says. I was playing Juliet and had no clue about what she was talking about. She attended Florida International University to major in business. One thing led to another, and she decided to change her major to healthcare administration, but after some time of working in the field felt she wasnt following her true passion and landed in FIUs journalism program to pursue a career as an on-camera talent and then on to the schools renowned theatre department where she was taking classes in voice, movement and stagecraft. Since then, Broche has challenged herself within acting. I look for roles that inspire me to step into that world and share a story that captivates and have audiences just say Wow, she says. I would love to work in a superhero movie or something like the world of Avatar. Though her dream is to create her own show. Where Im in front and behind the camera, she says. As her aspirations for her career continue to grow, she also finds time to be a mother and wife. I dont believe in balance, she says. When the career is doing well, other things get compromised. When Im focused and determined, its an all-in kind of thing. I have my eyes on the prize and everything else gets put back on the shelf for the moment and then I go back to it. If Im shooting on set for five or six months, then I dont see my family. But Im able to FaceTime with my kids. When Im home, I make sure I spend a lot of quality time with them. On TV Young Rock airs at 7 p.m. Tuesday, May 17 on NBC. It can also be streamed on demand and on Peacock. Happening, Audrey Diwans Golden Lion-winner at last years Venice Film Festival, is set in 1963 France but the period detail isnt prominent. Instead, its an abortion tale that feels as though it could it could take place in many places, long ago or today. Its filmed in square-like academy ratio and its as if the edges of the frame are closing in on Anne Duchesne (Anamaria Vartolomei), a smart literature student maybe even a brilliant one; we see her define anaphora without hesitation who is shocked when a doctor informs her that shes pregnant. This is 12 years before abortion would be legalized in France and Annes predicament is immediately urgent. Do something, she tells the doctor, who replies that its impossible, the law is unsparing. For Anne, her apparently first sexual encounter threatens to derail her life just as its getting started. She comes from a working class background. Her parents and most of all Anne, herself have high expectations for her. I want to continue my studies, she tells another doctor. Its essential for me. Films from Cristian Mungius 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days to Eliza Hittmans Never Sometimes Always Rarely have captured the human toll of systems that give women little choice when faced with an unwanted pregnancy. What distinguishes Happening, Diwans second feature film, is, overwhelmingly, her and Laurent Tangys tightly composed cinematography and Vartolomeis riveting, steely performance. To a remarkable degree, Happening is viscerally connected with its protagonist, closely detailing not just her navigation of social taboos and restrictions but capturing her unapologetic determination. Its a movie about abortion, yes, but its also a coming-of-age tale about a womans resolve. Happening is based on the 2001 memoir by celebrated French author Annie Ernaux, who framed her 60s experience as it was recalled decades later by sifting through old journals and memories. Diwans film has no such framework, instead preferring to stay rigorously close to Annes experience as its unfolding. Abortion is to even her friends an unspeakable subject; just the hint of promiscuity is enough to make her nearly an outcast. In one frightfully vulnerable scene, classmates confront her in the shower for being loose while they and she are naked. Its a fittingly staged scene because in Happening, theres no intimacy or pleasure for Annes body. Its a battleground. When shes asked for her reading of Louis Aragons Elsa at Her Mirror, Anne describes the poems war references. And she, too, is in a kind of war, with seemingly no one on her side, desperate for help or at least for some honesty. Anne grows increasingly isolated but also hardened and defiant. Diwan films her clinical encounters at length and, in a film where no one wants to say the truth out loud, Happening culminates in Anne holding back screams of pain because the walls are too thin. The menu at Tikka Hut, the new Indian fusion restaurant on Indian School, is both a travelogue and a history lesson. It tells of ancient trade routes between India, Africa and the Middle East, and the resultant culinary cross-pollination that influenced each regions cuisine. Its a place where falafel mingles with chutney, the pizza sauce carries a hint of curry and the African-style pili pili chicken is flavored with tikka spices. The culinary mashups on display here reflect the background of Hanif Mohamed, owner and operator of Tikka Huts two locations in Albuquerque. Mohamed grew up in Mombasa, an ancient port city on Kenyas Indian Ocean coast that was a regular stop for Arab and Indian traders. He constructed Tikka Huts menu with chef Dennis Apodaca, formerly of Sophies Place, partly to demonstrate the Islamic influence on Indian cuisine. There are no curries on the menu, but the addictive spicy tomato sauce that underpins many of the dishes starts out that way before tomatoes are added at the last minute. Mohamed and Apodaca launched the first Tikka Hut last year at One Central, the massive mixed-use complex that stands at the east end of Downtown like a drydocked ocean liner. That location reopened recently after COVID forced a temporary closure. The Indian School spinoff debuted earlier this year in a building that originally housed an auto shop and gas station. Vestiges of the buildings original profile remain, like the outline of the two bay doors in front and the restrooms located on the side. A spacious parking lot encircles the building and a shaded patio wraps around one corner. The dining area runs narrowly along the front side of the restaurant; the back side is given over to a large open kitchen dominated by the pizza ovens from former tenant Da Vincis Gourmet Pizza. A complimentary chips-and-salsa/chutney bar provides a preview of the cross-cultural experience to come. Alongside the familiar salsa fresca are two chutneys: a fiery red one and a minty, vinegary green version. Next to the chips stands a self-serve machine that dispenses two varieties of aguas frescas. A bowl of hummus ($5.69) served with pita triangles typifies Tikka Huts mix of the familiar and inventive. The silky texture and balance of garlic and nutty tahini is what you expect in a good hummus; the jolt of acid delivered by a pile of pickled cauliflower and the crunch from fried chickpeas sprinkled on top are a welcome surprise. The same inventiveness turns up in a serving of Falafel ($5), three ground chickpea balls crisp and walnut-brown on the outside, vivid green and herbaceous on the inside. Tahini sauce is the common option with falafel, but Tikka Huts version matches it with two chutneys that sharpened the dull flavor of the fritters. The chutneys also boosted a serving of Pakoras ($6.99), a popular Indian street food made with veggies dipped in chickpea batter and fried. The onion version presented beefy slices of onion in a crisp yet airy coating, with little spurs of fried dough to hold onto when dipping into the chutneys underneath. The plates here encourage sharing. Pili Pili Chicken ($8.99-$19.99), a dish of Portuguese-African origin thats also called peri peri or piri piri, arrived chopped up on a tray with pita triangles, pickles and garlic sauce. The chicken is marinated in tikka spice, garlic, ginger and green chile, and then roasted and finished on the grill. It comes out with an almost blackened skin. The meat was moist and garlicky, and the spice rub left my tongue tingling. Tikka Hut serves up a hefty pizza pies in 12- and 16-inch versions ($13.99-$19.99). You can also get them by the slice ($3.75-$5.25). Our meat version sported a crackling, bubbled rim browned from the oven. There was good balance between the cheese and a tomato sauce considerably more complex and spicier than your average marinara. The toppings of chicken tikka, beef kebobs and braised leg of lamb were excellent. Of note was the juicy and falling-apart tender lamb. Tikka Hut also offers a variety of kebobs priced from $11.99 to $13.99. The proteins are also available in rolls, bowls, tacos and tostadas. Leaving the dining room takes you past of display case of ice creams that Mohamed calls kulatos, a hybrid of gelato and kulfi, the Indian frozen dessert. Mohamed told me he harbored bad memories of eating almost impenetrably dense kulfi as a child, and with the kulatos he has exorcized those demons. The ice cream is as light as soft serve but even creamier and the flavors, including French vanilla and dulce de leche, are intense. My favorite was the mango. Youll regret it if you dont take some home. Many of the items are gluten-free, including the pili pili chicken. There are vegetarian and halal options too. Mohamed has applied for a liquor license and hopes to be serving beer and wine within a month. Tikka Huts mix of cuisines is unlike any other restaurant in the city. Almost everything is made in house and, more importantly, made well. It deserves to be noticed. Adidas introduces its latest dedicated yoga offering, the adidas Yoga Make Space Collection. Featuring versatile pieces designed to support through the full breadth of yoga practice and conditions, the new range is inspired by the elements Fire, Earth, Wind, Water made in part with recycled materials. The campaign celebrates how and why athlete, partners from different sporting, cultural, and artistic backgrounds make space for yoga. A practice which dates back centuries and has a rich heritage rooted in spirituality, yoga may offer benefits for the body and mind, underlining why its popularity continues to soar. Knowing the value that being on the mat brings to different individuals, and the diverse ways in which they practice, the collection offers designs suitable for an assortment of yoga spaces and conditions, whether this be in the studio, out in open air or near the water. Fusing high performance with stylish design, the Yoga Make Space Collection includes apparel and accessories for women and men. adidas latest material innovations, made in part with recycled materials to support its mission to help end plastic waste. Tailored to the different elements, key pieces include: Womens: Fire: Designed for the demands of fiery yoga practices, the Yoga 4 Elements Onesie provides a second skin feel, with an AEROREADY ribbed material that embraces the body and moves with the athlete through each pose. Built with a longer front zipper, for easier removal, as well as racer back finish, gives added comfort following a powerful session. Designed for the demands of fiery yoga practices, the provides a second skin feel, with an AEROREADY ribbed material that embraces the body and moves with the athlete through each pose. Built with a longer front zipper, for easier removal, as well as racer back finish, gives added comfort following a powerful session. Water: Inspired by swimwear, the Yoga 4 Elements Top and Shorts offers all round practicality for yoga practices near the water. The built-in panels under the arms and bonded leg openings provide more freedom of movement, whilst the AEROREADY material helps manage moisture, to ensure comfort remains at the core during and between every posture. Inspired by swimwear, the offers all round practicality for yoga practices near the water. The built-in panels under the arms and bonded leg openings provide more freedom of movement, whilst the AEROREADY material helps manage moisture, to ensure comfort remains at the core during and between every posture. Wind: Aiding unrestricted movement, the Versatile 4 Elements Windbreaker also features adidas WIND.RDY and gathered wrist cuffs to better protect against conditions, including the cold. The toggles and puller around the neck allow for more control over desired fit, whilst the vent included on the back provides breathability whilst practicing. Aiding unrestricted movement, the also features adidas WIND.RDY and gathered wrist cuffs to better protect against conditions, including the cold. The toggles and puller around the neck allow for more control over desired fit, whilst the vent included on the back provides breathability whilst practicing. Earth: Created for a grounding and distraction free yoga practice, the Yoga Studio Light Support 4 Elements 3S Braand Yoga 4 Elements 7/8 Tights offer a minimalistic and natural look, where style is not compromised. The bra strap adjustability at the front allows alterations and fit to be optimised whilst wearing, with the tights soft and sleek finish creating a smooth sensation against the skin. Mens: Earth: The Mens Yoga Tank Tee and Pant feature minimal detailing for a clean look and feel. The dropped arm holes and racer back on the Tank Tee provide greater freedom of movement whilst the pants side pockets feature a concealed zipper to ensure comfort remains at the fore during every move. The feature minimal detailing for a clean look and feel. The dropped arm holes and racer back on the Tank Tee provide greater freedom of movement whilst the pants side pockets feature a concealed zipper to ensure comfort remains at the fore during every move. Water:The Mens Yoga Tee and Shorts feature matching side seam designs to mimic the visual flow during yoga movements. The mesh side panels on the tee allow added stretch whilst the AEROREADY fabric in both garments keeps you feeling comfortable longer. To further illustrate the different motivations behind practicing yoga, adidas has collaborated with Deepika Padukone, an avid yoga practitioner isand will be the face of the campaign and will be seen representing it across adidas stores globally. Speaking about the significance of yoga in her life, global Indian actor Deepika Padukone shared: I started practicing yoga with consistency about two years ago after what felt like a deep inner calling. The beauty of yoga, apart from its numerous benefits, is that you can practice it in absolutely any space, in any part of the world. All you need is your mind and your body. I have, over the years, been exposed to many different types of workouts, exercises and practices, however it is practising yoga that makes me feel the most centered, balanced and grounded. Speaking on the launch adidas, Senior Brand Director, Sunil Gupta said "Inspired by the elements, our yoga collection offers designs suitable for an assortment of yoga spaces and conditions. Through our global campaign we hope to inspire more people to make space for yoga in their lives. ASUS India, a Taiwanese tech giant, is launching a new brand campaign #MySPACEstory ahead of their most awaited launch to celebrate 25 years SPACE Journey innovation. The campaign narrates childhood stories of different artists who took inspiration from SPACE to get the best out of them! 25 years ago, ASUS was one of the 1st OEMs to send their first laptop (P6300) into space. After more than 2 decades, ASUS is commemorating their Incredible feat with this campaign while taking inspiration from SPACE to make them the best version of themselves. Talking about the campaign, Arnold Su, Business Head, Consumer and Gaming PC, System Business Group, ASUS India, said, Our journey to space has profound insights and mix of intangible emotions, excitement, and admiration. When we started our journey, we envisioned ourselves to be the pioneer of technology and innovation in the PC Industry. We were one of the first to send our laptop for an important mission to space. Today after so many years and tons of evolution we present to you what a modern-day laptop would look and feel like. We designed this campaign with the objective to include our customers as a part of this innovative revolution and celebration by encouraging them to share their SPACE stories of inspiration and motivation alongside the launch of our latest consumer notebook lineup. For scientists, space is a magnificent "playground" - an endless source of information and learning. Curiosity has had a significant influence on the human species evolution. ASUS is urging people to share their space tales and how they were inspired to beat yesterday through this campaign. In association with leading influencers, LaxmiPilot- the pilot who brought home stranded Indians during the pandemic, Content Creators like Nicole Concessao, Ganesh Vanare, and popular tech media curator, Beebom. Speaking on the campaign, Nicole Concessao, shared I never realized that my studio SPACE will have such an impact on my life. Dance has always been the medium to express myself to the fullest and with Zenbook Space Edition it's ASUSs way to express their technology prowess in consumer laptops. Ganesh Vanare, further added SPACE to me means anything and everything that tells a story. Capturing moments amidst chaos has always given me that Adrenaline rush. ASUS's latest campaign will encourage people to recall a time in their childhood when they gazed out into different SPACES and aspired to reach their goals. ASUS was inspired by SPACE 25 years ago to take risks and experiment which has lasted for more than 2 decades by building the best laptop for consumers, equipped with cutting-edge technology and the latest innovations. Celebrating the legacy ASUS has an exciting lineup 2022 lineup of Zenbook Space Edition, Zenbook 14 and VivoBook S to be announced on 12th May 2022. To raise awareness on important womens health issues around Anaemia, Breastfeeding and Menstruation, pharma major Emcure Pharmaceuticals has launched the EmWocal initiative. It is an awareness campaign that has been launched in association with the Federation of Obstetrics and Gynaecologists of India (FOGSI). Harnessing technologies like Augmented Reality (AR) and personal digital assistant, the initiative aims to reach 1 crore women across India. EmWocal campaign will be live in nine Indian languages (Hindi, English, Odia, Marathi, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam and Bengali). At the core of the EmWocal campaign will be smart kiosks displaying QR codes, and thoughtfully installed at the waiting areas of hospitals and clinics. This is to make sure that the long waiting time to see the doctors can be well utilised by visiting patients in educating themselves. Women scanning the QR code will be guided on to Augmented Reality (AR) videos, Frequently Asked Questions and chat with a personal digital assistant among others. Patients will also be asked to partake in the digital interaction related to their basic health and lifestyles. The nudges provided by the personal health assistant during the AR journey will help patients discuss their problems with doctors and in turn help doctors having better informed patients. As per Indias fifth National Family Health Survey (2019-2021), the prevalence of anaemia in females aged 15-19 years is a whopping 59.1 per cent whereas that among pregnant women aged up to 49 years of age was 52.2%. Through digitally accessible information and informative videos, EmWocal campaign will raise awareness about anaemia and prompt women to take appropriate actions to deal with this. While the benefits of breastfeeding for the child are widely discussed, the EmWocal campaign will drive understanding on the significance and benefits for the mothers health. EmWocals third awareness area is menstrual health. Menstruation is still considered a taboo in India with multiple misconceptions which need to be changed. Pratin Vete, President - India Business, Emcure Pharmaceuticals said, Issues related to womens health are still widely associated with irrational taboos. This leads to lack of awareness, and in turn affects the health of most women. It gives us a great satisfaction to launch EmWocal, a long needed initiative to help women deal with their health issues through easily available and medically verified information. The best thing about this initiative is that it is personalized to the women accessing the information and guides them to discuss important issues with their doctors. Ms. Namita Thapar, Executive Director, Emcure Pharmaceuticals, who has a strong commitment towards increasing awareness & education around womens health has been actively steering Emcures efforts in this direction. Namitas earlier initiative on womens health Uncondition Yourself With Namita, a first of its kind talk show on YouTube garnered attention on the internet. On the show Thapar speaks to patients, experts and doctors sharing their experiences on issues related to womens health. Continuing the conversations on womens health, Emcure also commissioned the Indian Womens Health Report 2021 which highlighted that 84% working women have faced stereotypes/ judgements around periods including being asked not to go near sacred spaces. 67% of the women respondents had said that talking about health issues is still considered a taboo in the Indian society. Saurabh Gambhir, Senior Director - Marketing & Portfolio Strategy, Emcure Pharmaceuticals said, Since women feel uncomfortable while talking about their health issues, we decided to start the EmWocal movement to empower women with relevant information and encourage women to prioritize their own health. As a growing economy, it is imperative that womens health issues are prioritised and conversations about it are mainstream. Hirect, the direct hiring platform has captured the attention of the audience with its recently launched Out of Home media campaigns in major metro cities like Gurgaon, Noida, Bangalore, Mumbai and Pune. The campaign has been ideated and planned by the in-house team and has been running on the major bus shelters, skywalks, cabs, cafes, restaurants and in front of business parks, in the major metro cities of India. Hirect used the bus shelter, coffee houses, sky walks and business parks to garner eyeballs from pedestrians to vehicular traffic cheerily. The brand designed the campaign with a catchy embellishment of their unique messaging and Hire directly without consultants encouraging the recruiters to hire directly in an attempt to gain recognition. The objective of the campaign is to drive product visibility and communicate brand messaging to the users. The company uses the opportunity to reach out to the hiring managers from the startups, SMEs as they go about their busy days. This move will further consolidate the footprint of their brand in the country and also strengthen their presence among the youth by upgrading their OOH campaigns. Leveraging on their previous creative elements with a new twist, the campaign will be running for an entire month across the top markets of Delhi, Mumbai and Bangalore. Talking about the campaign, Mr. Abhishek Popli, Vice President of Business Development said, Hirects campaign is conceptualized smartly by the in-house team to attain maximum attention. In order to attain maximum visibility, we placed the hoardings on the busiest streets. The unique and quirky concepts personify brands' presence and spread awareness in a splendid way. We are glad to be associated with Madison World to help us acquire the premium spaces/locations in the city and in high footfall zones. The Senior VP of Marketing Mr. Abhishek Singh, said We're excited to expand our brand in Tier 1 cities, with the launch of our outdoor campaigns in the major metro cities. It's a great initiative that aligns with our values. It will not only help us in reaching the new audience but also help us in strengthening our brand presence. MOMS Outdoor a specialised out of home division of Madison is glad to have been associated with Hirect India for its Out Of Home campaigns. We have built this long-term campaign on a mix of both strategy and creativity. We identified the media touch points based on a deep understanding of the locations using Madisons suits of tools; where traffic flow is a critical parameter. Each site was then individually curated for the additional elements to enhance visual appeal. We are very happy to know that the campaign helped drive buzz in a massive way. we are looking forward to this fruitful and long term partnership " said Jayesh Yagnik, CEO, MOMS Outdoor Media Solutions. Through the campaign curated by Dentsu Impact, the video brings to light the beautiful bond of a mother and child that blossoms in the backdrop of a war. Hindustan Times has rolled out a heart-warming message echoing the spirit of motherhood through a short film on the occasion of Mother's Day. Conceptualized by Dentsu Impact, the film is shot in Istanbul. It aims to bring out the sentiment that motherhood is bound by neither geopolitical borders nor blood and biology. Even in war and adversities of a vast scale, a mothers care, compassion, and love shine through. These emotions define the bond shared by a mother and a child, and it is these emotions that make the bond resilient, keeping hope alive day after day. Aparna Bhawal, Vice President, Marketing at Hindustan Times, said, "Mothers are the epitome of resilience and strength. Motherhood is an emotion unbound by any restraints and is not defined by borders or birth. We found Mother's Day to be the most fitting occasion to celebrate this very spirit of motherhood and its soft yet strong nature. This video is our tribute to the beautiful bond marked by unconditional love and solicitude." Anupama Ramaswamy, Managing Partner & National Creative Director, Dentsu Impact, quoted, The world needs more mothers. Because mothers work ceaselessly to keep humanity and hope alive, wherever they are. With all that is happening in the world today, we believe only a mother can lead us on the path of kindness, love and empathy. It is a mothers spirits to make the world a better place that #HTSalutes. And this film is our humble attempt to celebrate this spirit. Bob, Director, Good Morning Films, commented, The story when narrated to me by Anu, had such a different take on motherhood and was so boundless that I immediately got excited to do the film. Also hats off to the team at Hindustan Times, to do a film which potentially arouses various sentiments within the system and beyond. This happens around us; that we sometimes forget that motherhood is not just a state of being, but also a spirit. Through this film, we have captured the spirit of motherhood that knows no boundaries, and also have broken the format of normal stories set in a native context. Ours is a classic story which can be felt across borders. #HT salutes is an initiative where we, at Hindustan Times recognize the exceptional efforts of front line workers/professionals who stand like pillars of our society. We take this opportunity to thank them and show our gratitude for their efforts. Modenik Lifestyle Pvt Ltd has announced the expansion of its management team with the joining of Suryanarayana GV as its Chief Information Officer and Utkarsh Thakur as the Head of Marketing for the Mens Category. Modenik Lifestyle Pvt Ltd is the entity formed post the merger of Dixcy Textiles Pvt. Ltd. (Parent company of brand Dixcy Scott) and Gokaldas Intimatewear Pvt. Ltd. (Parent company of brand Enamor). The new CIO, Suryanarayana GV, an alumnus of Birla Institute of Technology and Science (BITS), Pilani, has over two decades of industry experience in Oil, Gas, Power & Renewables, where he successfully implemented IT Strategies, Business Transformation, and has rolled out large scale IT projects to drive business-focused success. Over the years he has worked with various renowned brands including Cairn Energy India and Tata Power. At Modenik, he will be responsible for driving effective digital transformation enabling a future-ready organisation. Utkarsh Thakur joins Modenik as the Head of Marketing for the Mens Category. He comes with a diverse experience of 20 years in marketing and has expertise in consumer understanding, brand management, product portfolio management, sales management, communication, and media along with exposure to Asian markets. Over the years he has worked for the WPP Group, the Bennett Coleman Group and Titan Company Limited. At Modenik Lifestyle, he will be helming marketing for the mens brands - Dixcy Scott & Levis and Dixcy Scotts womens product Slimz. He will help the brands accelerate their growth across categories and geographies. Commenting on the appointments Mr. Sunil Sethi, Executive Chairman of Modenik Lifestyle said, We are pleased to welcome both Suryanarayana and Utkarsh to our management team. Their joining comes at a pivotal moment in our journey as we aim to accelerate our growth into a sustainable and collaborative ecosystem. Sunil further said, Suryanarayana's decades of expertise in the technology sector is of immense value to us enabling us to accelerate both the innovation and impact of seamless integration of IT. Utkarsh has a wide array of experience in the consumer marketing domain, making him an invaluable asset to our leadership team. It gives me immense pleasure to be joining Modenik's leadership team at a pivotal time for the brand, said Suryanarayana GV, Modeniks newly appointed CIO. I look forward to working with the team to deliver innovative business IT solutions that not only meet the needs of customers and consumers today, but also gives Modenik the platform to support future business growth. On joining Modenik as the new Head of Marketing - Mens category, Utkarsh Thakur said, I am excited to join the talented team at Modenik and work towards realising the ambition of making our brands the preferred choice in essential clothing. We have strong brands that can leverage the opportunity in the essential wear segment to deliver significant growth my team and I are committed to making this happen through consumer-driven marketing. Modenik Lifestyle is focused on expanding the product line by launching new products, scaling up the existing product lines and building the distribution ecosystem. The new hires will play a key role in upscaling Modeniks business by enabling digital transformation and strengthening the brand equity to drive the growth momentum. Netflixs lower-priced ad-supported tier could be available by the end of the year, probably after October, which is ahead of schedule than previously stated. According to a The New York Times report, the decision to launch an ad-supported version was conveyed to the employees by the streamer. Netflix had disclosed sluggish revenue growth and its first subscriber decline in over a decade less than a month ago, and the ad tier is parts of its efforts to reverse those trends. It has been a while since this will-Netflix-have-ads-in-future debate has started doing the rounds. Netflix and ads might look like an oxymoron, as the ad-free experience has been at the core of its DNA the distinctive factor that distinguishes it from the rest. CEO Reed Hastings has always protected Netflixs premium position. We dont offer pay-per-view or free ad-supported content. Those are fine business models that other firms do well. We are about flat-fee unlimited viewing commercial-free, says one of its investor pages. After October, Netflix's attempt into ad-supported subscription streaming video could become a reality. The streaming behemoth stated last month that it was exploring the move after losing 200,000 net customers globally and forecasting another 2 million in the current quarter, which ends June 30. According to two people, who supplied parts of the message as part of internal business deliberations, Netflix executives stated in the note that they planned to launch the ad tier in the final three months of the year. According to the people, the note also stated that they planned to cut down on password sharing among their subscriber base around the same time. Netflix stunned the media industry and Madison Avenue when it revealed that it would begin offering a lower-priced subscription featuring ads, after years of publicly stating that commercials would never be seen on the streaming platform. But Netflix is facing significant business challenges. In announcing first quarter earnings last month, Netflix said that it lost 200,000 subscribers in the first three months of the year the first time that has happened in a decade and expected to lose two million more in the months to come. Since the subscriber announcement, Netflixs share price has dropped sharply, wiping away roughly $70 billion in the companys market capitalization. Truecaller, the leading global platform for verifying contacts and blocking unwanted communications, announced the expansion of its leadership team in India with the appointment of Shiladitya Mukhopadhyaya as Global Head of Enterprise Solutions (Truecaller for Business). Shiladitya is a first generation founder and has been a serial entrepreneur having built multiple companies in his close to two decades of industry experience, with expertise in enterprise SaaS businesses and a track record of building and leading dynamic teams in competitive markets. In his last role as the Vice President of Sales at CleverTap, a SaaS tool for engagement, mobile and web analytics and the world's leading retention cloud platform, he was instrumental in scaling revenues of the company to over $45M ARR in less than six years of monetization. Truecaller for Business is a fast-growing business unit that is focused on making business communication safe & efficient while reaching Truecallers 300 million active users. Since its launch in 2021 the division already boasts of 1000s of active clients across BFSI, Fintech, EdTech, Healthcare, e-commerce and Automotive sectors and is fast becoming an indispensable tool for businesses that rely on communicating efficiently with their customers. With substantial growth plans in the upcoming months, Shiladitya will take up the responsibility of accelerating and scaling up the brands Enterprise Products and GTM, working alongside a diverse team based in India and abroad. Speaking on this occasion, Shiladitya Mukhopadhyaya acknowledged, Im delighted to join Truecaller and take on the challenge of leading and shaping the Truecaller for Business chapter further. Its an exciting opportunity for me to work with a great team and a phenomenal consumer technology brand which is used and loved the world over. I look forward to working closely with businesses on Truecaller to build world class enterprise services that will fuel more growth while creating long term sustainable value for all stakeholders in the company. Expressing his delight at the new appointment to his team, Mr. Rishit Jhunjhunwala - MD, India and Chief Product Officer said, We are delighted to have Shiladitya join us. Shila is backed by decades of experience working with powerhouse brands and he understands market complexities and the varied nuances of the SaaS businesses. Im confident that he will add immense value and strengthen Truecallers position worldwide as we grow the vertical. Customs department recently found about 700 gm of synthetic drug Ketamine worth lakhs of rupees in a parcel at cargo section meant for export during a search operation at Ahmedabad airport. The department has not yet revealed official details of the seizure, but police said they have been approached by Customs to conduct a probe. We have completed the investigation and identified some of the accused involved in drug trafficking through parcels of drugs. The Customs may soon come out with an official statement, a police source said. Ketamine is a hallucinogenic drug that can be medically administered or sold illegally as a club drug. Its effects on the body are varied and emulate strong hallucinogenic sensations, altering the central nervous system. The drug goes by many different names like Special K, Gato and Kit Kat# in many countries. It is sold in powdered or liquid form. According to Gujarat police, they along with Customs officials have nearly tracked down the persons running the drug syndicate. We have questioned them and then handed them over to the Customs for further interrogation. The ketamine drug parcel was sent to a person in Ahmedabad, the source said. Ketamine often sniffed as powder Since the drug is usually sold as powder, it is often sniffed, but the powder is often mixed with other drugs. It could be combined with something more dangerous like acetaminophen or drain cleaner. Dosing can be challenging to gauge, and in some cases it could be the wrong drug altogether, leading to a dangerous overdose. Those addicted to ketamine can get help at a drug rehabilitation centre. There the addict can receive treatment for ketamine addiction in a safe environment thats well away from the temptations of further ketamine use. Also known as date rape drug Ketamines dissociative effects are powerful and it is commonly referred to as a date rape drug. When ingested, it can cause users to hallucinate. Because it is an anaesthetic, it can reduce physical sensations and induce temporary paralysis, so the user is awake but unable to move his limbs or talk. Similar to LSD, ketamines effects are varied and very unpredictable. It can induce euphoria, but in some cases the hallucinations it causes can become extremely frightening. Mixing the drug with other depressants like alcohol and heroin intensifies the dangers of respiratory depression, which can be deadly. Additionally, when the user is temporarily paralysed by the drug, he wont be able to clear his airway, which can lead him to choke and potentially die from asphyxiation. Facebook is at it again -- censoring the (Christian) victims of violence and sexual abuse while covering up for their (Muslim) abusers. A few months ago, I wrote about how Facebook had variously punished and censored me for writing about the Muslim persecution of Christians. The only explanation the social media giant gave was that I had offended its standards. If there were still any ambiguity as to Facebooks true motivation, consider the following story which was reported by ReMix earlier this year: A UK-based Catholic charity has accused Facebook of censoring its campaign to protect Christian women who have been exposed to violence in predominantly Muslim countries. Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) had launched a digital campaign in November to raise awareness of the violence often experienced by persecuted Catholic women in Islamic countries, and had chosen to spend money on Facebook to promote its posts. However, the social media giant opted to severely restrict the organizations ability to publish adverts online on Facebook, whilst simultaneously banning the charity from its affiliated platforms, Instagram and WhatsApp. [] The campaign had been directed towards United Nations authorities and the UK government, and had included a report titled Hear Her Cries which detailed the acts of sexual violence committed against Christian women in Muslim-dominated countries such as Nigeria, Mozambique, Iraq, Egypt, Pakistan and Syria. For the record, the plight of Christian women in Muslim nations is, indeed, deplorable. That is because they suffer from a double whammy: theyre both women and infidels. Thus, in the words of a 2018 report dealing with the Muslim persecution of Christians, The most significant findings were that Christian women are among the most violated in the world, in maybe a way that we havent seen before. Six women were raped every day simply for being Christian, the report found. Another 2016 report states: Unfortunately, more and more women are the target of [Muslim] terrorist groups. There are numerous international incidents of women being kidnapped, raped, and forced to convert from Christianity to Islam by radical extremist groups... Many are also sold on the open market. This brutality is not only occurring in the Middle East but in Africa and in many other places. In many of these countries, women are subject to persecution because they are considered second-class citizens because of their gender. As minorities in both gender and faith, Christian women face double the persecution. Although we don't have an exact number, we know that millions of women are being persecuted... In these Muslim-dominated countries, Christian women are systematically deprived of their freedom to live and are denied basic human necessities. Despite this pandemic that plagues the Islamic world, Facebook has decided that such information must be censored or heavily curtailed. As the ReMix report continues: Facebook restricted the ACNs [Aid to the Church in Needs] campaign by 90 percent in November, explaining to the charity that it had taken the measures to limit the charitys reach due to a number of users reporting the ads as offensive, misleading, sexually inappropriate or violent. For the record, openly libeling organizations or websites that specialize in exposing and seeking to redress ongoing atrocities committed against Christian minorities as pornography is an old communist tactic. According to Brother Andrew, author of the bestselling Gods Smuggler, thats exactly what the Soviet Union labeled and confiscated smuggled Bibles as -- pornography (p.227). Indeed, Big Tech has used the very same tactic against me -- banning my website, which is largely dedicated to exposing the persecution of Christians under Islam, on the claim that it is pornographic. The Remix report concludes: [T]he tech giant has not yet lifted any of the constraints imposed on the organization [ACN], and has repeatedly refused to explain exactly how the adverts violated its guidelines, despite numerous requests by ACN to do so. We are horrified, said the director of the UK branch of Aid to the Church in Need, Neville Kyrke-Smith, in an official statement, that our campaign which aims to help suffering women has been censored in such a draconian manner. By claiming to have banned our advert for violating its guidelines, but refusing to say which guidelines or how, Facebook have made themselves judge, jury and executioner. Meanwhile, censoring the victims of Islamic violence and abuse is only half of the problem. The other half, which few know about, is that Facebook and other social media and big tech do not censor Muslim hate speech and calls to violence -- even calls to behead Christians -- so long as such talk only appears in Arabic or other non-Western languages, thereby largely shielding it from non-Muslim eyes. Raymond Ibrahim, author of the new book, Defenders of the West: The Christian Heroes Who Stood Against Islam, is a Shillman Fellow at the David Horowitz Freedom Center, a Judith Rosen Friedman Fellow at the Middle East Forum, and a Distinguished Senior Fellow at the Gatestone Institute. Image: Facebook Vladimir Putin held an impressive march this past May 9 in Russia's counterpart of VE (Victory in Europe) Day as reported here and elsewhere. It was a false spectacle, as the Second World War was not won by the government of the USSR, which did its best to lose it. It was won by the United States, United Kingdom, ANZAC, the Free French, the Polish Resistance, other Allied nations, and ordinary Russians and Ukrainians whose lives were squandered by incompetent leaders who stayed as far as they could from actual combat. Russians and Ukrainians who suffered by the millions while their "leaders" dined on lavish meals and caviar in Moscow were indeed heroes. The Night Witches were women who volunteered to fly relatively primitive aircraft to bomb Axis positions at night. Ukrainian-born Lyudmila Pavlichenko, also known as Lady Death, could have had a non-combat position as a nurse but wanted instead to fight the Axis on the front lines where she disposed of 309 enemies. She was among the one out of every four female snipers who survived the war. These ordinary Ukrainians and Russians deserve the same respect we accord American, British, ANZAC, and other veterans of the war against the worst evil the world has ever known. Victory Day is otherwise stolen valor on the part of the USSR's and the Russian Federation's governments. The USSR ended up on the winning side in spite of rather than because of its conduct prior to and during the war. Here are some of the reasons why: 1. The USSR perpetrated a mass extermination of Ukrainians during the early 1930s. This is why many Ukrainians collaborated with the Axis at the outset of the war; they wanted to fight against the same regime that had recently perpetrated a genocide against them. Has the Nazis not then applied their own racial ideology to the Slavic Ukrainians, thus forcing them onto the Russian side, the Axis might well have won on the Eastern Front. 2. Joseph Stalin was on Adolf Hitler's side when he helped start the war by invading Poland in 1939. The USSR changed sides only when it was forced to do so for its own survival. 3. The USSR perpetrated the Katyn massacre of thousands of Polish officers. 4. The USSR decapitated its own military during wartime with mass executions of Soviet generals, thus turning the Red Army into a relatively leaderless mob to face well-led and well-disciplined Germans. This may well have cost millions of Russian and Ukrainian lives by itself. Stalin was fortunately unable to purge Generals in January and February, which is the only reason the Nazis did not use Moscow as a parade ground. 5. The USSR started a war with Finland, thus forcing Finland onto the Axis side. This diverted soldiers and materiel from the war against Germany to the Finnish front. 6. The famous science fiction writer Robert A. Heinlein reported that the government of the USSR used aid delivered, at enormous risk to Allied sailors via the Murmansk Run, to construct stadiums instead of prosecuting the war. 7. The USSR often sent men into battle without proper equipment, and in some cases without rifles as depicted in the film Enemy at the Gates. "Blocking units" were positioned behind them to shoot anybody who wouldn't go forward. (Putin is now doing the same thing in Ukraine: "It has been claimed that the Russian Armed Forces uses Chechens "Kadyrovite" detachments as barrier troops, executing deserters seeking to leave the combat zone.") 8. The USSR intentionally withheld support from the Polish Resistance in the summer of 1944 with the intention that the Axis kill as many Poles as possible to prevent Poland from becoming a "problem" after the war. 9. The Red Army then, like any self-respecting carrion animal that goes after something other animals (the American Eagle and British Lion to be precise) have mortally wounded, took the opportunity to rampage against German civilians and commit war crimes (similar to those Putin's army is committing now in Ukraine), with violent sexual assaults figuring prominently among them. The Yalta Pact meanwhile condemned tens if not hundreds of millions of Eastern Europeans to decades of subjugation. Edgar Rice Burroughs's protagonist in I am a Barbarian said, "I suppose Romans will always be Romans until the end of time; that is if both they and the supply of poison and daggers hold out." Russia, the purported Third Rome, has put this into practice for centuries with succession as Tsar or Tsaritsa, or more recently General Secretary of the Communist Party, or, Vozhd, (Stalin) and "President" (Putin's title) depending as often as not upon coups d'etat or outright murder. Russian history has been rotten for hundreds of years, and it will always be rotten until the Russian people reenact the October Revolution of 1917 and get it right this time. It is in fact to be remembered that the so-called Bolsheviks (the majority party even though they were the minority) seized power unlawfully from the Provisional Government. It is vital, however, that this change comes from the Russian people and not from outsiders, as some have proposed to do by using the war in Ukraine to destroy the Putin regime. The practical problem is that the Russian Federation has more than six thousand nuclear weapons. It is one matter to drive a rat back into its hole, or the Russian Bear back into its den, but following the rat into the hole or the bear into the den is not likely to have a good outcome for anybody. The Russian economy is suffering enormously and is probably on the edge of collapse, and the Russian people and the Russian Army can figure out what to do themselves. Civis Americanus is the pen name of a contributor who remembers the lessons of history, and wants to ensure that our country never needs to learn those lessons again the hard way. He or she is remaining anonymous due to the likely prospect of being subjected to "cancel culture" for exposing the Big Lie behind Black Lives Matter. Image: Picryl, public domain From 1971 to 1973, I was an environmental journalist who did a lot of work on abortion and birth control. The size and growth rate of the human population were considered a significant environmental issue. I was in my early twenties, with a recent degree in anthropology. I had already been taught that urbanization was a significant suppressant of the human birth rate. City-dwellers no longer need to produce as many children in order to provide in-house farm labor. But humans like to have fun. The L.A. Times ran an article about an abortion provider who was busy terminating early pregnancies. He had no medical degree, and I already knew who he was because a former girlfriend had used him and then told me about it afterward. Putting two and two together, I did a series of interviews with him. He invented his technique, which used a kind of catheter that he called a "cannula," while serving time in prison. He practiced by evacuating chicken eggs through a small opening in the shell. Eggs were used since they have similar viscosity to an early human embryo. After the interview ran, I got a letter from an airline stewardess in Louisiana desperately wanting to know his contact information. I also got a rather angry letter from a feminist organization, denouncing his unlicensed and unregulated experimentation on women. To this day, emotions run high. (You think?) During my work on this subject, I got to know Shirley Radl, then the executive director of Zero Population Growth. Shortly thereafter, she came out with a book titled Mother's Day Is Over, in which I was credited in the acknowledgments. She also introduced me to a couple of abortion counselors, who had both been Protestant ministers. They opened for me a window into the dilemma of late-term abortion. Even though a woman is normally expected to realize her pregnancy within the first few months, back in those days, a woman considering an abortion would receive quite a bit of attention from various interested parties, which can be rather gratifying, until it may actually be too late for the usual clinical procedure. There was also a confluence of events. Dilation and curettage had become medically reliable, with little risk to the female patient, and militant feminism had risen up as a serious political force. Needless to say, there was tremendous political pressure to liberalize access to abortion well beyond it just being a medical necessity as determined by a woman's physician. There was a fairly common expectation among population control activists that the Supreme Court would soon be opening that door. What they didn't expect was that the issue would never go away, even after half a century has passed. In order to compose the language of the Roe v. Wade decision, the Court had to get really creative, which left many doubts about its actual legal validity. This lack of durable resolution has hung over the Supreme Court as a cloud of doubt ever since. The militant activists continue to believe that the end justifies the means. But Supreme Court rulings have to be made public, and the means employed for Roe can only invite controversy. Abortion is also not completely unique. The medical practice involves several other dicey judgment calls. Organ harvesting and transplantation became feasible at about the same time as dilation and curettage. First, a determination needs to be made if a potential donor is certainly going to die...and when. Next, there's the waiting list. What determines a subject's position there? Things really tightened up when states started enacting motorcycle helmet laws. They used to be called "donor-cycles"...but no more. We have, however, gotten used to letting our medical folks play God...when God seems to be busy elsewhere. Bottom line: Women were getting abortions before Roe v. Wade. But there were hoops that often had to be jumped through, depending upon which one of the several states someone was in. In the leftist mind, any price or other requirement limits access. Oh, dear! Having to pay for what you want? And be eligible? That's not fair! Hence the current faux hysteria. What they're really worried about is not that women may lose their freedom, but whether they'll still have the issue to keep rallying the troops when troops are needed. Image: Lokal_Profil. "Amy's" and my friendship grew out of a shared love for animals. But when it came to politics, Amy saw me as a misguided deplorable who was in the cult of "orange man bad." Of course, I assumed she carried Mao's little red book wherever she went. In 2016, Amy left California for a Florida retirement closer to her family, and our friendship was limited to telephone calls and emails. Across 3,000 miles, there were times our friendship was strained during the chaotic 2016 primary season. It came to an explosive end a few months after Trump was sworn in as our nation's 45th president. Amy was angry, and I was ecstatic. We stopped emailing and calling. Two years later, around Mother's Day, Amy sent a card to my mom. I texted the sad news that my beloved mother had passed away, and her mail was being forwarded to me. Amy and I reconnected. However, to avoid future issues, we blocked each other from social media accounts. The pandemic put a planned visit on hold. Occasionally, a political comment seeped into my email or text. Because I am very active in Republican politics, founded and write the weekly Patriot Neighbors newsletter, and regularly contribute articles to American Thinker, politics is a big part of my life. It bothered me that I had to censor myself for a "friend." For example, if Amy texted today asking, "What have you been up to?" The honest answer would be: Fun time in Las Vegas and doing day trips with hubby see photos. I was honored to give the invocation at the Long Beach Republican Women Federated April breakfast meeting. Enjoyed the San Clemente Area Republican Women lunch meeting and the Conservative Patriots of Orange County dinner meeting the next night great candidates spoke at both. Lots of fun lunches with friends. Today, we are taking Golda to the park. Miss seeing you. But that text would be too much for Amy. She didn't want to read a damn word about my life if it directly or indirectly connected to conservative Republican politics. So my censored response would be: Fun time in Las Vegas and doing day trips with hubby see photos. Lunches with friends. Today, hubby and I are taking Golda to the park. Miss seeing you. Click and send. I had convinced myself that at least Amy and I were friends. But were we really friends? Is this how friends treat each other? If Amy were active in Democrat politics, I wouldn't mind hearing that she was attending events and rallies, started a liberal newsletter, and contributed articles for a liberal website. Image: Zip your lip (edited) by benzolx. But then this On April 24, I texted Amy: Hi Amy, I hope you are doing well. How was your Easter? We both love where we live, but politically speaking, we each live in the wrong state. The Democrats from Florida are the flip of the Republicans from California Today it will be very hot so we will take Golda to the park by the ocean. Hugs, Robin Amy responded: Hi Robin! Was just thinking about you... Miss you! (emoji heart) I replied: Miss you too. Wondering about visiting this year. Would that be an imposition on you? BE HONEST! (emoji heart) (Because Amy fosters dogs through a rescue organization, having someone visit for a week might not be easy when there's a house full of pooches, many requiring specialized care.) While waiting for Amy's response, I contemplated that the Civil War didn't start on April 12, 1861, when Citadel cadets fired on Fort Sumter, an island fortification in South Carolina's Charleston Harbor. The actual war started decades earlier, when family, coworkers, neighbors, and friends with different political views stopped speaking to each other. Slowly, they went from polite debate to angry disagreement to destroyed relationships. From the cotton and tobacco farms of the South to the manufacturing plants in the North, by the time Americans reached for their guns in 1861, the hatred between the two sides made it much easier to load the rifles with bullets. Is the United States reaching that point, with red and blue states living entirely different lives? Laurel Duggan, in "Two Americas: Chasm Grows Between Red and Blue States on Hot-Button Social issues," writes: Red and blue states are rapidly moving further apart on hot-button social issues as lawmakers and activists shift their focus to topics like abortion and transgenderism. Eventually, Amy responded about my possibly visiting her in Florida: If you absolutely promise to absolutely not say anything related to politics, not even teasing or in jest. NADA! It must be Switzerland or swear I will walk you out to the curb! That's how strongly I feel. But if you can stick to that promise I'd LOVE to have you come and visit! (emoji heart) I answered: I will stay in California. (NO emoji heart) Robin Itzler can be reached at PatriotNeighbors@yahoo.com. Chicago's incompetent mayor, Lori Lightfoot, presiding over a city devolving into violent, bloody anarchy on the streets, is encouraging violent protests at the homes of Supreme Court justices believed to be supporting a draft decision by Justice Alito overturning Roe v. Wade. That is the logical interpretation of two tweets she issued that Twitter believes do not violate its "standards" that prohibit advocating violence: To my friends in the LGBTQ+ communitythe Supreme Court is coming for us next. This moment has to be a call to arms. Lori Lightfoot (@LoriLightfoot) May 10, 2022 We will not surrender our rights without a fighta fight to victory! Lori Lightfoot (@LoriLightfoot) May 10, 2022 Here is a screen grab of the two tweets in case Twitter perhaps recognizing its new owner coming soon applies the same standards to Lightfoot that it exercised against President Trump: A "call to arms" and "fight" are both expressions that denote physical violence. And it is illegal to demonstrate in front of a judge's home, as Andrea Widburg explains elsewhere on these pages today. Jordan Boyd of The Federalist notes that Lightfoot blamed President Trump for inciting the demonstration that featured an incursion of the U.S. Capitol: "I am in disbelief with what is unfolding in D.C. right now," Lightfoot tweeted at the time. "President Trump and his enablers incited this violence. Shame on every elected official in Congress and elsewhere who fomented this anti-democratic insurrection by extremists. This is not democracy. This is a disgrace." Since Mayor Lightfoot presides over bloody carnage on the streets of Chicago, her urging of illegal and violent acts against the nation's highest court is all the more threatening. "The Chicago way," immortalized in the film The Untouchables, is no way to run a justice system. Photo credit: NBC via YouTube and The Federalist. After nine months of processing a complex case, the Swedish prosecution of its district court has finally asked for the indictment of Hamid Noury, accused of participating in the massacre of 30,000 political prisoners in Iran in 1988, for a life imprisonment penalty. The mass executions of political prisoners in 1988 took place simultaneously in prisons throughout Iran. This began around July 27 in the notorious Evin prison in Tehran and on July 30 in Gohardasht prison in Karaj, west of Tehran. The executions took place in secret. Prison guards and other staff were not allowed to leave prisons or contact others during the executions, and the bodies of those executed were hurriedly buried overnight, in unmarked mass graves. The regime has spared no effort to keep the extent of the mass executions secret. There are no precise statistics on the number of executed, but the MEK, a leading Iranian pro-democracy group, has estimated that about 30,000 political prisoners were executed throughout the country in that incident. There are other sources that have estimated the number close to the same. Mr. Mehdi Khazali, a Tehran regime analyst, affirmed that the deputy head of the Ministry of Intelligence told him that the number was 20,000. Mr. Reza Shemirani, who testified in Stockholm's district court, has stated that between 3,500 and 4,000 men and women were executed in Evin prison in Tehran alone, while the massacre itself was drawn out over months in prisons all over Iran. It is known that the number of executed in Evin was several times greater than in Gohardasht and that the number of survivors in Evin was significantly lower in relation to the large number of prisoners who were there. Witness Mr. Houshang Atyabi said he saw 17 trucks, each loaded with an estimated 50 bodies, in the Gohardasht prison compound during the mass executions. Other witnesses and plaintiffs also reported having seen trucks full of bodies. The MEK have been able to identify and publish the names of 5,049 of its own members who were executed during the massacre. The list was published four years ago. Since then, several names have been added. The MEK has published reports that the massacre took place in 110 cities. In some cities, there were no survivors who could testify about the number of executed. The death sentences were issued by the death committees. Members of Tehran's death committee, which also operated in Gohardasht, were named in Khomeini's fatwa. In the rest of the country, the MEK has managed to identify about 80 people who were part of the death committees. Victims of the mass executions were buried in mass graves. Locations of 36 mass graves are listed by the MEK. The regime is doing everything possible to destroy and conceal these mass graves. One example is by constructing buildings above them to hide the evidence of the mass executions. Khomeini's Fatwa Was the Basis for the Mass Executions Why did this happen? It came from a fatwa. In this fatwa, Supreme Leader Ruhollah Khomeini explicitly stated that the MEK were Moharebs (belligerents against God) and Mortad (apostates). In Khomeini's answer to his son Ahmad's question on how to apply his fatwa, he declares, "Exterminate the enemies of Islam as quickly as possible." On Oct. 26, 1988, Ayatollah Montazeri commented on the then-ongoing executions as follows: "The brutal execution of 13- to 14-year-old girls who have not taken up arms or participated in demonstrations is disturbing and horrific." The MEK represents a religious reform movement that has led to political conclusions on equality between women and men, respect for religious and ethnic minorities, implementing a secular democratic state, etc. These religious and political positions pose a direct threat to the system of the Mullahs Velayate Faqih. They consider themselves Muslims with a different opinion from the Mohareb and should therefore be exterminated. In a speech on the subject, Professor Eric David, research fellow at the Center of International Law of Brussels Free University, affirms: "It is indeed a crime of genocide because these people were killed for belonging to a current of Islam that was challenged by the mullahs' regime. Therefore, for belonging to a religion, these people were massacred. They were considered as apostates, so it corresponds perfectly to the definition of Article 2 of the 1948 Convention on genocide." Geoffrey Ronald Robertson, the first president of the U.N. Special Court for Sierra Leone, which chronicled the crimes in that nation, also believes that the 1988 massacre in Iran may amount to genocide. The principal reason: Moharabs "waging war on God," but the MEK, ever since its foundation, was distinguished from Khomeini's group because of its members' more fundamentalist view of Islam. And of course, the MEK was more liberal. It is quite clear, as I read this fatwa's translation, that religion was the primary reason why these people were killed and why Khomeini went on. This was the direction that Raisi, on his own will, deliberately was following when he said: "It is naive to show mercy to Moharabs, those who wage war on God. The decisiveness of Islam before the enemies of God is among the unquestionable tenets of the Islamic regime." And: "So, here is a bureaucracy imposing the death penalty and goes on; kill them with revolutionary rage and rancor these enemies of Islam, must be most ferocious against the infidels." Image: Philafrenzy via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0. Sri Lanka is facing agricultural collapse, which is a disaster in a nation that has only recently raised itself out of poverty...thanks to its agricultural growth. The cause is the outgoing government's decision to follow the environmentalist path and use only natural fertilizer. Meanwhile, here in America, Samantha Power, who is the administrator of the United States Agency for International Development, is pleased that the War in Ukraine is stopping the flow of fertilizer from Russia, allowing the world to go organic. The news out of Sri Lanka is grim. (Hat tip: Power Line.) What turned Sri Lanka's economic situation from difficult to catastrophic was the decision by the Rajapaksa government to implement a nationwide ban on synthetic fertiliser. It was made not at the behest of neoliberal economists doing the bidding of global capital, but rather on the advice of environmentalists in the name of sustainable agriculture. [snip] [T]hat strategy backfired in spectacular fashion. Domestic rice production fell by 14 per cent from 2021 to 2022, forcing the nation, long self-sufficient in rice production, to import hundreds of millions of dollars of rice and more than eroding all of the savings from ceasing fertiliser imports. On top of that, the ban decimated tea production, leading to a $425 million economic loss to the industry in its first six months of implementation. Tea, one of the nation's primary crops, is a key source of its total export income, making a bad foreign exchange situation far worse. What's so ironic about the situation is that, according to the same article from the London Times, it was synthetic fertilizer that turned Sri Lanka into a major agricultural exporter. Still, the greenies had to have their way, and now the economy is collapsing, and domestic food prices in Sri Lanka have quadrupled. Additionally, the prime minister who spearheaded this disaster has resigned; there are running battles in the capital city and troops on the street; there are major shortages of essentials such as food, medicines, and oil; and power cuts are becoming the norm. Image: Samantha Power. Twitter screen grab. As you contemplate what pie-in-the-sky, highly unrealistic, unicorn fart environmentalism has wrought in Sri Lanka, think about how Samantha Power was pleased about news that the war has interfered with Russia's export of the non-organic fertilizer that underlies most American agriculture: Biden official Samantha Power celebrates fertilizer shortages that will force farmers to hasten transitions to natural solutions, like manure and compost. Never let a crisis go to waste." pic.twitter.com/rZ5uMy0K5U RNC Research (@RNCResearch) May 1, 2022 Fertilizer shortages are real now because Russia is a big exporter of fertilizer. And even though fertilizer is not sanctioned, less fertilizer is coming out of Russia. As a result, we're working with countries to think about natural solutions like manure and compost. And this may hasten transitions that would have been in the interest of farmers to make eventually anyway, so never let a crisis go to waste, but we really do need this financial support from the Congress to be able to meet emergency food needs. Don't be tempted to believe that Power is simply trying to put a smiley face on a bad situation. When she repeated the Democrats' mantra that one should "never let a crisis go to waste," that was a tell that she's excited about ditching the fertilizer that feeds the world in favor of a fertilizer that makes her and other environmentalists feel smugly good. Not only doesn't it matter that people will starve, but their deaths are also probably a good way to deal with nonexistent "overpopulation." Behind their "compassionate" smiley faces, too many of these leftists really look like death's heads. Shortly after Donald Trump was elected in November 2016, Obama's Deep State went after General Michael Flynn, whom Trump had named as his national security adviser. After falsely accusing him of colluding with the Russians, the DOJ prosecuted him for lying to the FBI (and threatened his son), and when that case collapsed, the judge refused to allow the DOJ to dismiss the case. Even though he was vindicated, the legal process impoverished Flynn. You'd think that, with his honorable career and his finances destroyed, that would have been enough for the left, but it wasn't. Now Biden's Department of Defense is trying to force Flynn to return speaking fees from 2015. Just the News has the story, which it sums up as follows: The Biden Pentagon recently alerted retired Army Lt. Gen. Mike Flynn it plans to recoup from him nearly $40,000 he received for attending a dinner in Moscow in 2015, claiming he didn't clear the speaking fee in advance and therefore violated the Constitution's Emoluments Clause. But documents from Russia special prosecutor Robert Mueller's investigation tell a far different story. The documents, reviewed by Just the News, show Flynn in fact alerted his former agency, the Defense Intelligence Agency, ahead of the dinner and got approval to use the trip to spy on Russia's leadership and specifically its GRU military intelligence unit. The operation was blessed in advance by senior DIA officials, including Vincent Stewart, the Marine general who had succeeded Flynn as DIA chief. The former Trump administration national security adviser was even given tasking orders and a counterintelligence briefing before he departed for Moscow in December 2015. You can read the details here, including the fact that Flynn was officially debriefed after the speaking gig. Leftists and today's Democrats are hard leftists don't limit themselves to the traditional American practice of voting politicians out of office and making them take their top officials with them. Instead, in true Stalinist fashion, when leftists have forced someone out of politics, whether the person was elected or appointed, they continue to do whatever it takes to destroy the person, ensuring that he can never rise up in politics again. Image: Michael Flynn. Rumble screen grab. We see the same thing in the Marc Eliasinspired effort to use the Disqualification Clause in Article 3 of the 14th Amendment as a legal vehicle by which to prevent popular Republican politicians, such as Donald Trump, Marjorie Taylor Greene, Madison Cawthorne, Paul Gosar, and Andy Biggs, from even appearing on the ballots. It's an obviously bogus assertion, since (a) the clause was manifestly intended to address people who had served the Confederacy in a four-year-long war that left 600,000 Americans dead, and (b) the clause was repealed when two-thirds of the House, in 1872, enacted the Amnesty Act. Niceties such as the law and decencies such as not kicking a man when he's down are foreign to leftists. If a Republican is down (or could be brought down), Democrats willingly abuse the law and then kick him as hard as they can to keep him from ever returning to politics or even having a decent life outside politics. Meanwhile, on the Democrat side of the aisle, people who have been proven to engage in heinous, corrupt, illegal, and debauched behavior get book deals (all of them), million-dollar art shows (Hunter Biden), and well-paid television gigs (most of them). There's something very wrong with this picture. Owen Strachan's book, Christianity and Wokeness. How the Social Justice Movement Is Hijacking the Gospel and the Way to Stop It, has listed seven reasons why wokeness is not only not Christian, but deeply anti-Christian. In their zeal to jump on the woke bandwagon, some churches have jumped off the deep end and into the fetid realm of racist politics. Wokeness is absolutely antithetical to the Gospel, and any church that adopts such practices and doctrines is playing with the fires of hell. Here are Strachan's seven reasons for saying this and why this is important for today's churches. First, wokeness tweaks the doctrine of humanity, losing sight of the imago Dei as our constituent nature. The Bible tells Christians that all human beings are made in the image of God (imago Dei) and that there is no distinction among the races in character. We are either men or women created in God's image. To racially draw distinctions with one race being "systemically racist" and the other being not racist is to destroy the imago Dei. It draws the erroneous conclusion that whites cannot be Christians because they are not made in the image of God. Whites are "demons" and "not human," said one CRT training "expert." Second, wokeness unhelpfully groups according to "whiteness," a deeply problematic concept. There is no biblical concept of whiteness being wicked or evil, nor is there character or morality distinction among the various peoples according to skin color. There is nothing in the Bible that indicates that white people should hate blacks or people of other races. That puts the lie to the entire "anti-racist" doctrine of woke churches. Third, wokeness actually foments the very "sin" it presumes to critique: "racism." Wokeness looks at white people and tells them they are guilty of racism no matter what they do or say. There is no biblical reason for any church to state such a clearly racist notion. No true Christian church or Christian-owned business, for that matter, should be offering this detritus to its employees. Fourth, wokeness treats people as "oppressors" and "oppressed" due to skin color and power dynamics. The Christian faith requires we view our human identity as one people, a fallen race of sinners with no one race morally superior to another. Wokesters turn this upside-down and claim that all white people are oppressing all people of color, often without realizing it, which is egregiously untrue. No one living today in America is consciously or unconsciously "oppressing" black people, and no white person holds or held slaves. It is laughable to state such gibberish, given how many successful black people there are in all higher levels of American culture and government. Any black person who achieves can rise to the top. No one is oppressing them except perhaps their own. Ask Thomas Sowell, Clarence Thomas, or other black high achievers. Black CEOs and black success stories are everywhere. The poison that calls itself "anti-racism" is a misnomer. Wokesters are lying when they say that their own actual anti-white racism is "anti-racist." It is pro-racist; they are pitting black people against white people, claiming historical and systemic oppression. Today, any "oppression" black people feel is coming from their own unwillingness or inability to get along with other people. "Anti-racism" is an excuse for underachieving, especially when it is attributed to the "oppressors." If anything, blacks are oppressing their own people each time they clamp down on any deviation from progressivism, which could conceivably lead them out of the leftist snake pit. That is slavery of another kind. Fifth, wokeness traps us in a cycle of anger and victimhood. Living the Christian life frees us from anger and victimhood; it doesn't promote them, which wokeism does. In our fallen human state, we are all sinners. The remedy is repentance, faith, and love, not the promotion of the very things Christ tells us to eschew. No church worth its salt and light should stir the racial pot, yet some do. Sixth, wokeness gives approval to evil both in the public square and in rejecting God's design for the sexes. Wokesters insist upon the unbiblical view that the sexes and their respective traditional roles in life are malleable. They hold that it is hostile to women and gays to view the family as a reflection of the godly hierarchy of the Father as the head of created order and the father as the head of the family unit. BLM has overtly stated in its literature that its people want to disrupt the nuclear family and promote both transgenderism and a "queer-affirming network." Some churches have built their entire faux spiritual edifice on a queer agenda, something unambiguously forbidden by God in both the Old and New Testaments. Seventh, wokeness overturns the Gospel's "no condemnation in Christ" proclamation. CRT, wokeness, "anti-racism," DEI," and every permutation of these noxious ideologies directly go against the Bible's teaching that once a person places his faith in Christ, there is no longer punishment for sins repented of and forgiven by Christ. The sinner's past sins are gone, wiped away. But some churches are insisting that the sin of whiteness and "systemic racism" are unforgivable sins, a concept anathema to the Gospel's main message of forgiveness. In truth, not only does God forgive the Christian of past and present sins, but he is viewed by God as never having sinned. In wokeness, however, that promise is overturned in favor of conferring upon the white person a sin he can never be forgiven for: whiteness. As Strachan says: The Gospel announces forgiveness and resulting innocence; wokeness announces guilt and unending condemnation. God's good news is the ministry of freedom; wokeness is the ministry of imprisonment. It tells "white" people and those who benefit from "whiteness" that they are indeed guilty of participation, even unwitting participation, in "white supremacy." It calls people back to the altar to confess sins they never knew they committed simply because of the color of their skin. It restores the status of condemned -- "racist" -- to men and women who thought they were justified by faith and not only free of guilt, but innocent in the sight of God. The Gospel stands alone and requires nothing be added to make it more effective. This is true especially of a virulent doctrine that insists that white people need something more in order to be worthy of God's salvation. When a church lapses into the jargon du jour and embraces practices and attitudes that go directly against the Bible's and Christ's message about salvation, they cease to be churches and become avatars of the politicized, racialist zeitgeist. A goal of the left has always been to destroy Christianity. Leftists will fail, forgetting history and forgetting that no matter what visible signs of Christianity exist or do not exist, you cannot wipe out the Spirit that infuses the committed Christian. You cannot destroy an idea, especially if it is encompassed within the greatest story ever told. Over the weekend, we were treated to outrageous demonstrations of incivility and outright illegality with specters like this: Pro-abortion protesters shout Fuck you, Alito and abort the court as they leave his house. pic.twitter.com/g5dnB7TcIm Julio Rosas (@Julio_Rosas11) May 10, 2022 At the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels in Los Angeles, left-wing protesters tried shutting down Sunday mass to protest in support of abortion. They are forced out by security & parishioners. Video by @Romangod7. #ProLife #prochoice #abortion #catholic pic.twitter.com/ANYTJh1gcW Andy Ngo (@MrAndyNgo) May 9, 2022 Crazed abortion protestors illegally descended upon the homes of several Supreme Court justices in a bid to influence their upcoming ruling on Roe v. Wade, a ruling so badly reasoned back in 1973 that even liberal but principled Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg had misgivings about its legal grounding. According to Fox News, their descent, led by a badly named group called "Ruth Sent Us" was in violation of 18 USC 1503, which "prohibits 'endeavors to influence, intimidate or impede... officers of [the] court'." Similarly, the equally vile disruption of the sacred Catholic mass, by crazed maniacs lobbying with banners and foul shouting to kill children, was also illegal. According to a former DOJ attorney writing for the National Catholic Register: "The Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act (FACE) of 1994 prohibits the use or threat of force and physical obstruction that injures, intimidates or interferes with a person seeking to obtain or provide reproductive health services or to exercise the First Amendment right of religious freedom at a place of religious worship. FACE also prohibits intentional property damage of a facility providing reproductive health services or a place of religious worship." Neither of these naked violations of U.S. laws was subject to any enforcement activity, and the brazen violators of these laws seemed to know it ahead of time. Which prompted Daniel Greenberg, the estimable investigative reporter at FrontPage magazine to look a little closer. Sure enough, he found something -- a Bay Area nest of harassing activists whose trail lead squarely to billionaire hedge fund speculator George Soros: Ruth Sent Us is meant to appear grassroots. In reality, its interlinked with a much larger network of leftist organizations. The site was registered by Sam Spiegel, the director of digital media at an anti-Trump PAC known as Unseat whose email contact is listed as Vigil for Democracy. Unseat and Vigil for Democracy also appear to share a post office box in Palo Alto, California. Vigil for Democracy, another anti-Trump group, had organized previous Supreme Court rallies. Ruth Sent Us promotes activism through something called Strike for Choice which its Twitter account describes as "one of the national strikes under the Vigil For Democracy umbrella." Strike for Choice solicits donations to pay protesters, asking potential donors "would you commit to donating $58 [$7.25], $80 [$10] or $120 [$15] to support a person giving up paid work?" The protest fundraising is being conducted through Open Collective, a leftist financial sponsor, which had previously partnered with the Digital Infrastructure Fund backed by $605,000 from the Ford Foundation, $50,000 from leftist Persian billionaire Pierre Omidyar, and $100,000 from George Soros' Open Society Foundation. So the Soros crew has partnered with Open Collective which pays protestors to break the law in full confidence that the law wouldn't be enforced. Does it sound like an inside job? It could be. Greenfield says that the full sponsorship of "Ruth Sent Us" is muddy, but "that network is able to utilize the tools of left-wing groups and is fundraising to pay protesters." Soros isn't the only one. There's also a Democrat fatcat donor from the Silicon Valley who is involved with "Vigil for Democracy" which has "Ruth Sent Us" under its "umbrella," too, Greenfield writes: Most early Vigil for Democracy events took place in San Francisco and the group still appears to be centered around the Bay Area. Vigil appears to be obsessed with "desegregating Foothills Park", also the particular fixation of Vara Ramakrishnan, a tech CEO's wife and a member of Raging Grannies who had organized previous protests, and has been described as a Vigil for Democracy volunteer. While her husband only made a single political donation to Kamala Harris, Vara is a frequent donor to Democrats including Hillary Clinton and Obama. This isn't a grassroots movement. This is a network of paid protestors serving as shock troops and goon squads for leftist billionaires like Soros and this Silicon Valley fanatic, Ramakrishnan. These billionaires not only have boots on the ground, so to speak, but they also pull puppet strings politically, which would explain a lot about why none of these bounders have been arrested and thrown in jail as the Jan. 6 protestors were. The ultimate puppet, of course, is Joe Biden, who's busy trying to serve his donors, with insanity like this, according to Reuters: A source advising the White House on how it can address the issue told Reuters many steps being considered are tied to asking federal agencies to do more. For example, the White House is considering pushing the Food & Drug Administration, which controls prescription drug access, to increase access to the drugs used in medical abortions, the person said. Medical abortions account for about half of overall abortions in the United States and must be dispensed by physician in many states. The White House is also discussing making abortion pills available online from interstate and foreign providers for personal use and asking the FDA to publish a list of authorized reputable providers, the source said. A third option is asking Health & Human Services Administration (HHS) and the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to allow Medicaid funds to be used to pay for travel expenses for lower-income women who travel out of state for abortion procedures, the source said. Abortion pills online? Federally paid travel for abortion seekers across state lines? Obviously, Joe is convinced he's got to repay his political sponsors. Everyone's on the string of these leftist billionaires, which would explain a lot about why none of these lawbreakers ever gets busted and why Joe goes further and further to the left despite his claims to being a "devout Catholic," a questionable claim given how he raised his kids. Politics over rule of law, and a fully politicized court, subject to Chavista-style mob thugcraft, all seem to be part of the Soros agenda for chaos. What's more, the sadly weak response from the Catholic Church to the disruption of their sacred masses also draws inference to their involvement with Soros front groups on issues such as illegal immigration, from which large amounts of money roll in. But that's another story. What we have here now is a bloated billionaire network with the cash of George Soros squarely involved in these illegal violations and Joe Biden the obedient handmaid protecting such operations. It's always about the money, isn't it, Joe? This is vile. Image: Twitter screen shot Wikipedia, now a highly politicized propaganda outlet, apparently wants Dr. Oz to win the Pennsylvania Republican Senate nomination. That is the logical conclusion from the site's decision to delete an existing article on Kathy Barnette, who has surged into second place, only 1.3% (i.e., within the margin of error) behind Dr. Mehmet Oz in the latest Trafalgar Group poll: Barnette noted the deletion on Twitter: When they cancel me, theyre cancelling you. Wikipedia just pulled my page down with a week left to go in the election. No one said this would be easy. They dont like giving up power. They forget that the true power is with the people, though. pic.twitter.com/jKN6drK6sX Kathy Barnette (@Kathy4Truth) May 10, 2022 According to Zachary Stieber in The Epoch Times: Discussion was triggered in April 2021, when an editor said that the references on the page "do not establish notability beyond routine campaign coverage." Another editor agreed, saying Barnette had "not received an unusual amount of national-level coverage," pointing to a page for former Republican Senate candidate Christine O'Donnell. "Obviously, if Barnette wins the election the article can be recreated," the editor said. Editors cited Wikipedia guidelines outlining "notability," which state that being a candidate for political office "does not guarantee notability." The page was deleted but later restored. On May 9, an editor deleted the page again. Within 24 hours, a different editor stepped in to restore the page. As of this writing, the only mention of Kathy Barnette is in an article on the Republican primary. Fox News found her worthy of attention in a five-minute segment: ICYMI: I joined Fox News yesterday to talk about our surge in the #PASenate primary. Im doing as much media as possible to get this message out to every single voter possible! pic.twitter.com/bh3mAjAE0D Kathy Barnette (@Kathy4Truth) May 10, 2022 So, why the hostility to a candidate who is close enough to win the election? The Ace of Spades explains: Politico calls her an "Ultra-MAGA commentator." Kathy Barnette has been outspent 358-to-1 on TV in Pennsylvania's GOP primary for the Senate. She hasn't run for statewide office before. She doesn't have former President Donald Trump's endorsement. But the ultra-MAGA commentator is surging in the polls anyway in the final weeks of one of the most expensive and closely watched races in the country. Barnette's unlikely and, to some, unbelievable rise has turned heads in political circles across the state because it defies political logic. Just two years ago, she lost a House bid in the Philadelphia suburbs by a wide margin. This time around, her opponents Mehmet Oz and David McCormick have spent $12.4 million and $11.4 million on television commercials, respectively, according to the ad-tracking firm AdImpact. Other candidates and outside groups have bankrolled $25 million more in spots. Oz has also won a highly sought-after nod from Trump. Barnette, on the other hand, has spent a paltry $137,000 on TV. "Barnette's apparent rise is surprising just because of the lack of notoriety or resources compared to some of the other candidates in that race," said Brian Nutt, a Pennsylvania-based Republican strategist who is not working for a candidate in the contest. Barnette has a purist's zeal, a compelling life story, and the ability to tell it to Republican grassroots voters. And, according to Republican strategists and officials across the state, Barnette is likely benefiting from a smashmouth primary that features Oz and McCormick going nuclear on each other on TV. GOP voters have been inundated with attack ads slamming Oz as a "RINO" and McCormick as a stooge for China, leading some to look for a third option. ... "They're spending $50 million on ads. That is their campaign," she said of her opponents. "Unless there's some high-falutin' press conference or debates or events to go to, it's overwhelmingly on television. And it's these plastic, little run-of-the-mill political ads." ... "I think it's real. I've had grassroots political people tell me for a while that when there's candidate forums, she's the one who has the most enthusiasm. And what was said about her was, 'Boy, I really like her, but she can't win,'" said Chris Mottola, a GOP consultant and Pennsylvania native who is not involved in the race. "With Oz and McCormick just savaging each other, they wind up with high negatives. All of a sudden, you're like, 'Well, why not vote for her? I do really like her.'" GOP consultants said another factor that helps explain her bump in the polls is her link to state Sen. Doug Mastriano, the frontrunner in the state's GOP primary for governor. Mastriano and Barnette have endorsed each other and campaigned alongside each other. ... Like Mastriano, Barnette has made false statements about voter fraud in 2020. She said at a debate that it is "absolutely not" time for the GOP to move past the presidential election. "Her numbers are starting to line up with Mastriano's," said Christopher Nicholas, a longtime Pennsylvania-based GOP consultant. "He endorsed her and she endorsed him, and I said at the time she got the better of that deal." Politico discusses the polling from various houses. It seems to me that this is real, and now that the word is really out with this Trafalgar poll, I think... well, I think the race is over, in her favor. (snip) She's discussed the fact that she herself is the "byproduct of rape" her mother was raped at age 11. Ace adds: I'm not sure that an "Ultra-MAGA" type is the right fit for Pennsylvania, but this is probably the right time to gamble, given that the alternatives are poor. The rule that we should vote for "the most conservative candidate who can win" presupposes that we are voting for a conservative in the first place, after all. I don't know that McCormick or Oz satisfy that prerequisite. There is simply no point electing yet another Establishment liberal to the Senate. They are Democrats in all but name. A bit of a throwback photo to when I had a bit more free time to go to the range! The Second Amendment is sacred and no, its not about hunting! pic.twitter.com/iaNjc73Vnp Kathy Barnette (@Kathy4Truth) May 10, 2022 I am more interested in retaining the seat than Ace is. It makes a great deal of difference which party controls the Senate. They choose the committee chairs, and the chairs set the agenda for hearings, and we need a lot of hearings on the nefarious activities of the Biden administration. Start with Nina Jankowicz and her Ministry of Truth. Still, this thumb on the scale by Wikipedia is disgusting. Photo credit: Twitter screen grab. One of the worlds leading display manufacturers, BOE Display, has unveiled a 12.3-inch multi-fold display. This screen can fold inwards and outwards, which we dont see a lot. Regardless, this multi-fold display is undoubtedly going to leave an impression. CEO of Display Supply Chain Consultants (DSCC), Ross Young, shared an image of the prototype on Twitter. We dont have much to go on apart from the image above. Still, its clear that the display can fold in multiple ways, unlike the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold series. Samsung, meanwhile, showcased several display technologies at the Display Week 2022 event, including slidable and dual foldable displays. The South Korean manufacturer also unveiled the Flex S OLED prototype, which can fold inward and outward, making it somewhat similar to BOEs multi-fold screen. Advertisement Since these technologies are only prototypes, its hard to predict when they will make it to devices. But considering the pace of the industrys growth, it shouldnt surprise anyone if these screens made it to phones by 2023 or 2024. BOE Display has been embroiled in a controversy with Apple recently The new multi-fold display also serves as a good distraction for BOE from its recent controversy involving Apple. The iPhone maker dropped BOE as its display supplier for allegedly making unpermitted changes to the 6.1-inch OLED screen on the iPhone 13. Its unclear whether this will impact the deal between the two companies for the upcoming iPhone 14 series. Based out of Beijing, China, BOE Display has big ambitions for the flexible display market. In 2020, the manufacturer said it wants to overtake Samsung to become the leading manufacturer of flexible OLED panels by at least 2024. The same year, BOE became the worlds largest smartphone display producer overtaking Samsung. Advertisement BOE took the wraps off its 360-degree flexible display last year with a design quite similar to the multi-fold screen. BOE said the screen uses a multi-neutral layer model design to reduce the stress that could occur by constantly folding the screen inwards and outwards. If recent reports are accurate, Google may be looking to launch a foldable of its own. While the Pixel foldable was rumored for a late 2021 release, it never materialized. Hopefully, that will change this year. Th fabled Pixel Watch from Google is finally official, and Google plans to launch the smartwatch this Fall. Google announced the device today as sort of a sneak preview during its annual I/O developer conference. Itll launch alongside Googles upcoming flagship phones, the Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro, as well as the Pixel Buds Pro. The Pixel Watch has been rumored for quite a long time at this point. But Google has never been ready to unleash it. Following months of leaks that showed off the watchs seemingly official design, consumers are getting their first look from Google at the flagship smartwatch theyve been waiting on the company to launch for years. The Pixel Watch will launch this Fall with updated Wear OS features We dont know yet what version of Wear OS the Pixel Watch will come with. Whether thats Wear OS 3.0 that is currently only available on the Galaxy Watch 4, or the rumored Wear OS 3.1. Whats clear however is that the Pixel Watch is going to launch with a few new features. Advertisement For starters, itll be the first Wear OS device to be integrated with Fitbits leading health and fitness platform. Featuring insights for sleep tracking, heart rate, and Active Zone Minutes. The watch will also feature a new Emergency SOS feature. This will let you add trusted contacts and send an alert to them. As well as contact emergency services if the need ever arises. Another new feature coming with the Pixel Watch is Google Home integration so you can control smart home devices from your wrist. In addition, Google says itll come with all the familiar Google apps you know and love. Like Maps, Google Assistant, and the new Google Wallet. Google says youll need a Google account and an Android device running on 8.0 or later to use the Pixel Watch. Which means no iOS compatibility. That being said, if youre using an iPhone the Apple Watch is probably a better bet for a smartwatch anyways, thanks to all the integrated features. Advertisement Google didnt share any information about price or specifics on models and other features or specifications. You can however tell that it will come with at least a few different colors for the bands, based on the screenshots below taken from the developer conference livestream. Google has signed agreements with more than 300 news publishers across Austria, France, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, and the Netherlands, the search giant announced. Google also unveiled its new tool, which would enable more European publishers to get paid. This tool offers something known as the Extended News Preview (ENP) agreement, and is accessible via Google Search. This is the result of the European Copyright Directive, which will soon become national law in several EU countries. Google acknowledges the ambiguity of the new Directive in its blog post. The law also creates new rights for publishers when longer previews of their content are used online but without defining what exactly a short extract or a longer preview is. Despite this uncertainty, we announced last year that we will pay news publishers for content which goes beyond links and short extracts, as we are already doing in countries such as Germany, Google said. The ENP agreement will contain information about what the offer is for, how to sign up etc. Meanwhile, the offers will be based on consistent criteria which respect the law and existing copyright guidance. Advertisement Publishers can change their preferences at any time and will have full control, as per Google Google assures publishers that they will have full control over the visibility of their content on Search. Moreover, they can also change their preferences at any given time. The European Copyright Directive states that news aggregators like Google have to pay publishers for the content and snippets used on Search and other sites. Euronews reports that around two-thirds of the companies signed up with Google include popular German publishers such as Der Spiegel, Die Zeit, and Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung. Last year, the French Competition Authority (Autorite de la concurrence) slapped Google with a 500 million fine for failing to negotiate with news publishers in good faith for using their content. When France began implementing the Directive, Googles first response was to remove news previews from the country altogether. But it didnt take long for the company to soften its stance, as evidenced by the launch of News Showcase. This service offers free access to select paywalled articles. Google said News Showcase currently partners with over 750 publications across Europe. Google has been under the EU regulators scanner for a while now. So it can ill afford any further controversies. (ANSA) - ROME, MAY 11 - Paul Anthony Ginsborg, a British-born Italian historian, has died at the age of 76, sources said on Wednesday. His last position was at the University of Florence, the city where he lived. Among other things, Ginsborg was a lead figure of the 'Girotondi' (Ring o' Roses) movement that in 2002 called for transparency in public life and protested against the justice reforms of the government of the day led by ex-premier Silvio Berlusconi. (ANSA). (ANSA) - ROME, MAY 11 - Ukraine's Kalush Orchestra consolidated their position as favourites to win the 2022 Eurovision Song Contest by qualifying for Saturday's Grand Final in the first semi on Tuesday. The group, who are presenting folk-rap track Stefania, were given special permission to leave the country to take part in the contest, as adult men are required to stay to take part in the war effort following the Russian invasion. The other contenders to qualify on Tuesday were Switzerland, Armenia, Iceland, Lithuania, Portugal, Norway, Greece, Moldova and the Netherlands. Italy is hosting Eurovision in Turin after rock band Maneskin won the contest last year. The other semi-final takes place on Thursday. (ANSA). Biden hosts Italian PM for Ukraine talks Putin believed he could split us, but we've all stepped up." (ANSA-AFP) - WASHINGTON, MAY 11 - Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi and US President Joe Biden stressed transatlantic unity in the unprecedented Western response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine at a White House meeting Tuesday. "The ties between our two countries will always be strong and, if anything, this war in Ukraine has made them stronger," Draghi said. Russian President Vladimir Putin "thought he could divide us. He failed," Draghi told Biden. "We stand together." While calling out Russia's "butchery" in Ukraine, Draghi said it was time to "think deeply" about arranging a ceasefire. "People want to think about the possibility of bringing a ceasefire and start engaging in credible negotiations," he said. Biden, who hosted Draghi in the Oval Office, also praised Western unity, saying in comments while reporters were present that "Putin believed he could split us, but we've all stepped up." Despite Italy's dependence on Russian gas and Rome's traditionally friendly ties with Moscow, Draghi's government has been a staunch supporter of efforts to punish Russia for its assault on Ukraine. Along with Western allies, Rome has sent weapons to support Kyiv, although there is increasing unease about the move within Draghi's national unity government. Draghi has also pledged support for any European Union sanctions on Russia's energy sector despite the risks -- 40 percent of Italy's natural gas imports are currently coming from Russia. The EU is currently debating a phased ban on Russian oil imports, although this move would not touch Moscow's huge gas exports. Germany has ruled out an immediate embargo on all Russian energy, especially natural gas, although it aims to end Russian oil imports by the end of this year. Contrary to expectations, "Italy is not opposing gas sanctions," noted Luigi Scazzieri, senior research fellow at the Centre for European Reform. While some could accuse Italy of hiding behind Germany, Scazzieri highlighted that it was also "taking active steps" to diversify its supply, including a recent deal with Algeria. (ANSA-AFP). Copyright ANSA - All rights reserved MARRAKECH - A Ministerial Meeting of the Global Coalition to Defeat the Islamic State (ISIS) started on Wednesday in the Moroccan city of Marrakesh. Italian foreign minister Luigi Di Maio was taking part. The meeting brings together over 50 ministers and more than 80 delegations that will try to take stock on their unified strategy to fight ISIS. There are five guidelines that, drawn up in 2018, set down the direction taken by the coalition and its working groups. The main aim is the elimination of terrorist groups linked to ISIS. The international mobilisation is part of a wider military network, a sort of 'diplomatic ecosystem'. The individual states are seen as the first bulwark to defend their territory and participation in the coalition is voluntary, with the fight against this type of terrorism necessarily adapted to the situations faced by each individual country. Gnaoua World Music Festival back in Morocco from 3/6 30 concerts in Essaouira, Marrakesh, Casablanca, and Rabat (ANSAmed) - RABAT, 11 MAG - The Gnaoua World Music Festival will be held again this year after a two-year break during the COVID pandemic. The notes of the mellem, the spiritual maestros of this sort of pain-filled Blues music born among enslaved Africans, will be back to filling Moroccan squares: and this time not only in Essaouira, the historic port of human trafficking and chosen home of Gnaoua. Starting from June 3 and for 12 days after that, a musical caravan will move between Marrakesh, Casablance and Rabat as well. This 23rd edition of the festival will include 12 concerts in Essaouira (June 3-4), 9 in Casablanca (June 16, 17 and 19), 5 in Rabat (June 23-24), and 5 in Marrakesh (June 9-10). Out of the 30 concerts planned, half will be a mix of jazz, African music, Afro Blues, and Cuban music. Over 100 musicians will be performing including 'purist' maestros of Gnaoua music who defy labels and whose music is best experienced live. (ANSAmed). Al Jazeera journalist killed in West Bank's Jenin Abbas says Israelis did it, Bennet claims 'no proof' (ANSAmed) - TEL AVIV, 11 MAG - The well-known Al-Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh was killed on Wednesday morning while covering clashes between Palestinian militants and and the Israeli army in the Jenin refugee camp in the West Bank. She was shot in the head while wearing a blue "Press" flak jacket. Another journalist was also injured. According to the Palestinian news agency WAFA, which quoted the Palestinian health ministry, Abu Akleh, 51, "died after being hit by the (Israeli, Ed.) occupation army". The Palestinian Authority presidency under Mahmoud Abbas condemned the "crime of execution by the Israeli occupation forces of the journalist Shireen Abu Akleh", WAFA reported. Abbas stated that "the Israeli government is fully responsible for this atrocious crime", underscoring that it is part "of the daily policies pursued by the occupation against our population, its land and its holy sites". Israeli prime minister Naftali Bennett said that Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas was "accusingIsrael without solid proof. On the basis of the information at our disposal, there is a reasonable probability that armed Palestinians who were shooting wildly caused the painful death of the journalist," Bennet said. "Israeli occupation killed Aljazeera journalist Sherine Abu Aqleh by shooting her in the face while wearing the Press vest and a helmet. She was covering their attack in Jenin refugee camp. This state sponsored Israeli terrorism must STOP, unconditional support to Israel must END" was a Twitter post in English this morning by Lolwah Al Khater, the assistant foreign minister of Qatar, where the broadcaster is located. The other journalist injured, Ali Samodi was - according to the Palestinian health ministry - shot in the back but is not in serious condition. Samoudi, who works for the Al Quds network, was quoted by WAFA as saying that alongside his Al Jazeera colleague he was with a group of other reporters "near UNRWA schools near the Jenin camp", when the group was "directly targeted by the occupation forces". Palestinian, Shirin Abu Akleh was considered a veteran journalist and had worked for Al Jazeera since 1997. (ANSAmed). TEL AVIV - Preliminary investigations carried out by the Israeli army "indicate that there was no direct fire" from the Israeli side "towards the journalist, though investigations are still underway", Israeli defence minister Benny Gantz said Wednesday afternoon. A Palestinian-American journalist had been shot and killed in Jenin in the West Bank during an Israeli raid earlier in the day. Gantz added that, instead, "photos have been seen of indiscriminate shooting by Palestinian terrorists, who most likely were the ones to hit the journalist". He then said that Israel would communicate its information in relation to the investigation "in a clear and transparent manner to (our) American friends". The minister added that he had offered Palestinian leaders a "joint inquiry with information sharing". Using drugs like ibuprofen and steroids to relieve short-term pain could increase the chances of developing chronic pain, new research suggests. The findings from the small study challenge usual methods for dealing with pain, and indicate that it could be time to reconsider how pain is treated. Normal recovery from a painful injury involves inflammation the bodys natural reaction to injury and infection and new research indicates blocking inflammation with drugs could lead to harder-to-treat pain. It may be that inflammation has a protective effect, and overly reducing it may be harmful. In other words, inflammation may prevent acute pain from turning into chronic pain. Jeffrey Mogil, a professor of pain studies at McGill University in Canada, said: For many decades its been standard medical practice to treat pain with anti-inflammatory drugs. But we found that this short-term fix could lead to longer-term problems. He told the PA news agency: While ibuprofen was not studied explicitly in either the human or the mouse data (in the mouse we used diclofenac), as ibuprofen is so common in the UK, it is highly likely that a large percentage of those in the UK Biobank who reported taking NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) were in fact taking ibuprofen. Researchers said low back pain was the most commonly reported form of chronic pain pain that persists for longer than would be expected after the injury and resulted in massive economic and medical costs each year. Most patients receive standard treatments such as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs such as ibuprofen, and corticosteroids. But these drugs are only somewhat effective, and little is known about why acute pain which begins suddenly in response to something specific, like an injury is resolved in some patients but persists as chronic pain in others. To understand the transition from acute to chronic low back pain, researchers followed 98 patients with acute low back pain for three months. They also examined the mechanisms of pain in both humans and mice, and found that neutrophils a type of white blood cell that helps the body fight infection play a key role in resolving pain. Blocking these cells in mice prolonged the pain up to 10 times the normal duration. Treating the pain with anti-inflammatory drugs and steroids like dexamethasone and diclofenac, also produced the same result, although they were effective against pain early on. Researchers said the findings were supported by a separate analysis of 500,000 people in the UK Biobank study that showed that those taking anti-inflammatory drugs to treat their pain were more likely to have pain two to 10 years later. This effect was not seen not seen in people taking paracetamol or antidepressants. Massimo Allegri, a physician at the Policlinico of Monza Hospital in Italy and Ensemble Hospitalier de la Cote in Switzerland, said: Our findings suggest it may be time to reconsider the way we treat acute pain. Luckily, pain can be killed in other ways that dont involve interfering with inflammation. Luda Diatchenko, a professor in the faculty of medicine, faculty of dentistry, and Canada Excellence Research chairwoman in human pain genetics, said: We discovered that pain resolution is actually an active biological process. These findings should be followed up by clinical trials directly comparing anti-inflammatory drugs to other painkillers that relieve aches and pains but dont disrupt inflammation. She told PA: Our data suggest that using drugs like ibuprofen and steroids to relieve pain could increase the chances of developing chronic pain. But proper clinical trials should be done to firmly conclude this. Dr Franziska Denk, senior lecturer at Kings College London, said: It would most definitely be premature to make any recommendations regarding peoples medication until we have results of a prospectively designed clinical trial. Professor Blair Smith, from the University of Dundee, said: The theory is that inflammation may have a protective effect in the long-term, and that overly reducing inflammation may be harmful. However, it is important to note that this is just one study, and more research is needed to confirm and investigate this further. It is also important to note that anti-inflammatory drugs are effective in short-term pain management. There is good quality evidence to back this up and they should not be withheld unnecessarily. Anti-inflammatory drugs have a number of other potentially dangerous side effects, and their long-term use is generally discouraged, other than with caution. The findings are published in Science Translational Medicine. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge will start a two-day visit to Scotland with engagements focusing on mental health. They will arrive in Glasgow where they will visit a project operated by The Wheatley Group. The duke and duchess will see first hand how the group is transforming the lives of vulnerable people and those at risk of homelessness. William and Kate, known as the Earl and Countess of Strathearn in Scotland, will speak with service users who have benefitted from access to employment support to help mitigate the impact of poverty. They will also visit a new-build property in the Kennishead area and hear about the importance of good-quality, secure housing. Homelessness has been an important aspect of Williams work. They will then visit Glasgow University where they will discuss mental health with staff and students before hearing about pioneering work being done by researchers at the school of Psychology and Neuroscience. Both William and Kate will then meet members of the public outside of the university. The engagements will form part of a UK-wide tour for the couple to mark the Queens Platinum Jubilee this year. Boris Johnson has reiterated his threat to override elements of the Northern Ireland Protocol, warning the European Union that the Good Friday Agreement is more important than the post-Brexit deal. The Prime Minister said on Wednesday that the protocol fails to command cross-community support in the region, adding we need to sort it out, despite warnings from European leaders not to meddle with the agreement he brokered. Foreign Secretary Liz Truss is set to tell the EU that the dispute over Northern Ireland cannot drag on, after warning she will not shy away from taking action as she accused the EU of proposing solutions that would take us backwards. As ministers consider whether to introduce legislation overriding parts of the deal, senior Cabinet member Michael Gove warned no option is off the table. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has stressed no-one should unilaterally cancel, break or in any way attack the settlement. DUP leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson on Wednesday repeated his call on the Government to take action. He is refusing to re-enter powersharing government at Stormont until issues with the protocol are dealt with. The sooner that happens, the better. The protocol is not supported by any unionist MLA elected to the Assembly last week. We cant go on with the situation where there is no consensus at all for this protocol, he told the BBC. The protocol is still harming many businesses in Northern Ireland and it is contributing to the cost-of-living crisis because the cost of goods coming in from Great Britain has been increased by transport costs, customs fees, delays, and that is not a sustainable position. DUP leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson is refusing to re-enter powersharing government at Stormont until issues with the Northern Ireland Protocol are dealt with It has also altered our constitutional relationship with the rest of the United Kingdom without our consent so we need to get back to consensus politics. I want an outcome that works for business, that works for our economy and that restores political stability in Northern Ireland. At a press conference in Sweden, Mr Johnson faced questions over whether now is the right time to pick a fight with the EU against the backdrop of Russias invasion of Ukraine. The most important agreement is the 25-year-old Belfast Good Friday Agreement, the Prime Minister said. That is crucial for the stability of our country of the UK, of Northern Ireland. And its got to be that means that things have got to command across community support. Plainly the Northern Ireland Protocol fails to do that and we need to sort it out. Liz Truss with European Commission vice-president Maros Sefcovic (Rob Pinney/PA) Ms Truss is expected to reiterate in a call with European Commission vice president Maros Sefcovic on Thursday the risk to the Good Friday Agreement and warn that the situation cannot drag on. Mr Gove, who previously led talks with Mr Sefcovic, told LBC radio he is super cool with threats to tear up the protocol. But he insisted the Government is not going to tear up the agreement, telling BBC Breakfast: No. We are going to negotiate with the EU in order to get the best possible outcome for the people of Northern Ireland, but no option is off the table. He insisted Mr Sefcovic and the Foreign Secretary have a good relationship, adding: They will try to make progress tomorrow. I know that both of them are fully committed to making sure we resolve some very difficult issues that have arisen. You would expect a UK Government, when it is thinking about the security of the entire United Kingdom, to say that there is no option that is off the table, and that is absolutely right. Michael Gove dismissed suggestions that he is among Cabinet members opposed to tearing up the Northern Ireland Protocol (Steve Parsons/PA) Mr Gove dismissed suggestions that he is among Cabinet members opposed to tearing up the protocol, which was agreed by Mr Johnson in 2019. Asked how angry he is on a scale of one to 10, Mr Gove told LBC radio: Minus five. Im super cool with it and Im a big, big Liz Truss fan. Downing Street backed Ms Truss in claiming that some EU proposals are a backwards step, but declined to say whether preparations have been made for a possible trade war with the bloc. The Prime Ministers official spokesman said: I think were getting ahead of ourselves. We want nothing but good relations with our EU partners, but Im not going to get into speculation about what might happen down the line. He said some relatively minor concessions from the EU in the past show that, where there was willing, change could be achieved. Asked if the Government is drawing up controversial new legislation, the spokesman said: I wouldnt get into, on any issue, the ins and outs of policy development. This is something were looking at closely, its a serious issue, all options are on the table. Boris Johnson was asked during a visit to Stockholm for talks with Swedish PM Magdalena Andersson whether now is the right time to pick a fight with the EU (Frank Augstein/PA) Officials working for Ms Truss are drawing up draft legislation to unilaterally remove the need for checks on all goods being sent from Britain for use in Northern Ireland. The PA news agency was told that Ms Truss is poised to take further action in the coming weeks if negotiations with the EU continue to stall. The proposed law would allow businesses in Northern Ireland to disregard EU rules and regulations and remove the power of the European Court of Justice to rule on issues relating to the region. Crucially, it would in parts override the protocol agreed by Mr Johnson in 2019 and mean the UK had breached its obligations under the Brexit agreement. But it has been argued that the protocol will not be completely overridden, with measures instead being considered to ease the issues on the ground in Northern Ireland. Paris Hilton said she was honoured to visit the White House and discuss her campaigning against child abuse. The reality star and influencer said she had had inspiring meetings with policy staff during her visit to the US capital on Tuesday. Hilton, 41, said she had discussed new legislation aimed at shoring up protections for children in residential programmes and facilities, according to CNN. So honored to be back in DC to continue my advocacy work. I had such an inspiring time meeting with policy staff & walking the halls of the West Wing with advocates. I am so glad to see that the most powerful office in the world is dedicated to fighting for the rights of all. pic.twitter.com/glhLgIyARu ParisHilton.eth (@ParisHilton) May 10, 2022 In a post on Twitter, she wrote: So honored to be back in DC to continue my advocacy work. I had such an inspiring time meeting with policy staff & walking the halls of the West Wing with advocates. I am so glad to see that the most powerful office in the world is dedicated to fighting for the rights of all. Rust Movie Productions (RMP) has contested the citation by the New Mexico Environment Department (NMED) that said it wilfully violated safety protocols on the set of the western. The company denied that it was the employer responsible for supervising the set or specific procedures including the maintenance and loading of weapons on set. It comes after a report into the fatal shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins found the production company knew that firearm safety procedures were not being followed on set and demonstrated plain indifference to employee safety. RMP was fined 136,793 US dollars (104,810), the maximum allowable by state law in New Mexico, following the six-month investigation into the incident. Ms Hutchins was killed on the set of the western movie in October last year after a prop gun actor Alec Baldwin was holding was discharged (Santa Fe County Sheriffs Office/PA) Ms Hutchins was killed on the set of the western movie in October last year after a prop gun actor Alec Baldwin was holding was discharged. Director Joel Souza was also wounded in the shooting on the Bonanza Creek Ranch set near Santa Fe. In new filings contesting the citation, lawyers argued that the law permits movie producers to delegate critical functions such as firearms safety to experts in that field and the responsibility did not lie with producers. The documents, obtained by the PA news agency, also argued the NMED demonstrated a misunderstanding of the film industry. RMP was not the employer responsible for supervising the film set, much less for supervising specific protocols such as the maintenance and loading of weapons, the filings stated. The law properly permits producers to delegate such critical functions as firearm safety to experts in that field and does not place such responsibility on producers whose expertise is in arranging financing and contracting for the logistics of filming. RMP did not wilfully violate any safety protocol, and in fact enforced all applicable safety protocols. The documents stated that all actors handling firearms received appropriate training and additional safety restrictions had been implemented to protect a child actor on set. Director Joel Souza was also wounded in the shooting on the Bonanza Creek Ranch set near Santa Fe (Santa Fe County Sheriffs Office/PA) They added that assistant directors had been instructed to carry out safety meetings on all days when firearms were to be used, and one had been carried out on the morning of the fatal shooting. Lawyers also argued that, contrary to the NMED findings, the movies armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed had not been overburdened by workload but didnt do her job properly. Lawyers for Gutierrez Reed said the NMED report showed that the armourer was not provided adequate time or resources to conduct her job effectively, despite her voiced concerns. Critically, OSHA also determined that production failed to call Hannah in to perform her armorer duties and inspect the firearm right before its use in the impromptu scene with Baldwin, they said in a statement. As we have stated before, had anyone from production called Hannah back into the church before the scene to consult with her, this tragedy would have been prevented. Baldwins lawyers said they were grateful to the New Mexico occupational health and safety bureau following the reports publication, saying that it exonerates the actor. NMED has been contacted for comment. British officials have repeatedly raised the case of a retired geologist at risk of being executed in Iraq, the Government said, amid pleas to end his nightmare. Father-of-two Jim Fitton has been detained in Iraq for more than six weeks after being accused of attempting to smuggle historic artefacts out of the country. His family said the 66-year-old collected stones and shards of broken pottery as souvenirs while visiting a site in Eridu, in the countrys south-east, as part of an organised geology and archaeology tour. But they and MPs want ministers to get personally involved to help persuade the Iraqi authorities to accept a proposal to close the case before the trial begins in the coming days. Retired British geologist Jim Fitton and his wife Sarijah Fitton (Family handout photo/PA) Foreign Office minister James Cleverly defended the UKs response to the case but failed to commit to meeting the family and was accused by Labour of dragging his feet in making the ministerial-level intervention required to help protect Mr Fitton. Liberal Democrat MP Wera Hobhouse, who represents Mr Fittons family based in Bath, Somerset, added in a statement: They are refusing to take the steps needed that will help to secure Jims safety. The Government refused to meet with Jims family and myself and ignored questions about ministers getting involved. Ms Hobhouse secured an urgent question in the Commons on the case and asked ministers to meet with her and the family before the trial starts. A petition calling for UK ministers to intervene has also collected more than 252,000 signatures. Mr Cleverly said a meeting between officials and the family took place on Wednesday, adding: We cannot interfere or seek to interfere with the judicial process of another country, just as we would not expect interference in our own judicial process. That said, the British ambassador in Baghdad has raised and will continue to raise Mr Fittons case with the Iraqi government and this includes raising with the authorities the UKs very strong opposition to the death penalty, both in terms of its potential application to Mr Fitton and also our in principle opposition to the death penalty in all instances. Liberal Democrat MP Wera Hobhouse at the Houses of Parliament in Westminster, London (Aaron Chown/PA) Ms Hobhouse said she was deeply concerned by the Foreign Offices engagement with the case of Mr Fitton, who lives in Malaysia, and criticised slow ministerial engagement. She added: We are told that the Government wont be making the crucial representations to the Iraqi government. It is my understanding that the German government is making representations on behalf of one of their constituents detained with Jim. Why wont the Foreign Office do the same? Ms Hobhouse went on: Jim Fitton is potentially facing the death penalty. I urge the minister to do everything they can do to stop this nightmare before it turns into a tragedy. Mr Cleverly said he completely rejected Ms Hobhouses criticisms and said consular officials had visited Mr Fitton four times and the ambassador had raised the matter on four occasions with the Iraqi authorities while the embassy has also sent a note. For Labour, shadow Foreign Office minister Bambos Charalambous said: Urgent Government action is needed. And the lack of engagement from ministers is creating frustration from everyone who wishes to see this situation resolved. He said: Does he also share my concern that by dragging his feet on cases such as this, public trust in the Governments commitment to protecting British citizens wrongly detained abroad is profoundly impacted? Foreign Office minister James Cleverly (Stefan Rousseau/PA) Mr Cleverly said Mr Charalambous was frankly talking nonsense when he talks about dragging our feet. Conservative former Foreign Office minister Andrew Murrison said Germany, at ministerial level, appears to be far more involved. SNP MP Chris Law (Dundee West) asked if it was true that ministers have yet to lobby their Iraqi counterparts against issuing a death sentence. Mr Cleverly reiterated the intensive level of engagement that we have had at the most senior levels within the British embassy in Iraq, directly with the Iraqi government. Alba Party MP Neale Hanvey (Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath) said he was yet to receive a response to a letter he wrote to the Foreign Office over the May bank holiday on behalf of Mr Fittons sister, who is his constituent. Mr Hanvey said: I would gently suggest to the minister his claims of urgency on this matter are certainly not reflected in the response or lack of that I have experienced in raising this case. SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - A court said that Elon Musk's 2018 tweets that funding was secured to take Tesla private was inaccurate and reckless, saying "there was nothing concrete" about financing from Saudi Arabia's sovereign wealth fund at that time. The decision by U.S. District Judge Edward Chen of San Francisco is a major victory for investors alleging that Musk inflated stock prices by making false and misleading statements, causing billions of damages. In 2018, Musk met with representatives of the Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund and had a discussion about taking Tesla private, but evidence shows that "there was nothing concrete about funding coming from the PIF," the judge wrote. "Rather, discussions between Tesla and the PIF were clearly at the preliminary stage. "No reasonable jury could find that Mr. Musk did not act recklessly given his clear knowledge of the discussions," he said. He said details such as the total amount of funding needed to take Tesla private or the price to be paid for Tesla stock were not discussed. The summary judgment, made on April 1, was sealed for more than a month before it was publicly available on Tuesday. "It is hugely significant," shareholder attorney Nicholas Porritt, a partner at Levi & Korsinsky LLP told Reuters. He said it is are that class action plaintiffs get summary judgment on falsity and scienter before going to a jury trial, scheduled in January. The remaining issue is what damages the intentionally false statement has caused to shareholders, he said. The judge refused to grant shareholders summary judgment on the question of whether or not the allegedly false statements actually impacted Tesla's share prices. Musk's lawyer, who has filed motions to undo the court decision, was not immediately available for comments. Musk said recently that funding was actually secured to take Tesla private in 2018. The latest ruling was in line with a complaint from the U.S. security regulator which sued Musk for fraud charges for the tweets in 2018. He settled with U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, stepping down as Tesla chairman, paying fines and agreeing to have a lawyer approve some of his tweets before posting them. (Reporting by Hyunjoo Jin; Editing by Stephen Coates) Disney (DIS) reported second quarter financial results after the bell on Wednesday that missed on both the top and bottom lines, although net additions for its fledging streaming platform Disney+ came in above estimates, causing shares to climb as much as 5% in after-hours trading. However, Disney quickly erased those gains during the company's earnings call after CFO Christine McCarthy warned that the tough economic environment, enhanced by inflationary pressures, supply chain disruptions and a tight labor market, could weigh on margins. McCarthy also warned on softer subscriber growth, saying, "While we still expect higher net adds in the second half of the year versus the first half, it's worth mentioning that we did have a stronger than expected first half of the year." Here are Disney's second quarter results compared to Wall Street's consensus estimates, as compiled by Bloomberg: Revenue: $19.25 billion vs. $20.11 billion estimate Adj. earnings per share: $1.08 vs. $1.17 estimate Disney+ subscribers: 7.9 million vs. 4.5 million expected "Our strong results in the second quarter, including fantastic performance at our domestic parks and continued growth of our streaming serviceswith 7.9 million Disney+ subscribers added in the quarter and total subscriptions across all our DTC offerings exceeding 205 milliononce again proved that we are in a league of our own," Disney CEO Bob Chapek said in a press release. "As we look ahead to Disneys second century, I am confident we will continue to transform entertainment by combining extraordinary storytelling with innovative technology to create an even larger, more connected, and magical Disney universe for families and fans around the world," the executive continued. After competitor Netflix's (NFLX) big subscriber miss last month (the first time the company had lost subscribers during a quarter in 10 years), analysts were cautiously optimistic when it came to Disney+, although a deceleration compared to previous quarters was expected. The company added 11.7 million subscribers in the first quarter of 2022, sharply topping analyst estimates. On a year-over-year comparison basis, the media giant reported a net add of 8.7 million in Q2 2021. The overall subscriber decline comes as inflation remains high, consumers cut costs, and competition intensifies. A lag in content has also been cause for concern. Still, Disney plans to spend a whopping $11 billion on streaming content this year, as part of its overall $26 billion budget for TV and film production. To compare, Netflix spent $17 billion on content in fiscal year 2021, with plans to hit $18 billion in 2022. Chapek explained on the earnings call that "great content is going to drive our subs" and that increased subscribers will, therefore, drive profitability. He also noted that the platform's upcoming ad-supported offering, set to hit the U.S. later this year, will create more choices and opportunity for subscribers. Disney+, which will open in 53 new markets in the the third quarter of 2022, has 137.7 million global subscribers to date, above expectations of 134.4 million. The company reiterated its target to bring on 230 million to 260 million subscribers to the service by the end of fiscal 2024. For context, Netflix's subscriber count sits at 221.64 million global subscribers. Beyond Disney+, the company will also lean on the theatrical rebound, with top titles like "Thor: Love and Thunder" and "Avatar: The Way of Water" set to debut later this year. Parks, experience and consumer products business But streaming was not the only positive growth story for Disney this quarter. The entertainment mecca's parks, experience and consumer products business swung to an operating profit of $1.76 billion, surpassing expectations of $1.6 billion and just below last quarter's operating profit of $2.5 billion. Revenue for the segment came in at $6.7 billion, nearing its pre-pandemic total of $7.6 billion in the final quarter of 2019. Unlike the shaky streaming side of the business, analysts remain fairly confident that Disney's sprawling theme parks a consistently important element to the company's bottom line will see continued robust growth amid the reopening trade. Chapek also doubled down during the earnings call, saying the parks segment, up 110%, is firing on "all cylinders." Still, possible headwinds include inflation impact and recession fears. "Disneys share price seems to fall daily as fears mount on both [direct-to-consumer] and recession for Parks, Wells Fargo analyst Steven Cahall said in a recent note. "We think sentiment on both is overdone. While recessionary fears may prove more temporary and we expect solid Parks results DTC is a proper Show Me story," he continued. Visitors drive past a sign welcoming them to Walt Disney World on the first day of reopening of the iconic Magic Kingdom theme park in Orlando, Florida, on July 11, 2020. On the earnings call, Disney CEO Bob Chapek was surprisingly not asked about the company's public battle with Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, who revoked the company's special tax district after Disney vowed to fight the Parental Rights in Education Act, or what critics have dubbed the "Don't Say Gay" bill. The controversial bill, which will go into effect on July 1, states, "Classroom instruction by school personnel or third parties on sexual orientation or gender identity may not occur in kindergarten through grade 3 or in a manner that is not age appropriate or developmentally appropriate for students in accordance with state standards." Parents will be able to sue districts over violations. Chapek initially decided not to speak publicly on the matter, opting instead to work behind the scenes in an attempt to soften the legislation. It didn't work. The executive eventually reversed course following intense backlash over his belated response to the bill. He publicly denounced the act during the company's annual shareholder meeting on March 9, in addition to directly apologizing to employees in a company memo. Chapek, whose contract expires on February 28, 2023, has dealt with a fair amount of controversy during his tenure. In addition to the DeSantis drama and "Don't Say Gay" fallout, the executive came under further scrutiny following a now-settled breach-of-contract lawsuit with "Black Widow" actress Scarlett Johansson last summer. Disney has a market cap of just over $190 billion. Its shares, which hit a 52-week low of $104.79 earlier on Wednesday, have fallen more than 30% year-to-date. Alexandra is a Senior Entertainment and Food Reporter at Yahoo Finance. Follow her on Twitter @alliecanal8193 or email her at alexandra.canal@yahoofinance.com Follow Yahoo Finance on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Flipboard, LinkedIn, YouTube, and reddit The British public has helped to set a new fundraising record via the Disasters and Emergency Committees Ukraine appeal. The DECs Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal collected 61,997,547 between March 3-10, which has been confirmed by Guinness World Records as the most money raised by an online campaign in a week. Simon Beresford, director of fundraising and marketing for the DEC, said: We have been overwhelmed by the incredible generosity and outpouring of support from the UK public to the people of Ukraine. It has been heart-warming to see the inspiring fundraising efforts which are ongoing, with donations flooding in from individuals, companies, schools and arts organisations across the UK. DEC member charities who helped in the immediate response included Save The Children, who provided support to this family in northern Romania (Dan Stewart/Save the Children/PA) Since Russias invasion of Ukraine began, at least 5.3 million people have fled the country and another 7.7 million have left their homes to escape the fighting. The Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal was launched in response by the DEC on March 3 and has raised more than 300 million to help those affected. According to the DEC, 74.5 million of that will be spent before the end of August by member charities, with 55% of it being spent within Ukraine and the rest in Romania, Poland, Moldova and Hungary. Two thirds of the money will go on healthcare, food and cash delivered to affected populations to help them meet basic needs. Money will also be put towards items including sanitation and hygiene, protection and psychological support, and shelter. Petro, 7, and his family received support in a Caritas welcome tent (Toby Madden/DEC/PA) Among the DEC member charities who helped in the immediate response were Caritas, a partner of DEC member Cafod, who provided food, tea and support to refugees on the Ukraine-Poland border. Save The Children distributed warm clothes, food and toys to displaced children in northern Romania. Mr Beresford said: We are of course proud and delighted to have taken a part in setting a new world record. However, most importantly what this means is that with the help of the generous UK public DEC charities and their local partners can scale up to respond to help the people of Ukraine. They are working to meet both the immediate and long term needs of people affected for the months and years to come. The Curry Spice Pizza at Connections Eatery, topped with veggies and plant-based mozzarella cheese, is among the best things to eat at Disney World's newest restaurant and cafe. (Photo: Walt Disney World Resort/Josie Maida) Disney Parks foodies, it's time to get connected. The latest additions to the Walt Disney World food scene, Connections Cafe and Connections Eatery, have opened at Epcot as the next link in a chain of updates being made to the park. But, unlike its predecessor, Electric Umbrella which was, at the time of its closure, thought by Disney fans to be a bit outdated this combination of quick-service restaurant and cafe goes beyond just simple burgers and fries. Instead, Connections brings more globally-inspired meals and ambiance to Epcot, which opened in 1982 and is known for its World Showcase, where 11 countries share their culinary best with park goers. The mural inside Connections is designed to evoke feelings of recognition for the food and traditions observed in guests' homes and inspire the desire to try new flavors. (Photo: Walt Disney World Resort; David Roark, photographer) Brianna Pfost, an art director at Epcot who works for Walt Disney Imagineering says this new location, which includes both a cafe that serves drinks from Starbucks and a full eatery, fits into the larger storytelling of the theme park. This storytelling begins with four "neighborhoods," three of which are brand new: The long-standing World Showcase where countries like Mexico and Morocco are represented, is joined by Epcot's World Nature, World Discovery and World Celebration sections. "We're in the newly-opened neighborhood of World Celebration, which is all about celebrating the things we share in common with each other across the world," Pfost tells Yahoo Life of Connections' location in the center of the park. "And of course, food is a big part of that, so we really wanted to make sure we were embracing the idea of a global community." The centerpiece of the dining location is an over 160-foot mural, titled Global Gathering, a sprawling piece that celebrates cultural traditions from around the world in one work of art. "It's all about representing different cultures and food staples around the world, but also showing everyone coming together around a meal," Pfost explains. At Connections Cafe, Starbucks coffee is served, making it the permanent place to grab your caffeine fix on a busy day at Epcot. (Photo: Josie Maida) At Connections Cafe, the location's on-the-go coffee spot, favorites from Starbucks, which was relocated first from the area formerly referred to as Future World then to a temporary location in the World Showcase, are served. But, all caramel macchiatos aside, the venue is no ordinary coffee shop. A glass case filled with coffee and teapots from across the globe sits to the left of the sprawling and modern counter, reminding guests again of the ways global food practices and cultural traditions are often more alike than they are different. "Our global cup display is all about vessels for brewing and steeping coffee and tea because that's something so universally shared by everybody," Pfost explains. "We all want our little caffeine kick we all have those little traditions you have that one mug that you enjoy we wanted to explore that and share how every different culture has traditions that are unique to them, but how similar those vessels look." The eclectic collection of coffee and teapots on display at Connections represents more than just caffeine: The display serves to show guests how brewing a pot of tea or coffee is done in similar ways across the world. (Photo: Walt Disney World Resort; David Roark, photographer) Working hand in hand with Walt Disney Imagineering, the chefs at Epcot embraced this global inspiration to craft a menu for Connections Eatery the quick-service restaurant that accompanies the cafe that appeals to a bevy of park goers while introducing them to international ingredients and flavors. An open kitchen allows guests to catch a show as chefs prepare meals and treats ranging from a classic fried chicken sandwich to a Belgian Liege-style waffle, a brioche-based waffle infused with pearls of sugar. Epcot chef Scott Tosh says his team worked with Walt Disney Worlds "flavor lab," a location where Disney chefs test new menu items before they debut in the parks, to create a menu that would "connect guests with each other and with food from around the world." The Liege Waffle at Connections Eatery is topped with strawberries, chocolate sauce and whipped cream. (Photo: Josie Maida) What sets Connections Eatery apart from other theme park restaurants, according to Tosh, is that everything is house-made in front of an audience. "We basically make everything here from scratch in the restaurant," he says. "It's a great place for our cast to showcase what we do many of our kitchens are completely enclosed in glass, so the guests can see our cast working." "We're [typically] behind a wall in the back, so we don't get to see the guests reaction to the food," Tosh adds. "It's been really enjoyable for the cast to see [guests enjoying their meals], especially little kids who come up to the glass excited to see what's going on." But what do the eatery's house-made internationally-focused meals taste like? As someone who visits Epcot weekly, I couldn't wait to dive into the menu, which is mostly inspired by French, Italian and Asian cuisines. The General Tso Chicken Salad is a light yet filling lunch, perfect for a hot Florida day. With broccoli slaw, edamame and fresh kale, it's certainly not what you might expect from a theme park, packed with flavors like a perfectly golden piece of fried chicken coated in a sweet and savory sauce. The General Tso Chicken Salad at Connections Eatery felt perfect for a hot Florida day, dressed with General Tso's Dressing and topped with edamame and Mandarin oranges. (Photo: Josie Maida) As part of Disney World's commitment to offering plant-based foods on every menu, the Curry Spice Pizza is made with fresh dough topped with tikka masala, carrots, potatoes, peas, tomatoes, a plant-based mozzarella and a lime "yogurt" sauce a much-welcomed twist on a standard slice. Since its opening on April 27, fan-favorite menu items include the French Bistro Burger, smothered in caramelized onions, mushrooms, bacon and Brie, and the Liege Waffle a brioche dough coated in pearl sugar turned into a crisp waffle covered in strawberries, chocolate and whipped cream a sweet treat guaranteed to satisfy any sweet tooth. Tosh believes each menu item, whether familiar or foreign, will connect guests with both new cuisines and ingredients that are staples in their own kitchens and cultures. Plant-based pizza, a fried chicken sandwich and both apple pie and mango milkshakes are part of the menu at Connections Eatery. (Photo: Josie Maida) "[The mural] is a beautiful painting of food and people from all around the world," says Tosh. "There's corn from Mexico, rice from China, apples from Turkey, cheese from Belgium all different areas that the guests can see. They look at the mural and say, 'Hey, I see that food [in the painting] and I see it in one of the dishes I'm getting.'" Connections Cafe opens daily at 8:30 a.m. and serves Starbucks favorites along with breakfast sandwiches and light pastries. Connections Eatery opens daily for lunch and dinner at 11 a.m. and closes at 9 p.m. Want lifestyle and wellness news delivered to your inbox? Sign up here for Yahoo Lifes newsletter. MILAN Emmanuel Goulin will succeed Francois-Xavier Fenart as president and chief executive officer of LOreal Italia. Previously general manager of the companys Luxe division in Italy, Goulin will officially take on the new role on July 1, but Fenart will continue to flank him as an adviser until the end of September. Goulin joined LOreal in 2000 as product manager of Lancome in the U.K. Over the years, he rose through the ranks to hold international positions in the group with increasing responsibilities up to the role of general manager for travel retail Asia Pacific in 2016, where he contributed to the strong business growth making this area LOreals third branch after the U.S. and China. Since his arrival in Italy last year, the executive has already initiated a number of changes, focused on value creation, streamlining and cross-functional collaboration. Emmanuel is a strategic and modern leader, fostering collaboration and teamwork, and a true people developer. We are very confident that with his extensive experience and engaging personality, Emmanuel will continue to successfully lead the teams of LOreal Italia in their transformation journey, Vianney Derville, the beauty giants president of Europe Zone, said in a statement. Derville added that Fenart, who was appointed to the leading role in Italy in 2017 after piling more than 25 years of experience at LOreal, already initiated such a path contributing to build strong teams and modernize the ways of working in the Italian subsidiary, therefore leaving behind a very solid legacy. All the group joins me in congratulating Francois-Xavier for his amazing career in LOreal and his much-appreciated contribution in Italy, and in wishing him all the best for this new chapter of his life, Derville concluded. Fenart joined LOreal at the end of the 1980s in the consumer products division, covering positions of increasing responsibility in the commercial field. In 2001, he began his international career, becoming general manager of the consumer products division in Taiwan, and then moving to The Netherlands, Brazil and Spain as country manager. In Italy, Fenart helped implementing key changes, including the modernization of the supply chain and the creation of the logistic hub in Villanterio, an hour-drive from Milan. These moves helped the acceleration of e-commerce and supported the subsidiary in regaining market share and top-line growth as well as resuming its profitability. LOreal has a long-standing presence in Italy as the group has been operating in the country since 1908 and currently counts a workforce of almost 2,000 people. As reported, LOreal Group reported sales of 32.28 billion euros last year, up 15.3 percent on a reported basis and a 16.1 percent increase like-for-like, compared with 2020. We may receive commission from purchases made via links on this page. Pricing and availability are subject to change. Every trip is better when you've packed the right stuff. (Photo: Amazon) Travel is making its way back, after the setbacks of COVID. If you're like us, you're a bit out of practice on planning and packing. And maybe (like us, again) you never quite nailed that to begin with. No problem. We tapped a true expert in the field a former flight attendant with many miles under her belt to help. Sakkara Barnwell has traveled to 14 countries across 4 different continents, and she has some serious experience when it comes to the goods that can make or break a trip. Whether youre visiting your mom in Florida, heading to a national park or taking the European vacay of your dreams, you'll benefit from her wisdom and product picks below. If you have Amazon Prime, youll get free shipping, of course. Not yet a member? No problem. You can sign up for your free 30-day trial here. (And by the way, those without Prime still get free shipping on orders of $25 or more.) So stow your carry-on, fasten your seatbelts and take in these trip-transforming tips! Packing Pals Totwo Travel Laptop Backpack Sleek, efficient and only $26! (Photo: Amazon) With the limits on carry-on size, it can be hard to find the perfect personal bag for flights. But our expert might have nailed it here: Check out the Totwo Travel Laptop Backpack, Barnwells favorite travel bag. It has a proper laptop storage area, a space designated for easy access to a portable charger and pockets, pockets, pockets! she says. This is the perfect way to pack a lot and keep it all organized. $26 with coupon $32 at Amazon Amazon Basics 4-piece Packing Travel Organizer Cubes Set A pro-traveler's secret weapon against suitcase chaos. (Photo: Amazon) Barnwell depends on packing cubes to keep the inside of her suitcase organized. Packing cubes offer a place for everything and keep everything in its place. The large cube here, just over 17 inches long, is sized right to hold (and consolidate) a stack of clothes. The smallest can corral randoms like charging cords. It's a much better use of suitcase real estate. Plus, the cubes make unpacking so much easier! Everything [stays] compact and organized and does so in a stylish wayno more [packing items in] Ziplocs for me! says Barnwell. $24 at Amazon In-Flight Essentials Lysol To Go Disinfectant Spray Travel Size 4-pack Peace of mind in the form of portable spray disinfectant. (Photo: Amazon) Using sanitizer is a simple way to reduce stress while traveling in 2022 (or anytime, actually). For ease and convenience, Barnwell recommends Lysol To Go. I trust that airlines are maintaining optimum cleanliness, but what if they missed a spot? says Barnwell. For every spot even soft surfaces theres Lysol! $13 at Amazon Palmer's Cocoa Butter Formula with Vitamin E Travel Size 3-pack Keep skin moisturized in flight (Photo: Amazon) I am completely obsessed with this lotion! raves Barnwell. Planes have the driest air in the cabin. Top that off with constant hand-washing and I am left with ashy, dry hands. Your skin is bound to suffer. To combat this cycle, Barnwell trusts Palmer's Cocoa Butter. Palmer's keeps my skin silky- smooth, moisturized all day and as an added bonus it smells absolutely amazing! These travel-size cuties are perfect for your carry-on, purse or backpack. $8 at Amazon 88 Acres Granola Bars 12-pack Pack a handful of these bars for quick hits of protein on the go. (Photo: Amazon) Nourishing snacks are important for keeping stamina up through the rigors of airport navigation, layovers, rental car lines and whatever else your trip throws at you. Barnwells favorite option: 88 Acres Granola Bars. They have simple ingredients, great flavors, 6 grams of protein in each, and are individually wrapped so I dont have to touch them to eat them. (You know, just in case you don't get a chance to wash your hands in that moment.) An added bonus is that they have no nuts or gluten so you dont have to worry about triggering anyones allergies. Smart when you're sitting so close to fellow passengers. $25 at Amazon Kuulaa Power Bank Ultra-High Capacity Portable Battery Never get stuck on 1 percent battery again! (Photo: Amazon) There is nothing worse than getting to the airport and not having access to my perfectly curated Spotify playlist because my phone is dyingwell, nothing except getting off of the plane and having to run around looking for outlets so you can charge up enough to order an Uber! Barnwell says. We can relate. To stay angst-free before, during and after your flight, make sure youre ready with a fully-juiced portable phone charger like this one. This model can fully charge any phone at least 4 times or an iPad 2.5 times! It easily fits in your carry-on and can even charge two phones at once, so your travel companion can get a little boost, too. $24 with coupon $27 at Amazon Destination Necessities Universal All in One Worldwide Travel Adapter Keep it in your suitcase so you're prepared to plug in, wherever you may land. (Photo: Amazon) As you probably know, many countries have outlets that are different from those in the U.S. (much like how just about everyone else uses the metric system). Barnwell is always ready with her universal adapter. Realizing you cant plug in your blow dryer or cell phone when you arrive in another country isnot great. This universal adapter fits all the plugs in the world and keeps your phone from getting fried! I never leave the country without one. This is arguably the most important item in this whole list! $14 with coupon $15 at Amazon Natural Silk Pillowcase for Hair and Skin Sleep like a baby. Look like a goddess! (Photo: Amazon) Keep your hair and skin happy for the duration of your stay with a natural silk pillow case, which Barnwell swears by. Hotel bedding tends to be harsh and aggravating on my face. This lightweight silk pillowcase keeps my curls poppin! Since youll be spending a third of your trip (and your life) snoozing, we recommend you grab a couple of these to make every minute amazing. $19 $22 at Amazon Riiqiichy Women's Pashmina Perfect for the plane, pretty enough for an evening out. (Photo: Amazon) With limited space for packing especially if youre trying to pack light items with multiple uses are treasures. The right pashmina can make or break a trip. Its large enough to be a mini blanket when the plane is cold. It's a shawl when Im in a more conservative country. It's a scarf to keep me warm on cool nights. And in a pinch it can even serve as a sarong on the beach, shares Barnwell. She loves this fringed option pashmina for its versatility and style. $15 $21 at Amazon Packable Travel Neck Pillow Alternative Down Puffer Jacket Lightweight, packable and the ideal layering piece for cooler destinations. And ps it's a pillow too. (Photo: Amazon) Speaking of multi-use items, youll be the MacGyver of your destination with this Packable Travel Neck Pillow / Puffer Jacket. This one was a definite game changer for me, said Barnwell. It conveniently becomes your neck pillow for the plane ride so it stays tidy." And it's just right for long walks or athletic hikes where temps are unpredictable. $50 at Amazon Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest for nonstop inspiration delivered fresh to your feed, every day. Want daily pop culture news delivered to your inbox? Sign up here for Yahoo Entertainment & Life's newsletter. Shireen Abu Akleh, a veteran journalist working for Al Jazeera, was killed Wednesday morning in the West Bank city of Jenin, according to the network and the Palestinian Ministry of Health. Abu Akleh was on assignment covering an overnight Israeli military raid in the city. Exchanges of fire erupted between Palestinian militants and Israeli soldiers, according to the Israeli Defense Forces. Abu Akleh, who had been wearing a protective vest identifying her as a member of the press, was shot in the head and was rushed in critical condition to a local hospital, where she was pronounced dead, according to the health ministry. She was 51. PHOTO: Palestinians carry the body of Al Jazeera reporter Shireen Abu Akleh in Jenin in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, May 11, 2022. (Mohamad Torokman/Reuters) The ministry confirmed another Palestinian Journalist, Ali Samodi, was wounded. Qatar-based Al Jazeera said its reporter was killed by Israeli forces. An IDF spokesman said the military was "investigating the event and looking into the possibility that the journalists were hit by the Palestinian gunmen." "The Al Jazeera Media Network condemns this heinous crime, which intends to only prevent the media from conducting their duty," the network said in a statement. "Al Jazeera holds the Israeli government and the occupation forces responsible for the killing of Shireen. It also calls on the international community to condemn and hold the Israeli occupation forces accountable for their intentional targeting and killing of Shireen." Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said he held Israeli forces fully responsible for the death, Reuters reported. PHOTO: In this undated photo provided by Al Jazeera, Shireen Abu Akleh, a journalist for Al Jazeera network, stands in an area where the Dome of the Rock shrine at Al-Aqsa Mosque in the Old City of Jerusalem is seen at right in the background. (Al Jazeera via AP) "The Al Jazeera Media Network condemns this heinous crime, which intends to only prevent the media from conducting their duty," the network said in a statement. "Al Jazeera holds the Israeli government and the occupation forces responsible for the killing of Shireen. It also calls on the international community to condemn and hold the Israeli occupation forces accountable for their intentional targeting and killing of Shireen." Political leaders called for an investigation into the death, with Tor Wennesland, U.N. Special Coordinator for the Middle East, saying that "media workers should never be targeted." U.S. Ambassador to Israel Thomas R. Nides said Abu Akleh was a dual American-Palestinian citizen. "I encourage a thorough investigation into the circumstances of her death and the injury of at least one other journalist today in Jenin," Nides said on Twitter. PHOTO: A cameraman reacts at a hospital following the killing of Al Jazeera reporter Shireen Abu Akleh, during an Israeli raid, in Jenin in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, May 11, 2022. (Mohamad Torokman/Reuters) Abu Akleh's death comes amid a rise in tensions in the West Bank and Israel, where a spate of terrorist attacks this year have sparked renewed fears that the security situation is deteriorating. MORE: Fears grow of renewed violence in Israel amid deadly shootings An international coalition of journalists, including the Palestinian Journalists' Syndicate, filed a formal complaint in April at the International Criminal Court accusing Israel of "the systematic targeting of Palestinian journalists." Israel's Foreign Ministry on Wednesday said it had "preliminary findings" that indicated "no gunfire was directed at the journalist -- however the investigation is ongoing." "On the other hand, we have seen footage of indiscriminate shooting by Palestinian terrorists, which is likely to have hit the journalist," the ministry said. "We will communicate our findings in a clear and transparent manner to our American friends, as well as to the Palestinian Authority." Lior Haiat, ministry spokesperson, added, "A free and fair press is fundamental to Israel and all democracies, and as such, journalists must be protected." Al Jazeera journalist killed in West Bank originally appeared on abcnews.go.com WASHINGTON (AP) The House emphatically approved a fresh $40 billion Ukraine aid package Tuesday as lawmakers beefed up President Joe Biden's initial request, signaling a magnified, bipartisan commitment to thwart Russian President Vladimir Putin's bloody three-month-old invasion. The measure sailed to passage by a lopsided 368-57 margin, providing $7 billion more than Biden's request from April and dividing the increase evenly between defense and humanitarian programs. The bill would give Ukraine military and economic assistance, help regional allies, replenish weapons the Pentagon has shipped overseas and provide $5 billion to address global food shortages caused by the war's crippling of Ukraine's normally robust production of many crops. The measure was backed by every voting Democrat and by nearly 3 out of 4 Republicans. House debate reflected a perspective, shared broadly by both parties, that the U.S. has even more at stake than standing by Ukraine. The Ukrainian people, they need us, they are in desperate need of our support," said Rep. Rosa DeLauro, D-Conn., chair of the House Appropriations Committee. "Vladimir Putin and his cronies must be held responsible. This bill does that by protecting democracy, limiting Russian aggression and strengthening our own national security. As China, Iran and North Korea watch our response, we must show the world that America stands firm with its allies and will do what is necessary to protect our interests abroad, said Rep. Kay Granger of Texas, top Republican on that committee. The new legislation would bring American support for the effort to nearly $54 billion, including the $13.6 billion in support Congress enacted in March. That's about $6 billion more than the U.S. spent on all its foreign and military aid in 2019, according to a January report by the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service, which studies issues for lawmakers. It's also around 1% of the entire federal budget. The measure was released as Washington has become increasingly assertive about its goals and its willingness to help Ukraine with more sophisticated weapons. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said recently the U.S. wants a weakened Russia that cant quickly restore its capability to attack other countries. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, with Rep. James McGovern, left to right, Rep. Greg Meeks, Rep. Barbara Lee and other members of the Congressional delegation that recently visited Ukraine, speaks to reporters outside the West Wing of the White House following a meeting with President Biden. (AP) Russian attacks on Ukraines southern port of Odesa have intensified in what seems an attempt to hamper deliveries of Western arms. Those weapons have helped Ukraine hold its own surprisingly well against its more lethal foe, but the grinding war is taking its toll. Senate approval of Ukrainian aid seems certain, and members of both parties have echoed the need for quick action. As Putin desperately accelerates his campaign of horror and brutality in Ukraine, time is of the essence, said House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif. But it was unclear when the Senate would act, and changes there were possible, with Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., insisting that the measure be narrowly focused on the war. I think were on a path to getting that done, McConnell told reporters. It needs to be clean of extraneous matters, directly related to helping the Ukrainians win the war. Some Republicans used the election-season debate to accuse Biden of being unclear about his goals. Honestly, do we not deserve a plan?" said Rep. Michael Burgess, R-Texas. He said he agrees that Western countries must help Ukraine stand up to Russia but added, "Does the administration not need to come to us with where we are going with this? Oksana Markarova, Ukraine's ambassador to the U.S., attended Tuesday's separate Democratic and Republican Senate lunches and expressed gratitude for the support they've received. Sen. Chris Coons, D-Del., said Markarova told them her country has depleted its stockpiles of Soviet-era weapons and said continued NATO support is vital. Coons said the Ukrainian's message was: Thank you, do more. We have a hard fight ahead. With your support, we can win. The new measure includes $6 billion to arm and train Ukrainian forces, $8.7 billion to restore American stores of weapons shipped to Ukraine and $3.9 billion for U.S. forces deployed to the area. There's also $8.8 billion in economic support for Ukraine, $4 billion to help Ukraine and allies finance arms and equipment purchases and $900 million for housing, education and other help for Ukrainian refugees in the U.S. To enhance the measure's chances in Congress, the House bill dropped Bidens proposal to ease the pathway to legal permanent residency for qualifying Afghans who fled to the U.S. after last summers American withdrawal from that country. Some Republicans have expressed concerns about the adequacy of security screenings for applicants. In their biggest concession, Biden and Democrats abandoned plans Monday to include additional billions of dollars to build up U.S. supplies of medicines, vaccines and tests for COVID-19. Republican support for more pandemic spending is waning and including that money would have slowed the Ukraine measure in the 50-50 Senate, where at least 10 GOP votes will be needed for passage. Democrats hope to produce a separate COVID-19 package soon, though its fate is unclear. Biden met in the White House Situation Room Tuesday with Pelosi and six other House Democrats who traveled recently to Ukraine and Poland. Afterward, Rep. Jason Crow, D-Colo., a member of that delegation and a former Army Ranger, said the Ukrainians need advanced drones and longer-range weapons like artillery, rockets and anti-ship missiles that will help them push back the Russians. A rusted metal barrel, near the location of where a different barrel was found containing a human body, sits exposed on shore at the Lake Mead Marina in Boulder City, Nev. (Patrick T. Fallon/AFP/Getty Images) The skeletal remains found in a barrel at Lake Mead earlier this month have captivated and horrified two distinct groups that typically do not have much in common: mob historians and climate scientists. Less than a week after the unidentified body was found in a barrel, paddleboarders found another set of skeletal remains at Lake Mead National Recreation Area in Nevada. Authorities are not surprised that more bodies are seeing the light of day as Lake Mead writhes in a prolonged drought gripping the West. The barrel found at Lake Mead on May 1portends a great calamity on the horizon for the climate, but also tells a story about Las Vegas. Homicide investigators believe the victim was shot to death and placed in the barrel 40 to 45 years ago, based on the shoes found in the barrel. Lt. Ray Spencer with the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department told The Times earlier this month that 40 years ago, the current shoreline would have been under 100 feet of water. The person in the barrel would have been shot right around the time when mob organization was dying out in Sin City. The late 70s, early 80s, was sort of the start of the end really of the mobs in Las Vegas, Geoff Schumacher, vice president of the Mob Museum in Las Vegas, said. Schumacher recalls a few instances when barrels featured prominently in mob stories, including the killing of Johnny Roselli, who testified before Congress in 1976. Roselli went missing shortly after he testified to the conspiracy to assassinate President Kennedy and was found in a fuel drum floating in a bay near Miami. But mob hits in Las Vegas typically ended with desert burials, Schumacher said. It's not impossible to think there will be more mob victims at the bottom of the lake. But it's just as likely that drowning victims and other remnants of the past will be revealed as the waters recede, Schumacher said. "This is just as top of mind, for a lot of people here," Schumacher said. "It's really a story that has captured people's imagination about, you know, what else might be lurking in the depths of Lake Mead." For climate scientists, the writing is on the wall as dead bodies surface at one of the nation's largest reservoirs that serves water to roughly 20 million people. The word drought does not capture the severity of what's happening across the region, saidBrad Udall, water and climate scientist at Colorado State University. "It's time to stop calling this a drought, because that obfuscates what's happening here. Droughts are temporary. What we're seeing is anything but temporary," Udall said. A better way to describe this current decline of water in Nevada, California and other states is the aridification of the American West, Udall said, in which the region will become drier and more arid over the long term. That's already playing out in many parts of the region where wet winters do not translate to wet summers as the soil does not retain the same amount of water from the previous year. The skeletal remains emerging from the earth are a byproduct of a system in decline. "We're finding out horrifying things that we would have just as soon not found out," Udall said. "Unfortunately, I think we're gonna find a lot more horrifying things, including probably more bodies, but more concerning on some level, just that our human systems are not set up to deal with these kinds of water declines." Water levels at Lake Mead for the month of April were at 1,054 feet above sea level, according to the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation. Last year around the same time, it was 1,079 feet and in 2020 it was 1,096 feet. A pronounced ring has wrapped around Lake Mead, showing clearly where the previous water break reached and far above where the current water levels sit. On Saturday, sisters Lynette and Lindsey Melvin were paddleboarding on Lake Mead when they happened upon a sandbar that just a week before was under water. The winds were whipping through the area and they docked their boards on the sandbar to admire the ancient rubbish, including an old Coca-Cola bottle, that stuck to the sand. Then they saw a peculiar object jutting out of the ground. "At first we thought it was a rock," Lynette told The Times. The sisters started to dig and thought it could be a bighorn sheep skull, but then they saw a human jaw with teeth and what looked like a tooth that had a metal-like filling. "We wanted to make sure that what we saw was a human skull before we contacted the park rangers," said Lindsey, who works as a registered nurse and was able to identify several other bones next to the skull. The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department told the Associated Press that there was no immediate evidence of foul play and that they would open a homicide probe pending the coroner's report. The Clark County Medical Examiner will determine the cause of death, according to the National Park Service. Lynette hopes if more bodies are found in the lake, that it brings some closure to families who thought their loved ones were lost forever. Still, as a regular Lake Mead visitor, Lynette has watched the water levels drop over the years and is scared of afuture without water. "I'm more worried about the lake drying up than finding human remains," she said. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. Journalist Shireen Abu Akleh. (via Facebook) LONDON A Palestinian American journalist was killed on Wednesday while covering an Israeli raid in the occupied West Bank and news network Al Jazeera claims the reporter was shot dead by Israeli forces. Shireen Abu Akleh, a 51-year-old U.S. citizen who was working for the Qatar-based news outlets Arabic language channel, was struck in the head with a live bullet while standing with other journalists in the city of Jenins refugee camp, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry and Al Jazeera. She had been wearing a press vest. Another Al Jazeera reporter who was working as Abu Aklehs producer, Ali Samoudi, was injured during the attack. He is reportedly in stable condition. Al Jazeera said in a statement: We pledge to prosecute the perpetrators legally, no matter how hard they try to cover up their crime, and bring them to justice. The circumstances surrounding Abu Aklehs death have been disputed by the Israeli military, which tweeted that the incident was being investigated and that it was possibly due to Palestinian armed gunfire. Fellow journalists mourn Abu Akleh, an Al Jazeera reporter who was killed Wednesday in the West Bank city of Jenin. (Nedal Eshtayah/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images) The Israel Defense Forces said on Twitter that it was conducting counterterrorism activity in the refugee camp to apprehend terrorist suspects. During the activity, tens of Palestinian gunmen fired at and hurled explosive devices toward the soldiers, the IDF claimed. The soldiers responded with fire toward the gunmen, and hits were identified. Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said it was likely to have been armed Palestinians who were firing indiscriminately. According to the Washington Post, the Israeli armys assessment was based on a video that was posted to the Israeli Foreign Ministrys Twitter page on Wednesday. This morning, in Jenin, terrorists heard saying: Theyve hit one, theyve hit a soldier, hes laying on the ground, the ministry said of the video, adding: But no IDF soldier was injured in Jenin. It is unclear when and where the footage was filmed. Israels defense minister, Benny Gantz, said that preliminary findings from the investigation, conducted by the Israel Defense Forces, found that no gunfire was directed at the journalist but that the investigation is ongoing. Palestinians hold posters with Abu Aklehs image and the words The martyrdom of journalist Shireen Abu Akleh in Arabic. (Hazem Bader/AFP via Getty Images) Al Jazeera producer Samoudi said that no Palestinian gunmen were in the area at the time of the shooting. We were going to film the Israeli army raid, and suddenly they shot us without asking us to leave or stop filming, he said. The first bullet hit me and the second bullet hit Shireen. They killed her in cold blood because they are killers and they specialize in killing only the Palestinian people, Samoudi alleged. There was no Palestinian military resistance at all at the scene. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas called Abu Aklehs death an assassination and said he held Israel responsible. White House press secretary Jen Psaki tweeted later on Wednesday: We are heartbroken to learn of the killing of Palestinian-American journalist, Shireen Abu Akleh, and injuries to producer Ali Samoudi, today in the West Bank. We send our deepest condolences to her family, friends, and strongly condemn her killing. Shireen was a reporting legend, followed closely by those who care about the region and is mourned by all who knew her, Psaki said of Abu Aklehs heart-wrenching death. She went on to say the Biden administration is calling for an immediate and thorough investigation and full accountability. Investigating attacks on independent media and prosecuting those responsible are of paramount importance. Her death is a tragic loss and an affront to media freedom everywhere, Psaki added. In April, the International Federation of Journalists filed a case to the International Criminal Court over Israels alleged systematic targeting of journalists who have worked in Palestine. If we demand justice for the Russian targeting of Ukrainian journalists we must demand an end to, and justice for, Israeli targeting and killings of Palestinian journalists, the report said. Anthony Bellanger, the organization's secretary, claimed that Abu Aklehs killing was a deliberate systematic targeting of a journalist. Cover thumbnail photo: Hazem Bader/AFP via Getty Images In the more than three decades former Vice President Mike Pence has been involved in politics, his opposition to abortion rights has been one of his bedrock principles. But in that time hes avoided settling on precisely what he would do if given the reins of power. Now with the Supreme Court poised to overturn Roe v. Wade, the issue has returned to center stage and Republicans at all levels are staking a claim on the issue from tightening the window allowing for abortions to within six weeks of conception to banning it almost outright, as happened in Oklahoma. Since leaving the White House last January, Pence has built a would-be presidential campaign focused heavily on courting anti-abortion activists and Christian right voters. And conservative commentators have credited him with stepping out front on abortion at the same time that his former boss and potential 2024 opponent, Donald Trump, has skirted the issue in public. During a recent fundraiser Pence headlined for the Carolina Pregnancy Center, an influential anti-abortion group in the early-voting state of South Carolina, the devout Christian hearkened back to his own salvation experience, in the spring of 1978, teeing up one of his applause lines. Former Vice President Mike Pence at a fundraiser for Carolina Pregnancy Center on May 5 in Spartanburg, S.C. (Meg Kinnard/AP) Ever since that day, like all of you here, I have stood without apology for the sanctity of human life and stood with young women in crisis pregnancies with compassion and care all across this country, Pence said to applause from the crowd. But he hasnt locked in a clear position in recent years. Exceptions for cases of rape and incest? He was for it in 2012 but hasnt said where he is now. Bans from six weeks after conception or 15 weeks? Pences political advocacy group, Advancing American Freedom, filed an amicus brief supporting the Mississippi state ban after 15 weeks, but he hasnt said if he would take it further if given the chance. A Pence spokesman declined to answer where Pence stands specifically on abortion, whether he would support a near-absolute ban akin to Oklahomas or something closer to the former mainstream Republican position, which allowed for abortions in cases of rape or incest or to save the life of the mother. Instead, the spokesman referred to Pences recent speeches, where he has promised that Roe v. Wade would end up in the ash heap of history. For decades, opposing Roe v. Wade, promising to appoint judges and Supreme Court justices that would end federal abortion protections, and proposing tighter restrictions on abortion access (while still abiding the bounds of the Roe decision) have been benchmark moves for Republican politicians. Demonstrators protest outside the Supreme Court on May 3. (Jacquelyn Martin/AP) But with the likely reversal of Roe, the playing field is shifting to Republicans specific views on abortion something the Democrats, led by Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, are pushing with a vote on abortion rights legislation in the Senate on Wednesday. Asked about where mainstream Republicans stand on abortion at the moment, Marjorie Dannenfelser, president of the anti-abortion group Susan B. Anthony List, said theres no single position since the issue would move to statehouses, where state lawmakers would hash it out. There is no one-size-fits-all. Thats the best thing about this moment, its a moment where everyone will argue it out in the public square, said Dannenfelser, who is also a longtime Pence ally, on a conference call with reporters Tuesday. Wes Anderson, a veteran Republican pollster working with SBA List and others, said he has been testing the question of where Republicans are on the contours of an abortion ban for the past 18 months and routinely gets varying answers. If you put 10 Republicans in a room, [youd get] 10 different answers but [still have] excitement to have that debate, Anderson said. But somewhere between heartbeat and first trimester is where most Republicans are, he said, referring to bans that take effect based on the detection of a heartbeat or the completion of the first trimester of pregnancy. During his dozen years in Congress from 2001 to 2013, Pence pushed hard for a personhood bill that would define life as starting at conception and to defund Planned Parenthood completely, a fight that earned him almost unshakable support from social conservatives and the Christian right. Then-Indiana Rep. Mike Pence, right, and then-Ohio Rep. Jean Schmidt at a news conference with fellow anti-abortion Republicans at the Capitol in 2010. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images) But when he left Congress to run for governor of Indiana in 2012, he pointedly dodged questions of whether he would push new abortion restrictions once in office. And while in office he largely avoided the issue, only signing a limit on abortions in March 2016 after he decided he wouldnt seek the White House. Pences avoidance of abortion and other hot-button social issues as governor (he came late to the battle over a religious freedom bill in 2015, though he bore the brunt of the national backlash), while courting national donors for a possible White House bid, left Indiana conservatives and anti-abortion activists leery of his dedication to the fight over abortion, same-sex marriage and other issues, said one longtime Indiana anti-abortion activist. He wanted to ride his reputation as a conservative while not really doing anything, the activist said. Democrats say that Pence is very clearly anti-abortion and opposes womens health and reproductive rights. But beyond that, things get fuzzier. On the surface level, [he is] a consistent politician, then a somewhat wavier politician than most, when you dig in on things, said Pat Dennis, vice president of research at the Democrat-backing group American Bridge. If you want to talk about people with long public records, Mike Pence is a guy thats been around for a very long time and been through many types of public opinion on this and has tried to, to the extent he can, be a chameleon politician. Pence speaks to Carolina Pregnancy Center director Alexia Newman on May 5 in Spartanburg, S.C. (Meg Kinnard/AP) _____ We do not intend to let this or any other incident like it pass idly by, University President Tony Allen said . SAVANNAH, Ga. (AP) The president of a historically Black college accused sheriffs deputies in Georgia of intimidating and humiliating the school womens lacrosse team when deputies pulled over the athletes bus and searched it for drugs. Delaware State University President Tony Allen said hes incensed by the April 20 traffic stop along Interstate 95 south of Savannah as the team returned from a game in Florida. In a letter to students and faculty, Allen said nothing illegal was found and campus officials were exploring options for recourse legal and otherwise. We do not intend to let this or any other incident like it pass idly by, Allen said in the letter posted Monday on the universitys social media pages. Delaware State University students enter the Dover campus during the Covid-19 pandemic. (William Bretzger, Delaware News Journal, USA TODAY NETWORK) Liberty County Sheriff William Bowman, who is Black, said Tuesday his office is conducting a formal review of the traffic stop. He said deputies had stopped other commercial vehicles the same morning along I-95 and found drugs on a different bus. The teams chartered bus was stopped because it was traveling in the left lane, which is a violation of Georgia law, he said. The sheriff said deputies decided to search the teams bus when a drug-sniffing dog alerted alongside it. I do not exercise racial profiling, allow racial profiling or encourage racial profiling, Bowman told reporters. The sheriff added that based on what he already knows, I believe the stop was legal. No one was arrested or charged. The sheriff said the bus driver was given a warning. Video posted online by one of the Delaware State lacrosse players shows two white deputies on the bus. One of them tells the bus passengers that possessing marijuana remains illegal in Georgia. If there is anything in yalls luggage, were probably going to find it, OK, the deputy says. Im not looking for a little bit of marijuana, but Im pretty sure you guys chaperones are probably going to be disappointed in you if we find any. The deputy continues : You guys are on a lacrosse team, correct? If there is something in there that is questionable, please tell me now. Because if we find it, guess what? Were not going to be able to help you. Sydney Anderson, the student who posted the video, wrote in the campus publication The Hornet Newspaper that team members felt there was underlying racism behind the search. The team members were in shock, as they witnessed the officers rambling through their bags, Anderson wrote. They brought the K-9 dog out to sniff their luggage. The cops began tossing underwear and other feminine products, in an attempt to locate narcotics. Georgia courts have held that the odor of marijuana is enough to give police probable cause to search vehicles without a warrant. The sheriff said he welcomed feedback from the lacrosse team. We realize that in this current environment, even a traffic stop can be alarming to citizens, Bowman said, especially African Americans. TheGrio is FREE on your TV via Apple TV, Amazon Fire, Roku and Android TV. Also, please download theGrio mobile apps today! The post President of HBCU Delaware State incensed by sheriffs and dogs search of team bus appeared first on TheGrio. (Jim Cooke / Los Angeles Times; photo via Getty Images) Ever since the Supreme Court's draft opinion overturning Roe vs. Wade was leaked, Barbara Smith has felt as if she were living in a time warp. After all of the fights waged and victories won to secure federal protections for women, Black Americans, and gays, lesbians and transgender people, she says, the nation seems to be hurtling back to the repressive days of "Father Knows Best," when gender equality seemed like a fantasy, LGBTQ people faced routine harassment by police,and the concept of "separate but equal" was still widely embraced. An author and publisher who's earned accolades for her lifetime of work as a Black feminist, LGBTQ activist and advocate for legal and safe abortions, Smith takes this new blow to women's rights personally. "Once Roe falls, it'll be open season on all of those other rights that are not written in the Constitution it's thedomino theory," says Smith, 75, speaking by phone from her home in upstate New York. "They're trying to erase the work of a whole generation," she says. "My generation." I reached out to Smith, among other LGBTQ experts, because I wanted to know what it was like for those who are involved in overlapping civil rights struggles to bear witness to the court's decision on abortion and because I suspect, as they do, that Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr.'s draft opinion striking down Roe vs. Wade is part of a larger effort to reverse 60 years of social progress on multiple fronts. Smith and millions of Americans, myself included, are left to wonder:Will some aspect of our lives make us the targets of the next big court challenge? Though Smith was feeling drained from a recent knee surgery, she spoke with a booming voice during a lengthy phone conversation on the implications of the justices' expected ruling to strike down the 1973 decision that legalized abortion nationwide. The court's action feels like a threat to everything Smith represents as a person, especially when leaders like House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-San Francisco) back up those fears by voicing their own concerns that same-sex marriage and other civil liberties also might fall. "I wouldn't put anything past them," Smith says of the court's conservative majority and its supporters in Congress and in statehouses across the country. "Gay marriage, they're coming after that.... I wouldn't be surprised if they come after civil rights for people of color, too." A Black American who grew up in Cleveland, Smith is old enough to remember the humiliation of racism before the Supreme Court struck down school segregation in 1954. And she was just finishing high school and on her way to college when President Johnson signed the Civil Rights and Voting Rights Acts a decade later. As a lesbian, Smith knows firsthand the pain that comes with being viewed by some of her fellow citizens as a pariah because of whom she loves. Her voice briefly trembles when she recalls having to comfort a distraught graduate school classmate in the late 1960s who terminated two pregnancies at a time when there was a profound stigma attached to seeking an abortion. Smith was part of a collective of Black lesbian activists and thinkers in the 1970s who introduced the concept of "identity politics" to describe the intersection of race, gender and sexual orientation in discussions about the injustices they faced in a society designed to benefit white, heterosexual men. Black feminist author and activist Barbara Smith, center, takes part in a demonstration to end violence against Black women in Boston in this photo taken in 1979. (Copyright 1979 Tia Cross) She founded Kitchen Table Press at the urging of her friend and fellow writer Audre Lorde, to showcase the experiences, history and wisdom of Black and brown women, in part because their stories and struggles were often missing, even within the broader racial justice, feminist and queer rights movements. "When Vice President [Kamala] Harris says women have been doing this kind of work for a long time, I'm like, 'Tell me about it!'" Smith says. Forty years after Smith edited seminal collections like "Home Girls: A Black Feminist Anthology," some Americans dismiss terms like "feminism" and "identity politics" as merely obsessions of the far left. But Smith's raw insightsresonate with me as I try to understand why the abortion ruling feels so ominous. "It's like death by a thousand cuts," says Jennifer Gregg, executive director of the foundation that supports ONE National Gay & Lesbian Archives at USC Libraries in Los Angeles, one of the largest repositories in the world of documents, photos and other materials related to the LGBTQ community. Gregg, 49, who is white and lesbian, believes as Smith and I do that conservatives want to chip away at civil liberties broadly, not just on the issue of reproductive health. She keeps a copy of a photo from the archives on her wall at home that shows protesters in L.A.'s Silverlake neighborhood demonstrating against police raids at gay and lesbian establishments in 1967, two years before the Stonewall uprising in New York City launched the modern gay rights movement nationally. One of the protesters holds a sign that reads, "No more abuse of our rights and dignity." Smith finds it hard to accept that the justices could so boldly endanger the individual rights and basic dignity of Americans from different walks of life with a single majority opinion. Women of color had an especially difficult time securing reproductive services and healthcare in general because of inequality in the medical system when Smith was coming of age. Those hardships still exist. Black and Hispanic women represent a disproportionate share of those who terminate pregnancies in the U.S. Many of those women live in states like Texas, Louisiana and Alabama, where Republican lawmakers over the years have placed onerous restrictions on abortion services, essentially making them impossible for many women to find without traveling great distances. And Black women who do choose to carry their pregnancies to term face higher rates of maternal and infant mortality than white women due to racial and economic disparities in healthcare and in society as a whole an issue that has never been fully addressed. Smith was addressing these inequities in her writings, in classrooms and on the streets when Harris, the first woman and woman of color to become vice president, was still in grade school in the Bay Area. Smith's tone softens with nostalgia as she reminisces about joining a coalition of women from different backgrounds to hand out health literature containing information about abortion services to residents in Boston's predominantly Black Roxbury neighborhood. "That took so much guts this was the mid-70s," Smith says. "Here we were, these young women of color there were Latinas, a young Asian American woman on both levels of the station handing out pamphlets." Thinking back on her career, Smith sounds both proud of all she's done to bring about a more inclusive and understanding society, and unnerved by efforts that erode that spirit of compassion. The pushback against acceptance of LGBTQ Americans, which strikes special fear in Smith, has been building for years but feels more dire with the court's impending ruling, says attorney Sharon McGowan, chief strategist and legal director at Lambda Legal, one of the nation's largest LGBTQ civil rights organizations. "When people talk about LGBTQ rights being 'next,' well, 'next' is now," says McGowan, 48. "Justice Alito has been saying all of the things that his draft opinion on Roe v. Wade is saying from the mountaintops every chance he gets. His view is that unless you are someone who has always exercised their full rights and liberties under the law, you're out of luck. This is the beginning of a wake-up call for many who didn't believe the threat was real." While Smith is shaken by the court's ruling, she isn't necessarily surprised that Americans are so divided. After all, while 81% of Democrats support lawmakers in Washington passing legislation to make abortion a right nationwide, only 65% of independents and 30% of Republicans feel the same way, according to a new CNN poll conducted by the research firm SSRS. Voters remain so entrenched that so far, the court's ruling doesn't seem to have shifted the dynamics of a midterm election battle in which Republicans stand to make major gains in Congress. At the same time, Republican leaders like Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and Texas Gov. Greg Abbott have attempted to score points with their supporters by backing bigoted education measures that stoke resentment toward LGBTQ people,immigrants and Black Americans. No one should live under the illusion that the fight for equality, mutual respect and the right to privacy ended in the 60s and 70s, says Smith, who now spends her time editing manuscripts and serving as a senior advisor to the Women's March coalition that arose in response to the election of President Trump in 2016. As I listen to Smith talk about the nation's civil rights triumphs and setbacks through her personal lens, it's clear that she and her cohorts in the 70s had it right: Acknowledging the role that identity plays in our politics is key to understanding the nations' fault lines. What kind of person makes a good American? Who is worthy of enjoying the nation's rights and freedoms? And who should have the power to decide? After 246 years, a Civil War over slavery, movements against inequality and injustice, and a blossoming of social consciousness ushered forth by people like Smith, Americans are no closer to agreeing on the answers. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. Donald Trumps pick for governor of Nebraska was defeated in Tuesdays Republican primary there, but in a showdown between two congressional candidates in West Virginia, the former presidents choice won handily. Trump remains the GOPs dominant figure, although his decision to endorse a host of candidates in competitive primaries this year is putting his influence among rank-and-file Republican voters to the test. The success or failure of Trump-backed candidates is being watched closely by GOP donors and other Republican politicians, including those considering their own campaigns for the presidency in 2024. In Nebraska, Trump took his first major loss of the 2022 primary season. And there is at least one more defeat likely to come later this month. Businessman Charles Herbster was Trumps chosen candidate for governor in Nebraska. But on Tuesday he lost to University of Nebraska Board of Regents member Jim Pillen, who received 34% of the vote to Herbsters 30%, with 95% of the vote counted. A third candidate, moderate state Sen. Brett Lindstrom, was in third place with just under 26% of the vote. Nebraska Republican gubernatorial candidate Charles Herbster gives a concession speech on Tuesday. (Justin Wan/Lincoln Journal Star via AP) Trump won Nebraska by 19 points in the 2020 election, and yet some of his supporters in the state insisted that those results were unfair. Nebraska is one of two states that divide their Electoral College votes, and Joe Biden won one of those votes despite Trumps strong showing. Two Republican candidates for Nebraskas secretary of state the office that oversees elections in the state have claimed without evidence that Nebraskas elections have been tainted with fraud. Republican Secretary of State Robert Evnen, who oversaw the 2020 election, investigated the claims by his two Republican rivals for the job, and published a 19-page document showing there was no substance to them. Yet the two hard-core Trump candidates, Robert Borer and Rex Schroder, have continued to make their baseless claims. Nebraska Republicans rejected the two conspiracy-promoting candidates and renominated Evnen, who received 44% of the vote to Borers 32% and Schroders 24%. Trump has put a priority on secretary of state races across the country this year, saying in January that sometimes the vote counter is more important than the candidate. However, Trump did not make an endorsement in Nebraskas secretary of state contest. In the governors race, Herbster was endorsed by Trump last fall. He donated more than $1 million to Trumps reelection campaign in 2020 and attended the rally on Jan. 6, 2021, that preceded the violent assault on the U.S. Capitol by Trump supporters, who were attempting to block the certification of election results. Herbster spent part of that day with top Trump advisers, including the then presidents two adult sons. Herbster with former President Donald Trump at a campaign rally on May 1 in Greenwood, Neb. (Kenneth Ferriera/Lincoln Journal Star via AP) But in mid-April a Republican state senator, Julie Slama, and seven other women said Herbster had groped or inappropriately touched them. Slama said Herbster had reached up her skirt at a political event in 2019. Other women have also spoken out on the record backing the claims against Herbster, as have men who allegedly witnessed the incidents. One of the women said Herbster had forcibly kissed her. However, Trump went to Nebraska on May 1 to campaign with Herbster and declared him innocent. I have to defend my friends, I have to defend people that are good. These are malicious charges to derail him long enough that the election can go by before the proper defense can be put forward, the former president said. Herbster not only denied the allegations, he attacked Slama in a 30-second TV ad and sued her for defamation. Herbsters ad did not mention Slama by name but claimed that his accuser invited him to her destination wedding. Slama said the invitation was sent by mistake over email and has countersued Herbster. Slamas lawyers have said that Herbster is engaged in a frivolous and bad faith attempt to bully a sexual assault victim into silence. Herbster claimed he was the victim of a political witch hunt driven by Republican Gov. Pete Ricketts, who was supporting Pillen. Ricketts and Pillen both dismissed Herbsters claims. Jim Pillen, the winner of the Nebraska Republican gubernatorial primary, at an election night party on Tuesday. (Kenneth Ferriera/Journal Star via AP) And ultimately, so did Nebraska voters, which included about 8,000 people who switched their registration from Democratic to Republican to vote in the GOP primary. Pillen is favored to win the fall election over Democratic nominee Carol Blood. It sure looked like the Trump endorsement didnt deliver as many rural counties for Herbster as youd expect. The Nebraska Farm Bureau endorsement of Pillen really helped him in rural areas, it appears, along with Gov. Ricketts assistance, wrote Paul Hammel, a reporter for the Nebraska Examiner, on Twitter. Meanwhile, in West Virginia, Rep. Alex Mooney defeated Rep. David McKinley in Tuesdays Republican primary for the states Second Congressional District. Mooney, a former state senator from Maryland, has been in Congress since 2015. McKinley has been a congressman since 2011. But after the 2020 census, West Virginia lost a congressional district, and the redrawn map combined parts of Mooneys and McKinleys districts. Both candidates were conservative, but McKinley had a record of bipartisan cooperation as well. Rep. Alex Mooney at a campaign rally in Greensburg, Pa., on May 6. (Gene J. Puskar/AP) Trump backed Mooney, in part because McKinley supported an independent commission to investigate the Jan. 6 insurrection. Republican Gov. Jim Justice backed McKinley, as did Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va. After a brutal primary in which both candidates ran numerous negative ads, Mooney defeated McKinley by almost 20 points, 54% to 35%. West Virginia is perhaps the most pro-Trump state in the country; the former president won there by nearly 40 points in 2020. But the rest of the month looks uncertain and potentially bumpy for Trumps endorsements. In Pennsylvania, where Republicans will hold a primary a week from now, TV personality Dr. Mehmet Oz has climbed in the polls after Trump endorsed him. Oz is locked in a tight three-way contest with former hedge fund CEO David McCormick and conservative commentator Kathy Barnette, who is surging in the polls and leaning hard into her anti-abortion views and personal story. Dr. Mehmet Oz and Trump at a campaign rally in Greensburg, Pa., on May 6. (Gene J. Puskar/AP) And in Georgia, where Republicans will hold a primary on May 24, Trumps vendetta against Republican Gov. Brian Kemp has seemingly backfired. Trump has tried to get Kemp tossed out of office because Kemp refused to go along with Trumps attempts to overturn the 2020 election. But Georgia Republicans appear poised to nominate Kemp a second time and to reject Trumps choice for the nomination, former Sen. David Perdue. Opinion: The Tesla CEOs decision to reinstate Donald Trumps Twitter credentials is just the latest example of Americas unapologetic whiteness. Editors note: The following article is an op-ed, and the views expressed are the authors own. Read more opinions on theGrio. Donald Trump is back! Wellnot yet. But the news that Twitters new potential buyer would lift the ban on Donald Trump angered many and increased the value of the company that Elon Musk will probably buy with other peoples money. Sure, Donald Trump may have incited an insurrection in the country white people love dearly, but, according to Musk, denying a white supremacist the right to spew randomly capitalized tidbits of domestic terrorism advice alienated a large part of the country. And youd be correct in assuming that white people are the large part of the country to which Musk refers. However, the news doesnt anger me for one reason. I feel sorry for white people. Setting aside the need to count silently before clapping on the beat and the quality of Caucasian cuisine, being white looks hard AF. I cannot fathom how difficult it is to stare ones own mediocrity in the face while knowing that you exist in a place that has handed you every political, social and economic advantage. Ive always wondered why white people who fall on hard times just dont save their money, purchase a nice wool suit from Jos. A. Banks, move to middle America and start over with nothing but a knapsack full of ironic T-shirts and the privilege that their alabaster skin affords them. If you think carrying the burden of 400 years of racial discrimination on your back is hard, imagine being a 47-year-old white man working the graveyard shift at Waffle House handing hash browns to a first-generation HBCU student wearing an Obama shirt. But that is not why I pity whiteness. I weep for whiteness because it is nothing. The mythical backstory that has somehow bamboozled the world into believing that Germanic barbarians, English colonizers, Italian immigrants and French friars are all the same thing depends on the acceptance of a fabrication that falls apart upon the slightest inspection. Perhaps this is why people of European descent react to the phrase white people like a sneak thief caught under a floodlight during a burglary. They are afraid their ruse will be exposed and the quadruple century-old jig will be finally up. Oh, how onerously self-oppressive whiteness must be. To be fair, white people are very good at being white. The way they couched human trafficking as a necessary ill to bring forth a democracy founded in white supremacy. The way they swiped the land from natives, segregated it after slavery and cemented their plan with redlining was such a racist masterstroke that even Hitler had to take notes. It was white excellence that managed to euphemize Jim Crow as states rights and prolong civil rights until they had to hose bits of Black blood and bone off their sidewalks. If nothing else, we must applaud whiteness ability to separate itself from its forefathers sins while still enjoying the fruits of their lack of labor. Kudos to whiteness. Tesla CEO Elon Musk speaks during an event to launch the new Tesla Model X Crossover SUV in Fremont, California. The company is being sued by the state for alleged racial discrimination and harassment. (Photo: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images) But in the age of unapologetic whiteness, things are different. I dont know if white people have gotten lazy or theyve just grown tired of covering their filthy bloodstained hands with the white gloves of patriotism and conservative values, but they dont even try to hide their racism anymore. Even the Confederate white supremacist traitors apologetically referred to slavery as a peculiar institution. But these MAGAmuffin-brand white people dont wear white hoods. They put their white nationalism on full display every night during Fox News primetime hour. Instead of updating their lost cause mythology, white women put on their yoga pants, marched into school board meetings and made truth illegal by calling it critical race theory. This time, they didnt have to summon their billy-club-wielding stormtroopers to rewind Black peoples right to vote and refused to acknowledge that Black lives even matter. Who else but whiteness could openly oppose anti-racism? And while some people believe that Donald Trump or Tucker Carlson could stand as the everlasting mascot for this new wave of unrepentant caucasity, I believe there is a better example. I feel sorry for Elon Musk. Setting aside the fact that he is considered to be an automotive mogul and inventor even though he has never invented anything and owns a car company that doesnt make money selling cars, I cannot fathom how tough it is to grow up privileged and white in apartheid South Africa and then move to a place where Black people can sue you just because you are racist. Imagine having to hoodwink a bunch of white boy bootlickers into believing that you are a self-made success story after growing up so rich that your dads precious jewels sometimes spilled out of your overstuffed pockets. Think of the level of chicanery required to make people think you started a company that already existed. This is why whiteness is so pitiable. How can you prove that you are supreme when everyone knows the truth? How can you fight the inevitable? How can you perpetuate the rags-to-riches myth of the American dream when you are nothing more than a colonizer with a fictional history? And what privilege do you give to the race who has everything? Unapologetic whiteness is the answer. Musk is not an elected official, so he doesnt have the political authority to criminalize history like Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, Texas Governor Greg Abbott or weepy white women. Because of the way words work, Musk is technically an African American, but because of the way whiteness works, Elon Musks skin serves as a proverbial knapsack that allows him to reinvent his past by clothing himself in whiteness. And now, with nothing but that whitewashed version of his personal history and the company he colonized from Teslas founders, the billionaire tycoon walked into the worlds largest banks and put Twitter on layaway. And what was his first course of action? More white supremacy, please! No longer will white people suffer the tyranny of being silenced while planning to commit treason or spew racism. This is the kind of unapologetic whiteness that has freed the entirety of Caucasiandom of having to preface their sentences with Im not racist, but Elon Musk is the Thomas Jefferson of Twitter. He is willing to fight for the inalienable right to free speechbut not for all menjust white people. It is as American a thing that has ever happened. Well, almost Right now, on Twitter, there is a white person fashioning their own version of not all white people. I feel sorry for that person, too. I cannot imagine how burdensome it must be to be so unoriginal that you can read a thousand words that never mention your name and, like all the other white people, feel the need to clarify how you are different from all the other white people. But that, too, exemplifies America. In the land of white excellence, where history is based on a true story, it is reasonable to believe that Elon Musk alone can Make Twitter Great Again. And he doesnt even have to apologize. Michael Harriot theGrio.com Michael Harriot is a writer, cultural critic and championship-level Spades player. His book, Black AF History: The Unwhitewashed Story of America, will be released in 2022. TheGrio is FREE on your TV via Apple TV, Amazon Fire, Roku, and Android TV. Please download theGrio mobile apps today! The post Unapologetically white: Why Elon Musk is the greatest American in history appeared first on TheGrio. NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) After serving 30 years of a life sentence in Tennessee for the fire that killed his girlfriend, a 65-year-old man has been declared innocent and released from prison. Claude Garrett was released Tuesday from Riverbend prison in Nashville after a judge vacated his murder conviction and a prosecutor dismissed all charges against him, news outlets reported. Garrett has shown actual innocence, Criminal Court Judge Monte Watkins ruled. Garrett was convicted in 1992 of killing his girlfriend, Lorie Lee Lance, 24, who died of smoke inhalation in the Nashville home they shared. Investigators at the time believed they found evidence that he set the blaze, but fire science has improved in the last 30 years, and a filing by prosecutors last year said they no longer believe the fire was intentionally set. After an investigation found multiple alternate theories explaining how the fire could have started accidentally, the Davidson County District Attorney Generals Office requested that his conviction be vacated. The original conviction was based on outdated investigative methods and baseless conclusions, according to a statement released Tuesday by the office. Overturning the case took years and was successful after an extensive collaborative investigation" by prosecutors and the Tennessee Innocence Project, the statement said. The Court is satisfied that Petitioner has presented clear and convincing evidence showing that no reasonable jury would have convicted Claude Garrett of felony murder in light of the new scientific evidence," the judge wrote. Garretts daughter Deana Watson said Tuesday she was happy her father was being released, though she was not sure what his next steps would be. The plan is that he hangs out with me for a while and then we figure it out, Watson said. We had a whole conversation about cellphones and how they work. We will help him reintegrate into society. A defence minister has said we must be prepared for the war in Ukraine to last a very, very long time, as he suggested the conflict was now shifting to a war of attrition. Leo Dochertys comments came as Conservative MP James Sunderland asked him in the House of Commons about policy resilience and how long the support to Ukraine might last. Mr Docherty said we cant speculate about how long the conflict might go on for but warned we must be prepared for it to last a very, very long time. Leo Docherty said he expected UK support to Ukraine to last many years (Chris McAndrew/UK Parliament/PA) He noted that people should be reassured by the fact the UK and allies across Western Europe had the resolve to see this through. The defence minister appeared in the Commons to answer an urgent question from Labours shadow defence secretary John Healey, who accused the Government of leaving a defence-shaped black hole in the Queens Speech and called for a rethink of Army cuts. Mr Sunderland, the MP for Bracknell, said: We have heard from his previous answer about the fact that the level of support to Ukraine will continue but can I ask him please for how long it will continue? Particularly if the conflict goes from months into years, becomes an attritional campaign, and also is that view and stance shared by all of our other allies? Mr Docherty replied: We have all been clear that our support to Ukraine is something I expect to last many years. We have had a very close defence relationship since 2014. I think we are moving to a phase of the campaign that is attritional and will be continued at tragic and significant cost of the Russian state. We cant speculate on how long it might last but I think we must be prepared for it to last for a very, very long time. We should be reassured by the fact that we and our allies across Western Europe have the resolve to see this through. Mr Healey called on the Government to supply Ukraine with Nato weapons and to rethink Army cuts, saying: The UK now needs to shift from crisis management of the current conflict to delivering the medium-term military support that Ukraine will need for Putins next offensive. This means new Nato weapons instead of Soviet-era equipment. He added: The head of the British Army this week has said the Army is too small, despite Conservatives voting down Labours motion in this House a year ago to halt further cuts. So, will he accept there was a defence-shaped hole in the Queens Speech? And that the Government must now rewrite the integrated review, review defence spending, reform military procurement and rethink Army cuts? The Army has already been cut to its smallest size in 300 years. Now when Russian threats are rising, new recruits cant even apply to join. We need to hear from Ministers what theyre doing to fix this failing system and support those who want to proudly serve our country https://t.co/NidD46fQBy John Healey MP (@JohnHealey_MP) May 10, 2022 Mr Docherty said the Ukrainian armed forces were seeing a wholesale institutional reinvigoration thanks to aid from the UK and on Army cuts, he said that thanks to the 24 billion uplift in defence spending, we are in good shape and we are a good size. The defence minister also gave an update on assistance provided to Ukraine so far, including more than 6,900 new anti-tank missiles, a further consignment of Javelin anti-tank missiles, and eight air defence systems. He reiterated commitments to send 300 more missiles, armoured fighting vehicles and other support including anti-ship systems, as well as further humanitarian aid. The United Kingdom has confirmed 1.3 billion of new funding for military operations and aid to Ukraine, he added. Marysville, CA (95901) Today Sunshine and a few afternoon clouds. High near 95F. Winds S at 10 to 20 mph.. Tonight Some clouds this evening will give way to mainly clear skies overnight. Low 54F. Winds SSE at 10 to 20 mph. Diamantis Zournas, a fourth-generation livestock farmer, poses for a photo in front of his farm at Kleitoria village in southern Greece, April 20, 2022. (Photo by Angelos Tsatsis/Xinhua) KLEITORIA, Greece, May 10 (Xinhua) -- While tending to his sheep, goats and chicken on the family farm in the village of Kleitoria in southern Greece, livestock breeder Diamantis Zournas is constantly calculating his costs. The recent massive increases in energy and animal feed prices caused by the Ukraine crisis have put an unbearable burden on livestock farmers across Greece, making their business barely viable, they told Xinhua in recent interviews. Zournas is a fourth-generation livestock farmer. He has a flock of 350 sheep and goats, as well as chicken, and sells his produce in his butcher shop on the village's square. "The situation has become unbearable," he said, as everything is more expensive. Even a few months ago he still paid 250-300 euros (264-316 U.S. dollars) for electricity. The most recent bills were close to 1,000 euros. Transport costs have also increased due to the ever higher fuel prices. "Each week prices are galloping, not just rising. They have already doubled and kept rising. Corn today costs more than 40 cents a kilo, while we used to buy it for 18-19 cents," he explained. According to the Hellenic Livestock Association, the prices of barley, clover, hay, soy and wheat have also doubled in the past few months. Domestic production cannot cover the farmers' needs. Greece imports around 250,000 tons of animal feed annually from Russia and Ukraine, but the conflict there has created a bottleneck on the export pipelines, the Hellenic Feed Industry Association said. Meanwhile, the costs of production are skyrocketing, Zournas said. "I doubt that livestock breeders who do not produce their own feed will be able to make ends meet. They will be forced to sell their herds. It has already started. It is happening," he said. Zournas grows part of the feed for his farm, but he is struggling. During a tour of their silos in Kleitoria, where the local livestock farmers get their animal feed, Pavlos Satolias, president of the National Union of Agricultural Cooperatives of Greece - ETHEAS and the local Agricultural Dairy Cooperative, told Xinhua that the situation has been difficult, but it "got so much worse in the past two months" due to the Russia-Ukraine conflict. Production costs for the cooperative's 1,200 members have risen by approximately 30 percent in recent months, he said. "This year, the livestock breeders will probably work without making a living, without making any profit," Satolias said. "We fear that many of us will leave the industry, which would be a catastrophic development. Here in the countryside, people do not have anything else to make a living. Our villages would become deserted." The associations consider the subsidies announced by the government inadequate. They call for more generous support measures so that the sector remains sustainable. In absence of adequate support in times of crisis, Zournas fears that many of Kleitoria's 1,000 residents -- who depend on their animals -- would leave for the urban centers. Zournas has three sons, but without incentives targeting the younger generations in particular to stay in the industry, he fears that there will not be a fifth generation of breeders in his family. (1 euro = 1.06 U.S. dollars) Aerial photo taken on April 20, 2022 shows the animal feed silos at Kleitoria village in southern Greece. (Photo by Angelos Tsatsis/Xinhua) Photo taken on April 20, 2022 shows sheep grazing in Diamantis Zournas's farm at Kleitoria village in southern Greece. (Photo by Angelos Tsatsis/Xinhua) HAGUE, MAY 11, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan met with the representatives of the Dutch business community in Hague on May 11, Armenpress correspondent reports. Pashinyan presented Armenias current opportunities in terms of making investments and establishing a business. From the Armenian side, the meeting was also attended by Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan, Minister of Education, Science, Culture and Sport Vahram Dumanyan, Minister of Territorial Administration and Infrastructure Gnel Sanosyan, Minister of Economy Vahan Kerobyan and Chairman of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs Eduard Aghajanyan. Introducing Armenias economic, investment opportunities, the Prime Minister said: In order to have economic growth and progress, we have an agenda of major democratic reforms. The Armenian PM assured that they have eliminated the systematic corruption in the country and are at a stage of strengthening democratic institutions. He emphasized that the regional situation is also important for investments, reminding that the government of Armenia is working towards peace and stability in the region. Agriculture is one of the most important sectors for us. We are expecting investments from the Netherlands because we see how agriculture field is developed in your country, Pashinyan said. As for what could attract Dutch businessmen to make investments in this field of Armenia, the PM highlighted Armenias membership to the Eurasian Economic Union and its opportunities. Pashinyan highlighted IT as an important and rapidly developing direction. He said that the development of this industry is a strategic direction for Armenia. Nikol Pashinyan also touched upon tourism, water resources management and other areas, calling them as opportunities for Dutch investors. Director of the Confederation of Netherlands Industry and Employers Ingrid Thijssen, who was in attendance, said: The presence of many guests and organizations at this meeting shows that Armenia really is a very attractive country for doing business. Representative of the company PRIVA operating in agriculture sector Maria Komorowska was also participating in the meeting. We have been present in Armenia for already 10 years. We started the first project 10 years ago. We have many clients, she told Armenpress. Presenting the reason of founding a business in Armenia, she said they see a good potential in the country. The Armenian PM arrived in the Netherlands on May 10 on a two-day official visit. YEREVAN, MAY 11, ARMENPRESS. Vice Speaker of Parliament of Armenia Hakob Arshakyan is participating in the Future Innovation Summit 2022 in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates, together with founder of the STARMUS festival, Professor Garik Israelyan and the representatives of the business community. Hakob Arshakyan is attending the summit at the invitation of Sheikh Saqer Al Qasimi, member of the ruling family. I had a chance to present Armenias technological ecosystem, legislative field and privilege system in the field of space technologies, the Vice Speaker said on social media. He invited the summit participants to attend the STARMUS VI festival to be held in Yerevan this year on September 5-10. Future Innovation Summit is the largest leading governmental conference and exhibition about innovations in healthcare, education, AI & tech, real estate, telecom, blockchain etc. HAGUE, MAY 11, ARMENPRESS. Azerbaijan is trying to make the issue of the return of Armenian captives a subject of trade, Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan said at the Netherlands Institute of International Relations, Clingendael, in response to the question of the meeting participants. Unfortunately, despite the 2020 November 9 statement and calls of numerous international organizations, our citizens who were captured during the 44-day war have not been returned, which cannot be understood. This is a practice of using people for political purposes and making them a subject of trade, which is condemnable, the PM said. Pashinyan said that when the topic of captives was touched upon, Azerbaijan tried to make it a subject of trade for exchanging them with the maps of minefields that the Armenian side had. And when we saw that an attempt is made to exchange people with maps, we made a political decision that doing trade is out of the logic of our values. Azerbaijan was claiming that every day people are being killed on the minefields left during the war, it was releasing numbers, and I personally made a political decision that this trade must not take place, and we handed over all our maps to Azerbaijan, with the hope that the humanitarian step will be followed by a humanitarian step. After that Azerbaijan started announcing that those maps are not so correct. We said its not that we kept the good maps and gave the bad ones to you, thats what we have. And they tried to make this a subject of speculation as well, but they didnt notice one thing that after the exchange of the maps, the information on the killing of citizens from mine explosion has disappeared from their newsfeed, the PM said. Pashinyan stated that the Armenian side did this to show its sincerity in the peace agenda, its dedication to the peace agenda. Till today at least 38 of our captives are held in Azerbaijan. An attempt is made to regularly make this process a subject of trade on different topics. By the way, the last time it was at the presence of the President of the European Council that the Azerbaijani leader promised that he will release another group of captives, but this has not happened so far. I think that its impossible to talk about peace by ignoring the humanitarian side of the issue, we have shown this in practice, the Armenian PM noted. He stressed the need for the international community to know about this situation. Pashinyan called on the international community to continue urging Azerbaijan not to make people a subject of political trade. The war has brought tragedy to many, but I dont think that the approach of constantly pouring salt on that open wound fits into the value system that is typical to the 21st century, Nikol Pashinyan said. YEREVAN, 11 MAY, ARMENPRESS. The Central Bank of Armenia informs Armenpress that today, 11 May, USD exchange rate down by 5.77 drams to 466.87 drams. EUR exchange rate down by 6.60 drams to 492.22 drams. Russian Ruble exchange rate up by 0.05 drams to 6.86 drams. GBP exchange rate down by 8.06 drams to 575.84 drams. The Central Bank has set the following prices for precious metals. Gold price down by 398.50 drams to 27879.23 drams. Silver price down by 4.05 drams to 328.20 drams. Platinum price stood at 16414.1 drams. YEREVAN, MAY 11, ARMENPRESS. On May 11, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken had a telephone conversation with Azerbaijani president Ilham Aliyev to discuss the process of negotiations between Armenia and Azerbaijan, ARMENPRESS reports Blinken wrote on his Twitter page. "I spoke with Azerbaijani president Ilham Aliyev today about how the United States can continue to support the positive dynamics of the recent peace talks between Azerbaijan and Armenia," he wrote. The Department of State issued a statement on the telephone conversation, noting that the parties discussed "the forthcoming concrete steps aimed at establishing peace in the South Caucasus, including the delimitation and demarcation of borders, the opening of transport and communication routes, and the release of remaining Armenian prisoners of war." "Secretary of State Blinken reaffirmed the United States' readiness to assist by cooperating on a bilateral basis, as well as with like-minded partners, including in the status of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chair, to assist the countries in finding comprehensive and lasting peace," the State Department said in the statement. Ali Samoudi, another Palestinian journalist, was hospitalized in stable condition after being shot in the back Jerusalem: A journalist for Al Jazeera was shot and killed while covering an Israeli raid in the occupied West Bank town of Jenin early Wednesday. The broadcaster and a reporter who was wounded in the incident blamed Israeli forces, while Israel said there was evidence the two were hit by Palestinian gunfire. Shireen Abu Akleh, a well-known Palestinian female reporter for the broadcaster's Arabic language channel, was shot and died soon afterward. Ali Samoudi, another Palestinian journalist, was hospitalized in stable condition after being shot in the back. The Qatar-based network interrupted its broadcast to announce her death. In a statement flashed on its channel, it called on the international community to "condemn and hold the Israeli occupation forces accountable for deliberately targeting and killing our colleague. We pledge to prosecute the perpetrators legally, no matter how hard they try to cover up their crime, and bring them to justice, Al Jazeera said in a statement. The Israeli military said its forces came under attack with heavy gunfire and explosives while operating in Jenin, and that they fired back. The military said it is investigating the event and looking into the possibility that the journalists were hit by the Palestinian gunmen. Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said that based on the information they had already gathered, there is a considerable chance that armed Palestinians, who fired wildly, were the ones who brought about the journalist's unfortunate death. Israeli officials said there was video footage of Palestinian gunmen boasting that they had killed a soldier, but that no Israelis were wounded in the incident, indicating they shot a journalist. Israel said it had proposed a joint investigation and autopsy with the Palestinian Authority, which refused the offer. The Palestinian Authority, which administers parts of the occupied West Bank and cooperates with Israel on security matters, condemned what it said was a shocking crime committed by Israeli forces. Abu Akleh, 51, was born in Jerusalem. She began working for Al Jazeera in 1997 and regularly reported on-camera from across the Palestinian territories. In video footage of the incident, Abu Akleh can be seen wearing a blue flak jacket clearly marked with the word PRESS. Samoudi, who was working as her producer, told The Associated Press they were among a group of seven reporters who went to cover the raid early Wednesday. He said they were all wearing protective gear that clearly marked them as reporters, and they passed by Israeli troops so the soldiers would see them and know that they were there. He said the first shot missed them, then a second struck him, and a third killed Abu Akleh. He said there were no militants or other civilians in the area only the reporters and the army. He said the military's suggestion that they were shot by militants was a complete lie. Shaza Hanaysheh, a journalist with a Palestinian news website who was also among the reporters, gave a similar account in an interview with Al Jazeera's Arabic channel, saying there were no clashes or shooting in the immediate area. She said that when the shots rang out she and Abu Akleh ran toward a tree to take shelter. I reached the tree before Shireen. She fell on the ground, Hanaysheh said. The soldiers did not stop shooting even after she fell. Every time I extended my hand toward Shireen, the soldiers fired at us. Brig. Gen. Ran Kochav, an Israeli commander, told army radio that the two journalists were armed with cameras and standing near Palestinian gunmen. He said the militants were unprofessional people, terrorists, who were shooting at our troops" and likely hit the reporters instead. Israel has carried out near-daily raids in the occupied West Bank in recent weeks amid a series of deadly attacks inside Israel, many of them carried out by Palestinians from in and around Jenin. The town, and particularly its refugee camp, has long been known as a militant bastion. Israel captured the West Bank in the 1967 Mideast war, and the Palestinians want the territory to form the main part of their future state. Nearly 3 million Palestinians live in the territory under Israeli military rule. Israel has built more than 130 settlements across the West Bank that are home to nearly 500,000 Jewish settlers, who have full Israeli citizenship. Israelis have long been critical of Al Jazeera's coverage, but authorities generally allow its journalists to operate freely. Another Al Jazeera reporter, Givara Budeiri, was briefly detained last year during a protest in Jerusalem and treated for a broken hand, which her employer blamed on rough treatment by police. Relations between Israeli forces and the media, especially Palestinian journalists, is strained. A number of Palestinian reporters have been wounded by rubber-coated bullets or tear gas while covering demonstrations in the West Bank. A Palestinian journalist in Gaza was shot and killed by Israeli forces while filming violent protests along the Gaza frontier in 2018. Another journalist working for a local Gaza radio station, who was shot on the same day at Gaza frontier, died a week later In November 2018, Associated Press reporter Rashed Rashid was covering a protest near the Gaza frontier when he was shot in the left ankle, apparently by Israeli fire. Rashid was wearing protective gear that clearly identified him as a journalist, and was standing with a crowd of other journalists some 600 meters (660 yards) away from the Israeli border when he was hit. The military has never acknowledged the shooting. During last year's war between Israel and Gaza's militant Hamas rulers, an Israeli airstrike destroyed the building in Gaza City housing the offices of The Associated Press and Al Jazeera. Residents were warned to evacuate and no one was hurt in the strike. Israel said Hamas was using the building as a command center but has provided no evidence. Expressing concern at the misuse of the sedition law, the CJI said, there are concerns. Cases are pending the law is being misused New Delhi: Putting the ball back in the Narendra Modi governments court, the Supreme Court on Tuesday asked the Centre if lodging of sedition cases under Section 124A Indian Penal Code (IPC) could be put in abeyance till the re-examination of the colonial-era law. Giving time to the Centre to respond on specific issues -- putting the sedition law in abeyance and protecting the rights of those already charged under it -- Chief Justice N.V. Ramana, heading a bench also comprising Justices Surya Kant and Hima Kohli, adjourned the hearing and posted the matter for May 11 (Wednesday). Expressing concern at the misuse of the sedition law, the CJI said: There are concerns. Cases are pending the law is being misused. How we are going to protect people against misuse? Justice Kant said: Judgments are delivered, even in the Kedar Nath Singh case but who bothers? At the ground level, the police and lower-level state functionaries are operating (enforcing the law). You issue the direction that till it is under consideration, keep Section 124A in abeyance. You will take two to three months for reconsideration. Till such time, why not the Union home ministry sends a directive to the states that matters under 124A be kept in abeyance, Justice Kant told solicitor- general Tushar Mehta. Resisting the suggestion to keep the sedition law in abeyance till the process of reconsideration is over, the solicitor-general described the suggestion as hazardous to stop the use of the penal law, saying that it had never happened. At which, Justice Hima Kohli said: That is why we are telling why you, as the Central government, dont indicate to the states that since you are applying your mind to it, not to take action under the sedition law. The court, that was to decide whether a three-judge or five-judge bench should hear the batch of pleas challenging the validity of the sedition law, took note of the Centres fresh stand that it wanted to re-examine and reconsider it. Quoting the Centres recent affidavit, which referred to Prime Minister Narendra Modis views on issues like the shedding of colonial baggage, protection of civil liberties and respect of human rights, the bench said: Our specific query is on two issues. One is about the pending cases and the second is how the government will take care of future cases till the reconsideration. These are two issues. Nothing else. It asked Mr Mehta to apprise the Centres stand by Wednesday. Referring to the possible misuse of the provision, the bench said even the attorney-general had said how the law was invoked even for chanting Hanuman Chalisa and asked the Centre to come up with its response. We are making it very clear. We want instructions. We will give you time till tomorrow. Our specific queries are: one about pending cases and the second, as to how the government will take care of future cases, said the bench. At the start of the hearing, referring to the Central governments decision to re-examine and reconsider the sedition law, the solicitor-general urged the court to defer its hearing till the reconsideration process was over. As senior advocate Kapil Sibal opposed Mr Mehtas request, Chief Justice Ramana, reading from the Central governments affidavit filed on May 9, said: They are doing a serious exercise (and) it should not appear that we are unreasonable. Referring to the Centres affidavit stating its decision to re-examine and reconsider the colonial-era law, senior lawyer Gopal Sankaranarayanan said it was part of a disturbing trend where there was a change in the position of the government just before crucial hearings and mentioned the instance of the right to privacy. Both Mr Sibal and Mr Sankaranarayanan appeared for the petitions challenging the sedition law. When the solicitor-general sought to link the sovereignty and integrity of the country with Section 124A IPC, Mr Sibal said the sedition law related to the government and had nothing to do with the State, as such drawing a distinction between the government and the State. Mr Sibal that the State is only mentioned in Article 19(2) of the Constitution, providing for reasonable restrictions on the right to freedom of speech. The court is hearing pleas filed by the Editors Guild of India, Maj. Gen. S.G. Vombatkere (Retd), veteran journalist-politician Arun Shourie and others challenging the constitutionality of Section 124A IPC (sedition). During the hearing, the court said its main concern was the misuse of the law, leading to a rise in the number of cases. Drifting towards bigotry and blinkers, we must bear in mind that there is a domestic as well as an international dimension to these trends It is of secondary importance that 25-year-old B. Nagaraju, who was brutally hacked to death in Hyderabads Saroornagar area, was a Hindu or that his alleged murderers were Muslim. In another tragic episode many years ago, a Muslim, a 30-year-old computer graphics trainer called Rizwanur Rahman was driven to suicide in Kolkata, apparently by his Hindu in-laws. The disturbing communal angle only compounds the wider ominous implications of institutional hypocrisy and what it says about India and Indians. Clearly, such barbarities would never have taken place if violence had not always simmered just beneath the surface in the land of Gautama Buddha, the post-Kalinga War Emperor Ashoka and Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi. The party in power at any particular time might aggravate things but the violence exists irrespective of it, erupting in the killings of Mahatma Gandhi, Pratap Singh Kairon, Indira Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi and others, as well as the communal bloodbaths like the Muslim Leagues Direct Action Day in 1946. Outright brutality, as among some Afghan tribes for whom feuding is a way of life, might have evoked less revulsion than targeted murders reflecting ancient prejudice or a stubborn refusal to rise above sectarian fanaticism. The recent lynching in Madhya Pradeshs Seoni district of two tribal men accused of killing a cow was reportedly the handiwork of some Bajrang Dal activists. It bore too close a resemblance to similar atrocities in Jharkhand and Haryana not to prompt suspicions of an emerging pattern and official connivance. That the traditional lifestyle of the victims in these cases Muslims, dalits or adivasis is markedly different from the classic Hindu pattern indicates an intolerant insistence on uniformity. Since the authorities claim no responsibility for other controversies over wearing the hijab, blaring loudspeakers or the so-called love jihad to which the Hyderabad and Kolkata outrages may well be attributed, one cannot say if there is a long-term official strategy to reserve India only for Hindus. I am told that the play, The Muslim Vanishes, by my one-time colleague, Saeed Naqvi, attempts with wit and perspicacity to answer the question of what India would be like without its more than 200 million followers of the Prophet. I am more curious about how a country can be purged of so many people, if that is indeed the grim aim. European precedents the events of St. Bartholomews Day in France in 1572 when Catholics were advised to wear a distinguishing white scarf, or the yellow star identifying Jews in German-controlled territory before and during the Second World War are surely too extreme for the India that we know. But no student of history can ever commit the reckless folly of uttering those fateful words: It cant happen here! Drifting towards bigotry and blinkers, we must bear in mind that there is a domestic as well as an international dimension to these trends. Domestically, it indicates the gradual withering of the universalism that was always a feature of the Sanatan Dharma, so that even while urban Indians are giddily wallowing in the cosmopolitan pleasures of rampant capitalism, their mental horizons and cultural vision might be shrinking to those of their medieval ancestors. So far as the international dimension is concerned, of course India, warts and all, will always be courted because it promises a huge market as well as abundant raw materials and because 1.3 crore Indians living abroad (to say nothing of a vast ethnic Indian diaspora) occupy positions of importance in the countries they live in. But whether we like it or not, Karel van Oosterom, Dutch ambassador to the United Nations, recently provided a glimpse of foreign distaste for certain Indian foreign policy positions. Indias permanent representative at the UN, T.S. Tirumurti, shot him down, but the distaste itself goes back to Jawaharlal Nehrus non-alignment. Many eulogised Indias first Prime Minister as the apostle of peace; many others viewed him (although less openly) as a calculating opportunist. His disapproval of military solutions did not extend to Kashmir, Hyderabad, Junagadh, Nagaland, Mizoram and other trouble spots where the national interest was affected, yet he sent only an Army medical unit to the Korean War which enjoyed the UNs blessings. That legacy persists. Successive Indian governments since then have taken a saintly stand on international disputes, urging contestants to abjure force and rely only on dialogue and diplomacy. Only Chandra Shekhar, in the hot seat for a mere four months and another four as a caretaker Prime Minister, was honest enough to spurn cant, and declare that Desert Storm was not a UN enterprise like the Korean War, and frankly admit: We cant protect our own borders, why should we go to protect other peoples borders? Casuistry hasnt improved the national image. Indias human rights record is held against it. So is the medias declining independence. The recent shenanigans over arresting the Delhi BJP spokesman, Tajinder Singh Bagga, for allegedly delivering hate speeches cannot but prompt questions about police methods and the quality of justice. Yet, only governments that replace sanctimonious rhetoric with constructive action can hope to counter the endemic violence that explodes every so often in some form of communal antagonism. It was common in old-style American Western movies to plant a baddie in the sheriffs office so that he, too, could claim the power of legal guns to wreak his lawless mischief. The same purpose is achieved today by changing the rules and placing cronies in key positions. That blurring of roles in real life accounts for many of todays troubles. As even Singapores affable and well-disposed Lee Hsien Loong felt constrained to point out, with nearly half the members of the Lok Sabha facing criminal charges, India can hardly sustain the brave new world Nehru had promised. Wanton arrests, refusal to grant bail, draconian laws, frivolous sedition charges, harsh sentences and above all what looks like the persecution of selected groups by the establishments unofficial foot soldiers can also only encourage further contempt for the law. That means more lynchings in the cause of faith and more gruesome killings. Nagaraju may not have been murdered, nor Rizwanur Rahman driven to take his own life, in a civilised law-abiding society that regards all men as equal, as the Constitution enjoins. A ruling party that isnt directly to blame for this inherent violence is all the better placed to take steps to curb it. BEIJING, May 11 (Xinhua) -- China's State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters on Wednesday launched a level-III emergency response for flood control as heavy rains are forecast to hit some southern areas of the country. Downpours are expected to lash parts of Guangxi, Guangdong, Fujian, Guizhou and Yunnan over the coming 24 hours, prompting the country's meteorological authority to renew a yellow alert for heavy rain. In addition, an orange alert for mountain torrents was issued by the China Meteorological Administration and the Ministry of Water Resources. Teams have been dispatched to Guangdong and Guangxi to guide the implementation of precautionary measures, including monitoring disasters, patrolling dikes and reservoirs, and preventing floods. China has a four-tier flood control emergency response system, with level I representing the most severe response. Today's headlines: Sri Lankan government gives army shoot on sight order; Laos fuel crisis deepens, while India fails to procure trains to transport coal into the country; the Shanghai lockdown damaging economy; Pulitzer ceremony gives special mention to Ukrainian journalists. ISRAEL Palestinian Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh was killed in the West Bank this morning, the Palestinian Ministry of Health reported. She was covering the Israeli raids against the city of Jenin when she was hit in the head by a bullet and rushed to the hospital. According to colleagues, she was wearing a vest with "Press" written on it. SRI LANKA A second night of arson attacks on property in Sri Lanka: protesters set fire to a hotel belonging to the son of resigned Prime Minister Mahinda Rjapaksa. While the president has given orders to shoot on sight against lawbreakers, pressure continues for a new interim government. LAOS Laos could end up like Sri Lanka: images of long queues at petrol stations to obtain fuel are arriving from the country. Since September, the value of the local currency has begun to fall and foreign currency reserves are drying up. The communist country is reportedly trying to procure cheap oil from Russia. MYANMAR Anti-gun groups, dangers and risks of death are increasing in Myanmar's urban areas due to the growing presence of militias loyal to the Burmese military junta. In late April at least eight members of the National League for Democracy (Aung San Suu Kyi's party) were assassinated in Mandalay. In the Magway region, since the military coup, 2,100 houses have been burned, at least 155 civilians killed and 683 people arrested. CHINA Measures to contain the pandemic in Shanghai are still being tightened: food deliveries are banned and hospital admissions, except for emergencies, must be approved. The city is in its seventh week of lockdown. Meanwhile, Toyota has announced that it is forced to cut production due to measures taken in Shanghai that are blocking the economy. INDIA India has been unable to procure enough trains to transport coal for over a year. The problem is becoming more pressing now because of the energy crisis. In April, state railways supplied Coal India with 261 trains a day, the lowest figure in three months. Coal stocks at power plants last month fell 13% despite an increase in production by Coal India of more than 27%. UKRAINE Journalists from Ukraine received a special mention for the 2022 Pultzer Prize. The organizing committee thanked them for "dedication to the profession, courage, steadfastness in reporting the truth during Vladimir Putin's tragic invasion of their country and his propaganda war in Russia and around the world. RUSSIA Metropolitan Ilarion (Alfeev) told the Rossija-24 TV channel that possible European sanctions will not impede Patriarch Kirill's activity, "directed at consolidating Russian society and serving the multimillion-dollar flock of the Russian Orthodox Church, to achieve peace among brotherly Slavic peoples." by Alessandra De Poli The future of the Islamic Emirate will depend on the Talibans ability to pacify the country, says Prof Diego Abenante. However, anti-Taliban groups have few chances and any conflict would not benefit the population. The Islamic State group is still a major cause for concern. The only hope is that the less hard-line faction prevails over the radical Haqqani group. Milan (AsiaNews) Afghanistans history is repeating itself. Under the Taliban, womens rights have been swept away, the Islamic Emirate does not enjoy any international recognition, the country is increasingly isolated on the international scene, about half of the population 20 million people is suffering from hunger, and international aid can be expected to bring very little relief. Under the Doha agreement signed in February 2020 between the Trump administration and the Taliban, the United States agreed to withdraw from the country in exchange for the Taliban[*] pledge not to support Islamist terrorism in Afghanistan. Those conditions were respected, said Prof Diego Abenante speaking to AsiaNews. The new Emirates fate will now depend on the Talibans ability to pacify the country. As was the case for the first (Islamist) regime established in 1996, the Talibans comeback stems from the weariness of Afghan society towards very long wars. If they keep this promise and so far, violence has been reduced in the country their government can last over time, said the scholar, who is associate professor at the Department of Political and Social Sciences of the University of Trieste[]. However, should they fail, a general uprising is within the realm of possibilities. Pockets of resistance appeared already in the days following their seizure of power, but have not become national movements, and are unlikely to become so in the near future, Prof Abenante added. Without means and support of the international community, any resistance cannot success. Above all, no one would benefit from another civil war. At present, humanitarian aid groups say that they can reach previously inaccessible provinces; however, despite their claims, the Taliban are not only unable to govern but do not control the whole country. In fact, the Islamic State group, known in Afghanistan as the Islamic State-Khorasan[] Province (IS-K), continues to carry out attacks. This fact should not be surprising, explained the expert. For historical and geographical reasons, no government has ever ruled the entire Afghan territory. On the contrary, in other periods, (Afghan) society almost always exercised control over a weak state. And If in the past this factor played in favour of the Taliban, who always tried to undermine Kabuls authority, now they are ones encountering this difficulty. Despite finding some common ground early on in 2014-2015, when the Islamic State began to take root in Afghanistan, the two Islamist movements eventually went their separate ways, which over time acquired religious and political overtones. The Islamic State is profoundly anti-Sufi and anti-Shia, as evinced once again by its most recent attacks. Although they belong to the Deobandi religious movement, the Taliban do not want the division of society, because they cannot govern if it is divided. After their government experience in the 1990s, they realised they need a united country to rule. For Prof Abenante, there is another major factor. While the Islamic States agenda is universalistic for it seeks to re-establish the Caliphate as the only possible option, the Taliban are pursuing a national agenda, he noted. The former Quranic students have always been very consistent on this, and have never tried to spread the revolution outside the countrys borders. They do not want to make war against the West, so much so that they struck a deal with the United States. Yet, they now find themselves in a very ambiguous situation like they did in 1994-1995 before the first Taliban government, the University of Trieste scholar explained. After the Talibans took Kabul again, the United States had two options: washing their hands of Afghanistan and let the population suffer under the regime or intervene. Attempts have been made to transfer funds to international humanitarian agencies on the clear understanding that the new government would not be considered legitimate unless it showed some openness on human rights and the status of women improved. It is clear that the Taliban are not prepared to do this since they banned girls from getting a secondary education, imposed the burqa and restricted womens movements. They are not interested in this because they think the West will send aid for the population anyway while they can pursue their Islamic agenda. Meanwhile, the United States is concerned that Afghanistan will end up under Chinese influence since China does not care about human rights. In March, Beijing sponsored meetings of the so-called extended troika of various regional players, namely China, Russia, Pakistan, Iran, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan. The invitation was also extended to the United States. However, Chinas primary interest is economic. Beijing and Moscow in no way want to see the Islamic resurgence expand. But most of all they do not want border clashes with Pakistan and Pakistani Taliban along the Durand Line endanger Chinese investments in the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, a huge infrastructural project of vital strategic interest since it will give China access the Arabian Sea. Ordinary Afghans have only one hope. The Taliban are not a monolithic movement, as evinced by the time it takes to appoint ministers and the fact that the government is still provisional. In fact, If the less hard-line faction prevails over the more radical elements of the Haqqani network, there could be some overtures and cooperation with other countries." However, this option does seem to be far off yet. [*] Taliban means students. [] Universita degli Studi di Trieste, UniTS, [] Khorasan province (Wilayat Khorasan) is a historical region that includes parts of Afghanistan. by Marta Ottaviani The Turkish president has announced the construction of 200 thousand houses in northern Syria for those who choose voluntary return. This would alter the demographic balance in a Kurdish-majority area. But Ankara is in a hurry: the 4 million asylum seekers in the country today weigh heavily on the campaign for next year's elections. Milan (AsiaNews) - Turkey has exceeded the 4 million asylum seekers quota and ahead of next year's general election the president of the Republic, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, is grappling with a problem that is already costing him a lot and could prove to be a boomerang. Three days ago, Ankara's number one announced the construction of 200,000 homes in northern Syria for those Syrians who choose voluntary return to their country. The ambitious goal of the Crescent, is to repatriate one million of them, to start with. These numbers would go a long way toward changing the land balance in the immediate across-the-border, Kurdish-majority area, and offer Turkey a chance to grab a major slice of the country's reconstruction. "Turkey is moving forward in its goal without hesitation," the head of state said, "in a historical period burdened by wars, conflicts, political and economic crises and social uprisings. So far with good intentions. The numbers, however, speak for themselves. There are currently 4,082,693 asylum seekers living in Turkey. Of these 3,762,686 are Syrians. The Minister of the Interior, Ismail Catakli, said that about 122,000 of them may no longer be in Turkey at the moment because they have lost all trace of them. He also added that nearly half a million Syrians in the past few years have returned to areas where they had been guaranteed safety. In recent months, the country has also had to deal with an increased flow of people arriving from Afghanistan. Ankara is determined to facilitate the movement of as many Syrians as possible by the start of the election campaign, which should be roughly a year from now. From here to moving at least a million, however, it takes a while. "Most Syrians would like to go back to their homes," Mazen Kseibi, an activist and member of the Syrian Association for Citizen Dignity, explained to Turkish media. "If we are talking about voluntary return, that's fine, but conditions must be guaranteed. The conditions are still not there not only in terms of the lack of housing, but also in terms of everything related to the cornerstones of civilian life: basic infrastructure, schools, courts, as well as ensuring security. In more than 10 years since the beginning of migration flows, Turkey has issued about 200,000 citizenships to millions of asylum seekers who are now under Ankara's "temporary protection." Where, however, the word "temporary" covers a now rather stretched time frame, with consequences on the Turkish economy that are increasingly visible. Compared to the 14,000 Syrians who have managed to rebuild their lives and set up their businesses in Turkey with turnover that, before the pandemic, was nearly 0 million, there are other effects that the Turkish people have liked decidedly less. A study conducted by Izmir University, showed that in the regulated labor market for every 100 Syrians on the ground meant 20 fewer jobs for Turks. However, the effects on the black labor market where the effects were even more pronounced, are more difficult to track. Then there is the impact on health care, education, and more generally on access to certain services, which has led, over time, to substantial changes in the perception of the Turkish people. The president is being taken to task. His statements have not gone unnoticed and have garnered criticism from all sides, including from his ally of convenience, Devlet Bahceli, head of the nationalist MHP party, who said without mincing words that the Syrians must leave. Opposition leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu spoke explicitly of the government's failure on migration policies and how the highest price of the Syrian civil war, at least in terms of migration, has been paid by the Turks themselves. Initially greeted with great fanfare, now Syrian migrants, or rather their repatriation, are likely to become the real bone of contention in the upcoming election campaign. by Arundathie Abeysinghe A crowd gathered near a naval base looking for Mahinda Rajapaksa. His eldest son denies rumors that he fled abroad; however, rumours are flying that some politicians are trying to escape the island. Blockades have been set up at the airport while a strike has shut down immigration service. Diplomats and religious leaders condemn the violence. Colombo (AsiaNews) Following rumours that former Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa was hiding with his family at a naval base in Trincomalee, a crowd began gathering at the site since the early hours of yesterday. Previously, protesters besieged Temple Trees, the official residence of the Prime Minister of Sri Lanka in Colombo, which he allegedly left on board of a helicopter from Police Park Grounds. Elsewhere, the homes and cars of some political leaders and government officials, including that of Sri Lankan president Gotabaya Rajapaksa, were torched. His brother Mahinda, the former prime minister, left Temple Trees early yesterday morning after security forces cleared the area of angry protesters ready to storm the area. A few hours later the crowd moved to the naval base, loudly demanding that the Rajapaksas come out of the safe hiding place inside the camp. Protesters want the former prime minister and top government officials to answer for the economic and political crises that have afflicted the country for months, as well as for the recent violence. A few days ago, President Gotabaya gave the order to shoot on sight anyone who violated the law. According to the protesters, government members should be arrested and tried before a court. At the same time, many fear that the Rajapaksas might flee abroad and benefit from the billions of dollars transferred to foreign banks and tax havens, which, if brought back home, could help the country rise up and ease the suffering of people. Meanwhile, more and more politicians are reportedly escaping the country. Yesterday morning a helicopter is said to have left the Shangri-La hotel in Colombo with a leading member of the ruling party on board. Airport sources in the capital told AsiaNews that a group of young people attacked the Katunayake Free Trade Zone, blockading access points to the Bandaranaike International Airport to prevent parliamentarians from leaving the country. According to the Sri Lanka Immigration and Emigration Officers' Association (SLIEOA), staff members of the Department of Immigration and Emigration have decided to abstain from duty with immediate effect if no action is taken by the government to restore law and order. While some reports suggest that some politicians are trying to leave the island, Mahinda Rajapaksas eldest son, Namal Rajapaksa, a former minister and current MP, said that his father is in a safe place and does not intend to leave the country. The protest movement has set up an online petition, which it wants to deliver to the United Nations, the International Monetary Fund (IMF), and the World Bank in which it condemns the economic crisis and the disasters caused by poor administration and bad government practices in the countrys recent history. According to the petition, corruption and the mismanagement of public assets have aggravated the situation, and, for the first time in its post-independence history, the country has failed to honour its debt repayments and declared bankruptcy. In Colombo, diplomats as well as religious leaders have condemned violence by pro-government groups against protesters. For his part, President Gotabaya Rajapaksa also said that he rejected violence "irrespective of political allegiances, but much of the country yesterday celebrated his brothers resignation as prime minister, some with firecrackers. by Vladimir Rozanskij In Putin's rhetoric, war can be "remade" if necessary. The memory of the graffiti left by Soviet soldiers on the walls of the German Bundestag in 1945. Invasion of Ukraine seen by Russians as defensive reaction to external pressure. Moscow (AsiaNews) - Commenting on the war events in Ukraine and the commemorations for the Victory against Nazi Germany, in recent days the President of Moldova Maia Sandu has cited two famous slogans related to the conclusion of World War II: "Can we do it again? No. Never again? Yes." Many commentators in Russia such as writer Dmitry Glukhovsky, producer Aleksandr Rodnjansky and Senator Nikolai Fedorov have taken up these two opposing rhetorical questions on various sites and publications, including state-run ones. "Never again war" is a phrase also repeated by the pontiffs, starting with Paul VI at the UN Assembly many years ago. It is the hope referred to the Holocaust and the most terrible massacres, which unfortunately have been repeated many times and are also seen in Ukraine. Many consider the phrase unrealistic, but one cannot help but reiterate it. The "we can do it again" is a graffiti left by an anonymous Russian soldier on the walls of the Reichstag in 1945, back in the days of Russian victory parades in 1945, where the use of the preposition "Za" (for), origin of the new "Z swastika" of the Putin war, stands out. "For the assault on Moscow. For the bombing of Leningrad. For Tikhvin and Stalingrad. Remember and don't forget, if not we can do it again," the inscription read, using in the verb "to do it again" a distorted form (podovtorit), typical of the Northwestern Russian dialect. It is thought that the soldier came from Tikhvin, in the region of Leningrad, where in 1941 there was a tremendous defensive battle and then a powerful counterattack by the Red Army. On the walls of the Reichstag the Russian soldiers have left many similar inscriptions, taken up in the demonstrations of these days: "Dear Hans and Fritz, you will not forget, and if necessary we will return!". Or: "We came to Berlin with the sword, to make the Germans forget how to use it." In 1955, a poet who had fought at the front, Mikhail Dudin, composed a song that became famous in a war film, "Let the enemies remember / we don't threaten, we say it / we chased you halfway around the world / and if need be we'll do it again." Over time, the threat "we'll do it again" had gradually disappeared from Soviet war jargon, which since the Khruscev years had been converted to the "struggle for peace". Putin closed his May 9 speech with a "never again global war," but the whole speech was centered on "if need be we will do it again," indeed "we had to do it again because of you." Since 2012, the year of Putin's re-election as president, stickers have appeared at May 9 parades on cars with the "we can do it again" (mozem povtorit) slogan used two days ago. The writing is accompanied by a drawing of a man with a hammer and sickle in place of his head, raping another with a swastika in place of his head, and is attached to Russian cars even more than the Z. After the annexation of Crimea in 2014 it became popular, and today it is a symbol of a Russia that intends to assert a "will to power" of its own, even more so than concluding the annexation of the Donbass and the Black Sea coast. The well-known super-Putin journalist Petr Akopov proposed the inscription in 2018, calling it - along with the logo - the "defensive reaction to external pressure from which Russia must protect itself": the same phrase with which Putin in Red Square redefined the "special military operation" in Ukraine. The speech was delivered from the usual Kremlin grandstand, but as many noted, this year there was a novelty: the stage was mounted so as to cover the mausoleum of Lenin, guilty according to Putin of having invented the Republic of Ukraine. It was Stalin who defeated Hitler, Putin's "rushism" refers to him. The writings on the walls of the Reichstag have never been erased. Some are covered by stucco, others even have been accompanied by translations, and at the beginning of the 2000s the Bundestag deputies decided to preserve them. So that it never happens again, it must be remembered that someone might do it again. Washington expects Beijing to invade the island by 2030. War in Ukraine has not deterred Xi Jinping, but it has had an impact on "how and when" the mainland will make its move. The Taiwanese are taking notes of the damage inflicted by Ukraines military on the Russian giant. Tensions are rising between Washington and Beijing after US warship transits through the Taiwan Strait. Taipei (AsiaNews) The threat of a Chinese invasion of Taiwan by 2030 is "acute, this according to Avril Haines, director of National Intelligence in the Biden administration, speaking before a Senate Armed Services Committee. Haines explained that Beijing would rather avoid a conflict to retake the island, but its military is preparing for an operation of this type, to be conducted before any US intervention. China considers Taiwan a "rebel province, and has never ruled out using force to take it. The latter has been de facto independent since 1949 when Chiang Kai-shek's Kuomintang (nationalist) forces lost the civil war against the Communists, but remained heir to the Republic of China founded in 1912. For US intelligence, the difficulties encountered in Ukraine by Russias invasion forces have not dissuaded Xi Jinping from regaining control of Taiwan. CIA director William Burns noted on Saturday that the Ukraine conflict has had an impact only on "how and when" China will act. About three weeks after Russian troops crossed into Ukraine, reports emerged that Xi had planned to invade the island next fall, either before or after the 20th Congress of the Communist Party of China, which is likely to give him for a third mandate as Chinas paramount leader. The information came from Vladimir Osechkin, head of the humanitarian group Gulag Net, who attributed it to an analyst in the FSB, Russias main security agency. Putins attack on Ukraine, and Moscows military setbacks gave Chinas president second thoughts. US intelligence notes that Taipei has learnt several lessons from the Russian-Ukrainian conflict; most notably how to boost its defence against Beijing and improve its asymmetrical" arsenal, with drones, anti-ship missiles and submarines. It should be noted that under the Taiwan Relations Act, the United States pledged to defend the island, especially with military supplies. Adopted in 1979 after the United States formally recognised Communist China, the law does not, however, clearly specify whether Washington will respond to Chinese aggression against Taiwan. Pressed by Congress, the Biden administration has strengthened ties with Taiwan, a policy pursued under the previous Trump administration as well. Arousing the wrath of Beijing, cruiser USS Port Royal crossed the Taiwan Strait yesterday. This is the second time in two weeks that a US warship transits through the waterway separates the island from the Chinese coast, the third since February. A few days earlier, the Chinese Navy had conducted exercises in the area. BEIJING, May 11 (Xinhua) -- A mainland spokesperson on Wednesday said that Taiwan's Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) authority is solely to blame for the island's exclusion from the World Health Assembly. Zhu Fenglian, a spokesperson for the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, noted that the World Health Organization is a body of the United Nations that only sovereign nations can join. The Taiwan region, as part of China, has never had the right to be a member. Taiwan's participation in WHO activities must be handled in accordance with the one-China principle, said Zhu. She said that the DPP authority has undermined the political foundation for cross-Strait consultation by clutching to its successionist agenda of "Taiwan independence," as well as twisting and denying the 1992 Consensus. By doing so, the DPP authority has diminished the political foundation for Taiwan's participation in the World Health Assembly, added Zhu. The Flying Fox is a 2019 build from luxury shipyard Lurssen, estimated at $400 million. It is the worlds largest and most expensive megayacht offered for charter, but it also ranks very high in the world chart based on size, among other super-expensive vessels that are never accessible to anyone but their owners. Flying Fox is the 19th yacht in the world by interior volume.Often described as a floating resort, it was initially believed to belong to Amazon billionaire and space cowboy Jeff Bezos and was a hit with celebrities who could afford to pay $4 millionto chill on it, like Beyonce and Jay-Z . As the world turned its attention to Russia, and specifically Russian oligarchs whose fortunes Putin is using to finance the ongoing war in Ukraine, the real owner of Flying Fox was revealed to be billionaire Dmitry Kamenshchik.Kamenshchik is worth some $2.1 billion, which is not a lot by Russian oligarch standards, but enough to own the Flying Fox, especially considering its chartered for most of the year. He also owns Moscows Domodedovo airport, which makes the bulk of his profits.As it so happens, Kamenshchik is not currently on any sanctions list, but that doesnt mean that his assets are safe, as superyacht vlogger eSysman SuperYachts points out in his most recent video (see below). In late March this year, Flying Fox was arrested in the Dominican Republic over fraud allegations and alleged illicit trafficking of weapons.It spent an entire month in Port Don Diego in Santo Domingo, accruing costs of over $1 million just in fees and taxes. Then, it just left. Quietly early one morning, as the vlogger puts it. Local authorities are yet to offer an explanation for how or why it was able to sail away, but one report notes that they probably had no idea of it until they were told by the media. The Flying Fox flew the coop, if you will. AIS tracking hints that it may be heading to Turkey, which has become a safe haven for Russian-owned superyachts, whether the owners are subject to sanctions or not. As it headed east across the Atlantic, the Flying Foxs destination was listed as TBC (to be confirmed) and changed to Palma de Mallorca, Spain, later on. Once it passed Gibraltar Straits, the destination switched again to TBC, and it looks like its heading to Turkey at a cruising speed of 12 knots (13.8 mph / 22.2 kph).The Flying Fox is a six-decker that offers accommodation for 25 guests and 55 crew and incredible amenities like a two-deck wellness center (sauna, massage room, cryosauna, and cryotherapy), cinema with motion and vibration tech, nightclub, two chefs kitchens, giant pool, several firepits, two helipads, and huge garages for a wide range of exploring gear and water toys. (2/2) A 210-foot #USCG cutter is diverting to the area to tow the vessel. It is unknown why the transom door failed. Stay tuned for updates. pic.twitter.com/uyZqgq4UxT USCGPacificNorthwest (@USCGPacificNW) May 7, 2022 According to the US Coast Guard, the crew on Domani called in for assistance in the early hours of Saturday, May 7. The transom door would not close, so the beach club was being flooded. The ship was 45 miles (72.4 km) north of Grays Harbour in Washington and could no longer move as it had lost all power and propulsion when the crew activated the engine rooms fire suppression system after seeing smoke.First to arrive on the scene were a Jayhawk helicopter crew from Air Station Astoria and motor lifeboat crews from the stations at Grays Harbor and Quillayute River. They found the yacht floundering and rolling in the swell, with water sloshing into the beach club. However, the size of Domani (45 meters / 147 feet) meant that motor lifeboats couldnt tow it back to safety, so USCG Cutter Active was summoned.USCG Cutter towed Domani to Neah Bay for ten hours, transferring it to a commercial towing vessel, which will carry it to Port Angeles for repairs and insurance checks. According to the official report, there were seven people on board the yacht when the malfunction occurred, but no one was injured; all seven were transported onboard the same Cutter Active.Prior to its acquisition in 2021, Domani was among the most popular charter vessels in the Burgess fleet. Offering accommodation for 12 guests, it is finished luxuriously and elegantly and comes with stunning amenities like a sky lounge, a private terrace outside the master suite, a jacuzzi, and a generously-sized beach club. It was completed in 2004 and saw refits in 2014, 2017, and 2019. Its last asking price was $8.5 million so you can imagine repairs after the recent flooding wont be cheap. SUV A few days after pixel masters jumped at the chance of playing with the G07 luxury for all the right and wrong reasons the Bavarian automaker doubled down on the polemics with the introduction of its G70, seventh-generation 2023 BMW 7 Series/i7 pair. And the CGI experts seemed to never look back That was kind of sad, some digital content creators might have thought, as we noticed the virtual artists were on to something cool with the odd full-size crossover. Just think about the Dark Shadow CGI edition that quickly and quite easily turned the X7 into Batmans family-friendly SUV. Or, better yet, remember the angry-looking example that was virtually jacked up with a full widebody aerodynamic kit and humongous aftermarket wheels.Now, Russia-based virtual artist Mikhail Sachko, better known as mikhail_sachko on social media, defies CGI conventions yet again and approaches the X7 LCI in a big way without even bothering to digitally look at the 7 Series/i7 sedan flagships beforehand. Perhaps that is for the better, as prior extreme mutations have only made things worse for the odd limousine. The X7, on the other hand, lends itself pretty well to CGI tuning jobs that exacerbate (or exaggerate) some of the more extreme traits.This design project takes the form of a classic Americana trope, pushing the virtual pedal to the metal for murdered-out fans. But the all-black styling is just part of the digital build process, seconded by an aggressive widebody aero kit , massive deep-dish-style wheels clad in competition rubber, and a thoroughly slammed attitude. Plus, let us not forget about the humongous dual-layer side exhausts, which probably hint at massive M60i enhancements taking place under the hood as well! According to Car Complaints , the lawsuit involves 2019 to 2022 model year Chevrolet, GMC, and Cadillac vehicles that were purchased after March 1, 2019. The plaintiffs indicate that the problems like jerking, hesitation, surging, and lurching are safety hazards because they affect the vehicles speed, acceleration, and deceleration. More than that, GM has been aware of the problems since as early as 2013 but failed to solve them even for newer vehicles.Although the transmissions are covered by the automakers express warranty, theres also a fine print that excludes exactly the kind of problems the plaintiffs complained about. More specifically, GMs warranty covers all manufacturing defects except for those related to slight noise, vibrations, or other normal characteristics of the vehicle due to materials or workmanship occurring during the warranty period.According to the lawsuit, GM cannot fix the transmissions problems and only planned a major redesign for the 2023 model year. When customers bring their vehicles to dealerships for repair, they are told the transmissions are working normally. Dealers might also replace the transmissions or other components with equally defective parts. GM hasnt initiated a recall on the matter, despite the problems.The affected vehicles are 2019-2022 Chevrolet Camaro, 2019-2022 Chevrolet Colorado , 2019-2022 Chevrolet Silverado, 2019 Chevrolet Corvette, 2019 Cadillac ATS, 2019 Cadillac ATS-V, 2019 Cadillac CTS, 2019 Cadillac CT6, 2019 Cadillac CTS-V, 2019-2022 GMC Canyon, and 2019-2022 GMC Sierra.Although GM has mostly ditched the 8-speed transmission in favor of the newer 10-speed that it co-developed with Ford, certain models are still built with the defective transmissions. Among them are Chevy Camaro, Colorado, and Silverado, as well as GMC Canyon and Sierra. The Israel Air Force relies heavily on UAS, judging by the fact that four drone squadrons account for 80% of its total flight hours. Recently, the Heron 1 and Heron TP UAS became the first drones to fly next to fighter jets during the Independence Day celebration flyover.The maritime version of Heron, on the other hand, took center stage during a recent demonstration for the UK Ministry of Defense, the UK government, and representatives of the Civil sector, which took place at the West Wales Airport in Aberporth, Wales. Israel Defense reports that the drone was ready to go within 36 hours of arriving. It also got the chance to demonstrate its ability to cope with extreme weather conditions, from humid to snowy, since the weather in Wales was apparently not favorable at all for the demonstration.The live demonstration included BLOS (Beyond the Line of Sight) maritime search operations and ISR (Intelligence, Surveillance, Reconnaissance) tasks. Thats because this maritime patrol drone is meant for a variety of missions , from search and rescue to border protection and small boat detection.At 8.5 meters (27.8 feet), Heron can support a payload of up to 470 kg (1,000 lbs). Its impressive operational endurance of 45 hours is matched by a range of at least 1,000 km (621 miles), depending on fuel availability.During the demonstration, the Maritime Heron also received live requests from the ones who were attending, transmitted through the systems ground control station (GCS). In return, the drone was able to broadcast the data it had gathered to in-person and virtual attendees at the same time.The event, which was carried out by IAI together with 2Excel Aviation, marked a growing bond between IAI and the UK industry, according to Moshe Levy, IAI Executive Vice President. AMC for short, the organization is the operator of some of the most impressive logistics aircraft currently in service: C-5 Galaxy, KC-10 Extender, C-17 Globemaster III , C-130 Hercules, C-130J Super Hercules and KC-135 Stratotanker.More recently, a new aerial refueling platform entered the AMC fleet, the KC-46 Pegasus . Having had its first flight back in 2014, the flying gas station is a derivative of the civilian Boeing 767 and can carry 212,299 pounds (96,297 kg) of fuel for the planes that need it during their missions.For it to be able to deliver fuel where and when needed, the plane has to be capable of staying in the air for long periods of time. Technically, that time can vary, depending on a variety of factors, and the AMC just proved that staying airborne for more than a full day is more than possible.At the beginning of the month, Airmen deployed with the 22nd Air Refueling Wing (22nd ARW) flew to and out of McConnell Air Force Base in Kansas, keeping the planes wheels off the ground for a total of 24.2 hours. That marks, says the Command, the longest duration flight in AMC history.The flight, made public this week by the Air Force, was made as the AMC needed to properly test the planes capabilities. The mission required several weeks of planning, requiring collaboration from "AMC, Boeing and various squadrons around the 22nd ARW.The plane had a crew of 11 people for the flight, including six pilots and a physician assistant. Two teams of two pilots rotated in the cockpit every four hours, with a third one waiting as backup.During its day in the air, the Pegasus conducted dry contacts with another one of its breed, refueled four F-35s deployed with the USMC, and got fuel for its own needs back from another Pegasus.We are not being told the exact flight path, but we do know it covered both of the U.S. international borders and both of the coasts. During its flight, the Pegasus covered over 9,000 miles (14,480 km). One of these superyachts that could consider themselves lucky is the beautiful Rahil. One of the custom creations of the acclaimed Italian brand Benetti, it was built a decade ago at its shipyard in Livorno. According to Superyacht Fan, it was originally meant for a British millionaire, who sold it right before it was delivered to him to a billionaire in Russia.This happened to be one of the infamous Rotenberg brothers, some of the wealthiest people in Russia, with close ties to Vladimir Putin. Boris and Arkady Rotenberg, as well as their children, were sanctioned by the U.S. first in 2014, and now they were sanctioned again, also by the UK. Their names are mainly connected to the giant oil and gas drilling company Gazprom.Arkady Rotenberg changed the superyachts name to Nataly in honor of his wife, then changed it again after their bitter divorce. Similar to other oligarchs with assets in the UK, Rotenbergs legal battles with his ex-wife centered around high-end properties and assets made headlines as they carried on for years.Apparently, the newly-renamed Rahil remained in Arkadys property and is now also safe from being seized. Vessel tracking platforms indicate that the superyacht is currently home in the Black Sea, far away from the hands of U.S. and UK authorities. Rahil is also one of the most mysterious superyachts. The public hasnt seen much of the custom boat that won the 2011 Nautical Design Award and was a finalist for the 2012 Asia Boating Award.Flaunting interiors by the famous British design studio RWD and having undergone a recent refit in 2019, Rahil can accommodate up to 14 guests in seven cabins. Like most Russian-owned luxury toys, its able to withstand long journeys, boasting a range of 5,000 nautical miles (5,750 miles/9,260 km). EV First, it is vital to check what Panasonic had to say about that. According to Bloomberg, Hirokazu Umeda commented that Tesla asked the Japanese cell manufacturer to accelerate the development process for it to sell its 4680 batteries. Panasonics CFO (chief financial officer) also mentioned that he could not say more than what was previously released but that Tesla still had a strong demand for 2170 cells.Bloomberg got it wrong when it said that these cells would unlock $25,000 EVs. That was never the plan: the 4680 cells were supposed to power the Cybertruck, Semi, Roadster, and other vehicles in need of high-nickel cells. The higher energy density they promised would help mass-sensitive vehicles offer more range. The now-suspended $25,000 Teslas was always supposed to use LFP (lithium iron phosphate) batteries.Regardless of the application, Tesla was supposed to make these 4680 cells independently. Being tabless was something that would allow the manufacturing process to be much quicker. Another technical advantage was the dry-electrode process, which allowed active battery powder material to be directly pressed into a film.That would increase active-material content in the cathode, make it more robust, and bring conductivity benefits. Themaker even bought Maxwell Technologies to have the patent for this idea, eventually reselling the company (to UCAP Power) without it. But this is just one of the promises made at Tesla Battery Day.If the company managed to reach these goals, it could make money licensing this tech to other companies. If Tesla made the machines that make the machine, as Elon Musk said it would, it could sell the batteries it did not need for its own cars with the amazing output this equipment would allow Tesla to achieve. None of that happened.Tesla investors will undoubtedly argue that the company asked Panasonic for a faster development of the 4680 cells because it needs a massive volume. The question is that words matter. The EV maker is not asking Panasonic to produce them: it is asking the Japanese company to develop them. Whatever Tesla has done until this point is not good enough for Panasonic to just be a sort of manufacturing supplier.The Cybertruck and the Semi production delays made that pretty evident. These vehicles were conceived around the 4680 cells , and the Cybertruck has more than 1.2 million pre-orders. If Tesla could start selling it, it would have done so a long time ago. It has been beaten by Rivian and Ford to reach that market segment, and there is no perspective for that to happen. Musks company promised to get it going by 2023, but it also said it would do so in 2021 and later in 2022. At this point, it is like the production version of FSD and robotaxis.Panasonic already said that it will not make 4680 cells before 2023. When it does, it will be in Japan. Making these cells in the U.S. will demand another factory, which the Japanese company is yet to decide where to build. According to Bloomberg , Oklahoma and Kansas are the front-runners, and this plant should start its operations around March 2024.If exporting these 4680 cells from Japan is economically feasible, this may be the reason for the Cybertruck and the Semi to arrive only next year: they may have Panasonic cells, not those Tesla promised to make with dry cathodes and without tabs. The EV maker is clearly not telling everything about these cells. It would not be the first time, right? OHV The original Ford Bronco was developed to compete with Toyotas Land Cruiser, Jeeps CJ-5, and International Harvester Scout. But with changing consumer tastes, Ford had to quickly rethink the format. So, from the second generation onward, it evolved into a full-size F-150-based offering that fought hard with legends such as Chevys K5 Blazer of Jeeps Cherokee.By the time the fourth generation came out for the 1987 model year, its design was already based on the short-wheelbase chassis of the eighth-generation Ford F-150 (Styleside) and it certainly looked the part. As such, some folks might appreciate this vintage styling a little more than a reinvented, sixth-generation Bronco that is again adopting its (Ranger-based trail and rock-crawling) route independently from the F-Series.Luckily, we can now check out a handsome 1987 Ford Bronco XLT featured in red with black hardtop and red velour interior. Hiding a 5.0-liter V8 and automatic under the hood, this fourth-gen Bronc' resides proudly in the inventory of Farmingdale, New York-based Motorcar Classics . According to the description, it had just two owners during its 35 years of life.Plus, this all-original survivor has only covered 43,316 miles (69,710 km), based on its odometer readout. Boasting Fords well-known 5.0-liter V816V FI engine and automatic transmission, this XLT unit also flaunts stuff like all-wheel drive, power steering, brakes, windows, door locks, cruise control, factory AC, and more.Interestingly, even the dealership cannot decide what the new owner should do with it, claiming it is both very usable, and very collectible. So, it could go either way: vintage road trips or a dark AC garage hiding. Frankly, given the rather affordable asking price of $35,900, we are inclined to just enjoy the occasional weekend getaway in the company of this crimson wonder. But thats just us. MEXICO CITY, May 10 (Xinhua) -- Ecuador international winger Washington Corozo has parted ways with Pumas after completing a year-long loan, the Mexican club said on Tuesday. In a statement, Pumas said they opted against an option to secure the 23-year-old on a permanent deal, meaning he will return to Peru's Sporting Cristal. Corozo played 43 games, scoring eight goals and providing one assist. He is the third player to be released by Pumas since their elimination from the Liga MX title race on Sunday. On Monday, the club announced the departures of Brazilian forward Jose Rogerio and United States winger Sebastian Saucedo. Corozo, who made his international debut for Ecuador last year, is contracted to Sporting Cristal until December 2023. Palmdale, CA (93550) Today A mix of clouds and sun. High 91F. WSW winds at 5 to 10 mph, increasing to 15 to 25 mph. Higher wind gusts possible.. Tonight Clear skies. Low 62F. Winds WSW at 15 to 25 mph. Higher wind gusts possible. Palmdale, CA (93550) Today Wind increasing. A few clouds from time to time. High 91F. WSW winds at 5 to 10 mph, increasing to 20 to 30 mph. Higher wind gusts possible.. Tonight Clear. Low 63F. Winds WSW at 15 to 25 mph. Higher wind gusts possible. The buildings four entrances remained blocked for more than an hour, preventing municipal administration staff from leaving it. Riot police repeatedly warned the protesters that the blockade is illegal but did not try to disperse them. Ishkhan Saghatelian, the main speaker at the more than weeklong protests, dismissed the warnings, saying Pashinian used the same tactic when he swept to power in 2018. He accused the municipal administration of intimidating its employees sympathizing with the Armenian opposition. Saghatelian promised more such blockades after the crowd marched to the citys France Square, the scene of an opposition tent camp set up on May 1. Speaking at a late-night rally held there, he said the opposition will disrupt the work of central and local government bodies in a bid to create diarchy in the country. Saghatelian said the organizers of the civil disobedience campaign also hope to attract bigger crowds in the coming days. We must increase the number of our actions and their participants, he told the crowd. Earlier in day, the opposition organized several simultaneous processions of cars that drove slowly through various parts of Yerevan to try to drum up greater popular support for the campaign. Pashinian, who is accused by Armenias leading opposition forces of planning to make sweeping concessions to Azerbaijan, has rejected demands for his resignation. Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. Bakersfield, CA (93308) Today Sun and clouds mixed. High 93F. SSW winds shifting to NW at 10 to 15 mph.. Tonight A few passing clouds. Low 62F. Winds NNW at 5 to 10 mph. BEIJING, May 11 (Xinhua) -- While battling against the recent flare-ups of COVID-19 in parts of the country, China has been steadily promoting work resumption in the epidemic-affected areas. With the epidemic situation gradually easing in Shanghai, major enterprises in the eastern Chinese metropolis have resumed stable production, as key industrial chains, such as automobiles, integrated circuits and biomedicine, continued to recover and ramp up production capacity. All four factories of the U.S. manufacturing company 3M in Shanghai had resumed production by Saturday, the company said, adding that it will continue to improve its production capacity. Since the resurgence of COVID-19 cases in March in Shanghai, 3M has not suspended its East China Distribution Center and the production of medical protective masks at its Caohejing base to ensure the stable supply of anti-epidemic materials, the company said. "Now, 3M is gathering the strength of the entire company to actively deploy resources, so as to ensure the closed-loop production of epidemic prevention supplies," said Ding Hongyu, president of 3M China. On Wednesday, a ship carrying 4,767 electric cars produced by U.S. automaker Tesla's Shanghai Gigafactory left a Shanghai port for Slovenia, according to Shanghai customs. It marked the first export shipment of Tesla cars from Shanghai since the company resumed production on April 19 after a hiatus of over 20 days amid the epidemic. The company said its Shanghai factory has already started manufacturing vehicles for export to the Asia-Pacific and European markets. "We believe that the epidemic situation is only a short test and challenge. We have seen the capacity of all sectors to cope with the challenges in the process of resuming work," said Tao Lin, vice president of Tesla. "We believe that production will soon return to normal." According to a press conference held on May 5, over 70 percent of Shanghai's 1,800-plus major enterprises had resumed work and production. Earlier this year, the southern city of Shenzhen, a tech hub and a major foreign-trade center in China, also saw a resurgence of COVID-19 infections. The city took a series of measures, such as suspending public transportation and closing some businesses, from March 14 to 20, and successfully brought the epidemic situation under control. Thanks to the effective actions, businesses gradually resumed normal work and operation starting late March. Sources with the on-demand delivery service provider Lalamove, known as Huolala in Chinese, said the company saw an obvious drop in the number of orders it received in Shenzhen from March 14 to 21. However, the number of overall orders handled by the company in the city from March 1 to April 20 was almost equal to the same period last year, with 6,037 new drivers from Shenzhen joining the platform during this period. During the first quarter, the total number of commercial entities in Shenzhen reached more than 3.85 million, with 88,065 newly registered ones. Over 90 percent of the newly-registered commercial entities are from the tertiary industry, according to the local government. The city's electricity consumption came in at more than 8.3 billion kWh in April, a year-on-year growth of 0.1 percent and month-on-month growth of 8.8 percent, said the Shenzhen branch of the China Southern Power Grid. The automobile manufacturing industry has been a main driving force for power consumption, showing an increase of 80 percent in April compared to the same period in the previous year. The electricity consumption of information-related services rose 8.5 percent year on year in April. The northeastern province of Jilin, where over 60,000 cases were reported in the latest outbreak, cut off all COVID-19 transmission chains in communities by April 14. The provincial capital Changchun announced on May 1 that it has cleared all medium and high-risk areas for COVID-19. Leading Chinese automaker FAW Group Co., Ltd. began work resumption on April 13 after a month-long suspension. Workers in its five main engine plants in Changchun are working in shifts while some production lines are operating at full capacity. The company's daily output of complete vehicles has exceeded 4,000 units, and the capacity utilization rate of its factories in Changchun has recovered to 75 percent. Li Risheng, a FAW employee, said many of his colleagues voluntarily gave up their holidays since the work resumption. "Everybody hopes to speed up the production to recover the losses incurred by the epidemic," he said. All major express delivery firms including China Postal Express & Logistics, JD.com and SF Express, have seen their distribution centers in Changchun resuming work from April 24. Thank you for reading! Please log in, or sign up for a new account and purchase a subscription to continue reading. The monument to Beaumont ISD's high schools is about to enter its construction phase. But it's now expected to cost almost $20,000 more than was reported last month. BISD Senior Director of Auxilliary Services Peggy Haynes said the price increase is due to the hike in the cost of materials, stemming from ongoing nationwide supply-chain issues. "The supply chain is like I've never seen it before," Haynes said. "I've been doing this for 30 years and I've never seen it this bad. Even the brick and mortar that we bought when we started this nine months ago has gone up significantly." The monument, to be located on the right side of the field house by the ramp leading into Memorial Stadium, will be manufactured by Preferred Facilities Group and include a brick wall -- using the same bricks from which the stadium is constructed -- adorned with plaques recognizing each of the district's former high schools. The monument will also have three plaques recognizing its current high schools -- Beaumont United, Early College High School and West Brook -- as well as three flagpoles behind the monument where each of the three high schools' flags will fly. The plaques recognizing the former high schools will also include their dates of existence, in order from the oldest to the most recent schools that were in existence, Haynes said. The schools are: Beaumont Charlton-Pollard Hebert Beaumont Charlton-Pollard French South Park Forest Park Central Medical Magnet Clifton J. Ozen Magnet Haynes said the monument's foundation has not yet been laid, but once it has, completion will be dictated by the amount of time it takes for the plaques to come in. "We've ordered the plaques. So, they try to time it so that when they're at that stage to be able to (install) hangers within the mortar -- they don't want to finish the monument before we have those plaques in there," Haynes said. The plaques should be ready within four months, according to contractors, Haynes said. "We're hoping that that stays steadfast," she said. "From running maintenance right now, it seems like everything we order, we'll order it and then they'll contact us back and say, 'Hey, I know we said four weeks but we're eight weeks.' So, we're hoping that four month window is it." At April's regular school board meeting, the facilities committee, which Haynes sits on, announced that the plaques used for the monument will now be aluminum instead of prior planned bronze. "If you look at bronze plaques, compared to these aluminum ones, the aluminum ones are so much prettier," Haynes said. "They're brighter, they're more legible and you don't have all this work of maintaining like you do on bronze plaques. And they're not as heavy. So there's less chance of them breaking the bracket, falling off, etc." The flagpoles, plaques and other materials are all more expensive than prior to the supply-chain issues, which has increased the expected cost of the monument. In general support of the monument's construction At-large Trustee Denise Wallace Spooner, who also serves on the facilities committee, said at the April meeting that the city lacks tribute to former education institutions in Beaumont. "I think it is a plus to have that in our city, to have some continuity to look back and say, 'This is where I went to school,'" she said. "This is an important thing to happen in our city and to be housed at our stadium, even better." olivia.malick@hearst.com twitter.com/OliviaMalick Through the Affordable Connectivity Program, eligible households can qualify to receive $30 off their monthly internet bill or receive internet at no cost, according to a statement from the White House. Households eligible for the program will also be able to pair their benefit with one of 20 internet providers working with the government to receive internet at no cost. The program is part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which provides $65 billion to increase access to high-speed internet through broadband infrastructure and lowering the cost of internet access, a White House statement said. More than 286,000 households in Texas do not have minimum speed broadband, with the majority of those households in rural Texas, according to the 2021 Governors Broadband Development Council report. An estimated 819,680 Texans do not have access to broadband, the report said, with about 85% of those people living in rural areas. Heres how households can apply for the Affordability Connectivity Program. Households must be able to qualify for the program Households can qualify for the program in three different ways. The first is by having a household income at or below 200% of the federal poverty guidelines. For a household size of one, the income would need to be $27,180 or less. For each additional household member, people will need to add $9,440 for the maximum income to qualify. The second way to qualify is if the household already qualifies for other federal programs. These programs include the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, Medicaid, Supplemental Security Income and Federal Pell Grant. The White Houses press release contains a list of each program that qualifies. The third way to qualify for the program is if the household already meets the eligibility requirements for one of the participating broadband providers' low-income internet programs. Apply online or by mail Households can apply for the program using the programs website or by mailing in an application. The link to apply online can be found at https://www.affordableconnectivity.gov/. The program offers mail-in applications in both English and Spanish. The English version can be accessed at https://www.affordableconnectivity.gov/wp-content/uploads/ACP-Application-Form-English.pdf and the Spanish application can be found at https://www.affordableconnectivity.gov/wp-content/uploads/ACP-Application-Form-Spanish.pdf. Participating companies There are 20 companies that will offer no out-of-pocket costs for internet access to those participating in the program. However, there are over 1,300 companies that will accept the program benefit and offer $30 off monthly payments. Here are the companies providing free internet access. Allo Communications AltaFiber Altice Astound AT&T Breezeline Comcast Comporium Cox Communications Frontier IdeaTek Jackson Energy Authority Mediacom MLGC Spectrum Starry Verizon Fios Vermont Telephone Company Vexus Fiber Wow! Internet, Cable and TV This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Belinda George will no longer be principal at Homer Drive Elementary when this school year draws to a close, but she will remain a part of her students' lives. In late March, Beaumont ISD confirmed George would resign her position as principal at the end of the 2021-22 school year, which came as a shock to some community members given George's nationally-recognized stature. In 2019, George gained national attention with her literacy initiative, "Tucked in Tuesdays," where she reads a bedtime story to children via Facebook Live. According to George's resignation letter, dated March 24, her decision came after a "lack of support shown from various departments," which caused "unnecessary stress." RELATED: Homer Drive Elementary sees admin shakeup George would not name which departments she felt unsupported by but did tell The Enterprise that she's already discussed those issues with the people to whom she was referring in the letter. George began her tenure at Homer Drive in 2018. The school's most recent Texas Education Agency accountability rating from the 2018-19 school year designated the campus as "failing." Schools and districts have not been rated for the past two school years due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Due to the campus' status, George said she was going to be moved to another campus, which she didn't want to do. So, she resigned. RELATED: BISD principal reads bedtime stories to students via Facebook "Children are always watching," she said. "I've said this before, if I'm not good at something -- which it was public -- (I) don't get to stay. I don't want to give kids the false sense of, 'Well, I didn't do right, but I can do it again.' No, you have to start back over." George said she didn't want her students to think that she was leaving them by being moved to another campus. "I didn't want my kids to think that I wanted to go anywhere and be with any other kids than there with them," she said. "If I would have went to another school in the district, they would have tried to come with me, and that's not the goal." The decision had nothing to do with the implementation of the Accelerating Campus Excellence model which will be implemented at Homer Drive next year, George said. By the time the initiative was announced, she had already made the decision to leave. RELATED: Beaumont schools working to avoid need for more charter partners Though she did say that under ACE's staffing criteria for principals, she did not meet them, which may have been a reason for the district moving her to another campus. "It looks for a principal with a proven track record of getting campuses out of (improvement required status)," she said. "I've never been on a campus that was in IR and came out of IR. So, that may have been the reasoning." George said she made her decision in October while on an airplane. "I wrote this little thing on my phone called 'Flight,' and I just knew," she said. "It's like one of those (situations where) you just know. I didn't know where I was going or what I was doing, but I just knew my time was up." RELATED: 'We were there for you, now be here for us:' Beaumont teachers ask for support, raises In her resignation letter, George said she was not actively seeking employment at that time and that she did not have a plan. However since then, George said she has found employment, though outside the education field. "Keynote speaking, I have that part-time," she said. "Then, I'll be the Cultural Experience Director at Gulf Credit Union. I'll be there, but still working and educating others, just not in a public or private school setting." "Tucked in Tuesdays" will remain a part of George's routine. "I have hundreds of books, I have tons of pajamas -- that won't stop," she said. "That didn't come from being a principal, that just came from growing up and knowing the importance of bedtime stories and how it makes kids feel. So, that goes wherever Belinda George goes." RELATED: More than 270 open positions in Beaumont school district As her 16-year term with the district comes to a close, George said she hopes her lasting legacy will be her focus on changing the whole child. "My legacy is working with children and tapping into who they are and meeting them where they are," she said. "All of my parents and my kids know that as well." George said she will miss her students, but she'll still be making home visits to them. "I can still do that as a private citizen -- reach out to kids, do things in the community," she said. "I can still reach out to kids, and not just kids in the zone of Homer, but all over." RELATED: 27 Beaumont educators named 'Teachers of the Year' George said she'll always have a relationship with her students and their parents, and she's not planning on leaving the area. Regardless of the situation, George said she believes she did her job well. "My goal was to make relationships, change lives," she said. "Unfortunately, loving on kids and getting them to feel safe and secure and meeting their social emotional learning needs doesn't always make them produce grades. But in my heart, in my head, it will always mean this: when you get stopped by the police, nobody says 'Did you have an A in school?' "It's the way I communicate. I was teaching my kids how to be in life and meeting them where they are. Me trying to get them to make an A and not make them a better person would not have fulfilled me as a person. And I'm OK with that." RELATED: New principal to lead Beaumont United in its sophomore year George said she's excited about her new job and plans on telling her students of her departure soon, which she knows will be emotional for everyone. "Parents will be a part of the farewell for Dr. George because I don't want kids sitting there crying and nobody to console them," she said. "So, when I tell the kids officially, I'm trying not to make them cry, but that's almost inevitable because I'll probably cry. My role doesn't determine who I am. I don't have to be a principal to do those things." Current Beaumont United High School Principal Charisma Popillion will take over at Homer Drive for the 2022-23 school year. olivia.malick@hearst.com twitter.com/OliviaMalick Hong Kong: Govt prepares for Article 23 Secretary for Security Tang Ping-keung today said the Government will work on the enactment of Article 23 of the Basic Law as soon as possible. Speaking to the media at the Legislative Council Complex, Mr Tang explained that the consultation work on Article 23 has been postponed. Originally, we were thinking that we should launch a public consultation on the enactment of Article 23 of the Basic Law in the first half of this year, but because of the COVID-19 epidemic situation, we have to focus on the fight against the virus. He also noted that enacting the law is a complicated and serious matter. We have to make sure that the new legislation is able to handle what happened in the past, what is happening in the current moment and also what will happen in the future. We have to be very cautious in working out a detailed and workable plan and we will try our best to do it as soon as possible. Answering lawmakers questions this morning, Mr Tang pointed out there also practical needs to legislate on Article 23. He said since the reunification of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, there are deficiencies in the laws and enforcement mechanisms for safeguarding national security. In recent years, following the overall development of the state, many western countries regard China as a major competitor and even take a completely hostile position against it, Mr Tang noted. Given Hong Kong's unique environment and lifestyles under the principle of one country, two systems, it is easy for external elements to infiltrate with malicious intention, or even attempt to foment colour revolution, subvert state power, as well as to promote and advocate Hong Kong independence, thus intensifying national security risks. Mr Tang said the Government will adhere to the principle of openness and transparency for publicity and explanatory work. He added that the work of formulating the legislative proposals is of a complicated nature and the Government will continue to proactively embrace challenges and handle the work proficiently. This story has been published on: 2022-05-11. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. Four Astronauts Safely Land Home Through SpaceXs Crew Dragon Spacecraft Four astronauts successfully returned home when the SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft landed on Earth last Friday. It marked the end of their six-month-long stay on the International Space Station (ISS) as part of their mission called Crew-3, having launched to space in the same spacecraft last November. The crew undocked from the ISS, flew through Earth's atmosphere, and splashed down with their parachutes at 12:43 AM ET off the coast of Florida. The three NASA astronauts onboard were Tom Marshburn, Raja Chari, and Kayla Barron, together with German astronaut Matthias Maurer with the European Space Agency. READ: Amazon's Project Kuiper Might Take On SpaceX In The Satellite Internet Business Advertisement Not long since they arrived, Russia destroyed one of its own satellites with a ground-based missile, creating a cloud of debris that initially threatened the integrity of the space station. The Crew-3 astronauts and fellow Russian cosmonauts had to shelter inside their spacecraft in case the resulting debris from the blast damaged the space station and they needed to make a quick escape. Fortunately, the debris did not harm the ISS, and the crew returned to work as normal. They've been living and working on the orbiting lab, conducting science experiments as well as maintaining the station through spacewalks. A few months after the satellite's destruction, Russia invaded Ukraine, increasing tensions between the United States and Russia on Earth. Questions and concerns regarding the stability of the ISS partnership between NASA and Russia's state space corporation, Roscosmos, were raised, and whether it would affect the space operations. READ: SpaceX Successfully Escorted First All-private Crew To ISS Space Station For Axiom Space The Crew-3 astronauts continued their work as planned alongside their Russian colleagues, and also welcomed a new crew of Russian cosmonauts to the station in March. As Dmitry Rogozin, head of Roscosmos, hinted about a possible end to Russia's ISS agreement, NASA administrator Bill Nelson assured Congress on May 3rd that it was business as usual onboard the ISS. The Crew-3's safe and punctual return marks the end of another routine human spaceflight mission to the ISS for both SpaceX and NASA. SpaceX maintains a contract with NASA to escort astronauts to and from the International Space Station periodically as part of an initiative called the Commercial Crew Program. Crew-3's trip was SpaceX's third routine mission to the ISS for NASA and is the company's eighth time launching astronauts into space. Advertisement Advertisement Like us and Follow us Follow @Koreaportal and 2022 Korea Portal, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. People attend the Huawei Ethiopia forum, organized in collaboration with Addis Ababa University, in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, May 9, 2022. Huawei Ethiopia held a forum that is aimed at linking new university graduates into Ethiopia's information communications technology sector. (Xinhua/Michael Tewelde) ADDIS ABABA, May 10 (Xinhua) -- Huawei Ethiopia has held a forum that is aimed at linking new university graduates into Ethiopia's information communications technology sector. The two-day Huawei Ethiopia forum, the second of the kind, was organized in collaboration with Addis Ababa University and ran until Tuesday, with the purpose of promoting jobs to newly graduating students. The forum coincided with Addis Ababa University's annual Research and Job Fairs Week which began Monday. Tamire Dawud, the manager for ICT Ecosystem Development at Huawei Technologies Ethiopia Plc, said the forum is part of Huawei's continued commitment to train and certify new graduates and equip them with the latest trends in the industry including data communication, artificial intelligence, big data, wireless LAN. "Huawei, as a leading global provider of information and communications technology infrastructure and smart devices, offers training on the latest technologies, eventually creating job opportunities for the trained youth," Dawud said. Noting Huawei's special internships trend that gives a chance to new graduates to join an internship program at its Ethiopian head office, Dawud said new graduates will acquire work experience and familiarize themselves with the work environment, among others. Huawei Ethiopian head office last year offered internship opportunities to more than 250 new graduates and hired more than 200 interns. The company planned to accept up to 300 new graduates this year, according to Dawud. Dawud said that the forum offers a unique opportunity for students who would have otherwise encountered various difficulties in order to get the rare internationally acclaimed training as well as job opportunities. Huawei, which works in collaboration with the Ethiopian Ministry of Education, has opened an ICT academy across 42 higher education institutions in Ethiopia. Tamire Dawud, the manager for ICT Ecosystem Development at Huawei Technologies Ethiopia Plc, speaks during an interview with Xinhua in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, May 9, 2022. Huawei Ethiopia held a forum that is aimed at linking new university graduates into Ethiopia's information communications technology sector. (Xinhua/Michael Tewelde) An Ethiopian employee of Huawei Technologies Ethiopia Plc poses for photos during the Huawei Ethiopia forum, organized in collaboration with Addis Ababa University, in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, May 9, 2022. Huawei Ethiopia held a forum that is aimed at linking new university graduates into Ethiopia's information communications technology sector. (Xinhua/Michael Tewelde) People attend the Huawei Ethiopia forum, organized in collaboration with Addis Ababa University, in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, May 9, 2022. Huawei Ethiopia held a forum that is aimed at linking new university graduates into Ethiopia's information communications technology sector. (Xinhua/Michael Tewelde) People attend the Huawei Ethiopia forum, organized in collaboration with Addis Ababa University, in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, May 9, 2022. Huawei Ethiopia held a forum that is aimed at linking new university graduates into Ethiopia's information communications technology sector. (Xinhua/Michael Tewelde) This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate KYIV, Ukraine An adviser to the Mariupol mayor said Wednesday that Russian forces have blocked all evacuation routes out of the city. The adviser, Petro Andriushchenko, said there were few apartment buildings fit to live in after the weeks of bombardment and very little food or drinking water. Andriushchenko said some residents who have remained in the city are cooperating with the Russian occupying forces in exchange for food. Meanwhile, Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk says Ukraine has offered to release Russian prisoners of war if Russia will allow the badly injured fighters to be evacuated from the Mariupol steel plant. Russian forces have surrounded the plant, the last bastion of Ukrainian resistance in the southern port city. Vereshchuk said no agreement has been reached but negotiations were underway. The fighters trapped in the plant have refused to surrender to the Russians, saying they fear being tortured or killed. __ KEY DEVELOPMENTS IN THE RUSSIA-UKRAINE WAR: Ukrainians make gains in east, stop Russian gas at one hub Wartime birth amid the air raid sirens in Ukraine hospital US, Western Europe fret over uncertain Ukraine war endgame Fighters appeal for evacuation of wounded from Mariupol mill House approves $40B in Ukraine aid, beefing up Biden request Leonid Kravchuk, independent Ukraines 1st president, dies Ambassador nominee for Ukraine seeks quick embassy reopening Follow all AP stories on Russias war on Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine ___ OTHER DEVELOPMENTS: WASHINGTON U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo said a ban on sales of semiconductors and other technology to Russia by the U.S. and its allies is having a serious impact on Russias ability to manufacture military equipment. We have reports from Ukrainians that when they find Russian equipment, military equipment, on the ground, its filled with semiconductors that they took out of dishwashers and refrigerators, Raimondo said Wednesday during a Senate hearing, adding that she met a few weeks ago with Ukraines prime minister. Raimondo said two of Russias tank manufacturing plants have shut and many of its auto makers have furloughed workers and closed down. And so the point is, we are having a very serious effect, she said. What we need to do in order to continue this is enforcement, enforcement, enforcement. Raimondo said U.S. exports of technology to Russia are down nearly 70% since late February when the Biden administration, in coordination with European and Asian allies, imposed sanctions and export controls on Russia in response to its invasion of Ukraine. __ WASHINGTON Final congressional approval of a $40 billion Ukraine aid bill seems certain within days, according to some lawmakers. The Senates top Republicans said Wednesday they expect strong GOP backing for the House-passed measure. That will signal a bipartisan, heightened commitment to helping thwart the bloody Russian invasion. In his nightly video address Wednesday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said funds from the aid bill will allow Ukraine to get more weapons and equipment plus help investigate war crimes by Russia. The bill also would help regional allies, replenish weapons the Pentagon has shipped overseas and provide $5 billion to address global food shortages caused by the wars crippling of Ukraines normally robust production of many crops. The new measure includes $6 billion to arm and train Ukrainian forces, $8.7 billion to restore American stores of weapons shipped to Ukraine and $3.9 billion for U.S. forces deployed to the area. Theres also $8.8 billion in economic support for Ukraine, $4 billion to help Ukraine and allies finance arms and equipment purchases and $900 million for housing, education and other help for Ukrainian refugees in the U.S. __ BERLIN The U.N. nuclear agency says it is again receiving remote data from the Chernobyl power plant in Ukraine following an interruption caused by the Russian occupation of the site. The International Atomic Energy Agency said late Wednesday that data transmission was re-established following a visit by its inspectors and technicians in April, after Russian forces withdrew. The agency said it was the first time in two months that it has received remote data from all nuclear power plants and spent fuel storage facilities in Ukraine where monitoring systems are in place. Its head, Rafael Mariano Grossi, said this was a very important step for the IAEA to continue to implement safeguards in Ukraine. Grossi cautioned, though, that on-site verification at the Zaporizhzhya nuclear plant continues to be challenging owing to the presence of Russian forces and Rosatom personnel at the site, calling the situation unsustainable. Grossi said he has proposed leading an expert visit to Zaporizhzhya after the necessary consultations and at the earliest possible opportunity. ___ MOSCOW The governor of a Russian region near Ukraine says that at least one civilian has been killed and another six have been wounded in the Ukrainian shelling of a village close to the border. Belgorod Gov. Vyacheslav Gladkov said that the village of Solokhi came under shelling from the Ukrainian side late Wednesday. He said that the village residents will be evacuated. Gladkovs account couldnt be independently verified. Russian authorities in the regions near Ukraine have repeatedly reported incidents when border areas came under Ukrainian shelling. ___ KYIV, Ukraine Ukraines Foreign Ministry has accused Russia of stealing the countrys grain and trying to sell some of it at global markets. The ministry said in Wednesdays commentary that the stealing of Ukrainian grain amounts to looting. It warned countries that purchase Russian grain that some of its shipments could contain the grain stolen from Ukraine, making its buyers possible accomplices. The ministry cited official estimates indicating that Russia already may have stolen 400,000-500,000 metric tons of grain that cost over $100 million. It charged that practically all ships leaving Sevastopol with a load of grain are carrying the grain stolen from Ukraine. It urged the global community to toughen the sanctions against Russia. ___ TURIN, Italy A Ukrainian band thats competing in this years Eurovision Song Contest turned out in a Turin park for a rally with a few dozen of their compatriots to express solidarity for their war-ravaged homeland. Ahead of Wednesday nights competition, the Kalush Orchestra posed for photos with some 50 Ukrainians who live in Italy. Each of the rallys participants put a hand to the heart in a sign of devotion to Ukraine. Kalush Orchestra this week was one of the entrants advancing to the finals of the wildly popular European annual songfest, whose winner will be decided on Saturday. The Ukrainians rallied behind a stage where free concerts by some of the musical groups from among the 35 nations sending entries are held nightly on the sidelines of the actual competition. The upbeat entry by Kalush Orchestra for the competition is a song that was composed by the bands front-man as a tribute to his mother. But the song, Stefania, has been transformed to a kind of anthem to Ukraine, which was invaded by its powerful neighbor Russia on Feb. 24. The song quickly became a sentimental favorite for many of Eurovisions fans. ___ SOFIA, Bulgaria A pro-Russian nationalist party staged a protest rally in front of the parliament building in Bulgarias capital, Sofia, on Wednesday, calling for the government to resign and accusing it of failing to tackle the economic crisis. Several hundreds supporters of the Vazrazhdane party demanded that the centrist coalition of Prime Minister Kiril Petkov step down because it draws Bulgaria into the war of the United States against Russia in Ukraine. Waving Bulgarian and some Russian flags, participants shouted antigovernmental slogans accusing the Cabinet of being more concerned about Ukraine instead of taking care of their own people. Organizers insisted that Bulgaria should act as a conciliator, rather than arming one side and thus fueling the conflict. They urged the government to resign and clear the way for new elections which would allow their party to rule Bulgaria in line with national interests. Later, the protesters marched to the nearby Sofia municipality, where they clashed with police as they tried to remove an Ukrainian flag from the building. Bulgaria, which was among Moscows closest allies during Soviet times, is now a NATO and EU member state. Traditional bonds with Russia, based on common religion and cultural heritage are being harmed as many are horrified by the bloodshed caused by Russias aggression. Still, many Bulgarians share strong pro-Russian sentiments that play in favor of populist leaders. Vazrazhdane has currently 13 legislators in the 240-seat National Assembly, who have been strong supporters of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. ___ KYIV, Ukraine A Ukrainian general says that Russia hasnt abandoned hopes to capture the Ukrainian capital. Brig. Gen. Oleksiy Hromov said at Wednesdays briefing that the Russians harbor plans to take control over the southern Mykolaiv and Odessa regions to build a land corridor to the Transnistria separatist region of Moldova and also try to storm Kyiv. Hromov said that Russia still hopes to capture more Ukrainian territories and call a sham vote to make them part of Russia. He added that such Russian plans will be foiled by the Ukrainian resistance. The Russian forces tried to capture the Ukrainian capital in the first weeks of the invasion, but have pulled back after facing staunch Ukrainian defenses and shifted their focus on the countrys east, where Moscow-backed separatists have been fighting Ukrainian forces since 2014. ___ WASHINGTON Ukraines leaders must start shaping their terms for an acceptable peace deal, especially in light of Russias surprising failure to win its war outright, Italys premier said Wednesday. When Russia first launched its invasion of Ukraine, we thought there was a Goliath and a David, Mario Draghi told reporters at a news conference in Washington. But what seemed like an invincible power has proved not to be, Draghi said, referring to Russian forces inability to overcome the defense mounted by Ukraines military, with heavy Western backing. Draghi spoke after meeting with President Joe Biden on Tuesday. Draghi says he urged Biden to push to get all key players, including the United States and Russia, into talks to end the war. But any rush to close a peace deal that leaves Ukrainians angry and resentful risks a return to fighting, the Italian leader said Wednesday. We have to remove any thought that we can reach an imposed peace, Draghi said. That is a recipe for disaster. __ BERLIN The German army says it has begun training Ukrainian soldiers to use a powerful artillery system that Germany and the Netherlands plan to supply to Ukraine. The Defense Ministry said 18 crews are being trained to use the Panzerhaubitze 2000, an advanced, self-propelled howitzer. This is a clear sign of our solidarity, the ministry said. But Germany wont become a party to the conflict because of the training or delivery of the howitzers. ___ DONETSK Separatists in Donetsk on Wednesday celebrated the eighth anniversary of self-proclaimed independence from Ukraine. Constitution square in the city center was renamed after a Russian officer who was among the first Russian servicemen killed in the special military operation. The head of the self-proclaimed Donetsk Peoples Republic, Denis Pushilin, and Engels Gadzhimagomedov, the father of the killed officer, installed a new street sign. Local residents who support the pro-Russian separatists came to lay flowers. The Day of Donetsk Peoples Republic was celebrated without the usual mass events this year due to security reasons. ___ BUCHAREST, Romania Romanias foreign ministry says that two Romanian journalists were detained Tuesday in the Russia-backed breakaway region of Transnistria in neighboring Moldova. The two journalists were detained by security forces in Transnistrias de facto capital of Tiraspol and released hours later after diplomatic efforts from both Romania and Moldova, the ministry said Wednesday in a statement. (The) Romanian diplomatic mission in Chisinau was not informed in advance about the intention of the two journalists, it said, adding that the so-called Transnistrian authorities recently banned foreign journalists from entering the region. The incident follows a series of mysterious attacks in the Russia-backed region in recent weeks that have alarmed officials in Moldovas capital, Chisinau. In late April, grenades were launched at the regions state security office, and a day later two large broadcast antennas were downed. Last week, police in Transnistria said explosive devices were dropped from a drone near a village. No one was injured in the incidents. Transnistria, a thin strip of land that borders Ukraine and has a population of around 470,000, broke away after a short civil war in the early 1990s. An estimated 1,500 Russian soldiers are stationed there. _ WARSAW, Poland Former Swedish prime minister Carl Bildt says that the U.N. Security Council should adopt a resolution protecting grain shipments from the Ukraine amid the Russian invasion. Bildt was speaking to Polands TVN24 during the Impact22 congress about energy and technology prospects, in Poznan, western Poland. Will Russia dare to stop shipments of grain under U.N. protection?, Bildt asked, stressing the escort initiative is worth discussing. The Security Council is to be briefed Thursday on humanitarian issues in Ukraine as it is fighting Russian invasion, and that may open an opportunity for discussing protection of the grain exports. Separately, the European Union is to announce a plan this week to help Ukraine get around Russias blockade of its ports by shipping food supplies by rail and truck. Ukraine is one of the worlds top producers of corn and wheat, and is called Europes bread basket. The lack of millions of tons of its grain on world markets is already leading to hikes in the prices of grain products. ___ PRAGUE Czech President Milos Zeman has approved a request of 103 Czechs to join Ukraines armed forces to help them fight Russian aggression. Czech citizens are banned from service in foreign armies which is a crime punishable by a prison term of up to five years. Those 103 belong to a total of some 400 Czechs who have applied for an exemption from the ban, according to the Defense Ministry. The authorities still have to process most of the requests. Its not clear how many Czech have already been fighting on the Ukrainian side against invading Russian troops. The presidents approval has to be co-signed by Prime Minister Petr Fiala who said through his spokesman he would sign all requests that have been approved by the Czech authorities. ___ BERLIN The German government has dismissed suggestions that it might activate the Nord Stream 2 pipeline from Russia to Germany to compensate for reduced flows via Ukraine. A spokeswoman for the Energy Ministry said Wednesday that Germany is currently receiving a quarter less gas through Ukraine after Ukrainian authorities shut down a pipeline saying it no longer controls a key compressor station thats in Russian hands. Annika Einhorn, the ministry spokeswoman, said the shortfall is being partly compensated for through increased supplies from Norway and the Netherlands. Nord Stream 2 has really died after Russian attacked Ukraine and nobody is thinking about switching to that, she said. She also noted that the majority of Russian gas reaches Germany through a sister pipeline, Nord Stream 1, rather than via Ukraine. Germany has pledged to end imports of Russian natural gas by 2024 at the latest. ___ MOSCOW A senior Russian official has denounced the U.S. aid for Ukraine as part of Washingtons proxy war against Russia. Dmitry Medvedev, the deputy head of Russias Security Council who served as president in 2008-2012 when Vladimir Putin shifted to prime ministers position due to term limits, said Wednesday on a messaging app that the $40 billion aid package for Ukraine approved by the U.S. Congress was driven by a desire to inflict a heavy defeat on our country, restrict its economic development and political influence in the world. He described the aid package as part of the U.S. proxy war against Russia and predicted that the United States will fail while the goals of Russias special operation in Ukraine will be fulfilled. In another statement Wednesday, Vyacheslav Volodin, the speaker of the lower house of Russian parliament, accused the United States of using the aid package to drive Ukraine deeper into debt and try to take control of the countrys grain reserves. ___ PARIS Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says Russias war in Ukraine is pushing a number of countries toward NATO membership. With Finland and Sweden moving toward joining the alliance, he said, These countries want to be protected from Russia because their people see whats happening in Ukraine and want to live in security, in their own house, and spend time calmly with their family. Russia has cited NATOs expansion toward its borders as a reason for invading Ukraine. Speaking Wednesday to French university students via video link, Zelenskyy also proposed preventive sanctions against Russia and any countries that threaten to use nuclear weapons. He also called for international debate about nuclear disarmament. He said Russias suggestions that it could use nuclear force in the war in Ukraine should not go unpunished, but didnt elaborate. He urged more unity in European policy, as the EUs 27 members haggle over a sixth round of sanctions that include an oil embargo. Asked how the war could end, he said, The war will end when we restore our unity and territory...when we get back what belongs to us. ___ LVIV, Ukraine Satellite photos analyzed by The Associated Press show that a Russian ship believed to be carrying stolen Ukrainian grain has docked in Syria. The photo taken Tuesday by Planet Labs PBC showed the Russian-flagged Matros Pozynich at dockside in Latakia, Syria. The ship seen in the photo matched known characteristics of the bulk carrier, as well as its dimensions. The ship turned off its transponders nearly a week ago off the island of Cyprus in the Mediterranean Sea. Samir Madani, the co-founder of the online research firm TankerTrackers.com, also told the AP that he believed the ship docked in Latakia was the Matros Pozynich, based on its dimensions and last-known position. Ukraine has alleged that the ship had 27,000 tons of grains Russia stole from the country. It alleged Russia initially tried to ship the grains to Egypt, which refused to take the cargo. Ukrainian diplomats had been asking nations not to accept the grain. The ships registered owners, Crane Marine Contractor LLC of Astrakhan, Russia, did not immediately respond to a request for comment. A Russian bombing campaign and support from Iran beat back insurgents who nearly toppled Syrian President Bashar Assad after the 2011 Arab Spring. Russia still maintains a navy and air base in Syria, though it has reportedly rotated forces out of the country to aid its war on Ukraine. ___ COLUMBUS, Miss. (AP) Many of the earliest Black leaders of a Mississippi city were celebrated as part of the community's Eighth of May Emancipation Day. Students from the Mississippi School for Math and Science on Monday highlighted some of Columbus' key African American leaders buried at Sanfield Cemetery, some of whom include Robert Gleed, a state senator from 1870 to 1876; publisher and businessman Richard D. Littlejohn; Jack Rabb, a businessman who bought his own freedom; W.I. Mitchell, an educator who served from 1907 to 1913 as president of the Penny-Savings Bank, the city's first African-American bank; and Simon Mitchell, a Justice of the Peace during the Reconstruction Era. At just 19-years-old, Hayley Taylor Schlitz is set to become the youngest law school graduate at Southern Methodist University and the youngest Black woman to graduate from law school in the nation. Three years ago, Schlitz who hails from Keller, Texas was accepted to nine law schools, according to an SMU news release. However, she chose to attend the university's Dedman School of Law in Dallas, and ultimately announced the decision on Good Morning America at the time. She told the hosts it was her school of choice because it was close to home and offered her a "nice" scholarship. While at Dedman, Schlitz flourished as an author, public speaker and advocate for "the issues students of color face in navigating gifted and talented programs in public schools," according to the university. Before college, Schlitz attended public school until the fifth grade when her parents decided to home school her. They were disappointed with the public school system as Schlitz struggled to be recognized as a gifted student. Racism Schlitz faced while in school also played a role in their decision, she told Essence. At the age of 13, Schlitz graduated from high school and attended Tarrant County College. She later transferred to Texas Woman's University where she graduated at the age of 16, becoming the youngest graduate on record from the university, according to her website. Schlitz told SMU that many girls and students of color are left out of gifted and talented programs. "Society will lose out on the potential scientist who cures a major disease, the entrepreneur who starts the next Amazon and so much more," Schlitz said, per SMU. "All because of their gender and/or skin color." Hailey stated that being homeschooled gave her more time to pursue the things she wanted to accomplish and inspired her to co-publish a book with mother, Dr. Myiesha Taylor, titled "The Homeschool Alternative: Incorporating a Homeschool Mindset for the Benefit of Black Children in America." The book details the mother and daughter's experience as a homeschooling family and provides resources to Black families. After she graduates on May 13, Schlitz plans to work on education policy issues with the goal of increasing opportunities for gifted and talented girls and students of color. She told Essence she would also like to become a law professor one day. "I really want to help students realize their potential even if they can't home-school," Schlitz told the Dallas Morning News in 2019. "I want to help families open their eyes to the opportunities that they don't even realize are there." When people talk about on a creative roll, some arent joking around: John Williams composed the theme for the new "Star Wars" show, "Obi-Wan Kenobi" (streaming on Disney+ May 25) in just two weeks. While other composers have done the scores for the Disney+ TV shows based on the Jedi saga, including for shows like The Mandalorian and The Book of Boba Fett," "Obi-Wan Kenobi" composer Natalie Holt said that Williams has composed the theme music for the latest installment in the Star Wars saga. "He didn't have very long and it was quite last minute whether he'd have time or not," Holt told The Hollywood Review. "But he really wanted to write that theme because [Obi-Wan] was the one character that he didn't write the theme for in the original movie." "So I think he had this feeling that he wanted to complete the challenge. I think he had two weeks and he came on board and wrote the Obi theme, which is the main title, and then a few variations of how the Obi theme can work." Obi Wan Kenobi on Disney+ Star Wars Disney + Stream Now From there, Holt said, she had the templates for creating the rest of the series score. She also had a little fan moment: John signed the Obi theme for me. Ive got a printed Obi theme that he recorded and Ive had it framed, she told The Hollywood Review. Its my pride and joy. Im super happy to have his signature because hes literally my hero. Honestly its surprising he had the time to do it: According to Insider, Williams is also working on music for the fifth Indiana Jones and Steven Spielbergs The Fablemans. The Star Wars franchise wasnt the only film he wrote legendary scores for, either: Jaws, E.T. and Jurassic Park all feature his music, too. If you want a concert in your living room, Obi-Wan Kenobi will be available for streaming on Disney+. Journalists mourn following the killing of Al-Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh at a hospital in the West Bank city of Jenin, May 11, 2022. Shireen Abu Akleh was killed in the northern occupied West Bank on Wednesday morning. The Palestinian Health Ministry said in a statement that the reporter was shot while covering an Israeli military raid and died shortly after, adding that another Palestinian reporter was shot in the back during the raid. The ministry said Israeli troops shot Abu Akleh. (Photo by Ayman Nobani/Xinhua) JERUSALEM/RAMALLAH, May 11 (Xinhua) -- Al-Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh was killed in the northern occupied West Bank on Wednesday morning. The Palestinian Health Ministry said in a statement that the reporter was shot while covering an Israeli military raid and died shortly after, adding that another Palestinian reporter was shot in the back during the raid. The ministry said Israeli troops shot Abu Akleh. In a statement, the Israeli army said it has launched an investigation into the incident and was looking into the possibility that the journalists were hit by "armed Palestinians." The raid triggered clashes with armed residents, and "massive fire was shot toward Israeli forces by tens of armed Palestinian gunmen," said the statement, adding that the soldiers "responded with fire toward the sources of the fire and explosive devices. Hits were identified." Meanwhile, Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid tweeted that Israel offered to carry out with the Palestinians "a joint pathological investigation into the sad death" of the journalist. "Journalists must be protected in conflict zones and we all have a responsibility to get to the truth," Lapid said. Israel seized the West Bank in the 1967 Middle East war and has maintained control over it ever since, despite international criticism. A journalist (L) mourns following the killing of Al-Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh at a hospital in the West Bank city of Jenin, May 11, 2022. Shireen Abu Akleh was killed in the northern occupied West Bank on Wednesday morning. The Palestinian Health Ministry said in a statement that the reporter was shot while covering an Israeli military raid and died shortly after, adding that another Palestinian reporter was shot in the back during the raid. The ministry said Israeli troops shot Abu Akleh. (Photo by Ayman Nobani/Xinhua) Journalists and medics wheel the body of Al-Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh at a hospital in the West Bank city of Jenin, May 11, 2022. Shireen Abu Akleh was killed in the northern occupied West Bank on Wednesday morning. The Palestinian Health Ministry said in a statement that the reporter was shot while covering an Israeli military raid and died shortly after, adding that another Palestinian reporter was shot in the back during the raid. The ministry said Israeli troops shot Abu Akleh. (Photo by Ayman Nobani/Xinhua) Journalists and medics wheel the body of Al-Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh at a hospital in the West Bank city of Jenin, May 11, 2022. Shireen Abu Akleh was killed in the northern occupied West Bank on Wednesday morning. The Palestinian Health Ministry said in a statement that the reporter was shot while covering an Israeli military raid and died shortly after, adding that another Palestinian reporter was shot in the back during the raid. The ministry said Israeli troops shot Abu Akleh. (Photo by Ayman Nobani/Xinhua) Journalists mourn following the killing of Al-Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh at a hospital in the West Bank city of Jenin, May 11, 2022. Shireen Abu Akleh was killed in the northern occupied West Bank on Wednesday morning. The Palestinian Health Ministry said in a statement that the reporter was shot while covering an Israeli military raid and died shortly after, adding that another Palestinian reporter was shot in the back during the raid. The ministry said Israeli troops shot Abu Akleh. (Photo by Ayman Nobani/Xinhua) A journalist mourns following the killing of Al-Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh at a hospital in the West Bank city of Jenin, May 11, 2022. Shireen Abu Akleh was killed in the northern occupied West Bank on Wednesday morning. The Palestinian Health Ministry said in a statement that the reporter was shot while covering an Israeli military raid and died shortly after, adding that another Palestinian reporter was shot in the back during the raid. The ministry said Israeli troops shot Abu Akleh. (Photo by Ayman Nobani/Xinhua) Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (R) welcomes Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev in Ankara, Turkey, on May 10, 2022. Turkey and Kazakhstan aim to reach the target of 10 billion U.S. dollars in bilateral trade, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Tuesday. (Photo by Mustafa Kaya/Xinhua) ANKARA, May 10 (Xinhua) -- Turkey and Kazakhstan aim to reach the target of 10 billion U.S. dollars in bilateral trade, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Tuesday. "We evaluated the possibilities of further development and deepening of our cooperation," Erdogan said at a joint press conference held with visiting Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev in the capital Ankara. "The trade volume between Turkey and Kazakhstan exceeded 5.3 billion dollars last year. Thus, we have surpassed our target of 5 billion U.S. dollars in a short time. We will reach our target of 10 billion with speedy steps," Erdogan said. This year marks the 30th anniversary of the diplomatic relations between the two countries, Erdogan said, adding that the two countries have raised their cooperation to the level of an enhanced strategic partnership. The two leaders discussed the regional impacts of the Ukrainian crisis and expressed their views for the peaceful resolution. "We are on the same page on the territorial integrity of Ukraine," the Turkish leader added. For his part, Tokayev called Turkey "a very important strategic partner for Kazakhstan." Turkey was the first country to recognize Kazakhstan's independence, Tokayev said, stressing that the Kazakh people will never forget this. This is the first state visit to Turkey made by Tokayev after he took office. The two governments signed 15 agreements in the fields of transportation, defense industry, military intelligence, information technologies, culture, agriculture, transportation, trade, customs, education, youth, communication and archives. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (R) and Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev attend a press conference in Ankara, Turkey, on May 10, 2022. Turkey and Kazakhstan aim to reach the target of 10 billion U.S. dollars in bilateral trade, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Tuesday. (Photo by Mustafa Kaya/Xinhua) Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (1st L) and Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev (2nd L) review guard of honor in Ankara, Turkey, on May 10, 2022. Turkey and Kazakhstan aim to reach the target of 10 billion U.S. dollars in bilateral trade, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Tuesday. (Photo by Mustafa Kaya/Xinhua) If you'd like to leave a comment (or a tip or a question) about this story with the editors, please email us We also welcome letters to the editor for publication; you can do that by filling out our letters form and submitting it to the newsroom. The state health commissioner said Tuesday that the Food and Drug Administration will be meeting with the makers of the vaccines primarily Pfizer and Moderna and monitoring testing of the vaccines for the youngest children in the coming months. It could lead to a vaccine for younger children this fall. Greg Sukiennik has worked at all three Vermont News & Media newspapers and was their managing editor from 2017-19. He previously worked for ESPN.com, for the AP in Boston, and at The Berkshire Eagle in Pittsfield, Mass. A man found floating on a raft off the coast of New England in 2016 after his boat sank has been indicted on charges that he killed his mother at sea to inherit the familys estate A message left in chalk outside Sen. Susan Collins home urged her to support the Democratic effort to codify the 1973 landmark decision establishing a constitutional right to abortion in the United States An assessment or critique of a service, product, or creative endeavor such as art, literature or a performance. THEATER REVIEW REVIEW: At Shakespeare & Company, 'The Approach' is a largely cerebral exercise that fails to get under the skin PITTSFIELD Twelve jurors have now been seated in the Berkshire Superior Court trial of two defendants facing charges in connection with the shooting of Nick Carnevale in October Mountain State Forest. Four additional jurors were selected Tuesday from a pool of 55 potential jurors; eight jurors were seated before court closed on Monday. The goal is to seat another four Berkshire County residents on Wednesday, enough to empanel a 12-person jury and four alternates, according to court officials. Christopher Frazier and Luis Delvalle-Rodriguez are the second pair of defendants on trial for the Aug. 21, 2018, incident in which Carnevale was shot twice in the head as he tried to leave a party at the Ashley Reservoir in the town of Washington. Delvalle-Rodriguez is accused of pulling the trigger, and prosecutors have said he admitted to doing so on a hot mic recording obtained by investigators. His defense is expected argue to that Delvalle-Rodriguez did so in defense of Daquan Douglas, after Douglas was stabbed. Jury selection was done at sidebar Tuesday with Judge Maureen Hogan, attorneys for both defendants and prosecutors. The potential jurors were questioned while white noise played in the courtroom, so the discussion could not be heard from the gallery. Frazier stood near his attorney, Patrick Goodreau, and listened in during the process. Delvalle-Rodriguez, who is represented by defense attorney Alfred Chamberland, sat at the defendants table and was looped into the proceedings through a Spanish translator. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant District Attorneys Joseph Yorlano and Amy Winston. Kevin Nieves and Douglas were found guilty of charges related to the shooting following a March jury trial. Prosecutors have alleged the incident was a joint venture among the four men. Nieves was convicted on multiple charges, including kidnapping with serious bodily injury while armed, and numerous counts of assault and battery. He was sentenced to up to 25 years in state prison. Douglas, who was acquitted of the most serious charges, was found guilty of misleading police and sentenced to four years in prison. China congratulates the Philippines on the smooth holding of the presidential election and also congratulates the leading candidates, a foreign ministry spokesperson said Tuesday. Produced by Xinhua Global Service In 1996: An Atlanta-bound ValuJet DC-9 caught fire shortly after takeoff from Miami and crashed into the Florida Everglades, killing all 110 people on board. PITTSFIELD The Pittsfield City Council voted unanimously Tuesday to back a community call to equip police officers with body cameras. The councils vote is largely symbolic, though. It does not settle policy questions that Pittsfield Police Chief Michael Wynn says have been standing between the department and body cameras. It did not appropriate funds to buy cameras or create an ordinance instructing the department on the level of privacy to afford residents when officers use the cameras. The vote encourages Mayor Linda Tyer and Wynn to tackle funding and policy issues and to show the depth of public support for the use of body cameras in Pittsfield. Where we disagree is policy issues and law issues and well work those things out, At large City Councilor Earl Persip III said. The vote to support body cameras, Persip said, is easy. This is a slam dunk, he said. This should be a 10-0 vote because all of the support for this has been at the podium. In the weeks since Pittsfield police officers shot and killed 22-year-old Miguel Estrella, residents have called for a systemic change to policing in the city. Family, friends and a concerned community want leaders to reform policing and how the city responds to people in mental health crises. Greater transparency and accountability in officers interactions with residents have been some of the loudest calls. A recent preliminary report by the police department clearing the officers who responded to Estrellas mental health crisis, and shot the young man, intensified these calls. Pittsfield residents say 'never again' should a mental health crisis end in a police shooting. Some think body cameras could be the solution Local attorney Rinaldo Del Gallo, who submitted the petition for body cameras to the City Council Tuesay, said "clearly body cameras are not a fix all or panacea," but argued that adding the technology to the police department would go a long way to "preserving truth." The policies and procedures are skewed and they need to be changed so that the policing works for our community, Tonya Frazier said ahead of the vote. Frazier, who worked with Estrella at Central Berkshire Habitat for Humanity, challenged the council to meet the communitys call for change. It feels like the solution is being left up to the community and it shouldnt be this way, Frazier said. We need action now, not after another person is wrongfully killed. The council voted to accept a report from the Ordinance and Rules subcommittee, which heard a petition from local attorney Rinaldo Del Gallo to equip Pittsfield police with body cameras. Last week the subcommittee in an unanimous vote of its own voted to adapt the petition to say that the City Council endorses the Pittsfield Police Dept. to obtain and implement body and dash cameras. One of the reasons we voted this 4-0 [in the subcommittee] was to get it moving and to get the council to go on record that we wanted the chief to do everything possible to get this going forward, At large Councilor Pete White said. The councils vote included an amendment from White that a letter be sent to the citys legislative delegation, Attorney General Maura Healey, Gov. Charlie Baker and the states Law Enforcement Body Camera Task Force. The letter would highlight legal questions Wynn has said complicate the use of body cameras. Wynn has said that while he supports body cameras and thinks theyre in the best interest of officers and the community, hes refrained from purchasing and requiring the technology because he feels its in violation of the states wiretapping statute. The chief has also said bringing body cameras to the department will likely require a renegotiation of labor contracts, as well as hiring staff to manage any redaction and maintenance the body camera video requires. Wynn has flagged the need for money to pay for the storage of videos. This is not going to be a quick fix, but its not going to take years, Wynn said. Councilors and residents say either way, getting a body camera on each police officer is a step in the right direction. Theres a lot of moving parts in this. Theres a lot of things going on, but I dont want to delay this, Ward 1 Councilor Ken Warren said. Warren drafted a proposed ordinance for body camera use and another for establishing boundaries for community surveillance based on models created by the American Civil Liberties Union of Massachusetts. Those ordinances will be discussed by the Ordinance and Rules subcommittee at its next meeting. Weve got to let the administration and the public know ... we support [body cameras], Warren said. I support it and I want us to move forward. The vote Tuesday evening came near the end of a four and a half hour long meeting. The audience was smaller than the dozens of people who filled the chambers last month to show their support for requiring officers to use body cameras. But residents who remained were no less passionate. The vote was celebrated with a round of applause from the handful of remaining residents. Jacquelyn Sykes was among those who returned to call on the council to take up the community-backed request for body cameras. Sykes reminded the council she had been there before. 'It was another female calling for help.' Girlfriend of a man fatally shot by Pittsfield police in 2017 sees similarities with Estrella killing When a Pittsfield police officer shot and killed Miguel Estrella in March, Jaqueline Sykes felt history had repeated itself. Nearly five years before, her boyfriend, Daniel Gillis, lost his life in an officer-involved shooting. Pittsfield police shot and killed Sykes boyfriend, Daniel Gillis, in September 2017. Officers had been called to the couples home to respond to the mental health crisis Gillis was experiencing. Officers shot and killed the 36-year-old man. An investigation by the Berkshire District Attorneys office at that time cleared the officers of wrongdoing. In the aftermath of Gillis death, Sykes came before the council and related subcommittee to support the creation of the Police Advisory and Review Board. She talked about the change she hoped the board would bring to the city. After that passed, I stopped coming to the meetings and that was clearly a mistake, Sykes told the council. When the community doesnt stay consistent, things just get brushed under the carpet. Sykes said she, Estrellas family and friends and a wealth of supporters are determined things will be different this time. I just want you guys to put yourself in our positions and understand the communitys coming together this time. Were not backing down and were gonna continue to come and put petitions forward, Sykes said. There are many changes that need to be made in this city and body cameras arent the end-all solution. PITTSFIELD Family was influential in Alla Zernitskaya taking up the violin at a young age. But it was a teacher who helped her bring artistry all the way home. When I was a kid, [my grandmother] would play classical records and tell me I should play the violin. So when I was 7, I was given one, said Zernitskaya. Zernitskaya began lessons in her native Russia. But something was missing, beyond learning the proper technique in getting those strings to sing. I had one teacher, I cant remember her name, who turned my attitude around about playing the violin. I learned to play from the heart, she said. For 29 years, Zernitskaya was that teacher in the Pittsfield Public Schools, inspiring young violists and other stringed instrument students to embrace a passion for the music they were making. Come June, she will retire as the stringed instrument teacher and orchestra director at Pittsfield High School and Herberg Middle School. Sadly, she will be missed, said a former student, Johan Serano, a junior at the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts in North Adams majoring in performing arts. My brother is in the [Pittsfield High] orchestra and he is only a freshman and wont get to experience her teachings any more. On Thursday, Zernitskaya will conduct an orchestra of about 40 musicians, featuring mostly Pittsfield High students, though joined by some from Herberg and a few PHS alumni. The concert begins at 6 p.m. at the Zion Lutheran Church on First Street next to The Common. COVID-19 protocols will be in place. Masks are required and attendance is limited to 150 people. Family members of the performers get priority seating, with the general public welcomed on a first-come, first-served basis. The hour-long concert will be Zernitskayas last for the schools. While not nervous, she says it will be a bittersweet farewell. Im trying to stay calm, but I know what Im doing and I know my kids are ready, as they know what I expect of them, she said. Pittsfield High junior violinist Geivins Dextra wants his teacher to go out with a flawless concert. Im a little bit nervous, but I think well do well, he said. Coming to America Zernitskaya was 32 when she, her husband, their two sons and parents emigrated from Minsk, Belarus, landing in eastern Massachusetts in 1989 before settling in the Berkshires in 1990. Her family was one of the first groups of refugee Jews from the former Soviet Union who came to Pittsfield with the help of the Jewish Federation of the Berkshires. Before emigrating, she worked as a violin instructor at the pre-college division for gifted students of the Belorussian State Conservatory. As a professional musician back in Minsk, I saw the need for establishing a good music program in public schools. My vision was to create a program where young musicians could thrive and explore their talents, she said. Zernitskaya is well-traveled, having participated in international workshops in Scotland, Austria, England, and throughout the U.S. Her first local music job was at the Berkshire Music School, where she taught part-time for 20 years. In order to bolster her income, she took a full-time job in the radiology department at Berkshire Medical Center. She also served as a faculty member at Simons Rock College of Bard in Great Barrington from 1990 to 1998. Zernitskayas gig in the public schools began in 1993 teaching four students at Pittsfield High, a number that would gradually grow. This year, she has 23. Over the years, she has been strict but caring of her students. A lot of them call me The Tough Russian, but they know I care and they appreciate what I want done, she said. Former Pittsfield High student Nathan Cracolici, who will be playing the viola with the orchestra Thursday, values what Zernitskaya has offered as a mentor. The standard and discipline she holds us to you cant find anywhere, especially in high school. She cares about the success of everyone she teaches, said Cracolici, 19, a sophomore at Manhattan College in New York City. Zernitskaya says she has been blessed to work with so many talented students. We have so much talent in the schools. I have three doing solos on Thursday, two violinists and one bass player, Joseph Weinberg, and hes going to Juilliard, she said. The success shes seen as a teacher would not have been possible, Zernitskaya says, if not for the dedication of students and their parents including a willingness to get to a 6:30 a.m. class. If the students arent dedicated, there is no reason to be in my classes. They enjoy playing together and I dont have to worry about discipling them. They are very respectful, she said. Dextra, the Pittsfield High junior, says he will miss Zernitskaya, who he calls my favorite teacher. She not only has taught me the violin, she has taught life lessons. She focused on what I needed to do and she focused on discipline which has helped me with my school work, he said. PITTSFIELD Verizon Wireless has filed a federal lawsuit in an effort to block an emergency order from the Pittsfield Board of Health requiring the company to come before the board to defend its cell tower at 877 South St. In a suit filed Tuesday in U.S. District Court of Massachusetts, the company asks the court to answer a federal question on the power of local boards and municipalities to regulate telecommunication companies over environmental and health concerns. Verizon is asking the court to weigh in on whether the Board of Healths order has violated the Telecommunications Act of 1996 a law that established how telecommunication companies could be regulated and compete with one another in a post-internet era. Since January 2021, the Board of Health has been working on a request from the City Council to investigate the health concerns that have been reported by residents that live near the cell tower. Residents living near the 4G cell tower have shown up to countless city meetings reporting that since the tower was turned on in August 2020, they have experienced headaches, dizziness, nausea, insomnia, skin rashes, palpitations, and tinnitus among other health problems. The Board of Health issued an emergency order on April 11 giving Verizon seven days to request a hearing to show why the Board of Health should not issue a cease-and-desist order to the company under the boards statutory and historical police power to protect its citizens from injury and harm. In the order, the board finds that the cell tower is a public nuisance and a cause of sickness that directly causes harm to certain individuals, and renders dwellings unfit for human habitation. Pittsfield Board of Health requests $84,000 for lawyers' help in pursuing cease-and-desist order against Verizon Wireless' use of South Street cell tower Attorneys hoping to represent the Pittsfield Board of Health estimate that preparation for a show cause hearing with Verizon would cost $12,000, negotiations with the company would cost another $12,000 and a potential court case would come in around $60,000 in fees. The board had planned to come before the City Council on Tuesday night to ask for funds to hire attorneys to back up the boards order. News of Verizons lawsuit halted council action on that request. Councilors held a lengthy executive session about the matter, but declined to comment afterward, citing pending litigation. In its lawsuit, Verizon argues that the boards order violates the Telecommunications Acts preemption clause. That clause says that no state or local government or instrumentality thereof may regulate that placement, construction, and modification of personal wireless service facilities on the basis of the purported environmental effects of radio frequency emissions as long as the facility is operating within the Federal Communications Commissions regulations on those emissions. Health effects, Verizon argues, are included within the scope of environmental effects. The company maintains that it is operating well within the FCCs standards for radio frequency (RF) emissions. Verizon attorneys also attached the April 19 response the company sent to the board after it received the emergency order. There has been no credible evidence provided to the board to support the view that RF emission in the range permitted by the FCC have negative health effects in humans generally or that they have the issues alleged by certain residents of the city, the response states. The company claims that the science on the safety of radio frequency emissions is settled and theres no health risk from wireless devices and networks. The board heartily disagrees in its emergency order, saying it has over 11,000 pages of evidence of studies, reports, and scientific and medical experts opinion about the dangers to human health and the environment cause by exposure to wireless radiation. 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. NORTH ADAMS Victoria Guntlow called police in April 2021 asking why emergency vehicles were near her house, a lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court in Springfield alleges. Police came to her home and arrested her, breaking her arm in the process. Several months later, she drowned in a bathtub in her yard while trying to soothe an injury linked to her arrest, the complaint says. A representative of Guntlows estate filed the civil rights lawsuit May 3 naming the city and four of its police officers Preston Kelly, Dana Clement, Matthew Meranti, and David Sherman as defendants. The action, filed by Pauline Guntlow, seeks $600,000. Both Pauline Guntlow and her attorney, Luke Ryan, declined to comment Tuesday on the lawsuit. Mayor Jennifer Macksey did not immediately return a request for comment late Tuesday afternoon. Chief of Police Jason Wood said in a text that he had just learned of the suit and needed to review it. Sherman and Kelly did not immediately return calls seeking comment. The Eagle could not locate contact information for Clement and Meranti. The suit claims the officers subjected Guntlow to false arrest and engaged in unlawful entry, trespassing, excessive force and malicious prosecution. The complaint accuses Kelly and Sherman of excessive force and assault and battery. It accuses the city of not taking action after previous allegations of its police officers using excessive force and violating civil rights. In April 2021, Victoria Guntlow was worried when she saw emergency vehicles near her house because there had been a recent homicide. She called 911 and the police non-emergency number to ask for information but did not receive any, the complaint says. All four officers named in the lawsuit did a well-being check on Victoria Guntlow after determining that she had made unnecessary use of 911. She had called 911 about three times and the non-emergency number about 10 times, according to a police report from that date. Dispatchers told North Adams police Guntlow seemed to be intoxicated and made multiple threats towards law enforcement, the police report says. Guntlow had said if officers came to her house she would resist their efforts to enter, the report reads. The police report also says Guntlow had been in protective custody before, was known to be a heavy drinker and had a past of suicidal ideations that added to the concern. Both the lawsuit and police report say Victoria Guntlow did not answer the door and police kicked it down. The lawsuit says Guntlow made it clear to the dispatcher that the police were not welcome in her home. It claims that without a warrant, permission to enter, or an emergency, their entry was unlawful. Guntlow was on the second floor of the house when police entered. Kelly and Sherman went upstairs, where Guntlow told them she needed a minute and walked toward her bedroom, both the police report and lawsuit complaint say. Police then grabbed her and threw her to the ground and she broke her arm, the lawsuit says. The police report says that due to the circumstances that Guntlow may arm herself to resist officers ... Sgt. Kelly and Det. Sherman grabbed onto Guntlow, and assisted her to the ground and handcuffed her. She was booked at the police station. After complaining of shoulder pain, an EMS crew took her for treatment, both documents agree. Police then filed charges against her for allegedly making a false report to public safety dispatch and for disturbing the peace, according to the complaint. A clerk magistrate at the North Adams District Court did not find probable cause she committed a crime and did not issue a complaint, according to the lawsuit. The complaint argues that police pursued charges for the ulterior or illegitimate purpose of protecting themselves from liability for the injuries they caused. The lawsuit also implicates the city, claiming it failed to take action after previous allegations of excessive force and civil rights violations, citing examples such as a lawsuit filed several years ago by Ronald Thomas, who said he was beaten by police during a 2016 arrest. That lawsuit is still ongoing, according to court filings. WILLIAMSTOWN Huff Templeton is running for the state Senate seat held by state Sen. Adams Hinds, who is running for lieutenant governor of the Bay State. State Rep. Paul Mark, D-Peru, is also running for Hinds seat. Templeton says he doesnt have anything against either one of them, but felt like the time was right to give Senate service a try. Quote "People who work in town should be able to live in town. Huff Templeton, candidate for state Senate I think Adam Hinds has done a great job, he said. But hes got other priorities right now. Templeton will face off against Mark during the states Democratic primary Sept. 6. Templeton has worked as a small business manager in different settings and as a community activist in Williamstown. He served on the former Williamstown Elementary School Committee for about a year in 2010. At the time, he tried to help the school overcome a challenge in meeting state-mandated standards for students with special needs. He serves on the Williamstown Comprehensive Plan Steering Committee and believes the town faces a lack of truly affordable housing in town. When Im talking to people who have two jobs and putting up with rent hikes, people are feeling the effects of that all the time, Templeton said. Its problematic. People who work in town should be able to live in town. One issue that should be at the top of everyones list is a ruling that could overturn Roe v. Wade. We need to mobilize locally to oppose overturning Roe, Templeton said. Its time for all-hands-on-deck. We need to protect the right to abortion, and make sure that in any case, Massachusetts should be a safe haven for those seeking the medical procedure. On other issues, he said the state should step in to favor outdoor growing of marijuana, because cultivation indoors is more intensive and expensive. It would increase revenue to the towns, and it would increase the supply for local stores. It shouldnt be up to the towns to solve this problem, Templeton said. Western Mass. could take advantage of this opportunity. The state should step in. As for solar power, Templeton said that there should be a way to set up solar panels without clear-cutting trees to make the room. But solar panels should not be mandated, rather solar energy should be incentivized, he added. Solar power is certainly part of the equation, Templeton said. And he doesnt have a high opinion of Gov. Charlie Baker administration. Having a Republican in the corner office waters down the progressive streak in Massachusetts, he said. I think we need a Democrat in the corner office. Advocates for ideas and draws conclusions based on the interpretation of facts and data. As Tip ONeill noted, all politics is local and in our town offices and city halls, so is the maintenance of democracy itself. Thats not just a principle but a process and, for some, a profession. Regional leaders are sounding the alarm, though, that those folks who make up the vital infrastructure of municipal public service are getting harder to find. Your town hall may have been there for a century. But who's still working inside? According to municipal leaders from around the Berkshires and the state, it seems the supply of trained, experienced town professionals is running mighty low. 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 to hire another. In fact, its becoming a crisis, according to Carl McKinney, town administrator in Clarksburg, where losing three town employees led to a struggle to staff up that has stretched on for more than a year. This small Northern Berkshire town is far from alone in this struggle just ask Mr. McKinneys counterparts in Great Barrington, North Adams, Pittsfield and Stockbridge. Its bad enough that Mr. McKinney wrote the governor about it, asking for help on behalf of communities like his where providing quality services to residents is only going to get harder as the municipal professional pipeline remains at an insufficient trickle. We echo this worried town administrators call for the state to do more to prime the pump for the next generation of municipal employees before this crisis worsens. Also in agreement is the Massachusetts Municipal Association, which runs programs to equip those prospective workers with unique skills and training necessary for those specialized positions. We need to be building a stronger bench of people who are able to step in when older workers retire, MMA Executive Director Geoff Beckwith told The Eagle. All sorts of communities are looking for the right people, often competing with each other. State grant will allow Adams, North Adams and Williamstown to share a human resources director Using state grant funding, Adams, North Adams and Williamstown are joining together to try out a plan to share one human resources director to handle employee relations for all three municipalities. That competition is an unfortunate inevitability amid the ubiquitous scramble to fill seats in critical town offices. One solution that we have frequently urged on this page is to turn that competition into a chance for cooperation by exploring shared services whenever possible. The right approach to regionalization is unique to each community, but embracing that Berkshire-grown neighborly instinct opens up many opportunities to continue providing high-quality public services while cushioning the budgetary blow and easing the municipal hiring squeeze all at once. Were happy to see Adams, North Adams and Williamstown exploring just such an arrangement for sharing a human resources director, and hope other communities see the wisdom in such approaches and follow their lead. Beyond policy measures, though, we cant help but notice an acrimonious trend in the public meeting spaces of all too many Berkshire communities. There is spirited debate and disagreement on pressing issues and then there is naked disrespect, unproductive divisiveness and unnecessarily turning up the temperature on already heated topics. That is poisonous enough on its own, but it further hobbles small towns struggling to attract, hire and retain municipal employees and officials. Just imagine those considering public service roles, only to see the kind of vitriol that all too many folks are happy to level at their neighbors. Its not surprising that people arent lining up in droves for a seat in a municipal office and a target on the back for that treatment. In fact, it seems to be driving many officials away, even to the point of tapping out before their terms of service are up a move weve strongly discouraged on this page that only multiplies these municipal issues. A raft of ugly factors sharp polarization at every level of our politics, residual pandemic stress, the toxic tendrils of social media are converging to make all of this far too difficult. But while we have diminished control over what drips down from D.C. and Beacon Hill, we have a much stronger voice in our town offices and city halls and therefore a more direct responsibility in the maintenance of participatory democracy. Here in the Berkshires, we are fortunate to draw from a uniquely Rockwellian strain of that proud New England tradition. Our civic behavior ought to better reflect that. We hope more people see the benefits of public service in these vital municipal roles. Perhaps more importantly, we hope officials and civilians alike remember to approach that civic sphere in such a way that might encourage folks to enter those roles instead of discouraging them. Seeing a rise in support across Massachusetts, proponents of a bill to legalize medical aid in dying are hopeful that this is the year they will see a vote in the Legislature. SANTIAGO, May 10 (Xinhua) -- A 6.8-magnitude earthquake hit northern Chile's Antofagasta region at 7:06 p.m. local time (2306 GMT) Tuesday, with no reports of casualties or material damage so far, according to the National Seismological Center of the University of Chile. The quake's epicenter was 70 km east of the town of Socaire, over 1,600 km north of the country's capital Santiago, with a depth of 248 km. Surrounding regions felt the quake at varied intensities. In a Twitter post, the Interior Ministry's National Emergency Office ruled out the possibility of a tsunami along the Chilean coast. Located on the so-called Pacific Ring of Fire, Chile is considered as one of the most seismic countries on the planet. UNITED NATIONS, May 11 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese envoy on Wednesday warned against attempts to impose more sanctions on the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK). Dialogue and consultation is the only correct way to resolve the Korean Peninsula issue. The United States is a direct party to the issue and holds the key to breaking the deadlock. As such, it should take concrete actions to respond positively to the reasonable concerns of the DPRK and create conditions for an early resumption of dialogue, said Zhang Jun, China's permanent representative to the United Nations. Although the U.S. side claims to be willing to engage in unconditional dialogue, when it comes to actions, it is continuing to tighten sanctions and exert pressure. This is clearly not constructive, he told the Security Council. "The new draft resolution proposed by the United States, evoking Chapter VII of the UN Charter, is centered on furthering sanctions, which is not an appropriate way to address the current situation on the peninsula." The Security Council, over the years, has adopted numerous resolutions on the issue, which, while authorizing sanctions, have also stressed the need for a peaceful, political, and diplomatic solution to the nuclear issue on the Korean Peninsula. All these deserve equal attention, said Zhang. "Sanctions are but a means to an end, and should always serve the overall goal of political settlement. Equating sanctions to or replacing diplomatic efforts is completely putting the cart before the horse, and will not achieve the desired result," he said. "Despite the fact that sanctions have already had a negative humanitarian impact and collateral damage to other countries, the countries concerned are still in total denial, which is inconsistent with the conclusions of various international humanitarian agencies and the 1718 (DPRK Sanctions) Committee's panel of experts." In response to the latest situation, China and a number of Security Council members have all put forward reasonable proposals to explore ways to take strong actions and promote the political solution to the Korean Peninsula issue, in a way that best garners the consensus of council members. The draft resolution tabled by China and Russia is for this very purpose. Regrettably, the United States, which is the penholder of the DPRK non-proliferation issue, has turned a blind eye to the reasonable proposals of China and other relevant council members, and remains enamored superstitiously with the magic power of sanctions, said Zhang. "We believe that if the United States changes its negative attitude, it is possible for council members to reach a consensus. We hope that the council members will give serious consideration to the joint China-Russia draft resolution," he said. It is one of the most important areas of our relationship with God, and yet it is often one of the most neglected. Prayer is a precious gift in that we have direct access to the Lord. Imagine your favorite athletes, a well-known singer, or even the Queen of England giving you their personal phone number. Pretend that they said, Call me anytime you want to talk or have a question. You have been given an all-access pass to your favorite person who before was unreachable. In a much grander way, the God of the universe has essentially given us His spiritual phone number. Because Jesus came and died for us and rose, we do not have to go through a priest anymore to get to God. When Jesus ascended, He sent the Holy Spirit to all who believe in Him. God is with us, and we can always communicate with Him. This is a great gift, but often overlooked. Today, we are going to cover 7 ways to improve our prayer lives. It takes 21 days (or 3 weeks) to form a habit. Try to set the goal to carve out specific time each day to have focused prayer. You could start small at 5 minutes or longer like 30 minutes or an hour. We never want to make our faith a check-list, however we do want to create spiritual disciplines and this takes decision making and intentionality. One of my personal favorite prayer apps is VOM (Voice of the Martyrs). Each day, the app gives you a country in the world to pray for. It tells you about specific prayer needs of believers living there, as well as interesting facts and statistics about the country. I love this because it has helped me to pray missionally. We may not all be able to go to these countries, in fact, many of them are closed. However, we can be made aware of their needs and help fulfill the Great Commission by praying for them. The Lord hears our cries and He cares for all people in every nation. One day in Heaven, we will be with every tribe and tongue. We might as well begin to get familiar with other cultures and pray for their needs. This grows our hearts and helps us to see a fuller picture of how God is working around the world. A prayer app is also helpful because it will send you a daily reminder to pray. This keeps you accountable and active in your prayer life. It is a sacrifice of time, but joining together with other believers in prayer is nothing short of powerful. Whether it be through your church, a ministry, a group of colleagues, or even just one other friend whom you pray with, this makes a difference. Some of the most amazing moments are when we still ourselves before the Lord, praise him with others, and present our request to Him. Many times we can be our own barrier when it comes to prayer. We feel like we have to be perfectly holy in life and eloquent with our words. However, prayer is simply talking with God. Yes, if there is sin in our lives, we should confess that, and yes we should be respectful to the Lord, but He has called us friends (John 15:15). He is our loving Father (John 15:9), and we can be ourselves and honest with Him. He already knows our hearts. There are many helpful ways to pray, but there is only one model prayer in the Bible, The Lords Prayer. Jesus taught us to pray. We are welcome to model that, but we can also remember that we are told to pray without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:16) and to pray in private, not making ourselves puffed up in public (Matthew 6:6). Ultimately, we can talk to God at any time of the day. We do not have to be in a certain posture. We do not have to use specific words. We just come before Him and talk. I know people who love to journal. I am not as much of a journal person, however, I do appreciate bullet points and ways to see how the Lord answers prayers. There is something special about writing down what is going on in your life and how God is teaching you in a specific season. Something I have loved is writing down my prayer focuses for the month and then not having to write every day, but just praying over what I wrote at the beginning of the month. Then, I write down as the Lord answers prayers, especially at the end of that month. This helps keep a focus. However, if you want to write out every detail or love writing your daily prayers down, then go for it! Everyone is different. Documenting is a gift to look back at Gods faithfulness. Sin is a topic that we normally like to avoid. We are forgiven and redeemed, but we are all still a work in progress. Our sin can easily become insignificant in our minds because of the great grace which we have experienced. When we ignore our sin, we miss out on the fullness of the Christian walk. Learning to be humble and admit sin against the Lord reveals a heart of repentance. It grows us in our understanding of the depth of our sins that put Jesus own the cross. It helps us to desire change and ask the Holy Spirit for help. Confession is healing for the soul. It is a gift to be able to apologize for our wayward decisions and thoughts. We stand forgiven and appreciate the beautiful grace and mercy from God. There are many great Christian resources out there that can help guide us in our prayer lives. Consider using a tool like this to spark your excitement to pray. We can glean from the prayer lives of others and learn from ways that they like to communicate with God. Check out This List of Christian Books on Prayer for more ideas. More from this author 4 Beautiful Purposes the Bible Has for Moms Jesus Is Calling You to Your Own Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and to the Ends of the Earth 2 Important Lessons from Jesus and the Fig Tree Photo credit: Getty Images/vadimguzhva Emma Danzeys mission in life stems from Ephesians 3:20-21, inspiring young women to embrace the extraordinary. One of her greatest joys is to journey with the Lord in His Scriptures. She is wife to Drew and they have been married for over a year. Drew and Emma serve with Upstate CRU college ministry in South Carolina. Emma is an avid writer for Salem Web Network and provides articles on the Bible, life questions, and on the Christian lifestyle. Her article on Interracial Marriage was the number 1 viewed article on Crosswalk for the year 2021. All the glory to the Lord! She has the joy of being the host of Her Many Hats podcast where she explores the many roles that women play while serving One God. The hymn Amazing Grace was written 250 years ago and has yet to lose relevance to listeners in every generation since. It continues to touch hearts and resonate with the experience of one who has found salvation and new life in Christ Jesus. The word grace, in the original Greek, is charis, which means undeserved favor or merit. Certainly, believers can relate to the undeserved favor the grace that God has generously given to those who have put their faith in Him. John Newton, the writer of this song, has a powerful testimony of coming to faith. The song was born out of his profound transformation from encountering the Gospel and saving grace of Jesus. Who Wrote Amazing Grace? John Newton wrote the song, Amazing Grace, in the year 1772, and it slowly began to gain attention and popularity. When one hears this hymn, it becomes clear that the author was deeply impacted by the grace of God. Though he felt wretched, he was still able to experience the saving grace of God. Though he was lost, God found him and saved him. Though he was blind, his eyes were opened to his sin and need for Jesus in his life. Perhaps you have heard this hymn, or read the lyrics, and can relate in many ways to the sweetness of experiencing Gods grace in your own life. What Do We Know about John Newton? John Newton was 47 years old when he wrote the song, Amazing Grace. Like his father, he took a career sailing the seas. He spent his earlier years on the seas of the African coast, searching for slaves to capture and sell for a profit. Before his salvation experience that eventually led him to write Amazing Grace, he was a captain of slave ships, invested in the slave industry, and was a slave owner. He eventually became an ordained minister and abolitionist. The story of John Newtons powerful change came during a storm on the sea that could have led to the loss of him and his crew. According to history, John Newton prayed during this fierce storm that God would save them, and they went on to survive this storm. A few years later, Newton gave up his hand in the slave trade industry. It took time, but God pruned John Newton and helped him live a life that was instead honoring and glorifying to God. He then studied the Bible and theology, and became a minister in 1754. John Newtons story is one of profound transformation and deliverance. It is clear that his radical change resulted in the formation of this hymn. Its words are very relatable for many believers who know what it is to be delivered from a life of wickedness into a life of righteousness lived for God. 6 Biblical Connections in the Lyrics of Amazing Grace The phrase amazing grace is not found in Scripture, however, it does accurately describe the impressive and astonishing grace that God gives. This beautiful song that has touched the hearts of countless people contains many biblical references and connections that contribute to the glory it gives to God. 1. That saved a wretch like me In Romans 7:24, the apostle Paul used the phrase wretched man to describe himself, just as John Newton described himself in Amazing Grace. Jesus went to the cross even while we were still sinners, and in His great love for us, paid our debt of sin and death so that we could have life everlasting. We could not earn our salvation, it is freely given and saves any and all who come to love the Lord. 2. I once was lost, but now am found Jesus said in Luke 19:10 that He came to seek and save those who are lost. John Newton wrote about his understanding of being lost to sin and death, but then being found by Jesus. Those who come to know Jesus as their Lord and Savior likely relate to this idea of being lost in the world without God, and feeling found when they finally give their lives and hearts to Jesus. 3. Was blind, but now I see There are many references throughout Scripture that talk about spiritual blindness to the truth of God and who Jesus is as our Savior. Psalm 146:8 declares that the Lord opens the eyes of the blind. Indeed, we are all blind until we come to know Jesus as Lord of all. 4. How precious did that Grace appear / The hour I first believed In the book of Titus, we find a verse that is very similar to this lyric in the song, which says, For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people. Like the hymn states, grace appeared, making it possible for the author of the hymn to believe. The gift of grace is truly powerful and God desires for all to come to believe in Him. 5. Through many dangers, toils and snares / We have already come / T'was Grace that brought us safe thus far This part of the song acknowledges the reality that we will endure struggles and trials in this life. Even the author of the book of Hebrews compares having faith to the endurance of running a race (see Hebrews 12:1). Isaiah 53:2 assures us that God will see His beloved children through and be with them no matter what they face. The song echoes this same confident faith in a God who is with us through the challenges and will deliver us. 6. And Grace will lead us home This lyric in the song does not imply that we will make it to our earthly homes, but rather, the author of the song is equating home with heaven. As believers, we are citizens of heaven not earth (see Philippians 3:20). Gods grace will get us through this life, persisting through all the ups and downs, to keep us strong in faith so that we will inherit eternal life with God in heaven. Titus 3:7 gives the bold declaration that the grace of God made us right in His sight and gives us the confidence that we will inherit eternal life. Truly, as the hymn goes, Gods grace will lead us home. A Prayer Thanking God for His "Amazing Grace" Loving God, I come to you with a thankful heart and a worshipful heart, acknowledging that you are Lord of all. You are good and faithful. I can keep my trust in you no matter what. I thank you for your grace. Your grace that has saved me. Your grace helps me through life to keep my faith and hope in you. I could not even imagine where I would be, who I would be, or what I would be doing without your gift of grace. I cannot boast of myself, I can only boast of your grace and how blessed I am to receive it. I praise you for saving a wretch like me, for opening my eyes to my need for you, and for helping me find my way to you. I love you, Lord, and thank you for your amazing grace. Amen. The song Amazing Grace is aligned with Scripture and powerfully declares the wonder of Gods grace. The author, John Newton, wrote this song in response to the way that Gods grace impacted and changed him in such big ways, turning his life from wretchedness to righteousness. Each believer has a salvation story that includes Gods grace. Perhaps listening to this song or reading the lyrics reminds you of the ways Gods grace has touched your heart and life. What a good and gracious God we serve! Related articles Faithful Promises for Modern Singers of a Beloved Hymn 3 Truths from the Hymn "Come Thou Fount" to Renew Your Wonder 5 Unexpected Ways Grace Looks Amazing on You Photo credit: Getty Images/Sonja Filitz Pamela Palmer is a writer, chaplain, and the founder of upheldlife.com, the platform on which she produces weekly devotionals and faith resource articles to inspire keeping faith at the center of it all. She lives and thrives on Jesus, coffee, and music. She is in pastoral ministry and gets to share in the emotional and spiritual lives of many people, being a small piece of each journey. Pamela married the perfect man for her and they have two beautiful kiddos. She has been published on herviewfromhome.com and you can follow her at upheldlife.com, or on Facebook.com/upheldlife. GREENBELT, Md. (AP) A Florida man has pleaded guilty in connection with the theft of more than 2,600 checks intended for religious institutions in several states that were deposited into fake bank accounts, a federal prosecutor in Maryland said. Florin Vaduva, 31, of Dania Beach, Florida, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bank fraud and wire fraud. The plea agreement orders Vaduva to pay at least $1 million restitution, U.S. Attorney Erek L. Barron announced Tuesday in a news release. Plus, Bill's Message of the day, America is STILL the land of opportunity. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices KYAN Therapeutics uses small data AI in a proprietary phenotypic drug sensitivity assay to guide patient treatment for cancer patients with high and unmet needs KYAN Therapeutics (a Delaware Corporation headquartered in Singapore) teams up with Curie Oncology to offer its novel and innovative approach to truly personalized cancer treatments. The partnership will start with the launch of clinical studies employing KYAN Therapeutics proprietary Quadratic Phenotypic Optimization Platform (QPOP) for patients suffering from Colorectal and Gastric cancers. This initiative aims to further generate data toward offering QPOP as clinical decision support in cancer care. KYAN Therapeutics plans to launch its commercial assay in Singapore by the end of 2022. Traditional standard of care for cancer is to treat the condition instead of the patient even though each patients cancer is unique. Only around 25% of cancer patients benefit from this one-size fits all therapy. Most cancer patients still suffer from the lack of effectiveness, requiring multiple lines of treatment, and toxicity causes many adverse events. For some cancer types, response rates are dismal by the third line and clinicians struggle with the lack of guidelines and clinical data, leaving patients with little to no options. "Curie Oncology will collaborate with Kyan Therapeutics to identify patients suitable for this new technology through clinical research. This is the type of technology that we want to identify to help advance cancer care for our patients," remarks Dr Toh Chee Keong. Image caption- From left to right: Dr Toh Chee Keong (Curie Oncology), Hugo Saavedra (KYAN CEO), Masturah Rashid (KYAN Head of R&D) and Bo Hong Tay (Curie Oncology) The company intends to double the current network of 105 hospitals to over 200 hospitals in the next three to four years Chennai-based Dr Agarwals Health Care has closed a landmark fundraise of Rs 1,050 crore from TPG Growth, the middle market and growth equity platform of alternative US-based asset firm Texas Pacific and existing investor Temasek, a global investment company headquartered in Singapore. The investment round, which is Indias largest fundraising in the eyecare space, will also provide significant capital to fuel the companys expansion plans and pave the way for an exit for the existing investor, ADV Partners. Prof (Dr) Amar Agarwal, Chairman, Dr Agarwals Group of Eye Hospitals: The new investments will be used to expand our Indian and international footprint and deploy the latest technologies for super-speciality eye care. Dr Agarwals Group of Eye Hospitals plans to deploy capital to expand the current network of 105 hospitals to over 200 hospitals in the next three to four years. The company notched revenue of over Rs 700 crores in FY22. Dr Adil Agarwal, CEO, Dr Agarwals Group of Eye Hospitals said, The new investments will enable us to double our network in the next three years and we will be pursuing acquisitions in key markets such as Maharashtra, Gujarat, Punjab, Karnataka, AP, Telangana, etc. as well as a rapid greenfield expansion of our network across the country. Africa is another important geography for us where we have an existing network presence of 15 hospitals. We will be deepening our presence in countries such as Kenya, Mozambique, Tanzania, and Ghana. This week we go behind the selfie of Belinda Murray, owner of The Bill Murray, a company based in Cape Town, South Africa working collaboratively with clients across the globe. Belinda Murray, owner of The Bill Murray Could you briefly explain what your role entails? Whats really behind your selfie? Growing up, what did you want to be? How did you end up in the industry? When you founded The Bill Murray, what did you hope to achieve? What has the journey been like? What excites you most about your career? What has been the highlight of your career? When you're not busy working, what do you do? How do you socialise these days? What are you watching/reading/listening to at the moment? What does 2022 have in store for you? I am the owner of The Bill Murray Pty Ltd we hustle hard so its a juggle between process consulting within the marketing and advertising space then creative outsourcing. Basically, we help businesses streamline their internal process and then on the other side I love connecting talent with clients both locally and internationally, keeping Saffas in jobs.What you see is what you get! Im zero bullsh*t. I love working with and for amazing people first and foremost. Authenticity is my mantra. Collaboration brings me joy and luckily I have been working with Alice Jakins on the process side of things and she has been instrumental in progressing the business and pushing my presentation fears to their limit. I love working with like-mindedness so between her and Dee Lombard we are a fiercely female fun factory. Our meme game is strong.I was torn between being an actress and then a chef, but then when I was about 14, I decided advertising was for me - and it's never left me.I wasnt fortunate enough to be able to afford to go to a fancy ad school, so I worked my way up as a receptionist in a print factory and that way I met production managers in ad agencies and wormed my way eventually into the agency life.My mentor Jon Drake was head of print production back in the day. He was exactly that, a mentor who literally taught me everything about work ethic, the love of creative and how to bring it to life. He was incredible!From there I learnt all about art buying, then traffic for my sins. Post traffic; I loved learning about what makes the whole machine tick. My final stint in the full-time employment of advertising was in operations. Then seven years ago I started The Bill Murray Pty Ltd and have never looked back!My goals were very simple. A more balanced life. Putting my family first. To rather be poor than work with horrible humans. To help as many people find work as possible and to help businesses see the value of a simple streamlined processes.Its been absolutely incredible. The best rollercoaster of my life, and it doesnt end. Ive worked smarter and harder than ever before.I have had months when I thought I wouldnt be able to pay my bills. I have been able to walk away from work I felt didnt fit my values. Ive been able to be present for my family. I have found a lot of work for a lot of talented people.Collaborating with Alice and Dee has been a game-changer for my business too. Its not slowing down, it just gets more and more interesting, and the learnings have kept my brain young and fresh.Working with and for incredible brains. I find it so exciting!I love finding like-minded humans who are passionate, positive and have the will to work and to see change come alive. I love being able to work anywhere in the world and for people all over the world. Im a proud and passionate lover of South Africa but being exposed international brings me joy and pride for what SA delivers.Alice and I enjoyed bouncing ideas of each other weekly. Challenges with our businesses, or with clients or with systems. We had a ritual of doing Mountain Meetings to discuss all of this. Then Covid-19 struck and Alice and I were forced into a world of daily Zoom meetings - learning new tricks and tools.We invested that time in growing our minds and helping other businesses out there with our time. Albeit, Covid was a highlight for us it opened doors for us and made us brave and non-complacent. I treat each month as an exciting challenge.I make money so that I can build memories and adventures for my family. I love finding new places in the Western Cape to do weekends away. I love the mountains deeply and getting away from the city to breathe the mountain air is my joy. Laugh, eat, drink, walk - and step and repeat!Music of all genres is my vibe. Love, love, love music! From Mac Miller to Edith Piaf. I dont read a lot, to be honest. It takes me about three months to get through a book. Netflix is my vice.Lots of delayed travel, which is beyond exciting. But alongside that my goal is to try and have another great year like 2021. I find that having a big ass goal is great, but with how the last couple of years have been, I think just keeping focused, positive, and sending out that message. I believe very strongly in what you put out will come back to you.2022 safety belt is on, Im ready for you! LAGOS, May 11 (Xinhua) -- An official of the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) called on Wednesday for improving girls' access to education in northern Nigeria, where there are a large number of out-of-school girls. Speaking to reporters in Kano, a northern city of Nigeria, Rahama Farah, a UNICEF officer based in Nigeria, said there are currently 18.5 million out-of-school children in Nigeria, with about 60 percent of them being girls. "Most importantly, you will need to know that most of these out-of-school children are actually from northern Nigeria," Farah said, adding there are barriers that affect girls' education. "This situation heightens gender inequity, where only one in four girls from poor, rural families completes junior secondary school education," he added. Gunmen attacks on schools recently in parts of the most populous African country have worsened the situation of girls' education, as these attacks had created an insecure learning environment, discouraging parents and caregivers from sending their children to schools, according to the UNICEF officer. He said about 1.4 million girls are having access to education in the northern part of Nigeria in recent years because of an intervention project led by the Fund, but much is still needed to be done to improve girls' access to education in north Nigeria. Media Host is solidifying its leadership in the fields of marketing, advertising workflow, distribution solutions, and broadcast monitoring, with the acquisition of Professional Evaluation and Research (Pear), and plans to expand the group across Africa. Shanaaz Nel, founder and CEO of Pear African expansion South African marketing technology solutions provider Media Host acquired Pear, a female Black-owned media monitoring and research company in South Africa.Pear, alongside Adlytics and Adstream, now operates as a subsidiary of the Media Host group, with Pear founder and CEO Shanaaz Nel taking the reins as group CEO. Mike Smit, founder and former managing director of Media Host, will serve on the board and move into the role of chief strategy officer of the group.The acquisition builds a strong, integrated entity delivering end-to-end logistics and content distribution services, with a host of advanced research and analytical tools to increase brands knowledge and presence across the media landscape.Smit says Media Host is now uniquely positioned to deliver on marketing needs in a changing landscape. The pandemic seemed to accelerate acceptance of technology and demand for automation and data-driven advertising strategy. We will see automation taking over completely, and future decisions will be made on data. Now, advertisers are targeting individuals instead of demographics, he says.The increasingly fractured media landscape and the emergence of new mediums and workflows is forcing brands and agency owners to seek highly specific skill sets with the expertise and experience to manage the risks of this new way of work. Media Host sits at the intersection of these new dynamics, providing the tech and expertise to build the central nervous system that every successful modern agency needs: an effective and efficient central traffic management platform, combined with a revolutionary dashboard to track compliance and provide competitor insights. These are exciting times for the sector, and my focus now is to strategically grow this business into a serious player across the continent.Nel believes for Pear, this new chapter presents an opportunity to expand its reach and further enhance the advanced systems the company has been developing over the past 14 years.We have big plans. We want to expand into Africa, taking a consistent holistic proposition to market and exposing broadcasting in Africa to the whole world, says Nel.Dr Jaco Pienaar, Media Host chief communications officer and former chief knowledge officer of Pear has seen the entity grow from 10 people 14 years ago, to a group comprising around 160 staff members nationally.Over the years, we have seen a lot of change in the industry and the group has adapted to meet evolving needs, he says.While automation and analytics are key for our clients, we also see a growing need for expert consulting partners who have a deep understanding of the environment and can guide them on a strategic path. Clients are also shifting from multiple contracts to consolidated service contracts, and we are now perfectly positioned to serve as a one-stop shop offering services across the board. At the same time, Africa is booming and theres an influx of global companies wanting to understand the continent. We are ideally positioned to help them do so.Nel says Media Hosts comprehensive, data-focused offering will position the group for strong growth in the years to come. As the CEO of the first Black woman-owned media monitoring company in South Africa, and now CEO of a group of companies that is growing exponentially, my passion is for organisation and developing people. As the company grows across the continent, my focus will be to build our capacity to deliver on the big picture, she says. Savanna Premium Cider has always prided itself on being one of the most innovative brands in SA. Its latest product innovation, the deliciously crisp and dry Savanna Chilled Chilli with hints of chilli and ginger, is currently taking South African taste buds and timelines by storm. But the innovation doesn't stop there, as Savanna now takes a bold step into the tech and digital AI space and unleashes Gugu, a spicy new voice assistant, on the Savanna cider lovers of South Ahh. Developed for Savanna by Chakalaka Norris, the charismatic spokesperson for Chilled Chilli, Gugu is like Alexa, if Alexa was a certified member of Black Twitter, hella spicy.But what does Gugu actually do? Well, if you ask her, she can do anything that any other AI can do, except, she wont because she simply refuses to solve peoples problems for them. Unless that problem is needing a Savanna Chilled Chilli, then for some reason, if you just ask nicely, shes happy to put you in touch with that spicy game.Gugu is inspired and born from the spiciest personality traits found in South Africans Siyavanna SA! She is both a spicy encounter and a reward with a spicy but chilled drink. Another great example of how Savanna is constantly breaking the innovation mould to amuse and uplift South Africans through humour," says Eugene Lenford, marketing manager, Savanna Cider. "We look forward to entertaining our fans and with Gugus unique outlook on life she might teach us all a thing or two."Visit gugu.savanna.co.za from Friday, 6 May for an up-close and personal experience of the deliciously Siyavanna spiciness. Ask her anything you want, but be warned you better be ready for how shell come at you.#AskGugu #SpicyButChilled #SiyavannaSouthAfrica #StaySafeSavanna promotes responsible drinking. Not for persons under 18.For more information, follow Savannas social media channels or go to www.savannacider.com Instagram: @savannaciderFacebook: @SavannaCiderTwitter: @SavannaCiderYouTube: SavannaCiderNow at all major liquor outlets, the new Savanna Chilled Chilli is available in a 330ml bottle. Best served chilled, it delivers the crisp, dry premium cider experience that you know and love, with hints of chilli and ginger. Easily identifiable with a hint of red on the bottle and with an alcohol percentage of 5.5%, Savanna Chilled Chilli is the hottest new accessory in stores, bars and taverns across SA.Savanna is a premium, crisp apple cider with a distinctive dry taste. It is one of the largest cider brands in the world and is available in over 60 countries. Since its launch in 1996, Savanna Premium Cider has won the hearts and tickled the funny bones of consumers with its intelligent, dry and witty sense of humour. The Gauteng Online Admissions for Grade 1 and 8 for the 2023 academic year will officially commence on 22 July 2022 and will close on 19 August 2022. Important documents to submit Parent and child ID or passport Refugee permit Asylum seeker permit Permanent residence permit Study permit South African birth certificate Proof of home address Proof of work address Latest school report and clinic card/immunisation report (Grade 1 only) Schools of Specialisation Admission regulations Home address within feeder zone Siblings Work address Within 30km Radius Beyond 30km Radius Decentralised walk-in centres In a statement on Monday, the Gauteng Department of Education (GDE) said that it has reviewed the online system, as well as the previous two-phased approach.Following an analysis of various online parent surveys and stakeholder consultations, the system has now been enhanced to follow a single application process, allowing all applicants to apply at the same time during the application period.The GDE said that it believes this overall simplified applications process will satisfy everyone.The application period will start on 22 July 2022 at 8:00am for Grade 1 and Grade 8 applications, and it will close on 19 August 2022 at 00:00am. To apply, visit: www.gdeadmissions.gov.za . Parents and guardians will receive SMS notifications of placement offers to either accept or decline from 3 31 October 2022, the GDE said.Gauteng Education MEC, Panyaza Lesufi, said they are hopeful that these implemented enhancements will be helpful to all applicants.He urged parents and guardians who will be seeking space for their children at Gauteng schools for Grade 1 or 8 in 2023, to make sure they diarise the announced dates as they are very important.Officials incorporated inputs from our stakeholders on how to improve the system. Indeed, we are hopeful that these implemented enhancements will be helpful to all applicants. Accordingly, we must reiterate that capacity remains our challenge in Gauteng, and a factor that applicants must always bear in mind when applying, Lesufi said.The department said that Grade R learners will not automatically be accepted to Grade 1 without application, even if they apply to the schools where they are currently enrolled in.This means that all learners that are 5 years old turning 6 years old by 30 June 2023 and are currently enrolled in Grade R in a school or ECD centre, as well as learners that are not in any type of school, must apply for admission at a minimum of three and a maximum of five schools, the department said.Parents and guardians are urged to upload or submit certified copies of the following documents within seven days of applying:Parents and guardians will be given up until 26 August 2022 (seven days after application period ends) to upload or submit their documents.However, the GDE said that documents that are uploaded or submitted after the application period closing date will be considered as incomplete applications and will only receive placement at available schools between 1 15 December 2022.To eliminate the risk of overlooking an applicant with uploaded documents by a school, during and up to seven days after the end of the application period, the department said that schools will receive an auto alert each time new documents are uploaded. The system will highlight all uploaded documents for verification.In order to hold schools accountable for verification of all received documents, the system will prompt schools to answer the question whether an applicant submitted documents or not. If verified, the system will prompt the school to verify and update document status. If not verified, the system will create an alert on the parents profile and an SMS will be sent to parent to submit or upload documents, the department said.As part of the system enhancement process, applicants will be afforded the opportunity to make informed choices regarding languages offered when applying to a school.Language of Learning and Teaching, Home Languages, and additional languages offered by each school will be visible on the system to applicants during the application period.All applicants will be granted an opportunity to apply to a school of their choice, according to the selected application option. This is an improvement as previous complaints we received stated that schools were not available for certain application options and, as such, all schools will remain open for applications for all during the application period, GDE said.For all applicants to submit completed applications, electronic messages will be sent via SMS reminding parents and guardians to complete their application, and the same notifications will be created on the parents profile on the system.The department said that SMS notifications informing applicants whether their application was successful or unsuccessful will be sent from 3 31 October 2022.Therefore, parents are urged to note that it is highly important that applicants provide ONE reliable and working cellphone number when applying in order to receive notifications and complete their application.Schools of Specialisation will admit learners based on an aptitude or talent from 20 May 20 June 2022, said the department.Admission tests, written assessments, trials and auditions will also be conducted by Schools of Specialisation for applicants from 20 May 26 August 2022.The outcome of these tests and trials will be communicated to applicants from 20 June 2022 9 September 2022. Parents who have applied to Schools of Specialisation are urged to accompany their children to these tests and trials to complete the process, the department said.Parents and guardians applying to boarding schools in Gauteng are encouraged to apply directly at identified schools. Applications to boarding schools will take place from 1 June 2022 19 August 2022.The department said that placement of applicants with documents uploaded / delivered within the regulated period will be prioritized.It must be noted that placement will be conducted as per the following admission regulations:To ensure access for applicants who are unable to apply from the comfort of their homes and or offices, the department has identified decentralised walk-in centres in different areas where applicants will be safely assisted.The department said that some District Offices and the Head Office will serve as walk-in centres.This information will be made available to the public via schools, districts, the GDE Website and social media platforms.Parents and guardians who will be experiencing challenges during the application period are encouraged to visit our District Offices and Decentralised Walk-In Centres or call the GDEs Contact Centre 0800 000 789. Baker McKenzie's latest Africa Competition Report 2022 provides a detailed analysis and overview of recent developments in competition law enforcement and competition policy in 32 African jurisdictions and regional bodies. The report outlines how, over the past two years, African competition regulators have actively engaged in efforts to address pandemic-related challenges, but there has also been a general upward trend in competition policy enforcement across the continent. This trend is highlighted by a number of significant recent developments in competition law regulation across the continent. Countries and regions with recent competition law developments include the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (Comesa), Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria and South Africa. Image source: Kei Scampa from Pexels Comesa Egypt Ethiopia Ghana Kenya Mauritius Mozambique Namibia Nigeria South Africa There were various developments with regards to Comesa in 2021. In February 2021, the Comesa Competition Commission issued a Practice Note in which it amended the interpretation of the term "operate". Prior to this, a party "operated" in a Comesa Member State if it had turnover or assets in that Member State in excess of $5m. This requirement has now been removed, effective from 11 February 2021, and a party will "operate" in a Comesa Member State merely if it is active in it (without a minimum turnover or asset threshold). The impact of this will be to make it easier for a transaction to fall within the scope of the Comesa merger control regime.The Comesa Commission has also recently issued Draft Guidelines on Fines and Penalties, Draft Guidelines on Settlement Procedures and Draft Guidelines on Hearing Procedures.In September 2021, the Comesa Commission issued its first penalty for failure to notify a transaction within the prescribed time periods, which penalty amounted to 0.05% of the parties' combined turnover in the Common Market in the 2020 financial year. This was imposed in relation to the proposed acquisition by Helios Towers Limited of the shares of Madagascar Towers SA and Malawi Towers Limited.In December 2021, the Comesa Commission imposed a fine for failure to comply with a commitment contained in a merger clearance decision.The Comesa Commission also conducted eight investigations into restrictive business practices in 2021.There were numerous recent developments in Egypt, including in November 2020, when the Competition Authority announced that the Egyptian Prime Ministry had approved the Prime Ministers draft law amending certain provisions of the Egyptian Competition Law 3/2005. In February 2021, the Egyptian parliaments Economic Affairs Committee started the discussions on the new amendments. The Competition Authority has also recently initiated market inquiries in relation to multiple sectors including healthcare, food, electronic and electrical appliances, automotive, real estate, media and petroleum sectors.In April 2021, the Economic Court of Cairo issued a ruling in a criminal case brought in March 2020 by the Competition Authority, against five individual poultry brokers for colluding to fix the price of chicken to the detriment of consumers and chicken breeders. The court fined each broker 30 million Egyptian pounds (approx. $1.6m) for agreeing to fix the price of a kilogram of chicken.In July 2021, the Competition Authority initiated a criminal case against two companies who agreed to submit identical offers in one of the practices of the General Authority for Veterinary Services, in violation of Egyptian competition law.The head of the Competition Authority announced plans for the creation of an Arab Competition Network to enhance cross-border cooperation between antitrust enforcers in the Middle East. The ACN would be the first to provide Arab competition authorities with an official platform to meet and discuss prominent issues and impending changes to antitrust law. The network would be run by the 22 members of the League of Arab States, which includes Egypt, Syria, Lebanon, Iraq, Jordan and Saudi Arabia, among others.In Ethiopia, the Trade Competition and Consumer Protection Authority is working on regulations to provide guidance on the application of the Trade Competition and Consumer Protection Proclamation (No 813/2013). Proclamation No. 1263/2021, which is expected to be enacted and come into force in 2022, transfers the powers of the Trade Competition and Consumer Protection Authority to the Ministry of Trade and Regional Integration.In Ghana, a draft Competition and Fair Trade Practices Bill is before parliament for consideration.The Competition of Authority in Kenya finalised its study into the regulated and unregulated credit markets in the country and issued its report in May 2021. The Authority further developed the Retail Trade Code of Practice 2021, in consultation with stakeholders in the retail sector, to address the abuse of buyer power issues arising from the sector. Also in 2021, the Competition Authority conducted a dawn raid in the steel industry and issued draft joint venture guidelines, to clarify the rules and filing requirements of joint venture arrangements.The Competition Commission in Mauritius concluded a market study in the pharmaceutical sector on 8 June 2021.There were numerous developments in competition law in Mozambique in 2021, including that the Competition Regulatory Authority became operational in January 2021. Regulations on Merger Notifications Forms were enacted by means of Resolution No. 1/2021 of 22 April 2021. The Regulations prescribe the different forms to be completed for merger notifications, as well as the details of the information and documentation required. Regulations on Filing Fees were enacted by means of Ministerial Diploma No. 77/2021 of 16 August 2021. Filing fees are currently set at 0.11% of the turnover of the parties in the previous year, up to a maximum of MZN 2,250,000 (approx. $35,000). Amendments to the Competition Regulations were enacted by means of Decree No. 101/2021 of 31 December 2021.A Competition Bill is in progress in Namibia, and the Competition Commission expects to submit the final version of the Competition Bill to the Ministry of Industrialisation and Trade by the end of June 2022.On 2 August 2021, Nigeria adopted the Merger Review (Amended) Regulations 2021, which set out new fees applicable for merger filings. The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission launched and publicised an investigation into the alleged anticompetitive conduct of five companies in the shipping and freight forwarding industry in October 2021.There were various developments in South Africa in 2021, including in May 2021, when the Competition Commission launched the Online Intermediation Platforms Market Inquiry, focusing on four broad online intermediation platforms and market dynamics that specifically affect business users e-commerce marketplaces, online classified marketplaces, software app stores and intermediated services (such as accommodation, travel, transport and food delivery). The Inquiry is ongoing with a provisional report scheduled for release on 10 June 2022, and the final report scheduled for release in November 2022.In April 2021, the Commission released its market inquiry reports on Land Based Public Transport. Furthermore, in April 2021, the Commission published its final report on an impact assessment study it conducted in relation to Covid-19. The report sets out the findings of the Competition Commission regarding the impact of the Covid-19 block exemptions and the enforcement work done by the Competition Commission during the pandemic. The Competition Commissions fifth Essential Food Pricing Monitoring Report, which is released quarterly, focused on tracking the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic and consequent economic crisis on food markets.In May 2021, the Commission issued, for comment, draft guidelines on Small Merger Notifications, which contain specific guidance applicable to the assessment of digital mergers.Notably, 2021 was the year when the Commission prohibited a merger solely on public interest grounds, making it the first transaction to be prohibited on non-competitive grounds. Ultimately, however, the merger was conditionally approved before the Competition Tribunal.In November 2021, the Commission released its Economic Concentration Report, which highlighted patterns of concentration and participation in the South African economy. The report includes details on the Commissions power to launch market inquiries into highly concentrated industries, as well as its increased authority to impose structural remedies on businesses in these sectors.In March 2022, the Commission issued Guidelines on Collaboration between Competitors on Localisation Initiatives, which are aimed at providing guidance to industry and government on how industry players may collaborate in identifying opportunities for localisation and implementing commitments related to localisation initiatives in a manner that does not raise competition concerns.In March 2022, the Commission launched a market inquiry into the South African fresh produce market, which will examine whether there are any features in the fresh produce value chain, which lessen, prevent or distort the competitiveness of the market.The Commission concluded various settlement agreements with market players (eg. grocery retailers and laboratories) to reduce the prices of goods and services. The state capture commission has found that the suspensions of the top level of executives at Eskom in March 2015 - which enabled the arrival of Brian Molefe and later Anoj Singh - was orchestrated by the Guptas, and carried out to advance their capture agenda. Image source: Jakub Jirsak 123RF.com Suspensions Truth vs fabrications Scheme advancement Former public enterprises ministers Lynne Brown interfered in the operational matters of the power utility, carrying out what appears to have been directives of Gupta associate Salim Essa, on who to suspend and who to appoint as their replacements. CEO Tshediso Matona, financial director Tsholofelo Molefe, head of group capital Dan Marokane and head of commercial and technology Matshela Koko were suspended on 11 March, following a board meeting which had earlier been addressed by Brown. They were all told that the board wished to execute an enquiry into the affairs of Eskom, and did not want them around so that there would not be interference with the investigation.Kokos suspension, however, was a farce, commission chairperson Chief Justice Raymond Zondo found, because the evidence that he was aware of, and helped arrange the suspensions of his colleagues, is convincing. This evidence is from three more executives, Suzanne Daniels, Abram Masango and Nonkululeko Dlamini, who all testified to having been called to meet Koko in Melrose Arch in Johannesburg on the eve of the suspensions.Daniels said Koko was with Essa, who introduced himself to her as Browns advisor, and discussed imminent suspensions, as well as the best people to replace the executives affected. Masango had a similar version, but told the commission that he could not confirm that the man with Koko was indeed Essa. He was told that he would be appointed in an acting capacity to replace Marokane. Koko further told the two that he was also to be suspended, the commission heard from them. Dlaminis evidence is that although Koko called her to meet with him at Melrose Arch, she declined as she was at an Eskom function with her then superior, Tsholofelo Molefe, who refused to release her.Zondo notes: When one has regard to the fact that he [Koko] and Mr Essa had meetings with Mr Masango and Ms Daniels on 10 March 2015, one understands that it could never have been the intention of the Guptas to get Mr Koko out of Eskom. They needed him as the evidence heard by the commission has revealed. He was later to be appointed the acting Group CEO when Mr Brian Molefe left Eskom at the end of December 2016. The Guptas made sure that, when one Gupta associate who was the Group CEO of Eskom left, another Gupta associate took over as acting Group CEO.The Melrose Arch meetings reveal that the suspensions of Mr Matona, Mr Marokane and Ms Tsholo Molefe on 11 March 2015 were to enable the capture of Eskom. Mr Kokos suspension was for a different purpose. It was meant to cause confusion and to ensure that, when later, the Guptas used him, there would be no suspicion of his association with the Guptas.Despite Kokos denial of colleagues versions regarding the Melrose Arch meetings, Zondo found differently: Mr Kokos denial of the meetings at Melrose Arch involving him, Mr Essa, Mr Masango and Ms Daniels is a fabrication.Ms Daniels and Mr Masango told the truth when they testified as they did about the Melrose Arch meetings. I also find Ms Dlamini to have been truthful in her evidence. Her evidence is corroborated by not only Ms Tsholofelo Molefe, but actually by Mr Koko himself, who admitted in his affidavit of 27 July 2021 that he asked Ms Dlamini for her CV and said half in jest that she might take over his job.Dlaminis CV, added Zondo, would have been useful in the process of getting her appointed to act in the place of one of the executives to be suspended. Therefore, where Mr Koko's version conflicts with the versions of these three former Eskom officials, Mr Koko's version must be rejected as false.Koko was indeed suspended along with the other three, but unlike them, returned to his position after what he described as a negotiation process with members of the board delegated for that purpose. Around the same time, the others were being offered separation packages by the board, which Zondo lamented as being an unnecessarily costly exercise to the power utility, at over R18m.He further condemned the complicity of the board in what he found was the advancement of the Guptas scheme to capture Eskom. The directors were aware that Koko was to be retained, and played along with the ruse. The choice of replacements, writes Zondo, was also decided outside of Eskom, owing to the testimony of then board chairperson Zola Tsotsi that he only learned of their identity after the suspensions had been executed.I find that it was therefore no coincidence that two of the acting officials were those who had been approached by Mr Koko the day before. This plainly shows how steeped Mr Koko was in the Gupta scheme, Zondo writes. Junior Animator - 2D/3D/Motion Graphics/VFX (Fixed Term Contract) Remuneration: cost-to-company Location: Woodstock, Cape Town Education level: Degree Job level: Junior/Mid Own transport required: Yes Job policy: Employment Equity position Type: Contract Reference: #JnrAnimator Company: King James Job description Design and animate motion graphics for a variety of small to large scale projects Work collaboratively with design teams to create innovative and compelling work Generate content and assets to be used by the extended team such as: visual directions, layouts, storyboards, animatics, 2D/3D assets, AE templates, grading, tracking, editing footage etc. Keep abreast of industry trends and techniques in accordance with industry best practices BA Degree or similar in Visual Communication (with a major in Animation / Multimedia) Minimum 1 years working experience as an Animator Working experience in an Advertising Agency or Digital Advertising Agency Proficient in MS Office Proficient in Adobe After Effects, Illustrator, Photoshop Knowledge of and experience in 2D (vector) animations Skilled in Cinema 4D or 3D applications Strong sense of motion, design, and typography A good command of the English language Strong time management skills Strong multitasking skills (ability to work on multiple briefs at any given time) Team player with the ability to work independently Ability to remain calm in a fast-paced environment Ability to accept constructive feedback Resilient Reliable Accountable Creative thinker Deadline driven Meticulous with attention to detail Other: Comfortable to work on-site (King James Office) and comfortable to work on alcohol brands King James Part of Accenture Song is looking for a Junior Animator to join the creative studio. The successful candidate must be able to implement artwork from creative into various cross platforms (i.e., digital, broadcast, social etc.) deliverables effectively and on time. An appreciation for the craft of design & storytelling is essential!Interested in joining the purple blood team? Submit ato careerskj@kingjames.co.za. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted. Should you not hear from us within 1 week after submitting your application, kindly consider your application as unsuccessful. Posted on 11 May 16:04, Closing date 31 May DHAKA, May 11 (Xinhua) -- The central bank of Bangladesh has tightened the letter of credit (LC) rules, doubling the margin for all imports, saving some essentials, to ease import-payment pressure on the economy. "We've imposed higher LC margin to discourage the import of unnecessary items as well as luxury goods," Abu Farah Md Nasser, deputy governor of the Bangladesh Bank (BB), was quoted by English newspaper the Financial Express as saying in a report on Wednesday. Under the latest move, the central bank of Bangladesh imposed a prohibitive 50-percent cash LC margin at the minimum on all non-essential items instead of 25 percent. According to a notification issued by the BB on Tuesday night, such LC margin for high-end motor vehicles like SUVs and sedan cars along with electrical and electronic products which are being used as home appliances has been fixed at a minimum 75 percent, up from 25 percent. The products exempted from the LC-margin-restriction inventory are baby foods, essential food and energy products, lifesaving drugs, local and export-oriented industries, government imports for priority projects and agriculture-related imports, according to the notification. The senior BB official termed the move a temporary measure that will also help improve the country's current-account situation. SEOUL, May 11 (Xinhua) -- South Korea logged a trade deficit in the first 10 days of this month due to a faster increase in import than export, customs office data showed Wednesday. The trade deficit reached 3.72 billion U.S. dollars in the May 1-10 period, up from a deficit of 2.21 billion dollars recorded in the same period of last year, according to the Korea Customs Service. Except for February, the country has posted trade deficits this year amid the faster growth in import. Export advanced 28.7 percent from a year earlier to 16.05 billion dollars in the 10-day period in May, while import jumped 34.7 percent to 19.77 billion dollars. The import surge was driven by higher commodity prices. Crude oil import soared 53.7 percent for the first 10 days of this month, and the import of oil products and natural gas spiked 46.8 percent and 52.7 percent respectively. In terms of value, the import of crude oil, natural gas and coal amounted to 4.54 billion dollars. Import from Saudi Arabia more than doubled in the cited period, and that from China and Australia increased in double figures. Semiconductor export gained 10.8 percent, and shipments for steel products and automotive components advanced 27.1 percent and 13.8 percent respectively. Export of cars and mobile devices declined by more than 20 percent in the 10-day period. Export to China, South Korea's biggest trading partner, rose 9.6 percent, and that to the United States, the European Union (EU) and Vietnam went up in double digits. Xi talks with Macron over phone Xinhua) 08:05, May 11, 2022 BEIJING, May 10 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping spoke with French President Emmanuel Macron on the phone on Tuesday afternoon. Xi noted his close contact with Macron over the past five years, which has helped guide the two countries in sustaining the positive momentum of bilateral ties, conducting fruitful cooperation, and fulfilling the responsibilities of major countries on climate change, biodiversity conservation and other issues. In a world undergoing changes unseen in a century, China and France, two permanent members on the United Nations Security Council and independent major countries, should uphold "independence, mutual understanding, strategic vision and win-win cooperation," a commitment the two sides made when establishing diplomatic relations, stick to their close and enduring comprehensive strategic partnership, respect each other's core interests and major concerns, and strengthen coordination and cooperation in the bilateral, China-Europe and global contexts, he said. Xi added that China will keep close exchanges with France at all levels to promote the healthy growth of China-France relations and maintain world peace and stability. Xi stressed the need to identify, through bilateral dialogue mechanisms, cooperation priorities in the coming five years. He called on the two sides to step up cooperation in emerging areas including artificial intelligence and clean energy, while advancing cooperation in traditional areas like civilian nuclear energy, and aerospace. The Chinese president said China is ready to import more quality products from France, welcomes French financial and hi-tech companies to China for business cooperation, and hopes that the French side will provide a fair, equitable and non-discriminatory business environment for Chinese enterprises that conduct investment and cooperation in France. Xi said that it is important that China and France make good use of big occasions like the 60th anniversary of China-France diplomatic relations and the Paris Olympics, both to take place in 2024, as important opportunities to further increase people-to-people and cultural exchanges and enhance mutual understanding. He added that the two sides should follow true multilateralism, uphold the international system with the United Nations at its core and the international order based on international law, support multi-polarity and economic globalization, and deepen cooperation on climate change and biodiversity. Xi stressed that the two sides need to increase communication and coordination at the Group of 20 and on global food and energy security, expand trilateral cooperation in Africa and other regions, and explore cooperation on the Global Development Initiative and the Global Security Initiative. The Chinese president pointed out that the steady and sound growth of China-EU relations serves the interests of people in China, in Europe and in all other countries, adding that China appreciates France's commitment to strategic autonomy, and hopes that France will encourage the EU to keep a right perception of China and work with China in the same direction by managing differences properly and building on converging interests for closer cooperation in economy and trade, green and digital development, and people-to-people exchanges. Xi also expressed his hope for France, who holds the rotating presidency of the EU, to play a positive role in promoting the sound development of China-EU relations. For his part, Macron commended the open spirit with which the two sides have developed their relations since establishing diplomatic ties. Over the past five years, the two sides have carried out fruitful cooperation across the board, Macron said. For the next five years, France will work with China to deepen cooperation in areas including agriculture, aviation, civilian nuclear energy and culture and to scale up cooperation in climate change and biodiversity, with a view to greater achievements in France-China relations, said the French president. France is willing to play a positive role in the development of EU-China relations, he added. The two leaders also exchanged views on the situation in Ukraine and agreed that relevant parties should support Russia and Ukraine in restoring peace through negotiations. Xi stressed that China has been working in its own way to promote peace talks, and that China supports European countries in keeping the security of Europe in their own hands. He urged vigilance against bloc confrontation, which poses a bigger and more persistent threat to global security and stability. Macron noted the many common understandings between France and China on the issue of Ukraine, adding that France stands ready for closer coordination and cooperation with China at both bilateral and multilateral levels. France and the EU are committed to strategic autonomy and will not endorse or take part in bloc confrontation, he said. (Web editor: Peng Yukai, Liang Jun) PHNOM PENH, May 11 (Xinhua) -- The French Development Agency (AFD) has committed to providing over 300 million euros (316 million U.S. dollars) to Cambodia to support development projects for three years, said its press statement on Wednesday. The pledge was made during an annual meeting on Monday between Cambodia's Ministry of Economy and Finance (MEF) Secretary of State Hem Vanndy and the AFD's southeast Asia regional director Yazid Bensaid, as well as AFD country director for Cambodia Ophelie Bourhis. "The 2022-2024 project pipeline was at the core of the discussions, leading to an agreement between the MEF and the AFD of more than 300 million euros prioritizing the sectors of water and sanitation, agriculture, water resources management, energy and vocational training," the statement said. With this annual target commitment of an average of 100 million euros of highly concessional loans and grants in Cambodia, the AFD has also reiterated its support for inclusive and sustainable growth in the country, it said. In particular, in line with the 2015 Paris Agreement, the AFD reaffirmed the priority given to the fight against climate change in its existing and future project portfolio. "With 75 percent of projects having climate co-benefits, the AFD is committed to answering the needs expressed by the government of the Kingdom of Cambodia while integrating climate awareness in our common strategy," Bourhis said. In parallel, the AFD signed an agreement on a grant for air quality improvement this week with the country's Ministry of Environment and the Ministry of Public Works and Transport, the statement said. The program is designed on a regional scale with a 5.5 million euros grant from the AFD, it said. "It will contribute to a greater awareness on air quality issues, a better knowledge and monitoring of air quality on their territory, and the strengthening of local capacities," the statement said. A Sky News interview with Russian First Deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations Dmitry Polyanskiy was cut short after mention was made of President Zelensky posting an image of a soldier wearing SS insignia. Zelensky posted his Victory Day statement along with a collection of images of Ukrainian soldiers and civilians. However, after it was revealed that one of the Ukrainian soldiers was wearing a symbol of the Totenkopf division of the SS, the post was hastily deleted. So, President Zelensky congratulates Ukraine on V-day over Nazism featuring a soldier who wears "Totenkopf"("dead head"), a symbol of the elite [Nazi] division of Waffen-SS during WWII. After complaints,the press service replaced the photo but the original was there for 30+ min.. pic.twitter.com/JZnEBCvvd5 Maxim A. Suchkov (@m_suchkov) May 9, 2022 During the interview, Polyanskiy made reference to the controversy, but was quickly cut off after bringing it up. Do you know what it is? Its an emblem of a German SS division in the Second World War. So he published on the Victory Day an emblem of a fighter of Right Sector [banned in Russia] with this emblem, saying that this is a symbol of [the] fight against Nazism as he sees it, Polyanskiy said. This was deleted after half an hour but, of course, we have a copy of this It means that [the] UK now is covering Ukrainian authorities, which display Nazi symbols during the Victory Day, he added. IncredibleSky News host asks Russian Deputy UN Rep Dmitry Polyanskiy about the British Defense Secretary comparing Russian troops to nazis, then CUTS HIM OFF after he pulls out a tablet and shows the audience Zelenskys Instagram post of an SS totenkopf-wearing Ukrainian soldier pic.twitter.com/gYKhTkANtt Wyatt Reed (@wyattreed13) May 9, 2022 The host of the show seemed eager to prevent Polyanskiy from elaborating any further. And there you have it, the famous freedom of speech in the West, Polyanskiy subsequently joked on Telegram. Now they think 100 times before inviting Russian diplomats on live broadcast, he concluded. Yes, they may be Nazis, but theyre our Nazis! By bragging publicly that we helped engineer the killing of Russian generals and the sinking of the cruiser Moskva, we taunt Russian President Vladimir Putin. We provoke him into retaliating in kind against us, thereby raising the possibility of a wider U.S.-Russia war that could escalate into World War III. Last week, sources leaked to The New York Times that, in Ukraines targeting and killing of Russian generals and the sinking of Russias Black Sea flagship, the Moskva, U.S. intelligence played an indispensable role. Apparently, our intel people identified and located for the Ukrainian forces what became the targets of their deadly attacks. Why U.S. intelligence would do this seems inexplicable. By claiming credit for Ukraines most visible military successes, we diminish the achievements of that countrys own forces. By bragging publicly that we helped engineer the killing of Russian generals and the sinking of the cruiser Moskva, we taunt Russian President Vladimir Putin. We provoke him into retaliating in kind against us, thereby raising the possibility of a wider U.S.-Russia war that could escalate into World War III. Moreover, U.S. boasting like this plays right into Putins narrative that Russia is facing and fighting in Ukraine a U.S.-led alliance that is out to crush Russia. Indeed, why are we going beyond assistance to the Ukrainians in defending themselves, into making this Americans war? When Speaker Nancy Pelosi arrived in Poland following her visit to Kyiv, she virtually embraced the idea of the Ukraine-Russia war as now being Americas war, declaring, America stands with Ukraine. We stand with Ukraine until victory is won. Accompanying Pelosi to Kyiv was a delegation of House Democrats, one of whom, Rep. Jason Crow of Colorado, echoed Pelosi in Poland: The United States of America is in this to win. Their visit followed that of Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, who came out of Kyiv and declared the U.S. strategic goals in Ukraines war: We want to see Russia weakened to the degree that it cant do the kind of things it has done in invading Ukraine. These statements by U.S. leaders reinforce Putins line that Russia is besieged by a U.S.-led Western alliance that fears and detests Mother Russia and wishes to see her defeated and diminished. Our enemies in the West who seek to destroy Russia are like those we fought in the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945, Putin now claims. And intervention in Ukraine was necessary to prevent todays neo-Nazis from dragging Ukraine into their larger conspiracy to destroy Russia. Consider Putins words of a week ago: The forces that have always pursued a policy of containing Russia do not want such a huge and independent country that is too big for their ideas They believe it endangers them simply by the fact of its existence, although this is far from reality. It is they who endanger the world. We are hated for who and what we are, says Putin. And our military operation is an act of legitimate self-defense against the same kind of Nazi filth we fought in the Great Patriotic War. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov describes the recent surge in heavy Western weapons shipments to Ukraine as NATO going to war with Russia through a proxy and arming that proxy. By cutting Republicans out of her delegation to Kyiv, Pelosi appears to want to make the war not only Americas war, but her partys cause. That seems to be a motive as well behind Bidens consciously exceeding any Western leader in the language he uses on Putin, calling him a killer, a murderous dictator, a pure thug, a butcher, a war criminal, guilty of genocide, who for Gods sake cannot remain in power. Such language is designed to showcase Biden as the worlds leading anti-Putinist and the most morally outraged of all the worlds leaders at what Russia is doing in Ukraine. But, again, like the public boasting of U.S. intel agents over our role in the sinking of the Moskva and killing of the Russian generals, the effect is to disqualify the U.S. president from any role in negotiating a truce or an end to this war. How do we benefit from having no leader-to-leader communication with the Kremlin, which President John F. Kennedy retained in the Cuban missile crisis to end it? NATO Europe, which is supporting the Ukrainian resistance, is not on board with the U.S. plans to cripple Russia permanently. America needs to recognize that our objectives in this war are not the same as Ukraines. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy would like to have the U.S. plunge in and fight alongside Kyiv, devastate and defeat the Russian army, and expel Russia not only from the regions invaded this year but also from Crimea, which Putin annexed in 2014 . Americas vital interests in this war, however, are to prevent it from becoming a U.S.-Russia war or a third world war or a nuclear war. The U.S. goal of imposing a crushing defeat of Russian aggression is secondary to our far more vital interest in avoiding a U.S.-Russia war. Americas interests are best served by an early and negotiated peace. Such a goal rules out imposing humiliating terms on Russia, which cause Moscow and Putin to escalate militarily to survive politically. Czech Republic becomes a member of the UN commission for human rights, but is racist towards Ukrainian refugees 11. 5. 2022 / Jan Culik cas cteni 3 minuty On Tuesday, the Czech Republic became a member of the UN Commission for Human Rights, replacing Russia. However, on that very day the Czech Home Secretary Rakusan announced that the country will assume a "stricter" attitude towards Ukrainian refugees because "some of them are economic migrants". He meant Roma. The Czech Republic is deeply racist towards the Roma minority and while it has on the whole welcomed Ukrainian refugees, it has often shown hostility to Roma refugees from Ukraine. This is deeply unfair, considering that Roma fight against the Russian invasion just as any other Ukrainian: Zatimco v Cechach Okamura se svymi rasisty a extremisty rozjizdi vlnu nenavisti vuci ukrajinskym Romum a nekteri maji problem kvuli predsudkum ukrajinske Romy ubytovat, v ukrajinske armade bojuji proti ruskym okupantum take Romove. pic.twitter.com/4hGEZo6FLh Jiri Hrebenar (@gisat) May 9, 2022 While Tomio Okamura, the head of the Czech extreme right, populist, racist party SPD raves in Parliament against ALL Ukrainian refugees, the Czech government has used a technicality in order to realise its racist attitude towards the Roma refugees from Ukrajine. Viktor Orban, the Hungarian leader, who has delusions of grandeur, has, quite aggressively issued Hungarian passports to large numbers of Hungarian speaking citizens from the countries neighbouring Hungary: Slovakia, Romania, Serbia and Ukraine. He has also given Hungarian passports to Ukranian Roma, so the Czech Republic officialdom argues that these holders of two passports, Ukrainian and Hungarian, have no right to ask for help in the Czech Republic. But Germany does not display such a bureaucratic attitude to the Roma Ukrainian double passport holders: It receives them anyway. The Roma Ukrainians, arriving in the Czech Republic, are disorientated, traumatised and destabilised. They need help, at least initially. However, the Czech authorities seem to work obsessively to prevent them from stopping in the Czech Republic. They are planning to deport them to Budapest. A witness has reported obsessive behaviour of heavily armed Czech police at Brno's main railway station aimed to prevent Ukrainian Roma from disembarking from trains. Matej Hollan, a former Brno councillor, has reported that the Czech police drove out Roma women with small children from the Brno Railway Station building, into the cold streets outside: a samozrejme nejen na hlavaku, ale i u Asistencniho centra pic.twitter.com/VUsQlvhGmW Matej Michalk Zaloudek (@ZaloudekMatej) May 10, 2022 Pavel Veleman, Prague social worker, offered his help to the volunteers at the Prague main railway station in a group of activists who are supposed to help refugees, He was shocked to report that Roma refugees, including children are ostracised there and are denied food and water. The same has been reported byh Matej Michal Zaloudek, a Green Party Councillor for Prague 3. He writes:"Could you explain this to me as though I was a small child? How is it possible in the 21st century that hundreds of people are sitting on the ground in the Prague Main Railway Station and they have nothing to eat or drink?" 0 2033 A good start to the activity of the Czech Republic as a member of the UN Human Rights Commission. SINGAPORE, May 11 (Xinhua) -- The White House cautioned against violence and threats after protests surrounding a looming U.S. Supreme Court ruling on abortion, Singapore's Asian news network CNA said Monday. White House press secretary Jen Psaki called for restraint, saying President Joe Biden "strongly believes in the Constitutional right to protest," but that should not "include violence, threats, or vandalism," CNA reported. In Wisconsin, arson investigators were probing a fire on Sunday at an anti-abortion group headquarters, the media quoted a CBS report as saying. The words "If abortions aren't safe then you aren't either" were spray-painted outside the building, according to CBS. HOUSTON, May 10 (Xinhua) -- Fueled by high winds and drought, wildfires starting more than one month ago continue burning in U.S. southwestern mountain state of New Mexico as of Tuesday, threatening more communities in the Rocky Mountain foothills while forcing some local schools going virtual. The wildfires have burned more than 318 square miles (824 square kilometers) of ponderosa forests across the state, destroying about 300 structures, according to local media reports. In northern New Mexico, officials at the Los Alamos National Laboratory and residents in the nearby town are prepared to evacuate if a wildfire burning there moves closer, said the reports. The cost of fighting the blaze and another smaller fire burning near the Los Alamos National Laboratory has topped 65 million U.S. dollars so far, an ABC News report said on Tuesday. Nearly 1,800 firefighters and support personnel have been assigned to fight the blaze, said the report. The state's governor, Michelle Lujan Grisham, said at a briefing on Tuesday that she had not received any reports in recent days of widespread damage to homes but believed the risk of more destruction is high. The U.S. National Weather Service has issued red flag warnings for extreme fire danger in much of New Mexico and parts of Nevada, Arizona, Colorado and Texas this week. The wildfire season in the region normally starts in May or June but this year is dangerously early, CNN Meteorologist Monica Garrett said last month, noting New Mexico in April has already seen a year's worth of fire activity. Wildfires have become a year-round threat in the drought-stricken U.S. West and they are moving faster and burning hotter than ever due to climate change, U.S. scientists and fire experts say. Choteau, MT (59422) Today Partly cloudy skies this morning will become overcast during the afternoon. High 71F. Winds SW at 5 to 10 mph.. Tonight Cloudy this evening with showers after midnight. Low 47F. Winds WSW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 60%. LONDON (AP) Prince William spoke of his own grief Tuesday as he gave a personal tribute to the families of 22 people who were killed when a suicide bomber targeted an Ariana Grande concert at Manchester Arena five years ago. Britain's Prince William and his wife Kate the Duchess of Cambridge leave after attending the launch of the Glade of Light Memorial, outside Manchester Cathedral, which commemorates the victims of a suicide bomb attack at a 2017 Ariana Grande concert, in Manchester, England, Tuesday, May 10, 2022. The memorial honours the 22 people whose lives were taken, as well as remembering everyone who was left injured or affected by the attack at Manchester Arena on May 22, 2017. (AP Photo/Jon Super) LONDON (AP) Prince William spoke of his own grief Tuesday as he gave a personal tribute to the families of 22 people who were killed when a suicide bomber targeted an Ariana Grande concert at Manchester Arena five years ago. William and his wife. Kate, were attending the official opening of a public memorial in the city of Manchester, which comes ahead of the fifth anniversary of the terror attack on May 22, 2017. The prince told families of those who died he knew that the pain and the trauma felt by many has not gone away. As someone who lives with his own grief, I also know that what often matters most to the bereaved is that those we have lost are not forgotten," William said. There is comfort in remembering. In acknowledging that, while taken horribly soon, they lived." William was a teenager when his mother, Princess Diana, died in 1997 in a Paris car crash. The memorial, close to Manchester Cathedral, bears the names of those killed when Salman Abedi exploded a bomb in the foyer of Manchester Arena as young people and their parents were leaving a Grande concert. Hundreds of people were injured in the attack. The 22 dead included six children, the youngest 8 years old. The bombers younger brother, Hashem Abedi, was jailed for life in March 2020 for his part in plotting the attack. Assiniboine Community Colleges new one-stop shop for international students was unveiled Tuesday afternoon during a grand-opening ceremony that took place at the schools Victoria Avenue East campus. Advertisement Advertise With Us Assiniboine Community Colleges new "one-stop shop" for international students was unveiled Tuesday afternoon during a grand-opening ceremony that took place at the schools Victoria Avenue East campus. The Diane Shamray International Education Centre is a 2,130-square-foot facility that will serve as a central hub for the colleges English as a second language programming, while also housing Assiniboine International staff who are dedicated to helping these specific students achieve academic success. The centres namesake is retired ACC staff member Diane Shamray, who was on hand for Tuesdays ceremony and told the Sun shes pleased with how the new facility came together. "This will be a place for international students to come and feel welcome. Theyll get the services they need. Its kind of a one-stop shop for them in many respects," Shamray said. "When an international student comes to an institution like this, feeling welcome is really, really important, and I think this is just one way of doing that." Shamray also marvelled at how ACCs international student resources have advanced since Assiniboine International was established in 2016. "When we first started, there was only three of us doing this, and its grown now so that we have a whole group of people dedicated to making things special for international students and for newcomers to Canada." ACC president Mark Frison took time Tuesday to sing Shamrays praises, talking about how the new international education centre is a direct result of her efforts to grow the international student community throughout the 2010s. Through spearheading initiatives like the colleges global citizenship task force and serving as vice-president of the Assiniboine International group, Frison said Shamray helped balloon the local international student population from around 30 pupils in 2016 to over 600 students in 2020. "In my time, Ive never met an employee who is as tenacious as she was and yet as polite," Frison said. "And those two things arent always a combination that go together." Shamrays influence could be felt when she first arrived at the college in 1993 and started working as the chair of health and human services, Frison said. While practical nursing is one of the colleges largest programs of study today, Frison said the province wanted to outright eliminate it as an occupation back then. "And Diane, being tenacious but polite, argued to hang onto a single class of seven students, which the province allowed her to do," he said. "And sure enough, as these things go, within nine months that occupation was back in favour and as a result, ACC ended up with a mandate in the English language for that particular program." Shamray later became ACCs vice-president of enterprise, a position that allowed her to oversee operations at the colleges community-based training, Adult Collegiate program and Parkland campus. As vice-president of Assiniboine International, Shamray said she faced a number of obstacles in her quest to recruit and retain more students from outside the country, especially those hailing from warmer climates. "Promoting Brandon and rural Manitoba in the centre of Canada, where seven months of the year can be cold and snow covered, had its challenges," she said. "Nevertheless, the college made gains." Shamray is still contributing to this cause despite retiring in 2020, announcing on Tuesday that she is donating $100,000 to help establish entrance scholarships and other financial aid for international students at ACC. Shamray thanked ACC students and staff for their support and for building the international education centre to ensure her vision lives on. "I appreciated your patience and support over the years, especially when I have taken the college down some uncharted paths," she said. "But more importantly, I thank you for your collective faith in the phrase, If you build it, they will come." kdarbyson@brandonsun.com Twitter:@KyleDarbyson JERUSALEM (AP) Veteran Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh, one of the satellite channels best-known reporters, was shot and killed on Wednesday while covering an Israeli military raid in the occupied West Bank. The broadcaster and two reporters who were with her blamed Israeli forces. Journalists and medics wheel the body of Shireen Abu Akleh, a journalist for Al Jazeera network, into the morgue inside the Hospital in the West Bank town of Jenin, Wednesday, May 11, 2022. The well-known Palestinian reporter for the broadcaster's Arabic language channel was shot and killed while covering an Israeli raid in the occupied West Bank town of Jenin early Wednesday, the Palestinian health ministry said. (AP Photo/Majdi Mohammed) JERUSALEM (AP) Veteran Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh, one of the satellite channels best-known reporters, was shot and killed on Wednesday while covering an Israeli military raid in the occupied West Bank. The broadcaster and two reporters who were with her blamed Israeli forces. Israel's defense minister, Benny Gantz, promised a transparent investigation, and said he was in touch with U.S. and Palestinian officials. The Israeli military initially suggested that Abu Akleh might have been killed by stray fire from Palestinians, but Gantz was more cautious Wednesday evening. We are trying to figure out exactly what happened," he said. "I dont have final conclusions. He said Israel asked the Palestinian medical team that performed a preliminary autopsy to hand over the fatal bullet for further examination. The head of the Palestinian forensics institute, Rayan al-Ali, said earlier Wednesday that the bullet was deformed, and that he could not yet determine who fired it. Abu Aklehs death could draw new scrutiny of Israels military justice system, which is being examined as part of a war crimes probe conducted by the International Criminal Court. It also threatened to further strain often rocky relations between the army and the international media. Abu Akleh, 51, was a respected and familiar face in the Middle East, known for her coverage on Al Jazeera Arabic of the harsh realities of Israels open-ended military occupation of the Palestinians, now in its 55th year. She was widely recognized in the West Bank and was also a U.S. citizen. An injured journalist is being hugged by one of the colleagues of killed journalist Shireen Abu Akleh, a journalist for the Al-Jazeera network, in the Hospital West Bank town of Jenin, Wednesday, May 11, 2022. The well-known Palestinian reporter for the broadcaster's Arabic language channel was shot and killed while covering an Israeli raid in the occupied West Bank town of Jenin early Wednesday, the Palestinian health ministry said. (AP Photo/Majdi Mohammed) Her death reverberated across the region. Arab governments condemned the killing. There was also an outpouring of grief in the West Bank. In Ramallah, the seat of the Palestinian autonomy government, Abu Aklehs body, draped in a Palestinian flag and covered by a wreath of flowers, was carried through downtown streets. Hundreds chanted, with our spirit, with our blood, we will redeem you, Shireen." On Thursday, a procession was to take the body for burial in Jerusalem, where Abu Akleh was born. In east Jerusalem, dozens of mourners gathered at the family home to honor her. Lina Abu Akleh, her niece, called her my best friend, my second mom, my companion. I never thought this day would come, where the news would be about her and she wont be the one covering the news, she said. At one point, a group of Israeli police entered the home, where they were immediately met with shouts of killers and occupiers and chants to get out. It was not immediately clear why the police came, and the officers quickly left. In this undated photo provided by Al Jazeera Media Network, Shireen Abu Akleh, a journalist for Al Jazeera network, stands in an area where the Dome of the Rock shrine at Al-Aqsa Mosque in the Old City of Jerusalem is seen at right in the background. Abu Akleh, a well-known Palestinian female reporter for the broadcaster's Arabic language channel, was shot and killed while covering an Israeli raid in the occupied West Bank town of Jenin early Wednesday, May 11, 2022. (Al Jazeera Media Network via AP) Palestinians gathered outside the family's house on Wednesday evening, some holding Palestinian flags and posters with the journalist's photo. When the group walked toward a main thoroughfare, Israeli police tried to stop them. Scuffles ensued. Five Palestinians were hurt and about half a dozen were detained. Abu Akleh was killed by a shot to the head while on the outskirts of the Jenin refugee camp in the northern West Bank, known as a bastion of militants. Israel has conducted near-daily raids in Jenin in recent weeks following a series of deadly attacks inside Israel carried out by militants from the area. Gantz said Israeli forces came under attack by indiscriminate fire by Palestinian militants from several directions. The army released a body cam video of forces in the town while heavy fire is heard in the background. Gantz described the situation as chaotic. He said the soldiers at the scene had all been questioned, but that the investigation could only make progress with the cooperation of the Palestinian forensic team. I am very sorry for what happened, Gantz told reporters. Currently we do not know what was the direct cause of Shireens death. We are very decisive to have a full-scale investigation ... and we hope to get Palestinian cooperation on this issue." Al Jazeera accused Israel of deliberately targeting and killing our colleague. Palestinian journalists who were with Abu Akleh at the time said they made their presence known to Israeli soldiers, and that they did not see militants in the area. In this undated photo provided by Al Jazeera Media Network, Shireen Abu Akleh, a journalist for Al Jazeera network, stands next to a TV camera in an area where the Dome of the Rock shrine at Al-Aqsa Mosque in the Old City of Jerusalem is seen at left in the background. Abu Akleh, a well-known Palestinian female reporter for the broadcaster's Arabic language channel, was shot and killed while covering an Israeli raid in the occupied West Bank town of Jenin early Wednesday, May 11, 2022. (Al Jazeera Media Network via AP) Abu Aklehs producer, Palestinian journalist Ali Samoudi, was hospitalized in stable condition after being shot in the back. He said any suggestion they were shot by militants was a complete lie. Relations between Israeli forces and the foreign media, especially Palestinian journalists, are strained. During last years war between Israel and Gazas militant Hamas rulers, an Israeli airstrike destroyed the building in Gaza City housing the offices of The Associated Press and Al Jazeera. Residents were warned to evacuate and no one was hurt in the strike. Israel said Hamas was using the building as a command center but has provided no evidence. The outcome of Israels military investigation will be closely watched. The International Criminal Court has opened an investigation into possible war crimes by Israel in both the occupied West Bank and the Gaza Strip. Israel does not recognize the courts jurisdiction and has called the investigation unfair and antisemitic. One of its key arguments against the probe has been that its military justice system is capable of investigating itself. The findings of its probe into Abu Akleh's death could draw new scrutiny. Hussein Al Sheikh, a top Palestinian official, said the Palestinians would transfer information on the case to the court. Journalists and medics surround the body of Shireen Abu Akleh, a journalist for Al Jazeera network, into the morgue inside the Hospital in the West Bank town of Jenin, Wednesday, May 11, 2022. The well-known Palestinian reporter for the broadcaster's Arabic language channel was shot and killed while covering an Israeli raid in the occupied West Bank town of Jenin early Wednesday, the Palestinian health ministry said. (AP Photo/Majdi Mohammed) In New York, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, called Abu Aklehs death really horrifying and called for a transparent investigation. She said protecting American citizens and journalists was our highest priority. Thomas-Greenfield said Abud Akleh did an extraordinary interview with her in the West Bank last November. I left there feeling extraordinary respect for her," she said. The U.N. Human Rights office urged an independent, transparent investigation into her killing. Impunity must end." The White House also called for a thorough probe. Investigating attacks on independent media and prosecuting those responsible are of paramount importance," deputy press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said. At the United Nations, the Palestinian U.N. Ambassador Riyad Mansour, flanked by representatives of the Arab League and the U.N.'s Arab Group, demanded an international independent investigation. Al Jazeera, which has long had strained relations with Israel, interrupted its broadcast to announce Abu Akleh's death early Wednesday. In a statement flashed on its channel, it called on the international community to condemn and hold the Israeli occupation forces accountable for deliberately targeting and killing our colleague. It aired a video showing Abu Akleh lying motionless on the side of a road wall as another journalist crouches nearby and a man screams for an ambulance. Gunfire rings out in the background. Both reporters were wearing blue flak jackets clearly marked with the word PRESS. The video did not show the source of the gunfire. The Palestinian Authority, which administers parts of the occupied West Bank and cooperates with Israel on security matters, condemned what it said was a shocking crime committed by Israeli forces. Qatar, the Arab League and Jordan all condemned the shooting, and in the Jordanian capital of Amman, a group of journalists and activists held a solidarity march outside Al Jazeeras offices. Israelis have long been critical of Al Jazeeras coverage, but authorities generally allow its journalists to operate freely. A number of Palestinian reporters have been wounded by rubber-coated bullets or tear gas while covering demonstrations in the West Bank and east Jerusalem. Two Palestinian journalists were shot and killed by Israeli forces while filming violent protests along the Gaza frontier in 2018. In November of that year, AP cameraman Rashed Rashid was covering a protest near the Gaza frontier when he was shot in the left ankle, apparently by Israeli fire. The military has never acknowledged the shooting. The Foreign Press Association, which represents some 400 journalists working for international media, said it was appalled and deeply shocked by the killing and expressed hope that those responsible for this horrible death will be held accountable. ___ Associated Press writers Joseph Krauss in Jerusalem; Aref Tufaha in Jenin, West Bank; Jalal Hassan in Ramallah, West Bank; Isabel DeBre in Dubai, United Arab Emirates; Darlene Superville in Washington and Edith M. Lederer at the United Nations contributed to this report. Tom Blunden, our history teacher at Newcastle Boys High School used to decry the fact that the schools curriculum was structured in such a way that we could take either history or geography, but not both because, he said, Geography is the stage on which history is played out. I thought of this as I flew from Melbourne to London on my way to attend this years Banner Of Truth Ministers Conference in the lush green English Midlands. Flying across Australia one gains an understanding that this vast country we love and in which we feel so blessed (not lucky!) really is The Wide Brown Land. Fully four and a half hours of the 20 hours spent flying to England are spent in the air over Australia so my thoughts turned to that man who did so much to conquer it for Christ, John Flynn, perhaps the only Presbyterian minister ever to have been given a place on a countrys bank note in honour of the work he did. The Royal Flying Doctor Service was Flynns brainchild back in the day when aircraft were built of wire and fabric. To enable people in the Outback to call the doctor, Flynn inspired Alf Traeger to invent the pedal wireless. Bush Nursing Stations, Old Timers Homes all these and more were part of Flynns endeavours to cast A Mantle Of Safety over the vast inland. Patrol Padres on camels, in Dodge utes, sleeping in swags under the stars, covering enormous areas over pot-holed dirt tracks fleshed out his vision For Christ and the continent. The Outback was the stage on which the Australian Inland Mission was born and on which the Presbyterian Inland Mission carries on the work today. Lord, bless those men who take the Gospel out today beyond the farthest fences and their wives who graciously support them and any hardships their children suffer. Flying over Timor Leste and Myanmar We didnt pass over Timor Leste, but it appeared on the edge of the Moving Map, so I thought of and prayed for the Evangelical Presbyterian Church of Timor Leste. Its been the privilege of the PCA to help extend Gospel work in fellowship with that church through PresAID, and a clutch of our present-day ministers have worked with the leaders there to spread the Gospel. Thank You Lord that there are no little people, no little places and bless those who have passed through many trials but are determined to work so hard with so little if only they may preach the Gospel.. Similarly Burma, now Myanmar appeared on the map even though we didnt fly over it, reminding me of the work of a great saint of earlier generations: Adoniram Judson, who could truly have said, Lord I have left all to follow Thee, and of a present-day saint, Rev Thang Bwee with whom we have such a close fraternal relationship as the Work goes on today. O may Your servants, faithful, true and bold, fight as the saints who nobly fought of old, and win with them the victors crown of gold, Hallelujah, Hallelujah! Amen! Mizoram only just showed up on the map, but I couldnt help giving thanks for the pioneering work of missionaries from the Presbyterian Church of Wales who took the Gospel there and established Mizoram as the Christian State of India. Being a Calvinistic Methodist myself at heart I praise God for this great work of Grace in a nation so hostile to the Gospel elsewhere within its borders. Flying over India So we came to India, crossing the coast over Calcutta, which moved me to think of three great saints, one of whom was martyred, with his three young boys, in the cause of Christ. Reginald Heber was the first Bishop of Calcutta and all points east. He is perhaps best remembered today as the author of three great hymns: Holy! Holy! Holy! Lord God Almighty, All Thy works shall praise Thy Name in Earth and sky and sea Heber must have studied geography as well as history, as he also wrote By cool Siloams shady rill, how sweet the lily grows a baptismal hymn described by one of his literary critics as perhaps the worst example of Georgian excess in geography, botany and theology. But wait, theres more. Heber also wrote From Greenlands icy mountains, from Africas sunny plains they call us to deliver their lands from errors chains. For some unaccountable reason other than possibly something called a great circle, I flew over Greenland on the way home from Billy Grahams funeral, almost completing my fly-over of Hebers geographical references. (Ive never flown over Sri Lanka, although it was on the Moving Map.) I love that hymn, old and flowery though it is, because its such a rousing call to mission, which Heber himself had obeyed in such an exemplary way. William Carey, reckoned by many to be the Father of the modern missionary movement, was next in my thoughts. What a remarkable man he was. It is given to some to rise up with wings like eagles, it is given to others to run and not grow weary, while to Carey (as to most of us) it was given to walk and not faint. Its amazing how much can be achieved by those who under God just keep plodding along. Year after year Carey kept plodding along, translating the Bible, establishing a publishing house decades before he found his first convert, Sundar Singh, who in turn wrote one of my favourite hymns: One who is all unfit to count as scholar in Thy school, Thou in Thy love hast named a friend, O Kindness Wonderful. The third person who came to mind was a man whom I counted as a dear friend and brother in Christ. Whenever he was home from the field he would visit us at New Life to update us on his work and call for prayer. A lovely, godly man, he gave (him)self wholly to the work of the Lord in his work among lepers in Orissa. Sadly an angry mob set fire to the vehicle in which Graham and the boys were sleeping one night, with the loss of all four. How totally depraved, how bad, how mad are those who persecute the saints of God even to their own detriment! O Lord arouse Your church to greater and greater missionary endeavour that the day may soon come when The Earth shall be filled with the Knowledge of God as the waters cover the sea. Flying over Pakistan We flew on, over the south western tip of Pakistan, where Christians are so vulnerable to persecution in so many lands in that part of the world. Truly, with every persecution, martyrdom and expulsion of Christians, those who cause these things are not winners but losers. As Isaac Watts wrote, Blessings abound where eer He reigns, the prisoner leaps to lose his chains; the weary find eternal rest, and all the sons of want are blest. Lord, open their eyes to see not only their sin and their need of the Saviour, but how in resisting You in so many evil ways, they are depriving themselves of Your blessing upon them. All of the above, however, was just a prelude to what would next unfold. We flew up above the Persian Gulf and between the Two Rivers, Tigris and Euphrates, which took me back to the Beginning when in those six glorious and consecutive days God created the Heavens and the Earth, when nothing became everything under His almighty hand and by His all-powerful Word. In this area he created and placed man, male and female. Flying over the Middle East Here they fell. Here He promised that in the fullness of time He would send a Redeemer. From here they went forth and multiplied. We flew above the Dead Sea, the Jordan River, the Sea of Galilee, Mount Carmel all named on the Moving map as well across the road to Damascus now apparently a six-lane freeway and on over Turkey. Oh the wonders which God in His Grace performed here! The stage on which the great events recorded in the Bible were played out was there before our very eyes. Thank You Lord for All things bright and beautiful, for the grace that sought us, for the blood that bought us, for the love that brought us to the Throne, wondrous love that brought us to the Throne. From here the acts on stage jumped out of chronological order: at the tip of the north eastern incursion of the Mediterranean into the land mass of Turkey was ancient Tarsus. A few minutes later we flew past Mt Ararat. There, almost seemingly at our eye level, Noahs Ark had come to rest. Flying over the early churches Then church history intruded into my reverie as we came into view of Cappadocia, where the intellectually gifted Cappadocian Fathers hammered out the answers to some of the finer but important questions of Christian history. Thank You Lord for faithful, believing scholars who continue to uphold the inspiration, truth, authority, relevance, sufficiency and wonder of Your Word. Yet a little while and the cities of Asia Minor where the Seven Churches had been established came into view, reminding us through the Apostle Johns writing in Revelation 2 and 3 that Jesus, is the Risen, Ruling and Returning Lord of the Church, her only King and Head. On over western Turkey and Greece we flew, over places once favoured to receive the originals of most of Pauls letters and beneficiaries of his missionary endeavours, then Rome to whom he wrote his magnum opus. I prayed for Turkey, once such a hub of church planting but later so mercilessly cast down and now so ruthlessly resisted. Lord, please restore the candlesticks to Your Church in Turkey as the missionaries persevere against great discouragement. London - arrived We arrived in London at nightfall, 7.30pm that night. My heart was filled with thankfulness for the great works of Christ in all the world. I had been blessed to have seen glimpses of the stage on which the Lord had performed His mighty deeds, and glad to affirm that: The day Thou gavest Lord is ended, The darkness falls at Thy behest. to Thee our morning hymns ascended; Thy praise shall sanctify our rest... As oer each continent and island The dawn brings on another day, The voice of prayer is never silent, Nor dies the strain of praise away... So be it Lord, Thy throne shall never Like Earths proud empires pass away, Thy Kingdom stands and grows forever Till all Thy creatures own Thy sway. BobThomas, (written, on his way from Melbourne to the UK Banner of Truth Conference) Photo - In flight window - Lines written above the earth Skincare entrepreneur Ryan Channing, the former partner of swimming great Ian Thorpe, has died in Bali aged 32. He was reportedly taken to hospital in Kuta on the Indonesian island on May 8. Ryan Channing and ex-boyfriend Ian Thorpe at an event at The Star in 2018. Credit:Dominic Lorrimer Channing was based in Sydney but had been filming a Netflix docuseries in LA about the global expansion of the skincare company he founded in 2016. Channing dated Thorpe for four years from 2015 to 2019 in what was Thorpes first public relationship since he came out in 2014. The Liberal MP for the Sydney seat of Reid, Fiona Martin, has denied she confused her Labor rival with another Asian-Australian candidate, maintaining claims that Sally Sitou was seat-shopping in the inner-west electorate. Prime Minister Scott Morrison has backed Martin, who told 2GB yesterday that Sitou was only running in Reid because she had been ousted by Kristina Keneally and couldnt run in Fowler. Sitou moved to the Reid electorate in 2019, two years before Keneally became the Fowler candidate, and has never previously stood for pre-selection in the south-west Sydney federal electorate that had been held by retired MP Chris Hayes since 2005. Sitou, who is Chinese-Australian, said Martin had either deliberately misled the public or mistaken her for Tu Le, a Vietnamese-Australian lawyer who was overlooked in favour of Keneally in Fowler last year. Martin has denied mixing up the two women. She doubled down in a Facebook post today, saying she was the granddaughter of Greek migrants and that Reid was the jewel in the crown of Australian multiculturalism. Our diversity is our strength. My record makes clear I would never direct a racial slur at anyone. There is no place for racism in Australia, and it should be called out, she said in the post. She did not clarify the claims she made about Sitou being a failed candidate in south-west Sydney, attacking Labor for distracting her instead. I wont be distracted by desperate political games played by the Labor Party and its seat-shopping candidates, she said. Loading Martin said her claims on 2GB were supported by a 2018 article in The Sydney Morning Herald, which reported Sitou was one of 12 candidates touted as a possibility to replace Cabramatta Labor MP Nick Lalich if he retired from state parliament. But the article makes no mention of Fowler or Keneally, and Lalich never retired from his state seat. The prime minister threw his support behind Martin during a press conference today. When a reporter told Morrison that Martins claims didnt add up, he replied: I dont accept that, because shes made that statement, and made it very clear. On Twitter, Sitou said it was frustrating and disappointing that Morrison had backed the inaccurate claims about me made by his candidate in Reid. Im going to spend the next nine days talking to voters about why we desperately need a change of government in this country, she said. University of Sydney staff have walked off the job and formed picket lines outside all campus entrances as union members begin a two-day strike. Students joined staff in the protests which the National Tertiary Education Union said resulted in widespread class cancellations and an empty campus. Students and staff picket an entry to Sydney University. Credit:Nick Moir The university downplayed the impact of the 48-hour strike action, and said most classes would go ahead as usual. Very few students and staff attended the university on Wednesday morning and cars were blocked from entering. Most campus eateries were also closed, the union said. Australias Anglican bishops have thwarted an attempt by the powerful, conservative Sydney diocese to have the national church affirm that marriage is only between a man and a woman, prompting dire warnings from Sydneys archbishop that the unity of the Australian church is in peril. The bishops voted against Sydneys statement by 12 to 10, vetoing what would otherwise have been clear support for a rejection of gay unions from the laity and clergy at a meeting on Wednesday of the churchs general synod, a national congress of ordained and lay Anglicans. The issue of same-sex marriage has splintered Anglican churches around the world. Any formal division in Australia could trigger an ugly showdown over who owns valuable assets, which, in Sydney, range from 200-year-old churches to sprawling schools. Sydney Archbishop Kanishka Raffel has warned the Anglican church is in a perilous position. Credit:Rhett Wyman As the synod prepared to vote, the Archbishop of Sydney, Kanishka Raffel, warned that if the unremarkable statement affirming the traditional view of marriage did not pass, then something was fundamentally awry. Cultural issues in the Queensland Police Service will be probed after a landmark report that exposed shortfalls in police responses to domestic and family violence. The state government has outlined terms of reference for the four-month Commission of Inquiry, to be led by Childrens Court president Deborah Richards, starting this month with a budget of $3.4 million. Queensland Police Commissioner Katarina Carroll and the union had been dismissive of the call for an inquiry in December. Credit:Matt Dennien It had committing to the investigation as part of its response to the first Womens Safety and Justice Taskforce report handed to the government in December, which found a widespread and negative culture undermined the work of some at the QPS trying to address the issue. The inquiry will look into whether there is, and if so, the extent and nature of, any cultural issues within the police service relating to the investigation of domestic and family violence identified in the McMurdo report. Sydney criminals threatened to burn down a Brisbane nightclub because young women were being recruited at the venue as mules to bring heroin into Australia from South-East Asia. The revelations were heard at the coronial inquest into the fatal 1973 firebombing of the Whiskey Au Go Go nightclub in Brisbanes Fortitude Valley in which 15 people died. Bernard Collaery is a lawyer and investigator by trade, but also served as ACT attorney-general. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen The inquest began its third stretch of hearings this week. Five weeks of hearings were held in June 2021 and January 2022. James Richard Finch and John Andrew Stuart were sentenced to life in prison over the attack. Both have since died. Victoria to ban public display of swastika Were sorry, this feature is currently unavailable. Were working to restore it. Please try again later. Dismiss The Greens will promise to abolish Australian Border Force and hand over its responsibilities to a re-established customs agency, police and the military, as it looks to ramp up pressure on Labor over its policies on asylum seekers in a minority government. Releasing the partys full suite of immigration policies on Thursday, Greens leader Adam Bandt and immigration spokesman Nick McKim will vow to push Labor into ending offshore detention and boat turnbacks if they hold the balance of power in parliament after the election. The Greens will pledge to abolish Australian Border Force. Credit:Wolter Peeters The comments open the door for a potentially tricky set of negotiations for Labor if there is a hung parliament. Labor has pledged to get rid of temporary protection visas, but supports boat turnbacks and offshore detention. The Greens will also announce a policy to drastically increase Australias annual refugee intake to 50,000, up from 13,750, with special refugee places for people fleeing Afghanistan and Ukraine, and to hold a royal commission into Australias offshore detention centres on Nauru and Manus Island. The Coalition says two prominent independent candidates have questions to answer after they attended a fundraiser hosted by an unregistered Chinese community charity and, in one case, directly criticised the governments approach to China. North Sydney candidate Kylea Tink and Bradfield candidate Nicolette Boele attended a fundraising gala dinner hosted by the fledgling Alice in Wendyland Charity Ltd on April 29. Liberal Ryde mayor Jordan Lane and former state Liberal MP Helen Sham-Ho also attended the function at Haymarket restaurant The Eight. Bradfield independent candidate Nicolette Boele and North Sydney independent candidate Kylea Tink at the Alice in Wendyland gala dinner. Credit:Social media Speaking from notes, Boele said there was fault on both sides in the breakdown of Australia-China relations but in my opinion, the government is unable and unwilling to pick up the phone to Beijing. Australia needs to establish a relationship with China built on mutual respect. You cant talk about China unless you can talk to and with China, she said. Local Liberals are boycotting her and her campaign, preferring to help out in other seats like North Sydney where Trent Zimmerman has been caught in a pincer movement between independent Kylea Tink and Labors Catherine Renshaw. Zimmerman had earlier called for Deves to be disendorsed. According to one well-connected Liberal, Deves Sky interview recanting her apology was set up deliberately to resuscitate the issue with the prime minister banking on getting asked about it at his press conference the next morning. Which he was. I am absolutely pleased that Ive been able to recruit and weve been able to appoint strong female Liberal candidates that wont just run with the pack when it comes to issues, but will actually stand up for what they believe in, Morrison said. Thats what being a Liberal is all about. Not everyone agreed. Hateful and hurtful, was how one Liberal described it, fearing for the future of the party if Frydenberg lost his seat. The PMO says it was unaware of Deves interview with Sky news until it aired. Another, a former MP, said Morrisons strategy not only amounted to deliberately sacrificing moderates, but of actively working against fellow Liberals ideologically opposed to him whom he disliked. He described the betrayal of sitting members as an act of treason. It is fatuous for Morrison to congratulate himself for choosing Deves when she makes Craig Kelly (another Morrison captains pick) look rational, and after he and his party have so badly mishandled the threat from the teal independents. Liberal candidate for Warringah Katherine Deves. Credit:James Brickwood The crude political tactics, the sledging, the denigration of obviously articulate, accomplished women for daring to challenge the Liberals best and brightest was manifestation of the sort of behaviour which had alienated those voters in the first place. Loading They have been accused of threatening to wreak havoc on democracy. They are daughters or nieces of Liberal royalty, they are doctors or small business owners yet they are mocked for allegedly allowing themselves to be manipulated by a male multimillionaire, Simon Holmes a Court. They have been branded fakes, stooges and anti-Liberal groupies. They have faced legal challenges for the great crime of putting up corflutes too soon and even had elderly family members dragged into the political fray. This petty, patronising campaign on top of Morrisons own poor behaviour on so many fronts has seen his problem with women go from bad to worse. Labors internal polling of key marginal seats has confirmed a visceral dislike of Morrison, adding weight to the complaint of moderate Liberals that he is the biggest drag on their vote. Although it is high everywhere, his unpopularity soars among women where his net approval rating is in the minus-20s. Among men it is in the minus-teens. The biggest turn-off nominated by voters is his refusal to accept responsibility, which explains why Labors thats not my job ad, and Anthony Albaneses use of it in the closing stages of the Nine debate, has cut through. Loading According to one source familiar with the Liberals internal polling, 70 per cent of Liberal voters defecting to the teal independents have been driven by their dislike of Morrison. The primary vote of moderate Liberals in those half-a-dozen blue-ribbon seats plunged to between the mid-30s and the low 40s. They need to get their primary vote up around 45 per cent to survive. Frydenbergs survival strategy is to plaster every piece of available space in his electorate with posters urging voters to Keep Josh. There is a near-invisible Liberal logo and no Morrison presence, virtual or actual. In fact, posters featuring Morrison with Liberal candidates are as rare as yowie sightings. People will win in these seats in spite of the prime minister, not because of him, according to one threatened MP still hopeful he could hang on. As well as Kooyong, Goldstein, Wentworth, Mackellar and Curtin under threat from independents, there is an ever-expanding list of prime Liberal real estate tilting to Labor including Bennelong, Reid, Chisholm, Higgins, Brisbane, Ryan and Leichhardt. Matthew Guy would no doubt bristle at the suggestion, but his strategy to win the November 26 state election differs little from the one adopted by Anthony Albanese to win the coming federal election. The Trump-era approach of lobbing Molotov cocktails from opposition in the hope this will derail an incumbent has probably passed its used by date. It worked for Tony Abbott in 2013, and to some degree for Daniel Andrews in 2014. But it feels like voters have wised up, and now seek stability, decency and integrity. Victorian Opposition Leader Matthew Guy. Credit:Paul Jeffers The new ethos for opposition is, remove as much daylight as possible in most policy areas, campaign hard on a few others including trust and integrity, make yourself a small target, and play the man. Hong Kong: Cardinal Joseph Zen, one of the most senior Catholic clerics in Asia, and three others who helped run a now-disbanded Hong Kong fund for protesters were arrested on charges of collusion with foreign forces, and later released on bail. Zen, a 90-year-old former bishop of Hong Kong, was questioned for several hours on Wednesday at the Chai Wan Police Station close to his church residence, before being released on police bail. The silver-haired Zen, wearing a white clerical collar, left without making any comment to the media. Hong Kongs outspoken cardinal Joseph Zen, center. Credit:AP Photo/Kin Cheung Local police said in a statement that the national security department of the police force had arrested two men and two women, ranging from 45- to 90-years-old for collusion with foreign forces on Tuesday and Wednesday. Police said they were suspected of asking for foreign sanctions. All were released on bail with their passports confiscated under the national security law, police said. Washington: In a nation where states can make it difficult to vote and every result may be contested, some Americans are asking again: why cant the US electoral system be more like Australias? They envy our centrally organised, independently run system replete with democracy sausages. Four months after US President Joe Bidens ambitious attempt to overhaul voting rights was blocked in the Senate, advocates, academics and politicians have begun pushing for a new wave of electoral reforms. US experts and politicians are considering the value of compulsory voting. Credit:Andrew Meares Were definitely in a crossroads moment where theres strong effort to open up the vote, as well as efforts to roll it back, said Miles Rapoport, a former Democrat secretary of state for Connecticut. But one of the things that we hope to do by promoting the idea of universal voting is to put a north star out there that says the best way to guarantee peoples right to vote is to assert it as a positive civic duty for every American. Since March, thousands of people have taken to the streets to protest against government officials and demand that they step down. (Photo: Image by Schaferle from Pixabay ) Activists in Sri Lanka have set fire to the houses of 38 politicians as the country's recession deepens, with the government instructing forces to shoot on sight. As irate Sri Lankans break a nationwide lockdown to demonstrate what they say is the government's mismanagement of the country's worst economic downturn since 1948, the police reported yesterday that 75 homes had been damaged in addition to those demolished. After the unrest left at least eight people killed since Monday, the Ministry of Defense instructed troops to shoot anyone spotted destroying state property or attacking authorities on Tuesday, however it is unknown if all of the deaths were tied directly to the rallies. The violence has left more than 200 people wounded. The country is undergoing a terrible economic crisis, with prices of daily products skyrocketing and widespread power outages lasting weeks. Thousands of anti-government protests have taken to the streets since March, calling for the government officials' resignation. On Tuesday, the country's former Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa was rescued by the military in a pre-dawn operation hours after he withdrew following confrontations between pro and anti-government protests. Protesters attempted to break into the prime minister's 'Temple Trees' private residential compound twice overnight, according to a top security source. His withdrawal came after nationally televised footage on Monday showed government loyalists wielding sticks hitting demonstrators and tearing down and blazing their tents across the capital. According to witnesses, dozens of residences were set on fire across the country as a result of the rioting. To disperse the demonstrators, armed soldiers were sent, and video footage showed police using tear gas and water guns. Until Thursday, a national lockdown has been enforced. However, it is uncertain whether the lockdown and the departure of the prime minister will be enough to keep the country's growing unstable situation under control. Many demonstrators claim that their ultimate goal is to push President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, the prime minister's brother, to resign, which he has yet to do. Regardless of political beliefs, the President asked everyone to remain calm and halt aggression and acts of revenge against people on Tuesday. The President tweeted, "All measures will be taken to reestablish political security through agreement, within the legal mandate, and to tackle the economic recession." The European Union and its 27 member states issued a statement on Tuesday condemning the "latest barbaric attack against peaceful demonstrators" and urging police to investigate. Dear Reader, Business Standard has always strived hard to provide up-to-date information and commentary on developments that are of interest to you and have wider political and economic implications for the country and the world. Your encouragement and constant feedback on how to improve our offering have only made our resolve and commitment to these ideals stronger. Even during these difficult times arising out of Covid-19, we continue to remain committed to keeping you informed and updated with credible news, authoritative views and incisive commentary on topical issues of relevance. We, however, have a request. As we battle the economic impact of the pandemic, we need your support even more, so that we can continue to offer you more quality content. Our subscription model has seen an encouraging response from many of you, who have subscribed to our online content. More subscription to our online content can only help us achieve the goals of offering you even better and more relevant content. We believe in free, fair and credible journalism. Your support through more subscriptions can help us practise the journalism to which we are committed. Support quality journalism and subscribe to Business Standard. Digital Editor Leading test prep company Aakash+BYJUS' managing director and deep-tech investor Aakash Chaudhry has led human resources (HR) automation firm HONO's Series A round of funding with $4 million (Rs 30 crore roughly). In a bid to double the scale of its operations, HONO has raised overall $5 million (Rs 37.7 crore approximately) in the Series A, including $ 1 million (Rs 7.7 crore approximately) from other individual investors such as Hemant Sultania, Amit Khanna of Amaya Ventures, and Harsh Gupta of Udayat Group. With over 300 clients including the likes of Indigo Airlines, Spencers Retail, HDFC Bank, and Aakash+BYJUS, among others and over one million employees on its AI-backed platform, HONO achieved a 2x growth during FY22. However, with a fresh Series A round of funding, HONO is now looking to scaling its business and sales vertical, by doubling its client numbers even as it aims to support five million people on the HONO platform in the current FY'23, said its founder and chief executive officer Mukul Jain. Moreover, HONO is looking to leverage the fresh corpus of funds to expand its operations across India, the Middle East, and Southeast Asia, increasing its market footprint and strengthening its product offering. "We will use the money to hire more innovators even as we look to double or even triple our revenues on the back of the funding. Currently, 85-90 per cent of our business comes from India which could change to 50-60 per cent going forward," said Jain while adding that HONO is also looking to increase the revenues from current $4 million to $15 million in the next two years. On a global level, the AI-enabled digitized HR tools and solutions market is globally estimated to be at around $24 billion which is growing by an additional $2-3 billion annually. On his part as a deep-tech investor, Chaudhry said that he will continue to look to invest in businesses that impact people directly such as HR and education. Commenting on HONO's work with Aakash-BYJU'S over the last 5-6 years, Chaudhry said that the latter was able to scale its people capabilities and build one of the largest training and development teams in test prep industry with the help of HONO's AI and technology tools. "Post Covid, there are several challenges in people management which even large are facing that cannot be met without cutting edge HR solutions. With HONO, Aakash Institute has transformed from an archaic system to digitalised HR solutions," said Chaudhry. Meanwhile, with this investment, Chaudhry will join the Board of Directors of the company and will be actively involved in guiding business operations. Apple is set to abandon iPhone Lightning port in favour of the universally accepted USB-C smartphone port in 2023, a top Apple analyst claimed on Wednesday. Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said in a tweet that new iPhones next year will come with the all-popular USB-C port. "My latest survey indicates that 2H23 (second half of 2023) new iPhone will abandon Lightning port and switch to USB-C port. USB-C could improve iPhone's transfer and charging speed in hardware designs, but the final spec details still depend on iOS support," Kuo said in a tweet. Apple introduced the Lightning port standard in September 2012. Phil Schiller, Apple Fellow who is responsible for leading App Store and Apple Events, had called it "a modern connector for the next decade". According to Kuo, it is expected to see existing USB-C-related suppliers of Apple's ecosystem (e.g., IC controller, connector) become the market's focus in the next 1-2 years, "thanks to vast orders from iPhones and accessories' adoption of USB-C ports." The smartphone industry at large has adopted the reversible USB-C standard. Apple recently added USB-C to its most recent iPads and using USB-C-compatible Thunderbolt ports on many Macs. The European Union is also considering a proposal that would make USB-C ports mandatory on smartphones and other electronics. --IANS na/ (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.) will hire 5 per cent more people in the April-June period compared to the first quarter (Q1) this year, a new report showed on Wednesday, as Covid infections decrease amid reopening of industries across the spectrum. With the successful rollout of vaccines and reduction in Covid-19 cases, most employers (77 per cent) now plan on having their people working from the office. The percentage increase in hiring volume is also likely to see a 3 per cent jump to reach 23 per cent during the April-June period compared to the January-March quarter, according to the quarterly hiring tracker by one of the leading job portals Indeed. First-time job seekers gained widespread acceptance from employers, with nearly eight out of 10 securing their jobs during the March quarter. Most of the hiring of first-time job seekers was from employers in the information technology (85 per cent), telecommunication (79 per cent) and e-commerce (75 per cent) sectors. "With the decrease in the number of Covid cases and the reopening of the economy in the past quarter, we have started seeing some stabilisation in the job market," said Sashi Kumar, Head of Sales, Indeed India. While 48 per cent of employees and jobseekers preferred working from the office while 31 per cent favoured remote or hybrid work as it offered more autonomy and flexibility. "We foresee that this hiring momentum will continue to increase in the coming quarter as more employees return to office," he added. The job roles such as data science, analytics and other technology roles continue to be in demand. (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.) Over 800 WhiteHat Jr employees have resigned from the Byjus-owned start-up in the last two months after being asked to work from office, according to an Inc42 exclusive report. Mumbai-based WhiteHat Jr, which was acquired by giant Byjus for $300 million in 2020, had asked all its employees to work from the within a months time. The employees who resigned didnt want to relocate to their respective locations. These include employees in areas such as sales, coding and math, according to the Inc42 report. In a company-wide email, the firm had asked its remote staff to return to the . According to the Inc42 report, a few employees termed the exercise a cost-cutting exercise and some said giving just a months time to relocate is not enough and the firm should have increased their pay for moving to expensive cities. In 2020, WhiteHat Jr founder Karan Bajaj sold his 18-month-old start-up to Byjus founder and chief executive officer Byju Raveendran for $300 million in an all-cash deal over the video conferencing platform Zoom itself. Bajaj continued to lead and scale this business in India and the US. Last year in August, Bajaj decided to move on and at that time it had grown as a team of over 17,000 employees and teachers in multiple countries around the world from India, Australia and UK to US and Latin America. Later, Ananya Tripathi, an MD at KKR Capstone and formerly a chief strategy officer at Myntra, was appointed as Whitehat Jr CEO. The sector has been witnessing consolidation over the last 12 months amid the pandemic. In February edtech startup Lido Learning shut operations. This led its employees to seek help via social media platforms. Many employees and vendors complained about not getting salaries for nearly two months and delayed payments on professional networking platforms and social media. Recently, edtech unicorn Unacademy laid off about 600 employees comprising nearly 10 per cent of its workforce in a move that is being seen as a focus on profitability as well as consolidation and cost-cutting drive in the space amid the pandemic, according to the sources. The SoftBank-backed firm has a workforce of 6,000 laid-off full-time employees, contractual workers and educators across the organisation. Based on the outcome of several assessments, Bengaluru-based Unacademy had said a small subset of employee, contractor, and educator roles were re-evaluated due to role redundancy and performance, as is common for any organization of our size and scale. Recently, edtech unicorn Vedantu also fired about 200 contractual as well full-time employees. "As part of our back-to-work drive, most of our Sales and Support employees have been asked to report to Gurgaon and Mumbai offices from April 18. We have made exceptions for medical and personal exigencies and have offered relocation assistance as required. Our teachers will continue to work from home," said a WhiteHat Jr. spokesperson. "WhiteHat Jr.'s vision is to democratize education in India to enable the next generation to learn critical skill sets and become technology creators of the future. We continue to invest in developing relevant curriculum for students and build a strong teacher community with high recruitment and training standards." PAG, an Asia-Pacific focussed investment firm, is picking up a controlling stake in Hyderabad based Optimus Drugs, a statement said. Sources reveal that PAG along with consortium partners CX Partners and have reached an agreement to invest Rs 2,000 crore in Optimus drugs. PAG did not disclose the exact stake size. A source close to the development revealed that Optimus Drugs, Optimus (a 100 per cent promoter owned company), Optimus Lifesciences (100 per cent promoter owned company) are part of the transaction. While exact stake size is not disclosed, the source said that PAG and consortium will have a controlling stake in Optimus Drugs. It is estimated to be around 70 per cent. had picked up a 20 per cent stake in two Optimus Group in 2018. The deal included the 20 per cent stake of . According to a regulatory filing by Laboratories, its board has approved entering into a share purchase agreement with Optimus and Sekhmet Pharmaventures (Purchaser). Unichem Labs has proposed to sell its entire shareholding in Optimus to Sekhmet by secondary transfer of shares - which is sale of 19.97 per cent equity shares in first tranche for an aggregate consideration of Rs 270.99 crore ($35.8 million). Optimus Drugs is a vertically integrated manufacturer of pharmaceutical products including advanced intermediates, active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) and finished drugs. The company was founded in 2004 by D Srinivas Reddy and today exports its catalog of more than 100 drug products to 40 countries. The deal marks the second acquisition by the consortiums API platform, Sekhmet Pharmaventures, which aims to develop a best-in-class hub for the development and production of bulk drug ingredients. In 2020, the consortium acquired control of Chennai-based API manufacturer Anjan Drugs. "The businesses of the two are highly complementary and will provide a solid foundation for the platform to make further acquisitions," the statement said. As of December 31, 2021, PAG has invested over $ 580 million in private equity deals in India, including the 2021 acquisition of Acme Formulation, a contract development and manufacturing outsourcing (CDMO) company with a focus on complex pharmaceutical products. Nikhil Srivastava, Partner and Managing Director, Head of India Private Equity for PAG said: We are very pleased to be partnering with Dr. Reddy, Optimus Drugs and its employees to help them become one of the leading API players globally. Optimus is a clear leader in R&D, manufacturing, and intellectual property management. Were looking forward to continuing their mission to deliver high quality, affordable health products across the globe. Said D Srinivas Reddy, Optimus Founder and Managing Director: We are excited to be a part of this PAG-led platform. The combined experience of PAG, CX Partners and Samara will help Optimus become a leading player in the global API industry, and further our mission of ensuring better health outcomes for all. Reddy and his family owned around 80 per cent in the Group companies, according to market sources. Jayendra Shah acted as transaction advisor, N.A. Shah Advisory Services LLP acted as financial and tax advisors and Khaitan & Co. acted as legal advisors to the promoters in the transaction. For the PAG-led consortium, AZB acted as legal advisors and Citadel Management Consulting, a Hyderabad-based advisory firm, acted as financial advisor. on Wednesday expanded its electric vehicle range in the country with the launch of Nexon EV MAX, priced between Rs 17.74-19.24 lakh (ex-showroom). Equipped with a 40.5 kWh lithium-ion battery pack, the Nexon EV Max offers 33 per cent higher battery capacity than the Nexon EV, delivering ARAI certified range of 437 km (under standard testing conditions), ensuring uninterrupted inter-city travel. ARAI refers to Automotive Research Association of India. The model produces 105 kW (143 PS) of power and delivers a torque of 250 Nm, resulting in 0 to 100 sprint times in under 9 seconds. It comes in two trims -- the Nexon EV Max XZ+ and Nexon EV Max XZ+ Lux -- and features 30 new additional safety and comfort features like seat ventilation for front passengers, air purifier, wireless smartphone charging, auto-dimming IRVM and cruise control. The Max XZ+ trim with 3.3 kW charger is priced at Rs 17.74 lakh while the same trim with 7.2 kW fast charger is tagged at Rs 18.24 lakh. The XZ+ Lux trim with 3.3 kW charger is tagged at Rs 18.74 lakh while the same variant with 7.2 kW charger is priced at Rs 19.24 lakh. The 7.2 kW AC fast charger can be installed either at home or at the workplace, which helps in reducing charging time to 6.5 hours. The Nexon EV MAX also supports faster charging -- 0 to 80 per cent in just 56 minutes from any 50 kW DC fast charger. "Keeping customer centricity at the core and dedicated to bringing in newer products at regular and quick intervals, we are elated to launch the new Nexon EV MAX an SUV that offers all EV users MAX freedom to undertake regular and uninterrupted long distance travel," Tata Passenger Electric Mobility Head, Marketing, Sales and Service Strategy Vivek Srivatsa noted. The SUV offers more range, more power, and faster charging while improving the overall driving efficiency, providing an uncompromised EV ownership experience, he added. The Nexon EV Max features 3 driving modes eco, city and sport - and gets eight new features on the upgraded ZConnect 2.0 connected car technology. The new Nexon EV MAX is powered by high voltage state-of-the-art Ziptron technology and will be available in two trim options the Nexon EV Max XZ+ and Nexon EV Max XZ+ Lux The ZConnect app offers 48 connected car features enabling deeper drive analytics and diagnostics. The add-on feature list covers a smartwatch integration, auto/manual DTC check, setting a limit for charging, monthly vehicle reports, and enhanced drive analytics. The model comes with enhanced safety features like ESP with i-VBAC (intelligent vacuum-less boost & active control), hill hold, hill descent control, electronic parking brake and all four-disc brakes. Besides, the battery and motor on Nexon EV Max is eight years or 1.6 lakh km. Tata Passenger Electric Mobility (Vice President, Product Line & Operations) Anand Kulkarni said the company has been trying to ramp up production of EVs despite chip shortage challenges. "Last year this time we were producing just 500-600 units. This has gone up significantly. Last month, we rolled out around 3,500 units...So we are trying to overcome the situation of chip shortage and to reduce waiting periods," he added. Since its entry into the personal EV space in 2020, has sold over 25,000 EVs, out of which over 19,000 are Nexon EVs. "The Nexon EV Max is a testament to our state-of-the-art high voltage EV architecture Ziptron, designed for unique Indian driving and weather conditions. It offers significantly enhanced range, safety, performance and luxury to give a truly MAX experience to our customers," Kulkarni said. With more than 30 new features in the Nexon EV MAX and three mainstream EV offerings for personal segment buyers, is set on an ever evolving journey to bring performance and technology to the fore, he added. Tata Motors had earlier stated that it is planning to invest Rs 15,000 crore in the EV business in the next five years. Last year, the company raised USD 1 billion in funding from private equity major TPG for EV business, valuing the vertical at USD 9.1 billion. Tata Motors currently sells three electric models -- Nexon EV, Tigor EV and Xpres-T EV -- in the domestic market. The company reported 353 per cent growth in its EV sales last fiscal compared to 2020-21. (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.) Technologies said it is doing a fresh round of recruitment for its India tech centres and is planning to hire 500 more tech employees by December. The app-based mobility and delivery company has a 1,000-member tech team across its centres in Hyderabad and Bengaluru. The firm said the hiring plan is a testament to Ubers commitment to India, and its recognition of the engineering talent in the country. hired 250 engineers to its India teams in 2021. The company has been expanding teams at all its tech centres across the globe, including the US, Canada, LatAm, Amsterdam, and at its twin centres in India. India is a key market for and we continue investing in the twin tech centres here, said Praveen Neppalli Naga, vice president and head of mobility engineering, Uber. Naga is based in San Franciso and is on a visit to India to reveal the hiring plans and inaugurate a new office. The teams play a crucial role in driving world-class innovations by launching products and services globally. We are committed to making mobility available at everyones fingertips, and the strength of our technology sets us apart in this regard. Earlier this week, Uber inaugurated a new floor at its Bengaluru tech centre. Dr. C. N. Ashwath Narayan, Minister of IT, Karnataka officially unveiled the new space in Bengaluru. The hiring in India is taking at a time when Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi in a letter to employees said that the company is tightening its belt as investors are now asking questions about profitability and cash flows. The company said that it will hire only it needs and will cut down on marketing budgets. That email was meant for internal employees. But this is not the first time. We always look at how the resources are allocated, the priorities that the engineers are working on and reprioritise properly, said Naga, in an interview. Lets say we have the 1,000 member tech team here, we have to see how they are allocated for priorities. So that the next 500 techies or engineers that we are hiring are working on the highest-priority stuff. That is the message. Jayaram Valliyur, senior director, engineering, Uber said the tech teams at Uber are driving pioneering innovations in the area of mobility and delivery. Were excited to onboard passionate problem solvers to our team, to collectively lead people into cities of the future, said Valliyur. Manikandan Thangarathnam, senior director, engineering, Uber said the company is looking for the best-in-class engineers, data scientists, and program managers to join its global engineering and product teams, with the aim of Building locally, and scaling globally. We are excited about the possibilities that a rapidly evolving mobility space presents, said Thangarathnam. We will continue to lead innovations for our customers across the world. Ubers tech journey in India started in 2014 at a bungalow in Jubilee Hills, Hyderabad, and has expanded over the years to a point where its tech centres in the country are now its second-largest in the world, following its facilities in the US. The centres at Hyderabad and Bengaluru handle critical functions for Uber such as Rider Engineering, Eats Engineering, Infra tech, Data, Maps, Uber for Business, FinTech, Customer Obsession, and Growth and Marketing. However, with complaints mounting, the government has warned cab aggregators like Uber and Ola to comply with surge pricing and driver cancellation mandates as laid down under the Motor Vehicle Aggregator Guidelines within a month, or else face penal provisions, sources said. Moreover, the Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) is soon expected to come up with a draft advisory for online cab aggregators. The warning, sources said, came at a meeting held Tuesday between the consumer affairs ministry and representatives of ride-hailing platforms such as Ola, Uber, Meru, Rapido, and Jugnu, among others. When asked, how Uber is addressing such issues, Naga of Uber said that the firm can make a huge impact through technology solutions. One example is that driver-partners will get to know the destination before accepting the trip. There are several ideas that we are working on, said Naga. Of course, we are very interested in working along with the governments and actually partnering with them to find solutions. And that works not just in India but across the world. The government has told the aggregators there is a rise in consumer complaints of alleged unfair trade practices by them, including ride cancellation policy, as drivers force customers to cancel trips after accepting bookings. This results in customers paying cancellation penalties. Regarding driver cancelling the (trip), the important thing is how do we make sure that they make a good decision so that after they make a decision to accept the ride, they dont cancel, said Manikandan Thangarathnam of Uber. We are starting to showcase end destination and payment modes. There are a lot more parameters which also influence the decisions. It is an ongoing process. At the end of the day, we want to do the right thing for the riders as well as drivers. Coworking major has taken 660,000 square feet on lease in realty firm Bhutani group's commercial project in Noida as part of its expansion plan to meet rising demand of flexible workspace. "We have given an entire office tower comprising 660,000 square feet, on 15 years lease to WeWork India," Bhutani group CEO Ashish Bhutani told PTI. The office tower is part of 3 million square feet Bhutani Alphathum project. Bhutani group owns about 40 per cent of this 660,000 square feet space while the remaining areas have been sold to individual investors, he added. "We have the leasing right for this entire tower on behalf of our investors," Bhutani said. According to him, the two partners will share revenue in the first two years of operations. "From the third year onwards monthly rentals will be Rs 55 per square feet," Bhutani said. It is one of the largest commercial real estate transactions facilitated by real estate advisory firm Colliers India. Set to open in Q4 2022, WeWork Alphathum will house over 8,500 desks. "We welcome WeWork at Bhutani Alphathum and are committed in providing them with the highest quality of services," Bhutani said. The company has expand its network in Noida through Bhutani Alphathum, Arnav S. Gusain, Head of Real Estate, Product and Procurement at said. Bhupindra Singh, Managing Director, North India at Colliers, said, "WeWork caters to a diverse mix of clients providing them with flexible workspace solutions. Now expanding their footprint in Bhutani group's Alphathum, WeWork will establish a strong presence along Noida Greater Noida Expressway. Recently, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Karan Virwani highlighted that the company has become profitable for the first time during January-March 2022 period, with a profit of Rs 25 crore at EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization) level. "Our revenue was Rs 250 crore during the first quarter of this calendar year. We expect Rs 1,000 crore revenue in 2022 calendar year," he said. At present, WeWork India has a portfolio of 5 million square feet. It currently has a presence in six major cities, including Delhi-NCR, Mumbai and Bengaluru. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Several parts of and are bracing for heavy rain as severe Asani weakened to a cyclonic storm on Wednesday, as it barrelled towards north coastal Andhra Pradesh, packing wind speed of 85 km per hour, the Met Department said. The weather system is likely to further lose steam and turn into a depression by Thursday morning, it said. It is very likely to move nearly northwards for next few hour and recurve slowly north-northeastwards along Narsapur, Yanam, Kakinada, Tuni and Visakhapatnam coasts during noon to evening on Wednesday, and emerge into west central off North coasts by night, the India Meteorological Department said in a bulletin. The government has put five southern districts - Malkangiri, Koraput, Rayagada, Ganjam and Gajapati - on high alert, as they are likely to be affected by the that may touch land mass between Kakinada and Visakhapatnam, about 200 km from . Light to moderate rain or thundershower is likely to occur in Malkangiri, Koraput, Rayagada, Kalahandi, Ganjam, Gajapati, Kandhamal, Nayagarh, Khurda, Puri, Cuttack and Bhubaneswar, the Regional Meteorological Centre said. Special Relief Commissioner (SRC) P K Jena said 60 ODRAF (Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force) units and 132 teams of fire service personnel have been deployed in the state, considering the emerging situation. The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) has earmarked a total of 50 teams for undertaking rescue and relief operations in areas affected by Asani, the federal agency said. Of the 50 teams, 22 have been deployed on the ground in West Bengal, Odisha and while the remaining 28 have been asked to be on alert within these states, an NDRF spokesperson said. Meanwhile, the weather office in Kolkata said the system is likely to cause light to moderate rain in the districts of Gangetic . "Heavy rainfall is likely at one or two places over Purba and Paschim Medinipur, North and South 24 Parganas and Nadia districts of Gangetic till Thursday morning," it said. Kolkata recorded 44.8 mm of rainfall in the past 24 hours till 8.30 am, the Met Department said. The weather office had asked fishermen to suspend fishing operations in the region as sea condition is likely to be high over west central and adjoining northwest till Wednesday evening, and very rough to rough over the same region thereafter on Thursday. It said storm surge of height about 0.5 m above astronomical tide is likely to inundate low lying areas of Krishna, East and West Godavari districts of and Yanam of Union Territory of Puducherry. The weatherman has been monitoring the cyclonic storm since the first signs of its formation emerged last week. It has issued 30 national bulletins since May 7, predicting the track of the and alerting civic administrations about the possible damage it could cause. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Chief Minister will hold a meeting with senior state government officials on Wednesday to take stock of the COVID-19 situation, a top bureaucrat said. Senior officials, including the chief secretary and health secretary, will be present at the meeting. Meanwhile, the state reported 46 fresh cases of COVID-19 on Tuesday, 25 more than the previous day, taking the tally to 20,18,646. The positivity rate also rose to 0.68 per cent from Monday's 0.41 per cent, the bulletin said. There were no fatalities during the day and the death toll remained at 21,203. The number of active cases have increased from 408 on Monday to 417. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) in charge Avinash Pande on Wednesday alleged that is trying to destabilise the state government through intimidation. The General Secretary of the party said: "The MLAs are being intimidated and central agencies are being used to create confusion in the government and to destabilise the coalition." He asserted that the MLAs are intact and the Hemant Soren-led government will complete the term mandated by the people. Rumours about MLAs' rebellion is incorrect and is aimed at creating confusion in the party. Pande said that an FIR has been registered against him for violating poll code which was unwarranted as he was in the state for organisational meetings. Last week, the Election Commission had issued a notice to Chief Minister Hemant Soren's brother and state MLA Basant Soren in the mining lease issue. Basant Soren is the MLA from Dumka. The ECI has already sent a notice to Hemant Soren seeking his stand on charges that he issued a mining lease in the state in his favour. In the notice, the Commission said that his act prima facie violates Section 9A of the Representation of the People Act, which deals with the disqualification of a lawmaker for the government contract. In April, the Commission also contacted the Chief Secretary, asking him to authenticate documents related to the lease allotment. The Commission has already started examining a set of documents and details furnished to it from the state government in the last week of April on a stone mining lease allotted to the present CM of the state by state authorities. Section 9A of the PR Act says that a person shall be disqualified if, and for so long as, there subsists a contract entered into by him in the course of his trade or business with the appropriate government for the supply of goods to, or for the execution of any works undertaken by that 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.) Even as the Centre plans to distribute iron-fortified across the Public Distribution System (PDS) by March 2024, a fact-finding team of civil society activists has found there is a perception on the ground, and fear, that plastic-rice has been mixed with normal in the name of fortification. In some cases, beneficiaries have also complained of abdominal discomfort, gastritis, diarrhoea and nausea after eating fortified . The fact-finding team also found serious lacunas and flaws in the manner in which the programme was being implemented in pilot districts that included distribution of fortified rice without proper labelling and warning about its adverse impact on people with sickle-cell anaemia and Thalassemia. The fact-finding team included Dr Vandana Prasad, a public health expert also associated with the Right to Food campaign; Kavitha Kuruganti, farmers rights activist with ASHA-Kisan Swaraj; Balram and James Herenz of Right to Food Campaign, Jharkhand; Rohin Kumar of Greenpeace India; Soumik Banerjee of ASHA-Kisan Swaraj; and Raj Shekhar Singh of Right to Food Campaign National Secretariat. The team visited five villages in Khunti and East Singhbhum districts between 8 and 10 May, 2022, and met with beneficiaries, dealers, CHC doctors, ASHA and Anganwadi workers, cooks in Anganwadis and schools, officials and patients in district-level hospitals, besides one rice mill owner and some others. Fortified rice is not a proven approach to tackle anaemia effectively, according to published papers and reviews. It is surprising that the Government of India, in a hasty blanket approach, has already scaled up distribution of fortified rice to 257 districts across India, even though the so-called pilots have not completed three years, nor have they been evaluated. Even the findings have not been put out in the public domain, an official statement by the team members said. It said official data on the government portal shows fortified rice being distributed in two blocks of Jharkhand's East Singhbhum (the designated Pilot district in the state) only from October 2021. However, without any data being shared on the portal about the distribution in other districts, fortified rice has already been taken to several districts. What is the meaning or purpose of the Pilot then, the team asked in its statement. The team also found that a vast majority of women were picking out and throwing away the Fortified Rice Kernels (FRK) added to rice. These women includedthose who cooking for Anganwadi and School meals. FRKs are clearly identifiable from the real rice kernels. They are being picked out by hand, and later, during washing of the rice before cooking (FRK is floating up), the team observed. They also found that no information was given to, or prior consent obtained from, communities which had been recipients of this fortified rice. Neither dealers nor village-level frontline workers of various departments were informed beforehand about the fortified rice. It appears as if the Government of India wanted to implement this programme quietly, if not clandestinely, and that the government was under the misapprehension that FRK blended with regular rice will go unnoticed and get consumed by citizens without any questions (being asked), the report said. The team also found that FSSAI and the government's own regulations on packaging and labelling of fortified food and strict warning as to who should not consume them were being clearly violated on the ground. According to the Centres target, 37.5 million tonnes of fortified rice is planned to be distributed through the Targeted Public Distribution Scheme (TPDS) and Other Welfare Schemes (OWS) by March 2024. This, according to the 2020-21 foodgrains distribution plan, is equal to the entire quantum of rice allocated by the government. According to a reply given in Parliament a few weeks ago, the Centre plans to distribute 3.5 million tonnes of fortified rice in ICDS and Pm-POSHAN schemes in the 2021-22 financial year. This will be scaled up to 17.5 million tonnes by March 2023 to include 291 aspirational districts alongside the ICDS and PM-POSHAN schemes. Thereafter, by March 2024, all TPDS and OWS will be covered by fortified rice in the country. Fortification of rice with essential nutrients has been started on a pilot basis for three years from 2019-20 with a total outlay of Rs 174.64 crore. The pilot focuses on 15 districts across 15 states (preferably one district per state). The Indian Institute of Technology (Banaras Hindu University), Varanasi, will collaborate with Australian National University (ANU) for research. According to the IIT (BHU) spokesperson, a high-level delegation led by Prof. Jagadish Chennupati, who is currently a professor of physics at Australian National University (ANU) Research School of Physics and Engineering, visited IIT-BHU. He was accompanied by Prof. Alexander Mikheyev and Jay Poria. In a meeting chaired by IIT-BHU director Prof. Pramod Kumar Jain, various avenues of joint collaborations, student and faculty exchange between IIT(BHU) and ANU were discussed. A long-term goal in terms of joint Ph.D degree was also discussed between both the institutes. Prof. Jagadish spoke about the 'Chennupati and Vidya Jagadish Endowment Fund', a scheme through which researchers from IIT-BHU can visit and access the research facilities through internships and project fellowships. A range of topics like the frontier areas of research in physics, including nanotechnology, photonics, healthcare and sustainable energy were discussed in great detail. Prof. Alexander Mikheyev talked about the co-evolution of parasites/diseases with their hosts using honeybees as model organisms. He stressed that such an investigation would be helpful in predicting the severity of any future pandemic and India has a great role to play in this regard as a plethora of genetically diverse honeybee species are found in India as compared to Australia where only few such species are found. Prof. Jain said that the long-term relationship and research collaboration between IIT-BHU and ANU can be achieved through this programme. He also added that it would give students and researchers the opportunity to study at ANU and pursue collaborative research for up to 12 weeks at first stage. Prof. Jain also stressed that this is high time to engage in a bilateral academic relationship between India and Australia. He also showed interest in inviting researchers and students to visit IIT-BHU for their academic activities and research. --IANS amita/svn/ (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The ties between India and China will "remain strained" in the wake of the "lethal clash" in 2020, the community has told lawmakers as it also expressed concerns over any potential crisis between India and Pakistan. In its annual threat assessment presented before the Senate Armed Services Committee during a Congressional hearing on Tuesday, the community said the expanded military posture by both India and China along the disputed border elevates the risk of armed confrontation between the two nuclear powers that might involve direct threats to US persons and interests and calls for America's intervention. "Relations between New Delhi and Beijing will remain strained in the wake of the lethal clash in 2020, the most serious in decades, it said. Previous standoffs have demonstrated that persistent low-level friction on the Line of Actual Control (LAC) has the potential to escalate swiftly, the report said. India has been consistently maintaining that peace and tranquillity along the LAC were key for the overall development of the bilateral ties. The eastern Ladakh border standoff between the Indian and Chinese militaries erupted on May 5, 2020, following a violent clash in the Pangong lake areas. Both sides gradually enhanced their deployment by rushing in tens of thousands of soldiers as well as heavy weaponry. India and China have held 15 rounds of military talks so far to resolve the eastern Ladakh row. As a result of the talks, the two sides completed the disengagement process last year on the north and south banks of the Pangong lake and in the Gogra area. Each side currently has around 50,000 to 60,000 troops along the LAC in the sensitive sector. The assessment also noted that crises between India and Pakistan are of particular concern because of the risk however low of an escalatory cycle between two nuclear-armed states. Pakistan has a long history of supporting anti-India militant groups; under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, India is more likely than in the past to respond with military force to perceived or real Pakistani provocations, and each side's perception of heightened tensions raises the risk of conflict, with violent unrest in Kashmir or a militant attack in India being potential flashpoints, it said. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Hopes of cabinet aspirants in Karnataka soared high after Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai met Union Home Minister in the national capital on Wednesday. Sources in the BJP stated that the meeting was held to finalise the list of candidates and to take a final call on crucial issues such as according cabinet berths to former Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa's son B.Y. Vijayendra and former Minister Ramesh Jarkiholi and others. The confusion surrounding or cabinet overhaul is likely to end soon. The final lists in this connection are ready and have reached the high command. The party high command has got the survey of performance and popularity of ministers done through its sources. The party is contemplating to have the cabinet in place which is beneficial for the party in the upcoming assembly elections, sources said. Meanwhile, the number of cabinet berths is growing day by day and all are looking ahead for the decision on . Meanwhile, opposition Congress leaders have already issued statements that many top leaders from BJP have approached them. The BJP high command is treading cautiously and taking time to make decision. The high command is thinking of dropping old non-performing ministers. The sitting ministers, who are anxious about the development, have started lobbying through their godfathers in New Delhi. The party is also considering the elections to seven seats in the Legislative Council on June 3. It is considering to announce cabinet rejig after the election, sources said. There are five vacant cabinet berths presently and the party wants to induct ten new faces. The party is also contemplating about change of guard in the state Home ministry. Present Revenue Minister R. Ashok is said to be preferred for the job. Presently, staunch RSS man Araga Jnanendra is holding the state Home portfolio. National General Secretary (organisation) B.L. Santhosh's recent statement that "capacity to change leadership is the strength of BJP" has caused ripples in state's political corridors. After Santosh's statement, debates of change of Chief Minister in Karnataka started, post which state BJP chief Nalin Kumar Kateel and former Chief Minister Yediyurappa clarified that there is no discussion on changing the Chief Minister of the state. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A passenger fainted at the last week when she was not allowed to board Air India's Delhi-Vadodara flight for being late, with her relatives alleging she was not immediately provided any medical assistance. The airline, however, refuted the charge, saying a doctor had arrived at the spot immediately but the passenger was already feeling better. A video circulating on social media shows a middle-aged woman lying on the floor near the boarding gates and her relatives arranging water for her. Legal experts Wednesday termed "historic" the order to put on hold the "archaic" colonial-era penal law on sedition till it is reexamined by an appropriate government forum. Senior lawyers Rakesh Dwivedi, Vikas Singh and Vikas Pahwa hailed the order, opining it was a timely course-correction keeping in mind the abuse of the provision. "The order is historic. The course-correction is timely. In view of it, now no one can be prosecuted under Section 124A. No new FIR can be registered," Dwivedi said. Singh said the 1962 judgement on 124A in the Kedar nath Singh had corrected the shortcomings of the penal provision, but, the police officials did not read the verdict and mechanically lodge case under the provision after using the definition of the IPC. "It was totally being misused. This is the right course of action (SC's order), because Parliament has not been willing to do anything and the harassment is going on unabated all across the country, so definitely the court had to step in," Singh, who is also the SCBA president, said. Welcoming the order, Pahwa said since the central government has already filed an affidavit acknowledging their reconsideration of the law on sedition, the has rightly passed the direction to keep Section 124A IPC at abeyance till further re-examination is concluded. Dwivedi said, however, the top court has permitted reconsideration by the Centre for "narrowly tailoring the new law to protect security and integrity of the nation". "Recent abuse of section 124A by various governments in India stresses the need for a relook and narrowly tailored law in accordance with the doctrine of proportionality and fundamental nature of personal liberty under Article 21 of the Constitution," he said. Dwivedi said the law is archaic and was inserted in the IPC to deal with fallouts of the 1857 rebellion and its aftermath. Singh said that the was drafted by the British and had definite shortcomings. Those shortcomings were corrected by the Kedar Nath Singh judgement of the Supreme court, which literally rewrote the law', but Parliament did not do anything to amend the law to bring it in conformity with that judgment, he said. In the Kedar Nath judgment, the apex court had reasoned that the penalisation of sedition is a constitutionally valid restriction on the right to freedom of expression only when the words are intended to disturb public peace by violence. So, what was happening was that the police officers would not follow the Kedar Nath judgment but follow the IPC and kept on harassing on the plain reading of the law in the IPC, Singh said. Pahwa said by keeping the operation of the Section in abeyance, the authorities shall be compelled to examine the matter expeditiously, as the misuse of the offence of sedition was noticed frequently in various states. The order of restraint passed by the will also facilitate the release of many accused from incarceration, particularly in cases where the offence of sedition was not prima facie made out, he said. In a path-breaking order, the Supreme Court on Wednesday put on hold the colonial-era penal law on sedition till an appropriate government forum re-examines it and directed the Centre and states to not register any fresh FIR invoking the offence. Besides the lodging of FIRs, ongoing probes, pending trials and all proceedings under the across the country will also be in abeyance, a Supreme Court bench headed by Chief Justice of India N V Ramana ruled. (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.) Speaker on Tuesday congratulated the people of on the occasion of the golden jubilee of the state assembly. Birla's message was read out by assembly Speaker Lalrinliana Sailo during a special session convened to mark 50 years of the Legislative Assembly. Birla was earlier invited to grace the golden jubilee celebration but he was not able to attend it. In his message, Birla said that is an important land-bridge in India's Act-East policy, making the country's critical trade and connectivity linkages with Myanmar and Bangladesh. He stated that the North East region occupies a unique and distinctive position in the country's socio-cultural and geo-political landscape. The NE region is also known for its impressive human development, including the high socio-economic status of women, he said. The Speaker also lauded Mizoram's peaceful electoral processes as "admirable.' The special session was presided over by state Governor Hari Babu Kambhampati, while Assam assembly Speaker Biswajit Daimary also graced the event. Addressing the house, Kambhampati said a legislative assembly is the embodiment of the aspirations and the ultimate will of the people of a state. The enduring success of the historic Mizoram Peace Accord of 1986 is a testament to the will of the people of the state, the governor said adding that it became a catalyst for positive change towards the path of development. He also thanked civil society organisations and religious bodies for their contribution to making Mizoram one of the most peaceful states in the country. Chief Minister Zoramthanga said, "We are a shining example of the benefits of peace and it is upon us to take the message of peace to the rest of the nation and to the world." Biswajit Daimary paid rich tributes to the Mizo woman Ropuiliani who fought valiantly against the British and was imprisoned for that. (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 Ministry of Health may not allow a vaccine as booster shot different than the primary jab following a study on mixing different vaccines, according to a news report on Wednesday. A study published by Christian Medical College in Vellore (CMC), found that a booster shot different from the primary vaccines, such as Covishield or Covaxin, did not produce satisfactory results, the Economic Times reported. The study was carried out on 200 participants to determine how a fully vaccinated person reacts to a booster dose different than the primary vaccine. According to the study, if the booster shot is same as the first two doses, it boosts immunity well, but when mixed with different vaccine, the results are not as good. The ET report, quoting a person in the know, said interfering with the present vaccination drive is pointless as results of mixing different vaccines did not yield encouraging results, thus it is better to continue with the present regimen. The National Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (NTAGI) reviewed the study last week. NTAGI is an advisory committee comprising multidisciplinary experts responsible for providing information and recommendations to government for making evidence-based decisions regarding vaccine and immunisation policy. "CMC will submit trial data to the Drug Controller General of India and it is up to them to decide," said Winsley Rose, principal investigator of the study to ET, adding it is correct to say that heterologous (mix and match) practice is better than a homologous one. At present, the government does not allow mixing and is giving same vaccine as the third dose. Chief Minister on Tuesday exhorted people to expose those who want to create division and divide people on the basis of caste, creed, region and language. On a visit to this district, the chief minister said the state has shown that unnecessary loudspeakers can be removed and that the 'alvida namaz' can be offered not on the streets but in places of worship. He also advised people to beware of people who are still indulging in the conspiracy to divide. "Those who want to create division in the society, want to divide on the basis of caste, creed, region and language, we have to expose them. "We have to beware of those who are trying to push us towards the era of slavery. We have to break the plans of such people," the chief minister said addressing a programme at the Victoria Park here on the occasion of Kranti Diwas. He asked people to trust the present government, saying under the leadership of the dispensation at the Centre and the state, the country is continuously moving forward. The chief minister said along with the mantra of 'Sabka Saath Sabka Vikas, everyone is getting the benefits of various central and state government schemes. Citing the achievements of his government, he said Ram Navami and programmes of Hanuman Jayanti were held in a peaceful manner in the state. has shown that unnecessary mikes can also be removed and that the 'alvida namaz' can be offered not on the streets but in the places of worship, he said, adding that now the state is strengthening the economy. The chief minister said today the eyes of the whole world are on India. Wherever there is a crisis in the world India stands at the forefront. Even in the Russia-Ukraine war, the world looks towards India. The world is adopting Prime Minister Narendra Modi's promise of peace, the CM added. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) on Wednesday put the on hold, and urged the Central and state governments to refrain from registering any FIRs invoking Section 124A of the Indian Penal Code. A bench headed by Chief Justice N.V. Ramana and comprising Justices Surya Kant and Hima Kohli said that governments should not use the sedition provision till the review of the sedition provision by the Centre is complete, The apex court has allowed the Central government to re-examine and reconsider the provisions of Section 124A of the IPC which criminalises the offence of sedition. "It will be appropriate not to use this provision of law till further reexamination is over. We hope and expect Central government and states will refrain from registering any FIR, continuing investigation, or taking coercive steps under 124A IPC when it is being reconsidered by the Centre," the ordered. If sedition cases are registered, the parties are at liberty to approach court and the court has to expeditiously dispose of the same, the SC said. The will hear pleas challenging the validity of the sedition provisions in the month of July. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing the Centre, submitted that the government proposes that a police officer of the level of SP or above should decide, for now, on whether a sedition charge should be filed in future FIRs. He added that as the government reviews the sedition law, pending sedition cases can be reviewed, and the courts can decide on the bail application of those under Section 124A IPC, expeditiously. Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, representing one of the petitioners, contended that Section 124A has become prima facie unconstitutional and the apex court must stay application of the sedition provision, till the Centre reviews the provision. Mehta submitted that as far as pending cases are concerned, gravity of each case is not known, maybe there is a terror angle, and also the pending cases are before judicial forum. "We need to trust the courts," he added. Justice Kant told Sibal, "What is this argument...Can it be struck down today?" The bench added that it is looking for an answer who can be an impartial authority, in the view of Centre's proposal, and asked Sibal what an arrangement in the interregnum can be done. The move came after the Centre, in a fresh affidavit on Monday, said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is of the firm view that the baggage of colonial-era laws, which outlived their utility, must be scrapped during the period of 'Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav' (75 years of independence). In that spirit, the has scrapped over 1,500 outdated laws since 2014-15, it said. By Mayank Bhardwaj and Rajendra Jadhav NEW DELHI (Reuters) -India exported a record 1.4 million tonnes of wheat in April, four trade sources said, providing some relief to grain markets as buyers scramble for alternatives to Black Sea supplies hit hard by the war in Ukraine. April is the first month of the fiscal year. India, the world's second biggest wheat producer, exported a record 7 million tonnes of the grain in fiscal 2021-22. India is the only major supplier of wheat at this time of year, and its exports of the grain have surged since Russia invaded Ukraine in late February. It exported just 242,857 tonnes of wheat in April 2021. With the new season crop gathered in April, wheat shipments could rise further this month. "In May, shipments could rise to 1.5 million tonnes," said a New Delhi-based dealer with a global trading firm. "Wheat supplies and railway cars' availability have improved in the last few weeks and that will help ship out more wheat in May." Buyers from Asia and the Middle East are purchasing Indian wheat, as it is cheaper than alternatives, he said. India has exported wheat to South Asia, Southeast Asia, the Middle East, Europe, and North Africa. As supplies dropped from Ukraine and Russia, which together used to account for about 29% of global wheat exports, top wheat importer Egypt agreed for the first time to purchase the grain from India. India also exported wheat to other new markets such as Israel, Turkey, Indonesia, Mozambique, and Tanzania, traders said. In addition, the United Nations' World Food Programme sourced wheat from India to supply to Somalia, Kenya and Djibouti, they added. In April, Indian traders signed wheat export deals at between $295 and $340 a tonne free on board, said Rajesh Paharia Jain, a New Delhi-based trader. (Reporting by Mayank Bhardwaj and Rajendra JadhavEditing by Mark Potter) (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 and on Wednesday agreed to undertake a joint feasibility study, before going ahead with a preferential trade deal on limited goods. A senior commerce department official said had requested India for a preferential trade agreement on limited items, where both nations can discuss reduction in tariff of some items of export interest. The development is taking place at a time when India is set to begin deeper engagements with the (GCC) countries towards inking a (FTA). GCC is a regional, intergovernmental political economic union comprising six countries Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). We are also negotiating a with GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council) countries, in which is also a member Oman will also be a party to the GCC FTA as and when it is concluded. Meanwhile, they suggested that they can consider a PTA. For that, India said both nations need to do a feasibility study jointly. Thats what has been decided today (Wednesday), the department of commerce joint secretary Srikar Reddy told reporters. Oman will be the second GCC member to work towards a trade agreement. India and UAE have already signed a comprehensive economic partnership agreement (CEPA) in February. The discussion on the trade deal and a joint feasibility study took place at the 10th session of the India-Oman joint commission meeting (JCM) in New Delhi, which was co-chaired by Commerce and Industry Minister and his counterpart in Oman Qais bin Mohammed al Yousef. A 48-member delegation includes senior officials and business representatives from diverse areas spanning health, pharmaceuticals, mining, tourism, telecommunication, energy, shipping and real estate are in India. Oman is Indias 31st largest trading partner. Bilateral trade has been witnessing robust growth increasing from $5.4 billion in FY21 to $9.94 billion during FY22, up 82.6 per cent. With forward-looking and solution-oriented deliberations, the JCM witnessed significant progress on all matters of mutual interest across the entire gamut of bilateral economic relations between the two countries, an official statement said. One of the important outcomes of the meeting was fast tracking of approvals for registration of Indian pharmaceutical products already registered by USFDA, UK Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (UKMHRA) and European Medicines Agency (EMA) during the deliberations. Other outcomes include, joint release of a market research report commissioned by the embassy of India, Muscat on the pharmaceutical sector in Oman, highlighting strategies and opportunities for Indian companies in that country. Expression of commitment from both sides to facilitate trade and to comprehensively address all issues pertaining to tariff/non-tariff barriers. Agreement on expeditious conclusion of all MoUs/Agreements under discussion, including on standards and metrology, India-Oman Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement, India-Oman Bilateral Investment Treaty, Invest Oman and Invest India, and Rupay card acceptance in Oman etc, the statement stated these as the outcomes. Russian importers are reaching out to small Indian businesses to secure fresh produce, auto parts, medical devices and other key goods that are growing scarce due to international sanctions, people familiar with the matter in both and India said. Private sector players in have met with potential suppliers in India's big cities and are opening specialised bank accounts at home for roubles-to-rupees transactions, with the blessing of the two governments, the sources said. As the Ukraine conflict drags on and sanctions tighten around Russia's economy, the stakes have risen both for Russian businesses needing overseas goods and for big global companies wanting to avoid those businesses, lest they run afoul of sanction rules. In India, one of the most prominent world economies to continue trade with Russia, this has put the spotlight on small and medium enterprises (SMEs) as a potential trade route that, while limited in size, could remain under the sanctions radar. "It is absolutely clear that large Indian conglomerates having exposure to the West will not conduct business with Russian companies," said a senior Indian foreign ministry official based in New Delhi. "But can export and settle payments through banks that are not under the Western sanctions regime." The official, who requested anonymity because he was not authorised to speak to the media, said representatives from Russian chambers of commerce were travelling to New Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru to identify companies willing to set up new subsidiaries or joint ventures to export goods to . They are especially seeking consumer durables, spare parts for the transport sector, medical devices, construction materials for large infrastructure projects, and frozen food ahead of the winter season, the official said. Among them was a Russian trader in Mumbai this week to meet exporters of vegetables and spare parts for the public transport sector. "We are not facing any food shortages right now but it is critical to secure a steady supply chain in the next 60 days," the trader said. Three other senior government officials and one banking official based in New Delhi, Moscow and St. Petersburg said Russian companies were actively opening accounts in Commercial-Indo Bank LLC, a joint venture between two Indian banks with headquarters in Moscow. ROUBLES-TO-RUPEES These so-called Nostro accounts, used in the Soviet era mainly to settle international transactions by converting home currency to a foreign currency, provided a direct roubles-to-rupees payment mechanism for trade between the two countries when tensions were high between Washington and Moscow. Officials at the Commercial-Indo Bank and its two parent banks, the State Bank of India and Canara Bank, did not respond to questions from Reuters. The Indian embassy in Moscow and Russia's industry and trade ministry declined to comment. India's trade and foreign ministry did not comment. A senior government official with close knowledge of the matter in New Delhi added that Russia was offering dedicated ships for cargo along with insurance and re-insurance, since no European bank would provide it, although sources at India's finance and foreign ministries said terms were still under discussion. New Delhi has not joined the widespread condemnation of Russia, its second-largest supplier of defence equipment and a valued source of oil imports, as well as a potential export market. "But it is critical to ensure that the West does not get upset with India's increased economic involvement, as New Delhi cannot jeopardise its ties with the West," said Nandan Unnikrishnan, the head of Eurasian Studies at Observer Research Foundation, a private-sector think tank. India's total merchandise trade with Russia is relatively modest, at about $8.1 billion in 2021 or about 1.2% of India's total trade, although two Indian officials estimated that exports to Russia would rise by more than $500 million in the next three months, as trade channels open up for small Indian businesses. An Indian exporter in Kolkata, who requested anonymity due to the sensitivity of the matter, said that after war broke out many traders stopped dealing with Russian buyers, fearing defaults, but their wariness was easing. "People have started selling goods to Russia again, and in the past few weeks Russia has ramped up purchases of tea and coffee." (Additional reporting by Rajendra Jadhav, Nupur Anand in Mumbai; Editing by Edmund Klamann) (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.) Public sector lender plans to invest about Rs 1,000 crore over the next three years for building a ecosystem including a super app. The bank will unveil its super app next month. This would involve revamping the mobile banking platform with 262 features replicating branch banking, K Satyanarayana Raju, executive director, told Business Standard. The UN's World Program (WFP) has once again warned of an increase in record hunger levels in Afghanistan, saying that 19.7 million people, almost half of the war-torn country's population, is in acute need of . According to an WFP report, the prolonged drought and deep economic crisis will threaten the livelihoods of millions of people across Afghanistan, TOLO News reports. The report said that humanitarian assistance averted a catastrophe in the harsh winter months, but hunger continues across the country at unprecedented levels. It predicts that the outlook for June-November 2022 sees a slight improvement in the security situation, with a reduction in the number of people facing acute food insecurity to 18.9 million people. Meanwhile, the Taliban-led government's Ministry of Economy says that is considering a strategic and a food insecurity plan to solve the challenges which children face in the country. "In the permanent economic strategy of the Ministry of Economy, the rebuilding of Afghanistan's infrastructure is included," Aman Nazari, a deputy at the Ministry. Meanwhile, the US Special Inspector General for Reconstruction recently said that the latest assessment of the Labour Organization shows that in the last three months of 2021, 500,000 people in the country have lost their jobs. --IANS ksk/ (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Afghanistan's announced that it would further inject $12 million into the local market to boost the national currency, afghani. The Da Bank (DAB) said in a statement that it was requesting all eligible banks and monetary service providers, among others, to participate in the auction scheduled for Wednesday, reports Xinhua news agency. "In auction bids, partial settlement of currencies is not allowed and the winners of the auction must deposit in the Da Bank their money at one time in cash," the statement said. The US dollar has depreciated against afghani compared with a couple of weeks ago. The DAB conducted auctioning of $12 million late in April. Since the Taliban's takeover of in August last year, the US has frozen more than $9 billion of assets of the central bank, thus undermining the banking system of the war-torn country. --IANS ksk/ (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) China hit back on Wednesday against what it called "irresponsible" comments by the head of the World Health Organization, who described the country's uncompromising and increasingly painful "zero COVID" policy as "not sustainable." The policy has placed hundreds of millions of people across dozens of cities under various degrees of movement restrictions, most dramatically in Shanghai, causing significant economic damage in China and beyond and fuelling wide-spread frustration. Officials in Shanghai, now in its sixth week under a sweeping lockdown, said on Wednesday half the city had achieved "zero COVID" status, but restrictions would remain in place. China's uncompromising approach stands in contrast to most other parts of the world, where governments have chosen to live with the virus. In rare public comments on a government's policies, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on Tuesday China's zero-tolerance strategy is not sustainable and that it was time for a change in approach. Tedros' comments were not covered in China's state media and were censored on social media, with the only official response coming at a regular foreign ministry news conference. "We hope the relevant individual can view Chinese COVID policy objectively and rationally and know the facts, instead of making irresponsible remarks," spokesman Zhao Lijian said. China's leaders last week threatened action against critics of the policy, which authorities say "puts life first." Critics of the WHO have previously accused the U.N agency as being too close to China, which the WHO denies. China has pointed to the millions of deaths caused by COVID in other countries. Its official toll since the virus first emerged in the city of Wuhan in late 2019 is just over 5,000, far below the nearly 1 million deaths in the United States. New modelling by scientists in China and the United States sees the risk of just over 1.5 million COVID deaths if China ditches its current policy without any safeguards such as ramping up vaccination and access to treatments. Only half of China's over-80s are vaccinated. A United Nations Weibo post of Tedros' comments was removed from the Twitter-like platform shortly after being posted. The United Nations and Weibo did not respond to requests for comment. WeChat, another platform, disabled sharing of a similar U.N. post, citing a "violation of rules." "It shows that Beijing has zero tolerance on anyone who challenges its COVID-zero policy," Fang Kecheng, a Chinese media researcher at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, said about the censorship. "This issue has been entirely politicised and any dissenting opinion would be considered as challenging the top leadership." China's social media has nonetheless been an important avenue for residents to express their resentment over the restrictions, with users playing a cat-and-mouse game with censors to share personal accounts of their hardship. Residents unable to leave their homes have complained over lost income, difficulties sourcing food, poor access to healthcare and unsanitary quarantine conditions. RISK OF REBOUND Data showed Shanghai, which is home to 25 million people, recorded no cases outside areas under the strictest curbs on Tuesday for the first time since May 1. Half of the city's 16 districts had achieved zero COVID status having not recorded any such cases for three days. Still, officials said it was not time to ease curbs. "The risk of a rebound remains, said Zhao Dandan, deputy director of Shanghai's health commission. The lockdown was tightening, with the city making what it hoped would be a final push to eradicate infections before easing restrictions, potentially by the end of the month. An increasing number of residents in previously less strictly sealed areas of Shanghai have in recent days seen new fences erected around their housing compounds and have received notices that they would not be allowed outside anymore. Shanghai's latest daily tally of 1,487 new infections was the lowest since March 23. In Beijing, many businesses have been closed and large numbers of people worked from home as the city tried to end an outbreak that saw 56 new cases in the last 24 hours. CRITICAL SUPPLIES Shanghai's lockdown has tested the ability of manufacturers to function under COVID curbs, with Tesla's Shanghai plant operating well below capacity this week due to problems securing parts. China's auto sales plunged 47.6% year-on-year in April, data showed on Wednesday. The impact on supplies of critical goods was far-reaching. Some of the largest U.S. hospitals said on Tuesday they were facing critical shortages of products used in CT scans, x-rays and radiography as a result of reduced production in Shanghai. General Electric's healthcare unit said on Tuesday it had increased output of chemicals used for medical scans and tests at its factory in Ireland to compensate for its Shanghai factory not operating at full capacity. (Reporting by the Beijing and Shanghai bureaus; Writing by Marius Zaharia; Editing by Simon Cameron-Moore) (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) China risks a tsunami of infections resulting in 1.6 million deaths if the government abandons its long-held Covid Zero policy and allows the highly-infectious omicron variant to spread unchecked, according to researchers at Shanghais Fudan University. The peer-reviewed study, published in the journal Nature Medicine, found that the level of immunity induced by Chinas March vaccination campaign would be insufficient to prevent an omicron wave that would swamp intensive care capacity, given low vaccine rates among the elderly and the viruss ability to evade immunity from existing shots. The findings add heft to the governments continued insistence on sticking with the zero tolerance approach to Covid that has largely kept the virus at bay for most of the pandemic. Without restrictions such as the countrys mass-testing drives and strict lockdowns, the spread of omicron could lead to 112.2 million symptomatic cases, 5.1 million hospital admissions and 1.6 million deaths, with the major wave occurring between May and July, the study concluded. Yet concerns are mounting over the social and financial costs of Covid Zero, which has required harsher and harsher restrictions to combat the more transmissible virus. In Chinas lockdowns, people have been denied access to medical care and struggled to access fresh food, while manufacturing facilities, supply chains, and other workplaces were hit with disruptions. The research -- which mirrors earlier modeling from Peking University -- comes as World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus called on China to rethink its strategy, saying the approach no longer makes sense as the omicron variant spreads and the countrys economy suffers. We dont think that it is sustainable, considering the behavior of the virus now and what we anticipate in the future, Tedros said in a briefing on Tuesday, adding that a shift would be very important. Tedross comments - which were quickly restricted on the United Nations social media accounts - mark a rare instance of the chief challenging a member states domestic Covid policies. Early in the pandemic, he faced criticism that he was too deferential to China, where the virus first emerged. Hu Xijin, the former chief editor of the Communist Party-backed newspaper Global Times and an influential commentator in the country, dismissed Tedros comments. China needs to make its own decisions on how to handle the outbreak since it will be held to account for any deaths, he said, particularly since Tedros didnt offer a more effective or sustainable approach. Infection surge Relinquishing stringent Covid curbs would lead to a surge in critical Covid-19 patients, creating an intensive care demand as much as nearly 16 times of what the country currently can accommodate, according to the computer model the researchers created to simulate an omicron outbreak. The 1.6 million ensuing deaths would be 50% more than what has been reported in the U.S. throughout the pandemic. Three-quarters would occur among those aged 60 or above arent yet vaccinated, the researchers said. Shanghai would take the brunt of the deaths in China, while two other regions would also post higher mortality rates than seen in the U.S. during its outbreak from December 2021 to April 2022. Beijing reported 37 cases for Tuesday, down from 74 on Monday. While the declining cases in both cities buoyed investors, officials have vowed to continue their stringent approach until the outbreaks are under control. President Xi Jinping has clung to Chinas tough Covid strategy, tightening pandemic restrictions in Shanghai and expanding a mass testing sweep in Beijing. Officials are chasing the elusive goal of wiping out Covid-19 cases in the community despite a growing cost to the economy, even as much of the rest of the world opens up. Experts dont expect China to start meaningfully shifting away from Covid Zero until Xi secures a record third term as the nations top leader at the Communist Partys national congress expected later this year. Xi and the Party have made much political capital out of the contrast between Chinas controlled, low-deaths approach and that of the US, which has the worlds highest fatality tally. The strategy -- which relies on a playbook of border curbs, mandatory quarantines and repeated mass testing to root out all chains of transmission -- is leaving the country isolated as the rest of the world normalizes and lives alongside Covid. The increasingly tough measures required to eliminate outbreaks of more contagious strains are also hitting the worlds second-largest economy, with analysts saying it is unlikely to meet its annual growth target for this year. End game The Fudan studys modelling also suggests that once effective antivirals are readily available and can be used to treat most Covid patients, the country will see cases and severe infections drop significantly even without imposing curbs. Therapies such as the antibody cocktail from Chinese biotech Brii Biosciences Ltd. and Pfizer Inc.s Paxlovid can significantly cut deaths and intensive care admission, provided they are used widely among symptomatic Covid patients, according to the study. Still, the researchers argue even such a reduction wont get Covid-related deaths down to the 88,000 level China reports annually for influenza, which Beijing has frequently cited to justify its stringent curbs and lockdowns under the Covid Zero strategy. To do that, the country needs to boost elderly vaccination to 97% and treat at least half of all symptomatic infections, the researchers concluded. (With assistance from Linda Lew.) President and Italian Premier met in the Oval Office on Tuesday for a visit intended to showcase allied unity against the Russian invasion of Ukraine, but it also provided a window into divergent approaches to the conflict. Draghi said leaders should work toward the possibility of bringing a ceasefire and starting, again, some credible negotiations. He added that "in and Europe now, people want to put an end to these massacres and this violence, this butchery". Biden did not echo Draghi's comments, and US officials appear openly sceptical that there's a way to restart talks at this point. Avril Haines, Biden's director of national intelligence, testified earlier Tuesday that both Ukraine and Russia believe they can make progress on the battlefield at this point, so we do not see a viable negotiating path forward, at least in the short term. She also said Russian President Vladimir Putin is prepared for a prolonged conflict. The different tones over Ukraine reflect Italy's geographic proximity to the war and deeper economic ties to Russia, which provides 40% of the country's natural gas. There's also growing scepticism in about sending weapons to Ukraine. Meanwhile, the US has been ramping up its military assistance for Ukraine with bipartisan support from Congress, and administration officials have used more aggressive rhetoric when talking about the war. For example, Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin recently said the US wants to see Russia weakened to the point where it can't do things like invade Ukraine. Biden and Draghi still emphasised their two countries' deep ties and their work on Ukraine. You've been a good friend and a great ally, Biden said, adding that the allies had all stepped up to confront Russia. Draghi responded by saying, The ties between our two countries will always be strong. And if anything, this war in Ukraine has made them stronger." Echoing comments that Biden has often made, Draghi added that Putin thought he could divide us. He failed. Ali Wyne, a senior analyst with the Eurasia Group, said shock-induced unity can be difficult to sustain" as the war continues. Geography means that the escalation of tensions between NATO and Russia poses a more immediate threat to Europe's security than to America's and means, therefore, that de-escalation is a more pressing imperative for Brussels, he said. In addition, the more pronounced the externalities of the war become, including energy disruptions and food insecurity, the more pressure the American public and European publics are likely to place on their leaders to make a renewed push for a negotiated settlement. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Live news updates: Sri Lanka's President Gotabaya Rajapaksa said on Wednesday he would this week appoint a new Prime Minister and a Cabinet, promising constitutional reforms that would give Parliament more powers. "I will appoint a young cabinet without any of the Rajapaksas," Gotabaya said, referring to his own family and as he started talks with political parties to stop the country from sliding into anarchy. Sri Lanka's central bank governor said on Wednesday he would quit within weeks unless political stability was restored to the country after deadly violence forced the prime minister to quit and take shelter in a navy base. The Indian High Commission here on Wednesday categorically dismissed speculative media reports about New Delhi sending its troops to Colombo, saying is fully supportive of Sri Lanka's democracy, stability and economic recovery. The denial from the Indian mission came a day after it refuted as "fake and blatantly false" local social media speculation that former prime minister Mahinda Rajapaksa and his family members have fled to . The whereabouts of Mahinda Rajapaksa has been speculated since his resignation on Monday. It was reported that Mahinda had left his office-cum-official residence, Temple Trees. In its first reaction to the situation in Sri Lanka, on Tuesday said that it is "fully supportive" of the island nation's democracy, stability and economic recovery. The High Commission would like to categorically deny speculative reports in sections of media and social media about #India sending her troops to . These reports and such views are also not in keeping with the position of the Government of #India, the Indian mission said on Twitter. The Spokesperson of Ministry of External Affairs of India clearly stated yesterday that India is fully supportive of Sri Lanka's democracy, stability and economic recovery, it said in another tweet. External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said in New Delhi on Tuesday: "India will always be guided by the best interests of the people of expressed through democratic processes". Mahinda, 76, resigned as prime minister amid unprecedented economic turmoil in the country, hours after his supporters attacked anti-government protesters, prompting authorities to impose a nationwide curfew and deploy Army troops in the capital. The attack triggered widespread violence against pro-Rajapaksa politicians. A group of protesters gathered around the Naval base in the eastern port district of Trincomalee, claiming Mahinda had taken refuge there. Calls for his arrest are increasing for his alleged instigation of a mob which went on to attack anti-government protesters who are calling for the Rajapaksa family, including President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, to resign. At least 8 people have died while over 250 people have been injured in the clashes which also saw scores of properties belonging to ruling party politicians being set on fire. President Gotabaya has urged the people to stop "violence and acts of revenge" against fellow citizens and vowed to address the political and economic crisis facing the nation is facing its worst economic crisis since gaining 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 Sri Lanka since April 9. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) . A U.S. judge has determined that Elon Musk's 2018 tweets that funding had been secured to take electric car maker private was inaccurate and reckless, saying "there was nothing concrete" about financing from Saudi Arabia's sovereign wealth fund at that time. San Francisco-based U.S. District Judge Edward Chen's pre-trial decision represented a major victory for investors in a lawsuit accusing the world's richest person of inflating stock prices by making false and misleading statements, causing billions of dollars in damages. Chen granted the shareholders summary judgment on the issue of whether Musk knowingly made false statements but declined to grant them summary judgment on the question of whether these statements actually impacted Tesla's share prices. In 2018, Musk met with representatives of Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund and had a discussion about taking private, but evidence showed that "there was nothing concrete about funding coming from the PIF," the judge wrote. "Rather, discussions between and the PIF were clearly at the preliminary stage," Chen said. "No reasonable jury could find that Mr. Musk did not act recklessly given his clear knowledge of the discussions," the judge added. Chen said details such as the total amount of funding needed to take Tesla private or the price to be paid for Tesla stock were not discussed. The summary judgment, made on April 1, was sealed for more than a month before it was made publicly available on Tuesday. "It is hugely significant," shareholder attorney Nicholas Porritt, a partner at Levi & Korsinsky LLP told Reuters. Porritt said it is rare that a judge decides that a defendant knowingly made false statements in summary judgment before a jury trial begins. The remaining issue is what damages the intentionally false statement has caused to shareholders, Porritt said. Musk's lawyer, who has filed motions to undo the court decision, did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Musk last month said that funding was actually secured to take Tesla private in 2018. Chen's ruling was in line with a complaint from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. The securities regulator in 2018 sued Musk for fraud relating to the tweets. Musk then settled with the SEC, stepping down as Tesla chairman, paying fines and agreeing to have a lawyer approve some of his tweets before posting them. (Reporting by Hyunjoo Jin; Editing by Stephen Coates and Will Dunham) (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) has shut its borders with India and for a period of 72 hours ahead of the local polls slated for Friday, according to the Home Ministry. The government decided to shut the borders to prevent any untoward incidents during the polls which will be held in 753 local units, said the Ministry. Ministry spokesman Phanindra Mani Pokharel said that a directive has been issued to the respective administration offices of the districts bordering India and to implement the recommendations. The adjoining districts have been asked to halt all movements, except for emergency services, during the 72-hour period. Political parties are gearing up for Friday's which come after a gap of five years. The ruling alliance, main opposition, CPN-UML, Madhes-based political parties are among contesting the polls. shares a 1,880-km border with India and a 1,414-km with . Out of 77 districts, as many as 42 either share a border with India, China or both. --IANS ag/ksk/ (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) UN Secretary-General met with refugees from war-torn Ukraine in Moldova on Tuesday, saying after that it is impossible to meet refugees and not be deeply moved by their stories. One couple was telling me of a bomb that fell in their yard. People that have abandoned everything, including parts of their families, Guterres told reporters outside the refugee centre in Moldova's capital, Chisinau. Guterres previously served as UN high commissioner for refugees. He noted during his two-day visit to Moldova, where he met with Moldova's leaders, that the small nation has absorbed the most refugees proportionate to its own population of about 2.6 million people. The UN chief told Moldovan President Maia Sandu in a meeting Tuesday that the UN would bolster its support for her country to help it deal with the refugee crisis. More than 450,000 refugees from Ukraine have fled into Moldova, one of Europe's poorest countries. Before leaving Moldova, Guterres also visited the home of a local family hosting Ukrainian refugees, whom he thanked for their generosity in opening up their homes to those fleeing the war. ___ Warsaw: Poland's prime minister said Tuesday that Russia's ambassador to Poland could have avoided being doused in red paint at a Soviet military ceremony if he followed the Foreign Ministry's advice to steer clear of the event. Ambassador Sergey Andreev was splattered Monday with red paint thrown at him by protesters opposed to the war in Ukraine at a Warsaw cemetery holding the remains of Red Army soldiers who died during World War II. He had hoped to pay his respects on the Russian patriotic Victory Day holiday marking the defeat of Nazi Germany. Russian crimes in Ukraine are such a terrible experience for so many people that the ambassador's presence at the memorial to Soviet soldiers was provocative, Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said, according to the Polish news agency PAP. Andreev had to abandon the ceremony after the paint was thrown at him and he returned to his car under a police escort. ___ Milan: The Italian Foreign Ministry says 63 Ukrainian orphans will be flown on Wednesday from Krakow, Poland to Trapani, Sicily. The transport was organized by the Pope John XXIII Community, along with Italian diplomats in Ukraine and Poland. This humanitarian evacuation confirms Italy's commitment to assisting civilians hit by the conflict in Ukraine, the Italian Foreign Ministry said in a statement. Some 37,000 minors, many accompanied by family members, have arrived in Italy since Russia launched its invasion. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Sri Lankan Chief of Defence Staff and Commander of the Army, General Shavendra Silva on Tuesday refuted allegations that the armed forces are poised to shoot at the general public to provoke them. The allegations were levelled by Duminda Nagamuwa of the Frontline Socialist Party, reported Daily Mirror Online. Gen Shavendra Silva, while rejecting the statement, assured that the members of the armed forces would not resort to any such disgraceful acts under any circumstances. It was reported in the media that Silva owes his position to President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and he might use the army against the people. Meanwhile, tri forces have been ordered to shoot all those who plunder public property or cause personal harm, local media reported on Tuesday as large-scale protests continue to take place across the island nation. This comes after nationwide protests against the government have intensified over the past few days resulting in an increase in incidents of clashes with the security forces deployed at protest sites. "The Ministry of Defence has ordered the tri-forces to open fire on anyone looting public property or causing harm to others," Army Spokesman told Daily Mirror. Protesters, who have resorted to burning houses of Minsters and MP, have been identified. Anti-government protesters also set on fire the official residences of Sri Lanka's Moratuwa Mayor Saman Lal Fernando and the MPs Sanath Nishantha, Ramesh Pathirana, Mahipala Herath, Thissa Kuttiarachchi and Nimal Lanza. A large number of protesters were out on the streets and attacked the Podujana Peramuna MPs. Even some Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) offices were set ablaze, Daily Mirror reported. Former Sri Lankan Prime Minister and some of his family members have been shifted to Trincomalee Naval Base, a day after he resigned following violent protests that led to a nationwide curfew. Helicopters were seen leaving the capital city today with VVIPs and some speculated that they were members of the Rajapaksa family, Colombo Gazette reported. (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.) British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Wednesday said he had agreed new deals with and to bolster European security, pledging to support both countries' armed forces should they come under attack. The agreements, described by Britain as "a step-change in defence and security cooperation", will go some way to assuage fears in and over threats made by Russia should either nation decide to join . "What we are saying, emphatically, is that in the event of a disaster or the event of an attack upon Sweden, then the UK would come to the assistance of with whatever Sweden requested," Johnson said after meeting Swedish Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson. Johnson would not say whether the UK would send troops to Sweden in the event of an attack. "It is up to Sweden to make the request and to spell out exactly what support is requested," he said. He was due to travel to later in the day. Russia's invasion of Ukraine has forced a rethink of how Sweden and neighbour Finland safeguard national security. Both are expected to join NATO, but both are worried they would be vulnerable while their applications are processed, which could take up to a year. "Are we safer with this declaration? Yes," Andersson told reporters at a briefing with Johnson at the Swedish government's country retreat south of Stockholm. "The support will be given on request by the affected country and may include military resources." Sweden and Finland have also received assurances of support from the United States and Germany. The British statement said the new arrangements would intensify intelligence sharing and accelerate joint military training, exercises and deployments. Sweden and Finland already have close ties with Britain and are part of the Joint Expeditionary Force, a multinational military group focused on security in the High North, North Atlantic and Baltic Sea regions. But the war in Ukraine has increased fears in Stockholm and Helsinki that bilateral agreements are no substitute for Article 5 of NATO's charter, which guarantees that an attack on one member state would be considered as an attack on all. Sweden is coordinating with Finland over possible membership and both countries are expected to announce their intentions in the coming days. "If Finland makes this historic step it is for the security of our own citizens," Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin said during a visit to Japan on Wednesday. "Joining would strengthen the whole international community and stand for our common values." (Reporting by William James in London and Simon Johnson in Stockholm; additional reporting by Kylie MacLellan, Johan Ahlander and Niklas Pollard in Stockholm, Elaine Lies in Tokyo; Editing by Angus MacSwan, Elaine Hardcastle) (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.) China urges G7 to cease interfering in its internal affairs Xinhua) 08:18, May 11, 2022 BEIJING, May 10 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson on Tuesday urged certain Western countries to immediately cease interfering in China's internal affairs after the Group of Seven (G7) foreign ministers and a European Union official expressed grave concerns over the chief executive election in Hong Kong. John Lee, 64, former chief secretary for administration of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government, on Sunday won the first chief executive election since the improvement of the region's electoral system in 2021. "Certain Western countries and institutions are conspiring with each other to slander the election and grossly interfere in China's internal affairs. China expresses firm opposition to this and strongly condemns it," Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian told a regular news briefing. Some countries have ignored the fact that Hong Kong's democracy has improved and that mainstream public opinion seeks unity and prosperity, Zhao said. "They sound like 'preachers of democracy' when they point fingers at Hong Kong's democratic elections, its high degree of autonomy, and its human rights and freedoms, which only exposes their double standards and their attempt to bring chaos to Hong Kong and contain China," he said. "Hong Kong is China's Hong Kong. What kind of electoral system Hong Kong implements and what kind of democratic development path it explores are issues that fall entirely under the scope of China's internal affairs, and no external forces have the right to interfere," Zhao said. He said the Chinese government is resolved to fully and faithfully implement the "one country, two systems" principle and develop high-quality democracy suited to Hong Kong's reality, and any attempt from external forces to undermine this will be in vain. He expressed confidence that Hong Kong will usher in a new era of good governance that leads to prosperity. (Web editor: Peng Yukai, Liang Jun) Russia must bear full responsibility for any humanitarian consequences after flows of Russian gas to Europe through a transit point in Ukraine dried up on Wednesday, the head of Ukraine's gas pipeline operator said. Ukraine said on Tuesday it would suspend the flow of gas through the Sokhranovka transit point which it said delivers almost a third of the fuel piped from Russia to Europe through Ukraine. It said the actions of Russian forces who invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24 endangered the stability and safety of the entire Ukrainian gas transportation system and that it would move the flows elsewhere. "This morning (Russian state gas company) Gazprom on the territory of the Russian Federation stopped transport from the Russian Federation to the 'Sokhranivka' entry point," Sergiy Makogon, Director General of the Gas Transmission System of Ukraine, wrote on Facebook. He also said cranes has been blocked without authorisation at a pipeline plant in Ukrainian territory that he said was occupied by Russian forces. This, he said, made it impossible to supply consumers in the Luhansk and Donetsk regions, large parts of which are in the hands of Russia-backed separatists. "The Russian authorities bear full responsible for the humanitarian consequences of such actions," he wrote. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) U.N. Secretary-General said on Wednesday he was deeply concerned about hunger becoming widespread as the war in Ukraine threatened food security in different parts of the world. Speaking alongside Austria's chancellor and foreign minister in Vienna, Guterres also said talks were going on to evacuate more civilians from conflict zones in Ukraine and expressed confidence that more evacuations would happen in the future. However, he played down the prospect of peace talks over Ukraine happening anytime soon. The war in Ukraine has sent global prices for grains, cooking oils, fuel and fertilizer soaring, with United Nations agencies warning that the price hikes will worsen a food crisis in Africa. The Russian invasion of Ukraine since February has disrupted shipping in the Black Sea, a major route for grains and other commodities, throttling exports from Ukraine and Russia. "I have to say that I am deeply concerned, namely with the risks of hunger becoming widespread in different parts of the world because of the dramatic food security situation we are facing because of the war in Ukraine," Guterres said. On the back of a visit to Moldova, a small country that has thrown its doors open to an influx of refugees from neighbouring Ukraine, Guterres urged the European Union to ramp up financial support for the government in Chisinau. Speaking at an earlier event, Guterres said the time would come when there are peace negotiations over Ukraine, but he did not see that time in the immediate future. "This war will not last forever. There will be a time when peace negotiations will take place," Guterres told a news conference with Austrian President Alexander Van der Bellen. "I do not see that in the immediate future. But I can say one thing. We will never give up," he added, in remarks translated into German by an official translator. (Reporting by Alexandra Schwarz-Goerlich and Matthias Williams; Writing by Paul Carrel, Matthias Williams, William Maclean) (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The House emphatically approved a fresh $40 billion Ukraine aid package Tuesday as lawmakers beefed up President Joe Biden's initial request, signalling a magnified, bipartisan commitment to thwart Russian President Vladimir Putin's bloody three-month-old invasion. The measure sailed to passage by a lopsided 368-57 margin, providing $7 billion more than Biden's request from April and dividing the increase evenly between defence and humanitarian programmes. The bill would give Ukraine military and economic assistance, help regional allies, replenish weapons the Pentagon has shipped overseas and provide $5 billion to address global food shortages caused by the war's crippling of Ukraine's normally robust production of many crops. The measure was backed by every voting Democrat and by nearly 3 out of 4 Republicans. House debate reflected a perspective, shared broadly by both parties, that the US has even more at stake than standing by Ukraine. The Ukrainian people, they need us, they are in desperate need of our support," said Rep Rosa DeLauro, chair of the House Appropriations Committee. "Vladimir Putin and his cronies must be held responsible. This bill does that by protecting democracy, limiting Russian aggression and strengthening our own national security. As China, Iran and North Korea watch our response, we must show the world that America stands firm with its allies and will do what is necessary to protect our interests abroad, said Rep Kay Granger of Texas, top Republican on that committee. The new legislation would bring American support for the effort to nearly $54 billion, including the $13.6 billion in support Congress enacted in March. That's about $6 billion more than the US spent on all its foreign and military aid in 2019, according to a January report by the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service, which studies issues for lawmakers. It's also around 1% of the entire federal budget. The measure was released as Washington has become increasingly assertive about its goals and its willingness to help Ukraine with more sophisticated weapons. Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin said recently the US wants a weakened Russia that can't quickly restore its capability to attack other countries. Russian attacks on Ukraine's southern port of Odesa have intensified in what seems an attempt to hamper deliveries of Western arms. Those weapons have helped Ukraine hold its own surprisingly well against its more lethal foe, but the grinding war is taking its toll. Senate approval of Ukrainian aid seems certain, and members of both parties have echoed the need for quick action. As Putin desperately accelerates his campaign of horror and brutality in Ukraine, time is of the essence, said House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. But it was unclear when the Senate would act, and changes there were possible, with Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, insisting that the measure be narrowly focused on the war. I think we're on a path to getting that done, McConnell told reporters. It needs to be clean of extraneous matters, directly related to helping the Ukrainians win the war. Some Republicans used the election-season debate to accuse Biden of being unclear about his goals. Honestly, do we not deserve a plan?" said Rep Michael Burgess. He said he agrees that Western countries must help Ukraine stand up to Russia but added, "Does the administration not need to come to us with where we are going with this? Oksana Markarova, Ukraine's ambassador to the US, attended Tuesday's separate Democratic and Republican Senate lunches and expressed gratitude for the support they've received. Senator Chris Coons said Markarova told them her country has depleted its stockpiles of Soviet-era weapons and said continued NATO support is vital. Coons said the Ukrainian's message was: Thank you, do more. We have a hard fight ahead. With your support, we can win. The new measure includes $6 billion to arm and train Ukrainian forces, $8.7 billion to restore American stores of weapons shipped to Ukraine and $3.9 billion for US forces deployed to the area. There's also $8.8 billion in economic support for Ukraine, $4 billion to help Ukraine and allies finance arms and equipment purchases and $900 million for housing, education and other help for Ukrainian refugees in the US. To enhance the measure's chances in Congress, the House bill dropped Biden's proposal to ease the pathway to legal permanent residency for qualifying Afghans who fled to the U.S. after last summer's American withdrawal from that country. Some Republicans have expressed concerns about the adequacy of security screenings for applicants. In their biggest concession, Biden and Democrats abandoned plans Monday to include additional billions of dollars to build up US supplies of medicines, vaccines and tests for COVID-19. Republican support for more pandemic spending is waning and including that money would have slowed the Ukraine measure in the 50-50 Senate, where at least 10 GOP votes will be needed for passage. Democrats hope to produce a separate COVID-19 package soon, though its fate is unclear. Biden met in the White House Situation Room Tuesday with Pelosi and six other House Democrats who travelled recently to Ukraine and Poland. Afterward, Rep. Jason Crow, a member of that delegation and a former Army Ranger, said the Ukrainians need advanced drones and longer-range weapons like artillery, rockets and anti-ship missiles that will help them push back the Russians. (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.) Ousted Prime Minister has claimed that Americans propped into power after removing him like the British removed Siraj-ud-Dualah and installed Mir Jafar. Addressing a rally in Jhelum on Tuesday, the Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief explained who he referred to when he made a historical reference about Mir Jafar, Samaa TV reported. Talking about the anti-army accusations, Khan clarified that he did not criticise the armed forces as they were a crucial force that was holding the country together. "Two things are holding together, the army and PTI," he added. "Yesterday he (Sharif) made a speech (in the National Assembly) saying that was talking against the army. We won't let him do that," he said. "Shehbaz Sharif, have shame, have some shame. You are the Mir Jafar." He said PML-N leader Nawaz Sharif and vice president Maryam Nawaz were speaking against the army, not him. The PTI chief, once again, maintained US Under Secretary Donald Lu told Pakistan's Ambassador that if Khan was ousted, then "everything will be forgiven". "He said that if (Khan) is not removed, then Pakistan will face grave consequences," the PTI chairman told his party workers, adding that following this, a "conspiracy" was launched to remove an elected leader of 220 million people. "When 'cherry blossom' was placed as the Prime Minister, the nation 'stood' against the government," he said. Taking a jibe at JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman, Khan said that his party took up the Ministry of Communications which develops streets and highways to make money, Samaa TV reported. "Nawaz Sharif is a coward and a thief who flees abroad whenever he gets the chance to," he said, adding that the prime minister and other PML-N leaders are set to leave for London as, Khan claimed, "a big decision" is on the cards --IANS san/ksk/ (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Top U.S. intelligence officials were questioned Tuesday about why they misjudged the durability of governments in both and Ukraine, and whether they need to reform how intelligence agencies assess a foreign military's will to fight. U.S. intelligence believed the U.S.-backed Kabul government would hold out for months against the Taliban and thought Russian forces would overrun Ukraine in a few weeks. Both assessments were wrong. The U.S. and Western allies are now rushing to aid Ukraine's resistance against Russia in what has turned into a grinding, violent stalemate. What we missed was the will to fight of the Ukrainians...and we also missed that in Afghanistan, said Sen. Angus King, an independent from Maine, at a hearing of the Senate Armed Services Committee. He added, I realize will to fight is a lot harder to assess than number of tanks or volume of ammunition or something. But I hope the intelligence community is doing some soul-searching about how to better get a handle on that question. President Joe Biden's administration disclosed in advance Russian President Vladimir Putin's intentions to invade Ukraine, a public campaign that it says built support for crushing sanctions on the Russian economy and military support from NATO members. Top U.S. officials have gone to Kyiv to meet with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and pledged more military and intelligence support. Avril Haines, the U.S. director of national intelligence, said that will to fight and capacity to fight in tandem were difficult to predict. The National Intelligence Council, a group of advisers that reviews the agencies as a whole, is studying the issue, she said. The two of them are issues that are, as you indicated, quite challenging to provide effective analysis on, Haines told King. And we're looking at different methodologies for doing so. The U.S. might have done more before the invasion to assist Zelenskyy had lawmakers believed Kyiv had more of a chance, King said. And after predictions that the Taliban would be held back as long as a year after the American withdrawal, the coalition-backed government lasted minus-two weeks, King noted, a reference to the Taliban overrunning Kabul before the withdrawal formally ended. The U.S. was forced to negotiate with the Taliban to evacuate of thousands of American citizens and Afghan allies fighting huge crowds to secure space on evacuation flights. An attack at the Kabul airport killed 13 U.S. troops and at least 170 Afghan civilians. King raised his voice to cut off Lt. Gen. Scott Berrier, head of the Defense Intelligence Agency, after Berrier said he believed the intelligence agencies had done a great job. General, how can you possibly say that when we were told explicitly, Kyiv would fall in three days and Ukraine would fall in two weeks? he said. "You're telling me that was accurate intelligence? U.S. intelligence believed before the war Russia's forces were so much larger and more powerful than Ukraine's that it wasn't going to go very well for a variety of factors, Berrier said. He testified Tuesday that there was never an intelligence community assessment that said the Ukrainians lacked the will to fight. That appears to contradict his statement from Senate testimony in March, when Berrier said he "questioned their will to fight. That was a bad assessment on my part because they have fought bravely and honorably and are doing the right thing. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A powerful Republican Senator has lifted the "hold" on the Senate confirmation of Eric Garcetti as the US envoy to India, but said he would vote against his nomination. Garcetti, 51, is currently the Mayor of Los Angeles. Republican Senator Chuck Grassley had put a hold on his nomination, saying that his staffers are conducting an investigation into the allegations of sexual assault against one of his employees. Following the completion of the investigation, Grassley is lifting his hold on the nomination. However, based on what he has learned, Grassley intends to vote 'no' if the nomination is considered by the full Senate, a statement issued by the Senator's Office said on Tuesday. Grassley made the findings public. Throughout the investigation, Grassley's staff made multiple offers to speak with Garcetti. However, Garcetti's staff did not schedule a discussion, the Senator's office said. Last year, US President Joe Biden nominated his close political associate and Los Angeles Mayor Garcetti as his envoy to India. Following the nomination, the American media reported that Garcetti was aware of allegations of misconduct by a former senior advisor. As Garcetti's nomination passed the Senate Foreign Affairs Committee, Grassley put a hold on his voting and confirmation late last year saying that he wanted to investigate the allegations. On Tuesday, Grassley's office said the review comprises interviews with 15 witnesses as well as examinations of 26 depositions and other documentary evidence, including e-mails and text messages. "Grassley's investigative staff concluded that Garcetti likely knew, or should have known, that his former senior advisor was sexually harassing and making racist remarks toward multiple individuals. These findings contradict Garcetti's testimony at a nominations hearing before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, it said. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) LUSAKA (Reuters) - Resources has challenged Zambia's appointment of a new Provisional Liquidator for Konkola Mines (KCM) following the resignation of the previous office holder. Zambia's previous government put KCM into the hands of liquidator Milingo Lungu in May 2019, triggering an ongoing legal dispute with Resources, KCM's parent company. The government accused of failing to honour licence conditions, including promised investment. Vedanta has repeatedly denied KCM broke the terms of its licence. By a consent agreement dated March 15, 2022, between the Official Receiver and the then liquidator Lungu, Lungu resigned as the Provisional Liquidator of KCM on March 17, 2022. In a letter dated April 10, 2022 to Lungu, the Official Receiver stated that following the agreement with him, she was replacing him with another liquidator. On May 9, 2022, KCM's acting CEO Enock Mponda announced that Celine Nair was the new Provisional Liquidator following her appointment as Official Receiver. However, Vedanta said in a court application filed in the Lusaka High Court on Tuesday that only the court has the power to appoint a Provisional Liquidator for the mining company. "It is contended that the Official Receiver acted ultra vires section 65 of the Corporate Insolvency Act as the said provision does not authorise the Official Receiver to appoint or replace a Provisional Liquidator who was appointed by a court," it says. Vedanta said in the court papers that the decision of the Official Receiver to appoint herself as Provisional Liquidator should be set aside because it is illegal. The Official Receiver could not immediately be contacted for comment on Wednesday. (Reporting by Chris Mfula; Editing by Louise Heavens) (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.) Cipla fell 0.90% to Rs 917.90 after the company's consolidated net profit fell 12.4% to Rs 362 crore on 14.2% increase in total revenue from operations to Rs 5,260 crore in Q4 March 2022 over Q4 March 2021. On a consolidated basis, EBITDA fell 4.2% year-on-year to Rs 763 crore in Q4 March 2022. EBITDA margin stood at 14.5% in Q4 March 2022, lower than 17.3% in Q4 March 2021. During the quarter, Cipla's One India business grew 21% YoY across branded prescription, trade generics and consumer health; 15% YoY growth adjusted for covid portfolio. The SAGA region grew by 8% YoY basis in USD terms; private business grew 17% on a YoY basis in ZAR terms. SAGA includes South Africa, Sub-Saharan and Cipla Global Access business. US core formulation revenue stood at multi-quarter high of $160 million, a 17% YoY growth. It reported strong traction in respiratory assets as well as contribution from peptide assets. Cipla's R&D investments stands at Rs 322 crore or 6.1 % of sales; Higher by 16% YoY driven by initiation of clinical trials on a respiratory asset. For the year, consolidated net profit rose 4.7% to Rs 2,517 crore on 13.6% increase in total revenue from operations to Rs 21,763 crore. EBITDA rose 6.4% YoY to Rs 4,578 crore in FY22. The board recommended a dividend of Rs 5 per equity share for the year 202122. Umang Vohra, MD and Global CEO, Cipla, said: "I am pleased to see the continued momentum across our key markets despite adverse seasonality impacting overall business mix. Our One-India business continued the double-digit trajectory during the quarter. We crossed the $1Bn milestone in our domestic branded prescription business driven by the sustained growth across our acute and chronic portfolio. Our established respiratory franchise and contribution from peptide assets has strengthened our US run rate to $160Mn. Adjusting for covid linked and other one-time charges, our core operating profitability continues to be strong underpinned by the strength of our business fundamentals. We continue to respond to challenging input cost environment with cost optimization and mix management while maintaining high serviceability. We are excited about the upcoming complex launches in H2FY23 which will further strengthen overall business and profitability trajectory." As on 31 March 2022, Cipla's total debt stood at Rs 824 crore while its cash and cash equivalents stood at Rs 4,965 crore. Cipla is a global pharmaceutical company focused on agile and sustainable growth, complex generics, and deepening portfolio in our home markets of India, South Africa, North America, and key regulated and emerging markets. Powered by Capital Market - Live News (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The new member in the executive board now includes Russia, Uzbekistan, Sri Lanka, Maldives, Taiwan and Philippines. India has been unanimously elected as the new chair of the Association of Asian Election Authorities (AAEA) for 2022-2024 at the recently held meeting of the executive board and Assembly in Manila, Philippines. The Election Commission of India's three-member delegation headed by deputy election commissioner Nitesh Vyas, along with CEO Manipur Rajesh Agrawal and CEO Rajasthan Praveen Gupta, attended the executive board meeting in Manila. The mission of the AAEA is to provide a non-partisan forum in the Asian region for sharing experiences and best practices among election authorities to discuss and act upon ways to promote open and transparent elections with the objective of supporting good governance and democracy. Powered by Capital Market - Live News (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Kalyan Jewellers India fell 4.86% to Rs 55.80 after the company's consolidated net profit fell 2.55% to Rs 72.29 crore on 6.53% decline in net sales to Rs 2,857.06 crore in Q4 March 2022 over Q4 March 2021. On a consolidated basis, the company recorded Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation and Amortization (EBITDA) of Rs 218 crore during Q4 FY22, down 4.39% compared with Rs 228 crore in the same quarter of the previous year. The standalone India operations recorded revenue of Rs 2399 crore as against Rs 2615 crore in Q4 of the previous financial year. Total revenue from the Middle East operations during Q4 FY22 was Rs 425 crore, at similar levels to the corresponding quarter of the previous year. The Middle East region contributed about 15% to the overall consolidated revenue of the company. Currently, the company's retail footprint is spread across 154 stores in 21 Indian states and 4 countries in the Middle East, with a retail area exceeding 5,40,000 sq. ft. The company's e-commerce division Candere reported revenue of Rs 39 crore versus Rs 22 crore in Q4-FY21, a growth of 78%. The quarter recorded a loss of Rs 2.7 crore versus a profit of Rs 0.53 crore for the corresponding quarter of the previous year. For FY2022, the company recorded a consolidated revenue of Rs 10818 crore, the highest revenue in the history of the company so far despite disruptions to business due to COVID 2nd and 3rd waves during the year. The consolidated PAT for FY2022 was Rs 224 crore. Ramesh Kalyanaraman, executive director, Kalyan Jewellers India said: "Q4 started with a very high base and also faced disruptions to showroom operations during the first half of the quarter due to Omicron driven wave. The quarter also saw extreme volatility in gold prices driven by the geo- political situation in Ukraine and its related impact on demand. We ended the quarter with a marginal de-growth but as a team we are very satisfied with the outcome." "This Akshaya Tritiya (FY2022-23) was excellent with significant traction across all regions including the non-south markets. We witnessed significant growth not just in terms of value but footfalls as well. April and the first week of May have been very encouraging both in India as well as the Middle East and are in line with our plan for the current year," he added. Headquartered in Thrissur in the state of Kerala, Kalyan Jewellers is one the largest jewellery retailers in India with a presence in the Middle East. It offers an array of traditional and contemporary jewellery designs in gold, diamonds and precious stones catering to the distinct needs of the customers. Kalyan Jewellers has 154 showrooms across India and the Middle East. Powered by Capital Market - Live News (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Prime Minister will participate in the second global virtual summit on COVID-19 on Thursday being hosted by US President Joe Biden, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said. It said the summit intends to galvanise new actions to address the challenges of the pandemic and build a stronger global health security architecture. Modi participated in the first global virtual summit on Covid hosted by Biden on September 22 last year. "Prime Minister will participate in the Second Global COVID Virtual Summit on May 12 at the invitation of the President of the USA, Joseph R Biden Jr," the MEA said in a statement on Wednesday. "The Summit intends to galvanize new actions to address the continued challenges of the Covid pandemic and build a stronger global health security architecture," it said. The MEA said the prime minister would deliver his remarks in the opening session of the summit on the theme 'Preventing Pandemic Fatigue and Prioritising Preparedness'. "India is playing a key role in ongoing global efforts to combat the pandemic by supplying safe and affordable vaccines, medicines, development of low-cost indigenous technologies to test and treat, genomic surveillance, and capacity building for health care workers," it said. "India is also proactively engaged in multilateral fora with the objective of strengthening and reforming the global health security architecture with WHO at its centre," the MEA said. Leaders of a number of countries are expected to participate in the summit. The summit will also be attended by heads of state/government of Belize in its capacity as Chair of CARICOM, Senegal as Chair of African Union, Indonesia as President of G20 and Germany as President of G7 respectively. Secretary-General of the United Nations, Director General of World Health Organization and other dignitaries would also participate. The Caribbean Community is an intergovernmental organisation of 15 member states in the Caribbean region having the primary objective to promote economic integration and cooperation among the members. (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.) Asserting that exports are very crucial to achieve economic growth, Chief Minister M K Stalin on Wednesday called upon the captains of industries to step up the exports by about $ 100 billion and meet the government's ambitious target of achieving $ one trillion dollar economy by 2030. At present, Tamil Nadu's share on the export front stood at $ 26 billion and this should be increased to $ 100 billion by 2030, he said after presenting the FIEO Southern Region Export Excellence Awards here. His government has already initiated several measures to attain the objective, he said at the event held under the aegis of the Federation of Indian Export Organisations (FIEO). "I had unveiled plans in September last year on export promotion and the government is taking several steps in this direction. To name some, efforts are on to establish a Knowledge City, State Export Promotion Committee, and International Furniture Park," Stalin said. He gave away the FIEO awards in the presence of Industries Minister Thangam Thennarasu and MSME Minister T M Anbarasan. The event saw the participation of top business leaders from various industries and awards were presented in multiple categories, including highest foreign exchange earner (top exporter) in southern region, top five-star exporter in southern region, top four-star exporter in southern region, among others. "I am happy to inform that during 2020-21 fiscal, stood third in the country by exporting to the tune of Rs 1.93 lakh crore, contributing 8.97 per cent to the nation's overall exports. This share should be increased every year. This government's desire and also my ambition is make first among Indian States in exports," the Chief Minister said. "Exports are very crucial to achieve economic growth. Currently, the southern zone has a share of about 27 per cent in India's exports. I am sure in five years, this will increase to 35 per cent," the Chief Minister said. FIEO should ensure the Central government scheme of One District One Product (ODOP) is implemented in all the districts in Tamil Nadu, he said and pointed out that nearly 24 of the State's unique products such as Thanjavur painting, Coimbatore's Kota cotton saree, Kovilpatti's peanut candy, and Salem silk are awaiting geographical indication (GI) tag. These products have good export potential, he added. A Sakthivel, president, FIEO, and Israr Ahmed, FIEO's regional chairman, were among those who spoke. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) As the on Wednesday put on hold the application of sedition law, Union Law Minister invoked "Lakshman Rekha" guiding different institutions, including the Executive and the Judiciary, and said no one should cross their "boundary". Responding to queries by reporters soon after the top court gave its directions, Rijiju said, "We respect each other. The court should respect the government, the legislature, so as the government also should respect the court. We have a clear demarcation of boundary and that 'Lakshman Rekha' should not be crossed by anybody." In its significant order on the that has been under intense public scrutiny, a bench headed by Chief Justice N V Ramana said there was a need to balance the interest of civil liberties and the interests of citizens with that of the State. Taking note of the concerns of the Centre, the apex court said the rigours of Section 124A (sedition) of the IPC is not in tune with the current social milieu and permitted reconsideration of the provision. The bench, also comprising justices Surya Kant and Hima Kohli, stayed all proceedings in sedition cases while directing the Centre and states to not register any fresh FIR invoking sedition charges until the is "under reconsideration". The court listed the matter in the third week of July and said its directions shall continue till further orders. Addressing the joint conference of chief justices of the high courts and the chief ministers here on April 30, CJI Ramana had also highlighted the significance of 'Lakshman Rekha'. Reminding the State's three organs - the Executive, the Legislature and the Judiciary - to be "mindful of the 'Lakshman Rekha' while discharging their duties", he had assured governments that "the judiciary would never come in the way of governance if it is in accordance with law". "We share your anxiety and concern regarding the welfare of the people," Justice Ramana had said. Delving further, he said all constitutional functionaries abide by the constitutional mandate as the Constitution provides for separation of powers between the three organs, clearly outlining their sphere of functioning, and delineating their powers and responsibilities. Talking to reporters on Monday, Rijiju had said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had directed that the provision of the be re-examined and reconsidered and the government will "suitably" take into account the views of stakeholders and ensure the sovereignty and integrity of the country is preserved while looking into Section 124A of the IPC. Rijiju had said he feels that it is a "bold" step taken by the government and that making laws is the government's responsibility. (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.) Beijing has accused Washington of attempting to change the status quo across the Taiwan Strait by removing some key expressions of Washingtons positions on its ties with Taiwan from the State Departments website. The deleted expressions in the updated U.S.-Taiwan relations fact sheet included the U.S. recognizes Taiwan is part of China and does not support the islands independence, both of which are seen by Beijing as part of the one-China principle that governs the cross-strait relations. Since World War II, few have doubted the status of London and New York as the international financial and business centers of Europe and America. But arguments abound over which city rules in Asia. Japan and South Korea are among the largest economies in Asia. Tokyo and Seoul, their capitals, are two of the most important cities on the continent. However, as English is not popular in either, they have never been the first choice for multinational companies Asian headquarters. This means the two cities have only ever served as regional financial centers in their own economies. English is widely spoken in Sydney. But Australia is too far away from other Asian economies, and its own economy is not particularly large, so Sydney cannot be seen as the most important financial and business center in the Asian time zone either. With the rise of Chinas economy, the cities most likely to become the Asian financial center to rival New York and London are Shanghai, Hong Kong and Singapore. Among them, Shanghai has obvious advantages. Its the most important industrial and commercial city on the Chinese mainland, with a considerable part of its more than 20 million population speaking English. The total market cap of companies listed in Shanghai was $7.9 trillion at the end of February, which is higher than Hong Kongs $5.2 trillion and Singapores nearly $700 billion. However, the biggest weakness Shanghai faces is the Chinese governments capital controls and the impact of the limited internationalization of the yuan. Hong Kongs greatest advantage is its status in the One Country, Two Systems policy. It has a judicial and commercial system in line with international standards. Moreover, the Hong Kong dollar is pegged to the U.S. dollar. The city can also piggyback on the mainland. It has attracted many companies from overseas and the mainland to set up branches and go public there. As a result, over the past two to three decades, Singapore has only surpassed Shanghai and Hong Kong in certain areas, such as foreign exchange trading. However, since 2019, factors that benefit Singapores development have been growing. Since 2019, the China-U.S. relationship has deteriorated rapidly. It has not improved significantly despite the end of the Trump administration. In the short term, Hong Kong may benefit from certain mainland enterprises delisting from the U.S. and returning to Hong Kong amid the escalating China-U.S. financial war. But geopolitical tensions between the two countries have prevented American investors from buying some Hong Kong-listed Chinese stocks. And then there are voices that question the level of social stability in Hong Kong. Deteriorating China-U.S. relationship is undoubtedly bad for both Hong Kong and Shanghai in their quest to become Asias international financial and commercial center. In addition to these direct effects, deteriorating China-U.S. relations have also accelerated transfers in the global industrial chain. As production costs in China rose, some multinational companies transferred part of production to Southeast Asia. And therere also uncertainties regarding Chinas export tariffs and whether China will still be able to import the most advanced production technology from Europe and the U.S. Therefore, its foreseeable that many multinational companies will accelerate shifting new capacity from China to other countries, especially in Southeast Asia. As the financial and commercial development of no other cities in Southeast Asia compares with Singapore, the island state will be the main beneficiary of accelerated development in the region. Singapore has also benefited from its successful response to Covid-19. Judging from the worlds epidemic prevention and control experience in the past more than two years, no country or region can guarantee its production chains will not be affected by the pandemic. The Chinese mainland ensured stable production through most of the pandemic, but with the outbreak of the highly contagious omicron variant, stable production has become an issue. Also, most foreign companies do not want to integrate production in a single country, so they may shift their industrial chains out of China. Singapores epidemic controls have received many positive comments globally. In mid-2021, it decided to coexist with the Covid-19 virus and has since gradually reduced social distancing and travel controls. Thats very different from the tight epidemic control measures or citywide lockdowns adopted in Hong Kong and Shanghai in early 2022. Though Singapore has adopted a strategy of coexistence with the virus, health care resources remain plentiful. Fewer than 500 people in Singapore have died of omicron in 2022, roughly the same number of influenza deaths. By comparison, more than 9,000 people died of Covid-19 in Hong Kong. In Shanghai, though the proportion of the population infected is much lower than in Singapore, economic activity in the city has been largely suspended since mid-March due to strict lockdowns, resulting in heavy economic losses. It is expected that Shanghais and Hong Kongs responses to Covid-19 could push large multinational companies regional hubs out of China, though the companies may still retain operations that are closely related to the mainland in Shanghai or Hong Kong. As a result, its difficult for Shanghai and Hong Kong to maintain their status as international financial and business centers given strict quarantine and lockdown measures. Singapore, thus, has a comparative advantage. In the future, the development of Singapore deserves everyones attention. Vincent Chan is a China strategist at investment advisory firm Aletheia Capital and a former head of China equity strategy at Credit Suisse. This article has been edited for length and clarity. Contact translator Tang Ziyi (ziyitang@caixin.com) and editor Heather Mowbray (heathermowbray@caixin.com) Download our app to receive breaking news alerts and read the news on the go. Get our weekly free Must-Read newsletter. Photo: Lauderdale County Sheriff's Office Vicky White and Casey White A murder suspect and the jailer who helped him escape from an Alabama lockup were carrying $29,000 in cash, four handguns and an AR-15 rifle and were prepared for a shootout when they were captured, an Indiana sheriff said Tuesday. Authorities caught up with the pair Monday, more than a week after the breakout and nearly 300 miles (480 kilometers) away, and rammed their car into a ditch after a brief chase. Escaped inmate Casey White, 38, surrendered, while jail official Vicky White, 56, was found with a gunshot wound to the head and was pronounced dead at a hospital, officials said. Authorities believe she shot herself, but a coroner will make the determination, Vanderburgh County Sheriff Dave Wedding said. The end of the manhunt left authorities trying to piece together what happened during the 11 days that elapsed after Vicky White escorted Casey White from a Florence, Alabama, jail for what she falsely claimed was a mental health evaluation. The inmate and Vicky White appeared to have had a jailhouse romance, Alabama authorities said last week. They were not related. As for her role in the escape, the sheriff said: He was not forcing her. It was a mutual relationship. At the time of the breakout, Casey White was serving a 75-year prison sentence for attempted murder and other offenses and was awaiting trial on charges of stabbing a woman to death during a 2015 burglary. If convicted, he could get the death penalty. Investigators believe the pair spent about six days holed up at a motel in Evansville. Authorities discovered wigs intended to hide their identities. Wedding said investigators do not believe the two had relatives or other contacts in the city of 120,000. They thought theyd driven long enough. They wanted to stop for a while, get their bearings straight and then figure out the next place to travel, the sheriff said. Authorities closed in on them after the manager of a car wash reported that a man closely resembling the 6-foot-9, 260-pound Casey White had been recorded by a surveillance camera getting out of a pickup truck. Investigators said they located the pickup, then learned that the pair may have switched to a Cadillac, which was then spotted outside a motel nearby. When the couple left the motel, police chased them down, authorities said. Casey White told investigators after his capture that "he was probably going to have a shootout at the stake of both of them losing their lives, the sheriff said. The inmate appeared by video Tuesday in an Indiana courtroom, where he waived extradition, and authorities said he will be sent back to Alabama. An attorney representing White in the murder case, Jamy Poss, declined to comment. Vicky White, assistant director of corrections at the Lauderdale County jail, had put in for retirement ahead of the escape, and the day of the breakout, April 29, was her last day of work. A woman who worked with her for 16 years could barely speak through tears Tuesday. I know she did wrong and made a terrible mistake, but shes still your friend, longtime jail employee Sherry Sylvester said. She said that White often tried to help prisoners, particularly ones without family. But Sylvester said she never saw White do anything that crossed the line: She did everything by the book. Connie Moore, Casey White's mother, said she last spoke with him by phone the day before the escape. She said her son may not have known what was about to happen. Everything was just as normal as it could be. I doubt he even knew he was leaving when she came in there to get him, Moore said. A warrant was issued on May 2 for Vicky White charging her with permitting or facilitating escape. Authorities said the plan appeared to have been in the works for some time. She sold her house for about half its market value and bought an SUV that she stashed at a shopping center without license plates. Photo: The Canadian Press Abortion-rights protester Estephanie Ward uses a bullhorn to chant during a demonstration outside of the U.S. Supreme Court, Sunday, May 8, 2022, in Washington. The Liberal government says it is giving $3.5 million for two projects to help improve access to abortion services in Canada as the possible return of Roe v. Wade in the United States has brought renewed attention to the issue on both sides of the border. (AP Photo/Gemunu Amarasinghe) The Liberal government says it is giving $3.5 million for two projects to help improve access to abortion services in Canada. The funding stems from a year-old budget pledge to spend $45 million over three years to help organizations make sexual and reproductive information and services more available. It comes as the re-emergence of the landmark Roe v. Wade case in the United States brings renewed attention to the issue on both sides of the border, and the day before the annual anti-abortion "March for Life" rally on Parliament Hill. Action Canada will use the federal money to expand programs that provide accurate information about sexual and reproductive health and referrals, as well as help cover women's travel and accommodation costs. The National Abortion Federation will use funding to give women seeking abortion services financial and logistical help, as well as train health-care providers in providing those services. The 2021 budget projected $16 million would already be allocated from the new funding by now, and advocates say while the money is welcome, more permanent funding for sexual and reproductive health care is needed. Health Canada says nine contribution agreements worth $15.2 million have been signed, including these two announced for the first time Wednesday that involve access to abortion. There are another five projects involving LGBTQ communities and two addressing youth. Photo: The Canadian Press Horse owners in a part of western Quebec say the province's language laws are forcing them to lose their only veterinarian at a time when there's already a critical shortage of animal doctors. Local farmer Chantal Chretien said she learned in late April that her vet, Melissa Jowett, would have to stop treating her two horses at her farm in Quyon, Que., because her French isn't strong enough to pass the language test required to get a permanent licence. Chretien said that with Jowett gone, the closest vet who specializes in horses is about a two-hour drive away which could potentially put the welfare of animals at risk. "Im a good advocate for French. I think theres a good base in that (language) law," she said in a phone interview. "But when the population and the animals need care, we dont care which language is spoken." Chretien said more than half of residents in the Pontiac region where she lives are native English speakers, and the rest are mostly bilingual. She said Jowett's language skills have never posed a problem. A petition she started asking the province for an exemption for Jowett had gained more than 6,400 signatures as of Wednesday morning. Jowett could not be reached for comment. But in a statement provided to The Canadian Press, the U.K.-born veterinarian said she had been working under a temporary licence, which she said can no longer be renewed. "There have been many vets over the years that have been restricted from working in Quebec because of this, and in this, I am no different," she said in the statement dated April 29. "Unfortunately, languages are not my forte, and although I get by relatively well due to the anglophone/bilingual nature of the Pontiac and La Peche regions, this does not alter the rules of the (French language office)." Jowett added that she has been discussing with Quebec's veterinary order to see if an exemption is possible, but she says there's no indication one will be granted. The rules state that a vet can receive a temporary one-year licence that can be extended three times giving them four years to pass the language test needed to get a permanent permit from the province's order of veterinarians. Quebec's language watchdog, l'Office quebecois de la langue francaise, says that while licensing is up to professional orders, there is "no provision that allows the Office to exempt a candidate from passing the French exam." The news comes as Quebec continues to struggle with a lack of veterinarians that has been made worse by the fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic. In her statement, Jowett said that, besides the issue with the licence, the pressure of being the area's only veterinarian who treats horses has pushed her "dangerously close to burnout." "There was no support; no team members to give relief emergency cover for the equine work; I was regularly having to refer cases which I would have been able to deal with had I had access to appropriate equipment and assistance," she wrote. Gaston Rioux, the president of Quebec's order of veterinarians, said Jowett's description of her work is unfortunately common. He said there is only one university in Quebec that trains vets, and more people have adopted animals during the pandemic when health restrictions also limited how many animals vets can could treat. He said vets have large overhead costs, often work alone, have to be on call nights and weekends and sometimes face anger or harassment from clients who are upset with outcomes or fees. A survey of 2,800 vets taken a year and a half ago found that 53 per cent of them were considering shifting jobs or leaving the profession altogether, he said. In that context, he said to lose a vet such as Jowett would be too bad, especially because she works in an area where many people speak English. "On our side, we want to be in solution mode," he said in a phone interview. "If there's a possibility to allow her to keep practising in Quebec, that's certainly what we'd like." On the other hand, he said that professional orders in Quebec are bound by the province's language laws, and it's unclear what he can do in this case. Rioux said the order is working on other solutions to relieve the pressure on vets, including allowing more work to be delegated to technicians, recruiting foreign-trained vets and adding another campus where candidates can study veterinary medicine. Photo: The Canadian Press Chicago police officers secure a red car that crashed into a fence in the 4500 block of South Marshfield Avenue that is suspected to be related to a fatal shooting Tuesday, May 10, 2022 in Chicago. (Tyler Pasciak LaRiviere /Chicago Sun-Times via AP) One person was killed and 10 were injured in two shootings on Chicagos South Side in the space of six hours, a spasm of gun violence on the hottest day of 2022 so far, serving as a warning that the city is entering the warmest and deadliest time of year. The victims were among 21 people who were shot in the city Tuesday. As of May 8, the Chicago Police Department had recorded 779 shooting incidents and 194 homicides, compared to 898 shootings and 207 homicides during the same period in 2021. Chicago and other U.S. cities reported dramatic spikes in homicide totals last year; Chicago's 797 homicides in 2021 its highest toll for any year in a quarter century eclipsed Los Angeles' tally by 400 and the total in New York by nearly 300. The latest gun violence in Chicago came amid a wave of mass shootings defined by the Gun Violence Archive as shootings in which at least four people are shot in big cities and smaller communities across the U.S. In the first incident Tuesday, around 4:30 p.m. in the Back of the Yards neighborhood, people who have yet to be identified climbed out of a stolen car and opened fire, police said. Five teenagers were shot, including a 19-year-old who was struck in the head and pronounced dead at a hospital soon after. His name has not been released. Two of the five were critically injured. A 16-year-old boy was struck four times including once in the face, and an 18-year-old man was shot in the hip and knee. Police said both are expected to survive. The gunmen sped off, crashed the car then fled on foot, leaving three guns behind, police said. Chicago Police Superintendent David Brown said investigators believe that shooting was part of an ongoing gang war that flared up last month when the brother of one gang leader was shot to death, allegedly by a rival gang member. Brown said officers at the scene Tuesday afternoon were attacked by gang members as they tried to administer life-saving measures to the wounded. He said two known gang members were arrested and charged with aggravated battery of a police officer. At about 10:30 p.m. in Jackson Park, where the Obama Presidential Center is under construction, occupants of an SUV opened fire, striking four women and two men, before speeding off. The victims were taken to hospitals and two of the women were in serious condition, police said. Brown said that shooting could be linked to a dispute between two groups over the disruption of a rap performance that was livestreamed on Facebook. No one has been arrested in either of the shootings. About an hour later, a man and a woman were wounded in another shooting in Jackson Park, but police couldn't say if the two park shootings were related. Chicagos police department has been loathe to pin spikes in violent crime on warmer temperatures and the closest Brown came to suggesting the weather was a factor in Tuesdays shootings was when he said the first shooting in Jackson Park came at a time when a lot of people were in the park enjoying the nice weather. But it has long been a fact in Chicago and elsewhere that as temperatures rise, so do the number of shootings. And Tuesday, after two weeks in which temperatures lingered in the 50s and 60s, the high was 89 degrees in Chicago, according to the National Weather Service. Wednesday was even hotter, at 91. Photo: pxhere A former Simon Fraser University student who alleged her legs were burned when a guitarist set his instrument alight with lighter fluid at a Vancouver concert has been awarded $202,200 in damages in B.C. Supreme Court. In May 2011, plaintiff Celia Langston-Bergman, then 20, attended a concert by now-defunct band Boogie Monster at a run run-down, Chinatown building well known to local Indie rock fans as Winnie Cooper, Justice Harry Slade said in his May 10 decision. Slade said Boogie Monster had two members guitarist Ben Fussell and drummer Tony Dallas. Both were defendants, as were the concert promoters. At one point, Fussell laid his guitar in front of him on the floor. As Jimi Hendrix famously did on stage at the end of a set, Mr. Fussell laid his guitar on the floor, poured a liquid on it from a water bottle and ignited it, Slade said. With the bottle of igniting fluid on the floor, Fussell apparently stepped on it, and flaming liquid was propelled toward Langston-Bergman. Friends helped Langston-Bergman as her legs were on fire. She went outside, where she tried to cool the burns with water from a puddle, Slade said. She was transported to a hospital by ambulance. The former dance student suffered severe burns to both legs from the sock lineup to the lower thighs, court documents show. She was admitted to the burn ward and, after other treatment, underwent two skin graft surgeries, both under general anaesthetic. Slade said most burns have healed but the graft sites remain obvious. As a result of the situation, Langston-Bergman gave up her dreams of being a dancer and, after turning to restaurant work, obtained a bachelors degree in nursing, and qualified as a registered nurse. Slade said Langston-Bergman is reluctant to work in emergency or intensive care units, as she does not want to treat burn victims. Concert promoter Tristan Orchard, who did not testify, said in a response that Fussell had informed him of his desire to perform the burning guitar stunt, that he forbade him from doing so. It had been suggested the stunt be done outside. Slade said finding Fussell liable for damages in the suit required little discussion. "He ignited a flammable liquid in the midst of a closely grouped gathering of people, Slade said. Their proximity gave rise to a duty of care not to create a risk of harm. The risk of harm to those surrounding the performers was foreseeable, and it was him that started the fire. The judge said it was foreseeable that Fussell would perform the stunt and Orchard breached the statutory duty to ensure the safety of those attending the performance. Mr. Orchard is liable for the injuries suffered by the plaintiff, Slade said. Drummer Dallas had objected to the stunt. Slade said Dallas had a reasonable belief that Fussell would not perform the stunt and therefore had no reason to warn the audience. He was found not liable in the case. For the physical and emotional impact, Langston-Bergman was awarded non-pecuniary damages in the sum of $135,000. For past loss of income, Slade awarded $67,200. Re. Carole Kormendy's letter Stop approving towers (Castanet, May 11) I could not agree more. (Kelowna city) council needs to open a map between them and review a visual of what it has approved will look like, especially Ellis Street. (The mayor and councillors) absolutely need to shift their focus from development to taking care of the city and the residents within it. Kelowna needs help now, not later and not after 15 more (highrise) towers. The tourism we so deeply depend on will dry up at this rate and we'll just be a shadow of Vancouver, a landscape of concrete, struggling to see the trees and lake that people used to flock here for, a sad version of a refuge for the unhoused and people who need help but cannot find it. Save Kelowna while you still can. C Walton Cemex extends Executive Variable Compensation programme ICR Newsroom By 11 May 2022 Cemex has announced that it is expanding its Executive Variable Compensation programme, further reinforcing its commitment to carbon neutrality. The Executive Variable Compensation programme, which includes progress on carbon reduction goals as a variable, will now cover more than 4500 executives in key positions around the world. Starting in 2022, the CO 2 emissions component will have an impact that will range from -10 per cent to +10 per cent in the total cash payout of the Annual Executive Variable Compensation. We are steadfast in our commitment to become a net-zero CO 2 company by 2050, said Fernando A Gonzalez, CEO of Cement. This decisive step reinforces our commitment, raises awareness and aligns our entire organisation towards our carbon action roadmap and building a greener, more sustainable company. Cemex has already shown significant progress towards its 2030 net-zero goals with 2021 seeing the largest annual reduction in CO 2 emissions in the companys history at 4.7 per cent, compared to the previous year. Published under This service applies to you if your subscription has not yet expired on our old site. You will have continued access until your subscription expires; then you will need to purchase an ongoing subscription through our new system. Please contact The Chanute Tribune office at 620-431-4100 if you have any questions Police responded to the Motel 6, 2440 Williams St., on a call that originally came out as a disorder. Once police were on scene, it was determined that no disorder had taken place, simply a verbal disagreement. The Motel 6 employee believed that a woman had a fake ID and was attempting to get a key card to a room that did not belong to her. Police determined that the ID was valid and belonged to the woman, and that the room also was under her name. The woman was issued a new key card and went to her room without incident. * * * A woman on Parkway Drive told police she had been renting a black Nissan Sentra from Enterprise and her son had gone outside to start the car at 6:30 a.m., due to the cold weather. She said she went to check on her car and found it had been stolen sometime between then and 6:45 a.m. The woman was provided a complaint card. The vehicle has been entered into NCIC as stolen. Later police were dispatched to a suspicious vehicle. Upon arrival police located a black Nissan Sentra. It was confirmed to be the stolen vehicle. Police removed the vehicle from NCIC and turned the vehicle over to the tow company per the owner. Police located several items in the vehicle that did not belong to its owner. While on scene, another vehicle arrived that was described as a vehicle involved in the theft. Police attempted to stop it and confirmed that the Ford F-150 was stolen as well. Police contacted the owner of the F-150 to ensure the electronics in the Nissan belonged to the owner. * * * A man on Shelborne Drive told police that his vehicle had just been stolen. He said his daughter had gone out and started it to let it warm up before she drove it to school and came back in the house to finish getting ready for school. He said when she went to leave for school, the vehicle was gone. Police had the vehicle BOLO'd on all channels and it was entered into NCIC as stolen. Police were later called about an abandoned vehicle in front of a residence on Monterey Drive. On scene police confirmed to be the vehicle that had been stolen from Shelborne Drive and had it removed from NCIC. The owner of the vehicle was notified and responded to the scene to recover the vehicle. * * * A man on Marijon Drive told police that sometime after midnight someone rummaged through his unlocked 2010 Infiniti and stole his wrist watch and his Ruger LCP 380. He said the firearm was a gift and he will have to search for the serial number. He said he does not have any cameras and has already driven to work.. * * * A caller reported suspicious activity at 201 W Main St (Feed). The caller said a black male was looking into vehicles in the back lot where the employees park. Police drove through the area and did not locate anyone. Police continued to drive through the area and at 13 W. 13th St. a man matching the description was walking through the parking lot with bolt cutters. Police decided to stop the man after he was seen looking into the bank drive through window. During the stop, police learned he was wanted out of North Carolina with no extradition. The man was also questioned by an investigator during the stop. The man was released pending further questioning. * * * A shopper told police she left her wallet at the Rackroom at Hamilton Place. She said when she realized she had left the wallet, she returned to the store. The shopper said a sales associate remembered picking up the wallet and said that a black female there said the wallet was hers. The sales associate then gave the shopper's wallet to the woman. There is no information regarding the identify of the the woman. The shopper said there were two credit cards and a debit card in the wallet. She told police she had canceled those cards before they could be used. She said the wallet also contained her GA driver's license and her Social Security card. She want a report so she could get a new DL and in case someone tried to use her identity. * * * A man told police that on either Tuesday or Thursday of last week he went to the Juicy Crab at Hamilton Place. He said he thinks he lost his wallet in the parking lot after he left the restaurant.. He said the only thing he was concerned about is that his passport card was in his wallet. He said he needs a police report to apply for a replacement. * * * A woman at the Gold Gateway Apartments, 1107 Grove St., told police she wanted them to retrieve her rent pay history documents from management. Police spoke to the manager, who was able to provide police with the documents. Police then took the documents back to the woman without incident. * * * A woman called police regarding the theft of a Lenovo ThinkPad and case from her vehicle. She said the theft occurred at either the Read House, 107 W Martin Luther King Blvd., or in the parking lot of Ichiban in Hixson. She said the laptop is her work laptop from Blue Cross Blue Shield of TN. There is no suspect information. * * * A man told police he had turned his vehicle into Capital Toyota, 5808 Lee Hwy., for maintenance. He said since then the vehicle has moved from location to location and Toyota has not been able to give him an address of where his vehicle is located or how long until the maintenance is finished. Police went with the man into the Toyota dealership, where management was able to get a physical address for where his vehicle is located, as well as a phone number for him to contact. * * * A man told police he lost his wallet at a job site at 8111 Caneadea Trail around two weeks ago and he was not able to locate it. He said he was in need of a report to get his documents replaced. * * * An employee told police that a woman caused a scene inside the IHOP, 5814 Brainerd Road, when her order was not correct. The woman then vacated the premises prior to police arrival. There is a particular paragraph in the US Code that reads, [18 U.S, Code 1507]: "Whoever with the intent of interfering with, obstructing or impeding the administration of justice, or with the intent of influencing any judge, juror, witness or court officer in the discharge of his duty, pickets or parades in or near a building, housing a court of the United States or in or near a building or residence occupied or used by such judge, juror, witness or court officer, or with such intent, uses any sound truck or similar device or resorts to any other demonstration in or near any such building or residence shall be fined or imprisoned." On Monday night about 100 pro choice protesters marched and chanted their way to Supreme Court Justice Samuel A. Alitos house in Alexandria, Va., where there was a heavy police presence waiting. There were no arrests but there should have been, as raucous yelling, public profanity over megaphones resembled what was more of an unruly mob. The protesters disrupted Mothers Day services at a number of Catholic churches, the 10 a.m. Mass at a Los Angeles Catholic Cathedral interrupted by a large group that included some women wearing red dresses inspired by Margaret Atwoods book, The Handmaids Tale. Elsewhere there were all manner of signs, the most notable reading Ruth Sent Us, referring to the late liberal court justice Ruth Ginsburg. Today in Washington is Walk By Wednesday, according to maps that show where the court justices live. The White House has defended the fundamental right to peacefully protest but decries the art of intimidation which brings you back to the U.S. Code. Of course, the whole uproar was triggered like a prairie fire when a scholarly paper critical of Roe V. Wade from Justice Alitos chambers was leaked to Politico a week ago. A decision by the court will not be announced until June but with six Catholics on the High Court and a majority of conservatives, it is believed the Mississippi case will be overturned. The extreme Justices that are being targeted by the liberal pro-abortion groups are Chief Justice John Roberts and Associate Justices Samuel Alito, Amy Coney Barrett, Brett Kavanaugh, Neal Gorsuch, and Clarence Thomas. For 21,000 years the Catholic Church has been an institution for the enslavement of women, one video shouts and activist groups such as Rise Up 4 Abortion Rights, Pro Choice with Heart, Shut Down DC, and Strike for Choice are planning for more protests this Sunday. Several Catholic parishes have announced heightened security. * * * SOME NOTABLE VIDEOS * -- After leaked SCOTUS opinion, dozens protest outside homes of Justices Brett Kavanaugh, John Roberts CLICK HERE. * -- Protesting in front of SCOTUS justices' homes a crime CLICK HERE. * -- Jen Psakis shocking refusal to condemn abortion riots. CLICK HERE. * -- Liberal media bashes Republican women CLICK HERE. royexum@aol.com United States Senator Bill Hagerty, a member of the Senate Banking and Foreign Relations Committees, along with Senators Thom Tillis (R-NC), Steve Daines (R-MT), Cynthia Lummis (R-WY), Tim Scott (R-SC), and Mike Rounds (R-SD), have sent a letter to the U.S. Department of Treasury urging the Biden Administration to extend sanctions against Russias National Credit Payment System. The Russian government established NSPK in 2014 after Russian forces seized Ukraines Crimean Peninsula, amidst Moscows concern that it would be cut off from international payment systems. The NSPK has a card brand known as Mir. Since Mir is interoperable with international payment brands, it poses the potential for sanctions circumvention through its ability to process transactions from other payment networks over the NSPK rails, the senators wrote. The Senators note that currently, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, Uzbekistan, and Vietnam accept Mir payments and that Mir is also accepted in the Russian-occupied Georgian regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia. In response, the administration should both apply sanctions or other restrictive measures to the Russian central banks NSPK payment system, and review whether UnionPays or any other bank or network is helping Russia evade sanctions, so that sanctions may be applied, the senators concluded. A copy of the letter can be found here: Dear Mr. Adeyemo: We are writing to respectfully request that the administration extend the application of sanctions against the Central Bank of the Russian Federation to target the National Card Payment System (NSPK) operated by that central bank. In early March, credit card networks Visa, Mastercard, and American Express suspended operations in Russia in response to Moscows invasion of Ukraine. The Russian government established NSPK in 2014 after Russian forces seized Ukraines Crimean Peninsula, amidst Moscows concern that it would be cut off from international payment systems. The NSPK has a card brand known as Mir. Since Mir is interoperable with international payment brands, it poses the potential for sanctions circumvention through its ability to process transactions from other payment networks over the NSPK rails. While Mir has mostly been used for bank transfers related to welfare or pension payments, it does have an international footprint, and Russia has been eager to bring other countries into the Mir system since its inception. Currently, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, Uzbekistan, and Vietnam accept Mir payments. Mir payments are also accepted in the Russian-occupied Georgian regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia. Chinas UnionPay an international payment system that received international status in 2005 and can be used for payments worldwide may be providing Mir a lifeline. Numerous Russian banks, including Sberbank and Alfa-Bank, have indicated they may issue Mir-UnionPay co-badged cards. Other Russian banks already work with the Chinese UnionPay payment system, including Gazprombank, Bank St. Petersburg, Promsvyazbank, and others. In response, the administration should both apply sanctions or other restrictive measures to the Russian central banks NSPK payment system, and review whether UnionPays or any other bank or network is helping Russia evade sanctions, so that sanctions may be applied. Thank you for your time and attention to this matter. We look forward to receiving your response. National Park Partners, Tennessee Civil War Preservation Association, the Tennessee Trail of Tears Association, and the American Battlefield Trust in a co-operative venture with Lookout Valley Elementary will open historic Browns Tavern to the graduating fifth graders of the elementary school. This is the second year for the educational event, Lookout Valley: Crossroads of American History. Students will interact with living history interpreters on the Taverns grounds who will portray important eras in Lookout Valley and American history: Cherokee, Longhunters, early travelers on the Federal Road, and the Civil War. They will tour the inside of the Tavern as part of the days events. The 2021 inaugural program was so well received by the students, Dara Lacy, eLab specialist at Lookout Valley Elementary, asked local representatives of the National Park Partners and American Battlefield Trust to repeat the program this year. Ms. Lacy said, Generations of Lookout Valley Elementary students had never seen the inside of the historic old structure that stands adjacent to their school. In many ways the Tavern is not only a symbol of Lookout Valley Elementary but also a symbol of the Lookout Valley community. To not only go inside the Tavern but experience its history through the costumed historians is a great opportunity for our students. Browns Tavern, believed to have been built around 1803 is thought to be the oldest structure in Hamilton County. It was a landmark structure during the Trail of Tears and the Civil War. Under threat of development, it was recently purchased by the American Battlefield Trust (battlefields.org) to ensure its preservation. National Park Partners, the friends group championing the conservation of the natural, historic, and cultural resources of Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park, including Moccasin Bend National Archeological District, will assume ownership soon. "A focal point of our mission is to engage young people in preserving and promoting the stories of Chattanooga's National Park treasures," said Tricia King Mims, executive director of National Park Partners. "Through this program, students develop a sense of pride and ownership of the incredible historic and cultural resources in their backyard; this plants the seed for growing future National Park stewards in the community." When Donald Trump was in office, he and Mitch McConnell made three lifetime appointments to the Supreme Court. McConnell went so far as to defy Ruth Bader Ginsburgs dying wishthat the next president appoint her replacementby packing the Court with Amy Coney Barrett just eight days before the 2020 election. The result? Todays Supreme Court has been taken over by a hyper-partisan supermajority that is on the verge of dismantling abortion care in America. But theres something we can do. The Judiciary Act of 2021 would add four seats to the Supreme Court benchrestoring balance to the court. Its the solution we need to move away from the extremely partisan rulings that now threaten our fundamental freedoms. Recent polling showed that the majority of voters support expanding the court. Congress has changed the size of the Supreme Court seven times already in our nations history. Its time to do it again. Im urging our representatives to back this important bill now so we know they want to protect the rights of the American people. The stakes are too high to stay quiet on this important issue. Velda Hilt When Chattanoogan Bob Franklin finished at McCallie School in 1978, he received a prestigious appointment to the U.S. Naval Academy. After two years there, though, he did some difficult soul searching and with the guidance of his father, Ted Franklin, realized he wanted to try and make a positive impact not on sea, but on land. As a result, he enrolled at Auburn University and began studying architecture a career he had envisioned since he was a teenager helping with his fathers firm. And now countless buildings across the Chattanooga landscape and beyond have been designed by his Franklin Architects firm. It is a career that he has found quite rewarding and one in which he and his colleagues have literally helped shape how area citizens look at their surrounding world, at least the physical one. Architects leave a lasting fingerprint on society, he said with pride. Sometimes the fingerprint is good and sometimes it is not so good. But it is significant, and I find that meaningful. I am in a profession that impacts the world we are in. Among the numerous projects the firm has done in recent years or is doing include buildings at Baylor, McCallie and GPS schools and UTC, the new Harrison Elementary, the Lookout Mountain, Ga., Town Commons, the EPB Building, a new interior for the Creative Discovery Museum, and a new urban block connected to the planned downtown Food City on Broad Street. And one unusual one is the Patterson Farms planned community with a town center in Dalton, Ga. Such commissions as the latter and the Lookout Mountain project are the especially fun ones for him, as they draw eyes not only to a structure, but also the area around it. I like ones that are like transformational projects to a city or school campus, he said. They are the projects that create a sense of place. As Mr. Franklin recently looked back on his career from the family firms one-story North Market Street office built in 1963 long before North Chattanooga was such a hot area for homes or businesses, he said he has seen his and his firms work grow as well. While it took him a short period to find architecture as a vocation, architecture certainly ran in the family. His grandfather, Selmon T. Franklin, had started the firm in 1933 after earlier working for noted architect R.H. Hunt and briefly having to find work as a bus mechanic when the Great Depression hit. An uncle, Jim Franklin, was also involved with the group along with his father, Ted, until forming his own large practice for a period and later coming back to Bobs firm late in his career. Uncle Jim was stiff competition, Bob recalled. He was very good at marketing and sales. Bob Franklins firm still has many of Mr. Hunts old plans of the larger commercial and other major buildings he designed in Chattanooga, and they are kept in a vaulted brick room along with the firms other plans that were drawn before they could be saved on computers. The thinking, Mr. Franklin said, was that a fire might destroy the older plans or the valuable drawings the firm was working on while a structure was being planned or built, and that would greatly derail their work. Nice examples of some of Mr. Hunts drawings such as the Hamilton County Courthouse and the Federal Building also hang in various rooms in the firms offices. Mr. Franklin said he has a personal interest in the classic design of older architecture like Mr. Hunt did, saying he would have loved to practice during that era. However, his firm is not known for any style, he said. Of course, that is due to everything from the fact that his firm employs about eight different architects and several interior designers and other staff, to the varying interests, desires and needs of the clients. This man who thought he might follow a career of listening to his superior officers in the Navy knows it is important to listen to his firms clients as well. Every project has its own context, he said. We listen to what the client desires and wants and look at the context of the site. One unique example of this is Wade Hall for the Sciences at St. Andrews Sewanee School, which was built to study science and is not the typical stone building found at that campus. All the structure is exposed, he said. Everything about the building is meant to be about science. While Mr. Franklin was more involved in the intricate design of projects in his early years after graduating from Auburn in 1984, he has been president since 1991 and now plays more of the role of administrator and focuses on working with clients and others. My role as president and CEO is seeing that our staff serves our customers well, he said. He does occasionally still get involved in a more hands-on way with the design, he said, adding that the McCallie Dining Hall and Baylor entrance gates were two such projects of recent years. Mr. Franklin said that architecture these days is 20 percent initial artistic design, and the rest involves the technical aspects of detailing the plans and carrying a building through construction and completion. He said some architects, such as his late uncle Jim, had a natural bent to the design side, while others, such as his late father, an alumnus of Georgia Tech like the other older family members, leaned more toward the technical aspect of architecture. Im somewhere in between, the younger Mr. Franklin said. Mr. Franklin added that architecture has changed greatly in the nearly 40 years he has been involved. He jokingly added that the stereotypical days of most architects being older white men have disappeared. The design phase has also evolved from initially using pencil on paper, to ink on mylar, to evolving kinds of computer-assisted programming. You now build the design on the computer in 3-D, and when you want floor plans, you just cut the model in half, he said, jokingly adding that he still prefers drawing by hand, unlike his other staff. Despite all the technology changes, doing business and serving customers have still not changed a whole lot, and that is what he says he is most proud of with his firm. "Im very proud of the work we are doing, he said. We have an excellent staff that is much more diverse than it used to be. While Mr. Franklins work usually involves the built and urban environment, he enjoys the opposite setting when it comes to relaxing and heads out to see nature. I like to hike and camp and flyfish and hunt, he said. I like being outdoors. He is married to Lisa Fritschen, and he has two sons, Bo, who is a doctor in Cincinnati, and Jonathan, who went to architecture school and practices urban landscape architecture and urban planning in the Los Angeles area. While he initially thought he might follow a military route, this architect is instead pleased with the design he made for his own life. Its extremely rewarding, he said of his work. * * * Additional notes from Bob Franklin: After Bob Franklin was interviewed in person, he also typed out some additional details about his work. Regarding what all else he has enjoyed about architecture and the evolution of his job, he wrote, I was very fortunate to graduate from Auburn in 1984 in architecture when Chattanoogas Vision 2000 was taking place and which created a downtown renaissance in Chattanooga. I have vivid memories of attending the listening sessions that summer with my mother and father, and we would eat at the Vine Street Market most nights before or after the sessions. From the Vision 2000 sessions, the renovation of the Tivoli Theater became a viable project, and Franklin Architects was fortunate to be selected as the architect. My father and I worked closely together on the renovation and restoration of the Tivoli Theater (before it was reopened in 1989). We were working with Ruth Holmberg and Whitney Durand as the owner's representatives. Ruth, Whitney, my father and I would stand on the scaffolding and plywood flooring at the very top of the theater, 50 feet up from the floor at the proscenium arch, and we would look at in place paint mockups for approval. I was personally crawling around inside the mechanical ductwork to determine what ducts led where behind the decorative plaster ceilings. That whole process remains some of my favorite memories as an architect. "Several years later, my father and I worked together on the renovation of the Memorial Auditorium with Robert Kirk Walker (before it reopened in 1991) and after that the Chattanooga Theatre Centre. One of our last major civic projects together was Coolidge Park, and we were working with fun people like Jim Bowen, Jeannine Alday, Allen McCallie and Mai Belle Hurley. If you asked me the same question in the middle of my career, I would have given a quick answer that those four civic projects which we worked on together were my favorites, and I still get a huge sense of satisfaction from watching large numbers of people use and enjoy those facilities. Regarding what kinds of projects he enjoys, he added, People often ask me what types of projects I enjoy the most, and my opinions have changed a bit as I get older. Throughout my career, I regularly got to work with and learn from Stroud Watson, who was the director of the Downtown Planning and Design Studio. He taught me that the street, the sidewalk, the pedestrian space are every bit as important as the building itself. "Now, at this point in my career, my favorite projects are those that create a strong sense of public place. As one of my clients once said, he wanted the project to be "transformational." It is always fun and rewarding to design an attractive and beautiful building but creating a sense of place in the public realm goes beyond that. The public realm puts more emphasis on how buildings relate to each other, to a city street or an academic quad or how a building ends a strong visual axis. The new Probasco Academic Building at Baylor is a good example of a state-of-the-art building that defines the edge of the school's quad, which was designed by Matt Whitaker, the landscape architect. We are currently working on Patterson Farms in Dalton, which will be a residential community with a central urban core. Our goal there is to create a strong sense of community and place. McCallie School's dining hall serves as a strong focal point at the end of that axis and defines the edge of a pedestrian quad. GPS's Davenport Middle School creates and defines the GPS Lawn. The EPB corporate office building serves as an iconic building at the intersection of MLK Boulevard, Broad Street and Market Street and an edge to Miller Park. The John Ross Building will serve a similar role on the North end of Broad and Market Street. We just recently completed the first phase of the Lookout Mountain, Ga., town center, which I believe will be a transformational project for that community. Those projects that create a sense of place in the public realm are what I believe makes life more rich and meaningful. Concerning the other rewards of an architecture career, he added, All architects leave a lasting impression, a fingerprint, on the built environment and society. Sometimes that fingerprint is wonderful and sometimes it is not good at all, but whatever impression it leaves, it is there for all to experience, and I personally find that extremely meaningful. Working with my father, Ted Franklin, throughout my career until his retirement and also working with my uncle, Jim Franklin, at the end of his career was also personally rewarding to me. As many people know, working in the family business is often tough and challenging, but it can be fun and immensely satisfying. When Uncle Jim came to work with us, I told him that I didnt need another father, to which he replied, I have no intention of being your father. It took about a week for him after he started to start acting like a father. As soon as I decided that I wanted to be an architect, my father set out to teach me many lessons about what it means to be an architect and what our responsibilities are. The one lesson that he repeated often and that I particularly remember is that it is our responsibility, as the owners architect, to look out for the owners best interest. That lesson is one of (our) foundational principles. * * * Jcshearer2@comcast.net VA Tennessee Valley Healthcare System will host its 12th annual VA2K Walk Wednesday, May 18, from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. at its Nashville, Alvin C. York, Clarksville, and Chattanooga campuses. VA2K promotes healthy living while raising awareness and donations for Tennessees homeless veterans. The event is free and open to the public. Participants can expect to stroll 2 kilometers outside TVHS facilities and should arrive 15 minutes early for registration. The Tennessee Army National Guard Band will perform at the Alvin C. York campus in Murfreesboro, and local musicians Jason Gregory and Derrell Vaughn will perform at Nashville. Participants are encouraged to bring a voluntary donation such as new clothing, toiletries, packaged food, or bottled water. These donations will be collected and distributed to local homeless veterans. Donations are not required to participate. The VA2K Walk is a rain-or-shine event, and registration is held on the day of the walk. For additional registration and donation information, visit the TVHS website. University of Tennessee at Chattanooga undergraduate students Breanna Evans, Luke Wiley and Alexis Nelson are the inaugural recipients of a newly created award which includes a summer trip to Paris.The Dr. Jane Harbaugh Research Experience Award was established in 2021 to commemorate the career of Dr. Harbaugh, whose 43-year career made her one of the longest-serving faculty members and administrators at UTC.The $7,500 awards, funded by UTC Academic Affairs, the Office for Undergraduate Research and Creative Endeavor, the Vice Chancellor for Research and the Division of Diversity and Engagement, are designed to support undergraduate students from previously underrepresented populations in study abroad and research experiences at UTC.As part of the award, Ms.Evans, Mr. Wiley and Ms. Nelson will spend July at the Universite Paris Cite in France, working on their research projects and getting the opportunity to mingle with college students from around the globe.We have three really excellent awardees this year, said Lisa Piazza, director of the UTC Office for Undergraduate Research and Creative Endeavor. The cool thing about this particular group is theres a real diversity of disciplines. Their projects are going to be outstanding.Ms. Evans, who will start her junior year at UTC in the fall, is pursuing a bachelors degree in exercise science and psychology. The Smyrna, Tn. native is the peer mentor for the Health Residential Learning Community on campus.She has been involved with undergraduate research and has experience coding information within interviews and conducting a secondary analysis.Those skills were applied to a recent study concerning food insecurity and its perception in parents who live in rural Southern Ethiopia. Over the past year, Evans has incorporated a discourse analysis of interviews conducted and transcribed for this study.This summer, she will be starting a project researching how environmental factors may be correlated with physical activity, sleep quality and health behaviors in college students.This project will allow me to work on developing stronger transferable skills such as problem-solving and being more detail-oriented, Ms. Evans said. I am being mentored by Dr. (Shewanee) Howard Baptiste on this project. She is able to help me refine my ideas and guide me as I go along with researching over the next year.Ms. Evans, who recently completed the Office for URaCE Undergraduate Research Work-Study program, plans to attend graduate school for occupational therapy.Winning this prestigious award makes me feel happy since I will be able to travel outside the United States for the first time, she said.Mr. Wiley, a Brock Scholar in the Honors College, is pursuing a bachelors degree in psychology. The senior is the managing editor for UReCA: The National Collegiate Honors Council Journal of Undergraduate Research and Creative Activities.The Nashville native has been involved with research in multiple fields of psychology, including research into episodic future thinking and prospective memory, character development and intergenerational dialogue, surveying bias in dating apps and stress and burnout within the legal profession.I applied for this study abroad trip just hoping that I would get the Harbaugh because I dont know if I wouldve been able to afford the trip without this, Mr. Wiley said. This has not only given me the financial ability to go on the trip, but it has opened doors to getting so much research experience this summerwhich will help then with my thesis and later, hopefully, with grad school.Mr. Wiley plans to attend graduate school in industrial-organizational psychology or industrial relations to help workers lead happier and healthier lives while also having more power within their workplaces.A fourth-generation union member, he has also begun working with the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers on his thesis examining whether feeling supported by ones labor union can help buffer against the negative impacts of job demands such as stress and burnout.During his time in France, as part of that thesis research, he will be looking at the differences in labor lawsparticularly by comparing unions in France and the U.S.Im going to try to get an international approach and look at the differences in collective bargaining agreements, he said.Ms. Nelson is a rising senior studying political science and economics. The Murfreesboro, Tn. native has competed in two economics competitions for her research paper analyzing the effects of womens empowerment on infant mortality.She has researched various topics such as infant mortality, cryptocurrency and the war on drugs.Her current focus is researching how redlining affects generational wealthtying into her interests with inequalities minorities face.Basically, Im first looking at America and how redlining has shaped how minorities have been able to get wealth and accumulate it over generations, she said.Going to Paris, her first travel outside of the U.S., will allow her to look at different international systemssuch as civil law in France.Im extremely appreciative of this award; I truly was not expecting it, she said. Im most appreciative that I get to explore an area of research thats really important to me and that I can hopefully educate other people on.Following graduation, Ms. Nelson plans to attend law school or complete a J.D. degree in law and economics to pursue a career in civil rights, serving minorities and giving them a voice.* * * * *Remembering Jane HarbaughJane Harbaugh was an institutional administrator, academic and mentor during her time at the University from 1957 to 2001.After joining the faculty at the University of Chattanooga in 1957, she served as Guerry professor of history and chairman of the department (1958-1969); dean of the College of Arts and Sciences (1969-1975); vice chancellor for academic affairs (1975-1982); and associate provost for undergraduate and special programs (1982-2001).In the process, she became the first woman dean at UC.In addition to her work at the University, she served as a postdoctoral fellow in East Asian studies at Harvard University and received a Rockefeller Research Grant at the School of Oriental and African Studies of the University of London.She earned a bachelors degree from Tufts University in Medford, Massachusetts, and a masters degree and Ph.D. from Tufts Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy.Dr. Harbaugh passed away in 2020 at the age of 90. Troubadour Blue will be playing the 2022 Chattanooga Beer Fest. This year, Troubadour Blue has been on tour opening for GRAMMY award-winning group The SteelDrivers, including an upcoming show at The Ryman Auditorium, was selected as one of only 10 artists to be a part of HGTV's 100 Day Dream Song, and showcased their writing prowess at Station Inn as a part of Nashville's songwriting festival - Tin Pan South. The trio, produced by Tammy Rogers King, will be releasing music later in 2022. They will play at the Chattanooga Beer Fest on Saturday, May 28, at the First Horizon Pavilion. About Troubadour Blue: Troubadour Blue blends evocative songwriting and compelling musical arrangements, daring you not to feel something when listening to their melodies. The innovative trio is composed of siblings, Brenna and Eli Wheeler and Daniel Kim Ethridge. While Brenna and Eli are Nashville natives, Daniel hails from Austin, Tx. by way of Long Beach, Ca. Daniel and Brenna first collaborated during their time at Belmont University in Nashville and several years later Eli found his way into the mix. Together, the three transport listeners into the stories of their songs with captivating three part harmonies and various string instruments. The idea of Troubadour Blue was sparked during the summer of 2019 when Daniel and Brenna, who met during their time in the Belmont Bluegrass Ensemble in 2015, found themselves in the world of Nashvilles hired guns and desired a project where they possessed full creative control. COVID-19 became the worlds reality just as the group emerged from the studio with the intention of releasing melodies Fall of 2020. Though their timeline seemed perpetually pushed back, it eventually opened the door for Eli, Brennas younger brother, to join the group upon graduating from Elon University and sequentially rounding out the trio's sound. Marrying the motifs of modern bluegrass with the poeticism found in Nashvilles songwriting scene, Troubadour Blues focus is on creating songs that tip their hat to classic country writing while incorporating modern influences. With Daniel on guitar and banjo, Brenna on fiddle and mandolin, and Eli on acoustic guitar, resonator guitar, mandolin, and banjo, the trios blended vocals emphasize the importance of harmony while showcasing their unique voices. Troubadour Blue melodies are set to hit the airwaves early 2022 with collaboration from Tammy Rogers King of the Grammy-award-winning Bluegrass band, The SteelDrivers, as producer and Mitchell Furr as engineer. A Walker County Schools student enrolled in the systems Walker LAUNCH Dual Enrollment partnership with Georgia Northwestern Technical College recently boosted his commitment to the welding profession.When LaFayette High School student Garrett Rollins graduates May 27 with his diploma, he will already have multiple welding certificates and a full-time job waiting for him at a Metro Boiler Tube, where he currently works part-time. Walker County Schools and GNTC officials hosted a ceremony on May 5 in which Mr.Rollins signed a job offer from Metro; the signing was in conjunction with SkillsUSA National Signing Day, which celebrates high school seniors and college/postsecondary students who have chosen to pursue a career as a professional in any of the skilled trades.At age 14 my uncle, who was already a welder, said, You will be a welder, Mr. Rollins said, explaining that his uncle spotted his aptitude early on. Welding is something you either can or cant do. It is mostly based on skills and the patience to learn. The knowledge clicked immediately that this would be my career.Mr. Rollins was also Walker County Schools first student to compete in the regional high school welding competition for SkillsUSA. He said he found the competition in December 2021 nerve-racking.He took his time, stayed calm and focused on doing what he needed to do. Its all about quality, not speed, he explained.Once my welding hood drops, I just think about that next weld, he said.He admits he sometimes still experiences frustration that he takes longer to prep his work than more experienced welders do to prep their welds, he said. His coworkers encourage him by reminding him that he will get faster with more experience.Professional knowledge and personal growth are goals of the Walker LAUNCH program, said Julie Portwood, coordinator of Secondary Instruction and Walker LAUNCH for Walker County Schools.Garrett learned time management, advocated for himself and set himself apart as a leader among his peers, Ms. Portwood said. His communication skills have improved. He now knows the right way to say what needs to be said.The high school senior has several professional goals. After earning his high school diploma, he will take six welding classes this fall and expects to earn his welding diploma from GNTC in either fall 2022 or spring 2023, he said.Mr. Rollins takes all of his classes on GNTCs Walker County Campus in Rock Spring. He said that environment differs from a traditional high school because college treats you like an adult, not a high school kid.While college instructors expect more of their students, his welding instructors believe he has delivered in the Walker LAUNCH program.If Garrett doesnt know how to do something, he will learn how to do it, said Tayler Davidson, instructor of Welding and Joining Technology at GNTC. Hes trustworthy, dedicated and very respectful. He listens well, follows directions and is everything an instructor is looking for in a student.Jeremiah Cooper, program director and instructor of Welding and Joining Technology at GNTC, said as an early graduate of the Walker LAUNCH program, Mr. Rollins demonstrates to other students that they, too, can take college and high school classes simultaneously so that they can enter the workforce at a high wage.As a business decision, dual enrollment is a no brainer, Mr. Cooper said.SkillsUSA National Signing Day celebrates high school seniors and college/postsecondary students who have chosen to pursue a career as a professional in any of the skilled trades, according to skillsusa.org. Local SkillsUSA chapters are encouraged to host a signing day event by inviting business partners, school administrators, teachers, elected officials, SkillsUSA alumni, family and friends to honor students signing letters of intent for a job offer, apprenticeship or advanced technical training.Dual enrollment courses are free to Walker County juniors and seniors. Tuition is paid for through the programs funding, books are provided and most of the related fees are covered.Since the Walker LAUNCH program kick off in 2018, students have earned a total of 64 certificates and the necessary industry certifications and soft skills to go directly into a job, Ms. Portwood said. Career pathways include Automotive Technology, Air Conditioning Technology, Welding and Joining Technology, Logistics and Supply Chain Management, Networking Specialist, Allied Healthcare, Medical Assisting and Cosmetology.For more information on Walker LAUNCH, go to https://sites.google.com/walkerschools.org/readyforwork/launch?authuser=0 Bradley County Sheriffs Office deputies responded to a possible burglary in progress at a business in southeast Bradley County early Tuesday morning. The owner of the business reported he received a notification from his surveillance system alerting him of a male going through his warehouse and office space. A possible suspect vehicle was observed leaving the area. The truck was identified by the first arriving deputy as possibly being a red Chevrolet S-10, but deputies were unable to make contact with the truck. Investigators from the Criminal Investigations Division responded to the business for evidence collection. Numerous items were found lying in the parking lot which were taken from inside the warehouse during the burglary. Video surveillance confirmed the red S-10 truck pulled onto the property at 4:12 a.m. Detectives were able to observe a male wearing identifiable shoes, gloves, a mask, headlamp, and glasses inside of the business warehouse. The male was also seen taking numerous items, some of which were the items found on the ground in the parking lot. Through a cooperative effort between patrol and investigators the suspect, Thomas Andy Ledford, was identified through distinct characteristics from a previous encounter with law enforcement while driving a red S-10 truck. Detectives made contact with Thomas Andy Ledford on Wednesday at a Spring Place Road location, where he was wearing similar items observed in the surveillance video from the business burglary. Ledford denied any involvement with the burglary, but claimed he could retrieve one of the stolen chainsaws. After obtaining consent to search from the property owner at the Spring Place location, other items were recovered after being identified as stolen property taken during the burglary. Ledford was arrested and while in route to the jail, he attempted to throw his shoes out of a Bradley County Sheriffs Office patrol car window. Thomas Andy Ledford was booked at the Bradley County Jail on charges of burglary, vandalism and theft over $1,000 stemming from the business burglary on Tuesday. Marvel Studios Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness just hit theaters, and fans cant get enough of Benedict Cumberbatch, who reprises his role as the magical wizard. While his on-screen character is dark and ominous, his real-life persona is nothing but kindness and compassion. The long-time actor recently announced he is opening his home to a displaced Ukrainian family and is encouraging others to do the same. Who is Doctor Strange? Step through the Multiverse into a new reality. Experience Marvel Studios #DoctorStrange in the Multiverse of Madness NOW PLAYING only in theaters! Get Tickets: https://t.co/VoGdr7T8HN pic.twitter.com/y4tNJTsOGJ Doctor Strange (@DrStrange) May 7, 2022 Born and raised in London, Cumberbatch has an M.A. in Classical Acting and spent a year teaching English in a Tibetan monastery in India. According to IMDb, His breakthrough on the big screen came in 2004 when he portrayed Stephen Hawking in the television movie Hawking. The young actor became the face of Sherlock Holmes in the 2010 British television series Sherlock that ran for four seasons through 2017. Cumberbatch currently has 91 acting credits to his name and has starred in popular films such as Star Trek Into Darkness, 12 Years A Slave, and The Hobbit movies, to name a few. In 2014, Cumberbatch received a Best Actor Academy Award nomination for his role in The Imitation Game. He was nominated again for a 2022 Best Actor Academy Award for his role in the Netflix film The Power of the Dog. In 2016, the father of three first appeared as Dr. Stephen Strange in the movie Doctor Strange. He has returned to the Avengers movies several times to continue his fan-favorite role, most recently starring as the title character in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, alongside actor Elizabeth Olsen. The Marvel actor is opening his home to a Ukrainian family Benedict Cumberbatch | Matt Winkelmeyer/WireImage Cumberbatch confirmed to Sky News that he has plans to host a Ukrainian family at his home in the United Kingdom. The Oscar nominee explained that while the family has made it out of the war-torn region, they are currently undergoing medical treatment. He is reportedly monitoring their progress every day. Doctor Strange did not want to expand on the details of the arrangement, saying it would be an invasion of their privacy. Cumberbatch explained, saying too much about when theyre coming and how thats being managed would invade mine. The Emmy Winner said he wants to help the family, stating, I want to give them some stability after the turmoil that theyve experienced, and thats within my home. Everyone needs to do as much as they can UK actor Benedict Cumberbatch wants to house Ukrainian refugees. Cumberbatch told Sky News that he hoped to participate in the new Homes for Ukraine program that offers accommodation for Ukrainian refugees. Everyone needs to do as much as they can, he said. The Kyiv Independent (@KyivIndependent) March 13, 2022 The Sherlock actor is not limiting his charitable efforts to one family. He is also helping by working with the organization, Refugees at Home, to offer financial support to other Ukrainian families. Variety reported, he is helping out other refugees fleeing Ukraine by covering the cost of their housing in the United Kingdom. According to Insider, it was at the 75th British Academy Film Awards where Cumberbatch first announced his intention to host a Ukrainian family in his home. The 45-year-old actor told the audience members, We need to donate, we need to pressure our politicians to continue to create some kind of a refugee safety and a haven here for people who are suffering. He continued, Everyone needs to do as much as they can. The Courier actor said, Theres been a record number of people volunteering to take people in their homes. I hope to be part of that myself. USA Today recently reported that many Hollywood celebrities are doing what they can to help the people of Ukraine. Former Dancing With the Stars Maksim Chmerkovskiy, who was born in Ukraine, has started a foundation with his brother to help the more than 5.4 million citizens who were forced to flee their beloved country. RELATED: The Lesson Benedict Cumberbatch Learned From Meryl Streep TL; DR: Prince Harry and Meghan Markle will visit England for Queen Elizabeth IIs Platinum Jubilee in June 2022. The couple, and their two children, will reportedly stay with Princess Eugenie and her family at Frogmore Cottage. Meghan Markle and Prince Harrys Platinum Jubilee visit could be brief considering another commitment of Prince Harrys. Meghan Markle and Prince Harry | Karwai Tang/WireImage Prince Harry and Meghan Markles Platinum Jubilee plans are coming together. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex will reportedly stay with Princess Eugenie at Frogmore Cottage during their U.K. visit in June 2022 Harry and Meghan have confirmed theyre attending Queen Elizabeths Platinum Jubilee celebration June 2022 marks a big occasion for the royal family. An extended bank holiday is scheduled for Queen Elizabeth IIs Platinum Jubilee, marking 70 years of her reign. After much speculation surrounding whether or not Meghan and Harry would attend, a spokesperson for the couple confirmed, per CNN, that theyll be there. Not only that but they plan on bringing their two children, Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor, and Lilibet Diana Mountbatten-Windsor. The celebrations, which include the annual Trooping the Colour parade, will be different. This time around Meghan and Harry will not appear on the Buckingham Palace balcony alongside other members of the British royal family. According to a palace spokesperson, only royals carrying out official duties will stand on the balcony. Meaning the Duke and Duchess of Sussex will be excluded along with Prince Andrew. They are reportedly staying with Princess Eugenie at Frogmore Cottage It looks like its back to Frogmore Cottage for Meghan and Harry. According to a report from The Sun, the couple will be staying at their former U.K. residence during their visit. And they wont have the place to themselves. Frogmore Cottage is currently home to Harrys cousin, Eugenie. The 32-year-old lives there with her husband Jack Brooksbank and their 1-year-old son, August Philip Hawke Brooksbank. Per The Sun, Harry, Meghan, Archie, and Lili will stay in Frogmore Cottages guest rooms while theyre in England. Additionally, heightened security measures are reportedly already underway ahead of their arrival. Details on Harry and Meghans Platinum Jubilee accommodations come after the couple visited Queen Elizabeth in April 2022 ahead of the Invictus Games. If the report is accurate, it wont be the first time Eugenies hosted Harry. The Duke of Sussex stayed at Frogmore Cottage with his cousin in 2021 when he attended Prince Philips funeral. Frogmore Cottage Leon Neal/Getty Images The stay might be brief given Prince Harrys polo schedule Theres a chance Harry and Meghans Platinum Jubilee visit could be short because of another commitment. The Duke of Sussexs schedule has him playing polo in California for the full summer season with the Los Padres out of Santa Barbara. A tournament is scheduled from June 3 to 19. However, as the royal author and expert Omid Scobie noted on Twitter, those are not the dates of the matches but simply the tournament itself. So Harrys schedule might line up perfectly, allowing him to go to the U.K. to celebrate the milestone in his grandmothers reign and be back in time for polo. RELATED: Princess Eugenie Likely Trying to Smooth Things Over Between Prince Harry and Royal Family During California Visit Author In June, the United Kingdom will have celebrations in honor of Queen Elizabeths Platinum Jubilee. There are talks about Prince Harry and Meghan Markle possibly returning to the country on this occasion to see the royal family. However, according to an author, Prince William is reportedly worried about the Duke and Duchess of Sussex trying to pull a stunt during Her Majestys special event. (L-R) Prince William, Meghan Markle, and Prince Harry | Eddie Mulholland WPA Pool/Getty Images Prince Harry and Meghan Markle will likely visit the U.K. for the jubilee celebrations Harry and Meghan have only returned to the U.K. together once since stepping down as senior royals in 2020. In April 2022, the couple briefly visited Queen Elizabeth on their way to the Netherlands for the Invictus Games. Now it seems they will visit Harrys home country again in June. Prince Harry and Meghan, The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are excited and honoured to attend The Queens Platinum Jubilee celebrations this June with their children, a spokesperson for the Sussexes said (via CNN). With that said, even if Harry and Meghan attend, the pair and their children will not appear on the Buckingham Palace balcony during the Trooping the Colour parade. According to a palace spokesperson, only royals carrying out official duties will be on the balcony, which means Prince Andrew will be excluded as well. Prince William is allegedly worried about the Sussexes trying to pull a stunt, author says It remains to be seen what Harry and Meghan will do in the U.K. if they do visit. However, royal author Tom Bower alleged that some royals, including Prince William, might be on edge. William will worry that Harry and Meghan will pull a stunt to try to get the limelight, Bower said (via The Sun). The author also added, Kate and William would be foolish not to be suspicious and would be unwise not to be cautious. A royal expert believes this is the wrong time for Queen Elizabeth to see the Sussexes kids Queen Elizabeth had met Harry and Meghans older child, Archie. However, their younger child, Lilibet, was born in the U.S. in 2021 and has not met Her Majesty yet. It is likely Lilibet and the queen will be introduced to each other if Harry and Meghan attend the Platinum Jubilee celebrations. Yet, royal expert Angela Levin believes this would be the wrong time for an introduction. I think it is wrong for them to bring their small children over at this time, Levin said (via Express). The Queen is going to be very heavily in demand. There is a lot she has to do during that weekend. Levin added, It will be hard for her because she doesnt have the energy nor the mobility. To have small children, who dont know her, coming around for tea is another burden on her. They could have come any time before now, and done it quietly and nicely, and that would have been a very special and intimate family event. But with so much going on during the Jubilee, it is just the wrong time. RELATED: Prince William Was Reportedly Disgusted by Meghan Markles Comments About Kate Middleton, Author Says Craig Conover from Southern Charm knew some of his castmates didnt exactly believe in him when he decided to embark upon a textile career. He expected to take it on the chin from Shep Rose, but it was Cameran Eubanks who surprised him the most. He thought she would have had his back, so when he realized she poked fun at him too, he was disappointed and said he never saw that side of her. Craig Conover expected heat from Shep, but not from Cameran Conover expected Rose to bust on him. Well, I mean, obviously Shep but he always rode me on anything or everything, Conover said on the Behind the Velvet Rope with David Yontef podcast. Craig Conover, Cameran Eubanks | Paul Cheney/Bravo Hell tell you it was all good old-fashioned ribbing, but he still crossed that line a few times, he said. Cameran is who I was most disappointed in. You know, I just had never seen that side of her. I knew I had a good idea and I really liked it. And I just thought these people would trust me enough to be like if Craig wants to do this you know, f*** it. Let him do it. But I think what hurt the most was it made me feel like the guy had lost everyones trust. Cause I was like, I really am just like, I just talk the talk. I talk the talk and Ive never really walked the walk. Cameran admitted she was wrong about Craig Conover said he was always shooting for the stars and was let down when his friends were less than supportive. One of my biggest goals was to finally walk enough walks that my word meant something because I lost that, he said. And that was painful because I knew I had pushed and I pushed. I dont think people really took my word seriously anymore, he continued. And then she (Eubanks) was the very first one to turn it around though. And as soon as I actually did what I said I was going to do, she was like, Hey, Craig was right. I was wrong. I am eating crow. But it took me actually doing it and not just saying I was going to do it. The Southern Charm cast misses Cameran Eubanks Despite feeling let down by Eubanks, Conover said he misses her on the show. We really miss Cameran, getting to hang with Cameran was so fun, he said. We filmed for four months and we were kind of all over the place. After a few seasons, everyone goes out on their own and starts traveling and stuff. But when youre brought back, kind of in the same realm, its just really fun. And look, I would have never been able to go live in the Bahamas if I hadnt done the show, he added. So thats just one crazy thing that I love from it. But the time spent with the guys and I love doing press, whether we were doing upfronts in LA with Shep or Austen. I love meeting people in the network. Cause Im such a TV fan. I dont watch unscripted except for 90 Day and some Bravo stuff. But scripted shows I love. And so when we do these things with NBC, you get to meet these people and thats always been so fun for me. RELATED: Southern Charm: Craig Conover Gets the Last Laugh With Sewing Down South Though Sydney Sweeney keeps a lot of her personal life private, she has cited the importance of family a time or twenty. The actor-producer grew up with her cousins and has maintained close relationships with them despite her busy schedule. Furthermore, she tries to share the more luxurious parts of her life with her family whenever she can. Whether its hosting her cousins at her new home for Christmas or flying her grandmother to Paris for a Balmain fashion show, the Euphoria star loves to treat her family to unique experiences. Sydney Sweeney | Alexi Rosenfeld/GC Images Sydney Sweeney is very close to both of her grandmothers Sweeney is particularly close to her grandmothers. The Players Table producer is fortunate enough to have both her paternal and maternal grandmother in her life. Both women seem very supportive of Sweeneys career. After seeing her work in Euphoria, and getting a peek at some of her risque scenes, they exclaimed that she had the best tits in Hollywood. Furthermore, both women were featured extras in The Voyeurs (an erotic thriller starring Sweeney) and walked the red carpet with her. The White Lotus stars grandma had no idea what the Met Gala was One of Sweeneys grandmothers even made a vocal cameo in a recent video that she did with Vogue. While the 24-year-old is on her way to her very first Met Gala, she gets a call from her nana. Hi Nana! Sweeney exclaims. Hi, sweetheart how are you doing? the actors grandmother asks. Im good, Sweeney replies. Im in the van heading to the Met Gala. To which Sweeneys grandma asks Whats that. RELATED: Sydney Sweeney Once Dreamed of Being a Racecar Driver The Players Table producer didnt know what the Met Gala was until she started acting Naturally, Sweeney and her stylist, Molly Dickson, were amused that the Madame Web stars grandmother had no clue what the Met Gala was. The pair immediately were beside themselves with giggles. However, Sweeney herself didnt know what the event was until she began acting professionally. The actor grew up in Spokane, on the border of Washington and Idaho, so she wasnt privy to exclusive fashion events growing up. Im gonna be completely honest, I had no idea what The Met was until I started acting, Sweeney explained earlier in the video.I grew up in a small town. So I had no idea what The Met Gala was. Later in the video, Sweeney did her best to explain the event to her grandmother. But the actors nana wasnt done with her hilarious quips just yet. RELATED: 5 Sydney Sweeney Projects to Watch if You Love Her in Euphoria Its a really beautiful event where people go and they honor fashion, and its themed different every year, Sweeney shared, explaining the event. And we all wear like big, huge dresses. Ill send you pictures, Nana. Its a little tight in the van. Citing Sweeneys corset top, her nana had a hilarious response. A little tight top too. Clearly, Sweeney isnt the only one with comedic timing in her family. Maybe the next time that the actor heads to the Met Gala, her nana can provide even more commentary. RELATED: Sydney Sweeney Has a Trick for Red Carpet Events Jada Pinkett Smith and Willow Smith tackle true crime in a new Red Table Talk on Facebook Watch. The latest episode of the talk show features The Tinder Swindler victim Ayleen Charlotte who is speaking out about Simon Leviev for the first time since the Netflix documentary. They also speak with Rachel Williams, portrayed by Katie Lowes in Inventing Anna in the Netflix true-crime series. The Tinder Swindler victim Ayleen Charlotte reveals shocking new details on Red Table Talk In an exclusive interview, The Tinder Swindler victim Ayleen Charlotte sits down in a new Red Table Talk, streaming on Facebook Watch on May 11 at noon ET. She describes further details about conman Simon Leviev to Jada Pinkett Smith, Willow Smith, and Adrienne Gammy Banfield-Norris. In the Netflix series, Ayleen Charlotte, Cecilie Fjellhoy, and Pernilla Sjoholm all had personal relationships with Leviev after meeting him on the app Tinder. See the exclusive clip below. The Tinder Swindler cast revealed Simon Levievs con Throughout The Tinder Swindler documentary on Netflix, viewers learn how Leviev was able to convince his alleged victims that he was a billionaire. Leviev told the three women and countless others that he was The Prince of Diamonds, claiming to be CEO of LLD Diamonds. He wined and dined Charlotte, Sjoholm, and Fjellhoy and formed close bonds with them. Once he established his connections, he claimed that his enemies were after him, creating elaborate stories to support these claims. In the Red Table Talk clip, viewers see a photo that Leviev sent to Charlotte. Theres blood on his shirt, and he told her that men were coming for him. She feared for her life and his. Thats when he swindled her life savings out of her. See her full story with new details since the documentary on Red Table Talk, streaming on Facebook Watch. Red Table Talk guest Ayleen Charlotte from The Tinder Swindler Netflix documentary | Jordan Fisher/Red Table Talk/Facebook Watch RELATED: Netflixs The Tinder Swindler: Where Is Simon Leviev Today? Rachel Williams describes death threats and trauma after Anna Delveys vacation In the same episode of Red Table Talk, Rachel Williams sits down to discuss her lasting trauma from the fake German heiress Anna Delvey (Anna Sorokin). Although the Netflix true-crime drama, Inventing Anna, told Rachels story, she elaborates on the fallout after the vacation from hell. As portrayed in Inventing Anna, Delvey charged $62,000 to Williams credit cards while on a trip to Marrakesh, Morocco. Although the credit card companies eventually forgave the charges, it was a saga that lasted years. Williams even wrote a book about the traumatic experience, My Friend Anna: The True Story of the Fake Heiress Who Conned Me and Half of New York City. Catch new details about her story and trauma since the Netflix true-crime drama in the Red Table Talk on May 11 on Facebook Watch. RELATED: Inventing Anna: Anna Delvey Breaks Her Silence About Rachel DeLoache Williams High School Musical star Zac Efron has become much more worldly over the years. He recently revealed that he took a trip to rough it in Papua New Guinea with a group of his friends. However, Efron didnt realize that the tribesmen secretly knew exactly who the High School Musical star was the entire time. Zac Efron roughed it in Papua New Guinea for 2 weeks Zac Efron | Samir Hussein/Samir Hussein/WireImage Jimmy Kimmel Live brought Efron onto the show to talk about what hes been up to since his High School Musical days. He talked about his time working in Australia, but he didnt end his travels there. Efron explained that he traveled over to Papua New Guinea and was surprised by how difficult it was to get into the country. I lived with this local tribe, former High School Musical actor Efron said. They were from the Sepik River and theyre kind of well known as the crocodile people because they live in the Sepik River and they worship crocodiles. Its their deity, their god. Host Jimmy Kimmel asked the actor how the tribe worshipped the crocodiles with a fascinating story. Very interesting way, Efron responded. So, we went out to this river where theyd go fishing or hunting to meet these crocodiles. They invited me along for the trip, so I was like, Yeah, sure, lets go. Id love to check this out. This is going to be wild. Efron continued: A huge group of 40 or 50 dudes all got down in this swamp area and laid down and sort of starfished out like below the water. Just their heads out They all kind of laid out and what I realized after a couple minutes, were feeling around with their hands for crocodiles. Every time one would swim by and touch one of their hands or feet or anything like that, they would like whistle or yell in order to cue the one next to them to whistle or yell like, Hey, hes coming your direction,' Efron recalled. Eventually, these guys just laid down the river and they caught a crocodile. It was wild. They jumped on it, wrapped it up, pulled the thing in. High School Musical actor Efron humorously explained that they cooked it in four different ways. His personal favorite was fried crocodile. The tribesmen secretly knew about High School Musical star Zac Efron Kimmel asked Efron if anybody in Papua New Guinea knew about his work, such as High School Musical. The actor had a funny story about how their relationship changed over the course of his stay there, but it also extended to the world outside of the country. I think by the end of that trip, I kind of realized [it], Efron said. I was out there camping, I didnt have a cell phone. We were off the grid. In Papa New Guinea, theres no technology. We were sleeping in one of the little huts they sort of had for us. That was for me and a lot of buddies. We were roughing it, for sure. Efron continued: By the end of the trip, which was two weeks out in Papua New Guinea, it was actually pretty funny. A couple of the guys came up to me with cell phones, these are the tribesmen guys. We FaceTimed their cousins and their wives and people that were living in other places all over the world. They knew who I was the whole time and didnt say anything about it, Efron stated. It was pretty wild. I was like, Wow, OK. Ive made it everywhere. High School Musical was an instant phenomenon around the world for Efron, which went even further than he ever knew. The actor wants to join another massive franchise with the Marvel Cinematic Universe Zac Efron is ready to join the MCU "I've been a fan of Marvel since I started walking. If the right character comes along I would jump at the opportunity" (via @extratv) pic.twitter.com/514GnzVjCO Culture Crave (@CultureCrave) May 3, 2022 High School Musical star Efron told ExtraTV that he wants to jump into the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Its one of the biggest movie franchises of all time, so many actors want to be a part of it. However, the MCUs casting is always very careful and takes quite some time to announce their stars. Some of Efrons fans already tried to guess who he could potentially play, including the Fantastic Fours Human Torch. Only time will tell if he will enter the MCU, but his lips will likely remain sealed unless Marvel makes an official casting announcement. RELATED: Zac Efron Almost Blew His Hairspray Audition For This Weird Reason During fiscal year 2021, the globally positioned Eppendorf Group saw its consolidated revenue climb to 1.1 billion (prior year: 967.2 million), amounting to an increase of 13.8% (prior year: 20.3%). Operating profit also rose significantly in 2021, reaching 272 million (prior year: 217.7 million) with an EBIT margin of 24.7% (prior year: 22.5%). Fiscal year 2021 was economically very successful for Eppendorf, said Eppendorf SEs Co-CEOs Eva van Pelt and Dr. Peter Fruhstorfer. The jump in revenue to 1.1 billion is a milestone for the company and is especially remarkable given the numerous global challenges we faced, including the coronavirus pandemic, the chip crisis and worldwide bottlenecks in logistics and the supply chain. The Groups approximately 5,000 employees around the world met and mastered these challenges outstandingly well. They made a significant contribution to enabling this success. All the Eppendorf product groups and market regions and all the companys divisions and subsidiaries developed positively, most with double-digit growth. Positive business development and sustainable strengthening of core business The development of all four market regions is especially satisfying; their revenues grew in some cases very significantly. Of particular note are the remarkable revenue increases in the Asian market regions: Asia/Pacific/Africa (APA) boosted its revenue 23.0% over the prior year, and China performed similarly, gaining 20.4% over the prior year. The Europe market region likewise enjoyed positive development during the reporting period, achieving gains of 13.2% over the prior year despite 2020s strong growth in revenue. The same is true for the Americas market region, which was able to take advantage of the supply problems affecting some of its competitors and once again record gains of 7.9%. We are quite pleased about this repeated and very positive business development, explained van Pelt. It is an extraordinary achievement on the part of all our employees that we had such outstanding results in what was often a demanding market environment. Focus in 2021: Strengthening innovative power and expanding production capacity In addition to the rigorous further development of Eppendorfs organizational structure and the associated efficiency gains, the year under review focused on numerous waypoints intended to secure Eppendorfs future success. Last year we invested continuously in the expansion of our plants and in Eppendorfs logistics sites. We concentrated on the production sites in Germany and the US as well as on a number of our worldwide sales offices, said Fruhstorfer, noting that in 2021, a total of 73.4 million was spent on production capacity expansions, new construction and modernization measures for sites around the world. Eppendorf also made higher-than-average R&D investments in 2021 in order to continue to fulfill its claim of premium products and meet rising customer demands tomorrow as well as today. To this end, the companys innovative power was extended rigorously and focused on new products and development methods. Overall, during the year under review Eppendorf increased its R&D budget by 15.6% to 64.5 million. Outlook for 2022 Eppendorf assumes that the entire year 2022 will be characterized by continued high global demand for laboratory devices, materials and services and regards itself as very well positioned for this development with its portfolio of products, services and solutions. Over the course of the year, the demand for product groups that are currently very highly sought is likely to normalize, and accordingly, the company anticipates moderate growth in revenue in 2022. At the same time, the overall situation will continue to be challenging owing to the worldwide coronavirus situation, persistently heavily strained supply chains, the uncertainty associated with increasing protectionism in individual global regions and challenges resulting from geopolitical developments that are currently unforeseeable. Xi tells Chinese youth to contribute energy, creativity to rejuvenation Xinhua) 08:21, May 11, 2022 Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, delivers a speech at a ceremony marking the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Youth League of China (CYLC) at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, May 10, 2022. (Xinhua/Li Xueren) * Founded in 1922, the CYLC has proven itself to be the vanguard of the Chinese youth movement, Xi said. * Xi told the League to always serve as the strongest "bridge" and "bond" that connect the Party and Chinese youth. * League members should be patriotic and innovative, while not being misguided or intimidated by difficulties, Xi said. BEIJING, May 10 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping on Tuesday hailed the contributions made by young communists over the past century, and called on them to offer energy and creativity to push forward national rejuvenation. Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the remarks while addressing a ceremony held in Beijing to mark the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Youth League of China (CYLC). Founded in 1922, the CYLC has closely followed the Party's lead and written a "youthful chapter" in the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, Xi said. The ceremony, broadcast from the Great Hall of the People to a national audience, was presided over by Wang Huning, and attended by Li Keqiang, Li Zhanshu, Wang Yang, Zhao Leji and Han Zheng. All of them are members of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee. The CYLC had more than 73.71 million members by the end of 2021. Speaking at the ceremony, He Junke, first secretary of the Secretariat of the CYLC Central Committee, attributed the robust vitality of Chinese youth in the new era to the leadership of the Party. Young people must play a vanguard role and closely follow the Party, He said. IMPORTANT FEATS In his speech, Xi enumerated the contributions made by CYLC members in the past 100 years. League members have accomplished important feats in the victory of the Chinese revolution, the development of the motherland, reform and opening up and socialist modernization, as well as in securing historic achievements and shifts in the cause of the Party and the country in the new era, Xi said. The CYLC has proven itself to be the vanguard of the Chinese youth movement, he noted. Using past experience as an outline for the CYLC in the future, Xi said the League achieved success because it upheld the leadership of the Party, reinforced faith in communism and socialism, committed itself to national rejuvenation, and remained rooted in Chinese youth. Chinese youth in the new era, blessed with a spacious and promising platform, should also shoulder important responsibilities, Xi said. The pursuit of the Chinese Dream is a relay race, Xi said, adding that young Chinese today should strive to excel in contributing to national rejuvenation. A ceremony marking the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Youth League of China is held at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, May 10, 2022. (Xinhua/Yue Yuewei) PARTY'S "SCHOOL" AND "BRIDGE" On his expectations for the CYLC, Xi said the League should educate young people for the Party and always serve as a political school guiding the ideological progress of young people. The League should always be a vanguard force in mobilizing China's youth in continuous endeavor, he added. Xi told the League to always serve as the strongest "bridge" and "bond" that connect the Party and Chinese youth, as well as to conduct self-reform. League members must play exemplary roles in life and work, earnestly attend political training, and strive for the glorious goal of becoming qualified CPC members, Xi said, urging them to build up firm beliefs, and boost their courage and skills to carry out struggles. They should also be patriotic and innovative, while not being misguided or intimidated by difficulties, he added. Noting that the CPC is always worthy of trust and to be followed by young people, Xi said the Party always opens its door to young people and warmly welcomes them to become the new blood of the CPC. "The Party and the country place our hopes on young people!" Xi said. A ceremony marking the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Youth League of China (CYLC) is held at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, May 10, 2022. (Xinhua/Zhai Jianlan) "I feel so motivated and I will continue to make my youthful contributions to social development and the pursuit of the Chinese Dream," said Ruznaguri Shatar, a local League cadre in the city of Turpan in northwestern Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, after hearing Xi's speech. The speech also inspired Zou Bin from central China's Hunan Province. Once a bricklayer, Zou is now a construction project manager and national lawmaker. "This is an era when everyone has the opportunity to shine," Zou said after hearing Xi's speech. "As a young Chinese working on construction sites, I will pay close attention to every detail of my work and help build quality projects and beautiful cities for the country." (Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Liang Jun) A Connecticut state trooper and native of Poland got a chance Wednesday to help one of the most famous Poles of all time with a roadside repair. Trooper Lukasz Lipert was called on to assist former Polish President Lech Walesa with a flat tire on I-84 in Tolland, state police said. Lipert helped ensure safety at the scene while an auto service worker changed the tire on the SUV in which Walesa was a passenger. Advertisement Lipert said he spoke to the Nobel Peace Prize winner in Polish about the history of their homeland and the anti-communist movement in which Walesa was a key figure. It was definitely a great opportunity to meet the man who had a voice during those times, Lipert, 35, said. Advertisement [ In Hartford, former Polish President Lech Walesa says It is not enough for Ukraine to defeat Russia militarily ] Walesa has been in Connecticut as part of his Ukraine relief campaign. The 78-year-old founder of Polands once powerful Solidarity movement is touring the U.S. to champion refugees who have been uprooted from their homes due to Russian attacks. Up to 3.2 million displaced Ukrainians are in Poland, according to the latest estimate. Former Polish President Lech Walesa with interpreter Magdalena Iwinska on Tuesday evening at Infinity Hall in Hartford. (Don Stacom) At first, Lipert said, he thought a fellow trooper was joking when he called for backup at about 11:30 a.m., saying that a former Polish president was in a disabled vehicle. What are the odds theres going to be a former Polish president on the side of 84 in Tolland, Lipert said. But he talked with Walesa on the phone as he made his way to the scene, and sure enough, Lipert said, it was him. Lipert came to the U.S. when he was 18 and said he did not pay much attention to politics as a kid growing up in Poland. But as an adult, he said, he read about the history of his home country, and that was the focus of his conversation with Walesa. It was definitely a great experience, Lipert said. Jesse Leavenworth can be reached at jleavenworth@courant.com So are you going to write about the Nephilim? This was the question several friends asked me after I signed a contract to write The Characters of Creation, a book about the first few chapters of the Bible. I didnt think I could avoid writing about them, given how they show up in Genesis 6, one of Scriptures more bizarre chapters. As someone who has confidence in the authority and inerrancy of Gods Word, I was a bit intimidated. I consulted scores of commentaries, sermons, and scholarly papers to figure out how to interpret this passage. Still, it excited me to dig in, because I believe our world needs the underlying message of Genesis 6: the reality of evil, the judgment of God, and the promise of salvation and redemption. Every day, injustice scrolls across our social media timelines, offering fresh reminders that the world of Genesisdepraved, evil, unjustis not as removed from our own as wed like to think. Enter the Nephilim. They may be the most peculiar creatures in the Bible, and we are not even sure what they really are. Theyve been featured in literature for thousands of years and popularized in culture. The Nephilim have made appearances in The X-Files, Shadowhunters, and Noah. Video games like El Shaddai, Tomb Raider, and Payday 2 feature them, as does literature such as House of Night, Fallen, and Atlas Shrugged. Whats more, since the dawn of time, human legends and myths have imagined a kind of half-man, half-god figure, from the Babylonian Gilgamesh to the demigods of Greek mythology. But who are these strange characters who make their way onto the pages of our Bibles, who appear during a time of downward descent into human depravitya period, as described ... 1 You have reached the end of this Article Preview You have reached the end of this Article Preview To continue reading, subscribe now. Subscribers have full digital access. Have something to add about this? See something we missed? Share your feedback here. Chinese Protestant Christianity was born in the crucible of Chinese interaction with European and American missionaries in the 19th century. This was an era marked by the expansion of British and American commercial and military power. After the Opium Wars (18391842 and 18561860), Great Britain successfully pried open China to the West and to Protestant missionaries. Before the United States acquired Hawaii and the Philippines, it was engaged in territorial expansion in North America. This territorial expansion was accompanied by rapid economic development that created a tremendous demand for labor. The abolition of slavery in the British territories (1807) and the United States (1863) only intensified the need for cheap labor globally. These historical developments explain, in part, the growth of the Chinese diaspora and Chinese immigration to the United States and Canada. A small but significant presence in the Spanish, Portuguese, and Dutch colonies in the 16th through 18th centuries in Asia, the Chinese diaspora grew rapidly during British expansion. Chinese labor was crucial for the growth of the North American West. Much of Californias agricultural industry as well as US and Canadian railroads were built by Chinese contract workers from Guangzhou. What about the Christians? Most were delighted that the British and American powers had pried China open for the spread of the evangelical faith and cultural uplift. Abolitionists, who fought to eradicate slavery and trafficking, saw new opportunities to share the gospel of liberty and equality globally. In the 1850s, when Chinese immigrants started to come to the United States in significant numbers, the Western Protestant missionary presence in China was limited to Hong Kong and five treaty ports. American mission societies saw an opportunity to build a transpacific Chinese Christian network that could reap the benefits of American Christianity. But even before the first Chinese church in North America (todays Presbyterian Church in Chinatown, San Francisco) was started in 1853 by four Chinese Christian merchants, obstacles arose that would decisively shape the character of Chinese American Christianity. First, Chinese immigrants almost immediately faced hostility. Like European immigrants, the first Chinese immigrants were adventure seekers who saw an opportunity to become rich through mining or commerce shortly after the news of gold strikes in California in 1849 spread to China. But in 1852, the state of California passed discriminatory taxes and later attempted to force Chinese out of the mines and stop Chinese immigration. Image: WikiMedia Commons Protests from the Chinese associations (including a self-described naturalized citizen and Christian merchant, Norman Asing) could not stem the growing animosity. Even the advocacy of missionaries and mission agencies could do little to prevent the US (and later, the Canadian) government from passing discriminatory immigration and naturalization laws in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Second, the transient, geographically scattered, and male-dominant Chinese immigrants made it nearly impossible to form stable faith communities. This was especially true during the 1850s and 1860s when most Chinese worked in mines scattered across the American West. As the mines dried up, many settled in adjacent small towns. Some started shoe - and cigar-making companies; others entered domestic service. The construction of the Central Pacific Railroad in the 1860s brought a new wave of contract laborers. Many later worked on railroad construction in Canada, the American South, and the Northeast. A number of white congregations reached out to their new Chinese neighbors through language schools; however, they could not retain them because of cultural-linguistic barriers and Chinese work transience. An attempt to plant a Chinese Baptist church in Sacramento in 1854 was quickly abandoned. Even the Presbyterian mission in San Francisco, the only free standing Chinese Christian church in North America at the time, became inactive by 1860. Article continues below In the 1870s, however, a series of events gave birth to North American Chinese Christianity. As the Chinese population nearly doubled to 63,000 by 1870 and approached 105,000 by 1880, animus toward the Chinese intensified. They were blamed for the 1870s economic downturn in the West. Lacking the legal protection that comes with citizenship, Chinese were driven out of mining towns and many were killed. As they fled into Chinatown enclaves, they created segregated urban slums. Fueled by the backlash against Reconstruction in the South, the anti-Chinese movement quickly grew into a national movement leading to the passage of the Chinese exclusion acts of 1882, 1892, and 1902. During this time, American missionary agencies renewed their efforts to build up and support the Chinese Christian community. Beginning in 1868, Methodist, Congregationalist, Baptist, and Episcopalian missionaries and Chinese pastors were assigned to San Franciscos Chinatown. Before long, women missionaries accompanied them and established English language schools, community centers, and womens rescue homes. A number of white missionaries gained notoriety for their fearless advocacy of the rights of the Chinese. William Speer (18221904) not only helped plant the Chinese Presbyterian mission in San Francisco, but he also left important testimony in the California state records defending the Chinese in the face of racial prejudice. His successors, Augustus W. Loomis (18161891), Ira M. Condit (18331915), and Donaldina Cameron (18691968) have all left important legacies as supporters of the Chinese in North America. Otis Gibson (18251889), an unflinching ally who started the Chinese Methodist work, set the tone for Protestant advocacy for racial justice. Congregationalist William C. Pond (18301925) was supported by the abolitionist American Missionary Association. He and the Chinese Congregationalist pastors were among the most passionate preachers of the gospel of human equality. Together, these missionaries and Chinese Christian leaders provided stability for the community and channeled denominational attention and support. The first Chinese converts were clearly drawn to the egalitarianism of an abolitionist-inspired evangelicalism. In a speech at an anniversary celebration of the Methodist Chinese Mission in San Francisco in 1875, Ma See connected the Christian view of a Creator God and Chinese rights: If this world was created by the one universal God; if it belongs to God; if men are all created equal; if all men come from one family; if these things be so, and they are so, then the Chinese, of course have the same right to come to this land and to occupy the land, that the people of any other nation have. They also distinguished between what they perceived to be authentic and false Christianity. In the North American Review (1887), Yan Phou Lee noted that when the Chinese were persecuted some years agowhen they were ruthlessly smoked out and murderedI was intelligent enough to know that Christians had no hand in those outrages; for the only ones who exposed their lives to protect them were Christians. While white missionaries have been rightly accused of racial paternalism, they were among the few who protested anti-Asian violence and fought exclusionary and discriminatory legislation, albeit unsuccessfully. They modeled a postmillennial zeal that made public witness an indelible mark of Christian faithfulness. Despite their unequal collaboration with missionaries, Chinese Christians embraced a spirituality that wedded personal connectedness to God with social and political engagement. Together they built a Christian transnational network that envisioned racial uplift and national salvation. Timothy Tseng is the Pacific area director for InterVarsity Christian Fellowships Graduate and Faculty Ministries (GFM) and coexecutive director of New College Berkeley. He has served as a seminary professor, nonprofit founder, and pastor. His PhD dissertation was titled Ministry at Arms Length: Asian Americans in the Racial Ideology of American Mainline Protestantism, 18821952. Originally published in 2020 winter issue of ChinaSource Quarterly. [ This article is also available in and . ] Marriage is on the decline, at least in the United States, but whether you see that as a crisis or an opportunity depends on how you frame ideal life and community. As two recent books show, its possible for Christians to reach very different conclusions about the current state of relationships. Thats a good thing. Those who lament declining marriage tend to focus on what it means for families and childrenand rightly so. Less-committed relationships produce well-documented challenges for the children born and raised in such pairings. But declining marriage doesnt just mean weaker family structures. It also means more entirely uncommitted people: more singles. As theologian Lina Toth argues in Singleness and Marriage after Christendom, todays surge in the number of single people is actually an opportunity for the church to reconsider both singleness and marriage as distinctly Christian ways of living. Authors John Van Epp and J. P. De Gance take a very different view in their book Endgame: The Churchs Strategic Move to Save Faith and Family in America. If [churches] want to turn the tide of a declining Christianity, the authors write, then they must build intentional communities anchored in championing healthy relationships that lead to and revitalize God-affirming marriages. Singleness then and now Toth anticipates such views. Her largely historical work puts the prevailing Christian view of singleness and marriage in a much-needed and often fascinating context. Whereas Van Epp and De Gance focus mainly on changes in the 20th and 21st centuries, Toth goes back to the start of the church. What she finds is both predictable and surprising. Not surprising: laments about the familys decline, which are nothing new. But surprisingly, those the Romans accused of destroying family and society were none other than the Christians (emphasis mine). If youre thinking thats because Romans saw family differently than we do today, thats true, Toth says. But so, too, did the Christians they found so threatening. She cites the early believers insistence that, for the followers of Jesus, their primary community was to be the new creation called the church, which posed a radical threat to perceived norms. This view of the church held significant appeal for women, many of whom had few options for adult life outside marriage and little agency within marriage. As Toth recounts, singleness in Christian community enjoyed several centuries of esteem, especially for the widows and never-married women, for whom it offered many benefits. With the advent of increased legal standing and birth control, modern women of all faiths and none now expect freedoms that once existed mainly for single Christians. (For a fascinating take on this that, importantly, breaks the near-monopoly of white, European/American commentary on singleness, see Amia Srinivasans collection of essays, The Right to Sex.) Toth does not reckon with the churchs reduced role in empowered singleness, perhaps because shes trying to challenge Christians frequent binary (and nonbiblical) approach to partnership, which deems marriage good and singleness mostly bad. It would be just as faulty to deem singleness better or worse depending on a persons faith (or lack thereof). Christian singleness can be agonizing. Secular singles sometimes have a better handle on what their season of life allows. But secular singleness can also bring deeply painful relationships, especially those that produce children. And Christian singles are often caught in the middle of different cultural standards. Article continues below To this practical challenge, Van Epp and De Gance have devoted much of their liveswork that deeply informs Endgame. Van Epp, a Protestant, has developed and taught the relationship curricula that figure prominently in the book. De Gance, a Catholic, helped found the initiative now called Communio, a nonprofit that helps churches strengthen marriages in their communities. In the first third of Endgame, the authors describe the problem their book addresses, drawing on original research that found a surprising connection between parental marriage and adult church involvement. The second third turns to healthy relationships, arguing that most Christian churches fail to offer relationship skill training as a counterpart to their emphasis on virtue development. The final third lays out a plan for churches to develop relationship ministries as a way to engage their communities and strengthen their congregations. My first impression of Endgame left me skeptical, despite a positive previous encounter with Van Epps writing on relationships. (His then-titled How to Avoid Marrying a Jerk gave me significant help in moving on from a painful romantic disappointment; it remains one of the wisest dating guides Ive seen.) The cover of Endgame depicts a church sinking beneath the sands of an hourglass. The title and subtitle strike an ominous note. With a sinking heart, I braced for yet another piece of Christian handwringing over marriage that ignored the churchs quite substantial sex gap. Thankfully the book proved more than that. While some of their ideas for celebrating marriage will likely deepen the pain of singles (based on my conversations with 300-plus Christians in nearly 40 countries), Van Epp and De Gance repeatedly acknowledge those of us without partners. And they do not ignore older singles, like widows and divorcees. Endgame also notes the sex gap and encourages churches to think about outreach likely to draw more men into their community. (Im not convinced that evangelism will change the sex gap much, but at least they acknowledge it exists! Many Christians could learn from them.) Perhaps Endgames most significant contribution, however, comes in a finding that even Toth could stand to reckon with. De Gance describes how, in his role at Communio, he commissioned sociologist Mark Regnerus to conduct a survey on American religious affiliation. Initially, the findings echoed what many other surveys have shown: a seeming correlation between religious attendance and age. But when De Gance asked Regnerus to filter responses by family of origin, We had a pretty big Aha! moment, he writes. Their discovery? Differences between age groups in church attendance vanish if you control for just one variable: parental marriage. When adults parents have stayed married, people attend church at a fairly similar rate, regardless of age. In addition to all their other well-documented challenges, children of divorced or unmarried parents also seem to struggle with or be less interested in church commitment. Better together Because both these books come from smaller presses, its likely that many readers havent heard of them. But if I had my druthers, most readers of these books would encounter them like I did: together. As much as they try to acknowledge singles, Van Epp and De Gance seem to hope that a combination of effective mens outreach and relationship ministries could reduce a lot of singleness in the church. Toth serves as a strong counterbalance to this. But in trying to avoid common problems around discussing sexual activity, she errs on the side of addressing its role in singleness too little. Article continues below Toth gives many compelling examples of how vibrant Christianity community has helped singles since the time of Jesus meet nearly all their needs. In doing so, she positions singleness as a viable life season that can be just as meaningful as marriage and sometimes richer. But for Christians who try to follow the traditional biblical ethic, sex remains the one area for which singles have no alternate provision. For most Christian singles, this leads to some combination of sex outside marriage, struggles with pornography and masturbation, and lots of guilt and shame around our bodies and sexuality. It doesnt help that churches attitudes toward marriage tend to sanction married sex and sexuality as inherently obedient and therefore mostly sinless, as opposed to the primarily sinful sexuality of singleness. Van Epp and De Gance dont address the challenge of single sexuality directly, but their book consistently frames relational training as something all Christians could benefit from. This significantly destigmatizes it and, in its own way, helps bring a measure of the equality Toth aims to advance. Their emphasis on relational skills also provides ample support for single Christians whose struggles with sexuality affect their relationships. (And how, as an inherently relational act, can sexual intimacy not affect relationships?) Integrated conversations One of the greatest challenges of Christian singleness for most of us is its uncertainty. During my four years at Redeemer Presbyterian Church in New York City, Katherine Leary, as she was then named, served as a powerful example of an older Christian single woman. Though I never learned much of her story, I knew that shed had a vibrant career, discovered Jesus, and found a meaningful full-time role helping Christians of all life stages think about how their work could help further Gods kingdom. Hers wasnt exactly a life I aspired to (I really wanted marriage), but I admired the kind of work to which shed committed her midlife singleness. It gave me a picture of the purpose my own life could find, even if God continued to withhold marriage from me. Then one day, I noticed her name had changed. She had marrieda story Id someday love to hear. Another friend has told me of a now-dead woman who spent all her life doing missions work alone and then married unexpectedly in her 80s. No single person knows what the future holds, any more than any married person does. (Most singles are likely more aware of our uncertain future, however.) We will all be single at least once, if not twice. For that reason, all Christians need the vibrant picture of the church as our ultimate family to which Toths book calls us. But we also all live with the broken and imperfect relationships that De Gance and Van Epp want to help us improve. Churches and pastors that want to read these books would gain much from a group discussion engaging both texts. And importantly, these two books provide ways for single and married Christians to talk with each other about what kind of community were all called to. Becoming the integrated body Jesus intended starts with more integrated conversations. Anna Broadway is the author of Sexless in the City: A Memoir of Reluctant Chastity. She lives in Alaska, where she is working on a book about the global experience of singleness, due out from NavPress in fall 2023. Evangelical Lutheran Church short at least 600 pastors as many step away from ministry amid pandemic Since their former Pastor Darren Paulson resigned last September as the COVID-19 pandemic raged into its second year, congregants of Atonement Lutheran Church in Billing Heights, Montana, have been waiting patiently for their local synod to replace him. With a national shortage of at least 600 pastors in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America under which the Atonement Lutheran Church operates, according to lay leader Kristin LaVe, it might be some time before their wait for a new pastor is over. The shortage [is whats behind the wait], thats what theyre telling us from the synod, Nancy Rupe, the churchs office administrator who now runs the daily operations of the church with more than 260 active members, told The Christian Post on Tuesday. Our pastor resigned and took a position at another organization in September and so weve been in the call process since that time. At the Montana Synod of the ELCA, 35 pastor positions remain unfilled, LaVe told KTVQ. So as they wait to get a full-time pastor again, Rupe said the church has had to get creative to source preachers on Sundays. The church now routinely reaches out to a list of 10 to 12 retired and lay pastors to see who might be available to preach each week. We have a calendar. Its just typically a different pastor each week. Its not always the same pastor, Rupe said. When asked what she thinks was the reason behind the pastor shortage, Rupe said she believes people are no longer as attracted to ministry as they were in the past and the COVID-19 pandemic was a big shock to the profession. Im assuming that its probably because theres not as many individuals going into ministry and therefore not attending seminary. And then you have what they call baby boomers going into retirement, she said. Im sure COVID had some part to play in it. Bishop Paul Egensteiner, who leads the Metropolitan New York Synod of the ELCA, told CP in a statement Tuesday that the denomination has been hit very hard with a retirement wave and his synod was no exception. We, also, are experiencing a shortage and have been for some time. For this reason, our churches end up waiting longer than any of us wants to for a new pastor, Egensteiner said. The ELCA is hitting a retirement wave where pastors ordained in the '70s and '80s are at or over retirement age and this is leading to an even greater shortage since those decades were the most recent height of pastors entering ministry, he continued, noting that there is also a critical shortage of pastors who are bilingual who can minister to the diversity of communities in our area, notably Spanish-speaking and Asian communities. Indeed, the pastor shortage in the ELCA comes as an increasing number of pastors in general revealed in a recent study that they are considering quitting their jobs due to challenges such as stress, loneliness, political divisions and other worries like their church being in decline. In 2017, well before the COVID-19 pandemic, a Barna Group report also showed how the average age of Protestant pastors in the United States had increased by a decade over the previous 25 years, putting it just six years below the current minimum retirement age of 62. And just months into the pandemic in 2020, Vanderbloemen Search Group CEO and founder William Vanderbloemen predicted there would be high staff turnover in churches and a demand for more priestly pastors as the world emerged from COVID-19 lockdowns. I promise you, 2021 is going to be the year of turnover. And so this year, weve been preparing for that. Its going to be a storm surge, Vanderbloemen said in an earlier CP report. Many longtime church leaders, particularly men, accelerated their retirement plans due to the pandemic. I cannot tell you how many guys and gals, but guys predominantly, who were thinking, sometime in the next five years Im going to talk about succession. Well, guess what, COVID accelerated? Vanderbloemen asked rhetorically. Recalling some of the reasons leaders were giving for an accelerated succession timeline, he said: Well you know what? I just didnt sign up for this and they really need a digital native and Im not. And Its time to speed this up and get the next person in. So theres just so many reasons why we foresee 21 as a year where theres going to be a lot of turnover, and some of it is going to be really painful. Laurie Jungling, the ELCAs bishop for Montana who has filled in as a preacher at Atonement Lutheran Church, told The Wall Street Journal in February that the departure of pastors from their pulpits started accelerating in the summer of 2020. Pastors are tired, she said. Theyre giving a lot of themselves to help folks deal with the trauma of the pandemic. Theyve had to face polarization in their own congregations, peoples anger and frustration about masks and vaccines, whether to have worship or not. LaVe, who works full-time as a chaplain outside the church, agreed that many pastors she knows were forced to make the difficult decision to retire or resign due to the upheaval created by the pandemic in their ministries I had friends in the ministry who struggled during the pandemic because they didnt know what church was going to look like after the pandemic, and they really lost their will to continue to be pastors because, for a while there, the churches were closed and then they gradually opened and they were trying to navigate masks and vaccines and how to safely support the members and congregation. So there was some burnout, she said. If youre wanting to go to seminary and youre looking at churches closing what kind of future is it? There are so many opportunities outside of the church to continue to do ministry, like the chaplaincy, which is what my day job is at a retirement nursing community, she added. There is a lot of stability in other areas of ministry. There are ways to find new life outside of the church when the church feels like its not thriving anymore. The ELCA boasted more than 3 million members and nearly 9,000 congregations at the end of 2020, but as it now works to replace the pastors it lost, LaVe said it wont happen overnight. Its going to take time to train people. I know the seminaries are getting creative in offering full-ride scholarships to folks. The vetting process is still very intense but they are making it much more affordable and [accessible through] distance learning programs, she said. Egensteiner noted that the New York synod is also investing in a variety of training programs to quickly respond to the pastor shortage in the denomination. We are fortunate that New York remains a desirable place to do ministry so there are pastors willing to transfer here, he said. The ELCA has developed an accelerated program to allow members of BIPOC communities to receive seminary education and get ordained in a shorter amount of time in order to minister to BIPOC communities. We also have an educational program for our lay people (Growing in Faith) to prepare them to become Synodical deacons who can meet some of the ministry needs of our faith communities, he said. He further noted that some smaller congregations cannot afford full-time pastors so the synod is working on creating opportunities for two or more churches to share a pastor. We are emphasizing inviting members of our communities to consider becoming pastors. In cooperation with United Lutheran Seminary, we have opportunities for people who are interested to get more information and attend retreats where they can be in discernment. We also have a staff person who has exploratory conversations with people considering ordination, Egensteiner said. An opportunity to decentralize church leadership In his 2011 book, Pastors Move Over: Make Room for the Rest of Us, Glenn Newman, who founded the Convenant Life Fellowship and Heartland Bible Institute in Texas, argues through Scripture and other evidence that the structure of church government with a single pastor at the helm is unbiblical and robs church members of the right pastoral care. "Ephesians 4:11, 1 Corinthians 12-14 shows a clear system of all believers ministering to one another and worshiping house to house. The elders were the leadership of that day and servant leaders at that. But they also recognize each other's personal gift of ministry," Newman explained in an earlier statement to CP. "In the New Testament church there were no 'CEO' type leaders and in fact there were multiple pastors within the flock, ministering and nurturing those that needed it." Newman's book attributes the origins of the senior pastor model to the Constantinian era in the fourth century and notes that it was later adopted as a part of the Roman Catholic tradition. The Protestant movement simply retained the model as their method of church government. "We have been conducting our church services incorrectly since the fourth century. In fact with the single pastor model, you have one man doing all the ministering and everyone else is a mere spectator," Newman said. Rupe told CP that since the pastor shortage began affecting Atonement Lutheran Church the members have stepped up to help lead the church in a more decentralized manner. Church takes people and so all of us have to pitch in. You have the church council, the executive committee, the committee leaders and chair people and everybody has just kind of [been] stepping up and making sure the groups, the Bible study, Sunday school, youth group confirmations, those things continue to happen and everybody is just stepping up and making sure the ministry continues to happen, she said. She argued that in light of Americas changing culture it might be a better way to do church. I think that where we are going as a culture in the United States is not being so dependent on just a pastor but to take ownership of the ministry and using our talents because we all have gifts, she said. We all have a part to sing in the band. We have to do what were called to do and when everybody answers their call then you can continue to have that ministry, she added. Were having to color outside the box in even the ministry that we do because of the changing atmosphere and I think COVID was the catalyst for it. You cant do ministry like we did 10 years ago. Former 'pro-choice' director makes pro-life film The Matter of Life: The truth struck me A formerly "pro-choice Christian" turned pro-life advocate wants others to open their eyes to the truth. Tracy Robinson, the director and producer of the upcoming documentary The Matter of Life," never in her wildest dreams thought she would be tackling the abortion topic. Her journey to creating the film to be shown later this month in theaters nationwide began in 2016 after working as a contractor in a pregnancy resource center in California. There, she recalled being touched" by what the organization was doing to help women. When it came to the abortion issue even as an evangelical Christian I was still very on-the-fence and apathetic at best," Robinson shared in an interview with The Christian Post. "I felt that I was personally pro-life, but it seemed wrong to try to enforce my preference onto others." On the documentary's website, Robinson says that she "was a pro-choice Christian" even though she never gave herself that label at the time. Her opinion changed drastically after being invited to an apologetics conference in 2016 by a staff member of the pregnancy center. She listened to speaker Alan Shlemon of Stand to Reason talk on the topic "The Case Against Abortion." She said his clear, concise argument for the full humanity of the unborn child from the moment of conception changed her heart. The truth struck me, she described. That evening, I felt the vision to make this message into a feature-length documentary that was downloaded to me. I knew there were so many young adults in my shoes who deserved to be informed but never were perhaps they attended public school and neither their family nor their church ever broached the topic. Robinson was curious to find out how it got to the point where abortion was something accepted and even legislated by society. I didnt know about Roe v. Wade or the truth behind Planned Parenthood. In reading books and watching Youtube, I discovered a multi-faceted pro-life movement and many powerful and redeeming stories therein," she said. "And I wanted to tell that story, too." So she did. Robinson used her own money and the help of some donors to make the film that will hit theaters nationwide on May 16 and May 17 via Fathom Events. The Matter of Life shares both the pro-choice and pro-life arguments, humanizing the opposing sides. Something Robinson said was important to do was to humanize the person youre talking to in other words, validate their concerns and good intentions. I didnt want The Matter of Life to convey the pro-life message while condemning people or leaving bodies behind, so to speak, she said. I wanted The Matter of Life to unravel the abortion issue rather than preach to the choir or speak to an audience thats already convinced. And I didnt want to be abrasive in the messaging ... in a way that would leave bodies behind in the process of disseminating truth." "I wanted the film to address valid concerns that people have regarding the issue while being sympathetic to those concerns," she continued. The film shares the staggering LifeWay Research statistic that nearly four out of 10 women whove had an abortion attended church at least monthly at the time of their abortion. The research firm also found that seven out of 10 women who have had an abortion identify as Christian. Robinson said it is essential that churches embrace pregnant women who may be considering abortion. From the beginning, I knew that my target audience would be Christians because, at the very least, those are the people that would be willing to watch the film, she said. In the film, Roland Warren, CEO of Care Net, makes the point that this is an issue for us as Christians, We need to overturn Roe v. Wade in our own pews. It occurred to me that this film was being made in order to be a rallying cry for more Christians to confront the issue of abortion. The Church has a great opportunity to love their congregation 40% more when it comes to the abortion crisis by serving people in need whether they are facing a pregnancy or a troubling memory of abortion in their past, Robinson continued. Im happy to say that many people who have watched the film at a pre-screening have been inspired and compelled to action. The Matter of Life features ministries that help support pregnant women, such as Embrace Grace, which equips churches to come alongside pregnant single women with community and support. Save the Storks is also highlighted for their work in implementing mobile medical units known as Stork Buses that turn church parking lots into a place of respite, answers and resources for women in crisis pregnancies. Heartbeat International, a vast network of Pregnancy Help organizations, is also shown in the film. Robinson said that OptionLine.org runs a 24/7 pregnancy helpline that she believes every church should know about when a young woman "comes through the doors in need of pregnancy resources in her community. The church has an opportunity to be the hands and feet of Jesus in approaching the abortion crisis in our communities, she said. When we actively try to rescue peoples children from abortion, we model His grace, in that Christ saved us when we could not save ourselves. And no matter what burden we carry of sin and shame, He is powerful to forgive and carry that weight on the cross forever. Recalling her inspiration from the messaging at the pro-life conference she attended with her friend years earlier, Robinson said that she was struck by the fact that Shlemon didn't need the Bible or religious arguments to make the case against abortion. He simply used the science of embryology as the basis of pro-life philosophy and logic, she said. Even more surprising was learning about several different secular pro-life groups, including Secular Pro-life, Feminists for Life, New Wave Feminists, Pro-life San Francisco and PAAU. They are some of the most bold, outspoken people Ive ever met." Terrisa Bukovinac [of the Progressive Anti-Abortion Uprising] makes a statement in the film: Being pro-life is the most progressive value that we can have. It protects the most innocent, most vulnerable among us, Robinson echoed. This is my interpretation: many people associate progressivism with being inclusive, especially to segments of the population that have been marginalized or victimized. These pro-life progressives or secularists are unique in that they understand that aborted preborns fit into the category of victim. They see the reality that abortion is the victimization of and violence against a people group based on their size, age and other immutable characteristics. Nevertheless, Robinson believes the abortion movement is a spiritual battle. Margaret Sanger and her philosophy was grounded in eugenics, the idea that people with less desired characteristics are not worthy of life, she maintained. Who I think right now is behind the pro-choice movement are people that love money. Abortion is a profitable business. At the end of the day, I believe abortion is a spiritual battle first. Satan hates humankind and he seeks to steal, kill and destroy it. Abortion is a form of destruction, of course, but also devastation it has a negative ripple effect on mental health and families, she continued. But I am not discouraged because the enemy does not win in the end. God is faithful. He will take what was meant for evil and use it for the saving of many lives. The Matter of Life features powerful testimonies of former doctors who once performed abortions. With the recent news of a leaked initial draft opinion suggesting the U.S. Supreme Court could overturn Roe V. Wade, Robinson said it is crucial now more than ever that Christians show their support for the pro-life cause. The 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling granted women the constitutional right to have an abortion, a highly debated interpretation of privacy rights in the 14th Amendment. I believe it was likely a wake-up call for everyone, Robinson said of the leaked documents, believing it was leaked for "activist purposes on the pro-abortion side." "But again, what man meant for evil, God will use for good for the saving of many lives. (Genesis 50:20). ... Maybe the draft leak was a wake-up call for churches to ready themselves for the growing needs in their community. I believe its also sparked peoples attention to this issue to the point that they are willing to learn more about it and be open to the truth." Robinson urged pro-life supporters to get their tickets to "The Matter of Life" sooner rather than later to ensure theaters wont cancel showings. Activation first starts with education," she said. "People who have been on the fence have been enlightened by this film." Taliban criticized for ordering women to cover faces in public, other restrictive edicts The Taliban's new decree requiring women to conceal their faces and wear a full-body covering in public has been met with condemnation, particularly from Afghan women facing another restriction on their freedom since the Islamic terrorist group's takeover of Afghanistan. Taliban Chief Haibatullah Akhunzada issued the latest decree requiring women to cover their faces and bodies in public on Saturday at a function in Kabul, according to reports. "They should wear a chadori [head-to-toe burqa] as it is traditional and respectful," the Taliban Chief said in the decree. The Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice ministry announced the new decree on the same day from Akhunzada at a media conference, reports Al Jazeera. The dress code is only the latest restriction imposed by the Taliban on women over the past few months. In December, the ministry imposed travel restrictions on women, forbidding them from journeying more than 45 miles without a close male relative. The reintroduction of dress code requirements resembles the Taliban's previous rule in Afghanistan from 1996 to 2001. During that time, the regime forced many women to wear burqas. While some women wear headscarves today, most Afghan women living in more urban areas like Kabul do not conceal their faces. The decree includes punishments for Afghan women's fathers or closest male relatives, who may be fired from their jobs or imprisoned if their female relative does not cover her face outside the home. "While more than 35 [million] people are on the edge of starvation, the Taliban's only priority seems to be women's clothing," former Afghan Parliament Member Fawzia Koofi wrote in a tweet. "Women of Afghanistan have always dressed up according to Islamic principles. Burqa is a traditional wear and has always been an individual choice and never compulsory in Islam." While more than 35m people are on the edge of starvation,Talibans only priority seems to be womens clothing. Women of Afg have always dressed up according to Islamic principles. Burqa is a TRADITIONAL wear & has always been an individual choice and NEVER COMPULSORY in Islam. pic.twitter.com/FtJdnBpPgM Fawzia Koofi (@Fawziakoofi77) May 7, 2022 According to The Telegraph, the Taliban may jail male guardians of women who violate the rule for three days. The decree declares women should not leave the house if they do not have any work to do outside the home. Tamim Asey, executive chairman of the Institute of War and Peace Studies think tank, told the newspaper that the "Taliban have turned Afghanistan into an open air natural prison for women." As Politico reported Sunday, the Taliban's governing body is heavily divided amid a worsening economic crisis due to the lack of assistance and recognition from Western nations. In March, Taliban leaders said that Afghan girls should not be allowed to continue their education after completing the sixth grade, claiming that letting older girls attend school violated Islamic principles. This conflicted with Taliban officials' promises to the media weeks before the school year began that all girls would be permitted to attend school. Akhunzada reportedly favors stricter requirements for women and girls, including women rarely leaving their homes and marrying at a young age. Some Taliban leaders, however, have ignored harsher edicts on women to avoid undermining the group's efforts to transition into a legitimate governing body accepted by other countries. "These edicts attempt to erase a whole gender and generation of Afghans who grew up dreaming of a better world," Obaidullah Baheer, a visiting scholar at New York's New School who also served as a former lecturer at the American University in Afghanistan, told Politico. "It pushes families to leave the country by any means necessary. It also fuels grievances that would eventually spill over into large-scale mobilization against the Taliban." In September, the United Nations condemned the Taliban for banning demonstrations and using violence against women peacefully protesting against the Taliban assuming leadership of Afghanistan. Taliban fighters beat and detained multiple women and 15 journalists during demonstrations in Kabul. "As Afghan women and men take to the streets during this time of great uncertainty in their country to press peacefully for their human rights to be respected including women's right to work, to freedom of movement, to education and political participation it is crucial that those in power listen to their voices," Ravina Shamdasani, the spokesperson for the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights, said in a statement at the time. The Taliban called the protesting women "agents of America." "Their government doesn't count us as citizens of this country even though we are half of the population," a protesting woman said in a Wall Street Journal report. "We don't care if they beat us or even shoot us, we want to defend our rights. We will continue our protests even if we get killed." Following the U.S. military's pull out of Afghanistan last year, critics warned that the Taliban takeover would have dire consequences for the freedom of Afghan women after a "long struggle for basic freedoms and opportunities" after the Taliban's defeat in 2001. Woe to those who call evil good The title for this article comes from the oft-quoted Isaiah 5:20, Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil Isaiahs woe was designed to awaken and convict the nation to turn back to God before the hammer dropped. Sadly, that didnt happen. A lack of fear, repentance, and reverence for God led to physical and spiritual judgment. In the Bible, the word woe carries the idea of impending judgment brought on by the wrath of God in sin. It signifies overwhelming grief, sorrow, and regret, accompanied by suffering. The word woe adds a power-packed punch to what the prophet Isaiah is vocalizing. In essence, he is saying, Listen, this is serious! If you dont heed my advice, the judgment and justice of God will fall, and the hammer will hit hard. It's been said that not even Sodom and Gomorrah reached the level of decadence that we see today in America. Praise God for the remnant and the churches that intercede. In my opinion, they are the only thing keeping Gods judgment at bay. Sin fascinates before it assassinates When Isaiah pronounced this woe the nation of Israel had become comfortable in their sin. Moral conviction was fading and obedience to God was passe. As a result, they began to compromise and drift further from God. They were calling evil good and good evil. Two of the top evils were infanticide (laying their newborn children on the searing hot arms of Molech as a sacrifice) and sexual sin. Ring a bell? We still sacrifice our children on the altar of sexual sin. As Im writing this, the news just broke of Justice Alito's thoughts on Roe v. Wade. The news that this law might be overturned has created a huge uproar. Imagine being angry that babies will live woe be to those who call good evil. Israel, not unlike America today, paid no attention as their leaders seduced them to do more evil than any other nation before them (see 2 Kings 21:9). They failed to see that when sin fascinates, it assassinates. Can you hear Isaiah today? I sure can. Woe to the school districts who promote sexual perversion and undermine the family. Woe to the universities who mock God and teach their students to do the same. Woe to politicians who call evil good and good evil and have the blood of the innocent on their hands. Woe to pastors and Christian leaders who encourage sin by their silence, and who openly embrace apostasy. Woe to the media who lead people astray by twisting the truth to promote the demonic agenda of darkness. Woe to the film industry who bows to the whore of Babylon the stench has reached the nostrils of God. Woe to liberal churches who say that they love people but hate Gods Word. Yes, all of those points are hard to hear for those caught in sin and enamored by idolatry; thats the point. The woes are meant to sound an alarm. They allow the hammer of God to break and the fire of His Word to devour sin. His Word is also like a double-edged sword that cuts deep and discerns the motives of the heart (Hebrews 4:12). Continuing to drink the poison Instead of humbling themselves, repenting, and turning back to God, most dig their defiant feet into the soil of sin. Instead of running to the cure, they continue to drink the poison. As a recent headline illustrates, they become angry and belligerent: Liberal group calls for protests at conservative Supreme Court justices' homes (more here). They are not open to opposing views my way or the highway is their mantra. This begs the question: Why do certain groups seek to silence Gods truth and adamantly oppose His Word, whereas Christians are open to dialogue and discussion? It's because the truth invites scrutiny, and error runs from being challenged. It also has to do with the darkness hating the light because their deeds are evil. In short, Gods Word exposes evil hearts and demonic plans. The cure has never changed Sadly, without a massive spiritual awakening, the divide in our country will only get wider. We all must learn from King Josiah in the Old Testament. Once he heard what Gods Word said about the current condition of the nation, he humbled himself in a profound way, repented, and asked for Gods intervention. Gods answer also offers hope for us today: Because your heart was tender, and you humbled yourself, I heard your cry and answered your prayer. I have stayed my hand of judgment for now (paraphrasing 2 Kings 22:19). The cure for spiritual disease never changes: humility, repentance, brokenness, and desperation lead to spiritual health. Our cry must resemble Isaiahs: Oh, that You would rend the heavens! That You would come down! That the mountains might shake at Your presence (Isaiah 64:1). Like any parent, God hears the cries of His children: Oh God, would you rip Heaven open and come down and help us? This is our only hope. Would be to God that the nations would tremble again at His presence (cf. Isaiah 64:1-2). In these dire times, lets make sure were on the right side of the woe. Special Note: In 2020, I spoke about revival with 2 Chronicles 7:14 as the backdrop. All three messages can be heard here. Church of England urges Christians to 'repent' for 'anti-Judaism', anti-Semitism The Church of England is calling for Christians worldwide to repent for what it calls centuries of anti-Judaism and anti-Semitism. A special service held Sunday at Christ Church Cathedral in Oxford marked the 800th anniversary of the Synod of Oxford, which forbade interactions between Christians and Jews in England, along with imposing tithes and requiring Jews to wear special identifying badges. Archbishop Justin Welby wrote on Twitter the service was an opportunity to remember, repent and rebuild. Let us pray it inspires Christians today to reject contemporary forms of anti-Judaism and antisemitism, and to appreciate and receive the gift of our Jewish neighbours," Welby stated. During his remarks at the service, Bishop Michael Ipgrave of Lichfield spoke of how some have questioned why the church should apologize for something that happened before it existed. "This is not really a question of apologizing, it is a matter of repentance," he said. "And repentance is described by the Church of England in its most recent report [as] ... 'Where the continuing effects of past sins by members of the one Body of Christ continue to be felt and where those sins have not come to an end, then members of Christ's body here and now are bound to seek God's mercy." "That is where we are as Christians today, needing to recognize how our history has contributed to the teaching of contempt which generated hostility towards and suffering for our Jewish brothers and sisters," he added. In addition to Welby and a Roman Catholic bishop, the special service drew the presence of Orthodox rabbi Ephraim Mirvis, the chief rabbi for the United Hebrew Congregations of the Commonwealth. Mirvis reportedly did not enter the Oxford Cathedral for the service but told a crowd gathered outside he was hopeful Christians and Jews could work together to fight hatred, racism and bigotry. Let us not forget that we are still on a journey. There is still so much that needs to be done, Mirvis said at the event. "Let us ensure that we will strengthen Jewish-Christian understanding, that we will celebrate what we have in common," he added, according to a video shared by . Around 3,000 Jews were expelled from England by King Edward I in 1290 and were not permitted to return for nearly 400 years later. The Church of England was established in the 1530s, centuries after the 1222 Synod of Oxford. A request for comment from Welbys office was not immediately returned. A 2019 document issued by the Church of England says that Anglicans should reject any view of Judaism which sees it as a living fossil, simply superseded by Christianity. Titled Gods Unfailing Word, the document said: Christians have in the past repeated and promoted negative stereotypes of Jewish people, thereby contributing to grave suffering and injustice. They have used Christian doctrine in order to justify and perpetuate Jewish suffering, for instance teaching that Jewish people are suffering and should suffer because they are guilty of the murder of Christ, the divine Son of God, or because they have refused to welcome the Messiah." The document calls for Christians [r]epentance for the sins of the past and to reject such misuses of Christian doctrine. About 100 firefighters have been battling wind-whipped brush fires that consumed almost 300 acres of woods and open land in Middletown Tuesday and Wednesday. No one has been hurt, but one of the two fires was labeled suspicious, Middletown South District Fire Chief Jim Trzaski said. The fires have been mostly contained, but firefighters continued to work Wednesday morning. Advertisement Fire danger remains very high in the state, the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection warned. Even though green-up has begun, the agency said in an alert posted on Facebook, the tree canopy is still open enough that the dry air and endless wind are keeping the fire danger VERY HIGH as the week goes on. Advertisement Absolutely no open burning in the outdoors! No matches or cigarettes should be tossed on the ground (ever!). Be careful with any lawn equipment or saws that can produce sparks if using away from your green lawn. Report any brush or forest fires immediately by dialing 911. Stay safe out there. default Breaking News As it happens Get the latest updates on Coronavirus and other breaking news events happening across Connecticut > The first blaze in Middletown was reported on Tuesday at about 1 p.m. when a tree came down on electrical wires off River Road. Live wires on the ground sparked a fire, which gusty winds quickly spread. As fire officials called in more resources, the blaze, which has mostly affected land owned by Eversource, continued to expand, Trzaski said. It moved so quickly that by the time we would set up a fire line, it would move past that, he said. At one point on Tuesday night, the fire was threatening homes on River Road, but firefighters managed to head it off, the chief said. default The first fire has consumed about 250 acres bounded by Aircraft, Freeman and River roads, he said. The second fire, labeled suspicious, started on the other side of Freeman Road and affects 30-40 acres, Trzaski said. A total of 10 fire departments have provided mutual aid, along with DEEP firefighters. DEEP staff and members of the Connecticut Interstate Fire Crew were working Wednesday to maintain a perimeter by conducting back burns, agency spokesman Will Healey said. The cause of the second fire is unconfirmed, Healey said, but it was not caused by a lightning strike or downed power lines. Jesse Leavenworth can be reached at jleavenworth@courant.com Satan uses insecurities, self-doubt to stop Christians from serving the Church: Life.Church pastor A Life.Church pastor has warned that the devil will often remind Christians of their past failures and insecurities to stop them from being used for God's purpose. Pastor Sam Marin of the Edmund, Oklahoma, campus of Craig Groeschel's mutli-site megachurch preached a sermon earlier this month titled, "Facing Your Insecurities." He spoke of how many Christians struggle with self-doubt when it comes to their knowledge of the Bible, their ability to lead a small group or their ability to pray aloud. Marin said other Christians doubt themselves because they have a sinful past or struggle with sin in their lives. And some, he added, are insecure because they were hurt by others or inflicted harm on others in different ways in their past. But he assured: God knew exactly what he was doing when He made you. Marin told the audience to practice "self-love" by hugging themselves and saying to themselves, I love you. You're amazing. You're doing great. I'm so proud of you. Youre the best and I love you. Now, some of you, that felt good, right? Marin said. But, for some of you, that was actually hard to say, let alone believe. Marin turned to Ephesians 2:10, a verse written by the Apostle Paul, who tells the followers of Jesus that we are Gods handiwork or "masterpiece." We are God's masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus so we can do the good things He planned for us long ago, Marin preached. "So, what are you? You're God's masterpiece, you're God's workmanship." Marin said that the word masterpiece came from the Greek word poiema, which means a creation with a designated purpose. This is where we get our word poetry from. So what are you? You're God's poetic statement. You're beautiful. You're valuable. Youre custom-designed, like a good tailored suit. Youre custom fit for what God created you to do, Marin proclaimed. He created you with a purpose. God gave you the right personality, the right mindset. He gave you the right preferences, and He gave you the right things in your life to do the work that He wants you to do." When the devil tells a Christian that God cannot use them because they are "a mess," Marin said believers need to shout back, saying, I was a mess. But, now I'm God's masterpiece. Whenever God calls you, the devil is going to try to stop you," Marin warned. "You see, one of the greatest tools that the enemy uses is to attack your self-worth. He's going to tell you, Who do you think you are? You're not ready. You don't belong here. You're not good enough.'" Think about it. If God didnt want to use you, the devil wouldn't be trying so hard to stop you. He wants to use you, he continued, receiving applause in response. During the sermon, Marin opened up about his past struggle with a secret pornography addiction from age 12 to 30, which he said ate away at him for many years. Marin admitted that even though he has been free from his porn addiction for more than 12 years, there are still times when he is tempted. Because he struggled with temptation, dropped out of college and never attended seminary, Marin said, he experiences feelings of insecurity about his pastoral role among other church leaders, who he often views as "a lot more accomplished" than himself. I get the privilege of sitting and just being around some really incredible men of God. And there are many times where I'm sitting there, and I'm thinking: how the heck am I sitting here? And when I think about my life, and I think about my past and all the things that I've done, it just kind of breeds that insecurity, Marin said. Marin has coped despite the internal struggles by reminding himself that no person is perfect. [Many times], I may not feel like I can sit next to godly men. And then, I remember there isn't nobody that godly. We all messed up. We all have our faults and failures, Marin said. And yet God called me, and because of God's favor and His grace, I can stand on a stage and deliver a message that says: if God can use someone like me with my inadequacies, with my insecurities; if He can use me, He can absolutely use you. He wants to use you." God will most often use the unlikely" to do the "impossible," according to Marin. Jacob, he was a cheater. Moses was a murderer. David had an affair. Jonah ran from God. Elijah was depressed; God used him too. Miriam was a gossiper," he explained. "Time after time, you look at scriptures, people failed God and yet God chose to use them." Even without great confidence, Marin said that it is possible for a Christian to still serve in Gods Church because serving God is not meant to be done alone. Marin spoke to those who have "been just sitting in the background, sitting in the back, watching others having an incredible time. "And it's time to get up," Marin said. You've been created with talents and gifts to be used in the Church. Some of them are hidden. ... It's time to get off your seat." Heres what I need you to understand. There is a need in the church that needs to be filled by you. You got to pick up your instrument and you got to join the band, baby." Marin urged churchgoers to "get plugged in and start using your dance," adding that "some of you ... got great talents." "You're great with kids or maybe you're great with numbers and data, or maybe you're great with technology and you're not using your gifts, he concluded. "If you're not serving, there's something in the church that's not being done." Leader of Nebraska church to donate life-saving kidney to associate pastor A senior associate pastor at the Bellevue Christian Center in Nebraska, who had been waiting for months to find a donor on the University of Nebraska Medical Centers kidney transplant list, cried tears of joy before his congregation as he revealed their lead pastor was found to be a perfect match. And come Aug. 2, Walter Hooker, a father of three and a grandfather of seven, will undergo surgery to receive a healthy kidney from his lead pastor, Andy Kaup, who is also a married father of three. Because of the faithfulness of our God, Aug. 2, Ill be in surgery. Incredible, a tearful Hooker revealed during a video announcement posted on the churchs Facebook last week. And folks, I want you to know that finding a donor is not easy." Once someone is added to the national transplant waiting list, they can sometimes wait many years to find a match or sometimes can be matched fairly quickly, according to the National Kidney Foundation. In general, the average time frame for waiting can be 3-5 years at most centers and even longer in some geographical regions of the country, the foundation states. Hooker's Kidneys are functioning at about 10% and he has had to do dialysis three days a week. He began screening to be placed on UNMC's kidney transplant list in June 2021. He said while people around the country prayed for him to find a kidney donor, some 10 to 15 individuals stepped forward and applied to see if they could be that donor. And Kaup was among them. Kaup told his Assemblies of God congregation how God moved during the process that led him to become a kidney donor for his associate pastor. You know, several months ago, as it became a reality what was going on with Hook ... I can remember just hearing Hook and Melba [Hookers wife] talk about the story that God was writing, how even though things looked impossible and things looked scary, I mean beyond scary, Kaup said. Most of us have no idea how bad things really were, and yet, the two of them and their family as a whole just continued to say, Gods working something out in the midst of this. Kaup said he talked with his wife Michelle, and they prayerfully approached the process of finding a donor for Hooker with a heart to be obedient to God in whatever He would do. Michelle and I began to have some conversations and say, 'OK, I dont know what this would look like, but God, if there is an opportunity to be a part of this story, then were willing because, God, its Your story. Youve been penning this thing. Youve been the author of this thing from the beginning,'" Kaup said. "We started going through the process, going through several rounds of testing just to find out what kind of match are we. And the boxes just kept being checked and it got to a point where it was just really clear that if God is making a way for this to happen, [we had to obey]. Kaup spoke to the congregation about the need for obedience among Christians in fostering a relationship with God. One of the things that Ive learned about God in each and every step is that Hes constantly inviting us into His story, and Hes always got room for you to step in and to watch what He can do and to just let Him move in your life. The trick is that its just up to us to be obedient. And thats our heart in this. It was just to be obedient, the pastor said. You know, in James 2 it talks about faith and works, and it kind of brings this thing out, you know. What good is it if your brother has a need and you say go and hope that your need is met when its in your power to help? he asked. And so, we just wanted to be a part of helping. We just wanted to be able to say, 'Were tied together, were in this together. This is Gods story. What can God do through all of this?' And so, it truly is just a joy and an honor to be able to step into this story. And to watch God move not just in one family or two families, not just in one church or one city, but what can God do through all of this." In recounting how God set up the moment for Kaup to be a factor in saving his life, Hooker recalled going on a mission trip to Mexico with Kaup and Kaup's father for the first time in the late 1990s. Hooker said his first trip to Africa was also with Kaups father and the lead pastors older brother. Kaups mother also served as Hookers administrative assistant for several years. Bellevue Christian Center explains on its website that it is a "diverse church made up of various ages, backgrounds, family styles and more. The church exists "to saturate our city and our world with the heart of God." The Christian Post reached out to the church for further comment on Monday but did not immediately receive a response. Anti-CRT candidates overwhelmingly win school board races across Texas School board candidates opposed to critical race theory won nearly every election in the largest counties in Texas as concerns about the direction of public education continue to loom large in American politics. The group 1776 Project PAC, which works to elect school board candidates who want to reform our public education system by promoting patriotism and pride in American history by abolishing critical race theory and The 1619 Project from the public school curriculum, announced on Twitter Saturday that every single one of our endorsed candidates just won their school board races in Texas. The 1776 Project PAC endorsed 15 candidates in Texas, and all but one of them won their races outright, with one race headed to a runoff. Encyclopedia Brittanica defines critical race theory as an intellectual and social movement and loosely organized framework of legal analysis based on the premise that race is not a natural, biologically grounded feature of physically distinct subgroups of human beings but a socially constructed (culturally invented) category designed to oppress and exploit people of color. We are the 1776 Project PAC and every single one of our endorsed candidates just won their school board races in Texas. Do you want to rid your kids school of CRT and other left-wing agendas? Run for school board and apply for our endorsement here: https://t.co/YKiXLINFJipic.twitter.com/BBsuldnLRI 1776 Project Pac (@1776ProjectPac) May 9, 2022 According to The Dallas Morning News, in the Southlake Carroll Independent School District, candidates supported by the 1776 Project PAC beat their challengers by more than 2-1 to win both of the seats on the ballot. The strong performance by conservative candidates extended to other school districts based in the populous counties including and/or surrounding Dallas. In the Frisco Independent School District, two of the three seats went to candidates supported by the 1776 Project PAC, who beat their opponents by smaller margins. In Grapevine-Colleyville Independent School District, a 1776 Project PAC-backed challenger defeated an incumbent school board member in one of two contested races. Three candidates supported by the 1776 Project PAC defeated their challengers outright in school board races for the Mansfield Independent School District. A fourth race headed to a runoff election will feature a 1776 Project PAC-backed candidate facing off against another candidate at a later date. All three 1776 Project PAC candidates won contested school board races in the Keller Independent School District (see here, here and here). In the Spring Branch Independent School District in the Houston area, three candidates supported by the 1776 Project PAC received twice as many votes as the closest competitors in their respective school board races. While the 1776 Project PAC endorsed 15 candidates in this years school board elections, additional conservative organizations threw their support behind candidates who also performed well in Saturdays elections. True Texas Project, which exists to educate and motivate citizen engagement in all levels of government and believes in constitutional government, national sovereignty, fiscal responsibility, personal responsibility, and rule of law, also saw several of its recommended candidates perform well in school board races. Both of the group endorsed candidates in the Dripping Springs Independent School District in the Austin area won their school board races. True Texas-backed candidates won one of two races in the Clear Creek Independent School District, in the Houston area, and all three races in the Allen Independent School District, two of three races in Carrollton-Farmers Branch Independent School District, and one of three seats in the Lewisville Independent School District. One of the organizations preferred candidates is heading to a runoff in the Richardson Independent School District race. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott weighed in on the election, citing the results as evidence that parents are more involved and active in school elections and school policies than ever before. Maintaining that no one cares more about children than their parents, he predicted that the power of parents will continue to expand in Texas. Conservatives won school board elections across Texas. Parents are more involved and active in school elections and school policies than ever before. No one cares more about children than their parents. The power of parents will continue to expand in Texas. https://t.co/yg2giHfPD6 Greg Abbott (@GregAbbott_TX) May 8, 2022 The Texas school board elections come as parents and community members across the United States have confronted school boards about sexually explicit material available in school libraries and included as part of school curriculum and school districts embrace of critical race theory. Concerns about the curriculum in public schools have led states to take action. In states including North Dakota and Idaho, lawmakers have banned their schools from teaching critical race theory. In contrast, Florida has passed a measure banning school officials from discussing sexual orientation and gender identity topics with students in kindergarten through third grade. Launched last year, 1776 Project PAC has previously endorsed school board candidates in Colorado, Kansas, Minnesota, New Jersey, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Virginia. Most of the groups endorsed candidates emerged victorious in their respective elections in each state. Activists attack Catholic church, spray paint abortion, anarchist graffiti on entrance doors Police in Colorado are investigating another attack on a Catholic church after abortion slogans were spray-painted on the doors and glass panels broken at Saint John XXIII Catholic Church of Fort Collins. Authorities are investigating the vandalism as a bias-motivated crime. According to a statement posted on Facebook by the Fort Collins Police Services, the church was vandalized around 1:15 a.m. Mountain time on May 7. Anarchist imagery and the slogan my body, my choice was spray-painted on entrance doors and glass was shattered. No damage was found inside the church, and the scene was processed for evidence," stated Fort Collins Police Services. "Due to the location and nature of the graffiti content, police are investigating this as a bias-motivated crime. The statement also quoted Police Chief Jeff Swoboda, who advised those with knowledge of the perpetrator who committed the vandalism to come forward so the "suspect can be held accountable." Using fear and destruction to make a point is completely unacceptable. If you want to make your voice heard, do it by exchanging thoughts and ideas, not by committing criminal acts, he said. The vandalism occurred days after Politico published the contents of a leaked draft majority opinion that indicated the U.S. Supreme Court might overturn Roe v. Wade. The document, written in February, pertains to the case of Dobbs v. Jackson, which centers on whether Mississippi can enforce a law banning most abortions after 15 weeks into a pregnancy. Although the draft was not a final decision, many pro-choice activists are staging demonstrations across the country. Backlash to the leaked draft opinion has included multiple reports of vandalism targeting various pro-life churches and advocacy groups. In Denton, Texas, a pregnancy resource center was attacked over the weekend, with an unknown party spray-painting messages like not a clinic and forced birth is murder on its building. Last week, another Colorado church, Sacred Heart of Mary Church in Boulder, was vandalized with spray-painted messages that read, "Abortion Saves Lives" and "My Body My Choice." The attack on Sacred Heart also included graffiti sprayed on some of the church's statues and windows were shattered by the vandals. On Sunday, the office of the pro-life group Oregon Right to Life was set on fire when someone threw incendiary devices at the facility. According to the group, no one was in the office at the time. Oregon Right to Life Executive Director Lois Anderson said in a statement that her organization was thankful for the quick action of our first responders committed to maintaining a safe environment to operate in this community. Understandably, our team is shaken up by this attack. We are committed to taking proper precautions to protect the safety of our staff as we move forward, stated Anderson. At least 39 dead, scores more infected as COVID-19 devastates Latino parishes in NY Lutheran Church NEW YORK Since late March, Pastor Fabian Arias of Saint Peters Lutheran Church in Midtown Manhattan has been busy making announcements of the dead, the sick, and comforting the bereaved because of the new coronavirus. At least 39 people connected to his diverse, predominantly Latino church community, including 5% of his 250-member congregation, have died in the last month. Another 74 members of the church are also currently battling or have battled coronavirus infections. In this moment its a very, very difficult situation because the family [member] is sick or the family [member] has died, Arias told The Christian Post in an interview Wednesday. In virtual masses broadcast on Facebook on Wednesdays and Sundays, Arias has been listing the names of the sick and the dead so his congregants can pray and draw strength from their community. Sometimes there would be pictures of the victims. The latest death was a week ago. We mention all names every Wednesday and every Sunday. We mention that for prayers, Arias said. While other Latino church communities in the Metropolitan New York Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America havent had as many deaths as Saint Peters Lutheran Church, 25% to 30% of parishioners across its five Latino parishes have tested positive for the virus. Officials say the staggering infection rate is due to many members of the Latino community working in essential service areas such as delivery or maintenance. Many who have lost jobs are also being doubly devastated by the economic fallout from the pandemic due to their undocumented immigrant status. The Metropolitan New York Synod The Metropolitan New York Synod covers all five boroughs of New York City, all of Long Island, and seven upstate counties. Its New York City congregations, particularly those that serve Latinos, have been hardest hit, Synod Bishop Paul Egensteiner said. The reaction and impact of the virus has been different in all those places. In New York City and the five boroughs, the impact has been heavy and in some cases very disturbing and devastating. In other places like in upper north counties, they really havent had much of an impact personally, the bishop said. Christopher Vergara, president of St. Peters, told CP that those who attend St. Peters Church are largely immigrants, people of color, and from low-income households. "We know those communities are being hit hardest. We do a lot of work and we consider them part of our church family working with the homeless community, the feeding program." When you start taking all the intersections of the demographics of the members of our church, I think thats how we get to why its been hit so hard. And its been primarily in our Hispanic communities and our immigrant communities that weve had the most deaths, he added. At one Latino parish in Jamaica, Queens, Egensteiner said the pastor reported 22% of the congregation had been infected. They are very grateful that in their congregation in Jamaica, Queens, they have not lost anyone to the virus, Egensteiner said. The coronavirus is also not the only threat to the Latino church communities. Undocumented parishioners are also facing new ones triggered by the pandemic. I was also talking to one of our pastors out in Long Island and she said that in addition to the specific health toll, the economic toll and the toll on anxiety on the congregation has been very, very heavy with landlords wanting to evict people who cant pay their rent, he said. Many of the people, they are undocumented so they dont have recourse to healthcare, they dont have recourse to having their eviction prevented. In some cases, some of our members who are told they were going to be evicted were told that the way the landlord was going to make that happen was not by going through the courts but simply by calling ICE and letting them know. And so that scares our folks to death and what are they supposed to do? They are more victims to the virus than other people, he said. An estimated 83% or 9.2 million of the 11.1 million people estimated to be living in the United States illegally are Christians from Latin America and the Caribbean, according to a study by the Pew Research Center's Forum on Religion & Public Life. As a declared sanctuary church, the ELCA attracts many undocumented Christians. Those who have not been able to work because of the coronavirus are now dependent on the church for support since they cannot access government aid. Egensteiner said his office has been providing funding to parishes to help congregants stay in their homes by paying rent and to help run food pantries and food kitchens. These very vulnerable populations. When they lose their jobs, they dont have financial resources, he said. He praised Arias for the way he has responded to his church community despite the staggering number of coronavirus deaths and infections. Father Arias is an incredible human being and an incredible pastor and has been doing his best to serve his church community. I talked to him on Saturday. He was on his way to conduct a burial over in New Jersey for one of the members. Hes been present to them, doing funerals and also making sure they have food. So hes been personally delivering food to members of the congregation, he said. Action Egensteiner said the day after the World Health Organization declared the coronavirus a pandemic on March 11, he sent a letter to all parishes in the synod, advising the suspension of all in-person services after March 15 and most of the churches complied. While the Latino congregants suspended in-person church attendance, many did not have the option to work remotely and many worked without personal protective equipment. This all comes about from the need to work and they are getting sick at work without having appropriate and sufficient personal protective equipment. So they get sick, they come home, they are living in family groups with a lot more people and family members get sick, Egensteiner said. He said he would meet with Arias to help with food distribution and show moral support and has directed his staff to meet with Latino pastors and provide them with the support they need. Arias, whose congregation continues to reel from the multiple deaths, said the pandemic was particularly difficult for congregants grieving family members because of ongoing restrictions on funerals. All of the families they want to celebrate the funeral and it's impossible for them, he said. Its also difficult in this moment with the funeral homes. The first coronavirus death in the community came on March 20 when the secretary of Arias parish lost both her father and brother to the virus. Other family members soon contracted the virus too. After more than a month, however, Arias is just focused on keeping his congregants inspired and fed. All the time we are in contact with our people. We call, we ask 'how are you?' If they have corona [or] no corona. We really, thats important for us. The people, of course, they want to close their eyes (they dont want to watch the news). The people are really scared. They are really very scared, he said. Its a very confusing time. Its a very hard time for us. When asked how he continues to serve despite the challenges he faces every day, he said he draws strength from Christ. I pray because its my faith. Other times I pray with people. Christ is my strength, Christ is my support, Christ is my reason why I continue to work with the people, he said. Life after the coronavirus Looking ahead, Vergara said while many churches across the country have been clamoring to reopen, it will be a while before his congregation holds in-person services again. I think its going to be a long time before our congregation is going to be able to gather in person together in our parish. We want to listen to what our government officials, our health officials are telling us. We have our guidelines that we get from our synod, our bishop and our national church that we want to follow as well and be extra careful, he said. As Lutherans, one of the things that we love to do is sing and to come together. Singing in the same space may not be possible for a while because that promotes spread and puts people at risk. So these are the sort of things that we are, as a community, starting to put our minds to. In the beginning, it was to transition quickly and say how do we do church now? And then I think now that weve been in this form for a while, its fighting the desire to just quickly get back to what was and figure out how we will safely and responsibly be able to come back together as a church. And while many congregations are reeling in the devastation of the pandemic, Egensteiner believes that the full impact of the loss suffered by churches wont be fully appreciated until they come together again in-person. My suspicion, not just for our Latino congregations but for all our congregations, is that even though you see names and you know people, and that certainly happened to me, the impact of it doesnt dawn on you until you come back together and you start looking around at empty spaces in the pews or you go to talk to a friend at coffee hour and youre devastated because, oh yeah, theyre not there, he said. Thats when its really going to have a very deep emotional and spiritual impact. Both Arias and Vergara also urged fellow Christians to be careful about rushing to reopen their churches too early. Care for life, protect the life, respect life because life is a gift from God, Arias said. This is a very important mission for us, especially in this month. I really sometimes [get] angry, but Im very disappointed that some [churches] are pushing to open everything early. We need to be careful. Both ministers agreed that because their church is central and shares space with two art galleries in Midtown, they will have to be strategic with reopening. Whats important for Christians and for most people of faith, and specifically for Lutherans, is the idea of caring for our neighbors. God loves me and I share Gods love with others. And I think that is what were being called to do at this time and we must make decisions in care of, in service of, and responsibility for not only just our members but our communities in which we are doing ministry, Vergara said. We have to take that responsibility and that care as a mandate not only from the government and health officials but from our God and take that very seriously. ELCA becomes first mainline denomination in US to elect transgender bishop A regional body of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America has elected the first openly transgender bishop in the liberal mainline Protestant denominations history. The Rev. Megan Rohrer, who uses the pronouns of they and them rather than gender-specific terms, was elected Saturday to head the California-based ELCA Sierra Pacific Synod. Rohrer won on the fifth ballot during the online synod assembly, receiving 209 votes and narrowly defeating the Rev. Jeff R. Johnson of Berkeley, California, who received 207 votes. According to a statement released Monday, Rohrer will be installed as synod bishop on Sept. 11 at St. Matthew Lutheran Church in Walnut Creek, California. The first council of Nicaeas first action was to try to limit the leadership roles of trans pastors and bishops. Im grateful the Lutherans of the @sps_elca are beginning to dismantle this and some of the [] other hurdles BIPOC and LGBTQ pastors encounter, tweeted Rohrer on Sunday. Rohrer presently serves as pastor of Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church in San Francisco and also serves as Community Chaplain Coordinator for the San Francisco Police Department. All of us are proud of our colleague, Bishop-elect Megan Rohrer, who made history as the first openly transgender person elevated to the role of Bishop by a major Christian denomination in the U.S., tweeted the San Francisco Police Department. Congratulations, Rev. @mmrohrer! Keep doing great things! Others, among them the theologically conservative blog Exposing the ELCA, denounced the election of Rohrer as a complete slap in the face to God. The ELCA is thumbing its nose at God, His Word and Truth and effectively showing that they are part of the uber left and its rejection of Christianity, stated the blog. How can God-fearing, Bible-believing individuals remain in the ELCA? How can churches remain? Mark Tooley, president of the theologically conservative think tank Institute on Religion & Democracy based in Washington, D.C., critiqued the Council of Nicea reference Rohrer made in response to being elected. Claims of suppressing transgender clergy are elusive to history. Rohrer did not cite sources. But presumably Rohrer is referencing Canon 1 from the council declaring eunuchs can be priests unless they castrate themselves, wrote Tooley. Bishop Rohrer says shes glad her liberal Mainline Protestant denomination is beginning to dismantle the injustice at the Council of Nicaea. No doubt much more dismantling must be done before true justice and knowledge can prevail against the external authority of revelation proposed by historic Christianity. Or so the Gnostics, yesterday and today, always proclaim. Although the largest Lutheran denomination in the U.S., the ELCA has had many congregations leave due to its increasingly progressive stances on theology and politics. In 2009, for example, when the denomination voted to allow openly gay individuals to be ordained, hundreds of congregations left the ELCA in protest. In 2013, the Rev. R. Guy Erwin became the first openly gay bishop in the mainline denomination when he was elected to lead the ELCA Southwest California Synod. At the time, the ELCA estimated that it had around 4 million members. According to the announcement of Rorhers recent election, the ELCA has about 3.3 million members. New 'Harbinger' movie details America's prophetic history, warning of rebellion against God A new movie based on Messianic Jewish Rabbi Jonathan Cahns bestselling book, The Harbinger, which explores Americas spiritual history and destiny, will be released this week. "The Harbingers of Things to Come" will be in select theaters nationwide on May 12 and May 19. Were at a much more dangerous time. And so, the object is to get the word out to as many people as possible to people who have not read the books or might not read the books, he said of the film in an interview with The Christian Post, adding that he considers the movie a trumpet call in a critical hour for believers in Jesus and non-believers alike. Cahn's 2012 book, The Harbinger: The Ancient Mystery that Holds the Secret of America's Future, compares the United States to ancient Israel before its destruction. In ancient Israel, there appeared nine specific warnings and omens of national demise, the same harbingers that have appeared in the U.S. that portended significant implications for the nation's future. In September 2020, Cahn released The Harbinger II: The Return, which continued with those same themes. The Messianic rabbi, who leads Beth Israel at the Jerusalem Center, just outside New York City in Wayne, New Jersey, further explained that the mystery of The Harbinger is that it hasnt stopped. One of the warnings is that the U.S. has followed the pathway of ancient Israel and has continued to race away from God, particularly since Sept.11, 2001. Yet, much of what is in the movie is not in either of TheHarbinger books and details what has come afterward. In what he described as a prophetic explosion on the screen, Cahn explores several sites where numerous important and mysterious events have taken place in Americas spiritual history. Featured in the movie are foreshadows of coming events and archival footage that the filmmakers found of politicians speaking of judgment coming on the U.S. Cahn takes viewers to an island in Massachusetts Bay, where he explains how a mystery that has been embedded for 400 years exists as a warning to the nation, particularly what would happen if the people ever turned away from God. Viewers also go on a journey to places of great significance, including Lower Manhattan in New York City, the Supreme Court, the National Mall in Washington, D.C., and the greater Boston area. Cahn noted that Boston is an especially significant place in the history of the U.S. as it was where English Puritan lawyer and preacher John Winthrop declared in 1630 that the U.S. should be a shining city on a hill and that if the nation followed Gods ways, it would become the most blessed and powerful nation that has ever existed. Winthrop was one of the leading figures in founding the Massachusetts Bay Colony. Winthrops words about the trajectory of the nation have materialized, Cahn told CP, adding that what people miss is that he also gave a warning, that if we dont [follow God's ways], that if we turn away from God, then the judgments that came upon Israel will come upon us. And thats exactly what is all happening. The land upon which Winthrop uttered those famous words is now the site of Boston's Logan International Airport, which was the starting place of American Airlines Flight 11 and United Airlines Flight 175, both of which were hijacked and flown into the World Trade Center towers in New York City on the morning of Sept. 11, 2001. Cahn maintains that Winthrop was alluding to Moses warning the Israelites in Deuteronomy 28:49, which reads: The LORD will bring a nation against you from far away, from the ends of the earth, like an eagle swooping down, a nation whose language you will not understand. Coincidentally, Cahn recounted, the first 9/11 plane happened to have an image of a downward swooping eagle on the side of the aircraft. Also coincidentally, he stressed, just a few days before 9/11, all around New York City, the appointed Scripture-reading in the synagogues was that an enemy shall come from a far-away land and come like an eagle if you turn away from Me,' he said, referring to that exact Deuteronomy passage. We are in a further, more dangerous part of this template of judgment because we have not turned back from God, Cahn explained. Shakings are coming upon this land. So ... revival is the only thing that can save America. If we dont, we, as a nation, are headed to decline, disorder and breaking apart. It couldnt be more critical for where we are and where we are heading, he said. The U.S. has been the leader on the international scene in the post-World War II era, and if it falls, the entire global order the world has known will be replaced by something else, Cahn warned. The Messianic rabbi continued that, according to the paradigm of ancient Israel, it was 19 years between the first Babylonian strike on Jerusalem that came in 605 B.C. and when the greater shakings came upon the land in 586 B.C. occurred, when Jerusalem was conquered, the temple was destroyed, and the Jews were sent into exile. Likewise, in a modern parallel to the U.S., between the 9/11 attacks and 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic besieged the nation, was also a 19-year span. God is real, and Hes still in control, but America is in trouble. It ends with a trumpet call. We need to be awake. We cannot be complacent. We need to be ready. We need to be light as it is getting darker, and we have to become brighter, Cahn said. This is not a thing to fear. This is a thing to rise to our calling. To me, this is the most exciting time for a believer [in Jesus] who says yes, full out. The time of being gray is over. Its time to be a light in the dark. Megachurch pastor says honor is 'absent' in today's culture of 'toxicity': 'We have a different calling' Pastor Julie Mullins of Floridas multi-site Christ Fellowship Church told her congregation on Sunday that showing honor to God is mainly absent in todays culture and that Christians are often becoming part of the world's "toxicity." Mullins, who, along with her husband, Todd, leads a congregation averaging over 30,000 members across a dozen campuses in South Florida, warned in her sermon that dishonoring or devaluing God and other people could cause unanswered prayers and doors of blessings to be slammed shut. Mullins said that what she has seen in over 35 years of ministry and even in Mark 6, where people scoffed at Jesus being just a "carpenter's son," is that "an atmosphere of dishonor" will "prevent" God's "blessing, His favor and supernatural work in our relationships and in our lives." "Because it speaks to how this atmosphere of [dishonor] can actually shut the door on everything that Jesus wants to release into our homes and into our church," she said. "Let's look at the definition of dishonor. It comes from the Greek word Atimos ... 'to treat as common and ordinary.' It doesn't say mean or harsh or rude. This passage, they were just treating Jesus as common. He is the kid down the street. But Jesus is not common. And the reality that we can have a personal relationship with the Creator of the universe, there is nothing ordinary about this." Mullins said that people often pray for God to open a door. However, there "are some doors that only honor can open." "We live in a culture [where] I know that what I'm saying is completely countercultural all you have to do is turn on the TV, get on social media, and disrespect and dishonor are at an all-time high, Mullins told the church. I mean, people are canceling people out just because they don't agree with them. They're ranting words of discouragement and disparagement over people's lives, and it is blocking the work that God wants to do. And as God's people, we are called to something different. We have a different calling. We have just become so desensitized to its toxicity, that we become, many times, a part of it. Mullins said that although it seems like honor is almost completely absent in our culture, it's everywhere in Scripture. She said the topic of honor is found roughly 147 times throughout Scripture. And most often, she noted, mentions of honor in the Bible are about how to treat other people. God's word is clear about who we as believers are expected to honor. It says, first of all, that all honor begins first and foremost with our honor to God, Mullins emphasized, citing 1 Timothy 1:17. We are called to honor God for who He is, not just for what He does. He is our Creator. He is our Redeemer. He is our Savior. We honor Him because He sent His Son to this earth to suffer and die so that we can be restored into right relationship with Him. We honor Him, and we honor the authority that God's Word has over our lives. The pastor said one reason todays culture is suffering from this epidemic of dishonor is because they have forgotten to honor God, honor His ways, honor His work. In 1 Samuel 2:30, Mullins noted that the Bible says that those who honor me, I will honor. Mullins said Christians aren't supposed to honor God only for the reward but because it's a spiritual principle. She said that God tends to bless those who honor Him because honoring God opens the door for a spiritual inheritance that is going to live way beyond us. It's just a spiritual principle. When we honor Him, He will honor us. We see it all throughout the Bible. When Abraham honored God and left all he knew to step in and follow God, God honored him by giving him the children of Israel and made him the father of many nations, Mullins preached. We see this in Noah when he decided to obey God even though it didn't make any sense. His obedience saved his entire family and future generations. We see it in Mary when she honored God by saying: not my will, but yours. We see that He honored her by delivering salvation into the world through her. All throughout Scripture, we see that when we honor God, He rewards us. Mullins said Christians can show honor to God by honoring other people. When we honor people, we place high value, we highly esteem, we treat them as precious and weighty. And this starts with the people that are closest to us, Mullins said, referring to how spouses are to honor one another in marriage and how children are to be obedient to parents. Honor should also extend to the outside world, Mullins said. It says in Scripture that we're to take honor, to deliver honor as Christ followers, to deliver honor into our world, into our sphere of influence, Mullins said, pointing the audience to Romans 13. She said the passage could be summarized to mean that followers of God are called to honor our city, our state, and our national authorities and local leaders. At Christ Fellowship, we want to be known as the house of honor that honors our authorities. We may not always agree. As a matter of fact, we're not going to agree with all the policies and the decisions. But we can disagree without being dishonoring, Mullins advised. And when it's hard for us to speak words of honor, we're going to take on a posture of prayer because we're going to pray for our leaders. Because we know that when we pray, it actually opens the door for the supernatural to enter into rooms that we can't walk into. And why would we want to slam the door on that? I believe that when we open the door [and], we pray for our leaders that God can do more incentives in a minute than man can do in centuries. Mullins mentioned earlier in the sermon that sometimes Christians think their prayers arent being answered because they have sinned or are not showing enough faith. But Mullins believes some Christians cannot see Gods supernatural power at work in their lives because of dishonor. It's just because of dishonor. And you're not being rude or ugly. That's not what the definition [of dishonor] is. It's just treating God's work and God's people as ordinary and common. See, I just wonder if this atmosphere of dishonor disrupts the supernatural, I wonder if the opposite is true. If an atmosphere of dishonor disrupts the supernatural, what could an atmosphere of honor release in the supernatural? Mullins asked. Taco Bell launches a 'Drag Brunch experience' in select cities featuring local 'queens and kings' Taco Bell has announced a new "Drag Brunch" campaign to promote mental health awareness for LGBT people and invite customers at Taco Bell Cantinas in select cities to watch drag performances while they eat. The campaign was launched last month by the corporation and its Taco Bell Foundation, a nonprofit that seeks to "educate and inspire the next generation of Americas leaders." Each show is hosted by drag performer Kay Sedia and features performances from local drag queens and kings, and individuals ages 18 and up are invited to reserve a spot at the brunches. In addition to the drag show, the Mexican fast-food chain is offering attendees a new $5 Bell Breakfast Box, Cinnabon Delights coffee and mimosas. Every brunch is also intended to highlight the It Gets Better Project, a nonprofit organization that exists to "empower" LGBT people around the globe. The group's work includes educating others about the LGBT experience and using media programming to "spark" sexual orientation and gender identity conversations. We understand the importance of creating safe spaces for the LGBTQIA+ community and are thrilled to provide a unique experience that spotlights and celebrates the wonderful artform of drag and its influence in culture with their chosen families, said Taco Bell's Chief Brand Officer Sean Tresvant in a statement included in a now archived press release. As USA Today reported last week, Taco Bell held its first drag brunch on May 1 at its flagship Cantina in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Vegas show featured local drag performers Coco Montrese, Mirage Amuro and Anetra. Taco Bell plans to bring the drag brunch to its Chicago Cantina on May 22, then Nashville on May 29. Its last two known tour dates are June 12 and June 26 in New York and Fort Lauderdale, respectively. The idea for the drag brunch came from Taco Bell's LGBT employee resource group, Live Mas Pride, which contains over 100 members. The group launched in 2020 to help foster "positive environments" for LGBT people and "elevate" the voices of the community. "Taco Bell Drag Brunch was concepted by Live Mas Pride, Taco Bell's LGBTQIA+ Employee Resource Group, which has played a major role in driving awareness of and meaningfully supporting LGBTQIA+ communities both within Taco Bell and the communities we serve and operate in," Tresvant said. Brian Wenke, executive director of the It Gets Better Project, also expressed excitement, stating that the campaign is designed to "celebrate the LGBT community" and "engage LGBTQ+ youth around their career aspirations and future potential." Taco Bell and the Taco Bell Foundation did not immediately respond to The Christian Post's request for comment. In recent years, numerous corporations have voiced their support in various ways for the LGBT community. On June 1, the Discovery+ service will air a new series produced by Tyra Banks called "Generation Drag." The series will center around teenagers exploring their gender identities and participating in a drag show. During Pride Month last June, the fast-food chain Burger King took a swipe at competitor Chick-fil-A when it announced that it would donate nearly half of the proceeds from its sales of chicken sandwiches to the LGBT activist group Human Rights Campaign. On March 11, Walt Disney Company CEO Bob Chapek apologized to employees via a letter for not taking a firmer stance against Florida's HB 1557. The law prohibits sexual orientation and gender identity instruction in kindergarten through third grade and requires schools to notify parents about any healthcare services their child receives on campus. Disney was initially neutral about the legislation, but the company joined critics in deriding it as a "Don't Say Gay" bill after LGBT employees and supporters criticized the company for not taking a harder stand. The company released a March 28 statement condemning the bill, declaring that it "should never have passed and should never have become law." In the days following the corporation's calls for the bill's repeal, leaked video footage obtained by the Manhattan Institute's Christopher Rufo showed Disney employees discussing their efforts to promote an LGBT message in its children's programming. Another video features Disney Diversity and Inclusion Manager Vivian Ware sharing how "last summer, we removed all of the gendered greetings in relationship to our live spiels." "We no longer say 'ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls' but instead use phrases like, 'Hello, everyone' or 'Hello, friends,'" she said. In April, Disney aired a "Protect Our Families" public service announcement from LGBT advocacy organization GLAAD on its channels. The video featured a family with a daughter who identifies as a boy. The mother in the video accused politicians of "trying to tear [her] family apart" because her daughter is a trans-identifying woman. NEW HAVEN, Conn. (AP) New Havens acting police chief announced Tuesday that she will retire following a judges order for her to resign because she has held the interim job too long according to the city charter. Renee Dominguez said her last day on the job will be Friday, ending a two-decade career with the department. Advertisement Also Tuesday, Mayor Justin Elicker named Regina Rush-Kittle, the citys chief administrative officer, as the new interim police chief as the city searches for a permanent chief. Rush-Kittle is a former state public safety deputy commissioner who served with state police for 28 years. Dominguez became acting chief after the retirement of Otoniel Reyes last June. She had been on track to become the first woman to permanently lead the New Haven Police Department, having been nominated by Elicker. Advertisement New Haven Police Department, Union Avenue, New Haven. Conn. But in December, the citys Board of Alders rejected the nomination after some residents raised concerns about increasing violent crime in the city and low diversity in the department. Last month, a judge ruled Dominguez must step down because the city charter prohibits acting city officials from holding the temporary jobs for more than six months. Elicker disagreed with the decision. Jen Hatmaker voices support for abortion, calls opposition political theater Author says pro-life lawmakers should provide a multitude of subsidies from free child care to marriage counseling Christian author Jen Hatmaker, a mother of five, has voiced her support for Roe v. Wade after a leaked U.S. Supreme Court opinion suggests that the landmark decision that legalized abortion appears set to be overturned. The overturning of the 1973 Supreme Court judgment will cause immediate, disproportionate harm, and not just emotional harm; physical and legal harm, Hatmaker wrote on her blog. Last week, Politico published a leaked draft majority opinion regarding the case of Dobbs v. Jackson Womens Health, which suggested that five of the nine Supreme Court justices voted to uphold a Mississippi law banning abortion after 15-week gestation and they would overturn Roe v. Wade, which usurped states' laws on abortion and legalized the practice nationwide. An overturned Roe v. Wade decision would send the issue back to the 50 respective states to each determine their abortion laws. Hatmaker, who made headlines in 2016 for affirming same-sex marriage, claimed that data unambiguously proves that making abortion illegal doesnt lower abortion rates. It simply makes them more dangerous, she argued. And dangerous for whom? 1-in-4 American women have had an abortion, so dangerous for your daughters, your sisters, your best friends, your colleagues, your neighbors, your church friends, and of course those of you reading with your quiet, private personal history here, as it should be, yourself. It will be disproportionately dangerous for women of color and under-resourced women, as all social ills are. Hatmaker further argued that abortion is a choice women make for endless personal reasons including the health of the mother, the health of the baby, rape, incest, viability, financial instability, a dangerous home environment, lack of help, and of course reasons that are theirs alone as are their bodies. She added, This is intensely personal and private, and women deserve agency and choice not only with their bodies but over the decision to parent for the rest of their lives. Anti-abortion advocates have every right to their convictions, but those convictions should only apply to their bodies, their families, and their futures. Hatmaker called the legislative opponents to Roe political theater. If this rabid energy was genuine if it had any integrity, it would come baked in with the fiercest and staunchest advocacy for free birth control, comprehensive sex education, maternal health care and paid maternity leave. The list included: subsidized child care, affordable housing, marriage counseling and family support systems, guaranteed food security, victims rights for all the rape and incest survivors forced to carry their abusers baby, subsidized medical care for all the women forced to carry a baby to the detriment of their own health or that of their baby, life insurance for the families whose mothers died in forced childbirth, and every conceivable support for a mother, baby, and family from birth until forever. However, many of her followers didnt agree with her. Each life is precious and deserves a chance, wrote one follower on Facebook. Reversing Roe V. Wade will give more unborn children a chance at life. There is no other way to look at it or justify keeping abortion legal. While every woman that becomes pregnant has infinite value, so does the life she carries inside her. So many women have experienced abortion and it not only has caused irreparable harm to them but permanently taken away the rights of the unborn person inside them. There are pro-life people who care about both the baby and the mother. As The Christian Post reported last week, an ABC News/Washington Post poll suggests that most Americans dont 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. 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. Sixty-seven percent said abortion should be legal if the unborn child has severe 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. Hatmaker also made headlines in 2020 after she publicly said she was glad her daughter is a lesbian. I cant get past the hundreds of messages and notes and emails and texts yall are sending Sydney and me after our podcast last week. We screenshot and send them to each other every day, because WE ARE SO UNDONE, Hatmaker wrote in a lengthy Facebook post at the time. Estranged moms asking their gay children to forgive them. Gay grandmas coming out for the first time. Siblings and aunts and kids of trans people reaching out with apologies and connection. Mamas saying they can love and affirm their young, closeted gaybies with no reservations now. LGBTQ people who finally believe Jesus loves them, she added. Religious freedom law firm threatens to sue pro-abortion activists who disrupt church services A religious freedom law firm says it will represent any church or person of faith that seeks legal recourse against a group that has threatened or disrupted services in the wake of a leaked draft majority opinion by the U.S. Supreme Court that would overturn Roe v. Wade. In a blog post Saturday, the conservative Catholic legal group Thomas More Society stated that its attorneys have contacted the group Ruth Sent Us to put them on notice that trespassing, violence, and vandalism will not be tolerated. Ruth Sent Us describes itself as a group working to force accountability using a diversity of tactics from the 6-3 extremist Supreme Court." Last week, the group urged abortion supporters to stand at or in a local Catholic Church this past weekend as a show of support for Roe, the 1973 Supreme Court decision that legalized abortion nationwide. The groups anger at the Catholic Church stems from the church's outspoken opposition to abortion and the fact that four of the five justices who signed on to the draft opinion that would overturn Roe are Catholic. The law firm notes that videos and accompanying rhetoric on social media have documented these fanatics attacking churches and committing damages in their chosen uniform of white caps and red capes. "[A]ny breach of the law or violation of the constitutional rights of religious believers will not be tolerated, and that what may pass as civil disobedience on the public right of way is totally out of bounds in a house of worship," the blog post reads. Thomas More Society sent a warning letter to Ruth Sent Us on Friday. Since the police brutality protests in May 2020, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops has been tracking hate crimes committed against Catholic properties, the letter states. To date, the Bishops have identified 129 incidents of vandalism, arson, and other hate crimes directed at Catholics. The most recent of these occurred on the evening of May 3, 2022, and appears to have been a direct response to the leak of a draft Supreme Court opinion in Dobbs v. Jackson Womens Health Organization. The Ruth Sent US website states that the 6-3 extremist majority on the 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, the website reads. A video accompanying a May 3 tweet by the pro-abortion group calls on abortion advocates to stage protests inside churches. It shows protesters dressed in Handmaids Tale costumes yelling abortion on demand and without apology at churchgoers as they storm through the pews of a Catholic church. 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 For 2,000 years, the Catholic Church has been an institution for the enslavement of women, one of the protesters can be heard saying in a second video posted by Ruth Sent Us Tuesday. 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 Thomas More Society attorneys say that the groups supporters could face significant legal liability under both California and federal law for their actions and obstruction of or interference with a persons First Amendment right of religious freedom at a place of religious worship is illegal. The firm recounts the disruption of a Feb. 28 Catholic Mass at the Cathedral of St. Mary of the Assumption in San Francisco and its disruption. The intruders recorded the abusive event and then promoted it on various social media platforms, including Twitter, the blog post states. Ruth Sent Us has also threatened to burn the Eucharist to show their disgust for the abuse Catholic Churches have condoned for centuries. Stuff your rosaries and your weaponized prayer. We will remain outraged after this weekend, so keep praying. Well be burning the Eucharist to show our disgust for the abuse Catholic Churches have condoned for centuries. pic.twitter.com/1UxAkyuXTg Ruth Sent Us ???? (@RuthSentUs) May 7, 2022 Meanwhile, the White House on Sunday defended peoples fundamental right to protest while warning against intimidation of others during protests planned at Catholic churches and near the homes of Supreme Court justices. Fox News Digital quoted a White House official as saying that President Joe Biden opposes any attempts to intimidate by protesters. As [White House Press Secretary] Jen [Psaki] reiterated last week, the President has made clear throughout his time in public life that Americans have the fundamental right to protest under the Constitution, whatever their point of view. But protests must be peaceful and free of violence, vandalism, or attempts to intimidate, all of which he condemns in any case, the official was quoted as saying in a statement. The president believes in peaceful protest, Psaki said at the time. He believes thats part of our democracy and part of the history of the United States and this country. But he also respects and understands the independence of the third branch of government, and I mean, obviously, the Justice Department but also the role of the Supreme Court and what they play. Ruth Sent Us has also encouraged people to protest outside the homes of Supreme Court justices in Virginia and Maryland after doxing them. The New York Post previously noted that the planned protests could be illegal. According to 18 U.S.C. 1507, which relates to Obstruction of Justice, anyone who has the intent of interfering with, obstructing, or impeding the administration of justice, or with the tent of influencing any judge, juror, witness, or court officer or pickets or parades in or near a court building or residents occupied or used by such judge, juror, witness or court officer will face a fine or imprisonment of one year. Amid threats and protests, Justice Samuel Alito, the author of the leaked draft opinion, and his family have been moved to an undisclosed location for safety. Man dressed in suit and tie killed by police after shooting up Washington church A nattily dressed man who fired shots into the Living Hope Community Church in downtown Wenatchee, Washington, on Saturday morning and then wounded an officer was shot dead by police on the churchs doorstep, the churchs pastor said. A release from the North Central Washington Investigation Unit said the suspect, whose identity has not yet been released, began shooting at the church located at the corner of Chelan Avenue and Palouse Street around 8:27 a.m. When Wenatchee Police confronted the suspect at the scene, the suspect wounded an officer in the leg before he was killed. When contacted by The Christian Post for further details on the shooting and the suspect on Monday, a Wenatchee police official said they were unable to comment or investigate the shooting due to laws in Washington that require an independent investigation of all officer-involved shootings. While our agency had the shooting officers, we cant investigate the shooting, the official told CP. The case was passed to the Douglas County Sheriffs Office. Douglas County Undersheriff Tyler Caille told CP Monday that the case is still being investigated but that investigators have identified the suspect and informed his family. However, they will not be releasing any further details on the shooting until mid-week. Callie could not say if the suspect had a history of mental illness or if the suspect had any connection to the church. The investigators are still working on it, trying to determine motive and what reasoning he would have to have been at the church that day. But it has not been determined at this time, Caille said. The undersheriff said there were witnesses because vendors were preparing for the annual Apple Blossom Festival parade at a park across the street from the church at the time. He could not confirm who fired first. Living Hope Community Church did not immediately respond to calls from CP on Monday. But during Sundays worship service broadcast on YouTube, Lead Pastor Jeremy Peyton shared what he knew. He said a few hours before the Apple Blossom Festival parade began, there was a man that was not familiar to us who was dressed in a suit and tie and, for whatever reason, decided he wanted to enter the church building from the south door. People gathered across the street from the church for the festival started hearing shots. He tried to enter using firearms and tried to come in the door. And, of course, it was parade day. So there were lots of officers around ready to respond. And so when they heard that coming in, obviously they encountered a man who was firing into a building, Peyton continued. Not knowing what was going on inside, who may or may not have been inside the building, they drew their weapons and told him to put his down, at which point they exchanged fire. An officer was struck, and the man was fatally wounded right on the scene. Peyton said the man reportedly died very quickly. There is a lot of misinformation that was throwing around. We dont really know motives or anything like that. So I mean, there are some people who have kind of spread a lot of things that we just dont know about, he said. The pastor said he was called into the church pretty soon after the shooting and arrived at about 9 a.m. Peyton said the churchs door and windows were damaged. Thats a really sad, yucky thing that happened on our doorstep, he said. It wasnt what I expected to walk into. Peyton allowed members of the church to share their thoughts on the shooting. One elderly parishioner said he hoped that the suspect had come to the church seeking hope and offered prayers for his soul. When I first heard about this, I thought about the many times in my job [when] I was out in the remote areas of Alaska, and I would go into small towns and at night. I would seek out a church, and the doors would be open, and I could just go in and seek hope, the parishioner said. If nothing else, I pray that this man was seeking hope and I hope he found it, and just pray for his soul. A female parishioner said she was happy that no one else was killed except for the poor man who probably had mental illness and was not in his right mind. I feel bad for his family. So I mean, instead of demonizing him [lets] be compassionate because thats not normal, she said. In the meantime, police say they are still trying to find out why the man dressed in a suit and tie turned up at Living Hope Community Church with a gun on Saturday morning. We are trying to figure out why the suspect went there, Caille said. We cant find any correlation to the parade either. Wisconsin pro-life office set on fire in Molotov cocktail attack after Supreme Court draft leak Police have yet to identify or arrest any suspects after the headquarters of a Wisconsin pro-life organization was set on fire Sunday and rejected the notion that the fire was an "inside job" perpetrated by the organization itself. The office of the pro-life group Wisconsin Family Action, located in Madison, Wisconsin, was vandalized with graffiti and had Molotov cocktails thrown through a broken window. The vandalism follows the publication of an initial draft opinion in the Supreme Court case of Dobbs v. Jackson Womens Health, where a majority of justices expressed support for the idea that Roe v. Wade, the 1973 Supreme Court decision that legalized abortion nationwide, must be overruled. According to an incident report published by the Madison Police Department, Flames were seen coming from the facility shortly after 6 a.m." The Madison Fire Department quickly extinguished the fire, and arson investigators are working to "determine an exact cause. A molotov cocktail, which did not ignite, was thrown inside the building. It also appears a separate fire was started in response. Graffiti was also found at the scene. No injuries have been reported, the report added. The Madison Police Department provided an update on the investigation Monday, indicating that No arrests have been made, and we do not have any suspects at this time. Madison Police Chief Shon Barnes told the media that Shortly after 6 a.m. on Sunday, May 8, a passerby headed to Madisons airport noticed flames coming from the Wisconsin Family Action office. The areas very close to the Madison Police Departments North District and our officers arrived to the scene moments before the Madison Fire Department," Barnes said. "Our responding officers observed smoke coming from the building and a ground-level window, which had been breached. Madison Fire Department was able to put out the fire within five minutes after their response. Investigators collected multiple pieces of evidence from the scene and these items were turned over to our federal partners for processing. Barnes stressed that as much as we wish we could be able to solve this case today, the forensic process must take time. In response to questions from reporters, Barnes clarified that there were two Molotov cocktails at the scene and rejected the idea that the attack was an inside job perpetrated by the pro-life organization. A tweet from Wisconsin State Journal reporter Alexander Shur, posted Sunday, included pictures of the damage. One of the pictures showed the graffiti painted on the exterior wall of the groups headquarters, which read, If abortions arent Safe then you arent either. The second picture documented the conditions in the office. Books were scattered across a fire-damaged floor while the window was boarded up. BREAKING: Somebody vandalized and allegedly threw Molotov cocktails into Wisconsin Family Actions an anti-abortion rights group Madison office, writing w/ graffiti, If abortions arent safe, then you arent either. Story TK pic.twitter.com/6Wfnyeh9hQ Alexander Shur (@AlexanderShur) May 8, 2022 In a statement, Wisconsin Family Action noted that Anarchy 1312 took responsibility for the attack, leaving its logo on an outside wall. Julaine Appling, president of the pro-life group declared the "attack fails to frighten us, and instead steels the resolve of law-abiding, common-sense, every-day folks to stand up and push back. While this attack was directly provoked by the leaked draft opinion from the US Supreme Court in the Dobbs case earlier this week, this has far broader implications, she added. Apparently, the tolerance the left demands is a one-way street. Violence has become their answer to everything. This is what happens when leadership is missing or when leadership implies that violence is ok. Appling criticized Wisconsins Democratic Gov. Tony Evers response to the attack, which she maintained said nothing about demanding a full investigation and criminal prosecution but instead reassured that hed keep supporting abortion. Evers took to Twitter Sunday to condemn violence and hatred in all forms, including the actions at Wisconsin Family Action in Madison last night and proclaim that we reject violence against any person for disagreeing with anothers view. We condemn violence and hatred in all forms, including the actions at Wisconsin Family Action in Madison last night. We reject violence against any person for disagreeing with anothers view. Violence is not the way forward. Hurting others is never the answer. Governor Tony Evers (@GovEvers) May 8, 2022 At the same time, Evers vowed to work against overturning Roe and attacks on reproductive rights by leading with empathy and compassion and defend what we believe with our words and our voicesin the streets, in the halls of government, and at the ballot box. Appling believes Sundays violence is a consequence of Evers non-response to violence in the Wisconsin cities of Kenosha and Milwaukee in the summer of 2020. Appling argues that because Evers looked the other way, Wisconsin citizens who disagree with his policies find themselves extremely vulnerable to similar violence. "[T]oday it is Wisconsin Family Association getting Molotov cocktails tossed through broken windows and fires ignited, but tomorrow it could be anyone in our state or another state who is attacked because we disagree with a policy or action, give voice to the voiceless, or stand up for whats right," Appling said. Wisconsin has had enough of this kind of terror condoned by current state and national leaders. But we are still standing. We still support freedom. We love our republic and care for our neighbors. We will repair our offices, remain on the job, and build an even stronger grassroots effort. We will not back down. We will not stop doing what we are doing. Too much is at stake. Tony Perkins, president of the national Christian conservative lobbying organization Family Research Council, predicted in a statement that the Lefts violence and intimidation designed to silence the voice of Americans who stand for life will not succeed. "[T[he violent and illegal actions of abortion supporters only reveal the true nature of abortion to America, Perkins argued, adding that abortion on demand until birth unleashed violence and a culture of death. Abortion is not a political issue, and its not even a policy issue at its core. Abortion is a profoundly moral and spiritual issue that cuts to the heart of who we are as a people, Perkins said. We are grateful for the unwavering leadership of Wisconsin Family Action and the dozens of family policy councils around the country that are committed to the sanctity of all human life. Pro-abortion activists announced their intentions to protest the possibility of overturning Roe last week. The group Ruth Sent Us organized Mothers Day protests at Roman Catholic Churches over the weekend. Video footage of a Sunday mass at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels in Los Angeles, California, the seat of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles, revealed protesters dressed in "Handmaids Tale" costumes interrupting the liturgy. While the protesters had signs and were shouting chants at the congregation, they were escorted out and no one was hurt. Marxists try to disrupt Mass at Cathedral of our Lady of the Angels. Security, ushers and parishioners said they were not having it.#cathedral#Catholicpic.twitter.com/HlN8yHxPKL Romangod7 (@Romangod7) May 8, 2022 Christian leaders and controversies: The case of Francis Collins There is always a dilemma for Christians in best handling and reacting to the positions and counsel of Christian leaders. Often these are people we have grown to trust and respect as followers of Christ. Their convictions at times are consistent with Christian principles and biblical wisdom. They champion appropriate positions and defend causes from a historically Christian perspective. They gain traction and respect even among cultural, political, and religious opponents because of the internally consistent strength of their arguments and their winsome and gracious demeanor. And yet, it is impossible for any fallen and sinful person to be right all the time. Similarly, it is quite possible and regularly demonstrated that the unregenerate are not always wrong. As a case in point, contrast Dr. Francis Collins and President Donald Trump. Trump, not convincingly a born-again Christian, became president in large measure because he promised to represent conservative Christians and their concerns. His appointing of originalist judges to federal courts and the U.S. Supreme Court, as well as his attendance at events like the annual March for Life while he was in office (this was unprecedented for a president), were encouragements to many Christians. Yet his demeanor was consistently characterized as non-Christian. Such may well have cost him re-election. Christians and conservative political analysts will debate for decades whether he was a net positive or negative influence on America. Clearly, both cases can be made. Different Christian voices have weighed in on the matter. Many Christians, even conservatives, felt that Trump used them for his personal gain and prestige. In certain notable ways, a case could be made that the Francis Collins situation at times echoes the debate over Donald Trump among Christians. Dr. Francis Collins, the famous geneticist, was and is vocally Christian. He has clearly identified as such, and he has taken heat for it. For example, in the summer of 2009, after his nomination as director of NIH by President Barack Obama, outspoken atheist Sam Harris attacked Collins in the New York Times as unfit for the job because of his religious convictions. Collins became known to many Americans during his direction of the Human Genome Project through the 1990s. In February 1998, Scientific American profiled Dr. Collins with the headline Where Science and Religion meet: The U.S. head of the Human Genome Project, Francis S. Collins, stives to keep his Christianity from interfering with his science and politics. That article quoted Dr. Collins saying he is intensely uncomfortable with abortion. He said that he does not advocate changing the law and is very careful to ensure his personal feelings on abortion do not affect his political stance. The article went on to say: researchers and academics familiar with Collins work agree that he has separated his private religious views from his professional life. He shows no influence of religious beliefs on his work other than a generalized sensitivity to ethics issues in genetics. In essence, what these people were saying is that Francis Collins is such a good scientist because you can hardly tell he is a Christian from his work. As a much younger biology professor at the time, I was aghast at this. A Christian has separated his religious views from his professional life. Why is that a good thing? I emailed Dr. Collins at the time, asking him if Scientific American had it right. Maybe the article misunderstood Collins? My email was never answered. Not that I expected that it would be, given my obscurity and his standing and responsibilities. Still, the article troubled me, as I was always left with the lingering question. Dr. Collins went on to launch the BioLogos Foundation, a Christian/science interface organization that advocates for the reconciliation of modern science and Christianity. The idea is that nature and Scripture are both from God and ultimately are not in conflict. This reflects Dr. Collins Christian convictions and his love of science, the study of Gods physical world. Give Dr. Collins credit for leveraging his popularity, leadership qualities, and obvious pastoral instincts for the noble cause. Ultimately, I met Dr. Collins several years ago at a conference and heard him speak. There is no reason he would remember our quick contact in an elevator any more than he would remember my email. However, one cannot help but be impressed by his genuine humility and his concern for the spiritual health of the people around him. He has made it clear that he believes that Jesus Christ is incarnate and divine and that humans are made in the image of God (although he rejects the historic Adam), and that salvation is real. Yet, inconsistencies remain. Dr. Collins seems to allow his science to inordinately arbitrate over biblical truth, or at least when the two are portrayed as in conflict. As his professional life has unfolded, it has become clear that the Scientific American article had gotten a lot right. It is fair to say that he has remained uncertain about when human life begins. He concedes that the fertilized egg is alive at conception, but believes that maybe it is not quite human. Consequently, in his 2010 book, The Language of Life, he advocated for experimentation using excess human embryos from in vitro fertilization (IVF) that are stuck in cryo-storage with uncertain futures, so that some good could come from them. He has never publicly disavowed human embryonic research because he sees its potential fruitfulness. In fact, as late as last summer, experiments involving human embryonic cells and mice was supported by NIH funding at the University of Pittsburgh. There are ongoing ramifications of Dr. Collins acceptance of abortion as the law of the land. The Scientific American article in 1998 mentioned that Dr. Collins was concerned that embryonic genetic testing might lead to abortions of fetuses that have conditions that are less than disastrous. The article did not suggest what he would consider less than disastrous. For instance, would my great-nephews Downs syndrome condition be considered less than a disaster? Princeton bioethicist and legal scholar, Dr. Robert George, made a clearer case in his 1998 address to the American Political Science Association Convention, stating, once I was a child, once I was an infant, once I was an embryo, I cannot say I was once an egg or a sperm. However, it is clear that the viable sperm and egg are quite alive. Also, it is good to remember what we say in the Apostles Creed. He was conceived born suffered died and rose again. What human is not on that trajectory of life and death? The Bible teaches that we all are. This leaves many conservative Christians convinced that Dr. Collins would rather come down on the side of a quote from his old boss, President Barack Obama. In March 2009, Obama signed an executive order that lifted President George W. Bushs 2001 ban on federal funding of human embryonic research. Today we will lift the ban on federal funding for promising embryonic stem cell research, stated Obama. We will vigorously support scientists who pursue this research. And we will aim for America to lead the world in the discoveries it one day may yield. Obama continued, Promoting science isnt just about providing resources it is also about protecting free and open inquiry. It is about letting scientists like those here today do their jobs, free from manipulation or coercion, and that we make scientific decisions based on facts, not ideology. Obama insisted that Im going to let scientists do science. Im going to remove politics, religion, and ideology from that. Of course, the reality is that such a thing cannot be done. The presidents own politics and ideology were clearly stated and inserted. One would hope that Dr. Collins would be more comfortable with the principles articulated in President George W. Bushs 2006 State of the Union Address. A hopeful society has institutions of science and medicine that do not cut ethical corners, and that recognize the matchless value of every life, stated Bush. Tonight, I ask you to pass legislation to prohibit the most egregious abuses of medical research human cloning in all its forms creating or implanting embryos for experiments creating human-animal hybrids and buying, selling, or patenting human embryos. Human life is a gift from our Creatorand that gift should never be discarded, devalued, or put up for sale. These are all ethical issues that have confronted Dr. Francis Collins as a man of science and of faith. The issues more recently included COVID mask and vaccine mandates. To many in the evangelical community, the pro-life appeals he made for the mandates have rung increasingly hollow, and his seeming inconsistencies have been bothersome. Os Guinness, in his book, The Magna Carta of Humanity, brings out a principle that every intentional Christian should keep in mind: The notion of arguing on behalf of the true, the right, and the good lies behind the biblical principle of corrigibility. Guinness quotes Jewish Hebrew scholar Jonathan Sacks, We are all open to challenge. No one is above criticism, no one is too junior to administer it, if done with due grace and humility. This requires knowing scripture and applying its logical conclusions, consistently. Otherwise, our ability to be salt and light is diminished, and we can be played. Francis Collins needs to add salt and light. Many of us have admired him, and we expect more from him in his Christian witness to science. Overcoming the power warp I am your voice... I alone can fix it. Donald Trump was talking to the Republican Party in 2016 when he made that statement. He was referring to the fixing of the chaos twirling over the nation. As The Atlanticnoted in an article about Trumps speech, even Richard Nixon in 1968, a year of intense social violence, realized that he alone could not solve the problems facing the United States, and said: Without Gods help, we will surely fail; but with Gods help and your help, we shall surely succeed. Nixon is accused of referring to God as a mere political expedient. I dont think so. Once I was detailed to escort evangelist Oral Roberts into a meeting with Nixon in the Oval Office. The day before I had drafted talking points for the Presidents use. At the end of the conversation, Roberts looked at Nixon, and said, Sir, when I meet with people, I like to pray with them, and then ask that they pray for me. I panicked: I had not written the president a prayer! It was too late as we moved to the center of the Office. In a few moments, my anxiety was blown away when I heard President Nixon pray aloud. I could tell it was not the first time, nor would it be the last. The power-warp distorted other things spoken in that office, words that were delusionary and destructive of the values that could have brought healing to an even more troubled nation in 1969. The Lords name to which Nixon appealed in that same room a couple of years earlier was now uttered as an expletive. The warping effects of power are not limited to the White House. Its just that, as Lord Acton said, power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. If ever there was an absolutist it must be Vladimir Putin. One wonders who in the Kremlin can break through the warping effect of the power that has charged up inside that mighty set of buildings for decades. Who is telling Putin the truth? Who is blowing away the smoke that shrouds hard reality? There are also moments when President Joe Biden seems to be speaking in a haze. Who clears the way for Biden to see things as they really are? Who has the courage to pierce the hubris of Donald Trump and all the others? Critics say that spiritual issues are not relevant in the hard-scrabble political world. However, The Bible gives clear truth about dealing with the effects of the power warp: 1. Leaders should know the differences between true authority and raw power. Authority is granted from the higher to the lower, while raw power is seized. Authority is granted only to those under authority, but raw power is grabbed by those with enough muscle. Authority is sustained by servant leaders who build healthy relationships, giving encouragement and respect, but raw power is sustained by intimidation, domination, condemnation, and manipulation. 2. Powerholders need to understand the vital balance between the transcendent and the immanent in the application of power to which they have been entrusted. This means they must never take their power for granted but see it as a trust extended to them, and for which they will be held accountable by the people and to God Himself. 3. People in positions of leadership must heed the voice of the Samuels around them. 1 Samuel 13 tells the tragic story of King Saul, and how he lost leadership of his kingdom. There were two God-given offices of power that established stability in Old Testament Israel and Judah the high priest and the king. Samuel occupied the position of high priest, and Saul that of king. A fierce battle loomed against the Philistines, and God gave the Israelites a stunning victory. Samuel had instructed that a sacrifice should be given to God in gratitude for the victory. Samuel had the authority for sacrifice, and Saul had authority in the civil domain. Thus, Samuel told Saul not to make the sacrifice, but to wait for him. When Samuel was late, Saul called for the sacrifice, usurping the authority of the high priest. The result was that Saul lost his kingdom. The important principle is that leaders must respect jurisdictions of authority and not usurp the offices not given to them. Powerholders must understand the importance of power-sharing. 4. Men and women in powerful offices must have an Amos close by (Amos 7-9). Amos was the priest during the reign of King Jeroboam. Amaziah was the court priest. Amos, a herdsman and farmer, was a godly man, and the Lord appointed him to prophesy in the very palace of the evil king. Amos did so faithfully and spoke hard truth to the point that Amaziah warned him not to talk that way in the sanctuary and royal residence of the king. Amos would not be silent. The Oval Office and all other centers of power should have open doors, not to sycophants, but to the prophets whom the powerholders should respect and to whom they should give heed. When leaders give ear to such folk, nations, and the world itself are much safer because the warp no longer dominates the narrative. Pray not only for the right people to be elected to office, but for advisors who can see clearly through the warp and have Amos-like courage to speak truth. Tim Keller is wrong about abortion American Christians are on the precipice of a new era. For 50 years, ever since the Supreme Courts Roe v. Wade decision, courts have struck down almost all legal restrictions on abortion, making it nearly impossible for state governments to protect the lives of unborn children. Many Christians have been working quietly and patiently to end the Roe regime, and now those efforts may finally pay off. If the Supreme Court reverses Roe v. Wade in the coming weeks, everything will change in this country. For the first time in generations, Christians who understand what abortion is the intentional killing of unborn children will be able to work to pass new laws that could save millions of unborn lives. It was at this moment, just days before the leak of a draft Supreme Court opinion overruling Roe v. Wade (which is not yet final), that Tim Keller, the well-known theologian and pastor of Redeemer Presbyterian Church in New York City, wrote a provocative tweet thread explaining that Christians should not divide over the politics of abortion. The entire thread is worth reading carefully, but I will quote only part of it here: I recently wrote about how churches should not destroy unity or fellowship over political differences Here are two Biblical MORAL norms: 1. It is a sin to worship idols or any God other than the true God & 2. do not murder. If you ask evangelicals if we should be forbidden by law to worship any other God than the God of the Bible theyd say no We allow that terrible sin to be legal. But if you ask them if Americans should be forbidden by law to abort a baby, they'd say yes. Now why make the first sin legal and NEVER talk about it and the second sin illegal and a main moral/political talking point? The Bible tells us that idolatry, abortion, and ignoring the poor are all grievous sins. But it doesnt tell us exactly HOW we are to apply these norms to a pluralistic democracy. I know abortion is a sin, but the Bible doesnt tell me the best political policy to decrease or end abortion in this country, nor which political or legal policies are most effective to that end [W]e are allowed to debate that and so our churches should not have disunity over debatable political differences! Keller is right to call abortion what it is murder. But two things are troubling about this statement. The first is that Keller is ambivalent over whether murder, which is the killing of innocent human beings made in the image of God, should be forbidden by law. That is an odd position to take. To see how odd, simply reread Kellers thread, but replace the words abortion and murder with slavery. The Bible tells us that idolatry, [slavery], and ignoring the poor are all grievous sins. But it doesnt tell us exactly HOW we are to apply these norms to a pluralistic democracy. I know [slavery] is a sin, but the Bible doesnt tell me the best political policy to decrease or end [slavery] in this country, nor which political or legal policies are most effective to that end [W]e are allowed to debate that and so our churches should not have disunity over debatable political differences! While this was once an acceptable sentiment in the Confederacy, this argument now shocks our conscience because American Christians rightly understand that refusing to abolish the sin of slavery permits wicked men to inflict grievous bodily harm on innocent people made in Gods image. The same cannot be said about permitting idolatry. Christians are therefore within their reason to not expect unbelievers to worship the true God while also demanding that unbelievers (and all people) not enslave others. The same is true for abortion, which is even more harmful than slavery. Abortion kills a baby, ending its life forever. If that is true, could Christians in good conscience accept any just treatment of the sin of abortion other than working to abolish it? Kellers thread assumes the answer is yes, but it fails to give any satisfying explanation as to why. The second problem with Kellers argument is that it calls for Christians to not have disunity over the politics of abortion without specifying what kind of disunity hes talking about. This lack of clarity muddies the waters on an important issue that demands careful thinking. The Bible speaks of unity in at least three senses. First, Christians are united spiritually. Every person who trusts in Christ is united by the Spirit to Christ, and thus by extension united to every other Christian. This means that if a person is trusting in Christ but is deceived about abortion and is holding pro-choice views, that Christian is still united to pro-life Christians in Christ. It is impossible to break this invisible spiritual unity. Second, Christians are united sacramentally. Christians who share the sacraments of baptism and communion together become one body. As Paul explained, because there is one bread, we who are many are one body, for we all partake of the one bread (1 Corinthians 10:17). Sometimes this visible unity must be broken when a member of a church rejects Christ by word or deed. For example, Protestants and Catholics have broken sacramental unity for over 500 years because each communion believes that the other teaches a false Gospel, making unity of communion impossible. Third, Christians are united doctrinally. Pastors are commanded by God to preach and teach the truth of Scripture to their congregations, but sometimes Christians in the same congregation will disagree with their churchs teachings. This disunity should not always break sacramental unity, but it will inevitably cause some division in the Church. Christians are commanded by God to strive for doctrinal unity without sacrificing truth. With these distinctions in mind, Kellers argument that churches should not have disunity over the politics of abortion makes only partial sense. Keller is right that a Christians pro-choice political views should not, in many cases, be grounds for excommunication (i.e., breaking sacramental unity). But in some cases, it may be. For example, a member of a church who works as a politician to advance pro-abortion legislation may need to be excommunicated just as it would be right to excommunicate unrepentant slave owners. That is why Christians today rightly mourn the failures of Civil War era denominations that were unwilling to accept disunity over slavery. It is just as right to mourn today those churches that stay silent on the evil of abortion. Keller is also wrong when it comes to doctrinal unity. Pastors must be willing to accept disunity and upset members of their congregation to teach the truth about abortion. [T]he Lord hates hands that shed innocent blood (Proverbs 6:16-17). A pastor who refuses to preach against abortion to avoid disunity is not following the example of Christ who came not to bring peace, but a sword (Matthew 10:34). As Paul exhorts Timothy, the Lords servant must correct his opponents with gentleness. God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth, and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, after being captured by him to do his will (2 Timothy 2:24-26). We should pray that Christian pastors and leaders like Tim Keller speak clearly and forcefully about these truths the truth about what abortion is and that saving unborn lives is worth the cost of upset members, uncomfortable conversations, and split congregations. Many Christians will be looking to pastors like Keller for spiritual guidance in a post-Roe world. The Lord will hold them accountable for whether they courageously guide the flock in the times ahead. EU pressures member countries to ensure abortion access for Ukrainian refugees The European Parliament passed a resolution calling for all countries within the European Union to provide Ukrainian refugee women and girls access to emergency contraception and abortion, including countries with stricter restrictions like Poland and Hungary. The resolution, which also condemned gender-based violence and human trafficking of Ukrainian refugees, passed last Thursday with 462 votes in favor, 19 against and 89 abstentions. Members of the European Parliament said offering emergency contraception and abortion access is a way for the EU, alongside host and transit countries, to guarantee female refugees and victims of rape access to "sexual and reproductive health and rights" (SRHR) services. "For those women who are still in Ukraine, Parliament urges the EU to use all the measures and funds at its disposal to respond to their SRHR needs, and to send dignity kits, including contraceptives and sexual reproductive health kits, in humanitarian packages and convoys to Ukraine and to host countries," the European Parliament said in a Thursday statement. The resolution contends that the European Parliament should supervise how the EU's funding to countries that accept Ukrainian refugees is spent, "particularly in countries with ongoing rule of law violations such as Poland and Hungary." The document claims this "reiterates" how things like "gender mainstreaming" in the budgeting process are a "core principle" of the EU. The document states that emergency contraception access is "hampered" in Poland and Hungary due to prescription requirements and that restrictions on abortion in those countries have also prevented abortions for pregnant Ukrainian women. The European Parliament insists that legal abortion is "crucial" during this conflict perpetuated by "Russian aggressors," claiming many women have been raped. It also states that EU member nations should provide access to abortion "in all circumstances," not just in cases of rape. Countries like Poland are urged to "fulfill their obligation, including under national law, to guarantee access to abortion care for women who became pregnant as a result of rape." The European Parliament did not immediately respond to The Christian Post's request for comment. According to UNHCR data accessed Monday, over 5.8 million refugees have fled Ukraine since Russia's Feb. 24 invasion of its neighbor country. The statistics also show the total refugee influx from Ukraine is over 3 million in Poland and more than 500,000 in Hungary. On April 12, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy claimed when addressing the Parliament of Lithuania that there have been hundreds of reports of Russian soldiers raping Ukrainian women. Last month, the United Nations highlighted numerous reports of violence and instances of rape committed by Russian soldiers, stating that the news raised "red flags" about a "potential protection crisis." From March 1 to April 19, the Abortion Support Network, an organization working to procure abortion for women by assisting with finances and travel, sent abortion pills or arranged surgical terminations in Germany or the Netherlands for 267 Ukrainian refugees in Poland. As Metro.co.uk reported Sunday, ASN Founder Mara Clarke said the majority of Ukrainian women her group helps undergo abortions in "closed facilities" like refugee centers. Clarke expects the number of Ukrainian women seeking abortions to "skyrocket," claiming they hear from over 500 Ukrainian refugees every month through ASN's "Polish helpline." In 2020, a top court banned most abortions in Poland, ruling that pregnancies cannot be aborted due to fetal defects but still permitting abortions in cases of rape, incest or if the mother's health is at risk. The previous law dating from 1993 allowed for abortions in fetal anomaly cases. According to Angloinfo, Hungary permits abortion up until the 12th week of pregnancy and allows late-term abortions in fetal anomaly cases. Women must undergo two mandatory counseling sessions about state support and adoption. Before the abortion, a woman must obtain a letter from a gynecologist stating how far along the pregnancy is and visit a social worker twice to receive a hospital referral for the abortion. Surgical abortions are the only abortion method legally permitted in Hungary. As the European Consortium for Emergency Contraception reported, Poland and Hungary require a prescription to obtain emergency contraception. Neither country covers or provides reimbursement for it through social security. This is not the first time there has been a push for European countries to repeal abortion restrictions and procure abortions and contraceptives for Ukrainian women and girls. In March, groups including Amnesty International, the Center for Reproductive Rights, International Planned Parenthood Federation, and Women's Link Worldwide released a call to action, insisting that humanitarian packages to Ukraine and host countries include the abortion pill. The document also requested the removal of laws restricting abortion in countries that have welcomed Ukrainian refugees, including Hungary and Poland. In 2020, Hungary and Poland were among 32 countries that signed a document spearheaded by the U.S. government under the administration of former President Donald Trump declaring there is no international right to abortion" nor "any international obligation on the part of States to finance or facilitate abortion." The statement proclaimed that "each nation has the sovereign right to implement programs and activities consistent with their laws and policies. The stolen devices were all traced back to one location: A Quickly boba tea shop on Larkin Street right in the Tenderloin neighborhood of San Francisco. Quoc Le, 41, was arrested Monday and faces at least a dozen felony and misdemeanor charges of possession of stolen property. Le's wife is the owner and franchisee of the Taiwanese-based chain; she has not been charged. And on Tuesday, in a stunning revelation, Boudin announced his arrest was part of an operation known as Operation Auto Pilot which uncovered an massive global operation of car thefts and illicit electronic sales that reached as far wide as Vietnam and Hong Kong. Auto burglaries in San Francisco have, for at least a decade, been one of the leading categories of crime. We know that its had a devastating impact, not only on our own residents, but on the entire tourist industry. In 2021, there was a total of 20,663 theft from vehicle incidents reported to police a 39 percent increase from the year before, but lower than the peak of over 31,000 in 2017. Only a fraction of them lead to an arrest, Boudin said. Jeff Chiu / Associated Press 2020 How the sting worked, Boudin explained in a press conference Tuesday afternoon, feels ripped out of a Law and Order episode. Under Operation Auto Pilot, which has been in the works for at least two years, bait cars were placed in strategic locations throughout San Francisco with high rates of car theft Japantown and Alamo Square among them. Inside these vehicles were bags of electronics, embedded with tracking devices. The goal was not to arrest thieves on the street, Boudin said, but to see how far this trade of stolen goods went. The goal of this operation was to map out the flow of stolen goods in San Francisco and beyond, to identify the networks that are moving millions and millions of dollars of stolen goods from cars in San Francisco around the country and the world. Where those devices traveled to was stunning. Not only did they find these decoy devices and other stolen goods lead to the Larkin St. location of the stalwart boba franchise, but stolen devices were found as far as Europe and Asia. Boudin said the team wrote and secured over a dozen search warrants that let them dig through "financial transactions and shipping activity. Large volumes of wares were being shipped to Texas, he added. In all, Boudin said that his team gathered 130 boxes of electronics from the Quickly and hope to find more individuals connected to this network of car break-ins. He alluded to numerous locations under surveillance that are storage operations for these rings. This operation puts into question one of the tentpole advertisements made by the campaign to recall Boudin, in which former prosecutor Shirin Oloumi alleged that Boudin dissolved that unit and prevented me from collaborating with the police. (A report from progressive local outlet 48 Hills said that Oloumi, in her resignation letter, alluded to Operation Auto Pilot and commended its future success.) Boudin responded to the recall effort explicitly in the presser. Theres lots of people who are long on money and short on facts who have criticisms of this office, he said. I couldnt be prouder of the work that our team is doing and has done with this operation. The operation was conducted in collaboration with the Department of Homeland Security, SF SAFE and local law enforcement. It is ongoing. Le will be arraigned in court Tuesday afternoon. Editor's note: This article was updated at 4:05 p.m., May 10, to correct information about the owner of the Larkin Street Quickly. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate As the uproar over Elon Musks $44 billion buyout of Twitter reached a crescendo, another Musk drama was back in court. That 2018 spectacle started, ironically enough, with a Musk tweet about doing an audacious deal. Weeks later, the Tesla CEO abandoned talk of buying all the electric car makers stock, admitting it might be too much trouble. With regulators preparing to sue the billionaire for defrauding investors, he pondered his position in a livestreamed interview while puffing on pot. It was a confounding study in Musks persistent ambition and his delight in contradiction. Yet as the worlds richest man pursues Twitter even those whove long watched him remain flummoxed about what he has up his sleeve. This is a guy whos more transparent than 99.99 percent of other CEOs and yet hes harder to predict because he has the confidence to be able to publicly change his mind, said Erik Gordon, a University of Michigan business professor. Would Musk be more successful if he toned it down? I think the answer is no, because he wouldnt be Musk. Weeks after Twitters board accepted Musks offer, observers are puzzling over what a takeover would mean and even whether hell complete the deal. If the 50-year-old Musks gambit has made anything clear its that he thrives on such contradiction. Musk, whos worth about $240 billion, boasts of acquiring Twitter to defend freedom of speech. But he has long used the platform to attack perceived foes. He is supremely confident in his own judgment. But he has openly acknowledged vulnerabilities, disclosing angst over a breakup in one interview and telling a Saturday Night Live audience last year that he was the first host with Aspergers syndrome. Hes a widely admired visionary. But he trashes the conventions of corporate behavior, alienating analysts, regulators and others. I dont think youd necessarily want to be me, he told podcaster Joe Rogan in 2018. Its very hard to turn it off. Musk has been something of an outlier since childhood, teaching himself computer programming at 10 and selling a video game he created two years later, according to a 2015 biography. He left South Africa at 16 for Canada before moving to the U.S. At 24 he dropped out of Stanford to try his luck in the 1990s dot-com boom. Together with brother Kimbal, he launched Zip2, an online business directory eventually sold to Compaq for $307 million. Musk used his share to found what would become PayPal, sold to eBay in 2002 for $1.5 billion. Musk then founded SpaceX to develop cost-effective reusable rockets, before investing in a startup called Tesla. But he soon clashed with co-founder Martin Eberhard. Every time there was an article that didnt feature him, he blew a gasket, Eberhard, who sued Musk and Tesla after he was ousted, said during a 2018 interview with the AP. On Twitter, Musk recently called Eberhard a liar. As Teslas chairman, Musk pushed employees to meet goals many considered impossible, said Gene Berdichevsky, the battery engineer on the companys first vehicle. Hell likely be similarly unrelenting at Twitter, said Berdichevsky, who now leads a company developing new types of battery chemistry. Managers will be asked to do things that they dont necessarily think are reasonable, Berdichevsky said. Some of them will not be reasonable and others will completely transform things. Musks creative energy, though, is intertwined with his erratic behavior. That was spotlighted in 2018, as Tesla ramped up production of its Model 3 sedan. Musk berated engineers for problems before acknowledging that his overreliance on automation was a primary cause. Meanwhile, he scolded analysts for asking bonehead questions. That August he stunned observers, tweeting that he was considering taking Tesla private and had secured financing. The stock soared before he backtracked. The Securities and Exchange Commission sued, alleging Musks talk of a deal was largely fiction. Musk and Tesla settled, paying fines of $20 million each and agreeing that tweets potentially affecting the stock price be reviewed by a lawyer. A federal judge recently rejected Musks contention that the settlement violates his right to free speech. Some people use their hair to express themselves, hes said. I use Twitter. Musk and his fans, though, sometimes use the platform to go after perceived adversaries. A California short seller has alleged that the CEO and one of his acolytes, Omar Qazi, were responsible for tweets insulting him and falsely asserting he had been arrested for child abduction. They were among 80,000 coordinated tweets praising Tesla and attacking its critics, according to investor Aaron Greenspans lawsuit. Qazi called the allegations absurd, in an email. Tesla lawyers have dismissed charges of a Musk-led Twitter mob as conspiracy theories. Musk did not respond to an interview request for this story. But speaking briefly with AP at New Yorks Met Gala, he reiterated his pledge to rid Twitter of spam bots and trolls spreading junk messages. Thats obviously diminishing the user experience, he said. Im on the warpath, so if somebody is operating a bot and troll army, then Im definitely their enemy. But a University of Maryland researcher recently concluded that such bots have generated thousands of positive tweets about Tesla, potentially buoying its stock. Neither the company nor its supporters has taken responsibility. But Musk has said that for real people on Twitter, most anything is fair game. Twitters a war zone, he said in a 2018 interview with 60 Minutes. If somebodys gonna jump in the warzone, its like, Okay, youre in the arena. Lets go. Twitters reliance on advertising has been the impetus for its efforts to cap extremism and misinformation, said Angelo Carusone of watchdog Media Matters. If Musks loosens those standards, he risks running afoul of Apple and Google. Both have stringent policies theyve cited in booting some apps from their devices. Musk hasnt addressed what hed do if his efforts to open Twitter jeopardize its accessibility. Then again, hes has never been one to shy away from contradiction. Former Polish President Lech Walesa talks with Megan Clark Torrey of the World Affairs Council of Connecticut during a presentation Tuesday evening at Infinity Hall in Hartford. (Don Stacom) Bringing his Ukraine relief campaign to Hartford, former Polish President Lech Walesa on Tuesday called on a crowd at Infinity Hall in Hartford to help the millions of refugees flooding into Poland. At the same time, Walesa said the worlds nations now face an opportunity to curb Russias long tradition of political corruption and imperialism. Advertisement At this point, it is not enough for Ukraine to defeat Russia militarily. Unless we really put the right order in Russia, Russia will rise again within five to 10 years and will constitute a threat to the rest of the world again, Walesa said. Speaking to more than 200 people at a gathering sponsored by the World Affairs Council of Connecticut, Walesa also said it is urgent that citizens around the globe defend democracies from a wave of power-hungry demagogues. Advertisement [ Connecticut state trooper helps former Polish president Lech Walesa fix flat tire ] Participate in elections, because in Poland we underestimated this right to vote and we allowed populists and demagogues to get the power. Looking at the example of Poland, the brave Polish people cannot really get rid of those demagogues and populists right now, he said. Walesa, a Nobel Peace Prize laureate, is touring the United States this spring to champion the cause of Ukrainian refugees who have flooded into Poland because of the Russian attacks on their homeland. Its currently estimated that up to 3.2 million displaced Ukrainians are in Poland, with more than another million in Hungary, Moldova, Romania and elsewhere. Five Things You Need To Know Daily We're providing the latest coronavirus coverage in Connecticut each weekday morning. > The Red Cross, Americares, Project Hope, Caritas and dozens of other organizations are running humanitarian aid operations in some of those countries, and Walesas Lech Walesa Institute is channeling money to help. The World Affairs Council announced that all proceeds from Tuesday evenings speech and invitation-only reception would go into that fund. On stage at the Infinity, the 78-year-old founder of Polands once-powerful Solidarity movement said helping Ukraine and its people is a pressing task. But he also believes free nations particularly the United States and Germany must lead the world in changing the course of Russia. Most of the globe is ready for a period of safety, security and peaceful resolution to conflicts, he told Megan Clark Torrey, chief executive officer of the World Affairs Council of Connecticut and the evenings moderator. Throughout all our history we have had troubles with Russia, and today Russia constitutes trouble again, he said. The political system that rules there is terrible. A single individual Lenin, Stalin before, Brezhnev and now Putin can cause this terrible threat to the world, he said. Former Polish President Lech Walesa with interpreter Magdalena Iwinska on Tuesday evening at Infinity Hall in Hartford. (Don Stacom) This time Putin has made a mistake. Somehow he has inspired the whole world to unite and oppose Russia. Its a great opportunity for the world to give the final blow to Russia. The United Nations and the world must force Russia to introduce changes to its political system, he said, calling for term limits, an independent judiciary, a constitutionally guaranteed free press and other elements of Western democracies. Two tasks still remain: The first to deal with Russia, who represents the remnant of the old world. The second, to help China to adjust to the track along which we have been moving, Walesa said through his interpreter, Magdalena Iwinska. Advertisement These are tasks that Poland alone cannot address. I believe in Europe it should be Germany who should be leading, and in the world it should be the United States, he said. Here is my appeal to you, United States: Take advantage of the opportunity that has been given to us. Many billionaire entrepreneurs will tell the story of their company's origin and how it began in either a before or a basement or something along those lines. Theres Jeff Bezos and Steve Jobs who started Amazon and Apple out of their respective garages, David Karp who invented Tumblr in his childhood bedroom and Michael Dell who started his namesake computer company out of his college dorm room. Meta (which was Facebook at the time) was no different, with its three founders Sean Parker, Dustin Moskovitz and of course, Mark Zuckerberg who rented a Silicon Valley home that became the birthplace of what is now one of the largest (if not the largest) social media platforms in the world. And now, that piece of Metas history is up for sale as the Los Altos, California home was just listed for a solid $5.3 million. Related: Zuckerberg Sweeps Up $17 Million Former Plantation In Hawaii The home (which Zuckerberg referred to as "Casa de Facebook") was up for rent in the summer of 2004 when the three then-19 and 24-year-olds stopped by to inquire with the propertys owner, Judy Fusco, about renting it. "Mark [Zuckerberg] stood outside and never went into the house, while Sean [Parker] and Dustin [Moskovitz] ran up the front stairs to see the house," Fusco told The New York Post in an interview. "Mark stood there and asked if they could rent the place, without even looking inside." The three men reportedly paid $5,500 per month total while living in the rental after a $10,000 down payment was issued, though there were reportedly more than 10 other Facebook staff members living there at any given time, according to Fusco. I read the check and asked him what he did, and he told me about a company called Facebook, and how he planned to connect the world, Fusco told The Post of Zuckerberg asking her to rent the home. I said, I dont care if you are going to connect the world, if this check does not pass, youre not moving in. The home boasts six bedrooms and 4.5 bathrooms, a gazebo, living room with bay window and a balcony overlooking a nearby creek. Related: Lessons about Building a Team from Zuckerberg and Facebook At just shy of 3,000 square feet, 1743 Westbrook Ave has bedrooms and bathrooms on each floor, allowing for a unique layout that is both spacious and full of natural light. This slice of Silicon Valley history sits at the end of a quiet cul-de-sac with a personalized soundwall in the expansive backyard and gazebo perfect for BBQs and get-togethers, the listing states. Zuckerberg and his team remained in the home until 2005 as Facebook was beginning to grow. Sean [Parker] would come to me repeatedly asking me to invest, telling me I would be a billionaire one day if I did, Fusco said as the company began to expand after the trio had moved out of her home. They proposed giving me the stock instead of the rent a dollar a stock. I said no. Today, Facebook is estimated to be worth more than $500 billion. Zuckerberg currently has his own massive portfolio of properties, including his most recent purchase of a former plantation in Hawaii for a reported $17 million last December. As of Wednesday afternoon, Zuckerbergs net worth was an estimated $68.2 billion. Copyright 2022 Entrepreneur.com Inc., All rights reserved Courtesy photo After announcing shell be joining the team over at KENS 5, veteran San Antonio TV journalist Isis Romero is adding another title to her resume, literally. On Wednesday, May 11, Romero announced in a Facebook post that she graduated with her masters degree from Arizona State Universitys prestigious Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication with a perfect 4.0 GPA. Going back to school has always been a dream of mine, she writes in her post. During the pandemic, I decided to go for it. Click here to read the full article. Michelle Williams is speaking out in defense of her friend Jeremy Strong after the Succession star was the subject of a New Yorker profile that examined his intense approach to acting. That piece, which was published in December, documented the extremes that Strong was willing to take in order to create his performances, including asking to be tear-gassed for a scene in Trial of the Chicago 7. The blowback to the story was intense both from supporters of the actor, who claimed it misrepresented his commitment to his craft, as well as from detractors who believed it was an example of Method acting taken to self-indulgent extremes. For Williams, the portrait painted by the New Yorker didnt capture Strongs talent or his generous spirit. I think that unfortunately the word method has become a buzzy one because of what happened to Jeremy Strong when he tried to describe his process, Williams says. He takes his work as seriously as he takes his play. After Williams former partner Heath Ledger died of an accidental prescription drug overdose in 2008, Strong, another friend and the actresss sister and her boyfriend all moved into her Brooklyn home. There, Strong played an important role in helping Williams and Ledgers daughter Matilda cope with the tragedy. Jeremy was serious enough to hold the weight of a childs broken heart and sensitive enough to understand how to approach [her] through play and games and silliness, Williams says. The New Yorker profile made a point of noting that before Strong had made it as an actor and was struggling financially he nevertheless had acloset of incongruously high-end clothes; he had a Dries Van Noten suit and a Costume National hoodie that he wore to shreds, but few essentials. Williams, who met Strong in 2004 while they were both performing at the Williamstown Theatre Festival, doesnt deny that the actor had a taste for that kind of clothing, though she places it a much different context. Its true that his clothes were always designer, but he had only one sweater and two t-shirts and they were torn at the neck because he would play ponies with my daughter and let her ride on his back and use his clothing as reins, Williams says. So he walked around with his beautiful things ruined and he never thought twice about it and he never told her to stop. [Matilda] didnt grow up with her father but she grew up with her Jeremy and we were changed by his ability to play as though his life depended on it, because hers did, Williams adds. Williams says it was difficult to read the New Yorker piece. Weve all been in awe of his talent, says Williams. Weve watched him work harder than anyone and wait a long time for other people to recognize it. So when he became so celebrated, we all celebrated. The blowback that Strong received the social media mockery and think pieces it inspired has made Williams rethink her own relationship to the press. I feel open and I feel very trusting, but I also know that there are things that I shouldnt talk about because they are too private and they are too hard, she says. But now when Im rambling on about my work or my process, I wonder if that should stay in the vault. But I also love Jeremy so much. So even though this period took place during the time that I dont talk about, I wanted to share it, because it takes a very special person to play with a child the way that Jeremy did. As for her chosen profession, Williams isnt sure if shes a Method actress or not. I dont really know what kind of an actor I am, other than someone who will try anything to achieve a desired results, she says. Williams spoke with Variety for a cover story tied to the Cannes debut of her new film Showing Up. Sign up for Varietys Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Payton Moore uses gear most anglers consider overkill for freshwater fishing. His 80-pound-test line, ended with wire and a short length of 100-pound-test monofilament, is more than enough to land large examples of most freshwater fish in North America. Alligator gar, however, are an entirely different beast, and specimens like the monster Moore caught earlier this month have more in common with dinosaurs than most of the things you see in a seafood aisle these days. "They're a throwback to the past," Moore says. "They're very particular in how they behave and it sets them apart." A professional YouTuber and angler living in Sugar Land, Texas, Moore has been explaining the peculiarities and threatened status of alligator gars to reporters ever since posting footage on Saturday of his latest catch: a 300-plus-pound, 8-foot-2-inch alligator gar caught in a strong back eddy of a Texas bayou he declines to name publicly. These fish come up to breathe, Moore explains, thanks to a modified swim bladder that allows them to gulp atmospheric air. Payton Moore / WILD LIFE YouTube It was one such surfacing that led to the emotional and thrilling 15-minute-plus adventure Moore uploaded to his YouTube channel, WILD LIFE, in which the 32-year-old lands and releases one of the largest and most misunderstood freshwater fish species Americans can encounter. The video begins with clips of Moore in mid-fight before cutting back to the moments before the battle. He warns of an incoming storm, and shortly thereafter, sets a circle hook into the jaw of the most mammoth fish he's ever wrangled. The hook Moore uses to land the giant is one of the easiest hooks to free from a fish's mouth, and one most anglers would prefer not to use when trying to land a fish that feels like "walking a T-Rex." Payton Moore / WILD LIFE YouTube "When you make a living filming your catch, the temptation is always to go the easiest route," Moore says. "Using a treble hook would be easier. But the easiest route usually isn't good for the fish." A conservationist and former member of the Houston Zoo's education team, Moore says his use of circle hooks and catch-and-release tactics are some of the ways he tries to subtly incorporate conservationism into videos most YouTube viewers consume as Look-At-This-Big-Fish content. As for this particular river monster, Moore unofficially estimated the fish to be in league with the largest alligator gar ever caughtan 8-foot-5-inch, 327-pound monstrosity caught by a commercial fisherman in Mississippi's Lake Chotard in 2011. Payton Moore / WILD LIFE YouTube The species is considered by some anglers to be "trash fish" unfit for human consumption, but they have weathered a number of state-sponsored culling campaigns over the past century that included the use of electric currents to purge garfish from Texas waterways. While a number of states have made moves in recent years to protect them, populations of the ecologically vital species have struggled to bounce back to levels conducive to the survival of large, fully developed specimens such as the one caught by Moore. Texas currently allows anglers to catch one alligator gar per day. Moore described wrangling one of the last remaining full-size examples of this Cretaceous-era fish as a "bittersweet" experience. "On one side it's thrilling, catching one of the largest specimens," Moore says. "But why is that the case?" For $800 a month you could live in a tiny bunk bed-style pod with 13 other roommates in the Bay Area. Eight-month-old startup Brownstone Shared Housing has come under the spotlight this week after an Insider profile on the company revealed what it looks like inside the Palo Alto home with 14 tenants each living in a "pod." While the $800-a-month rent may seem steep for a stacked bunk bed pod, the average rental rate for a studio apartment near Stanford University, where the pod-home sits, is currently around $2,400. Co-founder Christina Lennox has lived in a pod herself for the past year. "The wood kind of allows for relaxation, rather than like going inside of this futuristic-looking plastic object," Lennox told Insider. "It has, like, definitely a different feel I would say that it's more calming and soothing for people." The tiny housing was widely shared and critiqued on Reddit last week, with one heavily upvoted comment in the r/Antiwork subreddit stating: "This used to be a major criticism of the abuses in the housing crisis in China. Now its being lauded as good here in the US?" "We plan to open more houses in the Bay Area in the near future," CEO James Stallworth told SFGATE over email. "Theres a lot of need for housing in the Bay Area, and weve had a lot of interested residents and landlords reach out to us." At time of publication, one of the 14 pods was vacant in the Palo Alto home, which would normally house a single family in a three-bedroom space. According to at 2021 report on the housing crisis in the Bay Area, the region would need 160,000 new homes to house its poorest residents. There are currently only 35 affordable units available for every 100 extremely low-income households, the report found. The pods offered by Brownstone are stacked two high, and come with a built-in fan, light and electrical outlet. Blackout curtains are provided for privacy. Stallworth told CBS News the company aims to "preserve humanity and comfort and privacy" for its occupants. He said that the current occupants at the Palo Alto home are interns and temporary workers in their 20s and 30s, adding that at the start of the venture there were some personality clashes. "Our flexible month-to-month leases give you the freedom you deserve," the blurb on their site reads, "zero security deposit and utilities included give your wallet a little breathing room" unlike your new living space. CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) Switching to the Republican Party turned out to be a good move for some former Democrats in primary races for the West Virginia Senate. Mark Hunt and Mike Oliverio won their respective GOP parties Tuesday in their bids to return to the Legislature on the other side of the aisle. But on the day after the primary, much was left to be decided Wednesday with numerous races too close to call. In the House of Delegates, Wayne County GOP incumbent Josh Booth was behind challenger Mark Ross by a single vote in a district serving Wayne County, and they were counting on provisional ballots to settle the race. Booth was handpicked by Gov. Jim Justice a year ago to a House seat in place of Derrick Evans, who resigned after his arrest in January 2021 for participating in the riot at the U.S. Capitol, a month before the start of the legislative session. Evans pleaded guilty in March to his role in the riot and faces sentencing later this year. In the Senate, Hunt won a three-candidate race Tuesday for the GOP nomination in a district spanning five counties. As a Democrat, Hunt served 14 years in the House of Delegates before losing in the 2016 general election for a U.S. House seat. He also lost a 2018 nonpartisan race for an unexpired term on the state Supreme Court. Now as a Republican, Hunt defeated former Delegate Joshua Higginbotham and Mark Mitchem by a double-digit margin Tuesday. A fourth GOP candidate, Andrea Garrett Kiessling, was disqualified from running after a successful challenge to her residency. Kiessling had been promoted by West Virginia Senate Finance Chairman Eric Tarr, who lives in another Senate district, as the only true conservative in the 8th District race. Hunt advances to take on incumbent Democrat Richard Lindsay in November. Lindsay ran unopposed Tuesday. Oliverio used the party-switch method to win his GOP Senate primary, too. The former Democratic senator from Morgantown easily defeated former FBI officer and analyst Carly Braun on Tuesday and will face Democratic Delegate Barbara Evans Fleischauer in the fall. Oliverio spent 16 years in the state Senate after serving one term in the House. He won the 2010 Democratic nomination for U.S. House before losing to Republican David McKinley that fall. In the Northern Panhandle, Owens Brown, a former president of the West Virginia NAACP who was the first Black man to serve in the Senate after his appointment by Justice last October, lost his Democratic primary to former Delegate Randy Schwartzmiller. Raleigh County incumbent Rollan Roberts won his GOP primary against Delegate Mick Bates, a former Democrat. Other Senate GOP incumbents who advanced included Mike Azinger of Wood County, Majority Leader Tom Takubo of Kanawha County and Mark Maynard of Wayne County. Former U.S. Attorney Mike Stuart defeated Chad McCormick of Yawkey in the 7th District GOP primary. Senate Minority Leader Stephen Baldwin was unopposed in his Democratic primary and will meet another church pastor, Republican Vince Deeds, in November. Deeds defeated two others in his GOP primary in a five-county district in southern West Virginia. All House candidates ran in single-member districts because of a 2018 restructuring. Previously, some districts had multiple delegates. Because of redistricting, some incumbent lawmakers faced off in the primary in their new districts. Republican George Miller of Morgan County ousted Ken Reed of Berkeley County, while Democrats Ric Griffith and Chad Lovejoy were locked in a tight race in their Huntington-area district. In Kanawha County, incumbent Democrat Kayla Young and incumbent Republican Larry Pack easily won their respective primaries and will face each other in the fall. Several other House GOP incumbents lost: Johnnie Wamsley of Mason County to former Delegate Jim Butler, Dianna Graves of Kanawha County to Nitro High School teacher Andy Shamblin, Danny Hamrick of Harrison County to ex-magistrate Keith Marple, and Guy Ward of Marion County to businessman Mike DeVault. Among other GOP House races still undecided, Raleigh County incumbent Chris Toney led challenger Kase Poling by two dozen votes, Wood County incumbent Shannon Kimes was in second place in a three-way race, and less than a dozen votes separated challenger Bob Fehrenbacher in his race against Wood County incumbent Roger Conley. Fehrenbacher admitted he was not a registered Republican when he filed his candidacy papers, calling it a simple oversight. He changed his registration to the GOP after the mistake was pointed out and ignored calls from the state Republican Party to discontinue his campaign. Republicans outnumber Democrats 78-22 in the House, 23-11 in the state Senate and are looking to add to their supermajority this fall. Four senators, including three Democrats, did not seek reelection and eight others were unopposed in the primary. More than half of the House ran unopposed while 15 incumbents, including 10 Republicans, did not seek reelection. JERUSALEM (AP) Veteran Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh, one of the satellite channels best-known reporters, was shot and killed on Wednesday while covering an Israeli military raid in the occupied West Bank. The broadcaster and two reporters who were with her blamed Israeli forces. Israel's defense minister, Benny Gantz, promised a transparent investigation, and said he was in touch with U.S. and Palestinian officials. The Israeli military initially suggested that Abu Akleh might have been killed by stray fire from Palestinians, but Gantz was more cautious Wednesday evening. We are trying to figure out exactly what happened," he said. "I dont have final conclusions. He said Israel asked the Palestinian medical team that performed a preliminary autopsy to hand over the fatal bullet for further examination. The head of the Palestinian forensics institute, Rayan al-Ali, said earlier Wednesday that the bullet was deformed, and that he could not yet determine who fired it. Abu Aklehs death could draw new scrutiny of Israels military justice system, which is being examined as part of a war crimes probe conducted by the International Criminal Court. It also threatened to further strain often rocky relations between the army and the international media. Abu Akleh, 51, was a respected and familiar face in the Middle East, known for her coverage on Al Jazeera Arabic of the harsh realities of Israels open-ended military occupation of the Palestinians, now in its 55th year. She was widely recognized in the West Bank and was also a U.S. citizen. Her death reverberated across the region. Arab governments condemned the killing. There was also an outpouring of grief in the West Bank. In Ramallah, the seat of the Palestinian autonomy government, Abu Aklehs body, draped in a Palestinian flag and covered by a wreath of flowers, was carried through downtown streets. Hundreds chanted, with our spirit, with our blood, we will redeem you, Shireen." On Thursday, a procession was to take the body for burial in Jerusalem, where Abu Akleh was born. In east Jerusalem, dozens of mourners gathered at the family home to honor her. Lina Abu Akleh, her niece, called her my best friend, my second mom, my companion. I never thought this day would come, where the news would be about her and she wont be the one covering the news, she said. At one point, a group of Israeli police entered the home, where they were immediately met with shouts of killers and occupiers and chants to get out. It was not immediately clear why the police came, and the officers quickly left. Palestinians gathered outside the family's house on Wednesday evening, some holding Palestinian flags and posters with the journalist's photo. When the group walked toward a main thoroughfare, Israeli police tried to stop them. Scuffles ensued. Five Palestinians were hurt and about half a dozen were detained. Abu Akleh was killed by a shot to the head while on the outskirts of the Jenin refugee camp in the northern West Bank, known as a bastion of militants. Israel has conducted near-daily raids in Jenin in recent weeks following a series of deadly attacks inside Israel carried out by militants from the area. Gantz said Israeli forces came under attack by indiscriminate fire by Palestinian militants from several directions. The army released a body cam video of forces in the town while heavy fire is heard in the background. Gantz described the situation as chaotic. He said the soldiers at the scene had all been questioned, but that the investigation could only make progress with the cooperation of the Palestinian forensic team. I am very sorry for what happened, Gantz told reporters. Currently we do not know what was the direct cause of Shireens death. We are very decisive to have a full-scale investigation ... and we hope to get Palestinian cooperation on this issue." Al Jazeera accused Israel of deliberately targeting and killing our colleague. Palestinian journalists who were with Abu Akleh at the time said they made their presence known to Israeli soldiers, and that they did not see militants in the area. Abu Aklehs producer, Palestinian journalist Ali Samoudi, was hospitalized in stable condition after being shot in the back. He said any suggestion they were shot by militants was a complete lie. Relations between Israeli forces and the foreign media, especially Palestinian journalists, are strained. During last years war between Israel and Gazas militant Hamas rulers, an Israeli airstrike destroyed the building in Gaza City housing the offices of The Associated Press and Al Jazeera. Residents were warned to evacuate and no one was hurt in the strike. Israel said Hamas was using the building as a command center but has provided no evidence. The outcome of Israels military investigation will be closely watched. The International Criminal Court has opened an investigation into possible war crimes by Israel in both the occupied West Bank and the Gaza Strip. Israel does not recognize the courts jurisdiction and has called the investigation unfair and antisemitic. One of its key arguments against the probe has been that its military justice system is capable of investigating itself. The findings of its probe into Abu Akleh's death could draw new scrutiny. Hussein Al Sheikh, a top Palestinian official, said the Palestinians would transfer information on the case to the court. In New York, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, called Abu Aklehs death really horrifying and called for a transparent investigation. She said protecting American citizens and journalists was our highest priority. Thomas-Greenfield said Abud Akleh did an extraordinary interview with her in the West Bank last November. I left there feeling extraordinary respect for her," she said. The U.N. Human Rights office urged an independent, transparent investigation into her killing. Impunity must end." The White House also called for a thorough probe. Investigating attacks on independent media and prosecuting those responsible are of paramount importance," deputy press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said. At the United Nations, the Palestinian U.N. Ambassador Riyad Mansour, flanked by representatives of the Arab League and the U.N.'s Arab Group, demanded an international independent investigation. Al Jazeera, which has long had strained relations with Israel, interrupted its broadcast to announce Abu Akleh's death early Wednesday. In a statement flashed on its channel, it called on the international community to condemn and hold the Israeli occupation forces accountable for deliberately targeting and killing our colleague. It aired a video showing Abu Akleh lying motionless on the side of a road wall as another journalist crouches nearby and a man screams for an ambulance. Gunfire rings out in the background. Both reporters were wearing blue flak jackets clearly marked with the word PRESS. The video did not show the source of the gunfire. The Palestinian Authority, which administers parts of the occupied West Bank and cooperates with Israel on security matters, condemned what it said was a shocking crime committed by Israeli forces. Qatar, the Arab League and Jordan all condemned the shooting, and in the Jordanian capital of Amman, a group of journalists and activists held a solidarity march outside Al Jazeeras offices. Israelis have long been critical of Al Jazeeras coverage, but authorities generally allow its journalists to operate freely. A number of Palestinian reporters have been wounded by rubber-coated bullets or tear gas while covering demonstrations in the West Bank and east Jerusalem. Two Palestinian journalists were shot and killed by Israeli forces while filming violent protests along the Gaza frontier in 2018. In November of that year, AP cameraman Rashed Rashid was covering a protest near the Gaza frontier when he was shot in the left ankle, apparently by Israeli fire. The military has never acknowledged the shooting. The Foreign Press Association, which represents some 400 journalists working for international media, said it was appalled and deeply shocked by the killing and expressed hope that those responsible for this horrible death will be held accountable. ___ Associated Press writers Joseph Krauss in Jerusalem; Aref Tufaha in Jenin, West Bank; Jalal Hassan in Ramallah, West Bank; Isabel DeBre in Dubai, United Arab Emirates; Darlene Superville in Washington and Edith M. Lederer at the United Nations contributed to this report. DENVER (AP) A Colorado judge has barred a Republican running for secretary of state from overseeing this year's election in her home county due to her role in breaking into election equipment and subsequent indictment. Mesa County Clerk Tina Peters was already prohibited by a judge from managing last year's local elections in her western Colorado county. She's become a hero to election conspiracy theorists following the lead of former President Donald Trump, and is running for the GOP nomination to become the state's top elections official despite the finding she's unfit to run an election. JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) ConocoPhillips Alaska has attributed the release of natural gas at one of its North Slope drill sites earlier this year to a broken barrier during construction of a waste disposal well, when pressure limits were exceeded during freeze protection operations. The company describes what occurred as a unique event, with nothing similar ever occurring at a ConocoPhillips Alaska site. An investigation into the matter by the Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission, which oversees oil and gas drilling in the state, continues, said Samantha Carlisle, a special assistant with the agency. Because the investigation will be thorough and comprehensive," the commission does not have a projected timeline for when the probe will be completed, she said by email. ConocoPhillips Alaska last month said a shallow gas reservoir that the disposal well had come in contact with was the source of the gas release. The disposal well was intended to be used for the regulated disposal of oil field waste, according to a video released by the company, which noted the company had started drilling operations on the well in late January. The gas release was first detected on March 4. The company, in a statement this week, said that by March 8, it had secured the location, determined the most probable gas source, and established a controlled flow path for the gas into its central facility at the Alpine development. The flow of gas from the source was stopped as of March 29, it said. The waste disposal well has been cemented to the surface, the company said. ConocoPhillips Alaska said no gas had been detected beyond the CD1 pad, no recordable injuries were reported, no damage to the tundra was observed and no wildlife impacts were reported. The company says it will incorporate findings from its investigation into future projects. A divorce lawyer who was disbarred for making alleged antisemitic claims about a conspiracy to control the state court system failed to appear in court Wednesday after being found in contempt and being ordered to appear before a judge to account for what she did with tens of thousands of dollars of client funds. Nickola Cunha, who is being represented by attorney Norm Pattis, did not show up to a hearing scheduled for 10 a.m. Wednesday before Judge Thomas Moukawsher, according to court officials. Advertisement The judge issued a capias order that takes effect at 3 p.m. Thursday meaning she has until 3 p.m. to make an appearance in court. If she doesnt, shell be taken into custody by court marshals and brought to court, according to court officials. The judge who disbarred Nickola Cunha had ordered her to appear again in court Wednesday to explain why she had not complied with instructions concerning the closing of her law practice and why she withdrew $30,000 from a client account for her own alleged use after the judge told her not to do so. Advertisement The court concludes that clear and convincing evidence shows that Ms. Cunha was unequivocally ordered not to take her clients money, knew about the order, and willfully took it anyway, Superior Court Judge Thomas Moukawsher wrote in a decision. She had a motive to take it too. Shortly after taking the money, she hired an attorney. She certainly needs one. HARTFORD, CT - 10.20.2016 - JUDGE THOMAS MOUKAWSHER - Superior Court Judge Thomas Moukawsher. PATRICK RAYCRAFT | praycraft@courant.com (Patrick Raycraft / Hartford Courant ) Cunha was disbarred in January for the maximum, allowable period of five years for persisting in asserting antisemitic claims about a judicial conspiracy. Moukawsher ordered Cunha to pay a $1,000 contempt fine for ignoring his orders. A trustee was appointed to close her law practice and the judicial branchs chief disciplinary officer is looking into what happened to the $30,000 and other client funds that are supposed to be held in trust. [ Connecticut judge disbars divorce lawyer, saying her efforts to disrupt case with empty and malicious claims threatens courts ability to hand down justice ] One purpose of the audit is to direct the chief disciplinary counsel in cooperation with the trustee to determine if Ms. Cunha stole her clients $30,000. If she did, she will be in a lot more trouble, the judge wrote in his ruling. In addition to ordering Cunha not to withdraw money for her client trust accounts, Moukawsher ordered her to deliver to a trustee appointed to close her firm detailed information about clients, pending cases and billings as well as a list of all client accounts. She was specifically instructed not to withdraw or transfer client funds. If she hasnt provided the information sought before the hearing, the court will consider other steps to ensure compliance, including possible additional monetary sanctions, incarceration to secure compliance, or both, Moukawsher wrote in a decision. Still, the court isnt ready to conclude Ms. Cunha stole her clients money. The trustee and the chief disciplinary counsel arent asking the court to do this just yet. Instead, the chief disciplinary counsel requested, and the court orders, an audit of Ms. Cunhas dealing with her clients funds in general and the $30,000 in particular. The audit is to be completed and a report filed with the court no later than August 1, 2022. The chief disciplinary counsel is authorized in conducting the audit to subpoena any necessary witnesses and documents and to take depositions, he wrote. A number of lawyers and court officials said at the close of business Tuesday that Cunha had not met the court demands and that the hearing would proceed in Superior Court in Middletown. Cunha said through her attorney during an earlier court appearance that Moukawsher cannot sanction her because the court lost jurisdiction over her the moment she was disbarred. Moukawsher also said in a written decision she has been inconsistent and incredible in explaining whether she understood she was not to withdraw client funds. Advertisement She is appealing the disbarment. In a written decision in January, Moukawsher said he was taking the unusual step of disbarring Cunha because of her behavior in behalf of a client in a bitter and protracted divorce, behavior that the judge said involved empty and malicious claims of abuse and antisemitic declarations to win an advantage for her client by snarling the case into an un-triable mess. Until Moukawshers ruling, Cunha, who has offices in Hamden, had practiced law since 1999. The divorce case involved a couple with children that has entered its third year, generated enormous fees for lawyers and various family relations trial professionals and captured the following of court regulars. The case was referred to Moukawsher, who is assigned to preside over especially complex and contentious divorces, after Cunha accused the judge presiding over the divorce trial, Gerard I. Adelman, of bias against non-Jews, bias against the disabled and other claims. When Cunha moved to disqualify Adelman, Moukawsher convened a hearing and told her to produce her proof. According to Moukawshers decision, which reproduces portions of the transcript of the hearing, Cunha rambled for 30 pages or so. Cunha made claims against Adelman but had not produced anything that, in Moukawshers view, supported her assertions. Finally, Cunha expressed antisemitic and conspiracy claims, the decision says. Cunha said she was relying on the enormous amount of information and evidence thats come to me about the alleged conspiracy. Pressed by Moukawsher, she said, when you start looking at the cases and you start looking at the professionals engaged in the cases, it is consistent and it supports that claim. She said, I have a list of cases ... So its a vicious circle. Advertisement Five Things You Need To Know Daily We're providing the latest coronavirus coverage in Connecticut each weekday morning. > Moukawsher asked her to produce the list that would support her claim. Cunha rummaged through her computer put failed to produce one. A recess was called to allow her to search further. Finally, Cunha acknowledged she had no list. There there is not, Judge, Cunha said. Cunhas other allegations were dismissed after similar questioning. Prior to the disbarment, when Moukawsher gave Cunha an opportunity to defend herself, she lashed out at the court. I find these proceedings to be intentionally harassing and intimidation and an attempt by Your Honor solely to shut me down for the corruption that I have raised before his Court, she said, according to the record. Your Honor has engaged in malfeasance, gross malfeasance, I will not be intimidated. I will remind this court that your so-called historical writing Memorandum of Decision where you touch upon the history that it is, it is a joke and it is pathetic, and you should be ashamed or yourself for subjecting myself to that type of rhetoric. Frankly Judge, I am ashamed to even be sitting before you with the type of conduct that you have engaged in. You have engaged in material misrepresentation; you have lied to the public, the record shows she said. Advertisement Courant reporter Taylor Hartz contributed to this story. SANFORD, Fla. (AP) After an outcry from students and parents over yearbook censorship, a Florida school board overruled their superintendent's plan to cover up a page showing students waving rainbow flags and a love is love sign during a walkout against the state's so-called Don't Say Gay" law. The superintendent told the board that the page violated their policy by seeming to endorse a student walkout. Stickers to cover the entire page had already arrived and would be added before yearbooks are handed out this week, she said. Seminole County School Board members rejected that plan Tuesday night, voting 5-0 to order smaller stickers that don't cover up the page's words and pictures while explaining that the March protest over the Florida Parental Rights in Education bill outside Lyman High School was unauthorized. I would be happy out of my own personal pocket to pay for different stickers to say this was not a school-sponsored event, Board Chair Amy Pennock said to applause from the crowd. The Florida bill, signed by Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis in March, bans classroom instruction on sexual orientation or gender identity in kindergarten through third grade. Students at the school in Longwood, which is near Orlando, responded to the censorship plan by creating a hashtag #stopthestickers" in social media. It caught the attention of lawmakers including Democratic Rep. Carlos G. Smith, Florida's first LGBTQ Latino legislator, who tweeted that the censorship is a direct result of the law these students were protesting. #WeWillNotBeErased in this so-called free state. The governor frequently refers to the free state of Florida" in his news conferences. Were now all over the world on this, complained board vice-chair Abby Sanchez, who offered to help pay for the smaller stickers. This is the most ridiculous thing. These are our children! We need to do whats right for them. More than 30 students, parents and teachers spoke out in opposition to the sticker plan. It is silencing the LGBTQ-plus community and silencing the journalistic community, Sara Ward, a student on the yearbook staff, told the board. I want to be clear to each and every student that this was not about the Lyman High School administration looking to try and target any student, to try and silence any voice, Superintendent Serita Beamon said as she tried to explain her decision. She denied that covering up the entire page would violate the First Amendment or the board's policy, which she said authorizes prior restraint of school sponsored publications. There is some speech that is prohibited. And that includes speech that is likely to cause substantial disruption or that materially interferes with school activities or the educational process, Beamon said. The board wasn't having it. Board member Karen Almond said she had personally witnessed the student walkout, which was peaceful, and said there's nothing wrong with the yearbook page. We all make mistakes. ... We own up to it, and we try to do what we can to fix it, Sanchez said. As students, I am proud of you for bringing it to our attention. Faculty advisor Danielle Pomeranz said her students were just doing their job by documenting an event that happened on the campus. She assured the board that the smaller stickers could be ordered and added in time for students to get their yearbooks this week. Yearbook staffer Skye Tiedemann summed up the night as a clear win for student speech. Dont be afraid to speak up," Tiedemann said, because students, they do have a chance to change things." BALTIMORE (AP) A former Maryland priest was sentenced Wednesday to 22 years in federal prison followed by lifetime supervised release for coercion and enticement of a child he met through the church to engage in illegal sexual activity. Fernando Cristancho, 65, who served as a priest from 1999 to 2002 at St. Ignatius Church in Hickory, also admitted producing nude images of four other children, U.S. Attorney Erek Barron announced in a news release. Upon his release, Cristancho must register as a sex offender in the places where he lives, works and studies. BERLIN (AP) The German government backed a change to two of the country's military deployments in West Africa, moving hundreds of soldiers from Mali to neighboring Niger and shifting its emphasis in Mali from a European to a United Nations mission. Government spokeswoman Christiane Hoffmann said Wednesday the training and support previously provided to Malian forces would in the future be offered to the military of Niger for the region's fight against Islamic extremists due to the changed situation. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate GUATEMALA CITY (AP) A Guatemala judge who last week ordered nine former police and military officers to stand trial for alleged crimes during that countrys civil war, said Wednesday that death threats against him had increased since announcing his decision. They send me messages, they call me on the phone, theres vehicles following; all of that is happening, Magistrate Miguel Angel Galvez said. Galvez is no stranger to high-profile cases. He once ordered former dictator Efrain Rios Montt to be tried. Before they had threatened me, but now they even come to hearings to photograph me, he said. Last weeks case stemmed from a document from Guatemalas civil war recovered in 1999 known as the Military Diary. Inside, military officials logged forced disappearances, extrajudicial killings and the torture of 183 people. The men on trial were high-ranking military and police officers arrested last year and implicated in the cases described in the document by nature of the command positions they held when the crimes occurred between 1983 and 1986. In addition to the nine ex-police and military officers Galvez ordered to stand trial, he called for prosecutors to find Toribio Acevedo Ramirez, a former head of military intelligence. Panamanian authorities arrested Acevedo Ramirez Tuesday in Panama City's airport. Galvez said that during a hearing he received at least 20 calls from a number in the United States. When he finally answered, a voice on the other end said if you hang up, youre going to remember me. Galvez said he suspected the leader of the far-right Foundation Against Terrorism, FCT, Ricardo Rafael Mendez Ruiz, could be behind some of the threats. Mendez Ruiz was sanctioned by the U.S. State Department last year as an undemocratic actor for allegedly obstructing prosecutions against former military officers by harassing and intimidating investigators. Mendez Ruiz had written on social media that It is Miguel Angel Galvezs turn, the FCT will take care of it. He said Galvez would pay for serious crimes he committed. We are going to see him locked up or exiled, he wrote. On Wednesday, Mendez said he had filed a complaint against the judge. Galvez said the Supreme Court should investigate the threats, but it had so far not commented. Meanwhile, Galvez fears the government is trying to build a case against him, as has been the case with other judges and prosecutors who have worked on sensitive corruption cases, which are also sometimes part of his docket. They will try to withdraw my immunity as revenge for the decisions, Galvez said. Juan Pappier, senior investigator for Human Rights Watchs Americas division, said it is on Guatemalan authorities to prevent any attacks on Galvez. This case follows a pattern of intimidation against independent judges and prosecutors who investigate and criminally prosecute corruption and human rights crimes in the country, Pappier said. These attacks have left Guatemalan democracy hanging by a thread. The Guatemalan Judges for Integrity Association condemned the threats as a direct attack against judicial independence. The United States and European governments have expressed concern about the deterioration of Guatemalas justice system. A number of respected judges and prosecutors who worked on corruption cases have fled into exile. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate TEHRAN, Iran (AP) Shortly before the European Union envoy met Iran's nuclear negotiator in Tehran on Wednesday in a last-ditch attempt to salvage Iran's atomic deal with world powers, the country's Intelligence Ministry announced that authorities have detained two Europeans. Photos surfaced of the EU coordinator of the nuclear talks, Enrique Mora, looking stern as he shook hands awkwardly with Iranian negotiator Ali Bagheri Kani, who beamed and waved. The Intelligence Ministry gave scant details about the detained Europeans, saying only that they shared the same nationality, which was not identified, and sought to take advantage of the protests springing up in several Iranian provinces as laborers and teachers press for better wages. The two Europeans are being held on vague charges of planning to cause chaos, social disorder, and instability," authorities said. The provocation came as Tehran vows to execute an imprisoned Swedish researcher later this month a case that coincides with a landmark war crimes trial of an Iranian official in Sweden. And, in yet another escalation, Iran's powerful Revolutionary Guard reportedly shelled Kurdish targets in northern Iraq. The Iraqi Foreign Ministry condemned the strike on a number of sites" in the region, placing blame on Iran. A local official said the shelling caused no casualties. Wednesday's events conjured those of June 13, 2019 the day Guard forces allegedly attacked a Japanese oil tanker in the Persian Gulf at the same time that Japan's prime minister visited Iran to make a diplomatic push for dialogue between Tehran and Washington. Iran's moves could have obviated negotiations with the visiting EU coordinator. Nonetheless, the schedule proceeded. There were no immediate details from Kani's meeting with Mora, who has sought to break the deadlock that has prevailed since talks to revive the nuclear deal paused in late March. Four years ago, former President Donald Trump pulled the U.S. out of the nuclear deal, which granted Tehran sanctions relief in exchange for strict curbs on its nuclear program. Talks in Vienna to revive the accord have apparently stalled over an Iranian demand that Washington lift a terrorist designation on the country's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard. Despite the deadlock, officials say the urgency to close the deal has grown. Iran's nuclear program has rapidly advanced, with its stockpile of enriched uranium at some 3,200 kilograms (7,055 pounds) earlier this year, compared to 300 kilograms (661 pounds) under the nuclear deal. Some of that uranium has been enriched up to 60% purity a short technical step from weapons-grade levels. Iran has stopped the International Atomic Energy Agency from accessing its surveillance camera footage, further worrying nuclear nonproliferation experts. Meanwhile, Russia's war on Ukraine has increased European interest in sanctioned Iranian crude. Punitive sanctions on Moscow are driving the continent to seek alternatives to Russian oil to curb rising energy prices. Iran says it's selling its crude despite sanctions and benefiting from the windfall. Irans Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian offered his support for ongoing negotiations. Talks for the lifting of sanctions will be pursued in the right direction with the aim of reaching a good, strong and lasting agreement and observing Irans red lines, he wrote on Twitter. However, Iran's hard-liners have criticized any concessions on the designation of the Guard. Despite repeated Iranian claims that a separate but closely linked deal would unfreeze billions of dollars in assets tied up abroad and result in a prisoner swap with America, the State Department has repeatedly said that no such agreement is imminent. The reported imprisonment of the two Europeans on Wednesday has revived long-standing accusations from rights groups that Iran uses foreigners and dual nationals as diplomatic pawns to gain leverage in its negotiations with the West. Tehran denies this. As Swedish prosecutors reported they would seek life imprisonment for Hamid Nouri over Iranian war crimes allegedly committed during the final phase of the Iran-Iraq War in the 1980s, Iran announced plans to execute Ahmad Reza Jalali, the imprisoned Swedish researcher, and separate reports emerged that authorities arrested a Swedish tourist in the country. It was not immediately clear whether the Swedish tourist was one of the two Europeans detained Wednesday. Iran's Intelligence Ministry alleged the two Europeans were expert foreign agents hired by the unnamed European country, adding that Iranian authorities had pursued them from the moment of their arrival" and tracked their attempts to mobilize teachers' protests and assist illegal unions. Meanwhile, Iran's Guard said it struck a terrorist base near Irbil in Iraqi Kurdistan, according to the semiofficial Tasnim news agency. Projectiles struck uninhabited areas in northern Iraq home to Iranian Kurdish opposition parties, Ihsan Chalabi, a local official told the Irbil-based Rudaw news agency. No damage or injuries were reported from the strike, he said. The Guard in the past has fired missiles at Kurdish opposition groups in the north of Iraq, stoking regional tensions. ___ Associated Press writers Isabel DeBre in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Jon Gambrell in Lviv, Ukraine, and Samya Kullab in Baghdad contributed to this report. Courtesy photo/Getty Images HOUSTON (AP) An attorney for the family of a 29-year-old Black man fatally shot last month by a Houston police officer said Wednesday that an independent autopsy shows he was shot in the back of his neck. Jalen Randle was shot April 27 as he exited a vehicle, police said. Police said he was being pursued because he was wanted on three felony warrants. HOUSTON (AP) An attorney for the family of a 29-year-old Black man fatally shot last month by a Houston police officer said that an independent autopsy shows he was shot in the back of his neck. Jalen Randle was shot April 27 as he exited a vehicle, police said. Police said he was being pursued because he was wanted on three felony warrants. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate LOS ANGELES (AP) The mother of three children who were found dead at their Los Angeles home over the weekend was charged Tuesday with murder. Angela Flores, 38, is accused of killing 8-year-old Nathan Yanez, 10-year-old Kevin Yanez and 12-year-old Natalie Flores, whose bodies were discovered Sunday morning at their home in the West Hills neighborhood, the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office announced. The cause of their deaths remained under investigation. Police have said Flores acknowledged to investigators that she killed the children and contended that she was helped by a teenager. A 16-year-old boy was arrested along with Flores but the district attorney's office didn't announce any charges against him. The teen was being held in juvenile detention. Flores reportedly had several other children but authorities didn't immediately say whether the teenager was her son. It wasn't immediately clear whether Flores had an attorney to speak on her behalf. She remained jailed on $6 million bail. We all grieve for these children. The loss of their young lives is a tragedy that has affected our entire community, District Attorney George Gascon said in a statement. Investigators havent released a possible motive for the killings. Seven hours before they were found dead, the mother was taken to a hospital because neighbors said she had been acting strangely. Prisila Canales, who lives near the ranch-style house where the killings happened, told reporters there was a disturbance late Saturday night in which Flores screamed and acted erratically until someone called authorities. Canales said paramedics put the woman on a stretcher and that she struggled and yelled, Wheres my Bible? Shortly before 1 a.m. Sunday, the fire department responded to a medical response" request from the police department, fire spokeswoman Margaret Stewart told the Los Angeles Times. Jacob Corona, Flores ex-husband, told the Times that she made odd comments when she called him nearly a week before the killings. She was telling me all this stuff about God. She didnt sound right. I dont really know what happened, Corona said. She was not really religious before," he said. But then she was talking about death. I told her, Whats going on? My head was going over so many things, but I didnt think anything of it. The couple married in 2001 and divorced in 2007. They had a child together who didn't live with Flores and wasn't among the children who died, Corona said. The children's deaths were under investigation by the abused child unit of the LAPD's Juvenile Division, the Times said. The L.A. County Department of Children and Family Services said it was unable to comment on whether it had been involved with the family, the Times said. HIGH POINT, N.C. (AP) A man was shot and killed as he entered a store in North Carolina and a suspect has been charged, police said. High Point police officers responded to the shooting at a Walmart at around 2:10 p.m. on Monday and found a man with several gunshot wounds, the High Point Enterprise reported. The man was taken to a local hospital where he died, police said. Shaylea Tatsey, an immersion teacher at Browning Middle School, joined the beam signing. Hers is the first immersion class on the district, called the White Weasel Children. ROCHESTER, N.Y. (AP) A western New York state man imprisoned for the past 59 years for strangling and raping a teenage girl has been granted parole at age 88. James R. Moore, a former landscaper from the Rochester area, is scheduled to be released around June 6, after the state parole board granted him parole after his previous 20 requests were denied, the Democrat & Chronicle reported Tuesday. The decision came after his most recent parole hearing in late April. LAS VEGAS (AP) A Nevada judge is facing a misdemeanor domestic battery charge alleging she wielded a screwdriver tool during an argument with her husband at their home in Henderson, according to police and court records. Clark County District Court Judge Jasmin Lilly Spells, 39, was arrested Sunday and later released from the Henderson Detention Center on $3,000 bail pending a June 6 court date, the Las Vegas Review-Journal reported. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) New Zealand will reopen its borders to tourists from all countries by July, allow back cruise ships and make it easier for skilled workers to immigrate as it looks outward to the world again following the COVID-19 pandemic, the government said Wednesday. New Zealand imposed some of the worlds strictest border controls when COVID-19 first hit more than two years ago. That allowed the nation of 5 million to eliminate several virus outbreaks and get vaccination rates up before the omicron variant swept through this year. New Zealand's coronavirus death toll has remained far below that of almost every other developed nation. But as the pandemic has dragged on, New Zealand's border measures have increasingly appeared outdated as other countries have reopened. New Zealand has been slowly reopening, first to Australians last month and then to tourists from the U.S., Britain and more than 50 other countries earlier this month. Wednesday's announcement will allow tourists from China, India and other countries to come starting July 31. The government said it also planned to end the need for people to get predeparture COVID-19 tests by the end of July. But in a sign that the virus continues to disrupt daily life, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern did not make the announcement in person at a business lunch in Auckland as she had planned, but instead spoke via video link from her residence in Wellington where she is isolating. Ardern's fiance Clarke Gayford tested positive for the virus on Sunday. Ardern has so far tested negative and said she's been symptom-free. New Zealand health rules require household contacts of infected people to isolate for seven days. Today I can announce that New Zealand fully reopens to the world by July 31, completing our reconnecting work two months ahead of schedule," Ardern said on the video link. She said new immigration settings would make it easier for skilled workers to enter from July, with a new green list of 56 sought-after professions including doctors, nurses, engineers, plumbers, teachers and tech workers. This package is designed to address the urgent skills shortages created by COVID while also putting our immigration settings on a better and more sustainable footing," Ardern said. Before the pandemic hit, more than 3 million tourists visited each year, accounting for 20% of New Zealands foreign income and more than 5% of the overall economy. Business leaders and tourism representatives welcomed the announcement. After two years of hardship, hundreds of Kiwi ship suppliers and tourism operators can start rebuilding their businesses back," said Debbie Summers, the chairperson of the New Zealand Cruise Association. Ardern has also been signaling the country's reopening plans with trips abroad, including a recent trip to Singapore and Japan and an upcoming trip to the U.S. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) Every Saturday, in secluded beach villas, hotel banquet halls and luxury apartment towers across Dubai, Jews arrive to worship at some of the world's most hidden synagogues even as the United Arab Emirates encourages the dramatic growth and openness of its Jewish community. Plans to build a permanent sanctuary for Dubai's fast-expanding congregation have sputtered to a standstill, Jewish leaders say. The new community is running up against hurdles that religious groups long have grappled with in this federation, where the states official religion of Islam is closely monitored, non-Muslim practice is controlled and religious buildings are limited. The fast-growing population of Jewish immigrants to the UAE including an influx of Israelis after the countries normalized relations in 2020 and recently of Russians after the war on Ukraine may feel freer than ever to express their identity in this autocratic Arab sheikhdom, which has sought to brand itself as an oasis of religious tolerance. A Jewish nursery has sprung up. So has a mikvah, or ritual bath for women. New kosher restaurants do brisk business. Recent Passover seders drew thousands. But without a home base, some Jewish leaders fear a state of perpetual limbo. You cannot grow a community in a hotel, said Elie Abadie, senior rabbi of the Jewish Council of the Emirates. It gives the feeling of instability, of not belonging. Religious groups seeking to establish new sanctuaries contend with convoluted rules in the country, where expats outnumber Emirati Muslims nearly nine to one. Dubai has declared just two space-starved zones buildable for religious sanctuaries. The main church compound land the government is now offering for a synagogue rests on the furthest reaches of the city, a dusty area by the Jebel Ali Port and local aluminum smelter. We used to be out in the boonies, said Jim Young, an Anglican chaplain, although a metro line recently made churches more reachable. Legions of low-paid foreign workers powering Dubai's economy Catholic Filipinos, evangelical Africans, Hindu Indians travel to the compound in buses from faraway labor camps. On the Sabbath, however, observant Jews can do no such thing. From sundown on Friday until the sun sets on Saturday, many devout Jews refrain from the use of mechanical devices, including cars. To prevent long treks on the holy day, synagogues are typically situated at the heart of residential neighborhoods. But no one lives in the industrial free-trade zone of Jebel Ali save for a small group of expats whose dilapidated cottages face demolition. In Dubai's searing summer heat, walking to the temple compound from downtown Dubai or the marina, where most Jews reside, is unthinkable. Jebel Ali is not a solution for the Jewish population, said Alex Peterfreund, a community leader and cantor, adding that a synagogue needs to be somewhere central and residential where observant Jews would want to move and seed a community. The authorities have to learn what Judaism is ... I guess they were a bit surprised. Although many of Dubai's Jews don't observe Shabbat, the congregation has grown more observant as traditional Israeli and French Jews immigrate. Community leaders say they turned down the Jebel Ali synagogue proposal, and talks on an alternative location have stalled for months. The UAE National Human Rights Authority acknowledged the difficulties, saying: There are administrative and regulatory laws that must be met. The authority's spokesman, Mohamed al-Hamadi, nonetheless stressed the Emirates' decades-long tolerance of religious minorities. There is no fear or concern about the inclusion of the Jewish people," he said, pointing to the Abrahamic Family House, an interfaith facility comprising a mosque, church and synagogue, now under construction in the capital Abu Dhabi, as proof of the countrys hospitality. The gleaming interfaith project, due to open later this year on an island off the oil-rich emirate, seeks to highlight the Emirati tradition of peaceful, interfaith relations and promote the UAE as a beacon of tolerance. However, the country takes a zero-tolerance approach when it comes to dissent, and to political Islam. Religious freedoms have limits, too. Authorities provide weekly guidance for the content of sermons in Sunni mosques, according to the U.S. State Department's latest religious freedom report, with additional instructions given to Shiite mosques. A permit is required to hold a Quran memorization circle. Laws prohibit vaguely defined blasphemy. The UAE gets to brand itself as a haven of moderate Islam, and against extremism, which also includes domestic, Islamically informed democratic activism, said David Warren, a scholar of contemporary Islam at Washington University in St. Louis. Meanwhile, local religious groups wrestle with logistical and bureaucratic restrictions. Over 700 Christian congregations squeeze into some 40 churches nationwide. The construction of new sanctuaries did not keep up with demand from the countrys large noncitizen population," the State Department notes, describing overcrowding at Dubai's compounds as "especially pronounced. Dubais Community Development Authority, which issues licenses to religious organizations, did not respond to requests for comment. Fellowship, a Protestant congregation, decided years ago to be free of the crowds and constraints. It abandoned the compound and went rogue, commanding rapt audiences at hotels across the city. Authorities fretted, but Fellowship's pastor persevered, appealing to Emirati leaders for special permission to operate outside the compound. The organization succeeded and its non-traditional services exploded in popularity. Some might recount the experience as Fellowship overcoming incredible barriers, said Steven Pottorff, Fellowship's communications director. For Jews, the opposite is true. Without a formal public space for worship, they pray freely in Dubai's five-star resorts and private residences. At a recent Shabbat downtown, a rabbi blessing the bread strained to be heard over pop music blaring from the worlds largest mall. At a hotel in the yacht-filled marina, security guards now well-acquainted with Jewish biblical injunctions hurried to push elevator buttons for worshippers. A banquet room makes you feel you're going to a party, said Rabbi Abadie, who kindled controversy online last month calling for the creation of a self-sufficient Jewish enclave in Dubai. He said his comments were misunderstood, but stressed the urgency of Jews finding a permanent place to pray. As long as there is no central place, the community will splinter, will divide, he warned. BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) Occupational Safety and Health Administration investigators have determined that an oil companys failure to take adequate safety precautions contributed to a drilling site explosion near Grassy Butte last November that permanently disabled one worker and left two others with serious injuries. The investigation alleges KLX Wireline carelessly transported explosive materials and failed to take required precautions to protect workers and the public during blasting operations. LOS ANGELES (AP) A top Senate Republican released an investigation Tuesday that concluded Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti likely knew or should have known that a former top adviser was allegedly sexually harassing city employees, a finding that appears to contradict the mayor's assertion that he was unaware of any inappropriate behavior. A 23-page report released by U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa said his office's investigation found it was extremely unlikely that the Democratic mayor, who was nominated by President Joe Biden to serve as ambassador to India, would not have been aware of the misconduct allegations against his former aide, Rick Jacobs. The White House issued a statement saying Biden had confidence in Garcetti and called on the Senate to confirm him. This partisan report was a hit job from the beginning, and many of the claims have already been conclusively debunked by more serious independent reports," said the statement by spokesman Chris Meagher. It repackages allegations already addressed under oath and does not interview key participants. The report marks the latest development in Garcetti's effort to fill one of the nation's most prominent diplomatic roles. The nomination has been languishing in the Senate since July, as the mayor faced questions about what he knew, and when, regarding the allegations against Jacobs. At a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing in December, Garcetti told senators considering his nomination that he never witnessed Jacobs sexually harass one of his police bodyguards, allegations that are at the center of a lawsuit filed against his administration. The lawsuit charges that Jacobs frequently sexually harassed the police bodyguard while Garcetti ignored it or laughed it off. The mayor has repeatedly denied the claims. Jacobs has called the allegations of misconduct fiction. Grassley disclosed the investigation in March, saying he had received numerous credible allegations that Garcetti was aware of the sexual harassment but did nothing to stop it. At the time, he said he could not vote to confirm Garcetti, saying the nation deserved an ambassador who will "represent the values of the United States." Investigators interviewed 15 witnesses, read 26 depositions taken in the lawsuit and consulted other materials, including emails and text messages. The report said Garcetti and Jacobs declined to be interviewed. Much of the evidence cited in the report has previously been made public. However, one apparently new account involves a whistleblower who allegedly saw Jacobs at the U.S.-China Climate Summit in 2015 sexually harass an employee who was working on a laptop, including pressing his groin area on the person's back. Senior staffers later laughed it off, the report said. Investigators believe this allegation is credible because it fits the pattern of behavior described by several other senior staff members in Mayor Garcettis office, and because of its similarity to allegations in the lawsuit, the report found. In a statement, Garcetti spokeswoman Dae Levine said, No new facts were uncovered in this report and Mayor Garcetti strongly reaffirms the simple truth that he never witnessed or was made aware of sexual harassment." ___ Associated Press reporter Will Weissert in Washington contributed. NEW YORK (AP) The rapper Casanova pleaded guilty to charges in a gang-related federal racketeering case that accused him of drug dealing and robbery, federal prosecutors said Wednesday. The performer, whose legal name is Caswell Senior, was charged in a 2020 indictment against more than a dozen other members of the Untouchable Gorilla Stone Nation gang. Senior, 35, admitted to participating in offenses including a robbery in New York City and to conspiring to traffic marijuana, prosecutors said. He had surrendered in 2020. The defendant now stands convicted of playing a leadership role in Gorilla Stone, a particularly violent Bloods gang that operates throughout New York and across the country, Manhattan U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said in statement. Defense attorney James Kousouros said the government dismissed more serious charges as part of the plea. The robbery occurred at a diner where his client "asked a young lady to stop taping him and taunting him, Kousouros added. Senior, of Montville, New Jersey, has accepted responsibility fully and respectfully and we hope that the court will consider all the facts and circumstances," the lawyer said. Raised in the Flatbush section of Brooklyn, Casanova was known in recent years for hits like Dont Run and Set Trippin. He had been signed to Jay-Zs Roc Nation label and released a full-length album called Behind These Scars. Senior faces a mandatory minimum of five years in prison at sentencing on Dec. 6. Prosecutors are expected to ask for a higher term. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate 3 1 of 3 Tracy Flanagan/AP Show More Show Less 2 of 3 Evan Agostini/Evan Agostini/Invision/AP Show More Show Less 3 of 3 ATLANTA (AP) The rapper Gunna was booked into a jail in Atlanta on a racketeering charge Wednesday after he was indicted with fellow rapper Young Thug and more than two dozen other people. An indictment filed Monday in Fulton County Superior Court accuses Gunna, whose given name is Sergio Kitchens, of violating Georgia's anti-racketeering law. It was not immediately clear whether he had a lawyer who could comment on the charges. RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) A dump truck driver who was shot and wounded on Wednesday in a road rage incident in North Carolina's capital city has been charged in the incident, police said. A spokeswoman for Raleigh police said that at around 11 a.m., a dump truck ran a red light, leading the driver of an Audi to follow it. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate HONG KONG (AP) A 90-year-old Roman Catholic cardinal, a singer and at least two others have been arrested in Hong Kong on suspicion of colluding with foreign forces to endanger Chinas national security, in an action widely condemned as a further sign of Beijing's erosion of rights in the city. The arrests further expand a blanket crackdown on all forms of dissent in the city that appears increasingly vindictive in prosecuting actions performed prior to the enactment of the national security law. The crackdown is penetrating further into the citys long-respected economic, religious and educational institutions, along with non-governmental organizations, many of which have closed down their Hong Kong operations. A police statement said arrests were made Wednesday against two men and two women between the ages of 45 and 90 who were trustees of the 612 Humanitarian Relief Fund, which provided legal aid to people who took part in 2019 pro-democracy protests that were quashed by security forces. Another person, identified only as a 37-year-old man, was cited for failing to properly register the fund, which closed down in 2021. Those arrested had been ordered to surrender their travel documents and would be released on bail. Further arrests in the case are pending, the police statement said, which did not identify those detained by name. Police investigations show that the above-mentioned persons are all trustees of the 612 Humanitarian Support Fund,' suspected of make requests of foreign or overseas agencies, imposing sanctions on the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (and) endangering national security," the statement said. Those involved were identified by rights groups as Cardinal Joseph Zen, singer-actress Denise Ho, lawyer Margaret Ng, scholar Hui Po-keung and former Legislative Council member Cyd Ho Sau-lan. It wasn't clear if Hui had been formally arrested. Zen was seen leaving a police station shortly before midnight Wednesday. Scores of pro-democracy activists have been arrested under a sweeping National Security Law imposed on the city by Beijing in 2020 following the demonstrations, including veteran lawmaker Martin Lee and publisher Jimmy Lai. The citys independent media have been gutted and its legislature reorganized to pack it with Beijing loyalists. Zen, the retired archbishop of Hong Kong, is a fierce critic of China and has been blistering in his condemnation of the Vaticans 2018 agreement with Beijing over bishop nominations, which he has said was a sellout of underground Christians in China. The Vatican spokesman, Matteo Bruni, said the Holy See learned with concern the news of the arrest of Cardinal Zen and is following the evolution of the situation with extreme attention. Ho also has been outspoken in her advocacy of civil and political rights. Her manager, Jelly Cheng, confirmed Hos arrest but said she had no other information. Hui was arrested at Hong Kongs international airport as he sought to leave the city, the U.K.-based human rights group Hong Kong Watch said. Todays arrests signal beyond a doubt that Beijing intends to intensify its crackdown on basic rights and freedoms in Hong Kong, said the groups chief executive, Benedict Rogers. We urge the international community to shine a light on this brutal crackdown and call for the immediate release of these activists, Rogers said. The White House also called on China and Hong Kong authorities to cease targeting Hong Kong advocates and immediately release Zen and others who were unjustly detained and charged, deputy press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Wednesday. Several leading Kong Kong activists have fled to Taiwan, Britain or elsewhere, while thousands of other Hong Kongers have chosen to leave the city, raising concerns about the economic future of the Asian financial center of 7.4 million people. The arrests follow the selection on Sunday of Hong Kongs new leader, John Lee, a hard-line former security chief who ran unopposed in a process controlled by Beijing and is under U.S. sanctions for his role in the 2019 crackdown and ensuing events. The European Union and foreign ministers from the Group of Seven industrialized countries Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the U.K. and the U.S. condemned the election as fundamentally undemocratic and a betrayal of the one country, two systems principle under which Hong Kong was supposed to retain its own political, legal and economic system for 50 years after the end of British colonial rule. Maya Wang, Human Rights Watchs China senior researcher, said arresting Zen for his peaceful activities has to be a shocking new low for Hong Kong, illustrating the citys free fall in human rights in the past two years." Zen's arrest marks the darkest day to date in the Chinese Communist Partys incremental destruction of the vitality of Hong Kong and is likely to provoke a reconsideration by the Vatican of its several-year long diplomatic engagement with Beijing over the ordination of bishops," said Lionel Jensen, associate professor of East Asian languages and cultures at the University of Notre Dame, who helped welcome Zen to the U.S. school in 2019. The arrests were also condemned by U.S. politicians, with Sen. Ben Sasse of Nebraska, a member of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, saying it showed the ruling Communist Party and its leader Xi Jinping were afraid of truth-tellers and labels them threats to national security." Xi is absolutely terrified of a 90-year old Catholic cardinal. Xi is a pathetic coward," Sasse said in a statement. Cut Bank, MT (59427) Today Sun and clouds mixed. High 68F. Winds WSW at 10 to 20 mph.. Tonight Cloudy skies early, then off and on rain showers overnight. Low around 45F. Winds WSW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 50%. SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) The prime minister of the eastern Caribbean island of St. Kitts and Nevis has had the royal governor-general dissolve its Parliament and has fired several top officials including the deputy prime minister. Tuesdays announcement by Prime Minister Timothy Harris came as he was facing a no-confidence motion from a coalition that includes his own party. YEREVAN, Armenia (AP) Thousands of opposition supporters rallied in the Armenian capital Wednesday, besieging the mayor's office for hours as they kept up pressure on the country's prime minister to step down for seeking a peace treaty with neighboring Azerbaijan. The demonstrators tried to storm the mayor's office but were stopped by police, and finally dispersed after a tense showdown that lasted for several hours. NEW YORK (AP) The lease to the Washington, D.C., hotel run by Donald Trump's family company while he was president, a symbol of his power to GOP politicians who gathered there and of corruption to his critics, has been sold by his family company to a Miami-based investor fund. The Trump Organization said Wednesday that it had completed the sale of a long-term lease of the Trump International Hotel to CGI Merchant Group of Miami for what it described as a record price per room for the city. Sources close to the deal demanding anonymity to discuss the private transaction have said that the price was $375 million, handing the Trump family business perhaps as much as $100 million in profit. P-ierre/Getty Images/iStockphoto A Texas woman was arrested after police said she went for a joyride on a 52-foot yacht in Galveston on the morning of Monday, May 9, according to the city's police department. KPRC2 reported the yacht was a Jefferson Monticello named "Loyalty." Renee Waguespack, from Webster a town in the Houston area hopped aboard the boat but then sailed away from its berth in the 6100 block of Heard's Lane and headed out to Offatts Bayou just before noon. The current owners live on the yacht, but they weren't on board when it was taken, according to KVUE. When they returned, their home on the water wasn't there. The vessel was recently listed for sale for just under $170,000. The following editorial was published in the May 4 edition of The Detroit News: We got a taste this week of the predicted public uproar that would follow the U.S. Supreme Court overturning its landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade decision. But a leaked draft signaling the court would go in this direction is just that: a draft. Everyone needs to take a deep breath and await the courts final decision. That probably wont come until next month, at the end of the High Courts term. Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts on Tuesday confirmed the drafts authenticity, and said the unusual leak which he called an egregious breach of trust would be investigated immediately. In a closely watched case out of Mississippi, Dobbs v. Jackson Womens Health Organization, the courts decision could overturn or significantly weaken federal abortion rights under Roe. Roe was egregiously wrong from the start, states the draft opinion, penned by Justice Samuel Alito, an appointee of former President George W. Bush. The document is labeled 1st Draft of the Opinion of the Court. The draft continues: We hold that Roe and Casey must be overruled. It is time to heed the Constitution and return the issue of abortion to the peoples elected representatives. The leak seems aimed at manipulating the court, which is in effect turning the court into what its not supposed to be a political body thats swayed by public outcry and opinion. As with any first draft, this one is likely to change before the final one is made public by the court. Yet no matter what the justices decide when it comes to upholding or doing away with Roe, its important to keep a couple of things in perspective. Even if the Supreme Court overturns Roe, this doesnt end abortion access in the country. It would send the matter back to the states, which is where it would be best debated. Thats not to say this wouldnt be a big deal, but states could then decide how little or how much abortion access they would grant. And voters could directly hold their decision makers accountable at the ballot box. This is the essence of federalism. The impact of overturning Roe would be felt differently around the country, although some research has indicated legal abortions would only likely drop by 14%. According to the pro-abortion rights research group the Guttmacher Institute, 26 states have laws seeking to ban abortions. Thirteen states have passed so-called trigger laws that would take effect and as soon as the case that legalized abortion nationwide was revoked. Michigan is one of nine states that has a pre-Roe abortion ban on the books, a law from 1931. A policy analyst with Guttmacher has said this law wouldnt immediately take effect again, even if Roe is overturned. In the meantime, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and Planned Parenthood have filed lawsuits challenging the dormant law, ahead of the Supreme Court decision. If Roe is vacated, Michigan will have the opportunity to craft a new abortion law that reflects the values and desires of its people. And state Legislatures should prepare for the likelihood of a post-Roe world. For now, though, many questions remain. People need to take a step back and wait for the justices final ruling. WFO NEW YORK CITY Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Wednesday, May 11, 2022 _____ SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT Special Weather Statement National Weather Service New York NY 409 AM EDT Wed May 11 2022 There will be an enhanced potential for brush fire spread today into early this evening as NE winds around 10 to 15 mph with gusts 20 to 25 mph help dry out the low levels. The forecast relative humidity decreases to around 30 percent this afternoon into early evening. For New York residents, the annual statewide burn ban remains in effect until May 14. No burn permits are issued. _____ Copyright 2022 AccuWeather Storm Prediction Ctr, Norman, OK Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Tuesday, May 10, 2022 _____ SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH OUTLINE UPDATE FOR WS 200 NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER NORMAN OK 903 PM CDT TUE MAY 10 2022 SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH 200 REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1100 PM CDT FOR THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS TX . TEXAS COUNTIES INCLUDED ARE HANSFORD LIPSCOMB OCHILTREE SHERMAN ...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 915 PM CDT FOR EASTERN LYNN AND WESTERN GARZA COUNTIES... At 903 PM CDT, a severe thunderstorm was located 7 miles northwest of Post, moving north at 40 mph. HAZARD...60 mph wind gusts and penny size hail. SOURCE...Radar indicated. IMPACT...Expect damage to roofs, siding, and trees. Locations impacted include... Post, Grassland, and Southland. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... For your protection move to an interior room on the lowest floor of a building. To report severe weather contact your nearest law enforcement agency. They will send your report to the National Weather Service office in Lubbock Texas. Torrential rainfall is occurring with this storm, and may lead to flash flooding. Do not drive your vehicle through flooded roadways. ARMSTRONG CARSON COLLINGSWORTH DEAF SMITH DONLEY GRAY HEMPHILL HUTCHINSON MOORE OLDHAM POTTER RANDALL ROBERTS WHEELER ...HIGH RIP CURRENT RISK REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 7 AM CDT WEDNESDAY... * WHAT...Dangerous rip currents. * WHERE...Kenedy Island, Cameron Island and Willacy Island Counties. * WHEN...Until 7 AM CDT Wednesday. * IMPACTS...Rip currents can sweep even the best swimmers away from shore into deeper water. Swim near a lifeguard. If caught in a rip current, relax and float. Don't swim against the current. If able, swim in a direction following the shoreline. If unable to escape, face the shore and call or wave for help. ...A strong thunderstorm will impact portions of northern Gaines County through 945 PM CDT... At 904 PM CDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm near Denver City, moving east at 40 mph. HAZARD...Wind gusts of 50 to 55 mph and pea size hail. IMPACT...Gusty winds could knock down tree limbs and blow around unsecured objects. Minor damage to outdoor objects is possible. Seminole, Seagraves, Seagraves Airport, Loop, McKenzie Lake and Gaines County Park. If outdoors, consider seeking shelter inside a building. A Severe Thunderstorm Watch remains in effect until 1100 PM CDT for western Texas. LAT...LON 3271 10221 3273 10290 3296 10288 3296 10221 TIME...MOT...LOC 0204Z 258DEG 34KT 3290 10277 MAX HAIL SIZE...0.25 IN MAX WIND GUST...55 MPH _____ Copyright 2022 AccuWeather WFO AUSTIN/SAN ANTONIO Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Tuesday, May 10, 2022 _____ SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT Special Weather Statement National Weather Service Austin/San Antonio TX 648 PM CDT Tue May 10 2022 ...A strong thunderstorm will impact portions of northwestern Val Verde County through 745 PM CDT... At 646 PM CDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm near Langtry, moving north at 25 mph. HAZARD...Winds in excess of 40 mph and half inch hail. SOURCE...Radar indicated. IMPACT...Gusty winds could knock down tree limbs and blow around unsecured objects. Minor damage to outdoor objects is possible. Locations impacted include... Langtry, Shumla, Seminole Canyon State Park, Pandale and Pecos River Boat Ramp. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... If outdoors, consider seeking shelter inside a building. Torrential rainfall is also occurring with this storm and may lead to localized flooding. Do not drive your vehicle through flooded roadways. Frequent cloud to ground lightning is occurring with this storm. Lightning can strike 10 miles away from a thunderstorm. Seek a safe shelter inside a building or vehicle. 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. Remember, lightning can strike out to 10 miles from the parent thunderstorm. If you can hear thunder, you are close enough to be struck by lightning. Move to safe shelter now! Do not be caught on the water in a thunderstorm. A Severe Thunderstorm Watch remains in effect until 1100 PM CDT for south central Texas. LAT...LON 3021 10158 3014 10112 2957 10129 2959 10131 2965 10130 2966 10134 2965 10136 2970 10137 2975 10142 2977 10140 2975 10144 2979 10147 2976 10154 2981 10154 2980 10157 2978 10157 2979 10158 TIME...MOT...LOC 2346Z 185DEG 21KT 2985 10147 MAX HAIL SIZE...0.50 IN MAX WIND GUST...40 MPH ...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 730 PM CDT FOR NORTHERN HALE...SOUTHEASTERN CASTRO...SOUTHWESTERN SWISHER AND NORTHEASTERN LAMB COUNTIES... At 647 PM CDT, a severe thunderstorm was located over Olton, moving east at 20 mph. THIS IS A DESTRUCTIVE STORM FOR FAR NORTHEASTERN LAMB COUNTY, FAR SOUTHEASTERN CASTRO COUNTY, NORTHWESTERN HALE COUNTY, AND SOUTHWESTERN SWISHER COUNTY.. HAZARD...90 mph wind gusts and nickel size hail. SOURCE...West Texas Mesonet. At 628 PM CDT, the West Texas Mesonet at Hart measured a wind gust of 86 mph. IMPACT...You are in a life-threatening situation. This storm has a history of producing destructive winds between 80 and 90 mph. Flying debris may be deadly to those caught without shelter. Mobile homes will be heavily damaged or destroyed. Homes and businesses will have substantial roof and window damage. Expect extensive tree damage and power outages. Severe wind gusts may precede heavy rain. Plainview, Tulia, Hale Center, Olton, Hart, Kress, Halfway, Seth Ward and Edmonson. This is an EXTREMELY DANGEROUS SITUATION with tornado like wind speeds expected. Mobile homes and high profile vehicles are especially susceptible to winds of this magnitude and may be overturned. For your protection move to an interior room on the lowest floor of a building. This storm has the potential to cause serious injury and significant property damage. To report severe weather contact your nearest law enforcement agency. They will send your report to the National Weather Service office in Lubbock Texas. Torrential rainfall is occurring with this storm, and may lead to flash flooding. Do not drive your vehicle through flooded roadways. The National Weather Service in Lubbock Texas has issued a * Severe Thunderstorm Warning for... Southeastern Cochran County in northwestern Texas... Western Hockley County in northwestern Texas... * Until 730 PM CDT. * At 650 PM CDT, a severe thunderstorm was located 8 miles northwest of Sundown, or 15 miles west of Levelland, moving northeast at 15 mph. HAZARD...70 mph wind gusts and half dollar size hail. SOURCE...Radar indicated. IMPACT...Hail damage to vehicles is expected. Expect considerable tree damage. Wind damage is also likely to mobile homes, roofs, and outbuildings. * Locations impacted include... Levelland, Sundown, Whiteface and Opdyke West. For your protection move to an interior room on the lowest floor of a building. _____ Copyright 2022 AccuWeather WFO AUSTIN/SAN ANTONIO Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Tuesday, May 10, 2022 _____ SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING Severe Weather Statement National Weather Service Austin/San Antonio TX 807 PM CDT Tue May 10 2022 ...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 845 PM CDT FOR WEST CENTRAL EDWARDS AND NORTHEASTERN VAL VERDE COUNTIES... At 807 PM CDT, a severe thunderstorm was located near Loma Alta, moving north at 20 mph. HAZARD...60 mph wind gusts and quarter size hail. SOURCE...Radar indicated. IMPACT...Hail damage to vehicles is expected. Expect wind damage to roofs, siding, and trees. Locations impacted include... Loma Alta, Vinegarone and Devils River State Nat Area Del Norte. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... For your protection move to an interior room on the lowest floor of a building. Torrential rainfall is occurring with this storm, and may lead to flash flooding. Do not drive your vehicle through flooded roadways. The National Weather Service in Midland has issued a * Severe Thunderstorm Warning for... Scurry County in western Texas... Mitchell County in western Texas... Borden County in western Texas... Northeastern Martin County in western Texas... Howard County in western Texas... Eastern Dawson County in western Texas... * Until 900 PM CDT. * At 806 PM CDT, an outflow boundary associated with thunderstorms was located along a line extending from 9 miles northwest of Lenorah to near Big Spring to 11 miles east of Forsan, moving northeast at 65 mph. HAZARD...60 mph wind gusts. SOURCE...A 61 mph wind gust was reported in Big Spring. IMPACT...Expect damage to roofs, siding, and trees. * Locations impacted include... Big Spring, Snyder, Lamesa, Colorado City, Ackerly, Gail, Coahoma, Loraine, Sand Springs, Lenorah, Lake Colorado City, Lake Colorado City State Park, Inadale, Luther, Fluvanna, Colorado City Airport, J B Thomas Reservoir, Lamesa Municipal Airport, Champion Creek Reservoir and Westbrook. This includes Interstate 20 between mile markers 172 and 228. Wind damage with these storms will occur before any rain or lightning. Do not wait for the sound of thunder before taking cover. SEEK SHELTER IMMEDIATELY inside a sturdy structure and stay away from windows. The National Weather Service in San Angelo has issued a Western Coke County in west central Texas... Sterling County in west central Texas... Northwestern Tom Green County in west central Texas... * Until 915 PM CDT. * At 808 PM CDT, a severe thunderstorm was located 12 miles west of Sterling City, moving northeast at 50 mph. HAZARD...60 mph wind gusts and quarter size hail. SOURCE...Radar indicated. IMPACT...Hail damage to vehicles is expected. Expect wind damage to roofs, siding, and trees. * This severe thunderstorm will be near... Sterling City around 825 PM CDT. Silver around 855 PM CDT. Other locations impacted by this severe thunderstorm include The Intersection Of Highway 158 And Ranch Road 2059 and Us- 87 Near The Coke-Tom Green County Line. _____ Copyright 2022 AccuWeather WFO AUSTIN/SAN ANTONIO Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Tuesday, May 10, 2022 _____ SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING Severe Weather Statement National Weather Service Austin/San Antonio TX 821 PM CDT Tue May 10 2022 ...THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR WEST CENTRAL EDWARDS AND NORTHEASTERN VAL VERDE COUNTIES IS CANCELLED... The storm which prompted the warning has weakened below severe limits, and no longer poses an immediate threat to life or property. Therefore, the warning has been cancelled. However small hail is still possible with this thunderstorm. A Special Weather Statement will go out shortly to mention small hail. A Severe Thunderstorm Watch remains in effect until 1100 PM CDT for south central Texas. The National Weather Service in Lubbock Texas has issued a * Dust Storm Warning for... Northwestern Lubbock County in northwestern Texas... North central Terry County in northwestern Texas... Hockley County in northwestern Texas... Southwestern Hale County in northwestern Texas... Southeastern Lamb County in northwestern Texas... * Until 900 PM CDT. * At 820 PM CDT, a locallized dust storm was 4 miles south of Levelland, moving northeast at 55 mph. This dust storm extended south to near Locketville and north to near Whiteface. HAZARD...Less than a quarter mile visibility with damaging wind in excess of 60 mph. SOURCE...Trained weather spotters. IMPACT...Dangerous life-threatening travel. Locations impacted include... Lubbock, Levelland, Wolfforth, Shallowater, Sundown, Anton, Texas Tech University, Reese Center, Locketville, Smyer and Opdyke West. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... Dust storms lead to dangerous driving conditions with visibility reduced to near zero. If driving, avoid dust storms if possible. If caught in one, pull off the road, turn off your lights and keep your foot off the brake. Motorists should not drive into a dust storm. PULL ASIDE STAY ALIVE! northwestern Texas. ...A strong thunderstorm will impact portions of western Schleicher, southeastern Tom Green, northeastern Crockett, northwestern Sutton and southeastern Irion Counties through 915 PM CDT... At 822 PM CDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm 16 miles southwest of Eldorado, moving north at 25 mph. HAZARD...Wind gusts of 50 to 55 mph and nickel size hail. SOURCE...Radar indicated. IMPACT...Gusty winds could knock down tree limbs and blow around unsecured objects. Minor damage to outdoor objects is possible. Eldorado, Mertzon, Christoval, Knickerbocker, Sherwood, The Intersection Of Ranch Road 1828 And Ranch Road 915, The Intersection Of Us-190 And Ranch Road 1828, Us-277 Near The Sutton- Schleicher County Line and Us-190 Near The Crockett- Sutton County Line. This includes Interstate 10 between Mile Markers 369 and 374. If outdoors, consider seeking shelter inside a building. west central Texas. LAT...LON 3070 10058 3068 10116 3130 10098 3125 10032 TIME...MOT...LOC 0122Z 185DEG 24KT 3077 10086 MAX HAIL SIZE...0.88 IN MAX WIND GUST...55 MPH TX . TEXAS COUNTIES INCLUDED ARE FOARD HARDEMAN WILBARGER ...Strong thunderstorms will impact portions of Floyd, northern Motley, southern Hale, Hall and eastern Briscoe Counties through 900 PM CDT... At 823 PM CDT, Doppler radar was tracking strong thunderstorms along a line extending from 6 miles northeast of Brice to 7 miles southwest of Flomot to 3 miles north of Abernathy. Movement was east at 45 mph. HAZARD...Wind gusts of 50 to 55 mph and pea size hail. Floydada, Memphis, Turkey, Caprock Canyon State Park, Lockney, Petersburg, Quitaque, South Plains, Dougherty, Aiken, Brice, Flomot, Valley Schools, Northfield, Lakeview, and Plaska Community. To report severe weather, contact your nearest law enforcement agency. They will relay your report to the National Weather Service office in Lubbock Texas. the Panhandle of and northwestern Texas. LAT...LON 3419 10058 3384 10120 3390 10203 3427 10136 3475 10116 3475 10045 TIME...MOT...LOC 0123Z 266DEG 39KT 3476 10078 3418 10111 3389 10186 MAX HAIL SIZE...0.25 IN ...A strong thunderstorm will impact portions of northwestern Edwards and northeastern Val Verde Counties through 930 PM CDT... At 825 PM CDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm near Carta Valley, or 7 miles southeast of Loma Alta, moving north at 25 mph. HAZARD...Winds in excess of 40 mph and nickel size hail. Loma Alta, Carta Valley, Vinegarone and Us-277 Near The Sutton- Edwards County Line. Torrential rainfall is also occurring with this storm and may lead to localized flooding. Do not drive your vehicle through flooded roadways. Frequent cloud to ground lightning is occurring with this storm. Lightning can strike 10 miles away from a thunderstorm. Seek a safe shelter inside a building or vehicle. 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 3029 10023 2977 10059 2984 10087 3029 10088 TIME...MOT...LOC 0125Z 197DEG 24KT 2987 10067 MAX WIND GUST...40 MPH _____ Copyright 2022 AccuWeather BOSTON Mario Batali was found not guilty of indecent assault and battery on Tuesday, following a swift trial in which the celebrity chef waived his right to have a jury decide his fate in a criminal case that arose from the global #MeToo movement against sexual abuse and harassment. The 61-year-old former Food Network personality quickly strode out of the courtroom with his lawyers without commenting on the case, which centered on allegations that he aggressively kissed and groped a Boston woman while taking a selfie at a bar in 2017. Advertisement In delivering the verdict, Boston Municipal Court Judge James Stanton agreed with Batalis lawyers that the accuser had credibility issues and that photos suggested the encounter was amicable. Pictures are worth a thousand words, he said. Advertisement Celebrity chef Mario Batali reacts after being found not guilty of indecent assault and battery at Boston Municipal Court on the second day of his trial, on Tuesday, May 10, 2022 in Boston. Batali, who pleaded not guilty to indecent assault and battery in 2019, had faced up to 2 1/2 years in jail and wouldve been required to register as a sex offender if convicted. (Stuart Cahill/AP) But the judge also rebuked Batali while suggesting the former star of shows like Molto Mario and Iron Chef America has already paid a high cost in terms of his diminished reputation and financial losses. Its an understatement to say that Mr. Batali did not cover himself in glory on the night in question, Stanton said after prosecutors argued he was visibly drunk in the photos. His conduct, his appearance and his demeanor were not befitting of a public person of his stature at that time. Suffolk County District Attorney Kevin Hayden said he was disappointed in the verdict but grateful Batalis accuser had come forward. It can be incredibly difficult for a victim to disclose a sexual assault, he said in a statement. When the individual who committed such an abhorrent act is in a position of power or celebrity, the decision to report an assault can become all the more challenging and intimidating. Batali, who pleaded not guilty to indecent assault and battery in 2019, took a calculated gamble that Stanton, a former Republican candidate for state representative appointed to the bench by Republican Gov. Charlie Baker, would rule more favorably than a Boston jury. Seeking a non-jury, or bench trial, is often a strategy employed when a defendant can come across as unlikeable to jurors. Such was the case for Michelle Carter, the Massachusetts teen infamously charged with manslaughter for urging her suicidal boyfriend to kill himself in text messages and who was the subject of The Girl from Plainville, a 2022 Hulu show starring Elle Fanning. In Carters case, though, the strategy didnt pan out and she was convicted and sentenced to more than a year in jail. Advertisement Batali faced up to 2 1/2 years in jail and wouldve been required to register as a sex offender if convicted. His accuser, who also exited the courtroom without speaking with reporters, had testified how she felt confused and powerless to do anything to stop Batali at the time. But in his closing statements, Batalis lawyer Antony Fuller portrayed the 32-year-old Boston-area resident as an admitted liar who is financially motivated because shes filed a lawsuit seeking more than $50,000 in damages from Batali. In her world, truth is a flexible concept, he said, referencing the womans recent admission of attempting to avoid jury service by claiming to be clairvoyant, which was a focus of the two-day trial. Prosecutor Nina Bonelli countered in her closing statement that Batalis lawyers were trying to demonize the woman, when it was their client on trial over his conduct. She said the woman tried to de-escalate the unwanted touching by simply smiling it off in the photos. Advertisement Daywatch Weekdays Start your morning with today's local news > The kissing, the groping. She never asked for it. She never consented to it, she said. She just wanted a selfie. Batali was arguably the most prominent chef and restauranteur charged with sexual misconduct at the height of the #MeToo movement, which particularly roiled the food and beverage industry. After four women accused him of inappropriate touching in 2017, he stepped down from day-to-day operations at his restaurant empire and left the since-discontinued ABC cooking show The Chew. Batali also apologized, acknowledging the allegations match up with ways he has acted. I have made many mistakes, he said in an email newsletter at the time. My behavior was wrong and there are no excuses. I take full responsibility. Last year, Batali, his business partner and their New York City restaurant company agreed to pay $600,000 to resolve a four-year investigation by the New York attorney generals office into allegations that Batali and other staff sexually harassed employees. Advertisement In Boston, he had opened a branch of the popular Italian food marketplace Eataly and a Babbo Pizzeria e Enoteca in the citys Seaport District. But he has since been bought out of his stake in Eataly, and the Babbo restaurant in Boston has closed. 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 RICHMOND A former Indiana official had been set to take a job leading Virginias Department of Motor Vehicles, but that plan fell apart Tuesday after a newspapers reporting about allegations that the official had behaved inappropriately at work. Virginia Transportation Secretary Shep Miller spoke with former Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles Commissioner Peter Lacy on Tuesday morning, according to a spokeswoman for GOP Gov. Glenn Youngkin. Advertisement Mr. Lacy rescinded his acceptance and the Secretary concurred with that decision. He informed Mr. Lacy the Commonwealth rescinded the offer of employment, Youngkin spokeswoman Macaulay Porter said in a statement to The Associated Press. The developments came shortly after the IndyStar published a report detailing workplace complaints from people who worked under Lacy, who abruptly resigned his role last month. Advertisement The newspaper reported that when it sought comment from Lacy about the complaints, he responded with a statement that did not acknowledge or deny them and said he was proud of his tenure. He could not immediately be reached by AP Tuesday. Virginias former DMV commissioner retired before Youngkin a political newcomer whose hiring and vetting of officials is being closely watched took office in January. Porter declined to answer follow-up inquiries about the matter. Linda Ford, the Virginia DMVs deputy commissioner and chief operating officer, has been serving as acting commissioner since Rick Holcombs retirement, according to the Richmond Times-Dispatch. Over the last decade Africa has gained a reputation for global leadership in mobile money, with Kenya at the forefront, but up to now financial services via mobile phones have not taken deep root in the continents most populace country Nigeria. That may change as telecommunications companies such as Airtel and MTN jump into the mobile money market, after recently receiving licenses to do so. Mobile money is not entirely new to Nigeria. Nigerias mobile money landscape, however, has been dominated by banks and other financial services companies. It was only late last year that Nigerias Central Bank (CBN), gave the green light for telcos to acquire mobile money licenses. Telcos eye mobile money success in East Africa Telecom operators would like to replicate the successes they have seen in East Africa for products such as M-Pesa, launched by Vodafone and Safaricom, the biggest operator in Kenya. Aside from the late-in-the-game approval of mobile money licenses for telecom operators, Nigeria has had generally favourable legislation regarding new financial services. Nigerias API-based open banking initiatives, for example, have enabled fintech start-ups to introduce their own mobile-based financial services, working in conjunction with the banking industry. This resulting explosion in payment services has seen the birth of start-up unicorns in the country, including Paystack and Flutterwave which have more than US$1 billion in valuation and Kudabank, valued at $500 million. Yet there is still a need to extend financial tools to those in underserved regions, and many industry insiders believe the best bet yet is mobile money services. With the new licenses, banks are set to face some challenges from the telecommunications sector. But how will these new telecom services co-exist with what is already there in the market will there be stiff competition or collaboration between banks and telcos? Nigeria has over 120 million people that have access to smartphones and the internet and those figures are growing every year, says Nwabufor Udemezue John, a web developer and consultant in Nigeria. Mobile money service run by telecom companies will complement those operated by banks, and will potentially give people in underserved areas, such as rural regions, access to financial services for the first time, John says. Generally, more players in the financial system means more options for the masses, John notes, and competition between the telcos and the banks could be an advantage for users in terms of pricing and service quality. Telco mobile money can reach rural areas The arguments in favour of a telco-led mobile money framework is further supported by their subscriber numbers, available infrastructure and agent network individuals who facilitate deposit and withdrawals which far surpasses that of the banks in terms of numbers and geographical spread, according to an International Bar Association paper by Rotimi Akapo and Glory Ogungbamigbe. The paper highlighted Ghana as an example of how a review of the legal framework to allow telcos to apply directly for mobile money licenses has had a positive impact on the adoption of mobile money services, resulting in an increase of about 72% in the number of mobile money users. Telco-run mobile money services can provide new growth paths for Nigerias open API initiatives and the fintech start-up ecosystem, says said John Straub, the CPO of Lynx Financial, a financial payment service for emerging markets. Telco-led money services provide fintech growth path APIs facilitating open banking are absolutely the foundation of a thriving fintech ecosystem. What mobile money licenses will provide to Nigeria is the ability for fintechs to move beyond the traditional model of a bank-provided account, Straub says. But dont expect to see staunch competition as yet, Straub says. The new entrants still need to weigh where their advantages lie, and build strategies to capture the market. The mobile money licenses have been granted to a very small number of local telecom companies so there is still a long way to go before they reach a wide number of citizens, Straub says, adding that there is still tremendous investments needed in the infrastructure to drive adoption. Infrastructure includes human resources recruiting and maintaining agents on the ground who are the engine of any mobile money ecosystem. These agents are found in local communities, making deposits and withdrawals easy for locals. The licenses that [government entities] have issued are quite limited in that they do not allow services like foreign exchange, loans and insurance. So while these mobile money licenses will help remove barriers to doing business in Nigeria there still exists gaps that will need to be addressed to truly achieve financial inclusion, Straub says. Collaboration vs. competition in mobile money If Nigeria is to learn from Kenya, then the conclusion would be that collaboration yields much better outcomes than all-out competition. The banking sector and the mobile money sector in Kenya work in tandem to provide services such as withdrawal from a bank account to a mobile wallet and vice versa. But it has not always been this way. The Kenyan banking sector in early 2008 saw mobile money as a threat. These sentiments and objections, however, did not sway the growing wave of mobile money across the country. According to a 2010 GSMA report, the growth of banks had stalled but mobile penetration was skyrocketing. For every Kenyan that had access to a bank account, at least two others had access to a mobile phone. Mobile phone penetration in 2006 was nearly 30% and growing much faster than bank account penetration, according to the report. In the end, the merging of mobile money and banking services via APIs was beneficial to the Kenyan financial services ecosystem. Banks are now allowing users to deposit and withdraw sums of money through USSD (unstructured supplementary service data) or mobile apps. Even microloan disbursement is now done on the phone, remote from bank branches. Banks in Kenya are moving billions of shillings every day through mobile money and creating new revenue streams in service charges. In an analysis of mobile money globally, the GSMA emphasizes the benefits of collaboration among the various players offering mobile financial services. The banking and mobile money sectors do not have identical addressable markets, but even where they overlap, customers do not tend to choose one sector over the other. Whether they are a mobile money or banking customer, customers need to be able to transact to both the top and bottom of the financial system pyramid, the report said. It will be a wait and see situation in Nigeria, as efforts to bring new financial services to the masses gets a set of telco participants. FILE - Nathan Carman departs federal court, Wednesday, Aug. 21, 2019, in Providence, R.I. Carman, found floating on a raft in the ocean off the coast of Rhode Island in 2016 after his boat sank has been indicted on charges alleging he killed his mother at sea to inherit the family's estate, according to the indictment unsealed Tuesday, May 10, 2022. (AP Photo/Steven Senne, File) (Steven Senne/AP) MONTPELIER, Vt. A man found floating on a raft off the coast of Rhode Island in 2016 after his boat sank was charged in an indictment unsealed Tuesday with killing his mother at sea to inherit the familys estate. The eight-count indictment released in federal court in Burlington, Vermont, also says Nathan Carman shot and killed his grandfather, John Chakalos, at his home in Windsor, Connecticut, in 2013 as part of an effort to defraud insurance companies, but he was not charged with that killing. Advertisement Carman was found in an inflatable raft eight days after he went fishing with his mother, Linda Carman, who was never found. Carman, 28, was arrested Tuesday. Hes due in federal court Wednesday in Rutland, Vermont. His attorney did not return a call seeking comment. Advertisement William Michael, an attorney for Carmans mothers sisters, said Tuesday the family had no immediate comment. In 2019, a federal judge in Rhode Island decided that Carman contributed to the 2016 sinking of the boat from which his mother was lost at sea. U.S. District Judge John McConnell issued a written decision in favor of an insurance company that had refused to pay an $85,000 claim to Carman for the loss of his 31-foot fishing boat, The Chicken Pox. Daywatch Weekdays Start your morning with today's local news > Carman denied doing anything to intentionally make the boat unseaworthy. He told the Coast Guard that when the boat filled quickly with water, he swam to the life raft and called for his mother but never saw her again. The judge found, among other things, that shortly before the fishing trip with his mother, Carman made improper repairs to the boat. Witnesses testified that he removed two stabilizing trim tabs from the stern, near the vessels waterline, leaving holes that he tried to seal with an epoxy stick. He was found floating in the raft off the coast of Marthas Vineyard, a Massachusetts island, by the crew of a freighter eight days after the boat was reported missing. Some of Carmans relatives accused him of killing his mother and his grandfather in a scheme to inherit $7 million. Nathan Carman had been named by police as a person of interest in the killing of Chakalos, who was shot in the head at his home in 2013. No criminal charges were filed against him in connection with his grandfathers death. Advertisement ___ AP reporters Kathy McCormack in Concord, New Hampshire, Lisa Rathke in Montpelier, Vermont, and Dave Collins in Hartford, Connecticut, contributed to this report. Wilkes Barre, PA (18701) Today Partly to mostly cloudy with scattered showers and thunderstorms this afternoon. High 81F. Winds WSW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 50%.. Tonight Cloudy skies early, then partly cloudy after midnight. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 61F. Winds light and variable. Primeste notificari pe email Contractare si Achizitie Bunuri Anunturi de Angajare Granturi - Finantari Burse de studiu Stagii Profesionale Oportunitati de voluntariat Toate Articolele Background The multi-pronged attack on Ukraine by the Russian Federation forces beginning in February 2022 has displaced more than 10 million individuals from their homes, with more than 4.7 million having fled Ukraine.[1] As of April 20, Romania has received more than 750,000 refugees, with approximately 88 percent have transited to another country and 12 percent remaining within Romania (85,000 individuals). During the week of April 18, between 7,000 and 9,000 refugees entered Romania each day. Catholic Relief Service (CRS) is currently supporting Caritas Romania and diocese-level partners across Romania to provide critical assistance to Ukrainian refugees. At present, Caritas partners are providing short-term accommodation support for refugees at 17 facilities across the country, as well as access to food and non-food items and transportation support within the country. In the coming months, Caritas partners, with support from CRS, will expand their assistance to include provision of medium-term accommodation assistance, cash assistance, and access to social service support, through the opening of five social service centers in priority cities across the country. Activities are funded by a Caritas Romania Emergency Appeal, approved in March 2022, and CRS private funds. Major locations of activity implementation are Iasi, Bucharest, Satu Mare, and Baia Mare. In the months to come, Caritas may add activities in additional locations where Caritas partners are present. Interested candidates are welcome to apply by sending their CV with email to crsapplicationsmd@crs.org mentioning in the subject line the title of the position Internship Program. Objective Support the successful implementation of activities by CRS and Caritas partners in Romania Activities Activities will include, but may not be limited to the following: Translate documents into Romanian language and Russian language if/as needed Support training of Caritas staff and volunteers on key topics, such as protection and safeguarding and using monitoring, evaluation, accountability, and learning (MEAL) forms and systems Support registration of beneficiaries for assistance Assist beneficiaries to resolve problems they experience with assistance provided by CRS Support post-distribution monitoring (PDM) data collection Conduct spot checks and other forms of monitoring of project activities and finance or other operational documents Support planning of missions by CRS technical staff to Romania and accompany technical staff as needed Location of mission The mission will require extensive travel within Romania to locations that include, but are not limited to, Iasi, Satu Mare, Baia Mare, Bucharest, and Oradea. Timing (tentative): May 15 - Sep. 30, 2022 A total of 30 projects have been shortlisted for the Charity Awards 2022. The Charity Awards is the charity worlds longest-running awards ceremony. It was established by the founder of Civil Society Media, Daniel Phelan, in 2000. The awards have been judged by an independent panel of 15 charity leaders. There will be a winning charity in each of the ten categories. The categories are: arts, culture and heritage, campaigning and advocacy, children and youth, disability, education and training, environment and conservation, grantmaking and funding, healthcare and medical research, international aid and development and social care, advice and support. The ten category winners, plus the recipients of the Overall Award for Excellence and the Daniel Phelan Award for Outstanding Achievement, will be announced at a black-tie dinner on 16 June, held at the Royal Lancaster Hotel in London. The evening will be hosted by broadcaster and writer Ayesha Hazarika, who will be joined on the night by a host of celebrities, representatives of the shortlisted charities, as well as leaders from Britains best known and best-loved charities. More details about each shortlisted charitys entry can be found on the Charity Awards website. Matthew Nolan, chief executive of Civil Society Media, which organises the Charity Awards, said: The breadth and quality of the work being done by charities across the UK continues to astonish, particularly in light of the challenges faced by the sector over the last couple of years. For 22 years the Charity Awards have been identifying and celebrating the fantastic work that UK charities do. Our rigorous judging process highlights those charities with the most innovative ideas and the most effective approaches to delivering real change. The nominees on this years shortlist are examples of large and small charities who are truly leaders in their field. I wish the very best of luck to them all. Peter Hugh Smith, chief executive at CCLA, partner of the Charity Awards, said: The Charity Awards celebrate the pinnacle of charitable endeavour and this years entries are no exception. CCLA is delighted to support the Awards and to help promote the fantastic work that the sector is doing across the UK. We wish all the shortlisted charities the very best of luck. Shortlisted charities Arts, Culture and Heritage Centre for Ageing Better Immediate Theatre Services For Education Campaigning and Advocacy Surviving Economic Abuse Tommys Turn2us Children and Youth Forget Me Not Childrens Hospice New Horizon Youth Centre Place2Be Disability Brain Injury Matters (NI) Fleetwood Beach Wheelchairs Pure Innovations Education and Training Action Tutoring MyBnk World Jewish Relief Environment and Conservation FareShare UK In Kind Direct YHA England & Wales Grantmaking and Funding Edinburgh Dog & Cat Home Macmillan Cancer Support Smallwood Trust Healthcare and Medical Research Dentaid Ovacome St John Ambulance International Aid and Development The Lotus Flower Pump Aid Tea Leaf Trust Social Care, Advice and Support Back on the Map Cyfannol Womens Aid Ripple Suicide Prevention sign up to receive the Civil Society News daily bulletin here . For more news, interviews, opinion and analysis about charities and the voluntary sector, In 2012, Charlie Savage, a New York Times reporter covering President Obamas controversial use of recess appointments to fill vacancies at key government agencies, wanted to read two legal opinions prepared by the Justice Departments Office of Legal Counsel (OLC). Savage knew of the memos because they were cited in another memo the OLC had prepared and publicly released at the time of the appointments. But, as was often its practice, the OLC had concealed the two original memos. Savage and the Times filed a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit to secure their release, but the lawsuit failed, and the memos remain out of reach. Savage and the Times had better luck last month, when someone leaked a 2010 OLC legal opinion evaluating whether the United States could legally lend support to international prosecutions for war crimes. Since the outbreak of the war in Ukraine, President Biden and other elected officials have expressed such support for International Criminal Court prosecutions of top Russian officials for war crimes. But those statements contrast sharply with the more antagonistic posture the US has often taken toward the ICC, and in fact has codified into law. Indeed, the leaked OLC memo reviews and interprets a litany of laws Congress has passed that could bar the kinds of cooperation US officials now seem to advocate. So important is the memo to current understanding of what the US can do to support the ICC that the Times published it in its entirety. It would have remained secret had it not been for a leak. Secrecy has been a hallmark of the OLC since it was created by an act of Congress in 1933 to resolve legal questions for the White House and executive-branch agencies. Since its inception, the agency, known colloquially as the Supreme Court of the executive branch, has generated thousands of memos that have guided government conduct affecting almost all aspects of the lives of Americans and of citizens of countries in every corner of the world. Though its legal opinions shape the policies of numerous agenciesamong them, the US Armed Forces, the Central Intelligence Agency, the Department of Labor, the Internal Revenue Service, and the Social Security Administrationthe OLC rarely releases its opinions on its own, and barely registers on the publics radar. In fact, what most Americans know of the OLCs role came through a leak of its misdeeds. In June 2004, the Washington Post published a secret legal opinion prepared by Bush administration lawyers who had apparently green-lighted the torture of prisoners in US custody. Over the next several years, investigative reporting and Freedom of Information Act litigation brought by human rights organizations excavated additional OLC memos that had approved or created the conditions for the abuses that took place at CIA black sites and in US-run detention facilities in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Guantanamo Bay. These so-called torture memos highlighted both the scope of the Office of Legal Counsels role and the secrecy and impact of its highly influential legal opinions. When leaks and foia lawsuits have succeeded in bringing other OLC opinions to light, those opinions have often reinforced the impression of an agency with enormous influence to shape and guide policy. And when foia lawsuits failed, as they often did, those failures illuminated the weakness of transparency mechanisms that are meant to promote public oversight of official decision-making. Indeed, though under the Freedom of Information Act even internal deliberations can be released to the public after twenty-five years, the bulk of the OLCs work before 1996 has remained hidden from view. At the Knight First Amendment Institute at Columbia University, we have tried to push against this pervading secrecy through two lawsuits addressing the OLCs obligations under foia. In one, the Knight Institute represents Campaign for Accountability, a nonprofit watchdog that exposes corporate and government misconduct, in a challenge to the OLCs failure to follow foias reading room provision, which requires agencies to proactively disclose final legal opinions or interpretations. In the other, the Knight Institute, along with a group of scholars and Campaign for Accountability, challenged the Office of Legal Counsels failure to comply with its obligation to release opinions it generated more than twenty-five years ago. Sign up for CJR 's daily email Eighteen months ago, thenDistrict Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson, who was recently confirmed by the Senate for the US Supreme Court, took an important step in the first of these cases toward concluding that at least one category of OLC opinion must be disclosed proactively. This category is estimated to encompass roughly one quarter of all opinions that are written for agencies outside the DOJ. Meanwhile, the Institutes other lawsuit has pried loose hundreds of previously unpublished memos that were written over twenty-five years ago, along with an index of all the unclassified memos issued by the OLC between 1945 and 1994. That trove includes OLC writings that shaped White House and federal agency actions on war and peace, civil rights, womens rights, digital surveillance, and many other crucial decisions in twentieth-century American history. Under a settlement reached with the agency, more than two hundred additional opinions will be released this spring, along with an index of classified opinions authored between 1974 and 1994. To share these resources with journalists, historians, and the public at large, the Knight Institute has created a reading room on its website that now stands as the most comprehensive database of the OLCs memos. The Reading Room includes dozens of indexes containing the titles and dates of all of the OLCs unclassified opinions written between 1945 and February 15, 1994, and almost every opinion that OLC has publishedincluding more than three hundred and fifty opinions produced in response to the Knight Institutes litigation. In January, the Institute also launched @OLCforthepeople, a Twitter account that further improves access to OLC materials by alerting the public each time the OLC adds an opinion to its online databasea process that generally happens without public notice. So far, @OLCforthepeople has tweeted three times, to announce the publication of two OLC opinions written in 2022 and a third that was written in 1970 but remained secret until last month. We believe these efforts not only make the OLCs opinions more accessible to journalists and the public than theyve ever been, but also help build a broader understanding of the OLCs role in determining the policies and actions of a wide range of executive-branch agencies. Twenty years ago, legal contortions by OLC lawyers green-lighted torture and other gross human rights violations in Iraq, Guantanamo Bay, and secret CIA prisons. That the authors of those torture memos escaped professional sanction for their misconstructions of US and international law only compounded an impression of the OLC as a secretive legal shop with the power to bend or distort the law for the White House or federal agencies. The annals of the OLCs work over the past eighty-eight years and the hundreds of individual opinions that the Knight Institute has excavated in its litigation paint a new and far more revealing view of this Supreme Court of the executive branch. Its a view that underscores the importance of public access to the OLCs worknot just because excessive secrecy has sometimes led the OLC astray, but because the vast majority of its opinions chronicle legal thinking about some of the most challenging political and social questions the country has faced over the past nine decades, and because the way the OLC answers legal questions shapes presidential actions and policy decisions that reach from the international arena to the most mundane levels of agency operation and public life. The OLCs opinions are part of the American story, and all of usjournalists, historians, lawyers, policymakers, and the public at largewill benefit from this new window on its work. Has America ever needed a media watchdog more than now? Help us by joining CJR today Stephanie Krent and Larry Siems are the authors. Krent is a Staff Attorney at the Knight First Amendment Institute at Columbia University. Siems is the Knight Institutes Chief of Staff. Last night, Jim Pillen, a regent at the University of Nebraska, won the Republican primary for the states upcoming gubernatorial election. In their lead stories on the result, major outlets cast it as a victory for Pete Ricketts, the outgoing governor, who had backed Pillen, and as a defeat for Donald Trump, who had endorsed Charles Herbster, an agribusiness executive. These stories all noted that, as the campaign entered its final stretch, eight women, one of them a Republican state senator, told the Nebraska Examiner that Herbster had groped them, though the referendum-on-Trump framingan obsession of the political press across this years midterm primary landscapewas more dominant. The power of Trumps endorsement takes a blow, NPRs headline said. Trump gets knocked down in Nebraska, Politico blared. What none of these stories centered was Pillens rhetoric on abortion, which is perhaps surprising given its centrality to the present news cycle, with the Supreme Court poised to overturn Roe v. Wade, and the fact that Pillen made it a key plank of his campaign, perhaps more so than his opponents: he pledged to outright ban abortion, which he sees as murder, and called on state lawmakers to pass a trigger law that would automatically outlaw the practice once Roe is overturned; last month, after such a bill failed to pass, he said that he would work with pro-life voters to kick out two female state senators who blocked it. Indeed, leading stories about Pillens victory often didnt mention abortion at all. NPR and CBS did mention the issue, but only in passing, and it received similarly scant treatment in top localnews reports on his win, though these outlets did cover Pillens stances during the campaign. On its Election Day live blog, the New York Times ran a brief interview with a voter who described overturning Roe as her top issue. She said she voted for Herbster, not Pillen. ICYMI: TikTok and the son of Ferdinand Marcos take the Philippines back to the future My brief search of the right-wing mediasphere this morning didnt offer up any substantive coverage of Pillens abortion platform either; at least one outlet ran a wire story while others directed attention to a Trump-endorsed candidate winning a congressional primary in West Virginia or didnt cover the Nebraska race at all. This, perhaps, should not be a surprise: ever since Politico obtained and published Justice Samuel Alitos draft opinion overturning Roe last Monday, many conservative media personalities have focused less on what the consequences of such a decision would be, and more on the noise surrounding it. In the aftermath of Politicos story, they expressed outrage that the sanctity of the court had been breached, with some describing the fact that Alitos opinion leaked to the press as an insurrection (and not of the kind they downplay). This discourse often relied on the assumption that a disaffected liberal leaked the opinion in a desperate bid to pressure anti-Roe justices into a course correctiona host on Newsmax said he suspected Ketanji Brown Jackson, who was recently confirmed to the court but hasnt taken her seat yet and has no access to its serversthough others have theorized, at least as plausibly, that a conservative leaked it to pressure anti-Roe justices into doubling down. In any case, we dont know. A right-wing media narrative has also crystallized around those protesting the overturning of Roe, and their supposedly violent tactics. (One high-profile attackinvolving arson at an anti-abortion group in Wisconsinhas come to light, though nationally protests have largely been peaceful.) On Fox, Laura Ingraham suggested that whoever leaked the draft did so with the goal of inciting violence against conservative justices in order to force a change in the courts makeup ahead of the midterms. (I know it sounds like a totally horrifying prospect, she said, but those who believe that dismembering third-trimester babies is somehow a sacred right protected in the Constitution, could those people very well be capable of rationalizing other insidious acts?) On Saturday, Ilya Shapiro, a conservative writer, said, also on Fox, that hed heard that Alito and his family had gone into hiding. Later, when Politico pressed for details, Shapiro called this a rumor and said he couldnt recall where hed seen it. Right-wing media have not been alone in harping on about the leak and justices safety; mainstream outlets have given ample space to these topics, too, especially, in the latter case, after pro-choice protesters showed up outside the homes of Alito and two other justices. Such demonstrations have reportedly been peaceful, but the fact of them has led to no little hand-wringing among the political and media classes; the editorial board of the Washington Post described them as problematic because they bring direct public pressure to bear on a decision-making process that must be controlled, evidence-based and rational if there is to be any hope of an independent judiciary, while Marc A. Thiessen, writing in the same paper, characterized them as illegal obstruction of justice and demanded that the Biden administration crack down. (The law here is somewhat open to interpretation.) At a briefing yesterday, Jen Psaki, the outgoing White House press secretary, fielded multiple questions about protesters tactics. One reporter asked whether Psaki considers sidewalk chalk to be vandalism after Senator Susan Collins called 911 over a (polite) message left outside her home. Sign up for CJR 's daily email This strain of coverage has elicited criticism, with various observers decrying it as civility-policing. Since the draft opinion came to light, media critics have similarly pushed back on other trends in mainstream reporting and commentary that they see as distracting or ill-judged, from naive pearl-clutching over the courts institutional integrity to an excessive focus on political process or the midterm horse race. In the hours after Politico published its storyby which point some of these trends and their attendant critiques had already come to lightI wrote that the impact that overturning Roe would have on people seeking abortions, and the fact that Roe remains the law of the land for now, should be the focus of our coverage, even if some aspects of the discussion around the leak are interesting and consequential. Since then, the abortion story has attracted so much coverage across the mediasphere that its been hard to see it as having a single clear focusbut many journalists have already worked hard to center those who would be affected by abortion bans, and their work should be applauded. The Politico story has also opened a new chapter in the debate over journalistic objectivitya principle that has been at issue in criticism of the day-to-day coverage of the draft opinion, but also goes far beyond that. Over the past week, bosses at various media companiesincluding Scripps and, reportedly, NPR and the Associated Presshave messaged staffers to remind them not to share their personal opinions about Roe; yesterday, the Posts Elahe Izadi shared a portion of a memo sent to employees at Axios, who were told that, while abortion is a human-rights issue, sharing opinions on it would unavoidably be perceived as picking a political side in public. The same memo acknowledged that Axios allowed staff to join racial-justice protests in 2020, but described that moment as different from now since it was a fleeting moment of unity during which specific policy solutions were not being debated. This is factually questionable. Either way, the media industry as a whole emerged from 2020 without having resolved fundamental internal tensions over journalists rights to talk about their rights. The Roe debate is exposing that failure again. At the same time, various critics have looked beyond the current moment to the medias longer-term history of covering abortion, outlining where they see it as having fallen short. Margaret Sullivan, a media critic at the Post, argued that mainstream outlets have allowed the anti-abortion lobby to weaponize language. When journalists agreed to accept terms such as pro-life to describe those who oppose abortion, they implicitly agreed to help stigmatize those who support it, she wrote. After all, whats the rhetorical opposite of pro-life? Tina Vasquez, an immigration reporter, made a similar point, describing the language around so-called heartbeat bills as pure propaganda whose usage hardly squares with any true commitment to objectivity. At a broader level, Sharon Kann, of the liberal watchdog group Media Matters for America, argued that the impending demise of Roe is not merely the culmination of years of right-wing machinations, but also of just as many years of mainstream media persistently ignoring or downplaying the likelihood that this moment would come. Politicos story was earth-shaking in itself, and the overturning of Roe, if and when confirmed, will be greatly more seismic still. But it will be a moment of culmination, as well as one of rupture. The medias role in America getting to this point is open to debate, and that debate should continue. For now, its striking that, allowing for its broad sweep, the mainstream coverage of the draft opinion has often treated it as a radical turning point while simultaneously filtering it through predictable, habitual lenses. The horse race, of course, is one of those. Too often, its a lens that doesnt make room for much discussion of policy at all. Below, more on Roe and abortion: A career change: On his CNN show on Sunday, Brian Stelter spoke with Kate Smith, who covered reproductive rights for CBS News before leaving the network to become the senior director of news content for Planned Parenthood, which was one of her main sources as a journalist. My editor was no longer interested in covering abortion policy and sexual reproductive health as a dedicated beat, Smith said, so I was more willing to consider other options. Smith is now helping Planned Parenthood build out its own news division. If you want to understand what your rights are right now, come to Planned Parenthood, she said. Were the experts. On his CNN show on Sunday, Brian Stelter spoke with Kate Smith, who covered reproductive rights for CBS News before leaving the network to become the senior director of news content for Planned Parenthood, which was one of her main sources as a journalist. My editor was no longer interested in covering abortion policy and sexual reproductive health as a dedicated beat, Smith said, so I was more willing to consider other options. Smith is now helping Planned Parenthood build out its own news division. If you want to understand what your rights are right now, come to Planned Parenthood, she said. Were the experts. Oops: Over the weekend, a segment on ABC News featured a brief interview with a man named Owen Shroyer, whom the network identified as an anti-abortion protester as he held up an image of a fetus for the camera. But Shroyer is a bit more than that: as Insiders Connor Perrett writes, he hosts the The War Room with Owen Shroyer on the far-right website InfoWars, and was arrested and charged last year with four misdemeanors relating to his participation in the January 6, 2021, riot at the US Capitol. Over the weekend, a segment on ABC News featured a brief interview with a man named Owen Shroyer, whom the network identified as an anti-abortion protester as he held up an image of a fetus for the camera. But Shroyer is a bit more than that: as Insiders Connor Perrett writes, he hosts the The War Room with Owen Shroyer on the far-right website InfoWars, and was arrested and charged last year with four misdemeanors relating to his participation in the January 6, 2021, riot at the US Capitol. Pillen and the press: According to Reid J. Epstein, of the Times, Pillen, the anti-abortion gubernatorial nominee in Nebraska, ran a media-shy campaign. Pillen skipped all of the televised debates during the primary campaign, opting instead to hold hundreds of small meetings with voters across the state, Epstein notes. His opponents argued that he lacked charisma and was not prepared to discuss the states issues; Mr. Pillen said he was building coalitions away from the prying eyes of the news media. Other notable stories: New from CJR: Challenging secrecy in the Justice Departments Office of Legal Counsel Has America ever needed a media watchdog more than now? Help us by joining CJR today Jon Allsop is a freelance journalist whose work has appeared in the New York Review of Books, Foreign Policy, and The Nation, among other outlets. He writes CJRs newsletter The Media Today. Find him on Twitter @Jon_Allsop. Commentary: Common good calls for closer China-Philippines friendship, cooperation 08:22, May 11, 2022 By Yan Jie ( Xinhua Cargos containing the Sinopharm COVID-19 vaccines are seen upon arrival in Manila, the Philippines, Aug. 20, 2021. (Xinhua/Rouelle Umali) Against the headwinds of rising global challenges, it is more important than ever for China and the Philippines to consolidate their friendship and cooperation, properly manage their differences, uphold the vision of common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security, and jointly safeguard the hard-won peace and stability in the region. MANILA, May 10 (Xinhua) -- Ferdinand Marcos Jr.'s landslide victory in Monday's Philippine presidential election is expected to ensure the continuity of an independent Philippine foreign policy conducive to the Philippines-China good-neighborly friendship and cooperation. Last year, the former senator told local media that the Philippines and China are neighbors and consolidating the good-neighborly friendship between the two countries is for the people's benefit. He pledged to strengthen bilateral relations and promote cooperation in economy and trade, education, and people-to-people and cultural exchanges. China and the Philippines enjoy a long history of friendly exchanges. In recent years, the two countries have established a comprehensive strategic cooperative relationship, deepened the synergy between the joint construction of the Belt and Road Initiative and the plan of "Build, Build, Build," and jointly promoted cooperation in major programs, with bilateral trade flourishing. China's Ambassador to the Philippines Huang Xilian (3rd L) and Carlito Galvez (3rd R), the chief implementer of Philippine government's measures to combat COVID-19, are seen with officials from the Philippine government in front of cargos containing Sinovac vaccines in Pasay City, the Philippines, Oct. 24, 2021. (Rouelle Umali/Xinhua) In the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, China and the Philippines have stood by each other to keep their citizens safe and healthy. The two sides' proper handling of the South China Sea issue has laid an important foundation for the China-Philippines friendly cooperation, benefited the two peoples and also effectively safeguarded regional peace and stability. Against the headwinds of rising global challenges, it is more important than ever for China and the Philippines to consolidate their friendship and cooperation, properly manage their differences, uphold the vision of common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security, and jointly safeguard the hard-won peace and stability in the region. Looking into the future, there will be greater scope for China and the Philippines to deepen their win-win cooperation in such fields as anti-pandemic, economy and trade, infrastructure, tourism, education and public health. China, as outgoing President Rodrigo Duterte has said, is a true and reliable friend of the Philippine people. Indeed, building a closer China-Philippines partnership is in the interests of both sides. Marcos is scheduled to begin his term on June 30. It is a shared hope that China-Philippines relations will become stronger and their cooperation more fruitful. (Web editor: Peng Yukai, Liang Jun) NEW YORK A New York City police officer was shot in the arm and the gunman was killed in a shootout in the Bronx, officials said Wednesday. The confrontation happened at about 10:45 p.m. Tuesday when Officer Dennis Vargas and his partner, patrolling in uniform in an unmarked police car, spotted Rameek Smith, 25, Chief of Detectives James Essig said. Advertisement One of the officers approached Smith, who ran, Essig said. Officials said Vargas and his partner were assigned to the neighborhood safety unit, tasked with taking illegal guns off the streets. They did not say what exactly led the officers to approach Smith. The officers chased Smith on foot, and after a pursuit of about a block and a half, Smith turned and fired two shots, Essig said. Advertisement The officers returned fire, and Smith was shot in the head, officials said. Breaking News As it happens Get updates on the coronavirus pandemic and other news as it happens with our free breaking news email alerts. > Vargas was shot in the left arm. He was treated at Lincoln Hospital and released. Smith was taken to St. Barnabas Hospital, where he died. Police said a 9-millimeter Glock handgun that had been reported stolen in June 2021 in Richmond, Virginia, was recovered at the shooting scene. An angry Mayor Eric Adams, speaking before Smith was pronounced dead, said the suspect had an extensive arrest history, including a gun possession arrest after he was caught jumping a subway turnstile in March 2020. Adams, who joined police officials at a news conference early Wednesday at the hospital where Vargas was being treated, said that while police officers are on the front lines, were spending more attention critiquing their actions. Lets critique the actions of those who are committing the crimes in this city. The number of shootings we respond to every night is despicable, said Adams, a Democrat and former police officer. Officials said Smith listed an address at a homeless shelter on Staten Island but had family members in the Bronx. He pleaded guilty to the 2020 gun charge in December of last year and was awaiting sentencing, they said. Facial recognition startup Clearview AI has agreed to restrict the use of its massive collection of face images to settle allegations that it collected peoples photos without their consent. The company in a legal filing Monday agreed to permanently stop selling access to its face database to private businesses or individuals around the U.S., putting a limit on what it can do with its ever-growing trove of billions of images pulled from social media and elsewhere on the internet. The settlement which must be approved by a county judge in Chicago will end a 2-year-old lawsuit brought by the American Civil Liberties Union and other groups over alleged violations of an Illinois digital privacy law. The company still faces a separate privacy case before a federal judge in Illinois. Clearview is also agreeing to stop making its database available to Illinois state government and local police departments for five years. The New York-based company will continue offering its services to federal agencies, such as U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and to other law enforcement agencies and government contractors outside of Illinois. This is a huge win, said Linda Xochitl Tortolero, president of Chicago-based Mujeres Latinas en Accion, which works with survivors of gender-based violence and was a plaintiff in the case along with the ACLU and other groups. Among the concerns raised by Tortoleros group was that photos posted on social media sites such as Facebook or Instagram and turned into a faceprint by Clearview could end up being used by stalkers, ex-partners or predatory companies to track a persons whereabouts and social activity. A prominent attorney who was defending Clearview against the lawsuit said the company is pleased to put this litigation behind it. The settlement does not require any material change in the companys business model or bar it from any conduct in which it engages at the present time, said a statement from Floyd Abrams, a lawyer known for taking on high-profile free speech cases. Abrams noted that the company was already not providing its services to police agencies in Illinois and agreed to the 5-year moratorium to avoid a protracted, costly and distracting legal dispute with the ACLU and others. Illinois Biometric Information Privacy Act allows consumers to sue companies that dont get permission before harvesting data such as faces and fingerprints. Another privacy lawsuit over the same Illinois law led Facebook last year to agree to pay $650 million to settle allegations it used photo face-tagging and other biometric data without the permission of its users. It shows we can fight these companies when theyre taking these kinds of actions, Tortolero said of the Clearview settlement. It also highlights the fact that there are many ways that social media and the technology companies that collect this kind of information can be harmful to Americans. The settlement document says Clearview continues to deny and dispute the claims brought by the ACLU and other plaintiffs. But even before Mondays settlement, the case has been curtailing some of the companys controversial business practices. Clearview AI co-founder and CEO Hoan Ton-That told The Associated Press in April that the company was preparing to launch a new consent-based business product to compete with the likes of Amazon and Microsoft in verifying peoples identity using facial recognition. The new venture would use Clearviews algorithms to verify a persons face, but would not involve its trove of some 20 billion images, which Ton-That said is now reserved for law enforcement use. Thats a shift from earlier in Clearviews business history when it had pitched the technology for a variety of commercial uses. Regulators from Australia to Canada, France and Italy have taken measures to try to stop Clearview from pulling peoples faces into its facial recognition engine without their consent. So have tech giants such as Google and Facebook. A group of U.S. lawmakers earlier this year warned that Clearview AIs technology could eliminate public anonymity in the United States. While Mondays settlement reins in Clearviews practices significantly, it should not end scrutiny of the company by Congress, state legislatures and regulators, said Nathan Freed Wessler, deputy director of ACLUs speech, privacy and technology project. Much of the strength of Clearviews artificial intelligence technology now a selling point for police and other uses is that it was able to learn from all of the faces it scanned across the publicly accessible internet. This companys approach was effectively a Silicon Valley mentality of lets break things first and then figure out how to clean up the mess later in order to try to make a profit, Wessler said. They broke through a very strong taboo that had kept big tech companies like Google and others from building the same product that they had the technological capability to do. OBrien reported from Providence, Rhode Island. Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Appian Corp. shares soared and Pegasystems Inc. shares tumbled on Tuesday after a Virginia jury ordered Pegasystems to pay its software rival $2.04 billion in damages for misappropriating trade secrets. The damages award issued on Monday by the Fairfax County Circuit Court jury followed a seven-week trial, and may be the largest in Virginias history, Appian said. Shares of Appian rose $16.60, or 38.6%, to $59.62 in Tuesday trading. Pegasystems shares fell $13.68, or 20.7%, to $52.25 after earlier falling to $36.50, their lowest since January 2017. Appian, based in McLean, Virginia, alleged in its May 2020 lawsuit that Pegasystems retained an employee of a government contractor from 2012 to 2014 to access its software, helping it to improve its own products and better train its sales force. It said Pegasystems, based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, referred internally to the contractor as a spy and to its scheme as Project Crush, with some employees using bogus credentials to fool Appian into providing access. Appian said the jury found the misappropriation willful and malicious, which could enable it to recoup legal fees. Lisa Pintchman, a spokeswoman for Pegasystems, said the verdict resulted from significant error and was not supported by the facts or law. She said the company will certainly appeal what we believe is an unjust result. Pegasystems also plans to ask the trial judge to set aside the verdict, which included a damages award of $1 for a violation of the Virginia Computer Crimes Act. In 2021, Appian posted an $88.6 million net loss on $369.3 million of revenue, while Pegasystems lost $63 million on revenue of $1.21 billion, regulatory filings show. Appian general counsel Christopher Winters said in a statement: The award of substantial damages to Appian is entirely appropriate given the nature and extent of what Pegasystems did. (Reporting by Jonathan Stempel in New YorkEditing by Matthew Lewis, Chizu Nomiyama and Bernard Orr) If insurers and employers want to deny a workers compensation claim because it was filed too late, they shouldnt forget about a visit to the company doctor, which extends the clock under the quirks of North Carolinas comp statutes. And the Industrial Commissions finding regarding the statute of limitations on claims is, in fact, reviewable by an appeals court. Those were the take-aways from a North Carolina Supreme Courts decision handed down late last week. In Doris Cunningham vs. Goodyear Tire and Rubber Co. and Liberty Mutual Insurance Co., the high court upheld the state appeals court, which had overruled the Industrial Commission in 2020. The May 6 decision was written by Justice Robin Hudson, one of the few justices in any state who was a workers compensation lawyer before moving to the bench. This may be one of the last comp-case opinions for Hudson, who is age-limited by North Carolina statute from seeking another term, explained the claimants appeals attorney, Jay Gervasi of Greensboro. Shes a good justice. I hate to see her go, Gervasi said. The Cunningham case began almost a decade ago. Doris Cunningham had been working at the Goodyear plant in North Carolina since 1999. The physically demanding job required her to walk as much as eight miles a day and continually lift tires and place them into a machine to be heated and molded. Her quota was 1,400 tires in a 12-hour shift, the court explained. She injured her back twice in 2011. Then in 2014, she tried to lift a tire off a truck but it was stuck. She again injured her back, so much so that she said she couldnt move when she awakened the next morning. She filed an accident report, was placed on light duty for six weeks, then returned to her regular job and did not miss a day of work, the justices wrote in the opinion. Cunningham never received indemnity payments, only medical benefits for the back pain. The Goodyear plant is unusual in that it has a medical clinic and doctor on site and regularly treats injured workers. For months after the back injury, Cunningham was treated at the plant clinic and by a physical therapist on contract with the manufacturer. In 2015 she reported continued pain but she kept working. Two years later, Cunningham said the pain had moved into her foot. In April 2017, a nurse at the Goodyear plant clinic treated the worker but told her that her file had been closed because she had reached the statute of limitation on the claim, and no further treatment was to be provided. Cunningham then reported that just a few days before, she had again hurt her back trying to lift a stuck tire, the court explained. Two months later, and again in 2019, a neurosurgeon found degeneration in two discs in her spine, which he said were probably exacerbated by the 2017 incident. Cunningham then filed another claim, but the employer and Liberty Mutual denied it, arguing that the claim was time-barred because it was not filed within two years of the 2014 injury. The Industrial Commission agreed with the insurer that Cunninghams claim came too late after the 2014 incident and that her 2017 claim was not supported by evidence. Cunningham appealed to the state Court of Appeals, which reversed the commissions findings. The appellate judges found that the 2017 injury and visit to the clinic was indeed related to the previous back injury and was not time-barred. But because the decision included a dissent by one of the judges, the defendant carrier had a right to appeal to the Supreme Court. Liberty Mutual and Goodyear, represented by attorney Angela Craddock, argued that the Industrial Commission was the finder of fact, had reviewed the evidence, and its decision should not be disturbed. In a question of first impression for this Court, defendants argue the standard of review on appeal for commission findings on compliance with the statutes timely filing requirement is a competent evidence standard of review, rather than de novo review, the Supreme Court said. We disagree. The question of whether the claim was barred by the two-year statute of limitations is a jurisdictional matter that is, in fact, subject to de novo review on appeal, the court found. Gervasi, the claimants appellate attorney, explained that even though the employer/carrier did not pay indemnity benefits, it had continued to treat Cunningham through the years, often at the in-house clinic at the plant. In 2017, the insurer may not have intended to do that, especially since it already informed the nurse that the claim had expired. That visit to the plant clinic kept the claim alive per the comp statute, even though the injury had happened more than two years earlier, he said. The take home for insurance companies is to pay attention to medical (visits), but also dont worry too much about this particular case because it may not have much application to other claims, Gervasi said. The case now goes back to the Industrial Commission. We conclude findings by the Commission regarding the timely-filing requirement under N.C.G.S. 97-24 are subject to de novo review, Justice Hudson wrote. And the Court of Appeals properly held the Commission erred in finding that plaintiffs last medical treatment for her 27 May 2014 injury was in 2015, not 2017. Accordingly, we affirm the decision of the Court of Appeals, and remand for further remand to the Commission for consideration of the merits of plaintiffs 27 May 2014 injury claim. The decision included a dissenting opinion by Chief Justice Paul Newby and Associate Justice Tamara Barringer. A sculpture that moves with the wind stands on the corner of 23rd Street and West Avenue in Newport News on Tuesday afternoon. The city installed the 16 foot, 7 inch sculpture Fluidity, created by Will Carr, in late April. (Jonathon Gruenke/Daily Press) Newport News had visions of installing art that could be used to generate power for electric cars. Staff ran into challenges figuring out how to do the latter but decided it was still worth installing the art downtown. Advertisement In late April, the city placed the sculpture at the corner of 23rd Street and West Avenue in the citys Yard District. The silver-colored piece of art stands more than 16 feet tall with s-shaped pieces that move in the wind. The city considered several different pieces before deciding on Fluidity, created by Will Carr, an artist from the United Kingdom. Advertisement Fluidity is my largest and most ambitious kinetic wind sculpture so far, Carr said in a statement. I endeavor to bring a sense of joy to its viewers with its ever-changing flows of energy. Daywatch Weekdays Start your morning with today's local news > Carr spent nine months developing the piece, which can move with even the slightest of winds. Hes spent years creating kinetic wind sculptures inspired by the merging of art, nature and technology. Kinetic art art that moves has its foundation in two early 20th-century art movements, Dadaism and Constructivism. The art is part of the citys multi-pronged approach to bringing people downtown. The city hopes the sculpture will catch peoples attention and interest as theyre traveling along West Avenue, according to Sheila McAllister, the citys director of planning. She said the piece was chosen because it flowed well and wasnt too ornate and fit in with the existing industrial surroundings. Newport News has been working to draw people to the area with events and to make that part of the city more accessible with free parking and adding additional lighting. McAllister said the city is also considering adding more art to the area. Jessica Nolte, 757-912-1675, jnolte@dailypress.com Francine Bragg, production lead, helps keep her team stocked with supplies to make COVID-19 testing kits at Canon Virginia in Newport News on Thursday, May 5, 2022. (Stephen M. Katz/The Virginian-Pilot) When a Maryland-based biomedical companys COVID-19 test kits got emergency use authorization by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, it faced a major question: Where to manufacture them? Within days, MaximBio staff were in talks with Canon Virginia, a Newport News manufacturing company, thanks to a National Institutes of Health initiative called RADx. The program aims to increase domestic manufacturing of medical equipment and medicines to fight the coronavirus pandemic, according to Jonathan Maa, MaximBio chief operating officer. Advertisement Now his companys test kits are being pumped out of Canons Newport News plant. Were in full production, said Ron Kurz, director of research and development at Canon Virginia, talking from the plants production floor Thursday. Advertisement Emergency materials to fight the pandemic, such as personal protective equipment, have been delayed because of supply chain issues, leaving hospitals and emergency responders scrambling for materials that have been increasingly sourced from overseas. Despite the new emphasis on reshoring, and some successes, most companies that sought to fill the void of emergency materials have either gone out of business or scaled back their production lines, said Brett Vassey, president and CEO of the Virginia Manufacturers Association. Weve learned nothing from the pandemic, Vassey said. Absolutely nothing. He said companies and agencies have reverted to buying the lowest-cost materials from overseas. But those lower costs come at a price reduced quality and supply chain uncertainty. As the buyers flocked back to foreign products, it left domestic companies struggling to survive. For us, its an incredibly disappointing situation that so many companies made such an investment, not really to be rewarded, but because it was the right thing to do, he said. But the expectation was the state would do the right thing, and it just didnt happen. However, a state law backed by a Hampton Roads politician could help turn the tide in the commonwealth. Senate Bill 416 would require state agencies to prioritize procurement of PPE made in Virginia and/or the U.S. if there are three or more bids for a contract. It also requires agencies to ensure whatever PPE is procured meets FDA quality standards. It received overwhelming bipartisan support in the House and Senate. In 2020, nearly three out of four KN95 masks imported from China did not meet those standards, according to media reports. Production of PPE and other vital medical supplies is mostly sourced abroad, and that reliance was becoming a larger issue even before the pandemic, according to the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission. Advertisement Virginia State Sen. Bill DeSteph, R-Virginia Beach (Steve Helber/AP) The Virginia bill was sponsored by Sen. Bill DeSteph, R-Virginia Beach, who also thinks the state and other buyers left new domestic producers high and dry when they returned to foreign sources for emergency materials. To DeSteph, its not just about supporting companies that rose to the occasion, but its also about ensuring quality materials are available to American health care workers and first responders when they are needed. But the bills future is still unclear. Daywatch Weekdays Start your morning with today's local news > Gov. Glenn Youngkin received the bill from the General Assembly and on April 11 sent it back to legislators with his recommendations. On April 27, the Senate decided not to take up Youngkins recommendations. The governor has until May 27 to veto or sign the bill, according to state code. Youngkins recommendations would have had the bill go into effect July 1, 2023, instead of July 1 of this year, so there could be additional review, including on supply chain feasibility and the affect it would have on state agencies to acquire PPE. DeSteph said he didnt think the issue needed to be studied to death, and other legislators agreed, so they chose not to accept Youngkins recommendations. Advertisement Even if the bill were to become law, there are still some supply chain gaps. The goal is to first produce 8 million testing kits for the Biden administrations 1 billion testing kit goal and then expand operations, Maa and Kurz said. I think youve seen a lot of supply chain disruptions happen during COVID getting things in from overseas becomes a huge challenge, Maa said. But having it here domestically helps smooth out that supply chain process. Ian Munro, 757-861-3369, ian.munro@virginiamedia.com, @iamIanMunro The three service members were taken to a hospital for treatment after a military helicopter made a hard landing May 5, 2022, at Fort Story in Virginia Beach.. One of the service members, Ryan DeKorte, died at a hospital May 9, 2022, according to a news release from Naval Special Warfare Command. (Naval Special Warfare) The Naval Special Warfare Command on Wednesday identified a 35-year-old sailor killed after a military helicopter made a hard landing last week at Fort Story in Virginia Beach. The helicopter was conducting routine training about 4:15 p.m. Thursday when the landing occurred, Capt. Sarah Self-Kyler, spokesperson for Fleet Forces told The Virginian-Pilot at the time. Advertisement Three service members were taken to a hospital for treatment. One died at a hospital Monday afternoon, according to a news release from Naval Special Warfare Command. Ryan DeKorte was on the ground when the helicopter hard landed nearby, the Associated Press reported. Hard landings differ from crashes in that in a hard landing the pilot maintains at least partial control of the aircraft, whereas a crash is uncontrolled. Advertisement DeKorte, originally from Lubbock, Texas, joined the Navy in 2014, the release said. He served aboard the USS Jason Dunham before he was assigned to Naval Special Warfare in 2020. Daywatch Weekdays Start your morning with today's local news > DeKorte, an electronics technician 1st Class, was an exceptional teammate, said Rear Admiral H.W. Howard in a statement. Ryan was one of our premiere combat support technicians, who possessed all the attributes that make our force combat ready for highly complex and high-risk missions in the Nations defense, Howard said. His humility, stewardship and commitment to Naval Special Warfare made an indelible mark on his teammates and our community. A U.S. Fleet Forces spokesperson would not say what military branch the helicopter was affiliated with, and authorities have not released further details about the incident. An investigation is ongoing. Caitlyn Burchett, 727-267-6059, caitlyn.burchett@virginiamedia.com Ali Sullivan, 757-677-1974, ali.sullivan@virginiamedia.com Ernest Luning: "Just as Salazars heritage and background mirrors the ever-evolving relationship of the American Southwest and its centuries-old neighbor to the south, Salazars political rise from the ranch his family has tended for generations in Los Rincones one of the first spots in Colorado to be settled by Europeans set the pace for the Colorado Democratic Partys climb from obscurity to near-total control of the state." Opponents of the proposal for a faith-based rehabilitation center at Makemie Woods, many of them wearing orange, packed New Kents Board of Supervisors meeting on May 9. (David Macaulay/freelance) NEW KENT A move by a Newport News-based Christian charity to relocate its drug and alcohol rehabilitation center to a camp in New Kent has failed after the countys board of supervisors warned it could bring big city problems to the rural area. Faith Recovery applied for a conditional use permit to use an existing camp at Makemie Woods with a conference center and other facilities as a year-round, faith-based recovery ministry. The non-profits leaders argued that the quiet surroundings of the former youth summer camp in Barhamsville offered a better environment for recovering addicts than downtown Newport News. Advertisement The board of supervisors sided 4-1 with neighbors who spoke in opposition to the camp. We dont want New Kent County to become Newport News we dont want people to be able to walk down the street to be able to purchase and get their hands on drugs, said Vice-Chairman Thomas Tiller, who called for rejection of the permit after a public hearing on Monday. The Rev. Travis Hall, the executive director of Faith Recovery, said the streets around the nonprofits present location on 34th Street in Newport News offer easy access to drugs and temptation to addicts undergoing the 12-month residential program. Advertisement Its as much about the new environment being conducive to emotional healing and spiritual growth, Hall said. The environment at Makemie Woods provides a much better place for healing than the Newport News facility. Board Chairman Thomas Evelyn praised Faith Recovery but questioned whether the treatment center would be compatible with the countys comprehensive plan. The plan states that proposed uses should not be detrimental to adjacent properties or impact their value. He also raised concerns about traffic. Supervisor Ron Stiers presented results of a Freedom of Information request he made to the Newport News Police Department asking for a list of calls police have made to Faith Recoverys downtown premises. It kind of concerned me, he said. Incidents reported included an unconscious/unresponsive person in 2020, an assault in the same year, gunshots in 2021, overdoses, a suicide and fugitive reports. At any rehab center anywhere, things are going to happen. Thats the unfortunate reality of addiction, Program Director Conor Yeomans told him. However, the gunshots report was related to a call made by Faith Recovery staff about gunshots in the area while the suicide was unconnected homeless person found dead near the fatality, according to staff. John Lockwood, the only supervisor to support the application for the 275-acre site, claimed addicts are being treated like outcasts. He said while some safety concerns were understandable, the residents would already have undergone some detox or recovery treatment. They are not coming in there stoned or crackhead zombies running down the streets, he said. Advertisement Its not like it doesnt exist in New Kent. Its not like it doesnt exist everywhere in our community, he said. I hear not in my backyard, but where? Whose backyard is OK? The planning commission gave an unfavorable recommendation to Faith Recoverys plan for a rehabilitation center in March. At Mondays meeting, Sandy Gauthier presented a petition of over 200 signatures from fellow New Kent residents against the proposal. She said an earlier online petition attracted 56 signatures from the community. They have no license. They have no professional medical staff the safety of our rural community cannot be guaranteed, Gauthier said. The Makemie Woods area is a peaceful rural community in New Kent. We ask you not to bring these 40 students, addicts, alcoholics, felons plus a host of others into our community. They do not belong here, she said. However, many people at the public hearing spoke in favor of the facility and said it could help deal with the problems of addiction in New Kent. Advertisement Kenneth Hodge from Lanexa said work crews from Faith Recovery have worked at his house. They are the most respectful group of people that I have ever had working for me, he said. Hodge said the faith-based program appeared to be effective. He said many of those opposed to the center demonstrated fear of the unknown. Faith Recovery was poised to buy the property at Makemie Woods from the Presbyterian Church if the board granted a conditional use permit. Hall said the church wanted to sell it to a faith-based organization. Faith Recovery staff pointed out that the organization is going through a formal licensing application through Virginia Department of Behavioral Health and Development. Hall outlined how Faith Recovery planned to renovate the deteriorating camp, which includes a lodge and dorms. The camp, run by the Presbyterian Church for over 50 years, closed in 2017 because of financial issues. Faith Recovery spokeswoman Mandi Sabo issued a statement after the decision. If the only thing to come out of this is one person finding the help they need that would be more than enough for us. We are hopeful for the future, she said. David Macaulay, davidmacaulayva@gmail.com Colorado Politics is published both in print and online. Our website features subscriber-only news stories daily, designed for public policy arena professionals. Member subscribers also receive the weekly print edition of our award-winning newspaper, containing outstanding features and news stories, in their mailboxes every Saturday. Would you like to receive our news updates? Signup today! Sign up to receive notifications when a new Columbia Gorge News e-Edition is published. Error! There was an error processing your request. Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup. News and Info from our Community Partners Information from the News and our advertisers (Want to add your business to this to this feed?) Are you a current print subscriber to Columbia Gorge News? If so, you qualify for free access to all content on columbiagorgenews.com. Simply verify with your subscriber id to receive free access. Your subscriber id may be found on your bill or mailing label. Bengaluru: Karnataka government on Tuesday banned the use of loudspeakers between 10 pm and 6 am amid a raging debate over loudspeakers. Karnataka government said that a loudspeaker or a public address system shall not be used except after obtaining written permission from the designated authorities. "A loudspeaker or a public address system shall not be used at night (between 10.00 pm to 6.00 am) except in closed premises for communication within e.g., auditoria, conference rooms, community halls and banquet halls," the circular said. The circular cited the Supreme Court order which has said that the noise level at the boundary of the public place, where a loudspeaker or public address system or any other noise source is being used shall not exceed 10 dB(A) above the ambient noise standards for the area or 75 dB(A) whichever is lower. "The State Government hereby reiterates that the Government order...under the Noise Pollution (Regulation and Control) Rules 2000 are to be strictly followed and enforced for Regulation of Noise Pollution from loudspeakers/public address system and sound-producing instruments," it read. The loudspeakers row started when the MNS chief on April 12 gave an ultimatum to the Maharashtra government to remove loudspeakers from mosques by May 3, failing which, he warned, MNS workers will play Hanuman Chalisa on loudspeakers. A case was filed against Raj Thackeray on Tuesday when he appealed to people to play Hanuman Chalisa on loudspeakers in the areas where loudspeakers are used for 'Azaan'. The Missourians Opinion section is a public forum for the discussion of ideas. The views presented in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Missourian or the University of Missouri. If you would like to contribute to the Opinion page with a response or an original topic of your own, visit our submission form Last year, around 1,34,003 vehicles were registered in Hyderabad, while in Ranga Reddy it was 1,15,227 and Medchal 73,223. Sales of four-wheelers increased after the Covid-19 pandemic. (Representational Image: DC file) Hyderabad: The Telangana State Road Transport Authority has increased life tax and green tax amounts, which will be an additional Rs 400 crore burden on those purchasing new vehicles. Last year, around 1,34,003 vehicles were registered in Hyderabad, while in Ranga Reddy it was 1,15,227 and Medchal 73,223. Sales of four-wheelers increased after the Covid-19 pandemic. In 2020-2021 fiscal, the state transport authority generated revenue of Rs 3,228.69 crore. This increase in taxes will affect all two, three and four-wheeler owners. It is 13 per cent on vehicles priced below Rs five lakh, 14 per cent on above Rs five lakh, 17 per cent on above Rs 10 lakh while there will be an 18 per cent increase on vehicles above Rs 20 lakh. There is utter confusion among customers who go to RTA for registration and re-registrations. Authorities are hesitant about explaining the category-wise percentage. When this correspondent tried to contact RTA officials, it was found that many top officials were on leave while the others present in office refused to speak on the issue. Shaik Salauddin, president of Telangana Four Wheeler Drivers Association said the transport department has increased rates on fitness, green and life taxes and other RTA services. But they have not released any notification or any public announcement on this. There is no clarity on the taxes. The RTA has to clarify. The state government is looting the common man and that too without any intimation. Meanwhile, a cab driver, Vadda Narsimha, cautioned if taxes are increased, then we shall increase our fares. Hyderabad: A 30-year-old man was burnt to death while four others sustained injuries following an accident between a private bus and a transport vehicle at Zaheerabad of Sangareddy early on Tuesday. All passengers on the bus were safe. First reports said the victim was a 10-year-old. Officials from the fire department later confirmed that the deceased was one Sameer, 30. The transport vehicle was carrying five men and taking a U-turn on NH-65 when the mishap occurred. A private travels company bus, heading Hyderabad from Mumbai, crashed into their vehicle. The impact was so severe that the fuel tank of the transport vehicle exploded and caught fire, killing Sameer on the spot, said V. Srinivas, Sangareddy district fire officer. He said two more men escaped with burns while two others sustained injuries from the impact. Srinivas said all passengers in the bus were safe; the driver along with the cleaner sustained minor injuries. The Zaheerabad police registered a case under Section 304-A (death by negligence) and 337 (causing hurt due to rash or negligent driving) of the IPC and started a probe. Sanjay said that he was accepting the challenge from TRS working president and minister K.T. Rama Rao to prove that the BJP was providing funds and assistance to the state. Facebook HYDERABAD: Telangana BJP president Bandi Sanjay Kumar on Tuesday said he was accepting the challenge from TRS for a debate on the distribution of Krishna river water between AP and Telangana, and on the misuse of Central funds given to Telangana. Addressing an enthusiastic crowd at Tommidi Rekula village in Ranga Reddy district on Day 27 of his Praja Sangrama Yatra, Sanjay said that he was accepting the challenge from TRS working president and minister K.T. Rama Rao to prove that the BJP was providing funds and assistance to the state. He wondered if Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao, or his son, would be willing to engage in a debate with him on these issues. I will be on the padayatra for four more days and they are welcome to come for a debate, he said. Sanjay also wanted to know if Chandrashekar Rao was ready to face a referendum on the increased power tariffs in the state. In an open letter to the Chief Minister, Sanjay said that the BJP would launch a Gandhian struggle and continue it till hikes are withdrawn. The hikes place a burden of Rs 6,000 crore on the people. On the other hand, when electricity officials go to the Old City to collect payments for bills, they are attacked and your government does nothing. The BJP will not rest until tariff hikes are withdrawn, he said. Malware researchers warn about a stealthy backdoor program that has been used by a Chinese threat actor to compromise Linux servers at government and private organizations around the world. While the backdoor is not new and variants have been in use for the past five years, it has managed to fly under the radar and have very low detection rates. One reason for its success is that it leverages a feature called the Berkeley Packet Filter (BPF) on Unix-based systems to hide malicious traffic. BPFdoor was named by researchers from PwC Threat Intelligence who attribute it to a Chinese group they call Red Menshen. The PwC team found the threat while investigating several intrusions throughout Asia last year and included a short section about it in their annual threat report released late last month This short mention didn't get a lot of attention until independent security researcher Kevin Beaumont shared the link to a malware sample with low detection rate on VirusTotal a few days ago. This prompted confirmation by the PwC team that what Beaumont found was a controller for the passive BPFdoor backdoor. This prompted a more detailed write-up by Beaumont who was also independently tracking the malware since last year. "I swept the internet for BPFDoor throughout 2021 and discovered it is installed at organizations in across the globe -- in particular the U.S., South Korea, Hong Kong, Turkey, India, Viet Nam and Myanmar, and is highly evasive," Beaumont said in a blog post. "These organizations include government systems, postal and logistic systems, education systems and more." How BPFdoor abuses BPF While the PwC researchers plan to share more details about the backdoor at a conference in June, other researchers, including Beaumont, have already located more samples on VirusTotal potentially uploaded by victims or other parties over the years. In addition to the samples, the source code of an older variant of the backdoor was posted online and was analyzed by Linux intrusion detection and incident response firm Sandfly Security. "The BPFDoor source is small, focused and well written," the Sandfly researchers said. "While the sample we reviewed was Linux specific, with some small changes it could easily be ported to other platforms (a Solaris binary reportedly exists). BPF is widely available across operating systems and the core shell functions would likely work across platforms with little modification." To be deployed on a system effectively, the malware needs to be executed with root privileges. This suggests that the attackers are compromising the infected servers using other techniques, potentially by exploiting vulnerabilities. Once executed, the backdoor first performs several detection-evasion and anti-forensics steps. This involves copying itself to the Linux ramdisk, altering timestamps, setting itself up to masquerade as a legitimate process running on the system, and deleting certain environment data for process execution that could be useful to forensics tools. According to the Sandfly researchers, the backdoor doesn't have a persistence mechanism or routine built-in, so this is likely achieved by attackers manually by deploying persistence scripts. Once running on a system, the backdoor loads a BPF filter, which allows it to monitor network packets arriving on the system on various protocols such as ICMP (ping), TCP and UDP. The goal of this filter is to discard all packets and only process ones that have a magic value in their header accompanied by a password. These packets are used by the attackers to open remote shells on the infected systems. "The relevance of the BPF filter and packet capture is that it is sniffing traffic at a lower level than the local firewall," the researchers explained. "This means that even if you run a firewall the implant will see, and act upon, any magic packet sent to the system. The firewall running on the local host will not block the implant from having this visibility. This is an important point to understand." What it means in practice is that if for example, the system firewall is configured to only allow connections to a web application running on the server on port 443 (HTTPS), for example, external attackers can use this to send a so-called magic packet and activate the backdoor without the firewall being able to block it. In other words, it piggybacks on legitimate network traffic that's already allowed on the system. Furthermore, when the encrypted magic packet is received the backdoor will open a root shell on a high port locally on the system and will use the iptables Linux firewall to set a rule that redirects all traffic originating from the attacker's IP address to the shell port. So once the backdoor is activated, if the attackers connect again to the system over port 443, they will instead be greeted with a root shell instead of the web application. Requests from all other IP addresses and legitimate users will continue to be handled normally and be sent to the web application. Instead of waiting for attackers to connect to the shell, the backdoor can also set up a reverse shell that actively connects back to the attackers, but this is more easily detected if the system is configured to block outgoing connections. "The use of BPF and packet capture provides a way to bypass local firewalls to allow remote attackers to control the implant," the researchers said. "Finally, the redirect feature is unique and very dangerous as it can make malicious traffic blend in seamlessly with legitimate traffic on an infected host with exposed ports to the internet. How to detect BPFdoor According to PwC's report, the Red Menshen group uses a variety of post-exploitation tools for lateral movement inside corporate networks after gaining a foothold with BPFdoor. This includes custom variants of the Mangzamel and Gh0st Windows Trojan programs, as well as open-source tools such as Mimikatz and Metasploit. The attackers use virtual private servers hosted at well-known providers to control the BPFDoor implants and also rely on compromised routers in Taiwan to connect to and manage those servers. Beaumont and researcher Florian Roth have both shared YARA rules that can be used to scan for different BPFDoor samples inside environments. The Sandfly Security researchers have also shared indicators of compromise and hunting tactics in their analysis warning that simply searching for file hashes is not reliable since malicious binaries can easily be recompiled and changed on Linux. It's also worth noting that the abuse of BPF, while rare, is not new. In February, a Chinese cybersecurity firm called Pangu Lab released a report on a backdoor implant they attributed to the U.S. National Security Agency (NSA) and dubbed Bvp47. That implant also relied on BPF to establish a covert communication channel. Beaumont warned at the time that the cybersecurity industry seemed to ignore the significance and potential dangers of BPF and eBPF (extended BPF) being used to evade detection. SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) California taxpayers would help pay for abortions for women who can't afford them under a new spending proposal Gov. Gavin Newsom announced Wednesday to prepare for a potential surge of people from other states seeking reproductive care if the U.S. Supreme Court overturns Roe v. Wade. California already pays for some abortions through its Medicaid program, the taxpayer-funded health insurance plan for the poor and the disabled. But some women don't qualify for Medicaid and don't have private health insurance. When that happens, clinics will sometimes perform abortions for free, known as uncompensated care. Wednesday, Newsom said he wants the state to give $40 million worth of grants to clinics to help offset those costs. An abortion can cost between a few hundred dollars and a few thousand dollars in California, depending on how far along the pregnancy is and what kind of insurance a patient has. California will not stand idly by as extremists roll back our basic constitutional rights; were going to fight like hell, making sure that all women not just those in California know that this state continues to recognize and protect their fundamental rights, Newsom said in a news release. While the grants could potentially pay for abortions for women from other states, the money would not pay for those women to travel or stay in California. A bill in the Democratic-controlled state Legislature would set up a fund to help pay for the logistics of getting an abortion in California, including things such as travel, lodging and child care. The California Legislative Women's Caucus has asked Newsom for $20 million to put into that fund. But Newsom's announcement on Wednesday did not include that money. Newsom spokesman Alex Stack said the governor omitting that money from Wednesdays announcement doesn't mean that any of these things are off the table. Stack said the governor is working with the Legislature on a wide range of proposals. Abortion advocates did not appear upset at the omission on Wednesday. Jodi Hicks, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood Affiliates of California, praised Newsom's announcement, saying it will will go a long way to protect abortion access for those who live here and those who may be forced to seek care here. Democrats in the state Legislature have proposed 13 bills to make abortions easier to get in California. Newsom has already signed one of them into law a bill that makes abortions cheaper by banning private insurance plans from charging co-pays or deductibles for the procedure. The other proposals are moving through the Legislature. Anti-abortion advocates have opposed these proposals in California, but blocking them will be difficult. Polling shows a majority of California voters support abortion rights, including a majority of Republicans. The $40 million Newsom announced Wednesday is part of an extra $57 million in proposed new spending on abortion. He announced plans to spend $15 million on a public education campaign, $1 million to create a website listing available abortion services in California and $1 million for research into unmet needs for access to reproductive health care services. Any new spending must first be approved by the state Legislature. Lawmakers must pass a budget by June 15. Steve Karnowski ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) Minnesota House Speaker Melissa Hortman said Wednesday that she has tested positive for the coronavirus but that she won't be sidelined in the final days of the 2022 legislative session. My allergies seemed a little bit worse this morning than a normal spring day so I thought it would be prudent to check, the Democrat from Brooklyn Park tweeted. Out of an abundance of caution, I took a COVID test that came back positive. Im fully vaccinated, boosted, and feeling fine. I will continue to participate in end of session negotiations remotely. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate WASHINGTON (AP) Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo pushed back forcefully Wednesday against critics including some within the Biden administration who say a government investigation of solar imports from Southeast Asia is hindering President Joe Bidens ambitious climate goals. Testifying on her departments budget, Raimondo told a Senate panel that the solar inquiry is following a process set by law that doesnt allow consideration of climate change, supply chains or other factors. There's a process, a law,'' that she must follow, Raimondo said. I have to implement the law.'' Raimondo called the inquiry into imports from four Southeast Asian nations quasi-judicial and "apolitical,'' noting that it is being led by career staff at the Commerce Department's International Trade Administration. We're going to move as fast as we can,'' she told Sen. Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii. Schatz was one of several lawmakers who pressed Raimondo on the solar inquiry, which he said was serving to "grind an entire industry to a halt.'' Commerce announced in late March that it was investigating a complaint by a small California solar company that solar manufacturers in the four Asian countries Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam and Cambodia are using parts from Chinese companies to skirt steep antidumping and countervailing tariffs imposed on Chinese goods. Hundreds of solar projects in the U.S. have been frozen or substantially delayed in recent weeks as investors seeks to protect against potentially steep penalties that could be imposed retroactively. Last week, an Indiana-based utility said delays of up to 18 months in solar projects meant it would have to keep running two coal-fired power plants that were slated for retirement. This case is destroying clean energy, and needlessly taking down American businesses and workers in its wake, said Abigail Hopper, president and CEO of the Solar Energy Industries Association. She called it unfathomable that Biden would allow his own administrations actions to be the downfall of his clean energy vision. Biden has set a goal to cut planet-warming greenhouse gas emissions by at least 50% below 2005 levels by 2030, and solar power is a key part of that agenda. A report last year by the Energy Department says solar has the potential to supply up to 40% of the nations electricity within 15 years a tenfold increase over current solar output. More than 300 projects accounting for 51 gigawatts of solar capacity and 6 gigawatts of battery storage are being cancelled or delayed, Hopper said, and layoffs of tens of thousands of solar employees loom. Some companies report that their entire workforce is at risk, she said. Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm also expressed alarm. At stake is the complete smothering of the investment and the jobs and the independence that we would be seeking as a nation to get our fuel from our own generation sources,'' she told a Senate hearing last week. I certainly am deeply concerned about being able to achieve the goal of getting to 100% clean electricity by 2035 if this is not resolved quickly.'' A spokeswoman for White House climate envoy John Kerry said he has relayed the industrys concerns within the administration, but has been "clear that he defers to Commerces discretion over the investigation.'' Sen. Jerry Moran, R-Kansas, said the Commerce investigation is "pretty darn damaging to businesses in the U.S.'' and urged Raimondo to reject the complaint by tiny Auxin Solar immediately. Auxin CEO Mamun Rashid said his employees have been hassled, computer servers have been hacked and strange cars have been circling his factory. Somebody called me a couple days ago and said our name is very toxic in the industry, he told the Wall Street Journal last week. The last thing I would want to do is take an action that hurts the renewables industry, he said. "But are we going to look the other way on not abiding by U.S. law? Sen. Jacky Rosen, D-Nevada, led a bipartisan letter urging Commerce to wrap up the investigation quickly. This investigation is already causing massive disruption in the solar industry, and it will severely harm American solar businesses and workers and increase costs for American families as long as it continues, the senators wrote. Without a reliable and cost-effective source of panels, existing and proposed solar projects could come to a halt.'' The letter was also signed by Moran, Schatz and 19 other senators. The solar industry employs over 230,000 American workers. Raimondo mostly responded with sympathy for the senators' concerns. But she strongly disputed industry claims that potential tariffs in the case could exceed 200%. Since 2012 Commerce has imposed more than 150 specific duties on solar products from China, with rates averaging between 12% and 20%, she said. Penalties greater than 200% would "typically apply only to uncooperative companies that cannot differentiate themselves from the Chinese government and the Chinese Communist Party,'' Raimondo said. Such punitive tariffs are "exceedingly unlikely,'' she said. Hopper was not reassured. She told reporters after the hearing that the sudden halt in solar projects was a rational business decision in response to an irrational government action. Why would any reasonable business buy solar panels in such a risky and uncertain business environment?" she asked. While current U.S. law does not allow officials to consider factors such as climate change or supply chain problems, Raimondo suggested Congress could help fix the problem. "If Congress decides to change the law, we will implement that, she said. Mississippi Secretary of State Michael Watson addressing Olive Branch Chamber of Commerce members about "Tackle the Tape" program on Wednesday. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) Michelle Butler was just over halfway through her pregnancy when her water broke and contractions wracked her body. She couldnt escape a terrifying truth: Her twins were coming much too soon. Dr. Brian Sims entered the delivery room and gently explained that babies born so early likely won't live. He told Butler he could keep them comfortable as they died. But she pleaded through tears: Give my twins a chance to survive. And he did. Until recently, trying to save babies born this early would have been futile. Butler was in the fifth month of her pregnancy, one day past 21 weeks gestation. Thats seven weeks earlier than what doctors once considered the lower limit of viability, the earliest an infant could possibly survive outside the womb. But over the last half century, medical science has slowly shifted that boundary downward. And that's made viability a word many associate with the abortion debate key to decisions about desperately wanted babies at the very edge of life. Growing numbers of extremely premature infants are getting lifesaving treatment and surviving. A pivotal study in the Journal of the American Medical Association this year, which looked at nearly 11,000 such births in a neonatal research network that is part of the National Institutes of Health, found that 30% of babies born at 22 weeks, 56% born at 23 weeks and 71% born at 24 weeks lived at least until they were healthy enough to be sent home home if doctors tried to save them. Those gains happened gradually and quietly as the notion of viability got a lot more attention in the abortion arena. Viability is mentioned 36 times in the initial draft of the leaked majority opinion by the U.S. Supreme Court in a Mississippi case that would strike down Roe v. Wade. The decades-old abortion ruling says the Constitution protects a woman's right to an abortion before viability, a standard Mississippi argues is arbitrary. But viability has nothing to do with the vast majority of abortions; more than 99% of abortions occur at or before 21 weeks, according to federal statistics. So although viability is central to abortion law, the crux of the argument around the procedure comes down to disagreement about whether and in which cases someone should have the choice to terminate a pregnancy. Meanwhile, viability is a growing real concern for those who care for premature babies as science keeps moving the line lower and lower. And in this realm, too, its ethically fraught. Beyond the risk of death, babies at borderline viability are highly susceptible to disabilities such as cerebral palsy, cognitive impairments, blindness and severe lung problems. Often, parents and doctors face a heartbreaking question they must answer together: How do they decide what to do? There's a lot of things we can do, a lot of interventions, said Dr. Barbara Warner, a newborn medicine expert at Washington University medical school in St. Louis. Should we do them? In the case of Butlers twins, the answer was yes. Curtis and CAsya Means came into the world on July 5, 2020, at the University of Alabama hospital in Birmingham, each weighing less than a pound and small enough to fit in an adults hand. Their divergent paths reflected both sides of extreme prematurity. CAsya lived just one day. Butler keeps her ashes in a tiny pink-and-silver urn. Curtis is the earliest surviving micropreemie in the world and is now teething, trying solid foods and tooling around the house in his walker. TINY FIGHTER Dr. Elizabeth Foglia, a neonatologist at Childrens Hospital of Philadelphia, cant point to a single new technology, medication or approach that has made it possible to keep more micropreemies alive. Its just a slow evolution, she said. Complications remain common, though, and care for these babies also remains intense and costly. Sims, who treated Butler's twins, said it would have been perfectly reasonable not to try to save them. In such cases, whether to resuscitate or continue lifesaving care is a shared decision between parents and the medical team. But even when we dont try anything, a baby thats trying to live will show you that. Youll see that the babys trying to take a breath, Sims said. As soon as Curtis and CAsya arrived, Sims gave each a little bit of oxygen. Curtis heart rate quickly rose. His smaller sister didnt respond as well. Other medical measures couldnt compensate for her immature lungs. They told me it was up to me to make the call about withdrawing treatment, Butler said. I actually was praying silently to myself. God came to me and told me, If you give me CAsya, Ill give you Curtis. Butler cradled her daughter for hours after she died. It was the first time she held her. Curtis stayed in the NICU for nine more months, then went home tethered to oxygen and relying on a feeding pump. BITTERSWEET PROGRESS In the future, doctors expect more micropreemies like Curtis to survive. Saving them is expected to become more accepted and common. And down the road, scientists are working on lifesaving equipment tailored to smaller bodies and an artificial womb they hope could someday grow a fetus outside of a person. Such advances are sure to deepen ethical dilemmas. There always will be a limit of viability, Foglia said. And wherever that limit is, survival may be possible but not guaranteed. And survival without disability is certainly not guaranteed. Doctors are hopeful that Curtis Means he has his fathers last name will continue to thrive. At 22 months, he can be unhooked from oxygen for an hour a day. He crawls, plays with his older sister and brother and eats a growing number of soft and pureed foods. One afternoon, Butler pulled Curtis into her arms at her rural Eutaw home. He grabbed at her face. She kissed his hand. She pulled down his Winnie-the-Pooh shirt, and they touched palms in a high five. The 35-year-old single mother envisions Curtis going to school in a few years and becoming a doctor someday. But as he grows, she always wants him to remember CAsya. I mention her name every day for him, to let him know he was a twin and your twin is your angel. And when he gets bigger, Im going to get him a necklace where he can keep her ashes with him. ___ The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institutes Department of Science Education. The AP is solely responsible for all content. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate ZAPORIZHZHIA, Ukraine (AP) Ukraines top prosecutor disclosed plans Wednesday for the first war crimes trial of a captured Russian soldier, as fighting raged in the east and south and the Kremlin left open the possibility of annexing a corner of the country it seized early in the invasion. Prosecutor General Iryna Venediktova said her office charged Sgt. Vadin Shyshimarin, 21, in the killing of an unarmed 62-year-old civilian who was gunned down while riding a bicycle in February, four days into the war. Shyshimarin, who served with a tank unit, was accused of firing through a car window on the man in the northeastern village of Chupakhivka. Venediktova said the soldier could get up to 15 years in prison. She did not say when the trial would start. Venediktovas office has said it has been investigating more than 10,700 alleged war crimes committed by Russian forces and has identified over 600 suspects. Many of the alleged atrocities came to light last month after Moscow's forces aborted their bid to capture Kyiv and withdrew from around the capital, exposing mass graves and streets and yards strewn with bodies in towns such as Bucha. Residents told of killings, burnings, rape, torture and dismemberment. Volodymyr Yavorskyy of the Center for Civil Liberties said the Ukrainian human rights group will be closely following Shyshimarin's trial to see if it is fair. Its very difficult to observe all the rules, norms and neutrality of the court proceedings in wartime, he said. On the economic front, Ukraine shut down a pipeline that carries Russian gas across the country to homes and industries in Western Europe, marking the first time since the start of the war that Kyiv disrupted the flow westward of one of Moscows most lucrative exports. But the immediate effect is likely to be limited, in part because Russia can divert the gas to another pipeline and because Europe relies on a variety of suppliers. Meanwhile, a Kremlin-installed politician in the southern Kherson region, site of the first major Ukrainian city to fall in the war, said officials there want Russian President Vladimir Putin to make Kherson a proper region of Russia that is, annex it. The city of Kherson is Russia, Kirill Stremousov, deputy head of the Kherson regional administration appointed by Moscow, told Russias RIA Novosti news agency. That raised the possibility that the Kremlin would seek to break off another piece of Ukraine as it tries to salvage an invasion gone awry. Russia annexed Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula, which borders the Kherson region, after a disputed referendum in 2014, a move denounced as illegal and rejected by most of the international community. Kherson, a Black Sea port of roughly 300,000, provides Crimea with access to fresh water and is seen as gateway to wider Russian control over southern Ukraine. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said it would be up to the residents of the Kherson region after all to decide whether such an appeal should be made or not. He said any move to annex territory would have to be closely evaluated by legal experts to make sure it is absolutely legitimate, as it was with Crimea. Ukrainian presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak mocked the notion of Kherson's annexation, tweeting: The invaders may ask to join even Mars or Jupiter. The Ukrainian army will liberate Kherson, no matter what games with words they play. Inside Kherson, people have taken to the streets to decry the Russian occupation. But a teacher who gave only her first name, Olga, for fear of Russian retaliation said such protests are impossible now because Moscow's troops kidnapped activists and citizens simply for wearing Ukrainian colors or ribbons. She said people are scared of talking openly outside their homes and everyone walks on the street quickly. All people in Kherson are waiting for our troops to come as soon as possible," she added. Nobody wants to live in Russia or join Russia." On the battlefield, Ukrainian officials said a Russian rocket attack targeted an area around Zaporizhzhia, destroying unspecified infrastructure. There were no immediate reports of casualties. The southeastern city has been a refuge for civilians fleeing the devastated port city of Mariupol. Russian forces continued to pound the steel plant that is the last bastion of Ukrainian resistance in Mariupol, its defenders said. The Azov Regiment said on social media that Russian forces carried out 38 airstrikes in the previous 24 hours on the grounds of the Azovstal steelworks. The plant has sheltered hundreds of Ukrainian troops and civilians during a monthslong siege. Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk said Ukraine has offered to release Russian prisoners of war if Russia will allow the badly injured fighters to be evacuated. An adviser to the Mariupol mayor said Russian forces have blocked all evacuation routes out of the city. Petro Andriushchenko said there are few apartment buildings fit to live in and little food or drinking water. He said some remaining residents are cooperating with occupying Russian forces in exchange for food. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy suggested Tuesday that Ukraines military is gradually pushing Russian troops away from Kharkiv, the countrys second-largest city and a key to Russias offensive in the Donbas, the eastern industrial region whose capture the Kremlin says is its main objective. Ukraine is also targeting Russian air defenses and resupply vessels on Snake Island in the Black Sea in an effort to disrupt Moscows efforts to expand its control over the coastline, according to the British Ministry of Defense. Separately, Ukraine said it shot down a cruise missile targeting the Black Sea port city of Odesa. Elsewhere, the governor of a Russian region near Ukraine said at least one civilian was killed and six wounded by Ukrainian shelling in the village of Solokhi, near the border. Belgorod Gov. Vyacheslav Gladkov's account couldn't be independently verified, but he said the village will be evacuated. Ukraines natural gas pipeline operator said it moved to stop the flow of Russian gas through a compressor station in part of eastern Ukraine controlled by Moscow-backed separatists because enemy forces were interfering with the station's operation and siphoning off gas. The hub handles about one-third of Russian gas passing through Ukraine to Western Europe. But analysts said much of the gas can be redirected through another pipeline from Russia that crosses Ukraine, and there were indications that was happening. In any case, Europe also gets natural gas from other pipelines and other countries. It was not clear whether Russia would take any immediate hit, since it has long-term contracts and other ways of transporting gas. Still, the cutoff underscored the broader risk to gas supplies from the war. Yesterdays decision is a small preview of what might happen if gas installations are hit by live fire and face the risk of extended downtimes, said gas analyst Zongqiang Luo at Rystad Energy. In other developments, Ukraines Foreign Ministry accused Russia of stealing Ukrainian grain and trying to sell it on global markets. The ministry estimates Russia may have already stolen up to 500,000 metric tons of grain valued at more than $100 million. And U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo said a ban on sales of semiconductors and other technology to Russia by the West is limiting Russias ability to manufacture military equipment. Ukrainians who have found Russian equipment reported that it was "filled with semiconductors that they took out of dishwashers and refrigerators, Raimondo said. ___ 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, Kelvin Chan in London and AP's worldwide staff contributed. ___ Follow APs coverage of the war in Ukraine: https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate GUILFORD As Eva Solarski carefully arranged her handcrafted earrings in the display at Vera Wolf jewelry store, co-owner Wolf Guibbory talked about supporting this local students project that benefits Ukraine. Last month, the 14-year-old began selling one-of-a-kind earrings, in subtle tones of blue and yellow, to raise money for war-torn Ukraine I feel like our whole purpose in being on this earth is to aid each other, Guibbory said. So, its not something that were doing thats great, its something that were doing that should be expected of all of us. Eva Solarski has been creating earrings for herself and friends for about a year. It was this past March that this eighth grader at E.C. Adams Middle School started crafting the baubles to sell. I really enjoy making earrings, so I thought of making earrings to sell and then have all the money donated towards Ukraine, she said. The young jewelry designer chose four different styles to focus on. They are all dangle earrings, some created with seed beads and glass beads and others designed with semi-precious agate stones. The initial $150 investment for this endeavor came from Eva Solarskis birthday money and gift cards. The sterling silver earring wires were donated by Guibbory. They are $10 and $15, depending on the design. In addition to Vera Wolf, the earrings can be found at The Bird Nest Salon & Gallery and An Artistic Touch both in Guilford. On the weekends, Eva Solarski can also be found manning a folding table, filled with her jewels, downtown Guilford. The earrings are so popular that the young philanthropist is busy creating, while also keeping up with her school work. Colleen Saffo-Hunt, co-owner of An Artistic Touch, said she has people coming to the new shop specifically requesting Eva Solarskis designs. Shes very popular, she said. She has a big heart. Shes a very sweet girl. Both Guibbory and Saffo-Hunt said some customers have not only purchased earrings, but, in addition, they have made monetary donations. To date more than $1,250 has been raised. This money will be divided, evenly, between three nonprofit organizations supporting Ukraine. These include Razom, meaning together in Ukrainian, a New York-based organization that provides humanitarian, medical and military aid; National Bank of Ukraine, which gives assistance to the Armed Forces of Ukraine; and United4Ukraine, a nonprofit, started by Yale medical professionals with Ukrainian roots, organized to raise awareness and money for the country. While her parents, Stan and Sarah Solarski, have helped with a bit of financial support to keep the business afloat, they are quick to add that their main contribution is driving her to buy supplies and deliver the finished product. She has been doing it all on her own, said Sarah Solarski. We drove to Vera Wolf and The Bird Nest, but we had said to her, You need to do the talking, she added. Sarah Solarski talked about raising a compassionate child. I would say that what we really instilled her with is an independence of thinking and being true to herself and caring for others in general and being empathetic towards others, she said. I think this is part of the result of those things, she added. Saffo-Hunt said she is happy to be supporting this project. For a 14-year-old girl to be doing this, I think, is just wonderful, she said. We are so proud to have her in the store. Steven Uccello, owner The Bird Nest Salon & Gallery, is also thrilled to have Eva Solarskis work in his gallery and to support her philanthropy. I think its awesome, amazing, he said. Shes very talented, very ambitious. Shes the sweetest kid. Shes a great kid and Im very happy to do it, of course, he added. To see how talented and to see how generous her heart is, is definitely inspiring for everybody, but especially for other kids. Its just so cool. Former Connecticut resident Nathan Carman has been indicted by a Vermont grand jury on a charge of killing his mother in 2016 while they were on a fishing boat near Block Island, federal court records unsealed Tuesday show. The nine-page indictment, first delivered on May 2, charges Carman with murder on the high seas in connection with the death of his mother, Linda Carman. It also charges him with multiple counts of fraud. Carman, 28, now a resident of Vernon, Vt., was taken into custody Tuesday, federal officials said. The former Middletown resident remains detained and will be arraigned Wednesday in federal court in Vermont. It was not immediately clear if he had an attorney. In the indictment, federal prosecutors outlined a scheme in which Nathan Carman planned a fishing trip with his mother in September 2016 aboard their boat, the Chicken Pox. Nathan Carman planned to kill his mother on the trip. He also planned how he would report the sinking of the Chicken Pox and his mother's disappearance at sea as accidents, the indictment read. Once at sea, authorities wrote in the indictment, Nathan Carman killed his mother and sank the boat. While not formally charging him with the 2013 death of his grandfather, John Chakalos, of Windsor, the indictment said Nathan Carman killed the man along with his mother as part of a nearly decadelong scheme to obtain money from his grandfathers trust. As a central part of this scheme, Nathan Carman murdered John Chakalos and Linda Carman. He concocted cover stories to conceal his involvement in those killings, the indictment read. In 2013, Nathan Carman, while renting an apartment in Bloomfield, obtained a New Hampshire license and used that identification to buy a Sig Sauer rifle in New Hampshire, the indictment read. With that rifle, he shot Chakalos twice as he slept in his Windsor home on Dec. 20 of that year, federal authorities wrote in the indictment. To cover up his involvement, Nathan Carman got rid of his computer hard drive and the GPS in his truck the night Chakalos was shot, the indictment read. Authorities claim Nathan Carman lied to investigators, denying he killed his grandfather, the indictment read. They alleged Nathan Carman also lied about where he was between 3 and 4 a.m. on the day Chakalos was killed and said he never purchased the Sig Sauer rifle used in the killing. When Chakalos died, authorities said Carman received $550,000, including $150,000 from a college fund. In 2014, Carman moved to Vermont, spending much of the money between 2014 and 2016, the indictment read. By the fall of 2016, he was low on funds, the indictment read. Around 11 p.m. on Sept. 17, 2016, Nathan and Linda Carman left the Ram Point Marina in South Kingstown, R.I., on the Chicken Pox for a fishing trip, according to the indictment. At the time, Linda Carman believed she was returning at noon the next day. Federal authorities wrote in the indictment that Nathan Carman made alterations to the boat, including removing two forward bulkheads and removing trim tabs from the transom of the hull. When the boat did not return as planned the next day, the U.S. Coast Guard launched a search for the Carmans that continued through Sept. 24, 2016. During that time, federal authorities said Nathan Carman hid from search-and-rescue teams. He was eventually picked up by the Orient Lucky, a commercial ship, the indictment read. Once rescued, federal authorities allege in the indictment that Carman lied to the Coast Guard and law enforcement about what happened to his mother and the boat. The following month, he filed an $85,000 insurance claim for the lost boat, again lying about what happened to his mother and the Chicken Pox, the indictment read. The insurance company later denied the claim, and prevailed when Nathan Carman challenged the denial in federal court in Rhode Island. During the trial, federal authorities alleged Carman provided false statements, the indictment read. If convicted, the U.S. Attorney for Vermonts office said Nathan Carman faces life in prison. The yearslong investigation was handled by the FBI, U.S. Coast Guard, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Windsor Police Department and Connecticut State Police, the U.S. Attorneys office said. State Sen. Matt Lesser said Tuesday he will exit Connecticuts secretary of the state race and instead run for reelection in his Senate district. Lesser, who represents Middletown, lost the Democratic party endorsement at the state convention Saturday, finishing second in the voting to state Rep. Stephanie Thomas, of Norwalk. Though he qualified to face Thomas and other candidates in a primary for the Democratic nomination, he has chosen not to do so. For a variety of reasons, the best move for me is to run for reelection to the state Senate, Lesser told Hearst Connecticut Media. I think its going to be a tough year for Democrats, and I think a primary this summer would be necessarily divisive, and Im not sure that thats necessarily what we need at this moment. Lessers exit from the race leaves Thomas, New Haven health director Maritza Bond and state Rep. Hilda Santiago, of Meriden, as the remaining candidates for the Democratic nomination for secretary of the state. State Rep. Josh Elliott, of Hamden, did not receive enough support at the convention to qualify for a primary. Bond, who finished fourth at the convention with 17 percent of the vote, plans to run a primary challenge, according to Roy Occhiogrosso, an unpaid adviser to the campaign. Bond could not be reached for comment. Santiago has not yet decided whether she will continue to seek the secretary of the state nomination or bow out to run for reelection in the state House, campaign spokesperson Trip Holtgrewe said Tuesday. Santiago has more time than Lesser to decide, as the Meriden Democratic Town Committee will not meet until later this month to endorse its state House candidate. Whoever emerges from the Democratic field will face one of several Republican candidates, led by Dominic Rapini, of Hamden, who secured the partys endorsement last weekend. At the Democratic convention Saturday, Lesser battled Santiago for second place in the secretary of the states race. With Thomas ahead during the second round of voting and Lesser and Santiago separated by a few delegates, Thomas released some of her delegates to support Lesser, springing him into the final round of voting. Before the final round concluded, and with Lesser still far behind Thomas in the delegate count, he bowed out, saying he was proud of his showing and promising to take the fight to a primary. Prior to the convention, some Democrats had pushed for the party to endorse women and people of color for the offices of treasurer and secretary of the state to increase the diversity of the ticket. Lessers campaign drew criticism after requesting the secretary of the state race be decided first, not last, at the convention, seemingly to avoid a scenario in which delegates reacted to a slate of male candidates for other offices by endorsing a woman for that one. Lesser said Tuesday the emphasis on the diversity of the Democratic ticket was one factor in his decision to exit the race. At the end of the day, I think that dynamic was what prevented me from winning, Lesser said. I understand and I recognize the desire for folks to have a woman on the ticket, and I [want that] too. ... I think its important that we have strong gender diversity on the ticket. Lesser said Tuesday he was not ready to endorse Thomas or any other candidate. In the Democratic race for state treasurer, two candidates who received enough support for a primary both said at the convention they plan to run in a primary. The candidates are Dita Bhargava, an investment firm executive from Greenwich; and Karen DuBois-Walton, president of the housing authority in New Haven. The endorsed candidate is Erick Russell, a New Haven lawyer working in the securities field. Russell and DuBois-Walton are both Black candidates; Democrats have nominated a Black candidate for treasurer in every cycle since 1962. Bhargava lost in a 2018 primary to Shawn Wooden, the one-term treasurer who is not seeking reelection. Bhargava and Russell are both former vice chairs of the Democratic State Central Committee. Staff writers John Moritz, Dan Haar and Julia Bergman contributed to this story. alex.putterman @hearstmediact.com Ben Lambert / Hearst Connecticut Media NEW LONDON A city man was sentenced Wednesday to five years in prison after helping import cocaine from Puerto Rico, according to the U.S. Attorneys Office for Connecticut. Abraham Rosado, 33, pleaded guilty in February to one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine, the U.S. Attorneys Office said. FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. (AP) A North Carolina man has been sentenced to 10 months in prison for sexually assaulting a 17-year-old girl during a flight on a commercial airliner last year, a federal prosecutor said Wednesday. U.S. Attorney Michael Easley said in a news release that Ryan Eugene Larned, 38, of Fayetteville was also sentenced to five years supervised release and was ordered to pay a $2,000 fine for sexual contact without consent. Larned also will have to register as a sex offender, the news release said. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate 5 1 of 5 Connecticut State Police /Contributed Show More Show Less 2 of 5 Connecticut State Police /Contributed Show More Show Less 3 of 5 4 of 5 Connecticut State Police /Contributed Show More Show Less 5 of 5 WATERBURY Connecticut State Police have charged a local man as part of an operation to investigate mid- and high-level drug traffickers in the city. State police said 26-year-old Stanley Foote Jr. was charged with possession of a controlled substance with intent to sell. Global shipping firms get boost in China 08:37, May 11, 2022 By ZHU WENQIAN and ZHONG NAN ( China Daily Yangshan Port in Shanghai. JI HAIXIN/FOR CHINA DAILY China has freed up the coastal piggyback system for shipping of foreign trade containers between ports within China, enabling foreign logistics giants such as A.P.Moller-Maersk and Orient Overseas Container Line to plan first voyages by the end of this month, analysts said on Monday. The move highlights China's willingness to further its opening-up policy, they said. Meanwhile, the administrative committee of Shanghai's Lin-gang Special Area of China (Shanghai) Pilot Free Trade Zone said at a news conference on Monday that China will introduce a container freight forward rate contract trading platform. Despite a complex international situation and given the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Yangshan Special Comprehensive Bonded Zone in Shanghai has encouraged enterprises to resume production, and the business in the bonded zone has operated smoothly in the first quarter, the committee said. "The new service (for shipping of foreign trade containers between ports within China) is expected to help cut the logistics costs for both exporters and importers, improve the utilization rates of container ships, and relieve the tightness of shipping capacity to a certain extent," said Zhou Zhicheng, a researcher at the Beijing-based China Federation of Logistics and Purchasing. Jens Eskelund, China chief representative of Danish shipping and logistics giant A.P. Moller-Maersk, said the permission for foreign carriers to carry out international relay is very welcome news and represents a tangible step for foreign carriers in China toward achieving market access on reciprocal terms. "International relay will allow us to improve services, giving our customers more flexibility and options for their shipments. We are preparing the first shipment in Yangshan terminal in Shanghai, together with the Lin-gang Special Area Administration and other relevant stakeholders," Eskelund said. Hong Kong-based Asia Shipping Certification Services Co Ltd has been officially approved to carry out statutory ship inspection work in the Lin-gang Special Area as the first inspection agency that is not incorporated in the Chinese mainland. In March and April, the daily average container throughput in Yangshan terminal reached 66,000 and 59,000 twenty-foot equivalent units or TEUs, each accounting for 90 percent and 85 percent, respectively, of the average level seen in the first quarter. "Despite the recent resurgence of local COVID-19 cases, operations at ports have been relatively stable. With more companies resuming their business in late April, operations are foreseen to improve further this month," said Lin Yisong, an official of the Lin-gang Special Area Administration. As of Sunday, 193 companies operating in the Yangshan Special Comprehensive Bonded Zone, or 85 percent of the total, had resumed operations. About half of total employees who work in the bonded zone arrived at their workplaces physically. "The coastal piggyback system will help boost logistics capacity, improve efficiency and provide more business opportunities for global companies to further expand their market presence in China," said Bai Ming, deputy director of international market research at the Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation. "The move is more advanced than the coastal transportation policies being practiced in some countries. Major economies such as the United States and Japan have not opened up coastal transportation for global shipping firms yet," Bai said. China's total imports and exports of goods expanded 1.9 percent year-on-year to a record 32.16 trillion yuan ($4.77 trillion) last year, despite a worldwide slump in shipments due to the pandemic. (Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Liang Jun) Emporia, KS (66801) Today Scattered thunderstorms, especially during the morning. A few storms may be severe. High 74F. Winds NE at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 60%.. Tonight Mostly clear. Low 51F. Winds NNE at 10 to 15 mph. BRIDGEPORT The fire marshals office is investigating a Main Street blaze that broke out early Wednesday morning. The citys emergency communications center received a call about a fire in the 2000 block of the street around 4 a.m., Emergency Management Director Scott Appleby said. Bridgeport and Fairfield fire units were dispatched to the scene, where they found an exterior fire with extension up the wall, Appleby said. The fire was quickly put out and there were no injuries, Appleby said. The blaze was reported just minutes after crews brought a fire on the citys West Side under control. That fire sent three people to the hospital. GAFFNEY, S.C. (AP) A toddler visiting with his family from New York died Tuesday after he apparently fell into a septic tank in South Carolina, authorities said. The toddler, identified as 2-year-old Hawkins Abercrombie, of Calcium, New York, was pronounced dead when he arrived at the hospital, Cherokee County Coroner Dennis Fowler said. UPDATE: A jury on Wednesday found Hakeem Atkinson not guilty of murder in the 2012 fatal shooting of Joseph Bateman in Norwalk. STAMFORD A jury will decide the fate of a Bridgeport man accused of fatally shooting a 20-year-old Norwalk man in 2012, after the lawyers on either side of the case made their closing arguments Tuesday afternoon. Attorneys representing the state and the defendant, 26-year-old Hakeem Atkinson, both emphasized the witness testimony though for different reasons shared throughout the first seven days of the murder trial. John Gulash, who represents Atkinson, asked jurors to note the consistent inconsistencies of some of the states key witnesses, namely Atkinsons ex-girlfriend Kira Jordan, who testified a day earlier that she had overheard Atkinson take credit for fatally shooting Joseph Bateman in 2012. Gulash honed in on Jordans testimony on Monday, during which she appeared nervous and, by her own admission, had trouble recalling the circumstances in which she had overheard that conversation. He also pointed out that Jordan shared this information with police in 2016, but not during a 2012 interview with detectives. During his closing argument, Gulash concluded that jurors cannot rely on her recollection. She made clear to you that it was unclear to her as to whether or not what she said in that statement was accurate or not, in that she couldnt discern if it was what she heard from other people and rumors that she heard versus having heard it from his conversation with somebody, at some time, somewhere that she doesnt remember the details to, Gulash said in his argument. But, as Senior Assistant States Attorney David Applegate later pointed out, Jordan stood by her statement to police during Mondays testimony. He asked jurors to take a step back when analyzing Jordans testimony and consider her perspective. This is a 26-year-old woman, she dated the defendant for two years when she was young. He felt comfortable enough around her to have a conversation like this about killing someone. Imagine the internal strife this would cause anyone. On the one hand wanting to cooperate on such a serious matter, on the other hand providing this kind of information has to feel like a betrayal of someone you were so close to. Someone with whom you spent two years of your life, Applegate said. Gulash also took aim at the Norwalk Police Departments investigation into the then-cold case in 2016. Calling the investigation desperate, Gulash claims investigators revisited witnesses like Jordan and Johan Gallo, one of three people to identify Atkinson as the potential shooter, and in doing so relied upon four-year-old memories to cobble together a case. Cheese and wine get better with age do identifications? Do memories? Do cases? asked Gulash. In his response, Applegate acknowledged the fickle nature of witness identifications. But, while he conceded that many of the witness memories differed in details, most agreed on the bigger picture, that Atkinson was the shooter. The states argument isnt to look at things in a vacuum. Its the opposite, to look at all of the evidence together and see how all the pieces fit together, Applegate said. The only conclusion that can be drawn from this evidence is that it was defendants specific intent to commit murder. Gulash also took aim at another of the states witnesses, Kenneth Huckabee, who was an early suspect in the homicide. Huckabee was in the area of the Avalon Norwalk apartment buildings, now known as The Confluence at Norwalk, on Feb. 3, 2012, at the time Bateman was shot and killed. In the immediate aftermath of the shooting, family members highlighted Huckabee as a possible shooter in the case, though Norwalk detectives later ruled him out as a suspect. According to phone records obtained by police, Huckabee was making a marijuana sale in the McDonalds parking lot located in the Avalon parking garage at the time of the shooting. Huckabee and Bateman, longtime friends, had also been in a beef around the time of the shooting, a dispute that led to Bateman threatening to shoot up Huckabees home, Gulash pointed out. However, Huckabee claimed during his testimony that he and Bateman had squashed their dispute days before his longtime friend was killed. Gulash highlighted how Huckabee was wearing clothes that fit the initial descriptions of the shooter and, by his own admission, came and left the area in a car that also matched the description of the shooters possible escape vehicle. Applegate later struck back at Gulashs theory, stating that based on Huckabees believed location at the time of the shooting and the ballistic evidence that it was highly unlikely that Huckabee was the shooter in the case. After closing arguments, the jury convened to deliberate on their decision. Jury deliberations are scheduled to continue on Wednesday. If convicted of murder, Atkinson faces a minimum of 25 years in prison, plus an extra five years for a firearms sentence enhancement, which the state is seeking in the case. Advertisement Canadian Dollar Outlook: Loonie Letdown or Liftoff? In spite of what remains a rather hawkish Bank of Canada, the Canadian Dollar has taken a step backwards in May as a lack of upward momentum in energy prices coupled with eroding risk appetite (see: stocks) has provoked traders to jettison the higher yielding commodity currency. It now appears that the two major CAD-crosses are at an important juncture, with whatever resolution that emerges ultimately paving the path for a meaningful directional move over the coming weeks in both CAD/JPY and USD/CAD rates. CAD/JPY Rate Technical Analysis: Daily Chart (September 2020 to May 2022) (Chart 1) Notwithstanding their strong run in 2022 overall, CAD/JPY rates have eased back in May thus far, carving out a symmetrical triangle on the daily timeframe. While a symmetrical triangle following an uptrend would typically be a continuation effort higher, it must be noted that CAD/JPY rates are testing said triangle support, indicating that a potential top may be forming. CAD/JPY rates are beginning to edge lower below their daily 21-EMA; the daily 5-, 8-, 13-, and 21-EMA envelope is in neither bearish nor bullish sequential order. But daily MACD continues to rise above its signal line, while daily Slow Stochastics are holding in overbought territory. A close below 100.20 this week would increase the likelihood of a pullback to the late-April swing low at 99.01, followed by a move to the late-March swing low (and the base of the triangle support) at 97.05. A move through triangle resistance near 101.50 would increase the likelihood of gains to the base of the triangle resistance at 102.95. USD/CAD Rate Technical Analysis: Daily Chart (May 2021 to May 2022) (Chart 2) USD/CAD rates have started to breach ascending triangle resistance at 1.2949/64, whose larger pattern began forming in June 2021. But the gains have been challenged, with selling pressure emerging in the past two sessions; today, however, while initially producing a return into the ascending triangle, has now seen rates return above the 1.2949/64 area. There are thus two paths forward for USD/CAD rates: this is either the beginning of a more significant bullish breakout that could play out over the next several weeks and months; or a false bullish breakout will have transpired, setting up the potential for a significant reversal lower. In the event of a bullish breakout, the immediate target higher would be the 50% Fibonacci retracement of the 2020 high/2021 low range at 1.3337. In the event of a bearish reversal, a return back to ascending triangle support near 1.2700 would be expected. IG Client Sentiment Index: USD/CAD Rate Forecast (May 11, 2022) (Chart 3) USD/CAD: Retail trader data shows 45.32% of traders are net-long with the ratio of traders short to long at 1.21 to 1. The number of traders net-long is 10.46% lower than yesterday and 10.22% lower from last week, while the number of traders net-short is 18.75% lower than yesterday and 19.24% lower from last week. We typically take a contrarian view to crowd sentiment, and the fact traders are net-short suggests USD/CAD prices may continue to rise. Yet traders are less net-short than yesterday and compared with last week. Recent changes in sentiment warn that the current USD/CAD price trend may soon reverse lower despite the fact traders remain net-short. --- Written by Christopher Vecchio, CFA, Senior Strategist This blog covers software patent news and issues with a particular focus on wireless, mobile devices (smartphones, tablet computers, connected cars) as well as select antitrust matters surrounding those devices. All hail Emmanuel Macron, the newly re-elected French President and self-styled emperor of the European Union, who this week proposed a sweeping redrawing of the Continent's political map. In his Europe Day speech in Strasbourg on Monday, he grandly proposed a new 'political community' that would give non-EU countries a closer relationship with the EU but one that fell short of actual membership. A grown-up EU for the likes of France and Germany, and an EU-lite for the wannabes (Turkey, Albania, Moldova, Ukraine etc) and has-beens (Britain). And like those Japanese soldiers who fought on long after World War II had ended, the Remoaners quickly emerged from the jungles of their social network echo chambers to hail the benevolent wisdom of Monsieur Macron. Here he was extending an olive branch to wayward Britain, offering a route back from the Brexit wilderness into the loving embrace of Brussels. 'Macron calls for a new European community and Britain could join,' ran breathless pro-EU headlines. 'I love this Macron guy! Visionary and magnanimous,' declared one tweet. Let us be clear: this 'olive branch' is nothing of the kind. To quote a certain former British Prime Minister when confronted by EU demands for closer integration, our response to Macron's apparent overtures should be: 'No. No. No.' Emmanuel Macron has grandly proposed a new 'political community' that would give non-EU countries a closer relationship with the EU Mischief Because this has all the hallmarks of classic Macron mischief-making, disguising a cynical attempt to lay the groundwork for Britain's future return to the EU via the back door. For were the UK to find itself governed by Labour (or a Labour-LibDem coalition), it is not too difficult to see how the 'political co-operation' Macron is calling for in 'security... energy, transport, investment, infrastructure [and] the movement of people' could slip into re-entry in all but name. As for the timing, it could not be more ironic. Macron's call for EU 'reform' so that 'democratic European nations who adhere to our values' can work better together is an apparent riposte to Russian aggression. Yet it comes just as Brussels is again digging its heels in over the hated Northern Ireland Protocol, stoking a crisis in Stormont that threatens to destabilise peace in the Province. How can anyone take Macron's proposal seriously? First of all, his 'new European political community' is completely undefined. Who will govern it? Who will pay for its inevitable bureaucrats, conferences, declarations and business-class air tickets? What powers would it have? Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Macron pictured together prior to a meeting of the Group of Seven at NATO headquarters in Brussels in March Macron gestures as he speaks during a press conference at the Conference on the Future of Europe and the release of its report with proposals for reform on Tuesday Indeed, such vagueness could be deliberate: a way of keeping EU-hopefuls that Macron doesn't care much about in a second-class waiting room, where they can be expected to wait for decades (or for ever) to be admitted to the inner circle. Of course, in the meantime, all these nations will be expected to align themselves with European law and conform to EU regulation without any voting power. Nothing is clear but, then again, perhaps it was never intended to be. Perhaps the sole intention of Macron's keynote address was to put Britain in its place as he drapes himself in Angela Merkel's mantle as leader of the bloc. This man is, after all, the master of the passive aggressive. For him, Brexit represents unpunished apostasy and, since the 2016 referendum, he has wasted no opportunity to make life difficult for his so-called allies across the Channel. No one was more obstructive in the seemingly never-ending Brexit negotiation process than the French President. He was livid when Australia dared to secure its defence relations with Britain and the U.S. instead of France by signing the historic trilateral AUKUS nuclear submarine pact. He threatened retaliation, even recalling his ambassadors to the U.S. and Australia. And who can forget the threat to sever Jersey's energy supplies last May after Britain's post-Brexit fishing rules infuriated French fishermen. He has personally insulted our Prime Minister, reportedly calling Boris Johnson a 'clown' just last December. But all of that now seems to have been forgotten. And why? Well, the benefits of Britain's enormous economy to the EU have long played second fiddle to the ideological preoccupations of Paris and Berlin. Eurocrats were perfectly happy to see industry suffer so that the integrity of the market might be expensively protected. Riff-raff Now the cost of such pettiness has become apparent. Could Macron's new 'bloc' actually represent a desperate attempt to achieve economic realignment? If so, then who is the real clown here? Macron has positioned himself, along with the Germans, as the last of Vladimir Putin's friends in Europe. Even as Britain has maintained an air bridge of high-tech weapons to Ukraine, the EU has vetoed sanctions that would compromise the EU's Faustian energy pact with Putin. Indeed, Macron who placed himself front and centre in a vainglorious attempt to broker peace with Putin in the early days of the Ukraine invasion has yet to make the trip to Kyiv, something even the rock star Bono has achieved. And French arms are playing no significant role in the Ukrainian defence efforts. In truth, he is the little man of Europe and he continues to sing out of tune. His vision is for a more 'co-operative' Continent that continues to revolve around the Franco-German motor no doubt with his own ego at the centre exiling the riff-raff to the periphery. But the problem is that many member states no longer agree with what was for decades the status quo. Brexit has already caused a ground-swell of anti-union sentiment in countries such as Poland and Hungary. The EU in 2022 is arguably more divided than at any time before. Booing Following last month's French election, Downing Street had hoped for a reset in the strained London-Paris relationship. But it seems such hopes are misplaced. Macron and his inner circle are as viscerally anti-British as ever. When he was re-elected last month, it was hardly by enthusiastic endorsement. He was the choice of fewer than a third of French voters in the first round and won the second only because Marine Le Pen viewed by some commentators as 'worse than Trump' was seen as the greater evil. If the riotous booing from the crowds at last weekend's usually-joyous French cup final in Paris was anything to go by, Macron faces tough challenges at home in the months and years ahead. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz (right) and Macron make their way inside after inspecting an honor guard during a welcome ceremony at the Chancellery in Berlin on Monday His lofty plans for greater European 'cooperation' represent the over-reach of a leader under siege. Whatever it is Macron is selling here, Britain should not be buying. In fact, there's an even better word in French that would suffice: 'Degage'. Translated politely, it might be rendered as 'back off'. We must see this for what it is: the latest plotting of a tin-pot Napoleon, obsessed by his own vision of a European state, and a politician who cannot understand that even six years on Brexit really did mean Brexit. n Jonathan Miller is author of France, A Nation On The Verge Of A Nervous Breakdown (Gibson Square). Advertisement Vladimir Putin's Donbas offensive is faltering due to heavy losses and Ukrainian resistance and may even collapse if Russia is unable to muster up significant new combat power, military expert Justin Bronk writes today. Despite the Russian president refocusing efforts from his failed Kyiv offensive to eastern Ukraine, Russia has so far failed to make significant ground in the Donbas region. Putin's troops continue to be frustrated by an ardent last stand defence of Mariupol - seen as key in allowing Putin to create a 'landbridge' between western Russia and Russian occupied Crimea. And while the Russian Army has managed to capture several villages along the main roads in the south and south west, and has captured the town of Popasna in the east, it is not yet in sight of its main goal of encircling the Ukrainian forces in the cities of Kramatorsk, Sloviansk and Severodonets. Meanwhile, Ukrainian forces are launching counter-offensive operations, particularly around the northern city of Kharkiv - which threatens to cut key Russian supply routes. Russia is also suffering heavy losses in the process. The Russian death toll now stands at more than 25,000, according to the Land Forces of Ukraine's latest figures. A total of 25,500 Russian soldiers have been killed in bitter fighting, while Putin's forces have lost 1,130 tanks, 199 planes, 156 helicopters, 509 artillery systems and 2,741 armoured personnel carriers, the Land Forces claim. The figures have not been verified by Russia, who have remained tight-lipped over their losses. Last month Russian Presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov gave the first real insight into the scale of Russia's war casualties, going as far to describe them as 'significant'. The Kremlin was also forced to admit the humiliating loss of its Black Sea flagship Moskva after it was struck by a Ukrainian missile. The defence ministry said one crew member had died and 27 were missing after the sinking, while the remaining 396 had been rescued. Previously it had made no mention of casualties. Experts, meanwhile, believe Russian losses could be even higher than those claimed by Ukraine - as high as 60,000 when including those killed, injured, captured or declared missing. Despite the losses, Putin did not call a national mobilisation - as some expected he would - on Russia's Victory Day earlier this month - a move which would have allowed him to bolster his forces with reservist fighters. Here Mr Bronk, a research fellow at London's Royal United Services Institute (RUSI), analyses the current situation in a comment piece for MailOnline: The much-anticipated Victory Day speech by President Putin in Moscow on Monday 9th May did not include a call to mobilisation, meaning Russia still cannot legally call up conscripts and reserves on mass to replace continued heavy troop losses in Ukraine. Meanwhile Ukrainian forces have moved from local counter attacks towards more general counter-offensive operations to the east of the northern city of Kharkiv, potentially threatening to cut key Russian supply routes crucial to its push in Donbas. Since it began the second phase of its invasion, with its forces concentrated on the Donbas region in the east of Ukraine, the Russian Army has managed to capture several villages and advance slowly along the main roads south and south west from the main staging point at Izyum in the north east, has captured the town of Popasna in the east, and has reduced the forces defending the long-besieged port city of Mariupol in the south to the tunnels and bunkers of the Azovstal steelworks. However, it has not broken through Ukrainian secondary defence lines, and is not yet in sight of its main goal of encircling the Ukrainian forces in the cities of Kramatorsk, Sloviansk and Severodonets. Essentially, it has made modest territorial gains that are of little strategic significance if they cannot be leveraged to facilitate a wider breakout and it has taken continued heavy losses for each kilometre of ground taken. When Russia began its full-scale invasion in February 2022, President Putin had massed almost 190-200,000 troops on the borders for combat operations. These included about 150,000 regular troops and around 40-50,000 second-line Rosguardia forces more suited to peacekeeping and riot control duties than frontline combat. However, by late April Russia had already lost an estimated 15,000 troops killed in the fighting, according to the British Minister of Defence Ben Wallace. A view shows the Azovstal steel plant in the city of Mariupol on May 10, 2022, amid the ongoing Russian military action in Ukraine Putin's troops continue to be frustrated by an ardent last stand defence of Mariupol - seen as key in allowing Putin to create a 'landbridge' between western Russia and Russian occupied Crimea The total casualties including wounded, captured and missing personnel are likely to be 3-4 times this, meaning that after an additional two weeks of heavy fighting, Russia may well have taken somewhere in the region of 50-60,000 casualties. Confirmed Russian vehicle losses now include a staggering 640 tanks and at least 700 other armoured vehicles. This is even worse for Russia than it looks on paper. Each Russian battalion tactical group (BTG) has around 700-900 troops (often reinforced for combat operations with several hundred additional support troops and equipment). Of these, around 200 are infantry and another 150 are vehicle crews for the 10 tanks and roughly 40 other armoured vehicles which make up the BTGs mobile, offensive punch. The tens of thousands of casualties suffered by the Russian army will be heavily concentrated in these infantry and vehicle crews, who are exposed to by far the most danger and are the key to generating combat power. The casualties and vehicle losses therefore represent a punishing attrition rate which cannot fail to have a serious impact on the Russian Armys ability to sustain effective offensive combat operations. Destroyed Russian military vehicles destroyed by Ukrainian forces defending Kyiv and now pictured dumped outside Bucha in a makeshift a 'Tank Graveyard' A total of 25,500 Russian soldiers have been killed in bitter fighting, while Putin's forces have lost 1130 tanks, 199 planes, 156 helicopters, 509 artillery systems and 2741 armoured personnel carriers, the Land Forces of Ukraine claim The lack of a declaration of war and national mobilisation is important in determining the likely path forward for Putin. Russia sent around 120 BTGs into Ukraine and has since reinforced operations there with around 10 additional ones from elsewhere in Russia. This is close to the limit in terms of additional regular reinforcements that it can generate to continue operations. Justin Bronk, a research fellow in airpower and technology at the Royal United Services Institute in London The Russian regular army of 280,000 is supposed to be able to generate 168 BTGs without national mobilisation, and also has to maintain forces in Syria, in its occupied territories in Moldova and Georgia, as well as on the borders with NATO in the West and China in the Far East. Furthermore, most of the BTGs now fighting in the Donbas and Mariupol are badly understrength after months of attrition and many have been formed by merging together battered formations from previous operations around Kyiv in March. In short, the Russian Army is getting close to its limits in terms of generating large quantities of concentrated combat power for offensive operations. At the same time, the Russian Aerospace Forces have only succeeded in achieving at best localised air superiority in Donbas, and are struggling to employ most of their fighter force effectively against Ukrainian forces on the battlefield. Russian doctrine never stressed close air support as a core task for fighter pilots, since the Russian Army was supposed to have enough advantages in firepower and tanks to outgun its rivals at the tactical level. As a result, its fighter aircraft fleets lack the targeting pods, large numbers of suitable precision guided weapons and pilots trained to perform the complex task of close air support. This picture would be bad enough for Russian commanders if the only concern was their major offensive in Donbas running out of momentum without achieving any of its major objectives, or even finishing off the defenders in Mariupol. Confirmed Russian vehicle losses now include a staggering 640 tanks and at least 700 other armoured vehicles Despite the losses, Putin did not call a national mobilisation - as some expected he would - on Russia's Victory Day earlier this month - a move which would have allowed him to bolster his forces with reservist fighters However, there are increasing signs that Ukraine has achieved significant success in its counter offensive around Kharkiv in the north east with multiple villages retaken and the Russian Army finally pushed away from artillery range of the city. Meanwhile, Ukrainian counter attacks in the south west continue to threaten the Russian position at the strategic crossing point city of Kherson. A major breakthrough by Ukrainian forces in either location could cut crucial Russian resupply and reinforcement routes along main roads and railways, and so forces which are desperately needed to try and maintain offensive momentum in Donbas are having to be redeployed to defend Russias flanks. Without a massive influx of new combat power something which the Russian Army is increasingly unable to provide Russian leaders face the prospect not only of being unable to take the Donbas, and the failure of their second offensive phase, but of being cut off and having to retreat from hard won positions again. Are we about to go to war? I don't mean against Russia, though the possibility of armed conflict with Vladimir Putin's regime should not be dismissed. No, I mean war with the European Union. Not a dust-up involving tanks and airplanes, to be sure, but a trade war, which could damage the British and European economies when they are already teetering. The only person who would benefit from such hostilities would be Putin himself. A trade war with Europe would be crazy and self-destructive. And yet, according to some, this could transpire. That's what Belgian prime minister Alexander De Croo claims. He says if the British Government changes part of the Northern Ireland Protocol as Foreign Secretary Liz Truss has indicated could happen very soon the Brexit trade deal between the EU and Britain 'will be revoked'. Olaf Scholz, the German Chancellor, is scarcely less hardline. 'We have found a good way for Northern Ireland,' he preposterously asserts, with zero respect for the dire realities of the situation. 'No one should unilaterally override the arrangement which we have agreed together.' This is a threat to Boris Johnson, who is said to be on the verge of scrapping part of the Protocol. Yesterday, he warned it is threatening the 'stability' of the UK. STEPHEN GLOVER: Some may recall that in August 2020 the PM declared 'there will be no border in the Irish Sea: over my dead body'. Well, there is such a border, and Boris is full of life. (Pictured: Mr Johnson arriving at London Stansted airport Wednesday) STEPHEN GLOVER: Although the German Chancellor may idiotically claim the Northern Ireland Protocol is working and should remain intact, one wonders if he really wants a trade war. (Pictured: Chancellor Scholz, right, while left, French President Emmanuel Macron) If Boris pulls the plug, the 'terrors of the earth' will be unleashed, to use a quote from Shakespeare's King Lear which he himself recently employed during the silly brouhaha about Angela Rayner's legs. The Prime Minister dislikes confrontation. He could still have cold feet. I hope he doesn't. He must stand up to EU bullies and get rid of the Protocol in its present form. A few Remainer-ish Tory MPs would have qualms, but with an 80-seat majority Boris would prevail. The fact is, ours is the only country in the world with an internal trade border. It runs down the Irish Sea between Northern Ireland (effectively part of the EU Single Market) and the rest of the UK. Some may recall that in August 2020 the PM declared 'there will be no border in the Irish Sea: over my dead body'. Well, there is such a border, and Boris is full of life. Another example of his capacity to bend the truth? I suppose so. Yet in truth he was obliged to agree to an internal trade border because, if he hadn't, there would have been no Brexit agreement, and we'd probably still be in the EU. STEPHEN GLOVER: After last week's elections the DUP has said it won't share power with Sinn Fein under the terms of the Good Friday Agreement unless Protocol is abolished. (Pictured: Vice President of Sinn Fein Michelle O'Neill following her elections victory) The Irish government, supported by Brussels, insisted there could be no 'hard border' between the Republic and Northern Ireland, even though unobtrusive cameras could have easily kept an eye on cross-border trade. The EU, including the Irish, argued such an arrangement would threaten the Good Friday Agreement, which has brought peace to Northern Ireland. Theresa May went along with this nonsense when, as prime minister, she was making a hash of negotiations. Boris had little choice but to accept the Protocol and an internal border. The huge irony, of course, is that an arrangement, justified by the Irish government and the EU as safeguarding the Good Friday Agreement, has ended up jeopardising it. The reason is that most Unionists resent being cut off from the rest of the UK by a border, and living under EU jurisdiction. After last week's elections, the largest Unionist party, the DUP, has said it won't share power with Sinn Fein under the terms of the Good Friday Agreement unless the Protocol is abolished. Boris can therefore justify getting rid of border checks and other tiresome manifestations of the Protocol in order to rescue the moribund Good Friday Agreement, the collapse of which could lead to a resumption of sectarian violence. What will the EU do? Will it really impose tariffs and tear up the Brexit deal, as the prime minister of Belgium and others threaten? There are good reasons for thinking they may be bluffing. In the first place, they should appreciate the strength of the British government's argument namely, that a border down the Irish Sea, and checks on some foods entering Northern Ireland from Great Britain, constitute a threat to the Good Friday Agreement. By the way, the full scope of the Protocol hasn't yet been applied. I don't say the EU will capitulate at once. Or that the pro-Irish Biden administration will suddenly see the light, though a British delegation is in Washington, led by the Northern Irish-born Roman Catholic government minister, Conor Burns, putting our case. Nonetheless, in the realm of international politics it helps to have right on your side. Neither the Irish government nor the EU nor the Americans can reasonably deny that the Protocol is a threat to peace. Incidentally, Theresa May misses the point when she argues that Britain risks its reputation for honouring international treaties by threatening to tear up the Protocol. Its first responsibility is to uphold the Good Friday Agreement. To return to the EU's threats, I question whether they should be taken seriously. With war raging in Ukraine, Britain is playing a major security role. Are countries such as Poland, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania all partly reliant on, and grateful for, British military assistance likely to turn against the UK Government to suit Brussels? One might add to that list Sweden and Finland, with whose governments Boris Johnson yesterday signed security agreements. Will they be pushing themselves to the front of a queue of EU countries anxious to punish Britain? I doubt it. Moreover, although the German Chancellor may idiotically claim the Northern Ireland Protocol is working and should remain intact, one wonders if he really wants a trade war, when his country is beset with economic difficulties. This week, a prominent German think-tank suggested the immediate loss of Russian gas would knock as much as 286 billion euros (245 billion) off Germany's economic output over the first 12 months, equivalent to up to 8 per cent of GDP. A trade war with Britain would only make a bad situation worse. I don't doubt, of course, there will be sabre-rattling in several European capitals if the Government changes the Protocol. President Emmanuel Macron will flap his wings. It was he who outrageously implied last year that Toulouse is more a part of France than Northern Ireland is of the UK. Wrong under international law. All in all, I stick by my point that the war in Ukraine and its economic consequences have transformed Britain's standing in Europe, while leaving countries such as Germany and France in a weak position to engage in a trade war. It's also worth remembering that, although Brussels is devoted to the sanctity of its Single Market and will therefore defend the Protocol, that same agreement envisages its own possible demise. Under its terms, the Northern Ireland Assembly will be able to jettison the whole caboodle by the end of 2024. If it can be rejected then, it can be changed now. The Northern Ireland Protocol is not Holy Writ. It should be adapted in light of the deteriorating political conditions in the province. Now is the moment for Boris to be brave. Unlike many of his countrymen, Vladimir Putin is no chess grandmaster and how it shows. Far from being a skilled strategist, he is proving himself to be a world class blunderer who's succeeded in delivering his own worst nightmare. Take Boris Johnson's lightning tour of Scandinavia yesterday. It marks a new stage in Britain's role in mobilising opposition to Russia's invasion of Ukraine. The Prime Minister signed mutual security pacts with Sweden and Finland, pledging our support should either country come under attack. They pledged the same to Britain. Both countries, of course, neighbour Russia. Sweden faces it across the Baltic Sea, while Russia's vast naval base at Kronstadt dominates the Gulf of Finland. Finland also shares an 830-mile land border with Russia. Despite this proximity and despite being ideologically closer to the West as liberal democracies Sweden and Finland have remained outside Nato, adopting a position of neutrality which was widely supported by their respective populations. The invasion of Ukraine, however, has changed everything. No longer can any neighbour of Russia's feel secure. Not with Putin in power. Swedish Army armoured vehicles and tanks participate in a military exercise called 'Cold Response 2022' in March Prime Minister Boris Johnson, left, and Finland's President Sauli Niinisto shake hands at the Presidential Palace in Helsinki on Wednesday Mr Johnson is welcomed by Sweden's Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson, in Harpsund on Wednesday Russian President Vladimir Putin pictured during a meeting of the Board of Trustees of the Talent and Success Educational Foundation in Sochi on Wednesday By signing the security pacts, Boris Johnson, together with Sweden's prime minister Magdalena Andersson and Finland's Sanna Marin, have sent a clear message: that Russian aggression will not be tolerated. We stand together to defend our freedom and security. While French president Emmanuel Macron naively calls for the West to rebuild links with Russia and not humiliate its leader or its people, our PM takes a different view. Appeasing a bully never works; it only emboldens them. It is for Putin, who has created this tragic mess, to back down, not the West. Britain, alongside the US, Poland and other East European allies for whom Soviet domination is all too recent a memory, is doing all it can to help Ukraine eject the Russian invaders and with some success. Now, with these new pacts, Mr Johnson is not only guaranteeing these democracies our support but demonstrating what a catastrophic mistake Putin has made. Not only are his forces being humiliated daily by the smaller Ukrainian Army, his actions have massively increased the extent of Nato's border with Russia, something he has always feared. Since the start of the invasion, the Russian leader has repeatedly tried to intimidate Finland and Sweden into not joining Nato, issuing threats about nuclear weapons in the region and sending military planes and ships into Sweden's air and waters. As a result, public opinion has swung behind Nato membership, with 76 per cent of Finns and 57 per cent of Swedes backing it. Both countries have female prime ministers and I suspect Putin's deep-rooted chauvinism has also played a part in his clumsy handling of this situation. Just as the Soviets once under-estimated Margaret Thatcher, he will have underestimated the resolve of 'mere women' when it comes to the defence of their homeland. And despite constantly harking back to Russian history, Putin seems to have forgotten a key chapter; the Winter War of 1939 when Russia took on the Finns. Johnson speaks during a joint press conference with Sauli Niinisto President of Finland at the Presidential Palace in Helsinki on Wednesday Finland, which once belonged to the Russian empire, got its independence after the Bolshevik revolution in 1917. But in 1939, Stalin demanded that the Finns cede large swathes of territory back to the USSR, to strengthen its borders. If not, he threatened, three million Russian troops would invade. When the Finnish diplomat to whom he issued the threat failed to respond, Stalin asked why. 'Because I am wondering if we have the space to bury them,' the Finn replied. And it wasn't just bravado. Instead of crumbling, as Stalin expected, before the massive Red Army and the bombing of the capital, Helsinki, the Finns mounted a dogged defence fighting a guerrilla war in temperatures of 45F. They were skilful snipers and inflicted heavy casualties. The Soviets' superior numbers eventually prevailed and the Finns ceded nine per cent of their territory but, unlike most of Eastern Europe, kept their independence after the Second World War. The memory of that brutal episode still burns bright in this part of the world. They may have small populations and liberal attitudes, but both Finns and Swedes have highly capable armed forces. Finland, which has male conscription, can call up a quarter of a million reservists overnight and has 900,000 ex-soldiers to boot. Sweden reintroduced conscription five years ago, following Russia's invasion of Crimea. Both countries have massive civil defence infrastructures including underground bunkers. As allies, Finland and Sweden will be huge assets both to Britain and Nato. They are technologically advanced and the Swedes in particular have strong arms manufacturing industries. Saab, for example, developed the NLAW anti-tank weapon, praised by Mr Johnson yesterday, which has turned Russian tanks in Ukraine into charred shells. Finnish and Swedish armed forces use many of the same weapons systems and aircraft as Nato, and alongside military co-operation, there will be more joint defence projects and more intelligence sharing. With Russian forces floundering in Ukraine, it would be an act of insanity for Putin to launch attacks on either of the Scandinavian countries. So he will likely limit himself for the moment to continuing with his nuclear threats and bluster. But how he must rue this massive own goal. It would be comic if the reason for it wasn't so tragic. Mark Almond is the Director of the Crisis Research Institute, Oxford. Inviting other people into your bed is always tricky especially if you're part of a couple. Most people underestimate just how shocked they are seeing their partner interact sexually with someone else. One of you likes it a little too much, he can't rise to the occasion, you all feel awkward - and it's nothing like it was in your fantasies. There are many (many) reasons why group sex can go very wrong, very easily. I asked women to tell me their stories of threesomes that didn't quite go to plan. Here's three of the most interesting (and believe me, the competition was fierce!) Women who have had threesomes tell Tracey Cox what it's really like, and whether it's worth rocking the boat in your relationship by involving another person (stock image) It became painfully obvious my long-term boyfriend was gay Isla was 18 when she met her boyfriend. They were together five years before he suggested having a threesome with another man. I met my boyfriend the day I started university. We were instant soulmates and it was obvious to all that we'd spend our lives together. Sex was the weakest part of our relationship but everything else was so perfect, I didn't really care. I've never been that into sex, so I didn't think too much about it. Tracey Cox asked women to share their stories of threesomes that did not quite go to plan My boyfriend started suggesting we try some new things about six months before we had the threesome. We experimented with tie-up games, had sex outside, a bit of role-play. I got that he wanted to shake things up a bit. What didn't occur to me was that he was testing to see if our lukewarm sex was due to being in a long-term relationshipor something else. When he suggested we have a threesome with another man, I was shocked. We were so close and so in love, I didn't ever imagine we'd invite other people into our relationship. I spent ages deciding but then said yes. I'm still not sure why I agreed. Maybe I sensed it was important to him? He said he had a friend he'd met at work that would be up for it. I asked why he was talking about threesomes with someone at work and he said they'd become mates. When the agreed day arrived, I'd never seen him so excited. He was one step off literally jumping up and down. The guy arrived and was really good-looking. My boyfriend couldn't take his eyes off him which made me feel very uncomfortable. We all had some drinks and got on the bed. The guy kissed me and my boyfriend watched and it was fine but when I said, 'You're allowed to kiss him as well', he didn't wait a second before grabbing the guy and kissing him like he'd never kissed me. They were all over each other, feeling each other's bodies and looking to me for permission to take it further. I nodded and I sat back and watched them on the bed. I think maybe a part of me had been suspicious for the last year or so, but I finally let myself admit the man I'd loved for five years was gay. It was like a movie where they suddenly switch to the main character flashing back to moments in their life and seeing things clearly. My boyfriend was so passionate and bigger than life with everything but strangely subdued and detached during sex. It was always left up to me to initiate. I sometimes caught him looking at me, looking so sad. I think he struggled with his sexuality and tried really hard to be straight, so he wouldn't hurt me. He didn't wait a second before grabbing the guy and kissing him like he'd never kissed me. They were all over each other, feeling each other's bodies and looking to me for permission to take it further I got up and left the room, crying. He got up immediately and followed me. When I told him I knew he was gay, he started sobbing as well and saying he'd hoped that being with a man in real life would prove he wasn't. But we both knew the opposite had happened. The split was unbearably painful for both of us. I thought my heart would never heal. But it did, of course. I didn't ever think we'd stay friends but about a year afterwards, I realised I missed the friendship part of our relationship more than anything else. I texted him and he called me back within seconds. He loves my partner of two years and I like his boyfriends (he's not up for anything serious yet). I wonder if I hadn't said yes to the threesome, how long he would have continued to kid himself that he was straight. My sister's friend walked in. It was easily the most excruciatingly embarrassing moment of my life. Hannah is 30 and works in the beauty industry. She had a threesome with an escortbut at one point there were four people in the room. I was going out with a guy who'd had loads of threesomes but I'd never had one and was curious. He booked a night in hotel in London for my birthday and joked that he'd throw in a high-class hooker as well. I laughed and said 'No way!' but then thought, 'Why not?'. I left it to him to choose the girl (he did it online) but demanded final approval. She had olive skin and dark hair and was curvy. Fine by me! I didn't sleep the night before and was so nervous by the time we got to the hotel. I felt even more paranoid when we checked in because it was boutique and tiny! I imagined the escort turning up in a mini and thigh-high boots and asking for our room and the front desk knowing exactly what was going on and who'd ordered her! When she did turn up, she was an attractive blonde girl, late 20s, Eastern European, with a high pony tail, wearing a mustard coat I'd had my eye on in Zara. (Nothing like the photo but I'd guessed that was all a con!) The dos and don'ts of having a happy threesome Don't have one spontaneously, if you've never done it before. Especially if you're a committed couple. Discussions need to be had beforehand. Don't have one when you're really drunk or high. Don't do it with your best friends. If it all goes horribly wrong, it will harm the friendship. Do set rules and guidelines. Who is allowed to interact with who? Which activities are allowed and which aren't? Do put the relationship over the sex. Keep a close eye on each other. If anyone looks distressed or like they aren't enjoying it, stop and talk about whether you want to continue. Do experiment when you're single, if the idea tempts you. The fallout for couples is often worse because of jealousy and trust issues. Advertisement My boyfriend poured the champagne we'd ordered and suddenly she was naked, bar a tiny, plain, no-frills looking G-string. I looked at her body and was relieved to see that while she had a good body, it wasn't threateningly good. Her breasts were a bit saggy. She had a flat tummy but normal girl thighs - they weren't perfect at all. I took my clothes off and got on the bed. I kissed her for a while which was, for me, the sexiest part. She was a great kisser and way better than most men. She tasted like toothpaste and her mouth was so much softer than a man's. Totally different to how a man's tongue and mouth feels. Her tongue was so small. It was a surreal sensation. I kept thinking, 'This is what it feels like for men who sleep with me'. To be honest, I kind of forgot my boyfriend was even in the room. I was so curious about the whole experience of being with a woman. (He was under strict instructions to watch until I gave him permission to join us.) What I didn't realise was how many drinks he'd been knocking back while watching us. He asked if we wanted him to order champagne and I said yes. What I didn't expect was for him to invite the room service waiter into the room to deliver it. He was so drunk and just not thinking. I heard the knock on the door and thought he'd taken the bottle from the waiter but next thing I sensed someone else in the room. I sat up, shocked that he'd let someone in while I was on the bed making out with a woman, and locked eyes with the guy opening the champagne. I knew him! It was easily the most excruciatingly embarrassing moment of my life. He was a good friend of my sister's from university and he'd been over to our parents' place for dinner. I quickly hid my face but I could tell by his reaction that he'd completely clocked who I was. When he left, I shouted at my boyfriend like I've never shouted at anyone before. What an idiot! What was he thinking? The girl left immediately and so did I. I broke up with my boyfriend after that: he thought it was hilarious, I was furious. I lived in fear for months afterwards that the guy would tell my sister, constantly watching her face and trying to suss out if she knew anything. She's never said a word and I haven't seen the guy since. A lucky escape but it put me off trying anything remotely out there since.' It's how I met my fiance but in the end we broke up over it Chloe, 26, is a travel writer and had sex with two men while on a trip to a well-known island resort. Her threesome quite literally ended in tears. I quickly made friends with two guys who were crew on our sailing boat. They were both really flirty with me and it was clear both wanted to sleep with me. It became a competition over who was going to win me over, but in a fun rather than serious way. On my last night, we all went to the resort bar and drank loads. When it closed, it seemed rude not to go to their room to continue partying. They were hot and they were fun and both so complimentary - it was a massive ego-boost. It was obvious by the way the whole thing was handled that they'd planned the threesome and discussed how it would work. They sat beside me on the sofa and the younger guy said, 'Come on, give me a little kiss. You're leaving soon,' and he grabbed me and gave me a big tongue kiss. I kissed him back - I was pretty trashed - and then the older guy, sitting on the other side, said, 'That's so unfair. What about me,' and pulled me to him and so I kissed him as well. I think I would have married him had we not met the way that we did, but in the end it destroyed us When we stopped kissing, the young guy grabbed me again and we kissed. Then I leant back into his arms and he started kissing my neck and feeling my breasts and the older guy put his hands on my hips and pulled me towards him and next thing we'd all moved to the bed and both of them were making love to me. I can't remember feeling either shocked or surprised. I do remember feeling really turned on and not coerced into it. I think I joked that they'd planned it and they grinned and admitted it. It was clear I could say no at any point but I didn't want to. The younger guy was the first one inside me and it felt amazing. I loved it but I was hotter for the older guy, even at that point. I reached for him and he sort of pushed the other guy off and then he was inside me. Their thrusting styles were radically different: his was more of a grinding motion and he kissed me during it while the young guy didn't. *Chloe said a threesome is how she met her fiance- and what broke them up (stock image) I don't know when I stopped enjoying it, but it was suddenly all too much. It went from feeling pleasurable and racy to feeling like I was out of control. It was like someone had flipped a switch: so fast! One minute I was moaning, the next I was crying. We were all so drunk at this point something was bound to go wrong. Immediately they both stopped. The older guy cuddled me and I remember the young guy saying, 'S***, is she OK?'. They were both nice guys and neither wanted to do anything I didn't want done to me. Up until that point, I'd been very willing. I ended up staying in contact with the older guy. We texted a bit and then started calling and next thing he asked if he could come to visit. About three months after that, he threw in his job, came to live with me and proposed. I think I would have married him had we not met the way that we did, but in the end it destroyed us. I felt ashamed and he was paranoid that I'd enjoyed sex more with his friend than I did with him. (Why, I don't know.) If I'd waved them both goodbye and not had contact, I think I would remember the threesome as a good experience. I tried to think it would be cool and amusing if we did get married after having got together because of it. But then I thought about having kids and decided I didn't want to spend my entire life flinching every time someone asked how we met in front of them.' To check out Tracey's product ranges, books and to find more information about sex, visit traceycox.com. * All names have been changed An Australian couple have piqued the interest of their American fanbase for taking a trip to Woolworths on 'date night' without wearing any shoes. Kate McElligott shared a video to her TikTok page alongside her boyfriend Harry showcasing how they prepare for a night at home by playing 'scissors, paper, rock'. The couple use the childhood game to decide what drinks, entree, main, dessert and movie this will enjoy on their date night, visiting a supermarket to procure each of the necessary items. But despite the video being an innocent reminder of young love, a collection of Americans infiltrated the comment section to argue about the choice of footwear the two decided on for their outing. 'Wait so why is your boyfriend not wearing shoes?' One woman asked. Kate McElligott shared a video to her TikTok page alongside her boyfriend Harry showcasing how they prepare for a night at home by playing 'scissors, paper, rock' 'Can we talk about the fact he has no shoes on,' said another. The shock and 'disgust' was quickly defended by other Australians who live 'on the coast'. 'Too many non Aussies about the shoes. What are all the 7ft spiders going to bite if you cover your feet up?' One man joked. Poll Is it normal not to wear shoes to go shopping in Australia? Yes No Is it normal not to wear shoes to go shopping in Australia? Yes 269 votes No 397 votes Now share your opinion 'As a fellow Aussie I say that it's 100 per cent normal to go without shoes. I don't know what everyone else is on about,' said another. Kate felt the need to defend her boyfriend's lack of footwear by saying: 'I have a feeling that this video isn't reaching Australians cause I'd say this is standard??? Is my life a lie??? 'Okay so to explain it's pretty standard to not wear shoes to places in Australia. It was night and we were too lazy to put shoes on.' Two university students claim they have developed the 'ultimate napping solution' by designing a human dog bed. The Plufl is the world's first dog bed for people intended to help alleviate stress and anxiety. The bed is made with memory foam, orthopaedic foam and faux fur to provide a cosy experience. The unique product looks exactly like a huge dog bed and can comfortably fit two people. The Plufl is the world's first dog bed for humans (pictured). It's made with memory and orthopaedic foam then covered in faux fur to provide a cosy experience The unique product looks exactly like a huge dog bed and can comfortably fit two people Poll Would you buy a human dog bed? Yes! No Maybe Would you buy a human dog bed? Yes! 605 votes No 147 votes Maybe 62 votes Now share your opinion The idea sparked after founders Noah Silverman and Yuki Kinoshita, from Vancouver, got to know the owners of a local coffee shop and their Great Dane, Lady. While struggling to find different napping options online, the duo noticed Lady had a customised dog bed and thought: 'Why shouldn't people have this too?' Although the product idea may seem bizarre, it's received huge support with more than $379,000 raised from Kickstarter crowd funding. The high-quality faux fur is anti-microbial and machine washable and the bed itself is portable. Founders Noah Silverman and Yuki Kinoshita, from Vancouver, thought of the idea after noticing a Great Dane enjoy its customised dog bed Although the product idea may seem bizarre, it's received huge support with more than $377,000 raised from crowd funding. But each Plufl will cost $400 USD/$570 AUD 'The Plufl is not only extremely cosy and comfortable, it also makes you feel secure and safe,' the founders said in a promotional video on the website. If the brand produces the human dog bed, it'll cost a staggering $400 USD/$570 AUD. According to sleep.org, the environment you sleep in drastically impacts the quality of your shut-eye - factors include room temperature, light, sounds, scents and bedding. By sleeping in a stress-free environment on a comfortable mattress, you're more likely to get a better night's sleep and wake up feeling refreshed. An American expat has taken to TikTok to complain about the cost of living in Australia - claiming he doesn't know how anyone affords to live Down Under. Alex Castro, who was excited to move to Australia at first, said the real cost of living dawned on him when he saw rental prices. 'I saw prices around $330 and $350 and I thought OMG that is so cheap I am going to be balling, I am going to be rich,' he said in the video, before realising that wasn't the monthly cost. Alex Castro, who was excited to move to Australia at first, said the real cost of living dawned on him when he saw rental prices 'Then I found out no, that's by week, I don't know how anyone affords to live here,' he said. His first trip to the supermarket continued to blow his mind. 'So one of the first photos I took in Australia because the price of a 30-pack of Coke was so high, and this was on sale,' he said. The photo shows a carton of the popular soft drink with a yellow tag noting it was 33% cheaper than usual at $23.60. He said a Maccas meal at home is $5, with the same thing costing $13 here. The American, who is making a culture-shock series on TikTok, said he is sick of Australians taking aim at Americans over their minimum wage. He noted he bought a move-in-ready home in Texas for $42,000 with a $188-per-month mortgage. 'Aussies love to rag on our minimum wage but at $7-per-hour you can afford a $188 mortgage,' he said. But it appeared Australians were quick to defend their country against the expat. 'We can have emergency surgery here without going bankrupt,' one man said. 'The cost of living is higher but our minimum wage is also almost 3x higher than USA, and we get more gov benefits, healthcare, and paid time off,' one woman added. Others told him to remember the exchange rate - which closes the gap on the price of everyday items. 'Also when comparing things online remember the tax in the US is added at checkout - ours is included in the advertised price.' Some said he can't compare living in a major city to buying in a minor one. And some said that the cost of food has gone up a lot since their last visit to the states before the pandemic. 'I just got back from America and groceries were soo much more expensive in the US. Standard fruit, a chocolate bar, chips etc. We were shocked,' the man said. This was one of the first photos the American took in Australia, because he was shocked by the price of Coke 'There is no way that's true,' the TikTokker argued. But others had the TikTokker's back. 'All benefits included out cost of living is still astronomically high compared to the US,' one woman said. 'Hes not wrong the cost of living here is ridiculous. I don't know why more people arent outraged?' added another. 'American as well. Been here for 20 years. Yeah the prices shocked me too. Especially alcohol.' Before one woman chimed in that electricity prices would shock him too. 'That is actually cheaper here than in the US,' he revealed. They're battling it out in a libel trial that could cost 3million - but it appears Coleen Rooney and Rebekah Vardy are also hoping to win in the style stakes. The high-profile WAGS both put their best fashion foot forward when arriving at London's High Court for the second day in the 'Wagatha Christie' case. Looking effortlessly elegant, Coleen, 36, opted for a 32.99 printed dress from Zara, which she teamed with one Chanel loafer; she has been sporting an air boot on her other foot since suffering a fracture after a fall at home in March. Meanwhile Rebekah, 40, went for a full-on designer look, pairing a black, high-neck 1,780 Prada dress with a matching 1,245 blazer from Alexander McQueen, yet another Duchess of Cambridge-approved designer. Yesterday, for their first day in court, Rebekah went for full Duchess style again in a trendy midi shirt dress from a British-Canadian designer Edeline Lee, who marks Kate Middleton among her fans. Coleen has been in a bitter feud with Rebekah since October 2019 after accusing her of leaking 'false stories' about her private life to the media, before claiming that she uncovered the culprit after carrying out a social media 'sting operation'. They're battling it out in a libel trial that could cost 3million - but it appears Coleen Rooney (left) and Rebekah Vardy (right) are also hoping to win in the style stakes Rebekah Vardy appears at the Royal Courts Of Justice in London for the second day of the Wagatha Christie libel trial today Coleen Rooney arrived at the Royal Courts of Justice wearing a 32.99 white and black patterned Zara dress while her left foot was still in a brace following an accident at home Turning up for the second day of proceedings, Wayne Rooneys wife Coleen wore her brown hair scraped back into a ponytail. She sported a natural make-up look with a light layer of foundation and lick of mascara, as well as a brown smokey eye. Her flattering V-neck dress featured long sleeves, a tied belt in the same fabric of the frock and a ruffled hem. Adding a touch of glitz to her black and white ensemble, she sported dainty silver earrings, a matching necklace with an R pendant, and a dazzling diamond bracelet. The mother-of-four, who was wearing a medical boot on her left leg for an injury, completed her look with a black handbag. Meanwhile Rebekah, who has five children as well as a step-daughter from husband Leicester City striker Jamie Vardy's previous relationship, looked ready for business in her all-black ensemble. Coleen was once again accompanied by her Derby County manager husband Wayne (right), who carried a leather handbag containing a file The high-profile WAGS both put their best fashion foot forward when arriving at London's High Court for the second day in the 'Wagatha Christie' case. Pictured, Coleen Looking effortlessly elegant, Coleen (above), 36, opted for a 32.99 printed dress from Zara, which she teamed with one Chanel loafer; she has been sporting an air boot on her other foot since suffering a fracture after a fall at home in March Coleen (above) has been in a bitter feud with Rebekah since October 2019 after accusing her of leaking 'false stories' about her private life to the media, before claiming that she uncovered the culprit after carrying out a social media 'sting operation' She donned a blazer from Alexander McQueen - a brand regularly worn by the Duchess of Cambridge - which featured padded shoulders and a nipped-in waist. Her sleeveless Prada maxi dress featured a matching black belt and inset pockets on the sides and was teamed with elegant heels and a pair of sunglasses. She elevated her look even further with beaded jewellery and shimmering earrings, while holding on to a black handbag. In October 2019, Coleen accused Rebekah 40, of leaking 'false stories' about her to the press. She explained that she had posted a series of fake stories about herself to her personal Instagram account. Three stories had been shared with The Sun newspaper - including one about travelling to Mexico to find out about gender selection, another regarding a return to TV and a final story about the basement flooding at her new home. Hoping to find the account responsible for sharing these false stories, Coleen explained that she had changed the privacy settings of her posts so it was visible to just one person's account - Rebekah's. Meanwhile Rebekah (pictured), 40, went for a full-on designer look, pairing a black, high-neck 1,780 Prada dress with a matching blazer from Alexander McQueen, yet another Duchess of Cambridge-approved designer Yesterday, for their first day in court, Rebekah (pictured) went for full Duchess style again in a trendy midi shirt dress from a British-Canadian designer Edeline Lee, who marks Kate Middleton among her fans Rebekah (above), who has five children as well as a step-daughter from husband Leicester City striker Jamie Vardy 's previous relationship, looked ready for business in her all-black ensemble Coleen's social media post revealing her operation quickly led to her being labelled 'Wagatha Christie' in a nod to the renowned British crime author Agatha Christie. For a few years now someone who I trusted to follow me on my personal Instagram account has been consistently informing The SUN newspaper of my private posts and stories. WAGATHA DAY 1 RECAP: C*** slurs, World Cup photo wars, Scooby Doo... and a 'manhood resembling a ''chipolata''' TEAM VARDY: Rebekah was 'deeply sorry' for referring to Peter Andre's manhood as a 'chipolata' after being confronted by her comments to a reporter; Said she feared she would lose her baby when Coleen made her allegations and 'will never forgive' her for 'ruining my pregnancy'; Lawyer said she 'had no choice' but to bring the libel claim against Coleen to 'establish her innocence and vindicate her reputation'; She's been 'jeered and heckled at football matches' and 'made the butt of endless jokes' since the allegations emerged; Coleen's famous Instagram sting was 'flawed', rather than a 'careful investigation' that produced 'irrefutable' evidence as she suggested; Coleen 'revelled' in comparisons to Miss Marple, Agatha Christie and the Scooby-Doo gang; Rebekah 'has no knowledge' of an incident that saw agent Caroline Watt's phone fall into the North Sea and 'doesn't know' if she was a leaker; Claim Rebekah was involved in 'conspiracy' and 'campaign of deletion' of evidence is 'completely baseless''; TEAM ROONEY Coleen's barrister, David Sherborne, told the court the case hinges on 'betrayal' whether it was by Rebekah who betrayed Coleen by leaking information to The Sun or Coleen's agent, Caroline Watt, who was responsible; Suggested that if Ms Watt was responsible for leaking the stories 'she was doing Rebekah's dirty work like a hitman' - and accused Rebekah of 'lying' for suggesting otherwise; Rebekah's claim she sat behind Coleen at the 2016 Euros because they were the 'nearest seats available' was 'untrue', according to a new witness statement; 'Harry Maguire's fiancee Fern Hawkins was 'upset and embarrassed' by Rebekah's WAGs paparazzi photo at 2018 World Cup'; Rebekah 'had the means, motive and opportunity to leak stories about Coleen'; Re-read WhatsApp messages between Rebekah and her agent where Rebekah referred to Coleen as a 'c***'. Advertisement There has been so much information given to them about me, my friends and my family all without my permission or knowledge. After a long time of trying to figure out who it could be, for various reasons, I had a suspicion. To try and prove this, I came up with an idea. I blocked everyone from viewing my Instagram stories except ONE account. (Those on my private account must have been wondering why I havent had stories on there for a while.) Over the past five months I have posted a series of false stories to see if they made their way into the Sun newspaper. And you know what, they did! The story about gender selection in Mexico, the story about returning to TV and then the latest story about the basement flooding in my new house. Its been tough keeping it to myself and not making any comment at all, especially when the stories have been leaked, however I had to. Now I know for certain which account/individual its come from. I have saved and screenshotted all the original stories which clearly show just one person has viewed them. Its.......... Rebekah Vardys account. But shortly after Coleen's public accusation, Rebekah - who was pregnant and on holiday in Dubai at the time - denied any involvement. She hit back on social media, writing: As I have just said to you [Rooney] on the phone, I wish you had called me if you thought this. I never speak to anyone about you, as various journalists who have asked me to over the years can vouch for. If you thought this was happening you could have told me and I could have changed passwords to see if it stopped. Over the years various people have had access to my Insta and just this week I found out I was following people I didnt know and have never followed myself. Im not being funny but I dont need the money, what would I gain from selling stories on you? But in April, Rebekah sensationally appeared to accept that her agent had been leaking stories about Coleen in a dramatic development to the 'Wagatha Christie' libel battle, the High Court heard. In documents submitted to the court, Coleen's legal team claimed Rebekah's case had 'collapsed' after an 'abrupt change of position to her pleaded case' following a second statement made by her in which she alleged that her agent and close friend Caroline Watt had leaked stories to The Sun. The document compiled by Coleen's lawyers David Sherborne and Ben Hamer, and seen by the Hight Court, states: 'The collapse of Rebekah's case over the last day has been remarkable. 'As of the evening of 27 April 2022, in an abrupt change of position to her pleaded case since the outset, Rebekah's appears now to accept Coleen's case: that Caroline Watt, Rebekah's close friend and PR, was the conduit by which stories from the Defendant's Private Instagram Account were leaked to The Sun through her access via Rebekah Vardy's account (@beckyvardy).' It adds: 'It is only now-over two weeks later and on the eve of trial-that Rebekah has been forced to come clean.' The High Court in London has also heard that Ms Watt is not fit to give oral evidence to the trial. Coleen's lawyers previously claimed that Rebekah had leaked information to The Sun either directly or through Ms Watt 'acting on her instruction or with her knowing approval'. Ms Watt was referred to at an earlier hearing after the High Court in London heard that WhatsApp messages between Rebekah and Ms Watt had been disclosed. Texts heard in court included Rebekah referring to someone, whose identity is disputed, as a 'nasty b****'. Ms Vardy's legal team say Ms Watt is in a 'fragile state' and has been expressing concerns about giving evidence. They have asked the judge for Ms Watt's statement to be admitted as 'hearsay' evidence, so that she does not have to appear in person, following the 11th hour psychiatric report. Wagatha Christie timeline: How Coleen and Rebekah's long-running, vicious war unfolded before the eyes of the world September 2017 to October 2019 - The Sun runs a number of articles about Coleen, including that she travelled to Mexico to look into baby 'gender selection' treatment, her plan to revive her TV career and the flooding of her basement. October 9, 2019 - Coleen uses social media to accuse Rebekah of selling stories from her private Instagram account to the tabloids. Coleen says she spent five months attempting to work out who was sharing information about her and her family based on posts she had made on her personal social media page. After sharing a series of 'false' stories and using a process of elimination, Coleen claims they were viewed by one Instagram account, belonging to Rebekah. Rebekah, then pregnant with her fifth child, denies the allegations and says various people had access to her Instagram over the years. She claims to be 'so upset' by Coleen's accusation, later adding: 'I thought she was my friend but she completely annihilated me.' The public dispute makes headlines around the world, with the hashtag #WagathaChristie trending. How it all began: On October 9, 2019, Coleen Rooney, now 36, accused Rebekah Vardy, 40, of leaking 'false stories' about her to the press in an Instagram post (above) Shortly after Coleen's public accusation, Rebekah - who was pregnant and on holiday in Dubai at the time - denied any involvement (above) February 13, 2020 - In a tearful appearance on ITV's Loose Women, Rebekah says the stress of the dispute caused her to have severe anxiety attacks and she 'ended up in hospital three times'. Coleen says in a statement that she does not want to 'engage in further public debate'. June 23, 2020 - It emerges that Rebekah has launched libel proceedings against Coleen. Rebekah's lawyers allege she 'suffered extreme distress, hurt, anxiety and embarrassment as a result of the publication of the post and the events which followed'. November 19-20, 2020 - The libel battle has its first High Court hearing in London. A judge rules that Coleen's October 2019 post 'clearly identified' Rebekah as being 'guilty of the serious and consistent breach of trust'. Mr Justice Warby concludes that the 'natural and ordinary' meaning of the posts was that Rebekah had 'regularly and frequently abused her status as a trusted follower of Coleen's personal Instagram account by secretly informing The Sun of Coleen's private posts and stories'. February 8-9, 2022 - A series of explosive messages between Rebekah and her agent Caroline Watt - which Coleen's lawyers allege were about her - are revealed at a preliminary court hearing. The court is told Rebekah was not referring to Coleen when she called someone a 'nasty bitch' in one exchange with Ms Watt. Coleen's lawyers seek further information from the WhatsApp messages, but the court is told that Ms Watt's phone fell into the North Sea after a boat she was on hit a wave, before further information could be extracted from it. February 14 - Coleen is refused permission to bring a High Court claim against Ms Watt for misuse of private information to be heard alongside the libel battle. A High Court judge, Mrs Justice Steyn, says the bid was brought too late and previous opportunities to make the claim had not been taken. April 13 - Ms Watt is not fit to give oral evidence at the upcoming libel trial, the High Court is told as the case returns for another hearing. The agent revokes permission for her witness statement to be used, and withdraws her waiver which would have allowed Sun journalists to say whether she was a source of the allegedly leaked stories. April 29 - Rebekah 'appears to accept' that her agent was the source of allegedly leaked stories, Coleen's barrister David Sherborne tells the High Court. He argues that a new witness statement submitted by Rebekah suggests Ms Watt was the source but Rebekah claims she 'did not authorise or condone her'. Rebekah's lawyer Hugh Tomlinson says the statement did not contain 'any change whatever in the pleaded case', with her legal team having no communication with Ms Watt. Advertisement An ex-Mafia member has claimed that his associates were 'business-minded people' and that violence is an 'unwanted' part of life in the mob. Speaking on This Morning to Phillip Schofield and Rochelle Humes, Michael Franzese, 70, from Brooklyn, said: 'It's part of the life. If you are part of that life you are part of the violence. Michael added that there are two kinds of people in the life- those who have got into it and are 'street guys' and others who 'have to do what they are told and step out of themselves' to handle things but do not necessarily feel good about it. He added: 'It's not something you want to do. A lot of people think from the moment you come into that life its all about violence and murder. It's not about that. 'We're business-minded people, we try to do things a little bit differently. Not everybody is a thug on the street, there are those guys but not everybody.' Michael has claimed in the past that at one point he was making up to $8 million per week. Speaking on This Morning to Phillip Schofield and Rochelle Humes, Michael Franzese, 70, from Brooklyn, pictured, revealed that his father, John 'Sonny' Franzese, was a Colombo crime family underboss Michael, pictured, said his father, who was serving 50 years in jail for a bank robbery, had not wanted him to be involved in the Mafia but the 70-year-old wanted to help his family while he was in prison Michael joined the mon when his father, John 'Sonny' Franzese, a Colombo crime family underboss, was serving 50 years in jail for bank robbery. Michael said: 'Originally he did not want that life for me, he wanted me to go to school and be a doctor. 'But in the 1960s he was sentenced to 50 years in prison for a federal case he was convicted of. I was a student in school at that point but I figured my dad was going to die in jail. 'My dad and I met and I said, "If I do not help you out you are going to die in here". He was a little upset about it because he wanted me to stay off the street.' The 70-year-old, pictured with Rochelle and Philip, was a recruit for three years before being accepted into the Mafia Michael, pictured, said he was 'very aggressive' on the street, working seven days and buying bringing new things into the 'family' that they had not done before But afterwards, his father proposed his son for membership, meaning that he vouched for his son and believed he had what it took to be in the Mafia. Michael was a recruit for three years before being accepted, doing menial tasks like driving the boss around. He said: 'The life is violent at times. If you are part of that life you see the violence.' The 70-year-old eventually worked his way up to 'Captain' and was in charge of about 300 'soldiers'. Phillip asked: 'Were there people who yours was the last face they saw?' 'I may not have been the last face they saw but I have certainly seen my share of things like that happen,' Michael said. The 70-year-old said that his life in the Mafia was motivated by two things- getting his father out of prison, managing to reduce his sentence from 50 to 40 years and using the life to benefit him in business. He added: 'I was very aggressive on the street. I worked seven days a week and I bought new things into the family that they had not done before and went on to make a very serious amount of money.' The 70-year-old is estimated to have stolen up to $250 million in gasoline tax in New York and $40 million in Florida. Michael went on to explain that in the Mafia, money is power and if you are doing well for the 'family', you rise in the ranks. Eventually he was arrested and pleaded guilty to one count of racketeering conspiracy and one count of tax conspiracy in March 1986. He was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison before he was released on parole in 1989. Eventually the 70-year-old, pictured in his mugshot in 1993, was arrested and pleaded guilty to one count of racketeering conspiracy and one count of tax conspiracy in March 1986 Michael, pictured with his father John, was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison before he was released on parole in 1989 Phillip referenced the fact that the majority of those in the Mafia, including characters in films, never get out of it. But Michael bucked the trend, explaining to Rochelle and Phillip that there is no 'blueprint' to walking away. He had met a young girl of faith whom he fell in love with and realised that if he married and her and stayed in her life, she would eventually end up without him. Michael, who is 18th on the list of the top 50 mafia bosses of all time, said: 'I had such a bullseye on my back, my name was very big, the government really wanted to put me in prison.' He admitted that he had a plan which did not work out in the exact way he wanted it to but then added that 37 years later he is alive and free. The 70-year-old moved to the West Coast with his wife and children, pictured, after several death threats and contracts on his life The reformed mobster moved to the West Coast with his wife and children after several death threats and contracts on his life. After he relocated, everybody he knew started to get into trouble because of the new racketeering laws and people thought he was going to be a witness in trials. But he said he did not want to put people in prison and just wanted out of the life. The 70-year-old, who has been speaking about his experiences for 25 years, said: 'Still today, even though I dont live in fear I'm always looking back and very conscious of my surroundings. 'I call that life an evil life, I'm not calling the guys evil. I don't know any family that hasn't been totally devastated by that life.' An Evening with Michael Franzese is a multi-city tour starting July 2 at the Grosvenor House Hotel in London. Galt, CA (95632) Today Mostly sunny. High 89F. Winds WSW at 15 to 25 mph.. Tonight Some passing clouds. Low 52F. SW winds at 15 to 25 mph, decreasing to 5 to 10 mph. The daughter of an Indiana fertility doctor who used his own sperm to artificially inseminate his patients without their consent has revealed she 'fears the avalanche of siblings' will never stop. A new Netflix film, released today, 'Our Father' chronicles how a woman's DNA test led to the sickening discovery that the once lauded Dr. Donald Cline secretly fathered dozens of his patients' children at his clinic in Indianapolis in the '70s and '80s. The documentary directed by Lucie Jourdan features Jacoba Ballard one of the first people to learn that Cline was her biological father and many of her half-siblings. Speaking to The Guardian, Jacoba revealed how she 'actually had a new sibling pop up the day the trailer' came out, with the film's director Lucie explaining: 'You could watch this and be oblivious to the fact that youre part of it, then suddenly everyone in the film is your sibling. Theres a high likelihood thats going to happen.' Jacoba Ballard, Tthe he daughter of Indiana fertility doctor Dr Cline who used his own sperm to artificially inseminate his patients without their consent has revealed she 'fears the avalanche of siblings will never stop' Speaking to The Guardian , Jacoba revealed how she 'actually had a new sibling pop up the day the trailer' for a new Netflix documentary about Cline came out (pictured) Meanwhile Lucie said the siblings 'kept coming like an avalanche', while Jacoba explained: 'So many of them dont even know they were donor-conceived, and some believed they came from their dads sperm. 'Every time we get a new match I give them this news, and its like Im ruining their life.' The pair confessed they hoped the film leads to 'everyone' getting tested, with Lucie saying: 'Before he was a fertility doctor, Cline was a gynaecologist. 'Anyone who saw him and happened to be pregnant after seeing him for any reason should test. Its sickening, but I think its a call to action.' An initial DNA test led Ballard (pictured with some of her half siblings) to find out she seven half-siblings. She continued to discover more and more Ballard, who grew up an only child, had known she was conceived via sperm donor since she was 10 years old. 'Growing up, I felt different,' she explained in the film's shocking new trailer. In 2014, the then 33-year-old signed up for an online forum for adoptees and donor-conceived children in an attempt to find her half-siblings. In Sarah Zhang's 2019 article for The Atlantic, 'The Fertility Doctor's Secret,' she explained how she quickly connected with another woman whose mother had also been treated by Cline. As soon as she saw her Facebook photos, she knew they had to be related. That woman knew another woman whose mother had also gone to Cline, and she had a sister. The new Netflix documentary 'Our Father' details how Dr. Donald Cline, a fertility specialist in Indianapolis, Indiana, used his own sperm to inseminate patients without their consent The four of them took 23andMe tests to confirm they were half-sisters, but the results revealed they also had four more half-siblings. They continued to search for their biological father by cross-matching their DNA with public databases to find relatives, and the name 'Cline' kept popping up. They eventually tracked down a distant relative who shared that she had a cousin named Donald Cline who was a fertility specialist in Indianapolis. Cline had told his patients that the donors were medical residents, claiming he only used each donor's sperm for three successful pregnancies. But their unusually large number of half-siblings told a different story. Cline secretly fathered dozens of children through his fertility clinic in the '70s and '80s (pictured) Jacoba (pictured) knew she was conceived via sperm donor and was one of the first people to discover Cline was her father While searching for answers, four of the eight siblings filed complaints with Indianas attorney general and asked for their suspicions that Cline had used his own sperm in patients to be investigated. In 2015, Ballard sent a Facebook message to Fox59 news anchor Angela Ganote asking for her help. The local station aired a segment about a suspiciously high number of children from one donor at the time, but Cline wasn't named. 'He's known in our community as a philanthropist. He's an elder of the church,' Ganote said of Cline's reputation in the trailer. It was Cline's son who helped organize a meeting between the doctor and six of the newly-discovered half-siblings, including Ballard. During the reunion, Cline allegedly admitted to using his own sperm but said their medical records had been destroyed. Around the time The Atlantic article was published, the number of children Cline fathered with his patients was known to be more than 50. Cline was a highly-respected fertility doctor a the time. He told his patients the donors were medical residents, claiming he only used each donor's sperm for three successful pregnancies Jason Hyatt (pictured) recalled his shock when he discovered how many relatives he had due to Cline's horrific deception 'When I opened up Ancestry, I had over 3,000 hits,' Jason Hyatt recalled in the trailer, while someone else added: 'I dread every new match that comes, but they just keep coming.' Another person explained that the majority of Cline's secret children 'live in a 25-mile radius of each other,' meaning they aren't sure who they are and aren't related to in the area. 'You're praying, "Please don't let it be somebody I know. Please don't let it be somebody I dated,"' one woman shared. For years, Ballard and her half-siblings have wondered what led Cline to lie to his patients and use his own sperm to impregnate them. 'Most of us have blonde hair, blue eyes. It was almost like this perfect Aryan clan,' Ballard said in the documentary. 'It's disgusting.' Meanwhile, Matt White couldn't help but ask how did 'no one know' for decades that Cline was using his own sperm to impregnate women Julie Harmon's mother, Dianna Kiesler, recalled how she had to tell her husband their daughter wasn't biologically his 'I think it was some sick experiment for him,' another suggested. Meanwhile, Matt White couldn't help but ask: 'How the f**l did no one know for decades?' His mother, Liz White, had been trying to conceive with her husband for two and a half years when their fertility doctor referred them to Cline, who used fresh donor sperm instead of frozen, which had a higher success rate at the time. Cline allegedly told them that he'd find a medical resident whose appearance and blood type matched her husband's. He also urged them not to tell anyone about the donor sperm, including their future child. The mother, who was inseminated by Cline 15 times over five months, didn't discover he had been using his own sperm until he was in the news. Another person explained that the majority of Cline's secret children 'live in a 25-mile radius of each other,' meaning they aren't sure who they are and aren't related to in the area Cline, who was retired and in his early 80s, was charged with two counts of felony obstruction of justice for denying the allegations 'I feel like I was raped 15 times,' she told The Atlantic. Julie Harmon also saw a TV news story about Cline, years after she discovered that her blood type indicated she was not biologically related to one of her parents. In the documentary, her mother, Dianna Kiesler, recalled how Cline led her to believe that he had inseminated her with her husband's sperm. Cline lost his medical license and was fined just $500 for his actions 'I had to tell my husband, "We're just finding out now that Julie is not yours,"' she said as her daughter cried next to her. Ballard and her half-siblings were determined to seek justice, but his actions weren't technically considered a crime. At the time, there weren't any Indiana laws that prohibited the secret use of a doctor's own sperm. 'I don't deny that it was a sexual violation. But legally, there's just no crime that touches this particular act,' Tim DeLaney, the prosecutor in the case, explained in the documentary. Cline, who was retired and in his early 80s, was charged with two counts of felony obstruction of justice for denying the allegations. He lost his medical license and was fined just $500. In 2019, Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb signed a new law making fertility fraud and deception illegal in the state. However, Cline's case was far from over in the eyes of his victims. 'He's hiding something more sinister,' one person insisted at the end of the trailer. Selma Blair has opened up about a lifetime of alcohol abuse, revealing that she got drunk for the first time when she was just seven years old and became an 'expert alcoholic' even as a child. The 49-year-old actress has detailed her struggles in her upcoming memoir, Mean Baby, sharing how she would sip alcohol to quell her anxiety through her school years. In an excerpt of the memoir obtained by People, Blair described how her drinking got worse in college and on more than one occasion, she was too drunk to fight off men who raped her. 'I have been raped, multiple times, because I was too drunk to say the words "Please. Stop,"' she said. Selma Blair has opened up about a lifetime of alcohol abuse, revealing that she got drunk for the first time when she was just seven years old The 49-year-old actress has detailed her struggles in her upcoming memoir, Mean Baby, and excerpt from which appears in People this week Mean Baby will be released on May 17 In her memoir, Blair described the first time she got drunk as a 'revelation,' and how the effects of alcohol initially felt like the 'warmth of God' filling her up. It was Passover, a Jewish holiday in which drinking wine is a big part of the ceremonial dinner, called a Seder. She had been allowed small sips of Manischewitz wine at her family's Seders for years, but she got carried away the year she was seven. Because 'no one was paying attention to my consumption level,' she drank enough Manischewitz to get more than a buzz. 'I got drunk that night. Very drunk. Eventually, I was put in my sister Katie's bed with her. In the morning, I didn't remember how I'd gotten there,' she recalled. After that, she usually wouldn't drink to get drunk, but would have 'quick sips whenever my anxiety would alight,' making her barely tipsy. Blair described the first time she got drunk as a 'revelation,' and how the effects of alcohol initially felt like the 'warmth of God' filling her up 'I became an expert alcoholic, adept at hiding my secret,' she said 'I became an expert alcoholic, adept at hiding my secret,' she wrote. 'It was hard. I dont know. But maybe it was easier. Maybe I never would have survived without a drink,' she told Savannah Guthrie on the Today show this morning. Blair continued to drink throughout elementary school, middle school, and high school. 'I don't know if I would've survived childhood without alcoholism,' she told People. 'That's why it's such a problem for a lot of people. It really is a huge comfort, a huge relief in the beginning. 'Maybe even the first few years for me because I did start really young with that as a comfort, as my coping mechanism,' she said. In college, her alcohol abuse worsened and left her vulnerable to predators. The first time the actress (pictured as a child) got drunk was on the Jewish holiday of Passover. Her parents weren't paying attention to how much Manischewitz wine she drank After that, Blair (seen bottom left as a child) usually wouldn't drink to get drunk, but would have ' quick sips whenever my anxiety would alight,' making her barely tipsy 'Maybe even the first few years for me because I did start really young with that as a comfort, as my coping mechanism,' Blair (seen left as a child) said During one spring break trip, after a day of binge-drinking, she said that she was raped by at least one man. 'I don't know if both of them raped me. One of them definitely did,' she wrote. 'I made myself small and quiet and waited for it to be over. I wish I could say what happened to me that night was an anomaly, but it wasn't,' she said, revealing that there were several time she was too drunk to fend off rapists. 'Only that one time was violent. I came out of each event quiet and ashamed,' she wrote. Blair continued to drink into early adulthood and then, it was in part to cope with her trauma. 'These were the things I drank to forget. I didnt drink for attention: I drank to disappear,' she said. 'You bury it. You really do. It's a big thing to have these things happen,' she said on Today. 'And to hold that shame in yourself.' In college, her alcohol abuse worsened, and on one spring break trip, at least one man raped her. She is pictured during her teenage years 'I have been raped, multiple times, because I was too drunk to say the words "Please. Stop,"' the Cruel Intentions star (seen in her youth) said 'The desire to drink as much as I could, as often as I could, stayed with me and did not let go for more than 20 years,' Blair, pictured in Cruel Intentions, said 'The desire to drink as much as I could, as often as I could, stayed with me and did not let go for more than 20 years.' On two occasions, she said, she tried to take her own life. Things finally changed for her after a high-profile incident in 2016, when she became intoxicated and passed out on a plane in front of her four-year-old son. Blair was flying to Los Angeles from Cancun, Mexico, when, according to TMZ, she started crying and complaining about a man abusing her. The pilot called ahead to LAX to report that a passenger was mixing medication with alcohol, and Blair was reportedly carried from the plane on a stretcher. 'The thing that made me really stop drinking was that I could have died on that plane,' she said on the Today show this morning. 'I mean, now that I was a mother, it just changed everything.' Blair has been sober since 2016, and she has worked on her trauma with a therapist. Things finally changed for her after a high-profile incident in 2016, when she became intoxicated and passed out on a plane in front of her four-year-old son 'The thing that made me really stop drinking was that I could have died on that plane,' she said on the Today show this morning. 'I mean, now that I was a mother, it just changed everything' The actress, who has also spoken candidly about having multiple sclerosis, said she also found it helpful to write about it in her memoir. The new memoir also delves into her battle with MS, and she said on Today this morning that she realizes now there were 'so many things that were indicative of MS' earlier in her life. 'I do know for sure I had it by the age of 23. It was definitely there for so long,' she said. Blair teased a few details when she announced her memoir on Instagram in December. 'Bit by scrap by journal pages and letters, I wrote my first book: Mean Baby,' she wrote. 'My mother always laughed when retelling the story of how the older neighborhood kids ran from our long ranch house at the end of the cul de sac. Dont go in there!!! Was the shocked cry. The Beitners have a mean baby. I was proud I could send older kids scrambling never to visit again. 'I lived up to my name. And then I grew up, grieved a life I felt a stranger in, and then I started to change. I had a child of my own. I floundered and had small but major successes. And I kept writing. Until my hands wouldnt cooperate. And I was diagnosed with MS. Finally,' she said. The actress, who has also spoken candidly about having multiple sclerosis, said she also found it helpful to write about it in her memoir The new memoir also delves into her battle with MS, and she said she realizes now there were 'so many things that were indicative of MS' earlier in her life 'After the stem cell transplant I wanted to remember what I turned away from thinking about. My beloved mother died, and with fresh marrow recolonizing my cells, I have been given a new life. 'This is the maiden voyage for me. But it was through the support of my loves on here (Instagram) who have encouraged me to keep moving even in suspended grief, along with great recovery. 'So this is what I wrote. On scraps of paper. On my phone. Sent to my dear agent who held space while I wrote despite the fog in my brain. This is personal. Its my story and intended with love. Mostly. 'Mean Baby might have turned her gaze on a couple unsatisfactory outcomes. But truly. 'Without you I would have not been able to appreciate how even the meanest baby grows up. Thank you for being on this journey with me. It has been the most remarkable time. A survival course in acceptance. I recommend we all write our recollections. Especially at a time when seeing the words, even, is difficult.' Prince Charles donned a pinstriped suit and zebra tie today as he met Rishi Sunak in south London. The Prince of Wales, 73, and Chancellor of the Exchequer, 41, met with Father Andrew Moughtin-Mumby the Rector of St Peter's Church for the event in Walworth where they met with young people supported by the Prince's Trust. The royal shook hands with Mr Sunak who yesterday led out an emergency Budget on the cost-of-living crisis. Sporting a black suit with light blue shirt and dark tie, the chancellor appeared at ease while chatting to the future king. Prince Charles donned a pinstriped suit and zebra tie today as he met Rishi Sunak in south London The Prince of Wales, 73, and Chancellor of the Exchequer, 41, met with Father Andrew Moughtin-Mumby the Rector of St Peter's Church for the event in Walworth where they met with young people supported by the Prince's Trust The royal shook hands with Mr Sunak who yesterday led out an emergency Budget on the cost-of-living crisis. They are pictured with Father Andrew Moughtin-Mumby, Rector of St Peters Church after their visit to The Prince's Trust Kickstart supported young people in Walworth It comes as an emotional Prince Charles stepped in for Her Majesty at the 11th hour to read the Queen's Speech at the opening of Parliament after the 96-year-old monarch was forced to pull out for the first time in 59 years as she prioritises the Platinum Jubilee next month. The heir to the throne gazed at his mother's crown before he announced 38 of Boris Johnson's Bills for the coming year including new laws to properly punish eco hooligans, capitalise on Brexit, better regulate landlords and ensure Britons can pay their soaring bills. Today was a highly symbolic and historic moment for the British monarchy where the Prince of Wales took on his closest role yet to that of king. He had addressed the House of Lords after the monarch, 96, obeyed doctor's orders to miss the State Opening of Parliament for the first time in 59 years. Prince William and the Duchess of Cornwall flanked the Prince of Wales as he delivered the speech from the consort's throne, used by his father Prince Philip for decades, in a major constitutional moment for the UK. It comes as an emotional Prince Charles (pictured today) stepped in for Her Majesty at the 11th hour to read the Queen's Speech at the opening of Parliament after the 96-year-old monarch was forced to pull out for the first time in 59 years as she prioritises the Platinum Jubilee next month Prince Charles, The Prince of Wales, Founder and President of The Prince's Trust and Rishi Sunak, Chancellor of the Exchequer,walk along Walworth Road during their visit to The Prince's Trust Kickstart supported young people. Wearing his signature pinstripes, Charles looked delighted during the day out with the Chancellor Poignantly a space remained next to him, where the Queen's slightly larger missing throne would usually be located, as power continues to slowly transition from Britain's longest reigning monarch to her son and grandson. Charles said ministers would 'help ease the cost-of-living for families' with a promise to 'level up opportunity in all parts of the country'. And in a nod to his mother's determination to continue public events, Prince Charles' speech said that the Queen is looking forward to attending the June celebrations marking her Platinum Jubilee. Palace sources insisted it is business as usual for the monarch, who watched his speech on TV and will have her weekly phone audience with the Prime Minister today as usual. It was the first time a member of the Royal Family has delivered the Queen's Speech on her behalf, with Charles referring to 'Her Majesty's Government' throughout after the words were changed just hours earlier. The Prince of Wales meeting Pav Soor during a visit to St Peter's Church in Walworth, London, to meet with young people supported by The Prince's Trust through the UK Government's Kickstart Scheme Charles is seen meeting Abi Garnsworthy (centre) as he met with young people in London The heir to the throne yesterday gazed at his mother's crown before he announced 38 of Boris Johnson's Bills for the coming year including new laws to properly punish eco hooligans, capitalise on Brexit, better regulate landlords and ensure Britons can pay their soaring bills He gazed at his mother's crown before addressing the peers and MPs, including Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer, after they were summoned to the Lords after Black Rod hammered on the door of the Commons in a ritual dating back to 1642 when King Charles I forced his way into the chamber. The Imperial State Crown - the greatest symbol of British sovereign power and authority - was carried to Westminster ahead of the Prince of Wales in a limousine with Britain's Crown Jeweller. It was placed on a table in front of Charles, who looked at it on a number of occasions. Prince William, who will one day sit on the throne himself, arrived at his first ever State Opening of Parliament around five minutes before his father. The two future kings were specifically given power to jointly act on Her Majesty's behalf so that the ceremony could go ahead. And as her role expanded, Charles' wife the Duchess of Cornwall was by his side throughout at her first state occasion since Her Majesty said Camilla will become queen consort on Charles's ascension to the throne. Princess Astrid of Belgium visited her niece, Crown Princess Elisabeth of Belgium at Oxford University today. The sister of King Philippe of Belgium, 59, is currently on a four-day economic trade mission to the UK alongside 400 participants representing 214 companies and organisations. She took the time to travel to Oxford, where her niece Elisabeth, 20, has been studying history and politics at Lincoln College since October. Together, they met with Professor Dame Sarah Springman, the Principal of St Hilda's College and Professor Louise Richardson, Vice-chancellor of the University of Oxford. Princess Astrid of Belgium, 59, visited her niece, Crown Princess Elisabeth of Belgium, 20, at Oxford University today. Together, they met with Professor Dame Sarah Springman, the Principal of St Hilda's College and Professor Louise Richardson, Vice-chancellor of the University of Oxford (left) For her Oxford detour, Astrid, who met with the Prince of Wales yesterday, opted for a stylish checked white and pink suit, which she paired with a pink blouse tied with a loose bow at the neck. She completely the trendy get up with dark grey slip-on stilettos and a shiny golden clutch bag. The stylish Princess opted for a natural makeup, with just a dash of foundation and blush highlighting her healthy glow and a pink lip completing the look. Her blonde locks were styled in a straight bob and she kept her accessories to a minimum. Aunt and niece walked together around Oxford during the visit. Princess Astrid is on Day Three of her four-day visit to the UK Meanwhile, her niece opted for an eye-catching yellow coat, which she wore over a business-ready pair of wide-legged and high waisted black trousers she paired with an apt white Oxford shirt. She was seen strutting by her aunt's side in a pair of black swede stilettos. The princess's locks were styled in delicate dark blonde waves cascading down her shoulders, which matched her gold dropped earrings. The fresh-faced royal, who is first in line to the Belgian throne, decided to go sans makeup for the meeting. Astrid was greeted by Professor Dame Sarah Springman, who was wearing a tasteful lilac dress with a long white jacket. Meanwhile, Professor Louise Richardson wore a navy dress dotted with white spots. As their security detail held out umbrellas for them, the two Princesses chatted with the university high ranking staff members In spite of the rain, and with Astrid's security detail holding out umbrellas, the foursome looked in good spirits. Yesterday, on the second day of the economic mission, Astrid met with Prince Charles, 73, before his historical address to the Parliament. For the occasion, she donned an animal print midi dress with matching heels and a sophisticated blow dry. High achieving Elisabeth has been juggling her Oxford studies with her military training back home. The future queen spent the last weekend of her Easter holiday at a training course in Leopoldsburg, near the Dutch border back in April. This summer Elisabeth will return to Belgium for a camp run by the the Royal Military Academy (RMA), the university of the Belgian Defense, responsible for the academic, military and physical training of its future officers. Yesterday, on Day Two of her visit, Astrid met with Prince Charles, 73, before his address to the parliament Elisabeth enrolled in a course with the RMA in September 2020 and remains involved in training despite being a full-time first-year student at Oxford. The balance of academic and military experience is regarded an essential foundation for her future life as queen. Elisabeth is the eldest daughter of King Philippe of Belgium, 62, and his wife, Queen Mathilde, 49. The couple also share sons Prince Gabriel, 18, and Prince Emmanuel, 16, and daughter Princess Eleonore, 14. The princess completed her secondary education at UWC Atlantic College in South Wales - based at a 12th-century castle and dubbed the 'Hippie Hogwarts' - where she boarded for 18 months. Spain's Crown Princess Leonor, 16, and Princess Alexia of the Netherlands, 16, are both current students. A desperate mum is fighting a High Court battle for her son's life after he never regained consciousness following a 'freak accident' at home. Hollie Dance, 46, wants to keep her 12-year-old son Archie Battersbee on life support but the specialists treating him say it is 'highly likely' he is already brain dead. Hollie and Archie's dad, Paul Battersbee, want to give Archie more time to see if his condition improves before making a decision about withdrawing his life support. Hospital bosses have asked a judge from the Family Division of the High Court in London to assess the situation and rule in Archie's best interests. Mum-of-three Hollie said: 'Archie had a severe brain injury only four weeks ago, there's not been enough time to see what he can do. Hollie Dance, 46, who lives in Southend-On-Sea, is fighting for the life support of her son Archie Battersbee, 12, (both pictured) to not be switched off Hollie and Archie's dad, Paul Battersbee, are hoping to have more time for Archie's condition to improve since suffering a severe brain injury four weeks ago 'I've refused the brain stem testing to declare him brain dead. It's too soon. 'He has squeezed my fingers with a tight grip. I think that's his way of letting me know he's still here and just needs more time. 'We don't know the extent of the damage but I would rather have some of Archie than none of Archie - just to wake up every morning and kiss his beautiful little face. 'I am fighting for as much time as possible to watch and wait. 'My older kids Tom, 22 and Lauren, 20 come every day to visit their brother and try to get him to respond. All day we talk to him and play him his favourite song, Lucid Dreams by Juice WRLD and voice notes from his friends. Hollie said she has refused the brain stem testing to declare Archie brain dead because it is too soon and there is a possibility he could live a happy life in the future 'Hope is what I am holding on to at the moment. Where there is life there's hope. 'Until it's God's way I won't accept he should go. 'I know of miracles when people have come back from being brain dead. He may not be the same as he was but if there's a possibility he could live a happy life after this I want to give it to him.' Barrister Fiona Paterson, representing Barts Health NHS Trust, told the judge, Mrs Justice Morgan, that Archie's 'treating team consider it highly likely that he is, in fact, brain-stem dead.' Barrister Fiona Paterson, representing Barts Health NHS Trust, told the court that it is highly unlikely that Archie (pictured in hospital) will ever recover consciousness Hollie said she and Archie had returned home from shopping together and he had been teasing her the day that he suffered the severe brain injury They say any movements from Archie are reflexes. She told the court: 'Even if Archie is not brain-stem dead, his treating team consider that it is highly unlikely that he will ever recover consciousness and consequently it is in his best interests that his mechanical ventilation be withdrawn.' A further hearing is scheduled on May 12 to review Archie's case. Mrs Justice Morgan described Archie's case as 'unbelievably tragic' and said she hoped a resolution could be found. Keen gymnast and MMA fighter Archie never regained consciousness after his mum found him unresponsive, hanging with a cord wrapped under his chin at their family home in Southend-on-sea. She said: 'Me and Archie had been shopping and got home together on April 7th. Hollie said she saw Archie hanging but was unable to lift him and undo the knot, so she ran into the street screaming for help. Pictured: Archie's brother Tom visiting him in hospital 'We'd had the perfect afternoon, I was in my room when Archie came in with this bag and a cheeky look on his face. He was going to tease me - that's what he's like, always on the wind up. 'He offered me a sweet but I could see he had our pet rabbit, Simian, in the bag. 'I laughed with him and told him to put the rabbit back. He left my room and I sent a couple of texts. 'A few minutes had passed and I thought he was quiet but I wasn't worried, he's 12 he doesn't need me standing over him in the house all the time. 'I came out my room and called him and that's when I saw the rabbit. 'When I got closer I could also see Archie was hanging there. Hollie said she was screaming and panicking when a neighbour, Joe, called an ambulance and took over CPR until help came for Archie 'I tried to undo the cord and get him down but he was so heavy I couldn't lift him and undo the knot. 'I couldn't get it off but I could move it from his neck, so I took the pressure off his neck and ran into the street to scream for help. I got back to Archie and managed to snap the cord. 'Archie fell to the floor then and I was screaming and panicking. A neighbour, Joe, came and called an ambulance and took over CPR until help came.' Hollie said she thought it was a 'freak accident' until someone got in touch telling her about boys doing an online challenge. Pictured: Chase High School supporting Archie with purple ribbons Archie was rushed to Southend University hospital and later transferred to the Royal London where he is still dependent on mechanical ventilation. Pictured: Archie in hospital with Hollie Archie, a pupil at Chase High School in Southend, was rushed to Southend University hospital and later transferred to the Royal London where he is still dependent on mechanical ventilation. Hollie said: 'At first I thought it was a 'freak accident' and Archie was messing around with the cord and the rabbit but since it happened I wonder if Archie could have been taking part in an 'online challenge.' 'Someone got in touch with me to say they'd heard of boys putting ligatures over their head as part of an online challenge. It may not be but I'm not ruling it out.' Archie's sister Lauren (right) has set up an Instagram page since Archie's accident, while a GoFundMe page for him has raised over 11,000 in donations so far Hollie said the donations raised will be used for any future treatments Archie needs, as they won't give up on him Since Archie's accident his sister Lauren has started an Instagram page @spreadthepurplewave where people can follow Archie's journey. Celebrity fighters like David Haye and Ricky Hatton have sent videos of support via the social media page. A gofundme for Archie has also raised over 11,000 so far in donations. Hollie says the money is for any possible future treatments he may need and they are not ruling out the possibility of taking him abroad. Hollie added: 'Me and Archie say to each other quitting is not an option. I will exhaust every avenue. 'He is our champion, we are so proud of all his achievements. He's an elite gymnast and has huge potential to be a champion MMA fighter. He loves training and we want to get him back to what he loves doing. We won't give up on him.' If you want to support Archie's family you can donate here: https://gofund.me/3fcbad0c A doctor has revealed why you shouldn't pee before you leave the house 'just in case' - claiming that going to the bathroom without actually needing to can cause damage to your bladder and lead to incontinence over time. Alicia Jeffrey-Thomas, a pelvic floor physical therapist from Boston, Massachusetts, has warned people not to attempt to use the bathroom if they don't feel like they really have to go. She replied to someone on TikTok who claimed people should always try to make themselves pee before they go out somewhere, and she explained that doing so can actually harm you in the end. The doctor shared her expertise in a video which has now gone viral - gaining more than five million views in a matter of days, and leaving many people on the internet stunned. A doctor has revealed why you shouldn't pee before you leave the house 'just in case' - claiming that going to the bathroom without actually needing to can cause severe damage Alicia Jeffrey-Thomas, a pelvic floor physical therapist from Boston, Massachusetts, has warned people not to attempt to use the bathroom if they don't feel like they really have to go @thepelvicdancefloor #stitch with @sidneyraz I know it sounds counterintuitive and goes against everything your momma taught you - just out here trying to save your bladder original sound - Dr. Alicia Jeffrey-Thomas DPT 'Pelvic floor physical therapist here, and I work with a lot of people with overactive bladders, stress incontinence, urge incontinence, the whole nine yards,' she began in the clip. 'And here's why you shouldn't go "just in case."' The doctor shared her expertise in a video which has now gone viral - gaining more than five million views in a matter of days, and leaving many people on the internet stunned Alicia explained that there are three levels of feeling like you have to pee. 'The first one is just an awareness level that tells you that there's some urine in the bladder,' she said. 'The second one is the one that tells you to make a plan to use the toilet, and the third is kind of the panic button that says, "Get me there right now, I'm about to overflow."' According to the physical therapist, if you force yourself to go 'just in case,' it can cause long-term damage to your body and make it harder to hold in your pee. 'If we're going "just in case" it means we're going when [our bladder is in the middle section], so before we actually get an urge to use the toilet,' she continued. 'If we're doing this all the time ... then our bladder starts getting these data points and says, "OK, maybe we should be sending the signal a little sooner, so let's shift this line down." Alicia explained that there are three levels of feeling like you have to pee. The first one tells you there's some urine in the bladder, the second tells you to go to the toilet, and the third is when you reach a level of panic According to the physical therapist, if you force yourself to go 'just in case,' it tells your bladder that it should be 'sending the signal' that you have to pee 'sooner,' which will result in you 'getting that urge to go' more often Healthy urination habits, according to pelvic floor physical therapist Alicia Jeffrey-Thomas Don't make yourself pee 'just in case' - forcing yourself to go when you don't have to tells your bladder that it should be 'sending the signal sooner,' which will result in you 'getting that urge to go' more often Don't force 'every last drop' of urine out of your body as quickly as possible when peeing - that doesn't allow the normal reflex of your pelvic floor relaxing and your bladder contracting to empty Avoid 'chugging massive amounts of fluid all at once' - it's important to pace your water intake Don't hover over the toilet - the squat position prevents the pelvic floor muscles from fully relaxing, causing people to push more Advertisement 'Now, we're going to start getting that urge to go a lot sooner than before. Over time, this compresses those three levels together, so the difference between feeling like there's some urine in your bladder and feeling that panic button like you're about to pee your pants is going to happen in a much shorter amount of time.'Avoid the "just in case" unless you're going to be in the car for longer than an hour, once before bed, or before or after sex.' Many viewers were surprised by Alicia's advice and took to the comment section to share their thoughts. 'TikTok is basically just a bunch of videos telling me I'm doing life wrong,' joked one person. 'Like Jesus, really? I'm peeing wrong?' 'As a new mom who has been through therapy and still pees whenever I cough really hard, thank you. Instant follow,' added another. 'Who else hears their mom in their head say, "Go just in case," when you're out and about near a bathroom?' read a third comment. Others backed up Alicia's claims. One viewer said, 'Been experiencing this at work lately and you're right.' 'This happened to me, for two years I had false urgency feeling most of the time,' shared someone else. 'Had to take medications for three months and now I'm more like normal.' 'I work for a pelvic floor physical therapist and this is facts,' agreed another person. According to Healthing.ca, going pee 'just in case' is indeed bad for your bladder. 'People sensitize their bladders to go at lower volumes than needed,' Steven A. Kaplan, MD, director of Benign Urologic Diseases and The Mens Health Program at the Mount Sinai Health System, told them. 'Its hard to get out of that because theyre so used to that.' 'The difference between feeling like there's some urine in your bladder and feeling like you're about to pee your pants is going to happen in a much shorter amount of time,' she explained Many viewers were surprised by Alicia's advice and took to the comment section to share their thoughts 'If you keep going just in case too often, the bladder never fills up properly, then it shrinks a bit,' gynecologist Elizabeth Farrell told ABC. 'So then you do tend to have the feeling that youre going to have to go more frequently.' Alicia often shares advice on how to improve your pelvic floor muscles to her TikTok account, where she has racked up more than 651,000 followers. 'Were the sum of our habits over time,' she told the Washington Post last November, while discussing why she decided to start sharing her healthy urination habits online. 'Having good habits and establishing them early on can be protective in a lot of ways.' Others backed up Alicia's claims. One viewer said, 'Been experiencing this at work lately and you're right' Alicia often shares advice on how to improve your pelvic floor muscles to her TikTok account, where she has racked up more than 651,000 followers She also advised against 'forcing every last drop' of urine out of your body as quickly as possible when peeing and 'chugging massive amounts of fluid all at once' While chatting with the outlet, she advised against 'forcing every last drop' of urine out of your body as quickly as possible when peeing. 'Thats not actually allowing that normal reflex of your pelvic floor relaxing and your bladder contracting to empty,' she added. 'Youre kind of just creating a lot of intra-abdominal pressure to make things happen.' Additionally, Alicia said people should avoid 'chugging massive amounts of fluid all at once.' My 60th birthday party should have been a joyful night a celebration of how good life had been to me. After all, I had a great job, a lovely little cottage, a fabulous new red Amanda Wakeley frock and was surrounded by those I love. But as a friend made the mandatory speech about how wonderful I was, I started sobbing and found I couldnt stop. I wasnt crying over his kind words but because he was sitting next to me in the place my boyfriend of five years should have been. Id recently discovered hed been cheating on me for months with a blonde ten years my junior. Such was my distress at the thought of his betrayal that I had to flee the restaurant before taking so much as a bite of my steak supper. No happy wishes, no birthday candles for me to blow out that night. Months of misery followed where images of the happy couple haunted me. My work suffered, my friendships too, until a wake-up call from my lifelong pal Joy, who reminded me of her mums stern advice after her own life was broken apart by a cheating partner: Are you going to allow this man to define the rest of your life? Inspired by Jane Fonda, UK-based writer Amanda Platell (pictured) now 64, decided to review her life Thats when I first realised that, if I truly wanted my happy ending, I had to break free from the patterns of a lifetime that had led to one divorce, two broken engagements (both ended by me) and my latest long-term loves desertion. It was time to take stock, reassess and seize the day before it was too late. I was reminded of this epiphany when I read that actress Jane Fonda had done something similar around the same age. This month she graces the cover of Glamour magazine at 84, looking utterly sensational. Maybe I was inspired by her covergirl makeover to try one of my own, hence the picture on the previous page. (Ill leave the verdict up to you...) In the accompanying interview, Jane revealed that what she calls her life review is the secret to her new-found contentment. It was on the eve of turning 60 that Fonda realised that, despite her beauty and success, she had never truly found deep personal happiness or intimacy. This realisation led her to review her life so far. She explains: I realised that I was approaching my third act my final act and that it wasnt a dress rehearsal. One of the things that I knew for sure is that I didnt want to get to the end with a lot of regrets, so how I lived up until the end was what was going to determine whether or not I had regrets. And it also then dawned on me that in order to know where I was supposed to go, I had to know where Id been, and so I thought, Well, nows the time Im going to research myself... a deep research called a life review. The concept of the 'final act' struck a chord with Amanda as it can with other 60-something women who are single, divorced, married, or otherwise In other words, she analysed the ups and downs of her life in order to stop repeating the same mistakes for the rest of it. She says: It changed the way I thought about myself and about how I wanted to live the last third of my life. And I realised the importance of being intentional about how we go through life. This concept of the final act struck a chord with me as its a thought that haunts me and so many other 60-something women, single, divorced, married or otherwise. Like Jane, who has just finished filming the final series of Grace And Frankie, the longest running original series on Netflix, and set up the Jane Fonda Climate PAC (political action committee) to combat the use of fossil fuels, I want to make my final act count. Not just in my personal life but to tick off long-held ambitions. Admittedly, at 64, I prefer to call it the third chapter of my life story rather than the final act, which sounds too depressing. My book isnt a thin volume like F. Scott Fitzgeralds Great Gatsby, more Tolstoys War And Peace and the third chapter is big and fat, one which I hope to conclude with a happy ending. And by that I mean not only a quiet wedding to a decent, loving, faithful man in a spirit of mutual adulation but a political rebirth having written my second novel (this time about my specialist subject: infidelity!). Fonda says you must take decisive action to control how your life turns out. Her deep research into her past is a form of therapy now favoured by many eminent psychotherapists, where instead of blaming the past for all your failures you acknowledge and learn from them to create a better future. Amanda pictured with her old boyfriend. Her psychologist zeroed in on her divorce in the early 90s at the age of 31. Amanda felt like a failure for only managing six years of marriage compared to her parents' 70 REACHING OUT TO MY CHEATING EX After my birthday party, I took my own soul-searching so seriously that I started seeing a psychologist. After several months, she gleaned first that, typical of a middle child, I was a people pleaser, someone who never wanted to cause a row, would always apologise first, even if it wasnt my fault anything to keep the peace. Her counsel? Stop being an emotional punchbag for others insecurities, youve got enough of your own. That hurt, but it was true. I found that new me two years ago when a close friend failed to turn up at a celebratory dinner to commemorate my late parents. Instead of burying my disappointment, as was my pattern, I told him how deeply hurt I was. I felt a bit awful that he had tears in his eyes apologising, but mostly a sense of honesty in our relationship and a new belief that I would no longer be taken for granted. Were still best friends. My psychologist also zeroed in on my divorce back in the early 1990s at the age of 31. Even though Id discovered my husband was having an affair, I felt a failure for only having managed six to my parents 70 years of marriage. Biggest regret? Not fighting hard enough when they said I couldnt adopt But barely half of all marriages survive nowadays, so getting divorced is not an abject failure and I didnt need to keep carrying it for years like a cross of shame. Just thinking about the army of divorcees out there made me feel strangely comforted, less of a pariah. Equally I realised it was important to acknowledge the deep scars caused by the divorce and how it led me to repeatedly flee subsequent relationships rather than face up to problems. It was important not to regard every failed love affair, whoever ended it, as a waste of time. My psychologist schooled me to consciously replace the horrible memories with happy ones. To understand that to feel deep sorrow, you must also have experienced great joy. So last year, with that in mind, I emailed my ex-husband for the first time in decades. I told him I had reached a place where I only remembered the happiness we shared, backpacking the world and arriving in London together. Looking back, I regret that when I discovered he was having an affair, I didnt sit back and take a hard look at myself, realise that maybe when he said it was a cry for help as I hardly noticed him the moment I stepped on the career ladder, there was some truth in that. We were both careless with our young love, both guilty of neglect. My ex replied that he was shocked and comforted by my message as it helped him put some of his nightmares to bed, too. We have come to forgive each other for our youthful mistakes. It has given both of us peace. Amanda pictured as a schoolgirl. She says that small solace she has in never having children is that she could speedily climb the 'greasy career pole' GREATEST HEARTACHE IS NOT HAVING KIDS But the biggest heartbreak of my life is not having children. That after failed IVF in my late 30s, I didnt fight hard enough against the authorities who back then deemed me to be too old and too white to adopt. It was many years before I could walk past Baby Gap without crying. Small solace that being childless meant I could more speedily climb the greasy career pole. I was all too aware that I was being promoted over my working mother contemporaries who had greater skills than mine but had put family first as I would have done too, given the chance. Theres no denying my career has been important to me and I love it. I may have arrived aged 25 in Britain without a bean to my name, a backpack and a funny accent (some things never change the accent I mean), but by 29 I had climbed my way up to the role of Deputy Editor of a national newspaper, earning a huge salary and possessing a wardrobe of designer clothes. Next, I became an executive helping rebuild the Mirror papers after proprietor Robert Maxwell died, followed by Managing Director of The Independent, then Editor of The Sunday Express. Then a career change as William Hagues Press Secretary, when he was Conservative leader one of the most exciting times of my life. Amanda with her father on her wedding day in Sydney 1984. Amanda was able to email her ex-husband for the first time in decades. She told him she had reached a place where she only remembered the happiness they shared The world of journalism was amateur hour compared to the ruthlessness of politics. I filmed a secret diary during the 2001 election, exposing Michael Portillos naked ambition. As intended, it was screened on Channel 4 days before the election of the new Tory leader Portillo lost the leadership by one vote. The diary got huge publicity but neither Hague the man the diary was supposed to protect nor Portillo ever forgave me. A bitter pill to swallow as Id been put up to do it by Tory grandees, who then denied any knowledge. I regret doing their dirty work the video diary made me virtually unemployable. I NEED TO FULFIL MY POLITICAL AMBITION So my career has not all been plain sailing. Ive been sacked so many times people ask me for advice on how to rebuild their careers. (Simple: start at the bottom again and eat a lot of humble pie.) Yet I did reinvent myself in my 40s as a writer and a political commentator. Then finally I got my dream job as a Daily Mail columnist. Having a voice for the silent majority of decent folk is very satisfying. That is something Fonda and I share the desire to retain and use our voice. Hanoi Jane now marches weekly on Capitol Hill to draw attention to fighting climate change. Amanda with William Hague when he was leader of the Conservative party and she was his Press Secretary Reviewing my life has made me realise politics is still one unfulfilled dream. Ill only be 66 by the next General Election. Boris was an MP and a columnist at the same time. Perhaps I could do both, too? What could be more satisfying than having a voice in Parliament as well as in the Mail? How to do your own life audit By Dr Denise Taylor, over-50s life coach and psychologist 1. Think of your early 60s as a time of transition. There are a number of such times leaving school and getting a job; getting married but the difference now is youve got decades of experience behind you. Thats what youll use to make this next stage your Third Act the best it can possibly be. 2. Go back in time. Think about what you wanted to do with your life when you were ten, 15 or 21. What made your stomach flip with excitement? Was it lying in a field watching butterflies, reading novels, or running the history club at school? What happened to that first obsession? Think about how you can re-connect with those passions now. 3. Identify patterns. Are you the dutiful daughter expected to shoulder the caring burden while other siblings have far fewer responsibilities? Or perhaps theres a pattern in your romantic life. When you work out the patterns, you can decide what to carry on doing and what to ditch. 4. Dont do too much at once! A life review is a big job. Break it down into headings and work on one section at a time. I was 60 when I realised I didnt want to wake up next to my thenhusband for the next 20 years, but I couldnt have coped with that bit of the audit if I was also trying to change family relationships or overhaul my work. 5. A Life review inevitably produces regrets. Remember: you did what you thought was right at the time. Clear your mind of guilt and think about the time you were at your very happiest. Recreating that is your goal now. the50pluscoach.co.uk Advertisement And as one of David Camerons aides said when trying to tempt me with a safe seat, Im good on telly, have millions of readers and was ready made. (No thought to the fact that politically me and Dave were poles apart.) Fonda proves we dont have to be silenced or sidelined into second-rate jobs when we hit our latter years. So many women of my age thought wed be over the hill by now, only to be surprised, as I have, to discover theres another exciting new mountain to climb. ...AND IM NOT RULING OUT HUSBAND NO.2 Nor do we have to shut up shop and eschew sex. I now realise that very good sex is as important to me in my latter years as compassion and companionship. There is no shortage of much, much younger men who provide uncomplicated attachments what I call a passion bridge to the real one. In terms of long-term attachments, though, I seek a loyal man, silver-haired, or bald, sexy, not rich but solvent, with all working parts, even if that bit requires a few blue pills. And most importantly really, truly single. Someone who makes a decent coffee in the morning and doesnt splutter it all over the table on seeing me without my make-up. And to fulfil one of my lifelong ambitions, I want to learn to sing so I can serenade my next husband at our wedding. There are other goals, too. To be true to my family and friends and all those I love, even if some of those truths are painful for them or for me to hear. To right the wrongs Ive caused, to truly understand the meaning of forgiveness and accept forgiving doesnt mean the emotional pain stops. Its not easy facing up to your own frailties, fears and insecurities. Not a day passes without me wishing that I had quit work and moved back to Australia to be with my parents when they neared the end of their final act. They made it clear they would never forgive me if I had, that the great joy for them was that all their three children had fulfilling lives. And I know theyre looking down, proud of me and what Ive achieved. As for retirement never! I plan to work until Im 80 as my journalist dad did. I want to be part of the new army of post-60 women thriving in the workforce, embraced for their wisdom and occasional great frocks. Hell, at 64, who would ever have believed Id still be working as a political commentator on TV. I want to embrace without apology the fact that I love my job. And I will continue writing until my fingers can tap this keyboard no more. After, of course, Ive written my thrilling final chapter Even as I accepted the invitation, I knew there would be trouble. The moment it got out that evil, monstrous Julie Bindel was to set foot on campus at York University, it was all entirely predictable. In the old, logical days, long-standing feminist campaigners like me would often be invited to universities by student feminist groups. But in 2004, I wrote an article criticising transgender activists who tried to close down a rape crisis centre which wouldnt include male-bodied transwomen as counsellors, and ever since I have been dogged by so-called progressives who consider me transphobic. As a result university feminist groups, which nowadays are stuffed with just these progressives and barely focus on women at all, largely consider me persona non grata and demand that I be banned from all events. In 2004 Julie Bindel (pictured) wrote an article criticising transgender activists who tried to close a rape crisis centre which wouldnt include transwomen as counsellors. She received criticism and abuse when she gave a speech on feminism at York University, and was labelled as transphobic It was a sign of the times that the group that invited me to give a talk on feminism at York was the universitys Free Speech Society. It was scheduled for February but trouble immediately materialised and both the feminist and the LGBTQ societies got it cancelled. But my hosts did not back down and, pledging to guarantee the safety of both students and speaker, rescheduled the talk. It happened last week, in an atmosphere I found both deeply disturbing and profoundly distressing. The night before, I woke in the small hours dreading what I would face. I admit to feeling horribly anxious and on the verge of cancelling. Id seen social media posts organising a protest and knew Id have to go on my own. Stringent security measures imposed by the university meant that only students and staff could be present. I heard the noise before I saw the crowd. Bindel, out! Not welcome on our campus, Decrim(inalise) sex work now and the like. I could have cried. How has this mad transgender ideology so captured the female students who, just a few years ago, would have welcomed me warmly as a mentor? There were four burly guards who told me theyd first have to do a sweep of the room for smoke bombs and weapons. No one was allowed water bottles, in case someone threw one at me. My heart started racing and my mouth was dry. Here I was, a feminist preparing to give a talk on male violence, being told that I could well be attacked. At that stage I almost walked out, but I knew that the humiliation would be too much to bear. I couldnt let the bullies win. I told myself I had been through this before. Yes, at Edinburgh University in 2019 I encountered verbal abuse, and one individual who physically lunged at me, but there werent many protesters then, and a fair number wanted to hear me. This time was the worst Ive ever known it. Id been told most students had been scared away, so Id be in a room with fewer than 20 people, while 100 were outside, screaming my name. Julie's talk at York University (pictured) was scheduled for February but trouble immediately materialised and both the feminist and the LGBTQ societies got it cancelled My hands were shaking. I could not let the protesters see how sick I was feeling, so I approached some of them and tried to speak to them, but was blocked by a man who kept pushing a sign in my face: Not on our campus. Every time I tried to take a photograph to record what was happening to me, he would thrust the sign towards my face as though he was going to hit me with it. Someone waved a Kiss my man boob placard at me. There were explicit comments about what I should do to their trans d***. Students and a few members of staff shouted vile things at me through megaphones. Female students turned their backs on me. It felt aggressive and hugely, horribly personal. I have reported from war zones these were just a bunch of students. And yet it was devastating to hear them scream at me. The few young women I did manage to talk to told me that my presence was literal violence. They told me I was a transphobe and a whorephobe (I campaign against the sex trade). They shouted that there were 1,300 sex worker students at York, and that I was a danger to them. I could have sobbed at the injustice of it. They had to sweep the room for weapons Back in the room, I began: Imagine that you have heard nothing at all about me, do not know me by reputation, except that Im a feminist who has fought all her life to end rape and domestic violence. I said this because I had noticed two students from the demonstration were there, glaring at me. The talk went smoothly, but I honestly couldnt wait to get out. Healthy debate is impossible in that atmosphere, but what makes me saddest of all is that the women who scream at me have such a poor understanding of feminism and of me and my work. They criticise a mad, mangled parody. And, yes, it really does affect me. I feel unjustly attacked. I became a feminist activist aged 17. This was in 1979, when sexism was brutal, in your face and constant. I faced it as a cleaner in a pub. The landlord sexually harassed me, then tried to rape me. I escaped, and found sisterhood in my feminist group. One of the first campaigns I was involved in was to criminalise rape within marriage, which only became illegal in 1992. Since then, I have set up organisations such as Justice for Women, which highlights the injustice of sentences handed down to women such as Sally Challen, jailed for life after killing her sadistically abusive husband. Somehow this has led campaigners to believe that Im inciting violence, peddling hatred, or even literally perpetrating violence. Its an upside-down world when Im the one who is dangerous and a bigot. One of the first campaigns Julie was involved in was to criminalise rape within marriage, which only became illegal in 1992. Since then, she has set up organisations such as Justice for Women, which highlights the injustice of sentences handed down to women such as Sally Challen, jailed for life after killing her sadistically abusive husband How can I answer the charges when they are so at odds with reality? I speak all over the world on the global sex trade and its harm to women and girls, including at the United Nations. I have campaigned with sex trade survivors to change the law so that women convicted of prostitutionrelated offences have their records expunged. Yet one twenty-something activist felt moved to mischaracterise my beliefs to her social media followers in this way: Bindel is an advocate for the Nordic model. This is a model that criminalises sex-working individuals and denies them worker rights, which has been proven to put them at an increased risk of rape, murder, and coercion. Bindels whole career is founded in supporting the mass homicide of sex workers. Mass homicide? Of women Ive campaigned alongside for 40 years? It feels like they are looking at me through a funhouse mirror and using my distorted reflection to mock my lifes work. And yet it is me that they accuse of hate speech. Maybe you think the treatment I suffered at York University shouldnt affect me by now. I am an older media professional with a successful career and public profile, and they are just students, exercising their right to protest. My lifes work has been trashed by lies But this is as callous as it is disingenuous. I am not a robot. I have feelings. My lifes work, much of it activism and therefore unpaid, has been trashed by these protesters who spin lies about me. After my hideous ordeal, I met a group of young women who were keen to talk about the real issues sexual harassment, rape on campus and it gave me a sliver of hope. But how angry it makes me that they have to sneak around and hide their views; that female students are being bullied out of hearing from feminists who have actually achieved something and can help. I went to bed feeling deeply depressed, unable to sleep. This time was different. Im still not over it. I feel upset when I think about it. I think I always will. At the moment, academia feels like a closed door to feminists like me. After running the gauntlet through a hail of horrid insults and damaging untruths, I made a decision. I wont be giving up on young women far from it but for now, I will be giving up on British universities whose staff enable such behaviour Just over 30 years ago, I read Margaret Atwoods The Handmaids Tale for the first time. It depicts a society where men are the Commanders in public and in the home. Women are wives or handmaidens: wives are infertile; handmaidens are for breeding and are not allowed to have any choice or independent means. They must dress modestly in floor-length red cloaks and bonnets. The Commander in the family holds all the power. At the time, I thought, Come on Margaret, interesting dystopian piece of work. It couldnt happen. I could not have been more wrong. Women in Afghanistan during my youth shared all the freedoms available to me short skirts, university education and could decide their own future. In the late 90s, the Taliban came to power. Women were not allowed to go out without a male companion. They had to be covered from top to toe and were not allowed any kind of job. There was a brief respite when the Taliban were removed from power in 2001, and women had opportunities again. But seven months after the Talibans return to power, we now read of the return of obligatory burqas covering women in public and others being jailed for immoral behaviour, including travelling in a taxi without a male relative or appearing in photographs with former male schoolmates. Then, lets look to the U.S. where the right to choose to have an abortion, established in 1973 under the Roe vs Wade ruling, is under threat as its revealed the predominantly Republican Supreme Court may be planning to overturn it. Republican states such as Mississippi, Missouri and Idaho are said to be planning a complete ban on abortion and are discussing making the use of birth control such as the intrauterine device (IUD) and the morning-after pill a criminal offence. IVF could also be under threat in such states because the process creates surplus embryos that are not used. I hesitate to describe whats been going on as a war against women, but Im afraid I keep on coming back to that idea. Im quite a fan of Countryfile, but I was frustrated when I heard the farmer, Adam Henson, explaining how he judges when a cow might be ready to give birth. Cow, please note, not bull. Its the bull (male) who provides the sperm, but its the cow (female) who grows and births the calf. Jenni (pictured) says that she has worked for years to advance the cause of women's rights. She has suffered death threats and cancellation for her efforts Why, on a popular primetime TV series was the same respect not apparently afforded to women? He said: A cow cycles every three weeks like a person, and the gestation period from mating to birth is the same as a person, nine months. No, Adam. Persons dont menstruate. Women do. Persons dont give birth. Women do. For goodness sake! Women like me and my partner in feminism, Julie Bindel, have worked for years to advance the cause of womens rights. Both of us have suffered death threats and cancellation for our efforts in insisting the word women is employed correctly to mean an adult biological female. Weve fought to protect women from sexual violence, from the need to earn their living in the sex trade and to be assured of all-female safe spaces in hospitals, refuges, prisons and even public toilets. When activists attempt to silence women like Julie Bindel, and when others refuse even to use the word women, how on earth can we defend the ground weve worked so hard to gain? In bullying us, woke activists collude with those who want to remove the rights weve fought hardest for. Within the anti-abortion and contraception lobby, for example, there appears to be no concern for the life of the woman. She may have been raped. She may be too young, or too poor, to bring up a child. Those of us who believe a woman or girl should have the right to make that choice within the law are not pro-abortion, we are pro-choice and a womans absolute right to have control over her own body. Women who do not want to have a child will seek an abortion whether it is legal or not. Women have died at the hands of backstreet abortionists. Are we in danger of returning to the days when people muttered: Its the man what gets the pleasure and the woman what gets the blame? In the Afterword of my book, A History Of Britain In 21 Women, I wrote this: We should never assume that rights once won are written in stone and cant be taken away. We must not relax our vigilance. The book contains profiles of some of the greatest and bravest proponents of womens rights in our history Mary Wollstonecraft, Mary Somerville, Elizabeth Garrett Anderson, Millicent Fawcett, Emmeline Pankhurst and Barbara Castle. Now its for us to work for the future of women and girls who will follow us. My 21 Great Britons never gave up, and neither must we. It is a disgrace that one of our first battles in todays society must be to make ourselves heard. Clear evidence of Jodies genius Jenni says that Jodie Comer's (pictured) BAFTA for the Killing Eve was 'spot on' and her range of accents is fantastic I was not a fan of Killing Eve, although Jodie Comers facility with accents is a phenomenon. I dont always agree with gongs, but Jodies Bafta for the TV drama Help was spot on. Now shes praised for her solo stage play, Prima Facie, where she stars as a barrister who defends men accused of rape, then suffers a sexual attack herself. Cant get a ticket for love nor money. Beans on toast are fit for a queen Jenni was happy to hear that Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall (pictured) is beans on toast and fish and chips My fondness for the sparky Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, pictured, has grown even more after she revealed her favourite foods beans on toast and fish and chips. Theres a woman with impeccable taste, shared by me. Theyre known as Kidfluencers, children as young as four and under the age of 16 who promote products on social media and can earn up to 100,000 a month. They have no right to their earnings, but their parents have, and we know fame at a young age can be damaging. In my opinion, its like the Victorians sending boys to sweep chimneys. Children need protection from modern exploitation, too. Thisll be the best birthday present ever Today is my birthday and the celebration is bigger than usual. My sons and their partners will meet my Ukrainian guests for the first time. My older boy, Ed, is the same age as Zoryana both born in 1983. I told the delightful Zoryana she was old enough to be my daughter. Shes happy to be adopted and shes what I always wanted. She loves to cook, which I dont. Shes virtually banned me from the kitchen. Her son Ustym is content for me to be his grandma, too: job done! The night I first fell ill truly, deeply ill, after the birth of my twin boys I told my husband Callum I felt cold. My heart was beating so rapidly, I told him I was afraid I was going to die. Callum reassured me gently. Perhaps I was experiencing something similar to a panic attack would a nice hot bath help? After that I remember nothing. I woke, briefly, on the bathroom floor, naked but wrapped in a white towel, and I could feel somebodys hands on me, and I remember repeating that I was cold. At our hospital in London, a female midwife and female doctor took my blood and examined my cervix and said that, three weeks after giving birth, my uterus was infected and I had the beginning of sepsis. I was put on an antibiotic drip. Looking back, it was at this point that, perhaps, I had a chance to take control of my treatment and yet between my admission to a ward and the next mornings rounds, my medical notes were lost. Which meant that when a male doctor visited me, trailing a small crowd of juniors, he was starting from scratch. Jessica pictured with her sons Will and Arlo. She explains the boys traumatic birth and its aftermath in an NHS maternity unit stretched almost to breaking Pressing his fingers hard into my groin, this doctor attempted to diagnose me by hurting me. When I did not cry out, he turned to his audience and said with confidence: If she had anything in there he gestured to my womb she would have jumped a mile. There was no internal examination, instead he asked to see my engorged breasts. Opening my gown, bare-handed, he lifted my breasts and examined them in front of his trainees, squeezing and asking if it hurt. When I said it didnt hurt, he announced there was no evidence of mastitis or infection so he would take the patient off the antibiotics. Exhaustion, the burden of twins, was the cause of my delirium, he said, addressing not me but my husband. No sign of suspected uterine infection, this man wrote in my new, blank medical notes. This is the story of a traumatic birth and its aftermath in an NHS maternity unit stretched almost to breaking. Medical notes are at the heart of the problem. Notes that were repeatedly wrong or lost. Notes that are routinely withheld from women after birth. Twice, in UK maternity and postnatal wards, in the early spring of 2018, I almost lost my life, and it seemed to me these incorrect or missing notes were symptomatic of a system under strain, a system failing mothers. The devastating extent of these failings was revealed in March by the Ockenden report into maternity services at the Shrewsbury and Telford NHS Trust. It found catastrophic errors may have led to the deaths of more than 200 babies and nine mothers, and highlighted 15 areas that needed immediate improvement in maternity services across England. In my case, as I left hospital the first time, my discharge notes were wrong. When women go home after giving birth they arent allowed to keep the thick, orange file they have throughout pregnancy, stuffed with ultrasound scans and growth charts, but are given a few pieces of paper. Jessica pictured with Will and Arlo as babies. She had a forceps and ventouse delivery with an emergency, lifesaving, manual extraction of her placenta. This was not properly recorded in her hospital notes Mine said: Normal vaginal delivery. No complications. Which was an absurd mischaracterisation. When my husband pointed this out, a midwife apologised and scribbled corrections in the margins. Somebody must have made a mistake, she said. In fact, I gave birth to twins at 38 weeks following an induction. I had a forceps and ventouse delivery with an emergency, life-saving, manual extraction of my placentas, which means a doctor inserted her arm into my womb and tugged them out. I had a haemorrhage, and a second-degree tear, and an episiotomy. I lost 1.6 litres of blood. The first consequence of my incorrect notes occurred hours after birth, when I fainted in the bathroom. No one had recorded my haemorrhage, and so no one knew why I felt woozy. A blood transfusion was ordered, but there were delays. The blood was lost, then found, then lost again. When it arrived, the wrong type came, a potentially fatal mistake I caught when the midwife held it up. After my delivery, the high dependency unit was full, which meant I was sent instead to the postnatal ward. On the second day post-birth, the midwife on the ward told me I could not have my blood transfusion that evening, though the units had arrived. This, she explained, was because she was managing 29 patients alone and did not have the expertise or time to help me. In the beginning, I hated this woman; I thought her cruel. Later, when I heard her crying, I realised she, too, was trapped in a system which was breaking her, and there was nothing anyone could do. Before I go on, I should acknowledge my privilege: I come from a wealthy, creative family my father is an Emmy award-winning film producer and my grandfather was John le Carre. Before motherhood, I published my first novel to widespread acclaim. When she returned home from hospital Jessica's mood darkened into acute paranoia and was worried that she was going to harm her sons I was an overachiever and an optimist: Id never had therapy or depression. And yet now it felt I was losing control not only of my physical health, but my mind, too. The night after I was discharged by that male doctor, I began to expel blood and matter as though I was rotting. Callum drove me to another hospital where yet another female doctor took the time to examine me internally and put me on heavy-duty drugs to combat infection. I was sent home again and yet I wouldnt heal. Over the next few months, oral antibiotics worked while I was on them, but as soon as one course finished, the fever returned. Meanwhile I had two babies to look after. My husband returned to work as a script editor at the BBC, and for weeks I could not leave our tiny home in North London except to see doctors. I began to feel tremendous guilt what was wrong with my body? Was this what motherhood was learning to live with sickness and pain? And the pain was almost constant. Sometimes it transformed into a knot inside my pelvis. Sometimes it shuddered up my back. Sometimes it raged through me in hot bursts. My mood darkened into acute paranoia. I refused to bathe my babies, convinced one would drown. I obsessed about bacteria in the bottles I pumped milk into. I was convinced one of my babies would cease to breathe in their sleep. I asked whomever I was with, which was mostly Callum, urgently, obsessively, every five minutes, to check on them. A woman who suffers birth trauma lives with it every day. Her birth experience is not a pencilled note, written in haste, secreted away. It is alive and real and present Are they breathing? I would ask. Even when I was holding them. In my memories of this period, I am always alone. I had Callum, my mother-in-law, two good friends who travelled hundreds of miles to look after me. But I felt numb. To make matters worse, Callum was euphoric. Fatherhood suited him, which built a gulf between us. We argued. Six weeks after the babies were born, one of my friends told a health visitor I needed help. I was given a questionnaire, which centred on my emotional state, my relationship to my children and my vulnerability to suicidal thoughts. Like many who take this survey, I lied about suicidal thoughts. I thought if I told her I was having them, shed institutionalise me and take my children away. When I finished, it was clear I was not, to use the medical euphemism, Doing Well. The health visitor referred me for postnatal depression, but warned the wait for a therapist, through local services, could last three months It took more than 70 days of pills for my infection to go. At one point, eight weeks after the birth, doctors debated a hysterectomy. But I refused to be re-admitted to hospital and, in the end, the drugs and the rest my extended family gave me by caring for the babies cured me, at least physically. But questions remained. A woman who suffers birth trauma lives with it every day. Her birth experience is not a pencilled note, written in haste, secreted away. It is alive and real and present. Seven months after the birth of my sons, via the therapist I was finally seeing for postnatal depression and postpartum PTSD, I was offered whats called a post-birth debrief, where a trained midwife goes over those notes with you. It was discovered that important information in Jessica's hospital notes was not were it should have been. The words placenta accreta were written in her orange file, but not in her digital records On the eighth floor of my birth hospital, I sat in a room with a table bearing two stacks of orange folders. The stack to the left of the consultant midwife had been read before I arrived, the stack to her right was for future appointments. It was from this file I learnt the name of my condition, and the fact I had one. Placenta accreta, she read with surprise. An extremely rare condition, affecting 1.7 out of 10,000 pregnancies. Placenta accreta, explained the midwife, impacts the cellular structure of the placenta, causing the organ to spread like a cancer, eating into the lining of the uterus such that the placenta cannot dislodge after birth. One in 14 women with accreta dies. There was more. According to my notes, when the doctor ripped one of the placentas from my body, she hadnt got all of it, which meant I was at an increased risk of infection. This is why I was suffering. I felt sick. How did I not know this? How did none of the doctors who treated me know this? Because, said the midwife, the words placenta accreta were written in my orange file, but not in my digital records. I asked how this was possible and she sighed. As information was transferred from one format to another, she presumed, a human error occurred. On she went, at quite a clip. The accreta would leave me with a high risk of infertility, she said, especially if the damage had been worsened by infections which leave scars in the uterine lining. My nausea turned to anger. The fact is, I had blamed myself for it all. I blamed myself for being sick, for having poor hygiene, as one GP said. I felt guilty for inventing things, for feeling overwhelmed, for needing to lie down when I walked too far, for hurting when I picked up or played with my boys. Would I have been less hard on myself, less ashamed by my helplessness, by my inadequacy, if I had understood the gravity of the condition? Would I have felt less self-loathing as a mother? Yes. One hundred per cent. Why had I not been allowed to keep my paper maternity folder, I asked the consultant midwife. Surely, the information in that folder was important. The kinds of details I had a right to know? She shuffled awkwardly. The folder, she said, did not belong to me. It belonged to the hospital. I felt my anger grow. If losing medical notes happens once, I told her, it is a mistake. If it happens multiple times, to the same woman, in rapid succession, it is systemic. Perhaps, I said, my care would have been managed better if two words had appeared on my notes: placenta accreta. She apologised, agreed mistakes had been made and pledged to review my case internally. Although mistakes had been made, Jessica says that she was grateful to hospital as the majority of midwives and specialists who treated her and fought hard to save her life Yet I could not remain angry with her. She was a woman under fire, beleaguered by cuts to the NHS, forced to confront, day in, day out, the mountain of human suffering in her stack of files. Each belonged to a mother who would come in that day asking questions about a birth that had gone wrong. The collective trauma manifest in that stack of files cant have been easy to shoulder. How many tragedies did they contain? Losses that dwarfed my own? What was important, then, was simply the following: I had a name for what had happened to me. And naming helped. As I left the hospital, something new settled in my body. I was grateful to this place I had long vilified. Yes, serious mistakes had been made, but the majority of midwives and specialists who treated me had fought hard to save my life. Despite all I had suffered, I had not vanished as a mother. I survived. I would go home to my children, hold them close and express that gratitude. Reproductive health activists stormed the residences of United States Supreme Court justices to protest over access to abortion across the country. Activists gathered in the rain outside Chief Justice John Roberts' and Associate Justice Brett Kavanaugh's Maryland homes on Saturday to denounce a leaked draft ruling backed by the court's conservative majority, per an ABC News report. According to Politico, the opinion draft written by Justice Samuel Alito and released last Monday would overturn Roe v. Wade's nearly 50-year precedent. However, the justices could still alter their views and produce new drafts until the issue is decided in June. The document has been recognized as authentic by the high court, and how the contentious document was leaked is being probed, as per a report from Bloomberg. Protests are being organized in part to generate a wave of pressure that could affect the ultimate decision. Biden Administration Defends Justices' Right to Privacy The White House responded on Monday, saying that the justices need not be concerned about their "safety." According to White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki, President Joe Biden "strongly" believes that the Constitution grants the right to protest. "But that should never include violence, threats, or vandalism. Judges perform an incredibly important function in our society, and they must be able to do their jobs without concern for their "safety," she tweeted. After Psaki's initial response to protesters at the justices' residences, Republicans blamed the administration for failing to condemn violent threats. Psaki remarked that President Biden acknowledges that "there's a lot of passion, a lot of fear, a lot of sadness" from many people across the country in reaction to the leaked draft high court opinion. "We obviously want people's privacy to be respected. We want people to protest peacefully if they want to protest. That is certainly what the president's view would be," she said. .@POTUS strongly believes in the Constitutional right to protest. But that should never include violence, threats, or vandalism. Judges perform an incredibly important function in our society, and they must be able to do their jobs without concern for their personal safety. Jen Psaki (@PressSec) May 9, 2022 Read Also: Russian Ambassador to Poland Blasted With Red Paint During Moscow's Victory Day Celebrations Heightened Security For Justices As the protests erupted, officers from the Montgomery County Police Department were on the scene, as photographed by ABC affiliate station WJLA. A request for comment was not immediately returned. According to ABC News, there were no reports of violence or vandalism during the demonstrations. Senators Chris Coons of Delaware and John Cornyn of Texas presented legislation on Monday that would authorize the Supreme Court Police to provide 24-hour security to all nine justices and their families. The United States Marshals Service said Monday that it is supporting the Supreme Court Marshal with enhanced security issues as a result of the leaked draft judgment. Both pro- and anti-abortion protesters have rallied at the steps of the Supreme Court in Washington DC since the leak. If Roe is reversed, a prohibition on practically all abortions would take effect immediately in 13 states, with more to follow. It is expected that abortion will remain legal in around half of the US states. On Monday, New York lawmakers introduced new legislation to enhance abortion access. Several other left-leaning states have followed suit. New York has also announced that it will provide financing to organizations that assist people in traveling to the state for abortions. Related Article: [Report] Hunter Biden Had $2 Million Tax Bill Paid by Hollywood Lawyer; US President's Son Awaits Findings of Personal Finances Investigation @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. May. The month when social media feeds are suddenly full of flowers and white dresses, giggling women at hen-dos, and all the other signs wedding season is underway. This year, after the pandemic delayed so many celebrations, its worse than ever. There are 275,000 weddings every year in the UK, yet in 2022 its predicted there will be 350,000. And while you might think a calendar full of weddings is a young womans problem, at 51 my friends seem to be optimistically throwing themselves into second marriages at an alarming rate. One year in my early 30s, I remember receiving more than a dozen wedding invitations and nearly crumbling with the stress and financial burden of getting to them all with a suitable gift and outfit. Samantha Brick pictured with her husband. Samantha explains how and why she is able to refuse wedding invitations But Ive learned a trick or two since then. So now, when invited to a wedding on a far-flung island, or where I know a ghastly former friend will be in attendance, or which I dont think will last, I just say no. So far this year I have received, and refused, two invitations. I dont think Ill be alone in admitting that I always groan when I am invited to a wedding. Happy as I am for anyone in love, my heart sinks when they say they want me there for a celebratory knees-up. Especially since most of my friends seem to have moved to other countries, as I have too, decamping to rural France. So going to a wedding means spending the cost of a two-week holiday on 48 hours in a destination and hotel not of my choosing (never mind liking). Lukewarm wine, no food options since Im vegetarian, dances with handsy male relatives and, as a married woman, invariably I get stuck mopping up the singles when the drinkydrunky tears start to flow. The first time I declined a wedding invitation, well, to say it caused carnage is grossly to understate the fallout. My close friend had ruthlessly curated a list of 40 guests. I was on it because Id played Cupid when I introduced her to the groom. The wedding, in Italy, with a Michelin-starred chef, was a grand affair in a ritzy villa, with a dress code for each of the five meals. Samantha, 51, (pictured) says that the first time she declined a wedding invite she caused carnage and fellout with her friend Did she go into bridezilla mode? I think so. When I made the call to tell her I wasnt coming, three days before, she was already on location. No doubt swanning about, making sure everything was perfect. Luckily for me shed shortlisted a few reserve guests in case flaky people bailed at the last moment. Look, I know it wasnt a good idea to leave it so late to break this news, but Id just got a new puppy old English sheepdogs are hard to find! When I met the bundle of fluff I instantly fell in love. So when I was told Id be able to pick him up a week before the wedding, it was a no-brainer. My then husband immediately remarked: There goes your friendship. I replied, Dont be ridiculous! She loves animals! Boy, was he right. In fairness, Id done a SWOT analysis (assessing Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats) about my decision. The happy couple were moving to New York shortly after the wedding, something I found out third-hand. Wed not been invited to a couple of social gatherings theyd hosted in London. Was our friendship evolving away from the cosy closeness wed enjoyed when we were single? I thought so. I was confident wed still be friends, just not the joined-at-the-hip type. So I told her we werent coming. I assumed shed accept my decision. A couple of months later, however, I received a handwritten letter in which she let me have it with both barrels. Id let her down, apparently, and it was typical of me. I cancelled three days before... because Id just got a puppy That was 15 years ago; we havent spoken since. And yet I wasnt put off doing the same thing in another wedding dilemma. Not long after Id moved to France in 2009, a friend married just outside Paris on a week day. She was a good uni friend, but wed lost touch over the years. This time around, after dithering for a while, I turned down the invitation a couple of months before the ceremony. We were in the middle of home renovations and time away at a wedding was just another inconvenience we could do without. Yes, I live in France, but the chateau venue was a six-hour drive away. A call from her mum subtly encouraging me to accept fell on deaf ears. And, goodness, she tried, pulling every trick in the book: uneven table numbers, few friends from university, no one else who could speak French to the staff. I held firm, knowing Id followed the correct protocol by calling her and sending a formal refusal in writing. Even so, everyone, and I mean everyone, in our friend group gossiped about my no-show for months afterwards. There is an assumption, which I find confusing, that if you are invited to a wedding you will attend. No thought is given to the circumstances or wishes of the guest. Can I afford it? Is it convenient? These seem to me to be legitimate questions. My own first wedding, in 2001 on an Australian island, was attended by just us two, with our travel coordinator and driver as witnesses. The second time around was a country wedding in rural France with, admittedly, a rather unwieldy guest count of 150. In France if you invite one member of the village, you invite them all. But at least I had the good grace to do it in the school holidays so my family could come. Here I did get a taste of my own medicine. There was a friend Id bonded with in the year before the wedding, regularly going for coffee after our yoga class. When I invited her, the casual rejection No, I dont think so left me flummoxed and, yes, it hurt. Samantha says there is an assumption, which she finds confusing, that if you are invited to a wedding you will attend. No thought is given to the circumstances or wishes of the guest. Can I afford it? Is it convenient? These seem to me to be legitimate questions. It felt as if, by turning down the opportunity to see me say I Do, she was rejecting the idea that she was important in my life. Finally I understood my friends reactions. Since then, Ive learned to say no with more finesse and invent a good reason if necessary. Take the marriage of one close friend a few years ago. I cringed when I heard she had proposed to him. And the general consensus was that she was punching above her weight. I know how alcohol can loosen peoples tongues and feared what I might say when asked what I really thought of their chances. I decided to say wed booked a holiday over the date. Soothed by my fib, she took the news well and the rebuttal didnt affect our friendship. Oh, and theyre still happily married. Ive learned the key is to give notice of my absence the very moment the invitation flutters through the letterbox. I must have sent at least a dozen refusals over the years. Most with what I think are entirely legitimate reasons. At one, accommodation was on a campsite. Ugh, I dont think so! Another was the wedding of an ex. No, I dont want to watch you marry someone younger and prettier, thank you very much. Then there was a wedding to which my husbands ex was also invited. I just couldnt bear the insincere small talk, and luckily my husband agreed. But no matter how tactful the refusal, nor how much happiness you wish them, you just never know when a bride will throw an absolute wobbly. At times I have been guilt tripped so badly that I end up picking something vastly over-generous from the gift list. Google how to turn down a friends wedding invitation and there are more than two million pages of advice. Even etiquette experts recognise such situations must be handled with complicated levels of diplomacy. Some advise sending flowers or a gift with a written refusal. Others say you must give a detailed explanation of why you arent attending. But no matter how tactful the refusal, nor how much happiness you wish them, you just never know when a bride will throw an absolute wobbly And yet friends of mine have had an easier ride. One man I know flatly refuses to go to a wedding if he doesnt think the marriage will go the distance and makes no secret of his reasons. (Annoyingly, his instincts are usually spot on one bride, after an I give it a year wedding, even moved in with him while the divorce went through.) I think he gets away with it because hes direct to the point of bluntness in all aspects of his life. So it stands to reason hed behave in the same way with weddings. Its a strategy women should try, because it could save us broken friendships. Were supposed to enjoy weddings, and perhaps thats why it feels so much more hurtful and personal when we say no. As for the first friend whose wedding I bailed on, do I regret it? On reflection, yes. A bit. But I dont regret missing her fancy parties, and Im confident I had a much better time with my puppy than any of her pampered guests. Occasionally, though, I come across pictures of us together and realise what a good, however complicated, friendship we had. Although clearly not good enough that she could ever forgive me for bailing on her wedding day. Jill Duggar has described her father, Jim Bob Duggar, as 'controlling,' 'reactionary,' and 'verbally abusive' and said that their relationship is 'pretty toxic.' Jill, the fourth-oldest of 19 siblings, made the negative assessment in court documents including a deposition that were obtained by The Sun this week. The 30-year-old revealed that 'issues' with her family sent her to counseling, and she has had limited contact with him for years. 'I saw a whole new side to my dad once my husband and I started making decisions that were best for our family, but not in his best interest,' she said during a Preliminary Psychological Opinion by Robert Wynne. 'Sadly, I realized he had become pretty controlling, fearful, and reactionary. He was verbally abusive. Our relationship is not good. It got pretty toxic.' Jill Duggar (pictured with husband Derick) has described her father, Jim Bob Duggar, as 'controlling,' 'reactionary,' and 'verbally abusive' and said that their relationship is 'pretty toxic' Jill, the fourth-oldest of 19 siblings, made the negative assessment about her dad (pictured) in court documents including a deposition that were obtained by The Sun this week The new court documents stem from a 2017 lawsuit that Jill and her sisters Jessa, Jinger, and Joy Anna filed against the City of Springdale, Arkansas and the local police department for invasion of privacy for releasing a decade-old police report detailing how their older brother Josh had sexually abused them as children. The sisters sued for 'emotional distress' for the release of the report, which was obtained by InTouch magazine in 2015 via a Freedom of Information Act request. The case was dismissed by a federal judge this February, and the court documents have since been unsealed. While the documents focus on the release of the police report detailing Josh's abuse of his sisters, they also offer details about Jill's relationship with her parents, because the defendants claimed that the sisters' 'allegation of emotional distress opens the door to inquiries into their lives, including their relationship with the parents.' The documents state that Jill is the only member of her family to have had 'any type of therapy or counseling' after the police reports were released. Jill also got couple's counseling with her husband, Derick Dillard, due to 'issues' with her family,' saying there was a 'lack of boundaries.' 'We occasionally text on a family group thread, but I dont feel comfortable being around him and just hanging out. It isnt good for my mental health right now,' Jill said Jim Bob continued to support and have a close relationship with Jill's abuser, Josh, who is now in prison after being found guilty of receiving and possessing child porn Speculation of a rift between Jill and her father began to swirl in 2018 when Derick first started to speak out against the family's TLC show. Since then, she has spoken more candidly about her strained relationship with her dad, revealing in October 2020 that she was 'not on the best terms' with her parents. She also admitted in March 2021 that she hadn't been to her parents' house in 'a couple of years.' 'We occasionally text on a family group thread, but I dont feel comfortable being around him and just hanging out. It isnt good for my mental health right now,' she said during a Preliminary Psychological Opinion by Robert Wynne. The documents said that Jill and Derick 'were asked to not to come over to the Duggars' house without permission from her father,' something Derick had admitted publicly in 2019. They also said that her father 'did not approve of her having a nose ring, drinking alcohol, or wearing pants.' Jill got couple's counseling with her husband, Derick Dillard, due to 'issues' with her family,' saying there was a 'lack of boundaries' Despite all of that, Jill said she 'longs' to have a relationship with her father again. 'My husband and I have had to create some pretty strict boundaries right now to protect our sanity,' she said. 'We pretty much only see him right now at weddings and funerals. I think sometimes he wishes we would just "get over it" and go back to how things used to be doing things his way.' Jill said her mother, Michelle, is 'hurting' and wishes Jim Bob would 'shut his mouth sometimes' and while she sees her more often than she sees Jim Bob, it's 'triggering' and 'awkward.' But while Jill is working on healing through therapy, she said in a September 2021 deposition that her parents never went to therapy with her. Derick also added in his own May 2021 deposition that Jill doesn't see her siblings 'at all,' though she is not estranged from them. 'We pretty much only see him right now at weddings and funerals. I think sometimes he wishes we would just "get over it" and go back to how things used to be, doing things his way,' she said Jill has been absent from her family's Christmas celebrations for years, but has attended weddings Addressing the release of the police report about Josh's sexual abuse, Jill said her counselor said she suffered from 'trauma' and 'revictimization' when it became public and felt 'feels emotionally overwhelmed and prone to tears.' Jill said the 'trauma' was 'hitting [her] again' and it was 'harder than expected.' The former Counting On star has spoken out about her strained relationship with her father in recent years, while her husband has also shed light on the rift. After Christmas in 2019, Derick replied to a question from an Instagram commenter who asked whether they ever spend time with Jill's family. 'Yes, but it's just harder now because we're not allowed at the house when JB isn't there,' he said. 'Jill even had to ask JB permission to go over to the house to help her sister when she was in labor because her sister wanted her help, but Jill couldn't provide the assistance until we got it cleared with JB.' Derick was referring to Jill's sister Jessa, who gave birth to daughter Ivy Jane in May of that year. Jill, a midwife, helped with the delivery. Jill has previously opened up about her strained relationship with her father, revealing last year that she hadn't been to her parents' house in a 'couple of years' Prior to that, her husband said they were not allowed at the house when Jim Bob wasn't there, and Jill needed permission from him to assist in her sister Jessa's birth of daughter Ivy Derick said that Jill's father Jim Bob 'will attack the victims' of sex pest Josh 'if they threaten his show' - which has since been canceled Derick who recently graduated law school and passed the bar exam also appeared to accuse for TLC and Jim Bob of pressuring Jill to be on TV when she didn't want to be. 'We were pressured to think that we were required to [be on the show] and that we would get sued if we didn't. 'It's not going to look good for TLC when it's exposed that they pressured an abuse victim to continue filming when we tried to quit, just so they could continue with Jill & Jessa: Counting On after 19K&C.' Derick also doubled down on his previous claim that only Jim Bob ever had a contract with TLC and only he received any payment. 'All of the shows have been under his contract, and he is the only one with a contract,' he said. Months later, he was back on Instagram sharing more critical remarks about Jim Bob. Prior to Counting On's cancellation, Derick said the show was 'still under his control' and 'he will attack the victims if they threaten his show.' Jim Bob is pictured smiling at his son Josh's child porn trial last year. During the trial, he also made an unsuccessful run for office Jill and her husband are expecting baby number three later this year 'We were humiliated and threatened when we first tried to not film,' he added. 'Now its not dependent on us anymore to keep the show going because more kids got married, so it's more OK if we quit.' 'We have to break this culture, that cares more about money and ratings than protecting the most vulnerable,' he added. 'Jeff Epstein already showed us that if you have enough money, power, and influence, you can get away with anything. Sadly, it doesnt stop with him. There are many more stories in this world that are not too different, existing in a culture where it can still thrive. 'Money/ratings trump political correctness, which trumps losing money. Also show in this diagram: money/ratings > political correctness . losing money.' When a commenter responded asking where 'being Jesus followers or good parents land on that diagram,' Derick said: 'Not very high, apparently.' Jill admitted in a YouTube Q&A that her family is 'not always' supportive of what she does '[Were] doing whats best for our family right now and just working through it, I guess,' Jill said (pictured with parents Jim Bob and Michelle) Later in 2020, Jill admitted in a YouTube Q&A that her family is 'not always' supportive of what she does, but while she wants to have 'deference' toward them, she refuses to be 'led by fear'' and 'controlled by what somebody else is gonna think.' 'Are they supportive? Not always,' she admitted. 'Everyone's gonna have their opinion about different things. Some of my siblings are probably more likely to have something to say about it than others. Some are more like, "Hey, I'm happy for whatever y'all are deciding." 'Not all of them are cool with it but some of them are more cool with it than others,' she added. Some of those choices that Jill has made are getting a nose ring, wearing shorts, drinking alcohol, using birth control, and sending her son Israel to public school. Toward the end of 2020, Jill told People that her and Derick's choice to leave the show 'didn't go over very well with anyone,' but she 'never expected' it to 'get to this point.' In response, her parents, Jim Bob and Michelle, released their first-ever statement on the falling out, referring to 'differences' but promising that they love Jill, her husband Derick, and their kids, and that their 'prayer' is that the relationship is 'fully restored quickly.' Australia's former foreign minister has been spotted in the front row at Fashion Week in a pale pink milkmaid dress and designer earrings. Julie Bishop, 65, who is now the Chancellor of the Australian National University, put her best foot forward in a nude pair of stilettos at the Aje show on Wednesday in the brand's new season Madeleine Belted Midi Dress ($495). She wore her blonde hair blowdryed straight behind her ears to show off a pair of Margot Mckinney diamond earrings, which are so exclusive buyers have to 'enquire' about the price. Julie Bishop, 65, who is now the Chancellor of the Australian National University, put her best foot forward in a nude pair of stilettos at the Aje show on Wednesday in the brand's new season Madeleine Belted Midi Dress ($495) She wore her blonde hair blowdryed straight behind her ears to show off a pair of Margot Mckinney diamond earrings , which are so exclusive buyers have to 'enquire' about the price Some of the current season earrings are selling for upwards of $73,000 on websites like 1stdibs '18 karat rose gold tourmaline earrings, set with a pair of pink and green tourmalines 47.04ct and a pair of pink and green tourmalines 25.85ct, with brilliant cut diamonds 1.98ct,' the website read. Some of the current season earrings are selling for upwards of $73,000 on websites like 1stdibs. On April 30 Ms Bishop spoke to The Daily Telegraph to reveal some of her signature styling secrets. On April 30 Ms Bishop spoke to The Daily Telegraph to reveal some of her signature styling secrets While she doesn't have a favourite fashion era she instead favours 'classic and timeless' pieces. 'I love classic and timeless fashion that transcends short-term trends,' Ms Bishop said. 'Style reflects individual tastes and choices - curating my own look,' she added. 'I love classic and timeless fashion that transcends short-term trends,' Ms Bishop said With a love of timeless fashion and both Australian and international labels, Ms Bishop's wardrobe reflects her strong sense of self and style With a love of timeless fashion and both Australian and international labels, Ms Bishop's wardrobe reflects her strong sense of self and style. She told the publication that her favourite brands include Louis Vuitton, Giorgio Armani, Hugo Boss and Rebecca Vallance. Despite retiring from politics, the ex politician still makes regular appearances on red carpets showcasing her impressive designer wardrobe. Despite retiring from politics, the ex politician still makes regular appearances on red carpets showcasing her impressive designer wardrobe The 65-year-old retired from federal politics back in 2019, and was the first woman to hold the role of deputy leader of the Liberal Party The 65-year-old retired from federal politics back in 2019, and was the first woman to hold the role of deputy leader of the Liberal Party. 'Her passion that she has always brought to her role, the dignity and grace that she has always demonstrated in every single role she has held,' Prime Minister Scott Morrison told Parliament in February 2019. 'She is an incredibly classy individual. Her successor will have big shoes to fill, and we know that Julie has the best shoes in Parliament.' Advertisement Deaths from drug overdoses in the U.S. hit their highest level since records began last year, provisional figures showed Wednesday with opioids including fentanyl behind nearly three in five fatalities. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimated there were 107,622 fatalities linked to overdoses during 2021, or one every five minutes, marking a 15 percent uptick on the previous year's record of 93,655 drug deaths and the seventh 12-month period in a row where they have risen. Opioids including fentanyl were linked to the majority of fatalities, or 80,800, followed by psychostimulants such as methamphetamine at nearly 33,000. It was possible for more than one drug to be linked to a fatality. Only one state Hawaii saw its deaths from overdoses decline last year, with Appalachian states like West Virginia, Tennessee and Pennsylvania remaining the nation's hotspots for fatalities. Experts warned fentanyl and other drugs had now been 'injected... through the whole country', with fatalities surpassing another 'devastating milestone'. They added that the rising deaths were likely due to fentanyl which is up to 100 times more potent than morphine being mixed with other drugs, and people taking them often being unaware this had happened. The drug is largely sourced from Mexico via China, with experts pointing out that the southern border crisis is the main way they are trafficked into America. On Wednesday drug enforcement officers called on the Chinese to do more to stop the drugs being taken to Mexico. The above graph shows the CDC estimates for the number of deaths triggered by drug overdoses every year across the United States. It reveals figures have now reached a record high, and are surging on the last three years Slide me The above map shows the rate of drug overdose deaths per 100,000 people in each state for the year to December 2020 (left) and the year to December 2021 (right). Every state has seen its drug overdose deaths tick up except Hawaii The above map shows the percentage change in drug overdose deaths by state across the U.S., each has seen a rise except for Hawaii. In Oklahoma deaths did not increase or decrease compared to previous years Opioids including fentanyl (black line) were behind almost three in five fatalities from a drug overdose, CDC figures showed. The black opioids line includes deaths from synthetic opioids (brown) natural and semi-synthetic opioids (green), heroin (blue), and methadone (purple) Every month the CDC receives reports from every state on the number of deaths it recorded that were due to a drug overdose, which it uses to calculate a provisional estimate of deaths in a year period. Data is reported about six months after the death occurred because of the time taken to confirm a fatality was due to an overdose rather than another disease. Number of teens killed by fentanyl has TRIPLED since the pandemic began, researchers say Teenage deaths from overdosing on fentanyl have tripled over the two years since the COVID-19 pandemic began, a study revealed last month. An analysis of official statistics performed by researchers at the Researchers at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), found that deaths from the synthetic opioid surged to 680 in 2020, and 884 in 2021 - up from 253 deaths from the drug in 2019. That is a more than two-fold rise in only one year, and a rate that more than tripled from 2019 to 2021. Overall, deaths from overdosing on any drug in the age group doubled from 2019 to the second year of the pandemic. Fentanyl is at the center of America's drugs crisis, which experts say is now at an 'unacceptable' level and should 'shock everyone'. The synthetic opioid is often mixed with other drugs such as heroin, Xanax or cocaine to raise their euphoric effects. It means many people overdose on the drug without realizing they are even using it - often fatally. Advertisement Reacting to the figures Dr Nora Volkow, the director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse, warned: 'These data surpass another devastating milestone in the history of the overdose epidemic in America. 'Behind each of these numbers, there is a persons life that has been lost, a family devastated, a community impacted. 'Compounding the tragedy, we have underused treatments that could help many people. 'We must meet people where they are to prevent overdoses, reduce harm, and connect people to proven treatments to reduce drug use.' She told USA Today: 'We're finding that people are overdosing because they've had no exposure to opioids that powerful. 'We like to categorize our deaths to a single drug or a single cause of death. [But] what's happening right now on the street is this incredible experiment in combination of drugs.' Rahul Gupta, the director of the White House's Office of National Drug Control Policy, said: 'It is unacceptable that we are losing a life to overdose every five minutes around the clock.' Deaths from drug overdoses have been trending upwards over the past three years after a brief drop in 2018. They were at their lowest in 2015 when current records began with 53,000 fatalities recorded that year. Last year West Virginia recorded the most overdose deaths at 83 per 100,000 people, followed by Tennessee (57) and Pennsylvania (54.8). At the other end of the scale Nebraska (11), South Dakota (11.2) and Iowa (14.8) recorded the least fatalities linked to overdoses. Breaking down the figures by change over the previous year, Alaska saw the biggest spike with fatalities up by 75 percent, alongside Kansas (43 percent) and South Dakota (35 percent). The smallest rises were seen in Nebraska (one percent), Maryland (one percent) and New Hampshire (three percent). Opioids such as fentanyl are at the center of America's epidemic crisis with drugs, and are behind the majority of overdose deaths in the country. The super-strength drug first shot to notoriety in 2016 after music superstar Prince died of a fentanyl overdose, and has continued to tear through families since. The above graph shows the cumulative annual figure for the number of drug overdose deaths reported in the U.S. by month. It also shows that they are continuing to trend upwards US drug enforcement agencies warn that taking as little as two milligrams of the drug could result in an overdose. The first symptoms are often clammy skin and stupor. In some cases this can also lead to respiratory failure, resulting in death. To combat the growing drug crisis last month President Joe Biden's administration announced a national drug control strategy that aimed to tackle the crisis focused on untreated addiction and trafficking. Survey figures from 2020 showed that among the 41.1 million people who needed treatment for substance use disorders (SUD), only 2.7 million (6.5 percent) had received treatment at a specialist facility in the last year. The administration is seeking to expand access to life-saving treatments such as naloxone, drug test strips and syringe services programs. It has also requested a budget increase for border control and drug enforcement agencies to stem the flow of illegal drugs. On Wednesday the Drug Enforcement Administration also called on the Chinese Government to crack down on illicit networks supplying fentanyl to the U.S. Administrator Anne Milgram told CBS News: 'We would like China to do more. 'For example, we need to be able to track every shipment of chemicals that's coming out of those Chinese chemical companies and coming to Mexico. Right now, we can't do that.' Chinese factories are currently the largest producer of precursor chemicals that can be used to make fentanyl, she said, and that once these drugs make it to Mexico it is 'too late'. Milgram said more than 2,100lbs of precursor chemicals for the drugs or enough to make a billion doses were seized at the border between January 2021 to March 2022. But a lot is still slipping through the net. Taking aspirin and ibuprofen as painkillers could be completely pointless, a study suggests. Experts have now warned the cheap drugs may actually leave patients in agony for longer. The findings call into question the conventional practice of treating pain with anti-inflammatory drugs, taken by millions around the world. Researchers today praised the 'excellent' study, which was based tests in the lab on human cells and mice. However, they have urged people not give up their painkillers overnight because the drugs are proven to be effective in the short-term. Taking aspirin and ibuprofen as painkillers could be completely pointless, a study suggests. Experts have now warned the cheap drugs may actually leave patients in agony for longer The study by researchers in Canada and Italy suggests inflammation may not be the nemesis after all. Instead, it could be protective in the long-term. One researcher said that it 'may be dangerous to interfere with it'. Popular anti-inflammatories include diclofenac, naproxen, and piroxicam. The research, in the Science Translational Medicine journal, also looked at steroids like dexamethasone, which works in a similar fashion. Anti-inflammatory drugs work by blocking neutrophils, white blood cells which help the body begin the healing process. Experts analysed blood samples, taken on three occasions, from 98 people battling lower back pain. Patients whose pain eventually went away had significantly more neutrophils in their blood, compared to those still struck down. This inspired the researchers to test blocking neutrophils in injured mice with anti-inflammatory drugs dexamethasone and diclofenac. Scientists have found blocking neutrophils, a type of white blood cell which causes inflammation as part of healing tissues, actually prolonged the duration of pain in studies on mice. The experts were inspired to run the experiment after finding differences in genetic samples taken from people who suffered from ongoing lower back pain HOW AMERICA GOT HOOKED ON OPIOIDS AND IS THE SAME HAPPENING HERE? Research has shown hospital admissions for opioids has soared 50 per cent in the last decade in England adding to fears the UK could be facing a similar opioid crisis to the one in the US which has devastated thousands of families. In the early 2000s, the FDA and CDC started to notice a steady increase in cases of opioid addiction and overdose. In 2013, they issued guidelines to curb addiction. However, that same year - now regarded as the year the painkiller epidemic took hold - a CDC report revealed an unprecedented surge in rates of opioid addiction. Overdose deaths are now the leading cause of death among young Americans - killing more in a year than were ever killed annually by HIV, gun violence or car crashes. In 2019, the CDC revealed that nearly 71,000 Americans died from drug overdoses. This is up from about 59,000 just three years prior, in 2016, and more than double the death rate from a decade ago. It means that drug overdoses are currently the leading cause of death for Americans under 50 years old. The data lays bare the bleak state of America's opioid addiction crisis fueled by deadly manufactured drugs like fentanyl. Advertisement Most control mice stopped feeling pain within two months. But rodents on the anti-inflammatory drugs experienced for pain for twice as long on average, with some in pain for 10 times longer than the control group. Replicating the experiment with painkillers that don't target inflammation, such as paracetamol (acetaminophen), did not produce the same extended pain response. This suggested inflammation played a role in healing injuries and resolving pain, the authors said. The findings were supported by a separate analysis of 500,000 people that showed that those taking anti-inflammatory drugs to treat their pain were more likely to have pain two to 10 years later. Professor Jeffrey Mogil, author of the study from McGill University in Canada, said by interfering with this initial painful period medics could be doing more harm than good. 'Neutrophils dominate the early stages of inflammation and set the stage for repair of tissue damage,' he said. 'Inflammation occurs for a reason, and it looks like its dangerous to interfere with it. 'For many decades it's been standard medical practice to treat pain with anti-inflammatory drugs. 'But we found that this short-term fix could lead to longer-term problems.' He added that while ibuprofen was not studied explicitly in the experiments, it would have been reflected in analysis of 500,000 Britons. 'It is highly likely that a large percentage of those in the UK Biobank who reported taking non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs were in fact taking ibuprofen,' he said. Fellow author, Dr Massimo Allegri, from Monza Hospital in Italy, argued the findings could mean medics need to treat painful injuries differently. 'Our findings suggest it may be time to reconsider the way we treat acute pain,' he said. 'Luckily pain can be killed in other ways that dont involve interfering with inflammation.' Experts called for further trails comparing anti-inflammatory drugs to other painkillers that dont disrupt inflammation. Chronic pain, and the medications prescribed to counter it, are one of the drivers of the prescription painkiller addiction crisis in both the US and Britain. Dr Franziska Denk, an expert in chronic pain from Kings College London, said the study was a 'wonderful start'. But she claimed further research needed to be done before changing how medics treated patients. 'It would most definitely be premature to make any recommendations regarding peoples medication until we have results of a prospectively designed clinical trial,' she said. 'In my opinion, this study should not generate a debate around the use of NSAIDs in low back pain much more research is needed to confirm these findings first.' Professor Blair Smith, an expert on pain from the University of Dundee, said the latest study was an 'excellent' piece of research but people should continue to take their medications as advised until further scientific work is completed. 'It is also important to note that anti-inflammatory drugs are effective in short-term pain management,' he said. 'There is good quality evidence to back this up and they should not be withheld unnecessarily.' Ongoing chronic pain has been blamed for fuelling a painkiller addiction crisis in both the UK and the US which has blighted thousands of lives. A London School of Economics study published in February found hospitalisations for opioid overdoses in England have soared by 50 percent in a decade. Experts have also warned prescription painkiller use is likely on the rise as millions of patients suffer in agony while trapped on record-high waiting lists for surgeries like hip replacements on the NHS. In the US the opioid addiction crisis has resulted in 600,000 deaths from overdoses since 1999. Around 5million people a year in England are given prescription opioids, and more than half-a-million taken them for at least three years, according to a 2019 Government report. Parents of a one-year-old girl battling a rare cancer fear they'll have to remortgage their home as they race against time to raise 500,000 for potentially life-saving treatment abroad. NHS doctors won't pay for leukaemia-stricken Winnie Impey to undergo a pioneering procedure to teach her immune system to fight off the disease. She was diagnosed when she was just 11-months-old after her mother, Lucy, 35, took her to hospital with jaw ache. Despite initial success after several rounds of gruelling chemo, immunotherapy and even a bone marrow transplant, Winnie's cancer returned last month. Winnie's family, from Nottingham, have now received the devastating news the NHS can no longer offer treatment to cure her, only to prolong her life. Her parents are now trying to fundraise for private CAR-T therapy in Singapore, the same treatment that cured Oscar Saxelby-Lee, the British boy who won the nation's heart after his leukaemia battle went viral in 2018. Strangers raised half a million pounds for Oscar's treatment, and the Impey family are hoping they can also count on the public's generosity. CAR-T therapy is personalised, and involves reprogramming a patient's immune system cells to directly attack cancerous tissue. The therapy is available in the UK for children and some adults with one type of the blood cancer, called B cell acute lymphoblastic leukaemia. One-year-old Winnie Impey, pictured here with her parents Lucy and Luke is counting on the generosity of strangers to raise 500,000 to treat her cancer in Singapore unavailable on the NHS Medics originally thought Winnie was suffering an ear infection but tests later revealed it was actually a symptom of leukaemia, a cancer of the blood cells Heartbreakingly, while chemotherapy, immunotherapy, and even a bone marrow transplant showed initial success Winnie's cancer returned last month WHAT IS CAR-T CELL THERAPY? CAR-T cell therapies are available on the NHS for children and people up to 25 with B cell acute lymphoblastic leukaemia. The treatments involve taking a specific immune cell - known as T cells - from a patient's blood. T cells help the body fight infection by seeking out viruses and other pathogens, before killing them. These cells are then engineered in the lab to express a gene that codes for a specific receptor that binds to a protein on the patient's cancer. Once these cells are re-infused into a patient's blood, their immune system is 'reprogrammed' to recognise and fight off tumours. CAR-T chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapy is therefore customised to each patient. It is suitable for those with advanced or worsening blood cancers that are not responding to treatment or have relapsed. NICE - which provides guidance for the NHS - also recommends CAR-T therapy for adults with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma and primary mediastinal B-cell lymphoma. The FDA in the US approved two CAR-T cell therapies in 2017. Advertisement However, deciding which patients are eligible for treatment on the NHS is left to a panel of expert doctors who assess each patient's chances of success following a referral. Winnie's type of cancer is classed as an undifferentiated leukaemia due to a specific mutation. While there is a trial to treat this type of leukaemia with CAR-T therapy in the UK, the family have been told Winnie is ineligible. The family have not said why Winne was rejected from the trial. Now Mrs Impey, a psychology teacher, and her partner Luke, a council worker, are facing the prospect of remortgaging their family home to help raise enough money to get the treatment done abroad. She said talks are ongoing with a hospital in Singapore. 'I know this treatment has worked for others and I need to give her this chance,' she said. 'I can't lose my baby.' Mrs Impey revealed that due to Covid pressures at the time, an initial assessment of her daughter's jaw was delayed, with the couple eventually rushing their baby to A&E. 'Because of Covid we couldn't get anyone to see her,' she said. 'They thought it was an ear infection at first. 'She had a bad cold for a bit, she got very pale before we took her into A&E.' 'Her jaw had started to become swollen and it was pushing outwards. I was Googling it and it was so rare.' While Winnie, who will turn two next month, was given a 75 per cent chance of being cured after the bone marrow transplant a few months ago, the cancer returned. It was after this that the Impey family was told the NHS could no longer offer to cure her cancer but only prolong her life with chemotherapy. Only 41 per cent of people diagnosed with leukaemia survive their disease after 10 years. 'We were heartbroken. We immediately started the GoFundMe page in the hope of giving her a chance of beating this,' Mrs Impey said. The couple plan to use all their savings and have already raised 42,000. Her family are considering re-mortgaging their home to help partly fund the treatment for Winnie, who they say is a 'bossy little character with a great sense of humour', but have also set up a fundraiser in hopes the public will also come to their aid Whereas chemotherapy, immunotherapy and even a bone marrow transplant failed the Impey's hope CAR-T therapy which reprogrammes a patient's immune system cells to directly attack cancerous tissue could beat Winnie's cancer Winnie with her father Luke. The family said delays due to the Covid pandemic meant they could not get anyone to see Winnie's jaw problem straight away. Teste later revealed her achey jaw was a sign she had cancer Winnie's mother said: 'I know this treatment has worked for others and I need to give her this chance. I can't lose my baby.' Her family say Winnie is doing well at the moment but time is of the essence, as she must be well enough to travel to Singapore for the CAR-T therapy A similar fundraiser helped save the life of another British child with a similar cancer, Oscar Saxelby-Lee, whose family also had to rely on donations to fund his treatment in Singapore. The Impey's hope the public will also rally to Winnie's (pictured here) cause However, time is of the essence, with the family needing to reach their goal within the next few months because Winnie has to be well enough to travel. 'I'm hopeful that in the next month or two we can be travelling to Singapore even if we have to re-mortgage the house,' Mrs Impey said. 'All you can do is try.' Mrs Impey said Winnie is, for the moment, enjoying the life of a one-year-old. 'She is doing really well considering, she's been eating and running around and is just a typical little girl really,' she said. 'She is definitely a bossy little character with a great sense of humour and loves being with her family and running around exploring.' People can donate to the campaign here. Winnie's case echoes that of Oscar Saxelby-Lee, another British child whose family turned to fundraising to him the 500,000 needed for the CAR-T therapy in Singapore. The family raised the money they needed in just three weeks and thankfully the treatment was successful with Oscar being declared cancer free in January 2020. There are about 9,907 new cases of leukaemia of all types diagnosed in the UK each year, with 4,730 deaths from disease also recorded per year. In the US there are about 60,650 new leukaemia per year, as well as 24,000 deaths. About 41 per cent of people with this type of cancer survive 10 years or more. But now US study has found the usually fatal nerve gas sarin is to blame The bombing of Saddam Hussein's chemical weapon arsenal could be to blame for tens of thousands of British and US soldiers being struck down with the mysterious Gulf War syndrome, scientists say. Puzzled researchers have spent decades searching for the root cause of the illness, which has left veterans battling fatigue, memory problems and chronic pain. Now, a US Government-funded study claims to offer the 'most definitive' proof that the destruction of Iraq's cache of chemical weapons is responsible. January 1991's explosions, centered around cities Muthanna and Fallujah, released sarin a lethal nerve-agent into the air. The man-made gas used in the Tokyo subway terror attack usually kills but the doses inhaled by Western armed forces was diluted. Dr Robert Haley, who has been investigating the syndrome for nearly three decades, said the quantities were still enough to make people ill, however. He said: 'There are still more than 100,000 Gulf War veterans who are not getting help for this illness. 'Our hope is that these findings will accelerate the search for better treatment.' Sarin gas released when troops destroyed caches of Iraqi chemical weapons during the Gulf War is the likely cause of the so-called 'Gulf War Syndrome' affecting a quarter of a million veterans The map of shows the locations of major chemical weapons storage facilities bombed on the night of January 18 and 19 1991 and the location of US military units and sites of sarin and other chemical weapon detections on January 19 to 21 SARIN: ONE OF THE MOST DEADLY CHEMICAL AGENTS Sarin is colourless, tasteless and odourless. It is one of the most toxic of the known chemical warfare agents, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Once a person has breathed in sarin, death can occur within one to 10 minutes if there is no treatment. If it is drunk, the victim can survive for up to 18 hours A fraction of an ounce of the nerve agent on the skin can be fatal. Exposure to the gas causes pupils to shrink to pinpoint sizes and foaming at the lips. Symptoms include paralysis, loss of consciousness and respiratory failure. Treatment needs to be given straight away and antidotes include Atropine and pralidoxime chloride. Syria is believed to have one of the largest arsenals in the world of chemical weapons, including Sarin and mustard gas. Advertisement Around 33,000 soldiers in the UK and 250,000 in the US, have complained of a collection of unexplained and chronic symptoms, which also include fever, night sweats and memory and concentration problems. Hundreds of thousands of US troops, along with soldiers from a coalition of 35 countries entered were sent to Kuwait in August 1990 after the country annexed by Iraq. Western nations feared Iraqi president Saddam Hussein would march his troops further south and take control of Saudi Arabia and its oil supplies. The allied nations began air strikes in January 1991 after Iraq missed a United Nations deadline to withdraw from Kuwait. But Iraqi troops eventually withdrew from one month later following air attacks on military and other targets in Iraq and Kuwait. Soldiers reported suffering from the array of symptoms on returning from the conflict and cases had been logged in the UK, Denmark, Canada and Australia in the years after the war. Original theories over the cause of the illness centred around debris from depleted uranium munitions, but evidence has since built up to suggest sarin is to blame. Dr Haley and colleagues examined 1,016 American soldiers who served during the conflict. Half the participants had Gulf War syndrome symptoms which can also include difficulty finding words, diarrhoea and sexual dysfunction. The others did not. They had blood and DNA samples taken and were quizzed about whether they had heard chemical nerve gas alarms during their deployment. Soldiers' samples were tested for a gene called PON1, which break down chemicals in the body. One variant called PON1Q generates an enzyme that breaks down sarin. Another variant called PON1R helps the body break down other chemicals but is not efficient at destroying sarin. Everyone carries two copies of PON1, giving them either a QQ, RR or QR genotype. The findings, published in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives, show Gulf War veterans with the QQ genotype who heard nerve agent alarms a proxy for chemical exposure were 3.75-times more likely to have the syndrome than those who had not heard the alarm. For those who had a QR genotype, hearing the alarms raised their chance of having Gulf War syndrome by 4.43 times. And for those with two copies of the R gene which is inefficient at breaking down sarin the chance of the condition increased by 8.91 times. The researchers said the gene data provides a 'high degree' of confidence that sarin causes the condition. Dr Haley said: 'Your risk is going up step by step depending on your genotype, because those genes are mediating how well your body inactivates sarin. The weather satellite image shows a large debris cloud, which was confirmed to contain sarin, pictured rising from the site and spreading over US ground troops, where it set off thousands of nerve gas alarms WHAT IS GULF WAR SYNDROME? Gulf War syndrome refers to the unexplained illnesses occurring in veterans of the 1991 Gulf War. Symptoms include fatigue, fever, night sweats, memory and concentration problems, difficulty finding words, diarrhoea, sexual dysfunction and chronic body pain. Around 33,000 soldiers in the UK and 250,000 in the US have complained of a collection of unexplained and chronic symptoms. There is no specific treatment for the condition. A new US Government-funded study claims to offer the 'most definitive' proof that the destruction of Iraq's cache of chemical weapons is responsible. January 1991's explosions, centred around cities Muthanna and Fallujah, released sarin a lethal nerve-agent into the air. The man-made gas, allegedly used in Syria, usually kills but the doses inhaled by Western armed forces patrolling the country was diluted. Dr Robert Haley, who has been investigating the syndrome for 28 years, said the quantities were still enough to make people ill, however. Advertisement 'It doesn't mean you can't get Gulf War illness if you have the QQ genotype, because even the highest-level genetic protection can be overwhelmed by higher intensity exposure.' The strong 'gene-environment interaction is considered a gold standard for showing that an illness' is caused by a particular environmental toxic exposure, he added. Dr Hayley noted the finding 'doesn't rule out' that other chemical exposures could be responsible for some ill soldiers. But he said the team's extensive genetic analysis did not appear to identify any other contributing chemicals. Sarin, which can be a colourless liquid or gas, was first developed as a pesticide by Nazi Germany. It was banned from production in 1997 but has since been used in chemical warfare, including in Syria and during a terror attack in Japan. The research was funded by the US Army Medical Research and Materiel Command, the Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center and the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs. The US military has confirmed sarin was detected in Iraq during the Gulf War, which lasted for six months. Satellite images show an Iraqi chemical weapons storage site was bombed by the US and some of the 35 coalition nations who participated in the conflict. A large debris cloud, which was confirmed to contain sarin, was pictured rising from the site and spreading over ground troops, where it set off thousands of nerve gas alarms. Earlier studies found a link between Gulf War veterans who self-reported that they were exposed to sarin and symptoms of the syndrome. But critics said this was down to recall bias. Dr Hayley said: 'What makes this new study a game-changer is that it links Gulf War syndrome with a very strong gene-environment interaction that cannot be explained away by errors in recalling the environmental exposure or other biases in the data.' Since the war, researchers have studied a list of possible causes of the illness, ranging from stress, vaccination and burning oil wells to exposure to pesticides, nerve gas, anti-nerve gas medication and depleted uranium. Some of the studies identified links with the illness but none of these causes were widely accepted. Dr Haley said: 'As far back as 1995, when we first defined Gulf War illness, the evidence was pointing toward nerve agent exposure, but it has taken many years to build an irrefutable case.' A non-profit clinic in Austria that ships abortion pills from India to states in the U.S. where the procedure has been restricted or banned claims it has been inundated with thousands of calls from women after the Supreme Court's plans to overturn Roe v Wade were revealed. Dr Christie Pitney, a clinician at Aid Access, told DailyMail.com that the clinic has received at least 1,600 calls a tenth of their annual inquiries in just one week. Requests were reported from all 50 states but particularly those in the south, she said. Pitney said many of the women who called were already pregnant, but a 'huge number' were also trying to get their hands on the pill pre-emptively to store at home in case it was needed at a later date. Patients were from 'all walks of life' and included everyone from teenage daughters to women in their late 40s who already have children, she said. Earlier this month, it was revealed that the Supreme Court may soon overturn the landmark Roe v Wade ruling that protects the right to abortion across the US. Politico obtained a draft copy of the court's decision, which is expected to be published over the summer. More than half of U.S. states are certain or likely to ban or restrict abortion for women should the ruling be abandoned, according to policy organization the Guttmacher Institute. Currently, 26 states have restrictive abortion bans in place. These are: Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Georgia, Idaho, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, West Virginia, Wisconsin and Wyoming. Pro-choice groups have raised concerns the bans will leave many women unable to access the pills in medical emergencies, and leave little help for rape victims. Aid Access prescribes abortion pills to women across all 50 U.S. states. In those with few restrictions they are prescribed by a U.S. clinician, but for those where the practice is restricted they are sent out from India after being prescribed by a European doctor Dr Christie Pitney, a clinician at Aid Access (left), revealed patients were everyone right from teenage daughters to women in their late 40s who already had children. Aid Access was founded by Dutch abortion activist Dr Rebecca Gomperts (right) Women aborting pregnancies initially take one pill containing a drug called Mifepristone at home or in a clinic before taking a second which holds Misoprostol a day to two days later. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) guidance says they should be taken within 10 weeks of falling pregnant. Allowance for abortion pills being sent by mail was made permanent by the FDA in December, after the measure was brought in during the Covid pandemic to ensure women could still access abortions. What has changed with abortion by post laws? Abortion pills by post was made permanent in the U.S. at the end of last year. Previously women seeking to terminate a pregnancy had been required to go in person to a clinic with a specially certified doctor. But early last year the Food and Drug Administration began allowing women to receive the pills by post because of the Covid pandemic. In December, it made this change permanent. It said: 'The agency conducted a comprehensive review of the published literature, relevant safety and adverse event data, and information provided by advocacy groups, individuals and the applicants to make this decision.' Advertisement Aid Access prescribes abortion pills to women via a consultation with a U.S. doctor for those in states where it has a licensed clinician for up to $150. But for women in 29 states that have restricted virtual abortions or where it does not have a licensed clinician it prescribes the drugs after a consultation with a European doctor before shipping them from India for up to $110. Pitney said that in a typical year Aid Access send the pills to about 10,000 women in the U.S. following a consultation. But she said that in the last week they had already received more than 1,600 requests. They have received thousands more inquiries, she added, with traffic to the website spiking 2,800 percent in a week. Pitney told DailyMail.com: 'We have seen a tenth of what we saw in the entire year last week. That is an enormous uptick. 'We are so inundated that we are prioritizing patients who are pregnant.' Asked who was getting the abortions, she said: 'The majority of folks who access this in the U.S. are parents already. 'For us, we have everyone from teenagers right up to people in their late 40s, including rich and poor, rural and living in the city, white and people of color. 'Our patients are from all walks of life.' 'They are [also] those who have had bad pregnancy histories, people who don't want to get pregnant again, and people who are in same-sex relationships but want them on hand just in case.' She added: 'Everyone is terrified, everyone is very worried about what the future holds, people just want to be prepared for it.' Pitney recommended women should have the pills available in their medicine cabinet just in case, saying, nothing the pills could take two to three weeks to arrive. Aid Access says abortions it provides in the U.S. are legal because patients have a prescription filled out by a licensed clinician. It adds it is also legal to have the pills ready at home because this is also done for other medications such as those for travel and altitude sickness. Pitney admitted, however, that the situation is 'more nuanced' in three U.S. states Nevada, Oklahoma and South Carolina which have criminalized self-managed abortion. It comes as Democrats are set to fail in their attempt to bring abortion protections provided by Roe v Wade into law because they do not have enough votes. The party tried to get the same bill through in February although the measure has more urgency now since the draft was leaked. Its attempts to bring the bill to a full floor vote are being stopped by three senators. These include moderate Democrat Joe Manchin from West Virginia, who says he will not support it and already went against the party on the issue earlier this year. The party is now aiming to sway Republicans Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Susan Collins of Maine to vote with them, who are both known to be pro-choice. The House already passed its version of the Women's Health Protection Act, which would codify Roe v. Wade into law, but the Senate was unable to do so with the trio of moderates against making abortion rights federal law. Advertisement Americans are starting to care less-and-less about the COVID-19 pandemic, even as cases begin to rise once again in some parts of the country and officials in the White House warn that the country could be in for a rough fall and winter months. A Gallup poll published Wednesday found that only 31 percent of Americans report being either 'somewhat worried' or 'very worried' about catching COVID-19, a three percent drop from version of the poll that was conducted in February. Within that group, 17 percent of Americans said they were 'very worried' about Covid still, a five percent drop. The poll signals the shifting state of the virus as America approaches the summer months. In previous years, the warm weather months have come with large, devastating virus surges. In this year, though, a successful COVID-19 vaccine and booster rollout combined with the more mild nature of the Omicron variant and its sub-strains has left many feeling more comfortable with the virus. Cases and deaths in America are rising as spring transitions into summer, though. The nation is recording 79,609 cases per day, a 30 percent increase over the past week, and 526 deaths per day, a 38 percent rise. The survey was conducted in mid-April, when the trend of declining cases that had existed for nearly three months to that point coming off of the mid-January peak of the winter Omicron surge began to reverse. Participants were asked of their feelings about the pandemic, the virus and what sort of personal mitigations strategies they were using - or ignoring - in their day-to-day life. The study also found that 64 percent of Americans believed that the pandemic was 'getting better'. At the time of the survey, cases had just dropped below 30,000 per day, making it one of the lowest points since the start of the pandemic in March 2020. Around 21 percent of Americans said they believed the situation was about the same, and only 12 percent believed it was getting worse. The last time this little amount of Americans believed the situation was getting worse was summer 2021, when cases were at a low point just before the explosion of the Delta variant. These good feelings have led to some changes in behavior as well. Only 17 percent of Americans reported that they were still social distancing, the lowest point of the pandemic so far. Just under a third of Americans said they have avoided large crowds, a fifth reported avoiding public places and just 15 percent avoided small gatherings. Those figures are also all pandemic-lows, Gallup reports. Despite shifts in social distancing, Americans seem to be clinging on to masks. The poll found that half of Americans still wear a face mask in public places. While the 50 percent figure is also a pandemic low, it is significantly higher than the number of people reporting they are still worried about the virus. The changing feelings on Covid are a positive sign for the future, but also come as officials warn that more pandemic related threats are forming around the world. The prevalence of the new BA 2.12.1 Covid strain - the most infectious version of the virus being sequenced by U.S. health officials - is continuing to grow, officials report. The strain, which was first detected in New York last month, now makes up 42.6 percent of sequenced Covid cases in America, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported on Tuesday. It is an increase from the 33 percent of cases the strain made up the prior week. This newly detected version of the virus is a sub-lineage of the BA.2 'stealth' variant, which remains the dominant strain as it makes up 56 percent of cases. The new strain is believed to have around a 27 percent growth advantage over its predecessor, and will likely take over as the nation's dominant strain by the end of the month. Every single Covid case sequenced by the CDC falls under the umbrella of the Omicron variant, with the Delta variant now having been totally snuffed out by its successor. The BA.1 strain of the virus, which caused record case outbreaks across the world over the winter, now only makes up 0.6 percent of cases in the U.S., as its sub-variant have almost entirely overtaken it. While the BA 2.12.1 strain has taken time to take over from the stealth variant as the dominant strain nationwide, it already makes up two out of every three cases in the New York and New Jersey region of the U.S., the CDC reports. It is the only region of the country where the strain is dominant. It is also the part of the country where officials first detected this new strain in the U.S. The new strain makes up nearly half of cases, 48 percent, in the Mid-Atlantic region of Virginia, Delaware, Maryland and Pennsylvania, according to the CDC. It also makes up over 40 percent of cases in New England and in the deep south regions of America. Like previous strains, this version of the virus seems to be making its way across the country east-to-west, with prevalence dropping in further westward regions of the country. In the Midwest, the variant makes up around one in three cases, just as it does in the Great Plains states out west. BA 2.12.1 makes up less than one-in-four cases in both the Southwest and the Pacific west, and only makes up 13 percent of cases in the Pacific Northwest. The Midwestern Plains are an outlier, with the variant making up 46 percent of cases in states like Iowa, Nebraska, Kansas and Missouri. Newer versions of Omicron may be on their way to America as well There are growing concerns about the BA.4 and BA.5 strains of the virus, which are now making ground in South Africa, causing another surge in the nation. The country was also the first to suffer from the original version of Omicron in late November. Last month, the World Health Organization announced that it is officially tracking the two strains of the virus as potential concerns. A pre-print study out of South Africa also found that the two variants may have the ability to evade immunity to the virus provided by previous infection. That could be a grave concern for officials, as the massive spread of Omicron during the winter months - giving a vast portion of Americans immunity to the virus in the process - will no longer protect people going forward, opening the door for yet another large surge. These new threats have the White House worried that America could be in for a dark fall and winter months in the second half of 2022. A senior official in the Biden administration told CNN that the White House is currently projecting around 100 million infections of the virus to occur during the upcoming fall and winter months - a time of the year where new case records have been set during both years of the pandemic. For comparison, according to Johns Hopkins University data, around 40 million Covid cases were reported in America from September 1 to February 28. While this is likely a severe undercount because of the highly infectious, yet mild, nature of the Omicron variant, it means the White House believes case figures could reach even further heights this year when compared to last. A new hepatitis alert was issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Wednesday telling doctors to take liver samples from the sickest patients after five children died from the disease in the U.S. and 15 needed a liver transplant. It comes as scientists remain stumped as to the cause behind the mystery illness, with adenovirus which can cause the common cold currently the chief suspect. In its second alert in three weeks the CDC recommended clinicians widen their search for an adenovirus infection by taking samples from the organ 'if available', as well as collecting stool, throat and blood specimens to be tested for adenovirus. Previously, the agency had only suggested taking samples from one of these excluding the liver to scan for the little-known virus. Earlier this week Hawaii and Massachusetts became the 25th and 26th states to declare suspected mysterious hepatitis cases in children. The U.S. currently has more than 100 cases suspected or confirmed and the highest death toll in the world, behind Indonesia which has reported three deaths. Nearly 300 mysterious hepatitis cases have been spotted in children worldwide to date, with most in the UK (160) and U.S. although this may be because the countries have better surveillance systems. Scientists are puzzled as to what is causing the outbreak, but the leading theory is that it is triggered by adenovirus which most but not all patients have tested positive for. Other hypotheses being investigated include that lockdowns have weakened children's immunity, or that a previous Covid infection or even exposure to a pet dog could be to blame. The above map shows the 26 states that have confirmed or suspected hepatitis cases according to the CDC. Massachusetts and Hawaii became the 25th and 26th states to reveal they are probing suspected cases of the illness (yellow), with Puerto Rico also having reported at least one case The CDC said in the update aimed at clinicians that it was searching for 'any relationship' between adenovirus infections and hepatitis. But it added that other causes of the disease also had not been ruled out. Cases being investigated include historical ones dating back to October 2021, alongside those that are newly identified. Q&A: What is the mysterious global hepatitis outbreak and what is behind it? What is hepatitis? Hepatitis is inflammation of the liver that is usually caused by a viral infection or liver damage from drinking alcohol. Some cases resolve themselves, with no ongoing issues, but a fraction can be deadly, forcing patients to need liver transplants to survive. What are the symptoms? People who have hepatitis generally have fatigue, loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, dark urine, light-colored stools and joint pain. They may also suffer from jaundice when the skin and whites of the eyes turn yellow. Why are experts concerned? Hepatitis is usually rare in children, but experts have already spotted more cases in the current outbreak than they would normally expect in a year. Cases are of an 'unknown origin' and are also severe, according to the World Health Organization. It has caused up to two deaths and 18 liver transplants. What are the top theories? Co-infection Experts say the cases may be linked to adenovirus, commonly associated with colds, but further research is ongoing. This, in combination with Covid infections, could be causing the spike in cases. The WHO reported adenovirus has been detected in at least 74 of the cases. At least 20 of the children tested positive for the coronavirus. Weakened immunity British experts tasked with investigating the spate of illnesses believe the endless cycle of lockdowns may have played a contributing role. Restrictions may have weakened children's immunity because of reduced social mixing, leaving them at heightened risk of adenovirus. This means even 'normal' adenovirus could be causing the severe outcomes, because children are not responding to it how they did in the past. Adenovirus mutation Other scientists said it may have been the adenovirus that has acquired 'unusual mutations'. This would mean it could be more transmissible or better able to get around children's natural immunity. New Covid variant UKHSA officials included 'a new variant of SARS-CoV-2' in their working hypotheses. Covid has caused liver inflammation in very rare cases during the pandemic, although these have been across all ages rather than isolated in children. Environmental triggers The CDC has noted environmental triggers are still being probed as possible causes of the illnesses. These could include pollution or exposure to particular drugs or toxins. Advertisement Massachusetts yesterday said it was probing two hepatitis cases in children who have not been named which both tested negative for adenovirus. They did not reveal the condition of the children, or when the suspected infections occurred. Hawaii also reported its first case of the inflammatory liver disease yesterday, saying the child was under 10 years old and hospitalized for several days at the end of April with abdominal pain and a fever. Revealing the case late Monday, Hawaii's Department of Health said: 'An extensive medical investigation was performed and there are a number of laboratory test results outstanding. 'At this time, no cause has been determined. DOH is collaborating with the CDC to identify the cause of the hepatitis case.' Cases of the mysterious hepatitis have now been detected in 26 states, including: Alabama, Arizona, California, Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, North Carolina, North Dakota, Nebraska, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, Washington and Wisconsin. At least one case has also been reported in the territory of Puerto Rico. The CDC has refused to reveal where the five U.S. deaths occurred, citing 'confidentiality issues'. But at least one was in Wisconsin, where the Department of Health confirmed last month it was probing a fatality linked to the illness. In a press conference last week, the CDC's deputy director for infectious diseases, Dr Jay Butler said most of the youngsters had 'fully recovered' following the illness. He said scientists were still probing cases to establish a cause but that adenoviruses were 'top of the list'. However, Butler added it was unclear whether an adenovirus infection alone was causing the illness or if it was linked to an immune reaction to a particular strain or something the children had been exposed to. He stressed, however, that the CDC was not recording a significantly higher number of hepatitis cases in children than it expected for this time of year. 'I think we are seriously considering whether or not this may be something that has happened ata low level for a number of years, and we just haven't documented it,' he said. Last week the World Health Organization said it was investigating 50 possible causes of the illness. Hepatitis is normally rare in children, but earlier this year the UK raised the alarm over a mysterious outbreak in children after spotting more cases in January than it would normally expect. Other countries quickly followed, with the U.S. reporting its first nine cases in Alabama last month. Each of those children required hospital care. CDC chiefs admitted they had been aware of the cases but did not raise an alert initially because it appeared to be an isolated incident. They have since issued a health notice asking any states with mysterious hepatitis cases to report them. Top experts fear health officials will not get to the bottom of what is behind the outbreak for at least another two months, however. Parents are being told that despite the spate of cases there is an 'extremely low' risk of their child coming down with hepatitis. They are being advised to keep an eye out for the key warning signs, however, been told that their children face a very low risk of coming down with hepatitis. Jaundice the yellowing of the skin and whites of eyes is the most common sign, followed by vomiting and pale stools. Dr Meera Chand, the director of emerging infections at the UK Health Security Agency, said: 'It's important parents know the likelihood of their child developing hepatitis is extremely low. 'However, we continue to remind everyone to be alert to the signs of hepatitis particularly jaundice, look for a yellow tinge in the whites of the eyes and contact your doctor if you are concerned. 'Our investigations continue to suggest that there is an association with adenovirus and our studies are now testing this association rigorously. 'We are also investigating other contributors, including prior SARS-COV-2, and are working closely with the NHS and academic partners to understand the mechanism of liver injury in affected children.' Most of the cases have been detected in the UK (163) and U.S. (109), which have some of the strongest surveillance systems. The liver inflammation condition has also been spotted in Spain (22), Israel (12), Italy (9) and Denmark (6), among other countries. Authorities confirm a former prison officer accused of assisting a capital murder suspect in escaping from an Alabama jail last week died Monday as a police chase concluded in a car crash in Indiana. The ex-officer, Vicky White, 56, was declared dead hours following the incident, according to Vanderburgh County Coroner Steve Lockyear. Rick Singleton, the sheriff of Lauderdale County in Alabama, informed reporters earlier that the murder suspect, Casey White, 38, surrendered to authorities after the wreck. White died at 7:06 p.m. Monday, according to Coroner Steve Lockyear's statement. An autopsy was performed Tuesday at 5 p.m. local time, per CBS News. The reason for her death has officially been ruled a suicide by Vanderburgh County (Indiana) Coroner Steve Lockyear. "Please help my wife. She just shot herself in the head, and I didn't do it," White yelled as he stepped out of the car, the US Marshals Service reported. Casey White was apprehended after being seen on camera washing a Ford F-150 pickup in Evansville. Vicky and Casey Were in a Relationship Vicky White, an associate director of corrections for Lauderdale County, transported Casey White from the county jail on April 29, claiming she was bringing him for a mental health evaluation that had never been arranged, according to authorities. She then stated that she would seek medical attention after dropping off the prisoner since she was feeling sick. According to an NBC News report, the former assistant director of prisons at the Lauderdale County Jail and Casey White had a "special relationship," according to officials. Authorities stated they had been dating for at least two years and spoke on the phone. No further information about their relationship has been released. White was facing fresh forgery and identity theft accusations in Alabama before she died, on top of the charge of permitting or facilitating escape in the first degree that she had been charged with just a week before. Officials said the latest accusations arose from the officer purchasing the vehicle used in the escape, a 2007 Ford Edge, under a false name. Read Also: Johnny Depp's Lawyer Appears Thrilled After Amber Heard Mentions Kate Moss; How Will the Alleged Reference Help the Trial? Vicky White Was a Reliable Prison Guard Vicky White, on the other hand, had a faultless record as a prison guard, according to a BBC report. Lauderdale County District Attorney Chris Connolly told reporters that he "would have trusted" White with his life. "If we needed something from the jail, she was our go-to person, a solid employee. That's why it's so shocking," Connolly said. In September 2020, White was charged with murder in the stabbing death of 58-year-old Connie Ridgeway. He had already been sentenced to 75 years in prison for a series of violent offenses committed in 2015, including burglary, vehicle theft, and a police chase. According to officials, he confessed to the murder but later pleaded not guilty due to insanity and was awaiting trial at the Lauderdale County Jail when he vanished. If convicted, he will be executed. The inmate now faces an escape charge and will be repatriated to Alabama's correctional facility. Related Article: Former Arizona Sheriff's Deputy Burglarizes At Least 11 Weddings, Steals Newlywed Gifts Worth $3,000 From Each Couple @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. A wayward sheep that has been running wild for seven years is in 'shear' bliss after it was caught and de-fleeced of 22.2 kilograms of wool. The Western Australian sheep, aptly named 'Big Sheep', had wandered off into a saltbush tree plantation when it was a lamb in 2015. Although spotted a number of times over the years, it wasn't until last month that the elusive merino was caught. The woolly wether was enticed onto a horse float and transported to a shearing shed where it was given a much needed haircut. Shearers said the woolly merino, named 'Big Sheep', looked like a turtle lying on its back with its feet in the air just before he was shorn (pictured) When local wool broker Andrew Beaton was told that Big Sheep had been caught he wasted no time getting to the shed to watch the 'once-in-a-lifetime' shearing. '[Local farmer] David Cox had told me he caught the sheep and when he said he was going to start shearing it I quickly popped over to the shed to have a look,' Mr Beaton told Daily Mail Australia. 'When I got there it (Big Sheep) was looking at me in the pen. They grabbed the sheep, dragged it out and started to shear off its fleece.' Neridup farmer David Cox told ABC News the sheep was surprisingly placid to shear. 'He was just like a big turtle, lying on his back with his feet in the air and [the shearers] took a big, deep breath and got into him,' Mr Cox said. 'They were all drawing straws as to who was going to shear him, and it took a couple of them to hold him and pull his wool away. 'It was quite a peaceful experience for him, I think.' After seven years of running wild, a 22.2kg pile (pictured) of wool was removed from Big Sheep Once Big Sheep had been freed from his overgrown fleece, the ram returned to the paddock with a group of lambs and is doing well. Mr Beaton said he had spent his whole life in a shed but had never seen anything like Big Sheep's fleece before. 'I have a sample of wool from station country that is probably a little bit longer but I never saw the whole fleece,' Mr Beaton said. 'I went to pick it up, it was really bulky.' The 22.2 kilogram wool topped the wool secured from the recent shearing of a New Zealand icon, 'Shrekapo', which yielded just over 18 kilograms of wool. Big Sheep's figures was just over half the weight of the world record. The Guinness World Record for heaviest fleece is held by Chris the sheep, from Canberra, who in 2015 had a 41kg-coat taken off. In March 2022, a Victorian merino named Alex the sheep narrowly missed the record when a 40kg fleece was removed from the animal. While talking to Daily Mail Australia, Mr Beaton put down the phone and pulled a staple of Big Sheep's fleece out from the wool bale and measured its length at a whopping 55cm. As for what happens to the massive fleece, Mr Beaton said it will likely be used by local crafters that hand-spin wool to make beanies or scarves. However, before it gets transformed into an item of clothing, Mr Beaton hopes to display it at the October 2022 Esperance agricultural show. 'It's pretty novel,' Mr Beaton said. 'Many people wouldn't have seen a fleece of this size before, the show will give them a chance to see it.' A woman has been jailed for 30 years in El Salvador for 'aggravated homicide' after suffering a miscarriage. The mother-of-one, 28, had an obstetric emergency while pregnant in 2019 and took herself to hospital seeking urgent medical care. The woman, identified only as Esme, lost her unborn baby during treatment and now the Central American country has imposed its draconian anti-abortion laws on the housewife. A woman has been jailed for 30 years in El Salvador for 'aggravated homicide' after suffering a miscarriage. Pictured: activists outside court after a woman was cleared of murder after giving birth to a stillborn in 2019 Hospital staff often report women who are miscarrying to the police. She was held in pre-trial detention for two years and on Monday she was sent behind bars for 30 years. El Salvador has banned abortion under all circumstances, including cases of rape and when the woman's health is in danger. The sentencing has prompted fury among pro-choice groups in El Salvador and fuelled dire warnings of similar punishments in the US after the Supreme Court moved to overturn Roe vs Wade. Morena Herrera, president of the Citizen Group for the Decriminalisation of Abortion in El Salvador, said: '(The ruling) is a hard blow for the road to overcome the decriminalisation of obstetric emergencies that, as the Inter-American Court of Human Rights has already pointed out, must be treated as public health problems.' Esme's lawyers said in a statement they would appeal against the decision and noted this was the first conviction of its kind under the administration of President Nayib Bukele who has called abortion a 'great genocide'. Elsy, 38 (pictured), served 10 years of her 30-year sentence before she was released in February Over the last 20 years, El Salvador has criminally prosecuted 181 women who suffered obstetric emergencies. The abortion ban hits the country's poor the hardest, who are unable to access adequate medical care to lower the risk of miscarriage or stillbirth. The Inter-American Court of Human Rights ruled in November that El Salvador had violated the rights of a woman identified as Manuela who was sent to prison for breaching the abortion laws and died while serving her 30-year sentence. In February, a woman who served a decade behind bars of her 30-year sentence for suffering a miscarriage was released. Elsy, 38, was working as a domestic worker in 2011 when she had a miscarriage and was immediately arrested and shortly after charged with aggravated homicide. Last December, as part of a campaign called 'Free the 17,' celebrities including America Ferrera, Milla Jovovich and Kathryn Hahn called on Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele to free 17 women who were imprisoned after suffering miscarriages and other obstetric emergencies. A campaign by celebrities including Kathryn Hahn (pictured) has called on Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele to free 17 women who were imprisoned after suffering miscarriages Since the launch of the campaign, five of those women have been freed, including Elsy, said the rights group. Paula Avila-Guillen, international human rights lawyer and executive director of the Women's Equality Center, said the US should take note of El Salvador's oppressive abortion laws. She told The Guardian: 'Esme's sentencing is a devastating step backward for the progress that has been made in the unlawful decriminalisation of women suffering obstetric emergencies in El Salvador. 'We have seen repeatedly throughout Latin America that when abortion is criminalised, women are made to prove that any one of the wide range of obstetric emergencies they experience were in fact emergencies. When they can't or don't have the resources to do so or are simply not believed, they face imprisonment. 'Everyone in the US should have their eyes on El Salvador right now to understand exactly what a future without Roe entails.' A relief teacher accused of grooming a teenage boy will claim she was unwittingly dragged into a love triangle with two students, her distressed mother says. Ammy-Clara Singleton, from Port Augusta in South Australia, is facing a charge of communicating with a child under 17 to 'engage in, or submit to, sexual activity'. She has not yet entered a plea. Her mother Sharon Platt told Daily Mail Australia that the 28-year-old will claim she was sent a message on Snapchat from a teenage boy which sparked the alleged offence. 'Ammy doesn't even know the bloke,' Ms Platt said, unable to hold back the tears. 'She has done nothing. It's all because some other girl was sleeping with a boy and got jealous.' Ammy Singleton (pictured) lives with her parents and three-year-old son in Port Augusta, South Australia Ms Singleton (pictured outside her home) has been accused of grooming a child under 17 Ms Singleton, an accomplished netball player who dreamed of being a teacher, was arrested and charged by South Australia Police in December, and stood down from all teaching roles. She appeared in Port Augusta Court on May 3, but the matter was adjourned until July. Outside the family home, Ms Platt said her daughter was a 'doting mum' who lives with her parents and three-year-old son - having left her husband two years ago. She explained when Ms Singleton goes out with her friends, she regularly calls home to ask how her little boy is doing with his grandparents - usually ending her evening early to ensure she is there if her son wakes during the night. Ms Platt said her daughter, who is an indigenous Australian, aspired to be a teacher because she wanted to support Aboriginal children at school. 'She wanted to be a teacher because kids weren't getting a fair go, and she's a black girl and she stands by her culture,' she said. Ms Singleton (pictured) taught and six schools around Port Augusta. She will face court in July Ms Singleton (pictured outside her home) did not want to comment, but her mother broke down in tears When speaking about Ms Singleton's future, the mother broke down - asking how her daughter will pay off her $80,000 university debt without a job. Ms Platt couldn't hide her devastation when she said her daughter will 'never have a career again'. 'She will never have a life again, and she's never done a bad thing to anyone but she's guilty until proven innocent.' 'She'll have her day in court, but she will never get her life back and neither will we. Ms Platt wondered if the attention on Ms Singleton was largely due to her good looks, and said she receives multiple anonymous phone calls from people who ask 'are you proud of your daughter?'. Ammy-Clare Singleton has a three-year-old son with her ex-husband. They broke up two years ago Ammy-Clare Singleton has one son (pictured), who is now three. He lives with his mother and grandparents Ms Platt also fears her daughter has already been convicted by members of the community, even though she is yet to enter a plea. A local worker, who did not want to be named, said her children were friends with Ms Singleton when they were at school. She was shocked when she heard about the charges. 'I really feel for her parents,' she said. Ms Singleton graduated from UniSA with a Bachelor of Education (Primary and Middle) in 2017, before returning to her hometown and becoming a full-time mum. She then pursued work as a casual teacher at six schools, including Flinders View Primary School and Port Augusta West Primary School. A former Flinders View student told The Advertiser that Ms Singleton was 'a nice teacher'. The school's principal Anna Nayda sent a letter to parents confirmed the relief teacher worked there between February 2017 and April 2018, but that the allegations did not involve one of their students. It is unclear as to whether the alleged victim was a student Ammy-Clare Singleton (pictured) met while teaching Relief teacher Ammy Singleton (pictured) faced the Port Augusta Court on Wednesday morning Port Augusta West Primary School's principal David Lawton also issued a letter to parents confirming Ms Singleton worked at the school for one day in July, 2020. 'Police have advised the Department for Education they do not have any objections to the department informing the school community,' he wrote. 'This incident does not involve any students at our school and the information available to the school suggests there is no need for any concern for any children at our school.' It is unclear as to whether the alleged victim was a student, but alleged incident occurred between November 1 and 30 last year. Ms Singleton will enter a plea at Port Augusta Court again on July 20. Plans for blanket amnesty for Troubles-related crimes have been scrapped, with immunity now dependent on individuals co-operating with investigations. Last year, there was outrage when the Government unveiled proposals to offer an effective amnesty for Troubles offences. The plan was popular with some rightwing Conservative MPs and army veterans, but the Downing Street has since altered its proposals. The Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) Bill appears to have been tweaked after the Government 'carefully listened' to almost universal opposition in Northern Ireland. More than 3,500 people were killed during the Troubles, with a backlog of 900 legacy cases involving 1,200 deaths still with the police It was seen as a way of security forces veterans avoiding persecution leaving families without the answers they had been searching for. The changes aim to provide better outcomes for victims, survivors and veterans, and leaves open the route of prosecution if someone is not deemed to have earned their immunity. DUP leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson said the people of Northern Ireland 'want truth, but they also want justice' and wouldn't comment on the revised plan until he had seen the full detail. More than 3,500 people were killed during the Troubles, with a backlog of 900 legacy cases involving 1,200 deaths still with the police. Details outlined after the Queen's speech, delivered by Prince Charles, revealed the focus remains on ending what the Government terms the 'cycle of investigations that has failed both victims and veterans'. DUP leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson said the people of Northern Ireland 'want truth, but they also want justice' and wouldn't comment on the revised plan until he had seen the full detail Secretary of State Brandon Lewis described it as an 'improved approach' to addressing legacy, adding: 'The Government is confident that forthcoming legislation will better support those most impacted by the Troubles.' Sir Jeffrey said some innocent victims have waited decades for the opportunity to have justice, adding: 'They have the right to pursue that.' 'We will judge what the Government proposes against whether the opportunity for justice still remains,' he said. 'We haven't seen the detail of what the Government is proposing so I can't comment on that until we see it, but we have very clear principles in terms of how we deal with the legacy of the past. 'We must not allow a situation to develop where people are able to rewrite the narrative which suggests that the terrorists who committed terrible atrocities across the board are somehow either exonerated or can walk away. 'That is not what I think the people of Northern Ireland want. They want truth, but they also want justice.' As part of the proposal, immunity would depend on someone's co-operation with a new Independent Commission for Reconciliation and Information Recovery. The new body's aim is to help families seek and receive information about Troubles-related deaths and serious injuries. It is also designed to produce an historical record of what is known in relation to every death that occurred during the Troubles. The Government described having 'listened carefully' to responses to the original proposals. It said a model where immunity is 'only provided to individuals who co-operate with the new commission provides the best route to give victims and their families the answers they have sought for years as well as giving our veterans the certainty they deserve'. The Bill is to extend and apply in the main across the UK, with some provisions extending and applying to Northern Ireland only. More than 3,500 people were killed during the Troubles, including more than 1,000 members of the security forces. Most deaths are attributed to republican paramilitaries while 30 per cent are blamed on loyalist paramilitaries, and 10 per cent attributed to the security forces. The currently legacy workload for the Police Service of Northern Ireland is more than 900 cases involving 1,200 deaths. The Government suggested that using limited resources to pursue a small number of cases to prosecution means only a tiny number of families stand even a chance of seeing someone prosecuted over the death of their loved one. Amnesty International described the Government proposals as a 'sinister denial of rights'. Grainne Teggart, campaigns manager, said the proposals also 'dismiss victims' strong objections and are a worrying interference in the rule of law'. 'No one is fooled by the UK Government's attempt to dress this up as anything other than a process designed to block victims from ever getting justice. Once again, victims are being shamefully let down,' she said. 'The right thing for government to do is clear deliver a comprehensive and human rights compliant way to deal with the past. If they don't, Parliament must reject this. 'It is unacceptable that families, whose suffering extends over many decades, are faced with government legislation which would put perpetrators of crimes both state and non-state above the law and beyond accountability.' The new body's aim is to help families seek and receive information about Troubles-related deaths and serious injuries Michael O'Hare, whose 12-year-old sister Majella was shot dead by a British Army soldier in 1976, is being supported by Amnesty in seeking an independent investigation into his sister's death. 'My family has fought for decades for truth and justice. Anything less than full vindication of our rights is a painful and devastating betrayal to us and all victims who have fought long and hard for their loved ones,' he said. 'The UK Parliament must stand with victims and send a clear message that the rule of law applies to all. We will not accept our paths to justice ever being so cruelly blocked. No one is above the law.' Victims' groups, including Relatives for Justice and the Truth and Justice Movement, have also expressed dismay at the proposals. The Prime Minister's official spokesman insisted the Government's approach struck the right balance. 'We have listened to not just the parties but the victims' sector, veterans, individuals, organisations from across civil society,' the spokesman said. 'The previous approach was not working. We believe that this will help with effective information recovery which provides answers for families and delivers on our commitments for Northern Ireland.' The Irish deputy premier welcomed the announcement that immunity for Troubles-related crime will depend on individuals co-operating with an information retrieval body. 'I think it's good news that they've abandoned plans for a blanket amnesty for British soldiers and terrorists who may have been involved in crimes in Northern Ireland and elsewhere,' Tanaiste Leo Varadkar told RTE radio. 'These are new proposals. I think it's very important that the British government should now engage with us and, in particular, engage with the parties in Northern Ireland and the victims' groups.' New Jersey's Supreme Court voted to grant parole to a former member of the Black Liberation Army convicted of killing a state trooper alongside infamous exile Assata Shakur in 1973 - despite outcry from the governor and local police. Sundiata Acoli, 85, had several parole bids previously rejected but his attorneys argued he'd been a model prisoner for nearly three decades and has counseled other inmates. Today's Supreme Court decision overrules the state parole board whcih contended that Acoli is still a risk to commit future crimes and hasn't taken full responsibility for Trooper Werner Foersters death. Acoli's more-famous co-defendant, Joanne Chesimard, also known as Assata Shakur, was convicted and sentenced to a life term but escaped from a New Jersey prison in 1979. Shakur was given asylum in Cuba by then-President Fidel Castro and remains a fugitive. She was also famously a 'godmother' to the late rapper Tupac Shakur through her friendship with his mother. In a statement, New Jersey's progressive Democrat Governor Phil Murphy said he was 'deeply disappointed' by the ruling. State Attorney General and Murphy appointee Matthew Platkin said in a statement, 'I am grateful to the attorneys in my office who opposed the release of Sundiata Acoli and I am disappointed that he will be released on parole.' Sundiata Acoli, 85, had several parole bids previously rejected but his attorneys argued he'd been a model prisoner for nearly three decades and has counseled other inmates New Jersey State Trooper Werner Foerster, who was killed during a stop on the New Jersey Turnpike in 1973, is shown in this undated file photo. A split New Jersey Supreme Court granted parole Tuesday, May 10. 2022, to Sundiata Acoli, a former militant convicted in the 1973 death of Foerster, in a case that has resonated for decades and been a thorny issue in U.S.-Cuba relations Colonel Patrick Callahan, the current head of New Jersey's State Police, wrote on Facebook that he spoke with Foerster's widow Rosa when the news came in. '[She] is as devastated and disappointed by this decision as I am,' Callahan wrote. 'Acoli's release is not only an injustice for the Foerster family and the men and women who serve within the New Jersey State Police, but to every law enforcement officer in this country who dedicates their lives for the safety of the citizens we are sworn to protect.' In Tuesday's 3-2 ruling with Chief Justice Stuart Rabner not participating, the court held that the state parole board didn't meet its required burden of demonstrating there was a substantial likelihood of Acoli committing another crime. 'No member of the Court disputes that Acoli committed a horrific crime,' Justice Barry Albin wrote for the majority. 'The issue, however is whether Acoli, after nearly five decades of imprisonment, has satisfied the statutory demands that govern his parole eligibility.' Assata Shakur was granted asylum in Cuba in 1979 by dictator Fidel Castro Through her friendship with her mother Afeni Shakur, Assata Shakur is often known as the 'godmother' of late rapper Tupac Shakur Albin noted that if the crime had occurred today, Acoli would have been sentenced to life without the possibility of parole, but that New Jersey law at the time allowed for parole. 'However despised Acoli may be in the eyes of many because of the notoriety of his crime, he too is entitled to the protection of the law - and to the fair and impartial administration of justice,' Albin wrote. Bruce Afran, an attorney who has argued on Acoli's behalf for more than a decade, praised the ruling. 'After 50 years of imprisonment, the Supreme Court has brought an end to a tragic episode from the civil rights era and recognized that we have to be humane in our parole process and not practice vengeance,' Afran said. 'The court said today that the parole board has to follow the rule of law and cannot deny parole unless it can prove that an inmate is a threat to society.' Acoli was known as Clark Edward Squire in 1973 when the car he was riding in was stopped on the New Jersey Turnpike for a broken tail light. According to court documents, Acolis gun went off during a struggle with Foerster, who had responded as backup. In a statement, New Jersey's progressive Democrat Governor Phil Murphy said he was 'deeply disappointed' by the ruling The state contended Shakur shot Trooper James Harper, wounding him, then took Foersters gun and shot him twice in the head as he lay on the ground. A third person in the car with Acoli and Shakur died from his injuries at the scene. The three were members of a group known as the Black Liberation Army. Acoli has claimed he was grazed by a bullet and blacked out, and couldnt remember the exact sequence of events. At his most recent parole hearing, in 2016, he speculated for the first time that Foerster could have been shot accidentally by Harper. In a dissenting opinion, Justices Lee Solomon and Anne Patterson wrote that the parole board's decision was supported by the evidence and should be left undisturbed. 'Our only role is to ensure that the Parole Board does not abuse its discretion in making decisions,' Solomon wrote. 'In light of the Board's evident consideration of the record as a whole, we cannot say we are in a better position than the Parole Board to decide Acoli's fate.' Foerster's death and Shakur's continued fugitive status have resonated over the years and spurred bipartisan agreement in Congress. In 2013, state and federal authorities announced a $2million reward for information leading to her capture, and the FBI made her the first woman on its list of most wanted terrorists. Then-President Donald Trump demanded that Cuba return her in 2017 when he announced plans to reverse some Obama administration Cuba policies, an approach that was hailed in New Jersey by Democratic Sen. Bob Menendez and then-Republican Gov. Chris Christie. In 2005, Castro referred to Shakur as a victim of 'the fierce repression against the Black movement in the United States' and said she had been 'a true political prisoner.' Blac Chyna attacked her friend in a drunken fight about losing her $100million lawsuit against the Kardashians, the alleged victim has exclusively revealed in an interview with DailyMail.com. Sequoya King says the reality star kicked her in the stomach outside a Los Angeles club on Friday, just four days after her court defeat and is now facing investigation for criminal assault. King, a single mother who works three jobs, blasted Chyna, her friend for almost a year, for being paranoid and asking her fans for $400,000 to fund a legal appeal against the Kardashians despite living in a '$4.7million' home and driving luxury cars. King revealed that Rob Kardashian's ex also blocked the bathroom in the club where they were partying Friday and tried to charge patrons between $5 and $100 to get in. The two women were out partying in central LA early Friday morning when Chyna's mood started to switch, King said. The 33-year-old mother of one said Chyna was insulting her all night, then became paranoid that she was being filmed in the after-hours club they were in around 5.30am. Sequoya King tells DailyMail.com Blac Chyna kicked her in the stomach outside a Los Angeles club on Friday during an argument The two women were out partying in central LA early Friday morning when Chyna's mood started to switch, King said. Blac Chyna is seen leaving court last month in LA. Chyna is now facing investigation for criminal assault Chyna sued the Kardashians in 2017 for $100million claiming they defamed her and conspired to kill her reality show, Rob and Chyna. Earlier this month a jury sided with the Kardashians 'People had their phones out. She gets a little nervous, she thinks they're recording her. She went into panic mode,' King said. 'I was texting on my phone, minding my business waiting for the club to clear. Then she turns to me like 'You, why do you have your phone out?' I turned my phone around and I'm like, 'We're here together. I don't need to record you.' 'I guess maybe that triggered something. She gets up and she's yelling at me. She snatches my phone out of my hand and threw it down on the ground, completely shatters it front and back.' The two women started arguing, attracting the attention of the club security who ushered them out with the crowd, King said. People began to gather and watch as Chyna, 34, continued to berate her friend in the street outside, she said. 'We're going back and forth for three or four minutes. I felt like I was in an episode of [reality show] Love and Hip Hop. She's calling me names, I'm calling her names. So I hit her where it hurts. I told her: 'You're being a really nasty person to me right now. And that's why you did not win your lawsuit. Because you're a very nasty person. 'When she heard that, she charged towards me. She kicks me, right in my stomach. I stumbled back, I got knocked down.' Onlookers dragged the women away from each other and King said she left around 6am. After taking her daughter to school King filed a police report over the alleged assault. A copy of the report obtained by DailyMail.com said: 'vict[im] and susp[ect] involved in verbal dispute because susp believed vict was recording her. Susp cracked vict's cellphone screen and kicked vict in the stomach.' The incident was listed as occurring at 5.45am on Avila St in Los Angeles near to the Twin Towers Correctional Facility. King said she was sore after the alleged kicking and got an x-ray which she said showed internal bruising. A copy of the report obtained by DailyMail.com said: 'vict[im] and susp[ect] involved in verbal dispute because susp believed vict was recording her. Sups cracked vict's cellphone screen and kicked vict in the stomach' King, 33, said Chyna was insulting her all night, then became paranoid that she was being filmed in the after-hours club they were in. She shared photo and video of the night with Chyna Blac Chyna was celebrating her birthday this weekend. She'll be turning 33 on May 11 Chyna was accused of violence against her former fiance Rob Kardashian during their courtroom battle. Kardashian claimed she even held a gun to his head during one fight, but Chyna real name Angela White insisted it was a joke. TMZ published video of the aftermath of Chyna and King's alleged fight as friends kept the two women apart and tried to calm them. Videos obtained by DailyMail.com show Chyna talking with her friends at the late-night club, and sitting in the driver's seat of a black sedan. King said she was furious after the alleged attack and is considering suing Chyna, though she said she still believes she is a 'good person' and that the reality star and ex-stripper apologized to her after the incident. 'Before I went home, she did apologize. She also offered to pay for my phone and take care of the expenses,' she said, but added that Chyna has not followed up on the offer. King said Chyna was acting strangely that night, irritated that her friend drove faster than her and arrived at the club first. 'She was like 'you're not with me', telling the security guard I couldn't get in. The security guard was laughing because he knows me personally. 'We end up getting in, and then she pulls me in the bathroom. She was telling me it gives her anxiety when her friends are speeding. We left it alone and apologized. 'Once we get to the bar, people are starting to notice like, 'Oh, is that Blac Chyna?' They're trying to reach over me to touch her. I'm telling them no, she doesn't want to be touched.' King said at one point Chyna blocked the restroom and started demanding payment from patrons. 'There was a line behind us. She opened up the door and she was like, 'if you want to use the bathroom, you got to pay $5. I got a lawsuit going on. Give me your cash app.' King said she even tried to charge one man $100 to get in. 'In my head I was like I'm never hanging out with her again, I do not want to deal with this,' she said. King, whose jobs include serving and private party bartending with her company Lushhhbar , slammed the Keeping Up With The Kardashians star for trying to take money from her fans by setting up a GoFundMe page with a $400,000 target for her legal appeal Chyna accused the Kardashians of plotting to cancel her hit reality show Rob & Chyna (L-R) Khloe Kardashian, Kim Kardashian, Kylie Jenner and Kris Jenner were seen in a courtroom sketch attending the legal proceedings Blac Chyna was seen leaving the hearing in LA after lawyers made their closing arguments King, whose jobs include serving and private party bartending with her company Lushhhbar, slammed the Keeping Up With The Kardashians star for trying to take money from her fans by setting up a GoFundMe page with a $400,000 target for her legal appeal. 'I honestly couldn't believe that part. It's Blac Chyna, what are we doing GoFundMe pages for? That was kind of unbelievable. 'Her house, she says, is worth $4.7million. She has these nice cars. So, the fact that she's doing that is crazy to me.' The GoFundMe page had raised a grand total of $1,296 by Wednesday morning approximately 0.3% of the target. In November 2020 Chyna posted a video outside her Calabasas home with five all-white cars including a Lamborghini and a Mercedes G wagon. 'The house is very nice and all white, a lot of rooms and a pool area,' King said. 'I stayed overnight one time after a studio session.' Chyna sued the Kardashians in 2017 for $100million claiming they defamed her and conspired to kill her reality show, Rob and Chyna. Earlier this month a jury sided with the Kardashians. The Kardashians say that Blac Chyna's claims that the judge was 'undeniably hostile and extremely biased against her and her lawyer Lynne Ciani has no merit On Tuesday, Chyna accused Judge Gregor Alarcon of the Superior Court of Los Angeles who presided over her case of 'extreme bias' and filed a peremptory challenge against him. The Kardashians immediately shot back saying 'their effort to make a scapegoat of Judge Alacorn is frivolous, dishonest and deserving of sanctions.' According to California state law, in order for the challenge to be granted, proof of conflict of interest, bias, financial interest, personal knowledge of facts, and relationship to a party of attorney, against a judge is required. If the challenge is successful, the judge will be removed from the case. Both Chyna and her lawyer have said they will appeal the verdict of the original lawsuit. A 28-year-old man has finally been charged with killing his mother at sea six years after he was found floating on a raft for eight days off the coast of New England. Nathan Carman was arrested on Tuesday after being the prime suspect in the death of Linda Carman, 54, since she never returned from a fishing trip off Rhode Island in 2016. Prosecutors claim he tampered with their boat - called Chicken Pox - so it would take on water in a planned attack to seize her $7million share of the family estate. He was found in an inflatable raft eight days after leaving the marina but his mother's body has never been recovered. Attorneys are referring to the alleged scandal - which was revealed in unsealed court documents this month - as 'Murder on the High Seas'. The indictment in Burlington, Vermont, also claims Carmen shot and killed his grandfather John Chakalos, 87, as he slept at home in Windsor, Connecticut, in 2013. It claims he killed him in a bid to defraud insurance companies, but he has not been charged with the death. Carman of Vernon, Vermont, was arrested Tuesday and will appear in federal court Wednesday in Rutland. He denies the charges. Nathan Carman (pictured speaking at a hearing in probate court, Tuesday, Aug. 7, 2018, in West Hartford) allegedly murdered Linda Carman, 54, when they went out on a fishing trip near Rhode Island in 2016 Prosecutors claim he tampered with their boat - called Chicken Pox - so it would take on water in a planned attack to seize his mother's (pictured together) $7million share of the family estate The indictment in Burlington, Vermont, also claims Carmen shot and killed his grandfather John Chakalos (right), 87, as he slept at home in Windsor, Connecticut, in 2013 Attorneys are referring to the alleged scandal - which was revealed in unsealed court documents this month - as 'Murder on the High Seas'. Pictured: His boat Chicken Pox Carman allegedly killed his mother and grandfather in a bid to defraud Chakalos' $42million estate - built up through building and renting nursing homes. He was handed just $550,000 after his grandfather was shot to death in 2013, despite them spending 'significant time' together in the months before. The accused is said to have been the last person to see his grandfather alive as they had dinner together the night before his death. The alleged murderer moved to Vermont in 2014 where he was unemployed and by the fall of 2016 was low on funds. He arranged to go on a fishing trip with his mother in the September on his 31ft boat Chicken Pox. The indictment says: 'Nathan Carman planned to kill his mother on the trip. 'He also planned how he would report the sinking of the Chicken Pox and his mother's disappearance at sea as accidents.' Carman takes off his life vest after he arrives at the Coast Guard base in Boston on September 27, 2016 Carman arrives to the Coast Guard base in Boston on September 27, 2016, after surviving the sinking of his 32ft boat Carman allegedly killed his mother (pictured together) and grandfather in a bid to defraud Chakalos' $42million estate - built up through building and renting nursing homes Prosecutors claim it was not unusual for Linda (pictured) to spend time with her son on his boat Prosecutors claim it was not unusual for Linda to spend time with her son on his boat. The pair left from Ram Point Marina in South Kingstown, Rhode Island, to go fishing off Block Island. A week later, Carman was found floating in the water by the Orient Lucky, a China-based freighter close to 115 nautical miles off the coast of Martha's Vineyard. In 2019, a federal judge in Rhode Island decided Carman contributed to the sinking of the boat. US District Judge John McConnell issued a written decision in favor of an insurance company that refused to pay an $85,000 claim to Carman for the loss of the boat. Carman denied doing anything to intentionally make the boat unseaworthy. He told the Coast Guard that when the boat filled quickly with water, he swam to the life raft and called for his mother but never saw her again. The judge found, among other things, that shortly before the fishing trip with his mother, Carman made improper repairs to the boat. Witnesses testified he removed two stabilizing trim tabs from the stern, near the vessel's waterline, leaving holes that he tried to seal with an epoxy stick. Nathan has been diagnosed with Asperger's syndrome, reports The Providence Journal. The indictment says: 'As a central part of the scheme, Nathan Carman murdered John Chakalos and Linda Carman.' Meanwhile authorities claim on November 11, 2013, Carman used his New Hampshire driver's license to purchase a rifle he used on December 20, 2013, to shoot Chakalos. Carman, left, arrives with his lawyer, David Anderson, at US District Court for his federal civil trial in Providence in August 2019 Carman's grandfather made his money building and selling nursing home properties Carman, who has been diagnosed with Asperger's syndrome, has denied the allegations that he deliberately made his boat unseaworthy. Pictured: Cops raiding his home in Vernon this month Nathan Carman's home in Vernon, Vermont pictured in July 2017 Clark Carman talks about his son Norman and ex-wife Linda being lost at sea in front of the family's home in Middletown in September 2016 At the time, Carman was living in a New Hampshire home his grandfather built by the Chakalos estate. The US Attorney's Office said on May 10: 'Both killings were part of a scheme to obtain money and property from the estate of John Chakalos and related family trusts.' One section of the indictment reads: 'After Nathan Carman killed John Chakalos, and as part of his plan to cover up his involvement in that crime, Nathan Carman discarded his computer hard drive and the GPS unit that had been in his truck the night of the murder.' Carman is being represented in the case by the federal public defender's office in Vermont. Seven of the eight counts of the indictment are related to what prosecutors say were fraudulent efforts to get money from his grandfather's estate or insurance firms. The other count alleges Carman killed his mother. If convicted of the murder charge, he faces life in prison. Chakalos' three surviving daughters sued Carman in New Hampshire probate court, seeking to bar him from receiving any money from Chakalos' estate. A judge dismissed the case in 2019, saying Chakalos was not a New Hampshire resident. The probate case was refiled in Connecticut, where it remains pending. Carman claimed in October 2018 that grandfather's 'mistress' was involved in the killing. During the insurance fight, court documents named the 25-year-old woman only as 'Mistress Y' and ask a judge for permission to depose her for the insurance case. Chakalos gave the woman several large cash gifts, including $3,500 during a trip they took to a Connecticut casino the weekend before his death, the documents say. The documents also say the woman knew Chakalos always had large amounts of cash in his possession, often in the form of stacks of $100 bills, which could have fueled a robbery motive by her or others. But police said Carman was the last person to see his grandfather alive, and owned a semi-automatic rifle similar to the one used to kill Chakalos. The firearm has since disappeared. Bill and Hillary Clinton were seen stepping out of the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in New York City on Tuesday, a day after she met London Mayor Sadiq Khan. The former president and first-lady-turned-presidential-candidate left the hotel separately but within minutes of each other in the early afternoon, departing with details of two Secret Service vehicles each. Hillary left in the direction of their home upstate in Chappaqua, while Bill's detail headed downtown. Bill and Hillary Clinton were seen departing the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in New York City on Tuesday in the early afternoon The pair left separately but minutes apart, departing in the company of Secret Service details Hillary wore a blue overcoat striped with white, yellow and red fabric buttoned up with bold round buttons and a matching belt. She carried a blue leather bag over her arm Hillary departed amidst porters and luggage carts in the company of a pair of Secret Service agents Hillary wore a blue overcoat with red, yellow, and white stripes, which had distinct round buttons down the middle and a matching belt. She hung a blue leather bag on one arm, and in the other hand carried a red-cased smartphone. She kept her eyes down while passing between porters and luggage carts in the orange glow of the hotel's marquee lights, suit-clad Secret Service agents in tow, before departing. Bill strolled out with a grin on his face, black shoes shining beneath a grey suit, a blue-striped tie around his neck and a Ukrainian flag pinned to his lapel. His security detail was close at hand, too, stoic and severe against Bill's beaming smile. The five-star Mandarin Oriental Hotel is located on West 60th street, just off Columbus Circle in Manhattan, and a block from Central Park South. Bill (left) was all smiles as he rolled out of the Mandarin Oriental Hotel on Tuesday, a grin spread ear-to-ear as he kept his arms at his sides Bill's Secret Service detail (right) looked positively stoic compared to the beaming 42nd president On Monday Hillary met with London Mayor Sadiq Khan, who was in town on a tour to promote tourism and tech industries in London. Khan met with Hillary at the Clinton Foundation's Manhattan office to discuss Covid pandemic recovery in the US and London. The pair were photographed laughing together after their meeting. 'Such a pleasure to meet Secretary @HillaryClinton in New York today to discuss a range of pressing issues facing London and the US including our recovery from Covid.' Khan wrote on Twitter. Khan also met up with former New York mayor and presidential candidate Michael Bloomberg while in town, who he described as a 'good friend' in a tweet. Hillary was also seen attending the Met Gala in NYC a week ago, her first appearance at the exclusive event in 21 years. She wore a red dress designed to send a powerful message to those who came near her. Clinton worked with designer Joseph Altuzarra to pay tribute to celebrated women of the past, with 60 of their names sewn into her burgundy strapless gown. Asked for the inspiration, she said she was discussing ideas with the French-American designer and came up with the concept. The Clintons were staying at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel, a five star hotel on West 60th Street in Manhattan, just off of Columbus Circle and a block from Central Park South On Monday Hillary met with London Mayor Sadiq Khan (right) at the Clinton Foundation's Manhattan office. The two were photographed laughing together after their meeting 'I said, '"What about American women in the past who have inspired me?"' she explained to red carpet interviewers Vanessa Hudgens and Hamish Bowles, Vogue Editor at Large. Clinton said the initial list was excessive, so they limited it to women who were dead, and whittled it down to 60 names. The names of Harriet Tubman, Sacagawea, Eleanor Roosevelt and her mother, Dorothy Rodham, were among those sewn into the hem and neckline - along with Madeleine Albright. Hillary Clinton is pictured on Monday arriving at the Met Gala in her custom-made Altuzarra The gown featured names of women Clinton admired sewn into the neckline - among them Elizabeth Blackwell, the first woman to get a medical degree in the US; Clara Barton, who founded the American Red Cross; and Harriet Tubman, the abolitionist She also chose Elizabeth Blackwell, the first woman to get a medical degree in the US, and Clara Barton, who founded the American Red Cross. Last week Bill had lunch with President Joe Biden, White House press secretary Jen Psaki confirmed last Monday, days after both men gave eulogies at services for former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright. Comedian John Mulaney ripped into Eric Adams on Monday after the mayor justified the arrest of a woman who was selling mangoes on the New York City subway. The woman was arrested on April 29 after she was accused of selling fruit without a permit at a Brooklyn station. On Monday, Adams defended the NYPD for handcuffing her and issuing her a summons. 'Next day, it's propane tanks being on the subway system,' the mayor said at a press conference. 'The next day, it's barbecuing on the subway system. You just can't do that.' That same night, Mulaney mocked the excuse at a poverty alleviation fundraiser in New York City. 'Mayor Adams, what are you talking about?' Mulaney asked while Adams sat in the audience. 'What are you picturing? What is a subway barbecue, and why do you hate them so much? Were you dumped as a teen at a subway barbecue?' The Grammy-winning comic also took aim at the mayor's reputation as a jet-setting party boy as crime in New York City, which is up by 41.26 percent from this time last year, continues to rise. 'I love Mayor Adams. He's done so much good for the city that he's thinking of moving here,' Mulaney quipped. Stand-up comic John Mulaney skewered NYC Mayor Eric Adams at a poverty alleviation fundraiser Monday night The former SNL writer made fun of Adams' approach to crime reduction in New York City after the mayor justified the arrest of a subway vendor Maria Falcon was selling melon, kiwis and mangoes from a laundry cart at the Broadway Junction subway stop in Brooklyn on April 29 when she was arrested, prompting Adams to defend the arrest by saying 'barbecuing on the subway system' could be next Critics say the arrest is the wrong approach to reduce crime in New York City, which is up by 41.26 percent from last year The onstage skewering took place at the Robin Hood Foundation's annual benefit gala at the Javits Center in midtown Manhattan. Money raised during the event is 'invested directly into poverty-fighting programs across New York's five boroughs,' according to the foundation. Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and singer John Legend were also in attendance. Mulaney's monologue was posted on Instagram by TV host Bevy Smith. 'Mayor Adams always address two problems and then one crazy one,' the former SNL writer said as his image was projected on a Jumbotron to the audience. 'No guns, no crime, no barbecues on the subway!' 'We need better schools, we need better transportation, no more volleyball games on the BQE! No more of that,' he said to laughs from the audience. Mayor Adams was in attendance, though he was not spotted in the video. Earlier that day, he said that people must 'follow rules' when selling food on the subway and expressed concern that some customers may get sick after buying food from unlicensed vendors, according to the New York Times. Falcon was searched and issued a summons for selling fruit without a permit. She had been issued as similar summons on April 5 Former NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg appeared to laugh as Mulaney ripped into Adams. 'He's done so much good for the city that hes thinking of moving here,' the comic said Jeff Bezos and his girlfriend Lauren Sanchez watched stars including John Legend at the Robin Hood Benefit 2022 gala in New York City on Monday night John Legend performs onstage during the Robin Hood Benefit 2022 at Jacob Javits Center on May 09 in New York City The woman at the center of the controversy, Maria Falcon, was selling melon, kiwis and mangoes from a laundry cart at the Broadway Junction subway stop in Brooklyn on April 29. She was searched and issued a summons. Police say she had been issued a similar summons on April 5. Falcon was issued a mobile food vendor license in 2009 but hasn't been able to get a permit to operate her cart since. The city only allows 2,900 such permits to be issued. 'Everybody operating without one of these permits is sadly considered a criminal and being treated as one by the NYPD and by the other agencies,' Mohamed Attia, the managing director of the Street Vendor Project, told the Times. 'Every single vendor we work with will do whatever it takes to get a permit from the city and operate in a legal way,' he said. 'They are feeling they are risking their freedom every minute that they are out in the street trying to make a living.' Critics worry that Mayor Adams is focusing on the wrong issues as crime in New York City continues an upward trend that began in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic. City Comptroller Brad Lander criticized Falcon's arrest on Twitter. 'Handcuffing Maria in front of her daughter for selling fruit does nothing to make our city safer,' he said. 'Criminalizing street vendors is a terrible use of resources, especially at a time when we should be expanding licenses & efforts to help entrepreneurs support their families.' City Comptroller Brad Lander criticized Falcon's arrest arrest on Twitter TV host Bevy Smith, who posted the footage of Mulaney, called Mayor Adams 'ridiculous and a villain' Bevy, who posted the video, said Adams tried to 'gaslight' the audience at the RobinHood gala earlier that night by 'telling a story about his poor family.' 'Yet on the same day he defended ARRESTING a poor immigrant woman selling fruit on the subway! She was ARRESTED & HANDCUFFED in front of her child & then strip searched! 'He defended this horrific abuse of power by saying he had to uphold rules, whats next propane tanks on the subway, hes ridiculous & a villain,' she wrote. Last week, the mayor split his crime-plagued town this week to hobnob with billionaires and comedians on the West Coast . On Wednesday, Adams, 61, participated in a panel at the Milken Institute Global Conference on 'digital transformation' before heading to the local Museum of Tolerance to celebrate Israel's independence day. He finished the night attending billionaire philanthropist Nicolas Berggruen gala at his Hearst Estate in Beverly Hills. The busy day followed Adams' stop to take in David Chappelle's show, where he witnessed 23-year-old Isiah Lee storm the stage with a gun that contained a hidden knife while the comedian joked that he'd had to increase his security in light of his trans jokes at the Netflix is a Joke festival. Adams was elected after running on a platform of public safety, but he's been criticized for his penchant for partying Eric Adams is seen with CAA agent Cade Hudson, who has allegedly made it into the mayor's inner circle, and supermodel Naomi Campbell at the members-only Zero Bond in Manhattan last month Adams, 61, spent two days in Los Angeles last week in a trip that was paid out of campaign funds. He attended the ritzy Met Gala on Monday, above Adams didn't arrive home until late Thursday because of what his press shop called a 'last-minute flight cancellation.' The cancellations forced the mayor to miss several events, including a rally demanding he be allowed to control the city's school system. Mayor Adams ran on a platform of increasing public safety and is under pressure to deliver after steep crime increases in 2021. Felony assaults in New York City are up 19.9 percent and robberies are up 44.5 percent. Overall crime is up by 41.26 percent. On Monday, a Queens mother who was fighting for her life after being pinned between two parked cars by a hit-and-run driver died in the hospital. Florence Ngwu, 49, was smashed against two vehicles on Sunday in front of her young daughter. The Nigerian mother-of-four is an aide at a nursing home, her family says. A neighbor says she worked night shifts there She was taken to the hospital but died of her injuries, it was confirmed on Monday. 'This is the third time and they werent able to revive her. Were all just devastated,' her niece told The New York Post. Police are still looking for the driver of the truck, which had been reported stolen by Pawar Builders in Elmhurst, Queens. The truck was found abandoned about a mile-and-a-half away. As the truck took off, Ngwu's young daughter screamed, 'Mommy! Mommy!' Traffic violence is becoming an epidemic in New York City, which has reported a more than 41 percent increase in overall crime so far this year. A rare anti-abortion Democrat said Tuesday that he would support writing into federal law abortion rights as the left pushes to codify Roe v. Wade following a Supreme Court leak that shows an impending overturn of the 50-year-old ruling. Senator Bob Casey of Pennsylvania, who is currently serving his third term, is one of the last remaining lawmakers on Capitol Hill that calls themselves a 'pro-life Democrat', classifying himself as such as recently as four years ago. He has also reiterated that he does not support a complete ban on abortion but doesn't go so far as his colleagues to push for late-term terminations. 'I think a lot of Americans are just beginning to understand the Republican position, which is, in many cases, not just a ban, but in a lot of states a ban without exception,' Casey told the Associated Press. He said that he will support the Democrats' bill if there is a final vote on it. Casey's father, a former two-term governor of Pennsylvania who opposed abortion rights, signed legislation that spawned another landmark abortion case, Planned Parenthood v. Casey. Now Senator Casey is in the position of watching the Supreme Court potentially overturn Roe v. Wade two years before he faces reelection while his party's activists mobilize against any such decision. One of the last remaining 'pro-life Democrats' Senator Bob Casey said Tuesday he will support a bill to write abortion rights into federal law in response to the Supreme Court's leaked draft decision that would overturn the landmark Roe v. Wade ruling. Pictured: The Pennsylvania Democrat speaks to press at the Capitol on Tuesday, May 10, 2022 This new position comes as Republicans voice support for banning abortion in certain states or even nationwide if they retake a majority in Congress in November's midterm elections. Casey told Politico in 2018 'that the description of pro-life Democrat is accurate:' for him. But he told the AP on Tuesday that Republicans in Congress have moved from decades of saying they wanted states to have a say over abortion to pursuing legislation to ban it everywhere after six weeks - before many women even know they are pregnant. 'I think thats a new and substantial development in their approach,' he said. A vote on legislation by Senate Democrats to preserve abortion rights nationwide will not come to the floor if Democrats can't come up with the votes necessary to bypass procedural hurdles. They are expected to fail on a Wednesday test vote. Casey has won his Senate races campaigning as an anti-abortion Democrat, even as advocates accuse him of abandoning the cause through his more moderate positions. 'Because of his actions and words, I think Sen. Casey has abandoned legitimate use of the pro-life label,' said Michael Geer, president of the Pennsylvania Family Institute, which opposes abortion rights. After the draft opinion emerged last week, Casey said he had 'serious concerns about what overturning almost 50 years of legal precedent will mean for women in states passing near or total bans on abortion.' As for the Senate, he said, 'Congress should be working to reduce the number of abortions and unintended pregnancies and doing much more to support women and families.' Democrats are scrambling to respond to a leak that showed a draft Supreme Court decision that would overturn Roe v. Wade. Pro-abortion group Democrats Defends Choice protesters rally in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on May 6 2022 In the past, he has pushed for policies that he says are proven to reduce the number of abortions, such as boosting support for health care, contraception and programs that support women and children. Still, Casey, in 2018 and 2020, broke with Democrats in voting to advance bills to ban abortions after 20 weeks and has said he supports the so-called Hyde Amendment, which blocks federal funding for abortion. But he also has voted with Democrats to support federal funding for Planned Parenthood and access to contraception. Casey opposed all three of former President Donald Trumps nominees for the Supreme Court who now form half of its conservative bloc. NASA scientists were able to capture the eerie and terrifying sound that echoed from a black hole, prompting science and space fans to call it both "scary" and "cool." The incident has become possible thanks to the space agency's new technology and now provides the public with a 34-second recording. The video, primarily of sound, was posted on YouTube on May 4. The footage explains that the source of the sinister recording is from deep within the Perseus Galaxy Cluster, roughly 250 million light-years from Earth. Sounds From a Black Hole In the report, NASA said that the popular misconception that there was no sound in space originated with the fact that most of space is considered to be a vacuum. This provides no medium for sound waves to propagate through and be heard. However, a galaxy cluster has copious amounts of gas that envelop the hundreds or even thousands of galaxies within it. This environment becomes a perfect and suitable medium for the sound waves to travel great distances, as per The News & Observer. The so-called "ripples" in space have become audible thanks to a sound machine, a process called "sonification," after NASA revealed it overcame the challenge of raising the "astronomical data" to a level humans can hear. Read Also: LOOK! Stunning James Webb Telescope Images Show Incredible Camera Power However, the space agency declined to comment or detail the results from the black hole, which is known to have a powerful gravitational pull. But the sound is most likened to ghostly howls or the collective moan of a billion lifeforms. According to India Today, this is the first time NASA engineers have made the sound waves audible after taking them in radial directions. The space agency added that the signals were also resynthesized into the range of human hearing by scaling them upward by 57 and 58 octaves above their true pitch. This is because humans are unable to hear some 57 octaves below middle C. Scientific Space Project The sound waves that came from the black hole had an oscillation period of 10 million years and are believed to be something that the cosmic object has been holding on to for the last two billion years. Experts also suspect that the waves act as a brake on star formation, which helps to keep the gas in the cluster too hot to condense into new stars. As part of an ongoing project that seeks to "sonify" the universe, the space agency released similarly generated sounds from bright knots in a jet of energy spewing out from a giant black hole located at the center of the humongous galaxy known as M87. The sounds were able to reach us across 53.5 million light-years as a steady succession of orchestral tones. An astrophysicist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Erin Kara, led a group that has undertaken another sonification project. It is part of an effort to take advantage of light echoes from X-ray bursts to map the environment surrounding black holes, similar to how bats in the animal kingdom use sound to catch their prey, such as mosquitoes, the New York Times reported. Related Article: [PHOTOS] Hubble Telescope Pictures Show Stunning View of "Grand Design" Galaxy, Surviving Star From Supernova @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. New York Congressman Tom Reed is resigning, leaving office more than seven months before the end of his term. Reed, 50, said last year that he would not seek reelection after he was accused of sexual misconduct by lobbyist Nicolette Davis in March 2021. In a shock move, Reed announced his immediate resignation on the house floor on Tuesday. The Republican from western New York was accused of rubbing a female lobbyists back and unhooking her bra, without her consent, at a networking event in a Minneapolis pub in 2017. Reed had at one time considered a run for New York Governor telling former Governor Andrew Cuomo: 'Your days are numbered' Former lobbyist Nicolette Davis told The Washington Post that Reed had to be removed from the bar as he unhooked her bra without consent Reed, when issuing his apology last year, said he would not run for any office in 2022. At the time, Davis was 25 and the disgraced congressman was 45. Davis made her allegations in an interview with The Washington Post. Davis alleged in the piece that Reed had to be pulled away from her table by the person sitting next to them. Reed did not give a reason for his resignation but said there is more to do to put 'people before politics.' 'I am leaving to continue that work and hope to have a greater impact on our country,' Reed said. Reed initially denied Davis' allegations telling the Post in a brief statement, 'This account of my actions is not accurate.' Days later, the congressman backtracked admitting at the period of time he was 'powerless over alcohol' and was 'struggling.' Reed, who was first elected to Congress in 2010, had said earlier in 2021 that he was considering a run for New York governor should Andrew Cuomo run again. In a February 2021 conference call with reporters, Reed said: 'Governor Cuomo, Your days are numbered. There's leadership coming to Albany very soon.' Cuomo, a Democrat, resigned from the governor's office in August amid sexual harassment allegations, which he denied. Aflac, Davis' employer at the time, issued a statement in support of her allegations saying that the company immediately provided counseling upon hearing about Reed's alleged behavior In 2021, Reed voted against impeaching former President Donald Trump but did vote to certify Joe Biden's victory Aflac, the company that Davis worked for at the time, released a statement saying: 'When this matter was reported to our senior leadership and colleagues who were not present at the event, we immediately provided support and counsel for Nicolette. '(She) continues to have 100% supports from Aflac, as we strongly condemn any form of abuse or harassment,' the statement concluded. New York Gov. Kathy Hochuls office did not immediately respond to questions about when she would call a special election to fill Reeds seat before Novembers elections. Reed has endorsed Steuben County Republican Committee Chair Joe Sempolinski for his seat in New York's 23rd congressional district in the November elections. Following the news of Reed's resignation, Sempolinski tweeted: 'I'm in for the special election in NY23.' He added: 'I've spent my whole career working for the people of this region. There is no one better prepared to take the reins of NY23.' Sempolinski describes himself as being 'pro-Second Amendment, pro-life, pro-business and pro-law enforcement.' Sempolinski faces off against Claudia Tenney of the 22nd district who is running in the 23rd after the Democrats removed her district. Tenney has the endorsement of Donald Trump. The winner of the Republican primary will face Democratic nominee Max Della Pia in the general election. Reed is a former mayor of Corning, New York and was a co-chair of the House of Representatives bipartisan Problem Solvers Caucus. In November 2020, Reed comfortably defeated Democrat Tracy Mitrano with more than 57% of the vote. He voted against impeaching former President Donald Trump in January 2021 but voted in favor of certifying the 2020 election of Democrat Joe Biden. Reed was the second New York Republican who is not planning to run again this year. Upstate New York Rep. John Katko, who was among 10 House GOP lawmakers who voted to impeach Trump, announced earlier this year he would not seek reelection. A two-year-old boy is fighting for his life in hospital after he was severely burnt in a horrific house fire believed to be sparked by the family's tumble-dryer. Elijah Whitton was airlifted 566km to the Royal Children's Hospital in Melbourne after a blaze destroyed his family home on the border of Victoria and NSW. Emergency services were called to the Ruby street property in Wentworth at 3:22pm on May 1 after a fire engulfed the home. His big sister Alyia Whitton said Elijah's left leg was still on fire when her mother pulled the trapped toddler out of the house. Elijah Whitton (pictured) is fighting for his life after he suffered burns to 42 per cent of his body in a house fire on May 1 When the two-year-old (pictured) was pulled from the blaze his left leg was still on fire. He was airlifted to the Royal Children's Hospital in Melbourne and is undergoing treatment in the intensive care unit 'Elijah was trying to make his way out of the fire, when our mother pulled him further away from the fire,' Ms Whitton told Daily Mail Australia. 'Elijahs left leg was still in flames when my mum put his leg out with water nearby.' Surgeons placed the two-year-old in an induced coma and rushed him into wound debridement surgery - a procedure that removes dead skin from burn areas. Elijah has since undergone several surgeries to stabilise him after he sustained third-degree burns to 42 per cent of his body. Police are investigating the cause of the fire but believe the family's tumble-dryer malfunctioned causing an explosion, with a nearby jerry-can full of petrol igniting and escalating the fire. Ms Whitton said her younger brother Jacob Alassani, 12, who was at home during the incident, heard the explosion and alerted their mum. 'He instantly understood the severity of the house fire and went outside and took the safety precautions of turning the electricity off,' Ms Whitton said. Although the cause of the fire is still unknown, it is believed that the family's tumble-dryer (pictured) malfunctioned causing an 'explosion'. A jerry-can full of petrol escalated the blaze Elijah is in a stable condition in the intensive care unit at the Children's Hospital where he is expected to remain for several months. Ms Whitton said her 'energetic' and 'loving' little brother has a long road to recovery but has made incredible progress since his arrival at the hospital. Elijah briefly opened his eyes for the first time late on Tuesday night and is scheduled for a third wound debridement surgery on Thursday, where doctors will continue his skin grafting procedure. Alyia Whitton has set up a GoFundMe page to assist her family with ongoing medical bills and Elijah's future rehabilitation costs. 'Elijah is considered a trauma patient and we have been told that it is only the beginning of his journey to recovery,' Ms Whitton wrote. 'As it is still early days into his recovery we ask if Elijah could be kept in your thoughts and prayers. 'We would greatly appreciate any form of donation to help with Elijah's medical bills and his recovery including physical and emotional rehabilitation.' The fund has received 180 donations totalling $9,822 and hopes to raise $15,000. A disturbing photo has emerged of a burnt-out van on the side of the road in Mexico as police desperately search for missing Australian mum Tahnee Shanks. The Mexican news outlet Por Esto published an image of the smouldering vehicle, which is now allegedly being held as evidence in the case. Mexican police have also seized a video of a woman being forced into a van and are investigating whether it is linked to Ms Shanks' disappearance. A disturbing photo has emerged of a burnt-out van on the side of the road in Mexico as police desperately search for missing Australian mum Tahnee Shanks According to the report, police are investigating whether Ms Shanks, 32, and her missing partner Jorge Aguirre Estudillo were targeted by criminals in a random attack. It was revealed last week that Ms Shanks, from Queensland, had disappeared and her two-year-old daughter Adelynn turned up dumped at a church in Cancun. Adelynn was due to arrive back in Australia on Monday after grandmother Leanne and uncle Ben Shanks flew to Central America to rescue her. It was revealed last week that Ms Shanks, from Queensland, had disappeared and her two-year-old daughter Adelynn was found dumped at a church The trio were pictured at the international airport on Monday as they prepared to catch a plane back to their home in Queensland. The desperate search continues for the two-year-old's mother Tahnee Shanks, 32, who was reported missing with the child's father Jorge Aguirre Astudillo. Leanne told reporters outside the departure terminal it was 'breaking my heart' leaving the country without her daughter. An Australian toddler who was found wandering barefoot and alone outside a church in Mexico is making her way home after she was reunited with her relatives The reunited trio were spotted at the international airport on Monday as they prepared to catch a plane back to their home in Queensland Adelyn had previously been cared for by Mexican child welfare authorities before her relatives arrived 'I just can't even grasp what's happening,' she told Nine News. 'At the moment we can't even even get our heads around it.' Adelynn was seen being cradled in the arms of her uncle while her grandmother fitted a sandal onto her left foot at an airport cafe. 'We're leaving knowing that Tahnee is getting searched for in a very professional way,' Ben said. Adelyn had previously been cared for by Mexican child welfare authorities before her relatives arrived. She has also now received an emergency Australian passport. Ms Shanks' brother Daniel said 'three eyewitnesses' saw Mr Astudillo leave his daughter Adelynn outside the Chapel of the San Archangel. Mr 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. 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, 32, (pictured right) originally from the Whitsundays, Queensland, is missing in Mexico where she was on vacation 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 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. 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 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 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. 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. A law enforcement official (right) holds Adelynn in his arms after she was found outside a Cancun church 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 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 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. Footage has emerged of targeted Comanchero bikie Tarek Zahed interrupting the Australian Open Men's Final while he was coming back from the toilet. Vision from last January's face-off between Rafael Nadal and Daniil Medvedev shows the enforcer, who was shot at a western Sydney gym on Tuesday night, slowly returning to his seat and forcing Nadal to delay his serve in a pivotal and tense third set. Fans in the packed-out arena can be heard booing the bikie and calling out to him and other latecomers to sit down. Zahed is currently fighting for life in hospital after being shot in a hail of bullets at Bodyfit gym in Sydney's Auburn on Tuesday night at about 8pm as he worked out with his younger brother Omar - also a notorious gangland figure. Omar, believed to be in his 20s, went into cardiac arrest after suffering several gunshot wounds to his stomach, arms and legs, and died at the scene. His bikie enforcer brother, 41, was hit by 10 bullets to his body, including to his head, before being rushed to Westmead Hospital where he is understood to have gruesome injuries. Tarek Zahed (pictured) is booed by spectators for delaying the Australian Open Men's Final in January as he looked for a seat Rafael Nadal (pictured) waits as Zahed and other latecomers find seats in the packed arena Australian chair umpire John Blom called out to Zahed (pictured) and other spectators moving about to 'move along quickly' In the resurfaced footage from the Australian Open, chair umpire John Blom called out to Zahed and other spectators to 'move along quickly' and find a seat. 'Just take the nearest seat, thanks,' Blom said as Nadal looked back waiting for them to sit down after a change of ends. Frustrated TV commentators said, 'sit on the stairs, sit anywhere now, it doesn't matter,' as vision of Zahed showed him taking some time to sit down. The bikie, who is currently in a stable condition in hospital, is seen walking down in between spectators, with one sitting on the steps pulling downwards at Zahed's hand. Other fans were seen scurrying with food and drinks to get to their seats as the unruffled Zahed sat down. It comes after confronting images emerged from inside the gym where the Comanchero bikie was gunned down with his brother, with paramedics seen desperately trying to revive the bloodied pair. Zahed, 41, was hit by 10 bullets to his body, including to his head, before being rushed to Westmead Hospital. Police and paramedics are seen trying to save the two men at the gym on Tuesday night after the shooting - with pools of blood seen across the foyer In the weeks leading up to the horror shooting Zahed was warned by organised crime detectives to 'stop going to the gym, change your routine'. His friends even begged him to 'play it safe' and stop going to the gym where he was shot after learning that a $1million bounty had been put out on him by rivals. Investigators are now probing whether the latest shooting in Sydney's tit-for-tat crime saga is linked to the execution of Mahmoud 'Brownie' Ahmad two weeks earlier - as NSW Police Commissioner Karen Webb promising that more specialist officers will be assigned to target organised crime and bikie groups. Tarek Zahed (pictured, right) and brother Omar (left) were gunned down outside a gym on Tuesday night - with Omar dying at the scene after being shot in the head Police were called to the Bodyfit Gym on Parramatta Road around 8pm on Tuesday night (pictured) where paramedics battled to save the brothers' lives 'We have already had many resources committed to this... but we are going to increase our resources particularly with Strike Force Raptor. We will increase the strength of Raptor by 30 officers,' she told 2GB radio on Wednesday. 'Enough is enough. Sydney has had enough.' The state's top cop confirmed that police had tried to warn Zahed about the danger he was in but he failed to heed the advice. 'Some of these people think they are invincible. We try to warm them but what do you do. They just live their lives like they are larger than life,' she said. 'A life of crime is not worth it.' Seemingly unconcerned, the pair were even known to frequent the gym and post pictures to social media showing them working out. While the deadly shooting is thought to be retaliation for the killing of Hamzy-linked Ahmad on April 27, investigators and underworld sources say the the situation is not that clear cut. Over a dozen bodies have lined Sydney's streets as part of the long-running feud between the Hamzy and Alameddine crime clans. 'Some of these people are in conflict with a number of other groups so it can be hard to determine whether it is a direct retaliation or not but that is certainly a key line of inquiry,' Commissioner Webb said. 'Everyone's talking about the whispers around Tarek, but no one knows who is behind it,' an underworld source claimed. Takek Zahed (seated) and his brother Omar (standing) were gunned down outside a gym in Sydney's west on Tuesday night. One is dead while the other is fighting for life A white Audi station wagon was found engulfed in flames nearby, with police investigating its links to the shooting The gym's front door has been shattered with bullet holes after the men were shot at 10 times on Tuesday night The publication reported earlier this week Tarek was regarded as a marked man by heavyweight of the Hamzy crime network long before the bounty was recently placed on his head. It comes as unlikely union formed between the Alameddine family and the Commancheros, with Zahed under increasing pressure from arch-rivals the Hamzy crew. Police intercepted a call between jailed Brothers 4 Life gang boss Bassam Hamzy and his brother Ghassan Amoun on October 14, 2020. Hamzy called his brother from Goulburn Supermax jail asking for Tarek's phone number, according to NSW Supreme Court documents. 'Hamzy asked Amoun to contact Emad Sleiman and 'tell him straight out is he speaking with Tarek Zahed, if he is, get Tarek Zahed's number off him,' the court 'Amoun said Zahed was in jail, but Hamzy said Zahed was definitely not in jail. 'It was highly likely Zahed was at risk from Hamzy and Hamzy's associates in the community.' Fifteen months later, Amoun was gunned down as he left a beauty salon at Wentworthville in Sydney's west. Several days after Ahmad's death, Zahred, known as the 'Balenciaga Bikie', was arrested and charged with two counts of contravening serious crime prevention order as NSW Police continued its crackdown on organised crime. Tarek Zahed (pictured) and his brother Omar were shot at 10 times outside Bodyfit Gym on Parramatta Road just after 8pm on Tuesday night The brothers (pictured) are believed to be close with recent photos on social media and TikTok showing the pair going to the gym and holidaying together The pair were known to frequent the gym, with those close to Zahed warning him to alter his normal routine after a $1million bounty was placed on the head of the high-profile Commancheros member (pictured, police at the scene on Tuesday night) The 41-year-old had been widely tipped to be the next national president of the outlaw motorcycle club after former leader Mick Murray was also arrested last week. It's understood he had been aware his life had been in danger for almost a year and was granted a travel exemption to flee NSW lockdown to travel to Turkey last September. He continued his lavish lifestyle upon return to Australia, despite warnings from police his life was under threat. Tarek moved to Melbourne, where he was infamously caught interrupting play at the Australian Open men's final in January. Police have launched an investigation into Tuesday night's shooting with the assistance of police attached to the State Crime Command's Raptor and Criminal Groups Squads. Paramedics found Tarek and Omar with bullet wounds 'all over their bodies'. Inspector Kevin McSweeney said it was an horrific and confronting scene that unfolded in front of several witnesses and it was lucky no other members of the public were injured. 'They were both found to be in extremely critical conditions. At the scene we stabilised the patients as best we could.' The brothers were shot while going to the gym in Auburn on Tuesday night (pictured, police outside after the attack) Paramedics are seen treating the brothers at the scene - with one confirmed dead and the other in a critical condition A woman sits with her head in her hand inside the gym on Parramatta Road in Auburn after a Commanchero leader and his brother were sprayed with bullets Another man sits on a workout ball inside the gym as police cordon off the area around the fitness centre on Tuesday night A white Audi station wagon was found engulfed in flames in nearby Berala, with police investigating its links to the shooting. Zahed, his brothers Abdul and Omar and their associate Raouf Mousawel were also busted by police breaking lockdown laws in August last year after they were spotted walking in Drummoyne in the city's inner-west about 2am. The men allegedly became angry when police questioned why they were outside, and claimed they lived together and were 'just exercising'. Abdul and Omar are believed to live in Yagoona in Sydney's south-west - more than 20km away from where they were allegedly spotted by police. Public health orders at the time banned anyone in Greater Sydney from travelling more than 5km from their home for exercise. The scene outside the Bodyfit gym after prominent Commancheros bikie Tarek Zahed and his brother Omar were sprayed by bullets (pictured, paramedics at the scene) Zahed had been living within 5km of the Bay Run but was alleged to have broken lockdown rules by exercising with more than one other person. The Comanchero enforcer, who was regularly seen wearing high-end designer clothing, once told journalists outside of court he wanted the record to state about one of his offences. He then said he was wearing a Versace shirt and not Gucci as some stories wrongly depicted. In another high-profile incident at the at the swanky a'Mare restaurant, in Sydney's Barangaroo casino, CCTV footage captured Zahed punching another man in the bathroom. The 41-year-old Zahed had been widely tipped to be the next national president of the outlaw motorcycle club after former leader Mick Murray was also arrested last week (pictured being extradited from Melbourne to Sydney in March, 2021) A man vapes while standing alongside police outside the Bodyfit Gym in Sydney's south-west During the assault on this occasion, he was wearing a Balenciaga shirt, earning his nickname 'Balenciaga Bikie'. Recently family members had encouraged Zahed to stop living his flashy and public lifestyle after the bounty was placed on the head of the man set to take over the violent group. The 41-year-old was the frontrunner due to his close relationship with exiled drug lord Mark Buddle and links to criminals in both NSW and Victoria. Only two new 'teal' independents are on track to win seats from the Coalition but Treasurer Josh Frydenberg is set to get booted from Parliament, a new poll has found. The finding was part of a poll published by The Australian of 19,000 voters across all 151 lower house seats, which predicts Zoe Daniel in Goldstein and Monique Ryan in the Treasurer's seat of Kooyong will be the successful independents. None of the Climate 200-backed independents in Sydney - including Allegra Spender in Wentworth, Kylea Tink in North Sydney and Sophie Scamps in Mackellar - are set to oust their Liberal rivals. Ex-ABC journalist Zoe Daniel (pictured with Grace Tame) is running against Liberal MP Tim Wilson in Goldstein in Melbourne. He holds the seat on a margin of eight per cent but she is set to oust him, according to a new poll Only two new 'teal' independents are on track to win seats from the Coalition including Monique Ryan in Kooyong, a result that would see Treasurer Josh Frydenberg (pictured with wife Amie) booted from Parliament According to the polling, neurologist Dr Ryan is ahead of Mr Frydenberg by 53 to 47 after preference flows. If that result is replicated, Mr Frydenberg's dreams of becoming prime minister when Scott Morrison retires will be shattered. Some speculate he would turn to state politics, instantly become Liberal leader and try to oust Labor premier Daniel Andrews in November. Meanwhile, former ABC journalist Ms Daniel is up by 52 to 48 on Liberal rival Tim Wilson in the Melbourne seat of Goldstein. The poll also found that all four existing independents - Helen Haines, Andrew Wilkie, Rebekha Sharkie and Zali Steggall - will retain their seats. Former Labor Party member Dr Monique Ryan (pictured) is challenging Treasurer Josh Frydenberg in Kooyong, a seat he holds on a six per cent margin Ms Steggall is expected to comfortably beat Liberal women's sport campaigner Katherine Deves in Warringah and extend her margin from seven to nine per cent. The good news for the Liberals is they are set to get back the seat of Hughes from UAP leader Craig Kelly. This would mean a net loss of only one seat to minor parties and independents. There are 19 Lower House and three Senate candidates supported by clean energy investor Simon Holmes a Court through his fundraising body Climate 200, which aims to raise $20million. The election hopefuls - who could decide whether Anthony Albanese or Mr Morrison become PM in the event of a hung parliament - are running against Coalition opponents with a focus on climate change, women's safety and integrity in politics. Independent Sophie Scamps (pictured) is not expected to beat Liberal Jason Falinksi in Mackellar In particular, they want more ambitious emissions reduction targets and a federal integrity commission 'with teeth' that can hold public hearings to probe rorts. Not a single one is running in a Labor-held seat, sparking accusations they are merely 'fake independents' trying to boot out the Coalition. Former Liberal Prime Minister John Howard described the candidates - who are 19 women and three men - as 'anti-Liberal groupies' and Treasurer Josh Frydenberg on Wednesday said they are 'acting as a political party' to oust the Coalition. Mr Frydenberg's challenger Dr Ryan left Labor in 2010, disappointed by Kevin Rudd's lack of action on climate change - but the Treasurer has unearthed a series of Facebook posts in which she expressed support for the ALP, including one proclaiming her love for Julia Gillard. 'I still love her even if no-one else does,' she captioned a picture of the former Labor PM in 2013. Former Wallabies number eight David Pocock (pictured) wants to represent the ACT in the Senate as an independent Warringah MP Zali Steggall (pictured) is campaigning for re-election with a seven per cent margin. She has declared she will back a Coalition Government if Scott Morrison resigns The independent candidates, who are mostly fighting for Liberal seats in capital cities - have mostly not declared who they will support in the event of a hung parliament but their values more closely align with Labor's policies. The exceptions are sitting MPs Zali Steggall in Warringah, who will back a Coalition Government if Scott Morrison resigns, and Rebekha Sharkie in Mayo, who is likely to support the current PM. They are a slogan and a billboard and nothing more Josh Frydenberg on independents Mr Frydenberg said the independents were refusing to be honest with the Australian public because they will lose if they admit to backing the ALP. 'They will say they are campaigning on transparency but... they will not reveal how they will vote,' he said, accusing them of hypocrisy. The Treasurer also slammed the independents for lacking policies on tax, infrastructure and defence. 'They have no costings. It's the vibe of the thing. They are a slogan and a billboard and nothing more,' he said. His stinging critique came after Wentworth independent candidate Allegra Spender, the daughter of late fashion designer Carla Zampatti and former Liberal MP John Spender, last week admitted she would be open to supporting a Labor Government. Clean energy investor Simon Holmes a Court (right, with Seven weatherman Bob Gell) set up a fundraising body called Climate 200 to raise huge sums for pro-climate candidates Allegra Spender (pictured at fashion week), the daughter of late fashion designer Carla Zampatti and former Liberal MP John Spender, is running for the Liberal seat of Wentworth held by Dave Sharma with a one per cent margin Sitting MP Dave Sharma - who holds Wentworth on a one per cent margin - has urged voters to stick with the Liberal Party, claiming independents have limited influence on policy. Other blue-ribbon Sydney seats under attack include North Sydney where businesswoman Kylea Tink is challenging Trent Zimmerman and Mackellar on the northern beaches where Jason Falinski is under pressure from local doctor Sophie Scamps. Mr Falinksi says independent candidates are left wing and has pointed to independent Warringah MP Zali Steggall's voting record to show she is closer to Labor than the Liberals. In Melbourne Mr Holmes a Court is backing local councillor Despi O'Connor in retiring Greg Hunt's seat of Flinders as well as Ms Daniel and Dr Ryan. Who is Simon Holmes a Court? Simon Holmes a Court is a senior advisor to the Climate and Energy College at Melbourne University and director of the Smart Energy Council. He was the founding chairman of Australia's first community-owned wind farm, Hepburn Wind, and is one of four children of Robert Holmes a Court and his wife Janet. Robert was born in Johannesburg in 1937 and moved to Perth to study law in 1961. After working as barrister and solicitor, he built a business empire made up of companies in the resources, transport, media and beverage industries. He died of a heart attack aged 53 in 1990, leaving his fortune to wife Janet and his children. Robert's eldest son Peter Holmes a Court is a multimillionaire entrepreneur who once owned the South Sydney Rabbitohs NRL team with Russell Crowe. Advertisement Indi MP Helen Haines (pictured) is being supported by Climate 200 to hold her seat of Indi in regional Victoria on a margin of one per cent Rebekha Sharkie (pictured) is being supported by Climate 200 to hold her seat of Mayo in Adelaide on a margin of five per cent Mr Holmes a Court describes himself as a 'Menzian Liberal' who believes in free markets and individual responsibility - but feels the Coalition has lost touch with these values. Asked why he doesn't fund independents against Labor or the Greens, Mr Holmes a Court said he hasn't seen any good candidates for those seats. 'These campaigns come out of frustration and it's not surprising that people are frustrated with the party that's in power,' he said earlier this year. Mr Holmes a Court is a senior advisor to the Climate and Energy College at Melbourne University and director of the Smart Energy Council. He was the founding chairman of Australia's first community-owned wind farm, Hepburn Wind, and is one of four children of billionaire Robert Holmes a Court and his wife Janet. Climate 200 hopes independents will hold the balance of power after the election. 'If just a handful more fresh independents succeed at the next federal election, together they could have enough votes to finally force meaningful climate action and clean up politics,' the group's website says. Brutal Comanchero hardman Tarek Zahed's notorious reign of terror ended in him riddled with bullets at the palace of his own vanity - the gym he just couldn't resist. Underworld sources and detectives had all told the Balenciaga-clad crime lord to keep a low profile after a huge price was put on his head. But instead the TikTok gangster flaunted his chiselled physique on social media while working out at Bodyfit Gym in Auburn in Sydney's west, leading killers straight to him. The ruthless enforcer had been a marked man for weeks, with gangland rivals putting a seven figure bounty on his head, believed to be worth between $1million and a staggering $7million. On Tuesday night, someone almost got their bumper payday. Balenciaga-clad Tarek Zahed (pictured, right) and brother Omar (left) were gunned down at his gym on Tuesday night - with Omar dying at the scene after being shot in the head Despite the warnings about the hitmen hunting him, Zahed, 41, refused to stay away from the gym. As a result, he was cut down in a hail of bullets alongside his younger brother Omar, 39, on Tuesday evening. Omar was killed instantly, but Zahed has grimly held on to life after being shot 10 times in the body and head, leaving him critically injured. The pair had been told to get out of town just days earlier. 'The two brothers were warned last Thursday,' revealed NSW state crime commander Michael Fitzgerald. 'Their lives have been at risk for some time. 'They decided not to follow our recommendations to leave this state.' Despite police warnings of the hitmen hunting him, vainglorious Tarek Zahed, 41, refused to stay away from the gym to tone his chiselled physique Tarek Zahed was cut down in a hail of bullets at the Bodyfit Gym in Auburn in Sydney's west, alongside his younger brother Omar Omar was killed instantly, but miraculously, Tarek Zahed has grimly held on to life after being shot at 10 times, including bullets to his head, leaving him critically injured Zahed was the savage king of the eshays, with his three-quarter length trackpants and innocuous subtly-branded white $895 Balenciaga t-shirts, surrounded by goons with trademark crossbody manbags. His fearless propensity for instant ruthless violence earned him a terrifying reputation and his gangland power grab had put the massive price on his head. Zahed was in the crosshairs of Sydney's escalating gang war after his profile soared in the past year and he returned to Australia from a failed bid to flee to Lebanon. The shaven-headed bikie boss had tried to get Lebanese citizenship but was foiled by an Interpol alert from Australian police warning of his drug world connections. He flew back to Australia but relocated to Victoria after court restrictions in NSW - which limited his movements - made his underworld life too hard. In January, he interrupted the Australian Open final between Rafael Nadal and Daniil Medvedev in Melbourne when he returned late to his seat. The crowd turned on him with abuse as he ambled down the aisle, holding up play midway through the crunch match, and the umpire ordered him: 'Just sit in the nearest seat.' Another video clip gave a clear insight into his volatile fury. He was caught on CCTV talking to younger associate Mohamed Aouli at a private birthday function in Crown Casino's a'Mare restaurant in Sydney's Barangaroo. Zahed leads him to a toilet before suddenly unleashing savage blow after blow as his sidekicks herd the unwitting victim back inside, before the door closes. Zahed - the Comanchero's sergeant-at-arms - was in line to take control of the national bikie gang network after leader Mick Murray was jailed while awaiting trial for a 2019 murder. Police today admitted that the Comancheros was Australia's 'largest criminal organisation.' It follows links between the bikie gang and the Alameddine crime family - where the bikies act as brutal enforcers. Zahed has been in and out of jail after setting his dog on one man, stamping on another man's skull in a drug row - leaving him brain damaged - and shooting another after a wild street fight Zahed has effectively been the recent leader of the NSW Comancheros since state boss Mark Buddle fled overseas in 2016 after he was linked to the murder of a Sydney security guard. And Zahed's own life of crime dates back 27 years to 1995 when he was first convicted of assault. Since then, Zahed has been in and out of jail after setting his dog on one man, stamping on another man's skull in a drug row - leaving him brain damaged - and shooting another after a wild street fight. More recently, the Comancheros had been linked to an alleged $1million drugs haul of meth and MDMA seized by police in Bankstown last December which saw two other members of the bikie gang arrested. Zahed was also said to have been making enemies while living in Victoria, which may also have sparked the hit. Tarek Zahed was also said to have been making enemies while living in Victoria, which may lso have sparked the hit But police phone call intercepts from 2020 also revealed he was on the hit list of the Alameddine's deadly rivals, the Hamzy clan. Investigators are also probing whether the latest shooting is linked to the execution of Mahmoud 'Brownie' Ahmad two weeks earlier. Detectives admit there is no shortage of suspects, even within the Comancheros. 'The gangland murder a few weeks ago is one of the lines of inquiry but we cant discount an internal conflict either,' said homicide squad chief Danny Doherty. 'Theres opportunities for people to take their place and theres a real power struggle within organisations for people to take their place.' Even before Tuesday's shooting, one police source admitted: 'We don't know who would want that to happen. 'In that world, someones always wanting to kill someone. They are always upset.' Police chiefs have now set up a separate Strike Force Leary to probe the shooting and work with Strike Force Raptor which was also boosted by another 30 officers from 115 to 145 detectives. 'It is shocking, disturbing and unacceptable. When it happens in a public place, at 8pm, at a gym, it will not be tolerated,' NSW police minister Paul Toole said. 'If you are part of Sydneys underworld, we are going to hunt you down. We will actually kick down doors. 'We will raid homes, we will raid businesses, we will harass you, we will disrupt your everyday life to stop this kind of activity out. It is unacceptable. 'If you are involved, an associate then I say to you right now, you better rethink your actives. We will come after you and lock you up.' Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey has said he agrees with Elon Musk's decision to reverse a ban on Donald Trump on the platform - despite Dorsey being CEO when the decision was made. Musk, who is in the process of completing his $44 billion acquisition of Twitter, on Tuesday revealed he intended to revoke the ban, calling it 'a morally bad decision and foolish in the extreme'. Trump was banned from Twitter in January 2021, in response to his supporters storming the US Capitol and attempting to block the certification of Joe Biden's election victory. Speaking at a London conference on the future of cars, Musk said: 'I do think it was not correct to ban Donald Trump.' The Tesla founder said Dorsey, who was CEO until November 2021, agreed with him. 'I do agree,' Dorsey tweeted, pointing out that he supported bans for sharing content such as child sexual exploitation (CSE), but not generally. 'There are exceptions (CSE, illegal behaviour, spam or network manipulation, etc), but generally permanent bans are a failure of ours and don't work, which I wrote about here after the event (and called for a resilient social media protocol).' Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey (left) said he supports the decision by the new buyer of the company, Elon Musk (right) to reinstate Donald Trump's account Dorsey then linked to his January 13, 2021, tweet in which he defended the decision. 'I do not celebrate or feel pride in our having to ban @realdonaldtrump from Twitter, or how we got here,' Dorsey said at the time. 'After a clear warning wed take this action, we made a decision with the best information we had based on threats to physical safety both on and off Twitter. 'I believe this was the right decision for Twitter. We faced an extraordinary and untenable circumstance, forcing us to focus all of our actions on public safety. Offline harm as a result of online speech is demonstrably real, and what drives our policy and enforcement above all.' Dorsey added, in his lengthy thread, a caveat that the decision would need reevaluating. 'This moment in time might call for this dynamic, but over the long term it will be destructive to the noble purpose and ideals of the open internet. 'A company making a business decision to moderate itself is different from a government removing access, yet can feel much the same,' he said. On Tuesday, quizzed about his views by Axios's business editor Dan Primack, Dorsey said that he now regretted the call. Donald Trump is seen on Saturday at the Kentucky Derby in Louisville 'It was a business decision, it shouldn't have been,' he said. 'And we should always revisit our decisions and evolve as necessary. I stated in that thread and still believe that permanent bans of individuals are directionally wrong.' Trump, who recently launched his own competing service dubbed Truth Social, has previously claimed that he would not return to Twitter even if he was invited back. Appearing virtually at the FT Future of the Car conference, Musk called Twitter's ban of Trump a 'mistake'. 'It alienated a large part of the country, and did not ultimately result in Donald Trump not having a voice,' Musk said. 'He is now going to be on Truth Social. 'So I think this may end up being frankly worse than having a single forum where everyone can debate. I guess the answer is that I would reverse the permanent ban.' Musk said that he had discussed the subject of permanent bans, or 'permabans', with Dorsey. 'He and I are of the same mind, which is that permanent bans should be extremely rare, and really reserved for accounts that are bots, or spam/scam accounts,' said Musk. 'I would reverse the permaban [of Trump],' he said, adding: 'Obviously I don't own Twitter yet, so this is not something that will definitely happen.' Trump was banned from Twitter in January of 2021, in response to his supporters storming the US Capitol Trump, who recently launched his own competing service dubbed Truth Social, has previously claimed that he would not return to Twitter even if he was invited back 'But my opinion, and I want to be clear that Jack Dorsey shares this opinion, is that we should not have permabans,' said Musk. In his remarks on Tuesday, Musk also said that his acquisition of Twitter, which is still subject to a shareholder approval, could close well before the October deadline. 'Just objectively it is not a done deal,' he said. 'The best case scenario is that it would perhaps be done in two or three months.' Trump launched his Truth Social app in February, but the service's debut was plagued by technical issues. Musk previously mocked the Twitter clone, calling Truth Social a 'terrible name' and joking that it should be called Trumpet instead. He has said that Truth Social only exists because Twitter 'censored free speech'. Trump said that he had no intention of rejoining Twitter even if his account was reinstated, telling Fox News last month that he would instead focus on Truth Social. 'I am not going on Twitter. I am going to stay on Truth,' Trump told the network. 'I hope Elon buys Twitter because he'll make improvements to it and he is a good man, but I am going to be staying on Truth.' Trump's final two tweets, which resulted in his ban from Twitter, are seen above Trump was originally banned from Twitter for allegedly inciting violence with his unsupported claims that the election had been stolen. Twitter said at the time that after a review of how Trump's tweets 'are being received and interpreted on and off Twitter' that it had banned his account 'due to the risk of further incitement of violence.' The ban was handed down on January 8, 2021, two days after Trump loyalists attacked the US Capitol. His final tweet read: 'To all of those who have asked, I will not be going to the Inauguration on January 20th.' Twitter said in a statement at the time that they interpreted this remark as a potential call to violence, by further calling into question the legitimacy of the election and signaling to supporters that the inauguration would be a 'safe' target for violence. Many were angered by the ban, with Piers Morgan among those pointing out that Twitter's rules appeared inconsistent. Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was able to tweet on October 28, 2020: 'Why is it a crime to raise doubts about the Holocaust?' At the same time, The New York Post was banned from Twitter, for publishing a story on Hunter Biden's laptop. The Post's account was later reinstated, and Dorsey apologized. Conservatives, who have accused San Francisco-based Twitter of bias against right-leaning views, have cheered the prospect of Trump's return. 'He (Trump) ought to be everywhere he can,' Republican Senator Rick Scott told reporters, when asked about Musk's comments. 'We ought to have free speech in this country. We shouldn't have social media companies that are restricting people's ability to get their message out,' added Scott. Democrats have said Trump's potential reinstatement could constitute a threat to democracy, although some hope that a frequently-tweeting Trump could upset their base and rev up turnout in the November midterm congressional elections. Earlier on Tuesday, Twitter shares fell to a level that indicated the stock market took the view for the first time that it was unlikely that Musk would make the acquisition for $44 billion, as he originally agreed. Minutes after saying that Twitter leans strongly left, Musk followed up with a tweet saying he believed the platform should conform to the speech laws of the country it is being used in Musk's comments on undoing the ban comes after he said Twitter 'obviously has a strong left wing bias'. He later clarified that he believed that speech on Twitter should be governed by the laws of the country in which it is being used. 'Like I said, my preference is to hew close to the laws of countries in which Twitter operates. 'If the citizens want something banned, then pass a law to do so, otherwise it should be allowed.' Earlier he hit back at a liberal reporter calling for violence against anti-abortion groups. Caroline Reilly, a reporter for Rewire News Group, had shared a New York Times story about the burning and attempted bombing of a Wisconsin pro-life group's office. 'More of this,' she wrote in a now-deleted tweet. 'May these people never know a moment of peace or safety until they rot in the ground.' Reilly was slammed by conservatives on the site in the immediate aftermath, and Mike Cernovich - a conspiracy theorist known for his propagation of the baseless Pizzagate theory that high ranking Democrats were running a pedophilic sex-trafficking ring out of a D.C. pizza shop - made sure Musk knew about the tweet. He tagged the Tesla CEO in a tweet accusing the platform of allowing verified accounts to incite violence in the name of liberal causes on Sunday evening. 'Here you go @elonmusk, when Twitter employees invariably lie to you about enforcement policy, maybe they can explain why a verified account is allowed to incite terrorism without any care in the world about being banned.' Musk later replied to Cernovich, writing: 'Twitter obv has a strong left wing bias.' The United States Navy sailed a warship through the sensitive Taiwan Strait days after China sent warplanes into Taiwan's air defence zone. Guided-missile cruiser the USS Port Royal, which weighs 9,600tons and can carry hundreds of missiles plus two army choppers, made the journey early this morning. It's the latest escalation between Beijing and the US on the 100 mile-wide body of water which separates the self-governed island from mainland China. The journey followed China's repeated deployment of military aircraft into Taiwan's air defence zone last weekend, prompting Taiwan to scramble its air force and missile defences in anticipation of a Russian invasion. The 10,000-ton warship USS Port Royal (pictured in 2005) sailed through the Strait early today The Taiwan Strait is the body of water separating self-ruled Taiwan from mainland China The US Navy's 7th Fleet said the transit this morning was 'routine' and 'in accordance with international law'. Its statement read: 'The ship transited through a corridor in the Strait that is beyond the territorial sea of any coastal State. 'Port Royal's transit through the Taiwan Strait demonstrates the United States' commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific. America is sending warships through the Taiwan Strait once a month. Pictured: USS Sampson 'The United States military flies, sails, and operates anywhere international law allows.' Taiwan's Defence Ministry said the American ship sailed north through the strait and the situation in the waterway was 'as normal'. China hit back, claiming it had monitored the warship throughout its journey and even 'warned' it against making the trip. A spokesperson for the People's Liberation Army (PLA) said: 'The United States frequently stages such dramas and provokes trouble, sending wrong signals to Taiwan independence forces, and deliberately intensifying tensions across the Taiwan Strait. 'Theatre troops maintain high alert at all times, resolutely counteract all threats and provocations, and resolutely defend national sovereignty and territorial integrity.' Chinese warplanes including H-6K bombers entered Taiwan's air defence zone over the weekend Beijing's armed forces carried out another round of exercises near Taiwan last week to improve joint combat operations, the PLA said on Monday. The self-ruled democratic island nation claimed by China mobilised its air defence systems Friday after 18 Chinese warplanes entered its defence zone. The PLA's Eastern Theatre Command said in a statement that naval and air force assets carried out the drills to 'further test and improve the joint combat capability of multiple services and arms'. China repeated the drills on Saturday and Sunday. A Chinese fighter jet takes off from Beijing's Liaoning aircraft carrier, December (file image) Taipei released this map showing where Chinese aircraft travelled through its air defence zone The American guided-missile destroyer USS Sampson sailed through the Taiwan Strait on April 27, which China condemned as causing 'deliberate' harm to peace. The United States has been carrying out such voyages about once a month, angering China, which views them as a sign of support for Taiwan. America has no formal diplomatic ties with Taiwan, but is its most important international supporter and arms supplier, making the island a constant source of tension between Beijing and Washington. Living in constant fear of a Chinese invasion, the self-ruled island 100 miles off the mainland raised its alert after Russia entered Ukraine in late February. It suspects a copycat invasion by Beijing, which has not condemned Putin's actions. Taiwan has complained for the past two years about Chinese military activity around the southern and south-western part of its air defence identification zone (ADIZ). Taiwan's Defence Ministry said China deployed bombers, fighters and anti-submarine aircraft. No shots were fired and the Chinese aircraft had not been flying in Taiwan's air space. Sydney drivers could be charged a new 'congestion fee' just for driving into the city, under a new proposal floated by NSW Government bureaucrats. The plan would see motorists charged just for entering the boundaries of the CBD - as drivers are in London - to encourage the use of public transport. A confidential document obtained by 9NEWS said Sydney 'road users do not pay the true costs of driving' and need a 'nudge' to reconsider leaving their cars at home. The draft strategy - which is yet to go before cabinet - suggests drivers are charged between 7am and 6pm from Monday to Friday and 12pm to 6pm on weekends. It comes despite Sydney drivers already have one of the most expensive commutes in the world, with toll revenue in 2021 surging 19.2 per cent from the year previous. Sydney drivers looking to head into the city could be hit with a new congestion tax proposed in a leaked government report (morning rush-hour traffic on Sydney's Warringah Freeway) Motorists could be forced to cough up a fee just to enter the CBD in a bid to reduce congestion on NSW roads and encourage the use of public transport (pictured, a cyclist in Sydney) 'Through effective system-wide pricing reform, travel patterns can be better tailored to the existing capacity of networks,' the Future Transport Strategy report states. 'Our roads are congested in part because we do not price road use appropriately. Charging for road use at certain locations or times can encourage customers who have flexibility to choose other options.' A similar scheme has been introduced in London, with drivers who forgo the train or bus forced to cough up the equivalent of $25 to drive through a 25sqm area. If the NSW government was to introduce the same fee, drivers would pay to drive through hotspots such as Circular Quay, Centennial Park and Glebe on top of the exorbitant price of inner-city parking. Three new tolled motorways - the M8, M5 East and Northconnex - opened in the Harbour City in 2020 and have been partially blamed for the rise in toll revenue. Drivers in southwest Sydney are faced with the most expensive commute with a drive to the city costing upwards of $40 when travelling on the M5 and Eastern Distributor or the Cross City Tunnel, M4 and M7. 'Private vehicles will continue to be an important part of the transport landscape, but we cannot afford to continue expanding our networks to meet unlimited growth, particularly in peak periods,' the report states. The confidential government document states 'road users do not pay the true costs of driving' and need a 'nudge' to reconsider leaving their cars at home (pictured, traffic in Sydney) Labor Leader Chris Minns (pictured) said western Sydney drivers would bear the brunt of the proposed fee which would add unwanted financial pressures to motorists The document also suggests speed limits on suburban streets in the city be reduced to 30km/hour to further encourage cyclists and pedestrians. Speed limits on country roads are also being considered in the long-term plan to overhaul the state's transport network by 2060. Labor Leader Chris Minns told the Sydney Morning Herald the fee would add unwanted financial pressures for drivers struggling to afford their car. 'Here we go again. The NSW government has run out of money, and its motorists who will pay,' he said. Mr Minns said the proposed toll would have the biggest impact on Sydney's west due to a lack of proper public transport networks or infrastructure there. Infrastructure, Cities and Active Transport Minister Rob Stokes reiterated the congestion and distance-based tolls were still being considered (pictured, cars in Roseville in Sydney's north) Infrastructure, Cities and Active Transport Minister Rob Stokes stressed that the proposal is only a draft strategy and hasn't been adopted by the state government. 'The government has certainly not endorsed or considered proposals of this nature,' Mr Stokes said. 'I expect the departments to look at all options that's their job but clearly not every option ultimately becomes government policy.' NRMA spokesperson Peter Khoury said the fee would deter people from entering the city despite efforts to increase foot traffic in the CBD post the Covid-19 pandemic. The NSW government is currently reviewing tolls on major roads across the state amid the growing costs of major transport projects. This year's Queen's Speech was heavy with symbolism. For the first time in nearly six decades, the monarch, 96, was unable to present her government's plans for the coming year. Her throne was empty and Prince Charles, her son and heir, conducted proceedings a poignant glimpse into the future. But this was also the first chance since the pandemic for Boris Johnson to set out his vision for Britain's future. There was no faulting his rhetoric. The Prime Minister accurately identified all the main problems we face. He pledged to ease the cost of living crisis, level up the regions, grow the economy, and crucially reduce debt 'while reforming and cutting taxes'. The big question is: Does he have the resolve and wherewithal to turn his promises into reality? There are some welcome initiatives. Mr Johnson promises a crime crackdown, especially against the road-blocking eco-zealots. There are proposed powers to make it easier to kick out illegal immigrants. Prime Minister Boris Johnson speaking during the first day of a debate on the Queen's Speech in the House of Commons The PM has sounded the death knell for the lackadaisical 'work from home' culture. And by scrapping draconian legislation which would have imposed ruinous legal costs on newspapers in libel cases, the Government will strengthen the free Press. (For let's not forget that without inquisitive, probing newspapers, Sir Keir Starmer's rank Beergate hypocrisy would never have been exposed.) But for all its good intentions the Government will be judged on how it deals with the overwhelming issue of the day alleviating the squeeze on families. Boris says he's going to help those suffering genuine hardship because of soaring bills. But where is the passionate commitment to the truly Tory solution? Promises won't keep the wolf from the door, but tax cuts can at least keep it at bay. Rishi Sunak claims to be a low-tax Chancellor but has raised the burden to its highest level since the 1950s. The Treasury is raking in record revenues. It's surely time to give some of that money back. But Mr Sunak must not leave it too late. Struggling families need help right now. What a French farce Ever since we left the EU, French president Emmanuel Macron has done nothing but bad-mouth this country and cause unnecessary trouble. He smeared the brilliant Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine (costing lives), threatened to cut off electricity supplies to Jersey and refused to engage meaningfully in tackling the Channel migrant crisis. He described Brexit as a 'catastrophic error' and called Boris Johnson 'un clown'. Yet now, seemingly, he wants to be friends, proposing we join a 'new European political community'. Boris Johnson, left, speaks with French President Emmanuel Macron prior to a meeting of the Group of Seven at NATO headquarters in Brussels in March What part of Brexit doesn't he understand? It was the imperial ambitions of Brussels that made us want to leave. Why would we now rejoin by the back door, poor relations in a two-tier Europe, without even the full trading benefits? This is nothing more than a cynical ploy to encourage Remainers that a future EU-friendly British government (perhaps led by Starmer?) would be welcomed back. Instead of playing these transparent power games, the French president should accept the new Anglo-French relationship and do his utmost to make it work. Curbing tech cowboys Three cheers for ministers for promising legislation to curb the power of tech giants including Google and Facebook. These firms will be forced to pay media organisations a fair price for news content which helps drive their vast profits. For far too long, the cowboys of Silicon Valley have abused their dominant positions to exploit high-quality journalism. It's high time they were reined in. Top US intelligence officials told Congress Tuesday that the US intelligence community believes China is actively seeking to construct a force capable of capturing Taiwan, despite US backing for the island. During a hearing before the Senate Armed Services Committee, Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines stated that the threat to Taiwan between now and 2030 is severe. The US Believes China Wants To Avoid Military Conflict Over Taiwan However, as Avril Haines and Lt. Gen. Scott Berrier of the Defense Intelligence Agency pointed out, the US does not yet know what lessons Chinese President Xi Jinping will draw from Russia's war in Ukraine and the aid that has poured to Kyiv. According to the two officials, how Xi and the Chinese Communist Party perceive the events of that crisis might affect their timing and strategy toward Taiwan. According to Haines and Berrier, the US believes China would prefer to avoid a military clash over Taiwan if at all feasible. CIA Director Bill Burns said on Saturday that Russia's crisis in Ukraine had influenced China's calculations about how and when it would try to seize control of Taiwan. China has been pressuring Taiwan militarily, including holding a military drill east of the island over the weekend and flying warplanes into its air defense identification zone this week. Taiwan is a self-governing island democracy that China claims is part of its territory and has not ruled out the use of force for reunification. The US recognizes China's claim to sovereignty over Taiwan under the one-China policy. However, US weaponry deliveries to Taiwan for self-defense, as well as President Joe Biden's and other US officials' public support for the island, have strained relations between the two countries. As reported by the New York Times, the Biden administration is covertly pressuring Taiwan's government to acquire American-made weaponry such as missiles and small guns for asymmetric warfare, which it feels would be better suited to defend against a Chinese invasion. A representative for the US State Department said Monday that strengthening Taiwan's defenses is a priority and that the most effective way to do so is to invest in asymmetric capabilities that are credible, durable, mobile, dispersed, and cost-efficient, CNN reported. Read Also: Russia Bombs School in Eastern Ukraine Amid Reports That Russian Troops Struggle To Make Military Gains in Donbas China Warns of Ukraine Style of Invasion in Taiwan It's worth noting that Taiwan, formally the Republic of China, is an East Asian republic with China's ocean borders. It was once a part of China, but following a civil war, it was split into two self-governing entities: the People's Republic of China (PRC) and the Republic of China (RCC) (ROC). Despite the separation, China's One China Policy considers Taiwan to be an important component of the country. Beijing would compel the democratic island to negotiate on its terms by 2027, according to a recent US assessment. The US Department of Defense issued a report titled Military and Security Developments Involving the People's Republic of China in the first week of November, warning the Taiwanese government to take extra precautions in its territory. If Taiwan, which recognizes itself as a sovereign, independent nation, declares independence, China's governing Communist Party has vowed to use force. China's foreign ministry adopted a harder tone against the West as Russia started an all-out invasion of Ukraine, repeating that Taiwan is not Ukraine. The Chinese foreign ministry statement came after UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson warned that Beijing might invade Taiwan in the manner of Ukraine. Hua Chunying, a spokesman for the Foreign Ministry, denounced such provocations, claiming that Taiwan is not Ukraine, as per Republic World. Related Article: Yoon Suk Yeol Urges North Korea To Commit to Denuclearization as Pyongyang Poses Threats; New President Says South Korea Is Open for Talks @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. A driver has been fined $117 for accidentally leaving his car window down after parking it on the street overnight. The motorist said they parked near the Mosman Police Station on Prince Albert Street on Sydney's north shore for a function in February. Months later they received a fine from police under a little-known road rule that is extremely rarely applied as a crime deterrent. 'So I left my car there overnight and picked it up early the next morning,' they wrote in a local Facebook group. A Sydney local said they copped a $117 fine for leaving their car parked with the windows down overnight 'Yesterday I received a letter of penalty reminder notice for a $117 fine, giving me a week and a half before the fine increased by $65.' The local said the fine was for leaving the car 'unsecured' because the window was left open, which they said was an 'obviously unintentional' mistake. They said they did not see the first fine and nothing was placed on their windscreen when they retrieved the car. The frustrated driver said they called Revenue NSW and were told a Highway Patrol officer issued the fine under a little known rule that aims to act as a 'deterrent in high crime areas'. 'Would this officer think there was a better deterrent or use of his time?' they wrote. 'Perhaps a note on the windscreen or ask me to drop in for a chat at the station next door? 'I got punished with wet seats from the rain for my error.' The anonymous netizen said they were parked along Prince Albert Street in Mosman (above) 'It seems pretty heavy handed - possibly revenue raising - and not ideal for local community engagement in my opinion. 'Everyone has been touched by Covid, as a small business owner and a parent I have been significantly impacted. 'Our community provides much support to the police, surely this could be reviewed and revoked?' NSW legislation states drivers leaving their vehicle unattended must lock the doors and wind windows up to at least two centimetres or face a maximum fine of $2,200. Drivers can also be fined for leaving the key in the car's ignition, leaving the engine running, and failing to engage the handbrake. Cornwall is set to join the space race when it launches two shoebox-sized satellites for the UK government this summer. The mini cube-shaped satellites ('cubesats') will be blasted into space on a rocket called LauncherOne, which itself will be unleashed from a jumbo jet from Spaceport Cornwall, part of Newquay Airport. Once deployed, they will deliver high-tech imaging sensors, allowing the Ministry of Defence (MoD) to monitor Earth and its oceans. MoD's so-called 'Prometheus-2' mission will strengthen 'defence capabilities' and pave the way for a 'more connected space communication system with allies', it said. Spaceport Cornwall is just one of three spaceports in the UK that aim to start satellite launches in 2022, 70 years after the British Space Programme was established in 1952. Space Hub Sutherland in Scotland will host the launch of a 62-foot tall rocket called Prime created by Forres-based space company Orbex. Orbex's environmentally-friendly Prime rocket is designed to be reusable and not leave debris on land, the oceans or in the atmosphere. Meanwhile, the third UK spaceport, SaxaVord Spaceport based at Unst in the Shetland Islands, has also announced it has partnered US firm Astra to provide launch services for customers sometime this year. There are three UK spaceports aiming to start operations this year. The one in Cornwall is a horizontal launch site, meaning it uses a carrier aircraft, such as a Boeing 747, for launches before deploying rockets when the aircraft is airborne. Conversely, Space Hub Sutherland and SaxaVord Spaceport in the Shetland Islands are vertical spaceports, meaning they perform more conventional ground launches with a rocket Mini cube-shaped satellites ('cubesats') will be blasted into space on a rocket called LauncherOne, which itself will be unleashed from a jumbo jet from Spaceport Cornwall, part of Newquay Airport (pictured) The Virgin Orbit Launcher One rocket, pictured in its hanger at Newquay Airport in August last year, will be equipped with Ministry of Defence observation kit among other payloads Virgin Orbit launches involve the firm's carrier aircraft, a modified Boeing 747 called Cosmic Girl (pictured), and a two-stage orbital launch vehicle called LauncherOne, tucked into Cosmic Girl's belly Orbex's environmentally-friendly Prime rocket (pictured) is designed to be reusable and not leave debris on land, the oceans or in the atmosphere THE 'PROMETHEUS-2' MISSION The shoebox-sized satellite launch will be the first from British soil The so-called 'Prometheus-2' mission will send two cube-shaped satellites ('cubesats') into space by Virgin Orbit, although there will be other payloads aboard. The Cubesats will be carried on Virgin Orbits Launcher One rocket which takes off horizontally from a modified Boeing 747 jet, named Cosmic Girl. They will operate in low Earth Orbit, around 340 miles above the Earth and 30-60 miles apart at 17,000mph. Cubesat 1 includes a hyperspectral imager, a laser detector and a GPS receiver. The hyperspectral imager will capture multiple slivers of pictures over different wavelengths of light for higher definition images. The GPS receiver confirms the precise time and position of the satellite over the area of the Earth to be photographed. Cubesat 2 includes two optical imaging cameras, a laser range finder, and a GPS receiver. One camera will be fitted with a wide-angle lens for a 180-degree view of Earths surface with the second camera observing the other Cubesat 1 to support space situational awareness and enables us to understand what else orbits the Earth. Advertisement Spaceport Cornwall is a horizontal launch site, meaning it uses a carrier aircraft, such as a Boeing 747, for launches before deploying rockets when the aircraft is airborne. Conversely, Space Hub Sutherland and SaxaVord Spaceport are vertical spaceports, meaning they perform more conventional ground launches with a rocket. Spaceport Cornwall and Virgin Orbit are confident that the first UK satellite launch will take place from the Cornish site, beating its two Scottish rivals. Whichever performs a launch first will seal the title as the host location of the first satellite launch from British soil. Virgin Orbit will send the UK government's two cubesats measuring about 12 inches long, 8 inches wide and 4 inches deep into space among with eight other payloads. Prometheus-2 is the name of MoD's particular mission. Built by In-Space Missions Ltd, based in Hampshire, and designed with Airbus Defence and Space, Prometheus-2 is a collaboration between MoD and international partners, including the US National Reconnaissance Office (NRO). 'Space technology is crucial for developing Defence capabilities,' said Defence Procurement Minister Jeremy Quin. 'The launch of Prometheus-2 represents another important step forward for our homegrown space programme. 'This collaboration with In-Space Missions and Airbus paves the way for the UK to become a more resilient, more robust and more significant global space entity.' 'Cubesat 1' and 'Cubesat 2' will provide a test platform for monitoring radio signals including GPS and sophisticated imaging. Cubesat 1 includes a laser detector, a GPS receiver and a hyperspectral imager which can capture multiple slivers of pictures over different wavelengths of light. Cubesat 2, meanwhile, includes two optical imaging cameras, a laser range finder, and a GPS receiver. The cubesats will allow MOD to better understand how the UK and its international partners can work together to create a 'more capable and flexible system' at a lower cost. Technology on board the cubesats will enable MOD to identify new techniques and algorithms for operating satellites and data processing, it said. The cubesats will be just one of the payloads aboard Launcher One when it blasts off from Spaceport Cornwall, part of Newquay Airport, some time this summer. Virgin Orbit's carrier plane, known as Cosmic Girl, took off Wednesday with the LauncherOne rocket tightly secured under its left wing in the firm's first operational mission Virgin Orbit is a company within the Virgin Group, the conglomerate founded by Richard Branson in 1970. Virgin Orbit was formed in 2017 to develop the air-launched LauncherOne rocket, launched from Cosmic Girl (this had previously been a project of Virgin Galactic) Pictured is the LauncherOne rocket. Spaceport Cornwall and Virgin Orbit are confident that the first UK satellite launch will take place from the Cornish site, beating Scottish rivals MILESTONES IN BRITISH SPACE 1952: British space programme adopted 1962: First British-built satellite is launched (by NASA from Cape Canaveral, Florida) 1971: British rocket Black Arrow puts a single British satellite, Prospero, into orbit from a launch site in Australia 1975: 10 nations including the UK founds the European Space Agency 1985: British National Space Centre in Leicester is founded 1991: Sheffield-born chemist Helen Sharman becomes the first British person in space 2003: Beagle 2 British Mars lander launched 2004: Sir Richard Branson forms private company Virgin Galactic 2016: Tim Peake becomes the first British person to walk in space 2018: Space Industry Act paves the way for construction of UK spaceports 2022: Three UK spaceports - one in Cornwall and two in Scotland - are expected to become operational Advertisement Among the other customers are Cardiff-based company Space Forge, whose 'ForgeStar' satellite will be also be deployed into space by Virgin Orbit. The upcoming Cornwall launch will involve Virgin Orbit's carrier aircraft, a modified Boeing 747 called Cosmic Girl, and LauncherOne, a two-stage orbital launch vehicle, tucked into Cosmic Girl's belly. Once Cosmic Girl is at a high enough altitude around 35,000 feet LauncherOne is unleashed. When at an orbital altitude, LauncherOne deploys the satellites, which will be catapulted into orbit at 8,000 miles per hour. Virgin Orbit has already conducted three successful consecutive orbital missions with LauncherOne in 2021 and 2022, the last one in January. However, all three took place from Mojave Air and Space Port, California, and so the first one from British soil is generating considerable interest. Over the last 16 months since January 2021, LauncherOne has already deployed payloads in space for Virgin Orbit's customers, including NASA and the US Department of Defense. Virgin Orbit has also revealed that it will acquire two more modified Boeing 747 aircraft to expand its operations in the US. The new craft will help 'meet US national security and its allies launch demands, Virgin Orbit said. Virgin Orbit is a company within the Virgin Group, the conglomerate founded by Richard Branson in 1970. Virgin Orbit was formed in 2017 to develop the air-launched LauncherOne rocket, launched from Cosmic Girl (this had previously been a project of Virgin Galactic). The House of Representatives passed on Tuesday evening an additional $40 billion aid package for Ukraine as it continues to face an assault from Russia. Not one Democrat crossed party lines, but only 57 Republicans voted no on the massive aid package, claiming they did not have enough time to review the 30-page legislation. The money allocated in the package includes $67 million for the Justice Department to sell off the seized yachts taken from Russian oligarchs as well as COVID funds for the war-torn Eastern European country. Following the passage of the resolution, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi took to the podium to speak referencing many times her leading a Democratic delegation to Poland and surprise trip to Ukraine. She said the newly passed legislation 'will have an immediate and substantial difference to what is happening in Ukraine.' 'As Putin desperately accelerates his campaign of horror and brutality in Ukraine, time is of the essence. That is why we're so pleased to hear that we could proceed immediately with this bill to put it on the president's desk so that the assistance can reach the people of Ukraine,' Pelosi said after the vote. 'We cannot afford to wait.' Some Republicans, however, are against the package, claiming they don't want to send billions of U.S. dollars overseas. Pelosi earlier Tuesday: 'With this aid package, America sends a resounding message to the world of our unwavering determination to stand with the courageous people of Ukraine until victory is won.' Lawmakers increased President Joe Biden''s original $33 billion request, adding $3.4 billion in military aid and $3.4 billion in humanitarian assistance, for the Ukrainians. The money includes $67 million for DOJ's General Administration section to help cover the costs of seizing, retaining, and selling forfeited property - such as the yachts of Russian oligarchs - related to Russia's invasion of Ukraine. The House of Representatives voted Thursday to pass a package with $40 billion in additional aid to Ukraine 57 Republicans voted against its passage, claiming they didn't have enough time to review the 30-page legislation The aid comes as Ukraine continues to face an assault from Russia after Putin's forces invaded in late February. Pictured: A destroyed house in Sloboda-Kukharivska, Ukraine on Tuesday, May 10, 2022 The Biden administration plans to sell off the seized assets of Vladimir Putin's cronies and give the money to the Ukraine to help them fight off the Russian invasion. The United States already has seized a $90 million yacht owned by Viktor Vekselberg, called the Tango. And that is just a portion of the $1 billion in yachts, planes and artwork not to mention hundreds of millions in cash that the United States has identified as belonging to Putin's wealthy friends. Americans, working in Fiji, have also seized a $300 million yacht belonging to Suleiman Kerimov, a Russian gold magnate. The legislation also includes $8.7 billion to replenish US stocks of equipment sent to Ukraine through drawdown authority. The U.S. Embassy in Kyiv is getting $300 million for operations, security and relocation. The embassy was closed with Russia's invasion but administration officials have said they want to reopen it. There is $900 million for refugees, which will fund housing, English language classes, trauma and support services, community support (including school impact grants), and case management. On resolution, opposed by all 202 Republicans who voted, included a provision that will allow House staff to unionize Democratic Representative Sheila Jackson Lee banged the gavel late Thursday evening to adopt the motion for the aid package to include some interest items for the left The seized yatch 'Tango', which belongs to Renova Group head Viktor Vekselberg, moors in the port of Palma de Mallorca, Spain The $300 Million yacht of Sanctioned Russian Oligarch Suleiman Kerimov, seized in Fiji at the request of the United States The Senate could take up the package next week. 'After the House passes the legislation, it is my intention for the Senate to act on it as soon as we can,' Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said in a speech on the Senate floor on Tuesday. But lawmakers split off $10 billion in funding for the covid pandemic in order to rush through money for the war-torn country, which is entering its second month of fighting off Russia's invasion. While the Ukraine aid is expected to sail through, there is no clear outlook for the covid funds that Democrats had originally tied to the foreign aid. Biden signed off on the deal that dropped covid funding. 'Previously, I had recommended that Congress take overdue action on much needed funding for COVID treatments, vaccines and tests, as part of the Ukraine Supplemental bill,' Biden said in a statement on Monday. 'However, I have been informed by Congressional leaders in both parties that such an addition would slow down action on the urgently needed Ukrainian aid a view expressed strongly by several Congressional Republicans,' he noted. House of Representatives could vote as soon as Tuesday afternoon on an additional $40 billion in aid to the Ukraine - President Joe Biden signed off on separating covid funding from the foreign aid package Senate Republicans wanted to tie to covid funding a vote that would keep Title 42, the public health order being used to turn away migrants at the Southern border, in effect. The CDC announced it will expire on May 23. States are also suing to stop the Trump-era order from being rescinded. Some Democrats have expressed concern about rescinding Title 42 without a plan in place to combat the expected surge in migrants. Republicans have made it clear they will not vote for covid funding without a Title 42 vote. Democrats need at least 10 Republicans to vote with to advance the legislation. Some Senate Democrats said they were disappointed the covid aid would be considered separately. 'It would have been so much better for us to protect the United States as well as worked to protect Ukraine,' No. 2 Senate Democrat Dick Durbin told reporters. Asked if separating Ukraine aid hurts prospects for covid aid, Durbin said, 'It doesn't help. Putting those two together would have been a positive.' In his statement, Biden called on Congress to move quickly approve more covid funding. 'Without timely COVID funding, more Americans will die needlessly,' he said. 'We will lose our place in line for America to order new COVID treatments and vaccines for the fall, including next-generation vaccines under development, and be unable to maintain our supply of COVID tests.' The money would be used for booster shots, theraputics and testing. A shopping mall is destroyed as a result of rocket strikes launched by Russian troops in Odesa in Southern Ukraine A car destroyed by Russian attacks is seen in the middle of a road in the northern region of Kharkiv in eastern Ukraine The administration has warned the US could potentially see 100 million Covid-19 infections this fall and winter. Officials told CNN this estimate is based on an underlying assumption of no additional resources or extra mitigation measures being taken, including new Covid-19 funding from Congress, or dramatic new variants. Separately, Biden on Monday signed legislation that revives the 'Lend-Lease Act,' a World War Two-era program that helped defeat Hitler's Germany by allowing Washington to lend or lease military equipment to U.S. allies more quickly. In this case, it will help those affected by Russia's invasion, such as Poland and other eastern European countries as well as Ukraine. Shocking new footage of a car barreling into pedestrians in Times Square has emerged at the murder trial of Bronx man Richard Rojas. Surveillance video released by the Manhattan District Attorney's office shows a burgundy sedan driven by Rojas making a sharp U-turn on 7th Street. The car then drives over the sidewalk, ramming down everyone in its way across three city blocks at incredible speeds. Rojas is facing life in prison on charges of murder, attempted murder and aggravated vehicular homicide for the May 18, 2017 incident. His trial began on Monday. In the video, bodies are seen strewn above and below the car as it continues on its path of destruction. It crashes against a curb and ends up with its two side wheels in the air. Rojas then gets out of the car, jumps up and down and flails his arms. A traffic cop tackles him, and other pedestrians help hold him down until police arrive. Ava Elsman told jurors that she remembered 'just trying to lay there [and] not die' as she bled out. She was only 13 at the time, and her family had just arrived in the city that same morning from Portage, Michigan. Her sister Alyssa died from her injuries. Prosecutors have released new footage of the May 2017 Times Square car attack that left 22 people injured and killed one teenager The car barreled down three city blocks, knocking down anyone in its path It eventually crashes into a curb. Rojas then got out and began flailing his arms Victim Ava Elsman, 18, testified at Richard Rojas' murder trial on Monday She told jurors that her family had just arrived in New York City that same morning Her sister Alyssa Elsman (pictured) is the only person who died in the attack. The 18-year-old from Portage, Michigan had just arrived in New York with her family that morning Richard Rojas, 31, was well aware of the carnage he was causing by plowing through helpless tourists in 2017 visiting Times Square, the prosecutor said at trial 'I just looked up and I saw the car turn and that was the last thing I saw,' Ava Elsman, now 18, told jurors. 'I was in and out of consciousness,' Ava said, according to the New York Post. 'Someone told me to put my leg down or I would bleed out.' She suffered broken ribs, a collapsed lung, a fractured pelvis and compound fractures in her leg. She remembered 'just trying to lay there [and] not die.' Rojas, 31, admitted to smoking marijuana laced with PCP before the incident, which left 22 other people injured. The Navy veteran faces a life sentence if convicted and has has previously served time in military prison. The two-minute, 34-second video was released as evidence in Rojas' murder trial. It includes surveillance footage from multiple cameras spanning the three blocks in Times Square where the attack took place. Terrified pedestrians are seen running away from the speeding car as it wantonly mows down innocent people. Injured passersby double over in pain as the car runs them over and keeps going. The car eventually comes to a halt after it crashes against a pole on the curb. Rojas gets out and is apprehended by a traffic cop and passersby until officers arrive. After the attack, Ava Elsman spent several months in rehab and couldn't walk again until September 2017, four months after the horrific scene in Times Square. 'I just looked up and I saw the car turn and that was the last thing I saw,' Ava said. 'Everything went black but I heard the engine running. I could hear people screaming and running but it was all black.' She said she woke up with people around her but 'could not physically feel anything because all of the blood I was losing.' A stranger told her to put her leg down or she would bleed out. At the hospital, she asked her mom about her sister. '[Her] face dropped,' Ava recalled. 'When there were no words, I knew exactly what happened.' She now works as a restaurant hostess in Michigan. Terrified pedestrians are seen running away from the speeding car on May 18, 2017 Ava Elsman was 13 when she was run over by the crazed man. She says a stranger warned her to keep her leg down so she wouldn't bleed out Ava now works as a restaurant hostess in Michigan. 'It's hard because there are a lot of things I've done in my life I want [Alyssa] to physically see,' she said, referring to her sister who died 'It's hard because there are a lot of things I've done in my life I want [Alyssa] to physically see,' Ava said. 'I know in spirit she can see me [but] I physically want to give her a hug.' 'A whole piece that was ripped out of my life. I get jealous watching people with their families because I dont have that anymore.' Alyssa Elsman is the only person who died in the attack. She had graduated high school the year before. Her principal described her as 'bright, thoughtful, quiet, terrific sense of humor - so when I first heard the story, I glance at my phone real fast, but could not even imagine that it affected one of us,' according to CBS News. Photographers snapped pictures of a wild-eyed Rojas after he climbed from the wrecked car and ran through the street waving his arms Prosecutors released this photo of Rojas along with a group of photos showing injured pedestrians after the attack The Elsmans had gotten to New York City that same morning, the New York Daily News reports. Richard Rojas screamed 'I want to kill them all!' after he rammed into the crowd, the court heard. The jury also heard that the 31-year-old military veteran was well aware of what he was doing during the 2017 carnage, despite his defense's claims that he wasn't of sound mind. Rojas crashed into helpless tourists who were visiting 'the crossroads of the world.' It was 'impossible for him not to know exactly what was happening,' prosecutor Alfred Peterson said in his opening statement. 'But he didn't stop.' Defense attorney Enrico DeMarco said in his opening that Rojas has a history of mental illness that made him unable to understand the consequences of his actions that day Defense attorney Enrico DeMarco said in his opening statement that Rojas has a history of mental illness that made him unable to understand the consequences of his actions that day. 'This a case about a 26-year-old who lost his mind,' DeMarco said. Rojas' trial, in state court in Manhattan, is expected to take several months and include testimony from victims who suffered severe injuries from what prosecutors labeled 'a horrific, depraved act.' Jessica Williams, of Dunellen, New Jersey, was so badly hurt that her mother had to accept the diploma at her high school graduation while she remained in the hospital. Shocking photos show the moment the SUV plowed into pedestrians on the sidewalk in Times Square in 2017, killing an 18-year-old and injuring 22 others A smashed car sits on the corner of Broadway and 45th Street in New York's Times Square after an SUV barreled into the crowded area in 2017 Prosecutors say Rojas drove his car from the Bronx, where he lived with his mother, through Times Square on May 18, 2017, then made a U-turn. He then steered his car onto a sidewalk, and roared back up the sidewalk for three blocks before he crashed his car into protective barriers. Photographers snapped pictures of a wild-eyed Rojas after he climbed from the wrecked car and ran through the street waving his arms. At the time, the US Navy veteran told police after his arrest that he had been smoking marijuana laced with the hallucinogenic drug PCP before the incident, authorities said. At the time, the U.S. Navy veteran told police after his arrest that he had been smoking marijuana laced with the hallucinogenic drug PCP before the incident Rojas, of the Bronx, was taken to a psychiatric hospital for evaluation after his arrest Rojas pleaded not guilty at an arraignment in 2017 and has since been jailed at New York City's notorious Rikers Island jail complex. His lawyer said at the time that it was a 'terrible thing that happened' in Times Square. Rojas, now 31, has several prior criminal cases that paint a picture of a troubled man. Days before the Times Square incident he pleaded guilty to a harassment charge in the Bronx for pulling a knife on a notary in his home and accusing the person of trying to steal his identity. He also had two previous drunken driving cases. Rojas pleaded not guilty at an arraignment in 2017 and has since been jailed at New York City's notorious Rikers Island jail complex Rojas enlisted in the Navy in 2011 and served for part of 2012 aboard the USS Carney, a destroyer. Rojas spent his final months in the Navy at the Naval Air Station in Jacksonville, Florida. In 2012, he was arrested and accused of beating a cab driver whom he said had disrespected him by trying to charge too much, according to the arrest report. The arresting officer said Rojas screamed, 'My life is over!' as he was being detained. After his arrest, Rojas told the officer he was going to kill all police and military police he might see after his release from jail, the Jacksonville sheriffs office report stated. Alan Ceballos, an attorney who represented Rojas in that case, said the state charges were dropped after the military stepped in to take jurisdiction over the criminal case. Navy records show that in 2013 Rojas spent two months at a naval prison in Charleston, South Carolina. He was discharged in 2014 as the result of a special court martial, a Navy official said. A teenage boy who crusades against speed camera traps in his spare time has exposed a new sneaky tactic being used against Australian motorists. Beau Jackson, 17, shared a video on Wednesday morning showing a speed camera parked amongst several cars of the same colour - and hidden behind a tree - on the NSW Central Coast. Beau wakes up six days a week and uses the Waze app to track down speed cameras in his local area. He then puts up signs alerting oncoming motorists they're at risk of being pinged. In the video he put up on Wednesday morning, it showed the speed camera vehicle (pictured) parked amongst other cars of similar colour along the Tuggerah Straight on the Pacific Highway Beau got out his signs and placed them on the back of his motorbike (pictured) to warn the oncoming motorists Beau said after he parked about 400metres behind the speed camera vehicle, 'almost every car honked and waved, some (drivers) screamed that I was a legend.' 'They are definitely getting more sneaky and are parking in most places where their signs are hidden,' Beau claimed. Beau Jackson (pictured) has made a name for himself parking near mobile cameras around the NSW Central Coast with a makeshift sign warning unsuspecting motorists about potential speed trap Beau has made a name for himself with a makeshift sign warning unsuspecting motorists about potential speed traps. Rail, hail or shine, the teen spends most days before and after work parked in locations where he feels cameras are 'unfairly' trying to catch people to raise revenue - such as at the bottom of hills, or in places where the speed limit suddenly drops. Other recent incidents included last month when he came across an unmarked trailer hidden around a corner fitted with what looks like two speed cameras with another two mobile detection cameras attached in the Newcastle suburb of Merewether. Speed camera vigilante Beau Jackson came across these new unmarked cameras (pictured) in Newcastle Beau Jackson says he's saved money for hundreds of motorists unaware of hidden speed cameras He described the device as 'new camera technology, which doesn't involve an operator, and is unmarked'. The road vigilante was also confronted by a grouchy middle-aged woman who demanded he stop warning drivers near her home. Beau was parked down the street from where she lived and stayed there for three hours until the mobile speed camera moved. 'She asked me to move because she was sick of the honking,' he told Daily Mail Australia. 'I told her I was only parked there because the speed camera van was parked a few metres in front of me.' Mr Jackson tried to explain he was trying to warn drivers about 'unfair' speed cameras, but the woman (pictured left) didn't care The woman was unfazed about his mission to save Australians from spending hundreds of dollars in speeding tickets and continued demanding that he move. When he continually refused, she started taking photos of Mr Jackson and his bike. 'So I started taking photos of her,' he recalled. 'She backed right off when I did that, and then she starting making phone calls.' The teenager has no idea if anything came of her phone calls because the speed camera van left ten minutes after she got off the phone. Beau, who insists he's never been fined for a speeding offence, agrees motorists who are 'dramatically' over the speed limit should be punished. He said he has checked with the police to ensure what he was doing what he was doing wasn't illegal. 'They think I'm doing the community a service as I'm actually making people slow down,' he added. Blac Chyna has accused the judge in her $108 million lawsuit against the Kardashian family of 'extreme bias'. Chyna, 34, is filing a peremptory challenge against Judge Gregor Alarcon of the Superior Court of Los Angeles, according to People. On May 2, the jury of seven women and five men in Chyna's lawsuit found in favor of the Kardashian family. This meant that Chyna received no damages in the case Under California law, civil trials require at least 9 jurors to vote in favor of a verdict. Chyna accused the family of poisoning the E! network against her which resulted in the cancelation of her reality show, Rob & Chyna. A peremptory challenge to replace a judge can be filed just once by either side during a litigation under California law. According to state law, in order for the challenge to be granted, proof of conflict of interest, bias, financial interest, personal knowledge of facts, and relationship to a party of attorney, against a judge is required. If the challenge is successful, the judge will be removed from the case. Both Chyna and her lawyer have said they will appeal the verdict of the original lawsuit. Chyna's lawyer Lynne Ciani says that Judge Gregory Alarcon of being 'undeniably hostile and extremely biased.' Shortly after being ruled against in her defamation lawsuit against the Kardashians, Chyna is facing investigation for an altercation inside of a Los Angeles bar Judge Gregory Alarcon has been serving on the bench for close to 30 years. Prior to that he was the Deputy Attorney General for the State of California (L-R) Khloe Kardashian, Kim Kardashian, Kylie Jenner and Kris Jenner were seen in a courtroom sketch attending the legal proceedings on April 19. The family attended most of the proceedings during the case but were not present when the verdict was read out as they were in New York City to prepare for The Met Gala One E! executive maintained during the trial that Chyna's show was canceled because she split from Rob Kardashian during filming. The couple has a child together, Dream Renee Kardashian. In the latest legal documents, Chyna accuses Judge Alarcon, of being 'undeniably hostile and extremely biased,' according to TMZ, citing legal documents. The challenge goes on to accuse the judge of having a bias against Chyna's lawyer, Lynne Ciani, reports People Magazine. Judge Gregory Alarcon has been serving on the bench for close to 30 years. Prior to that he was a Deputy Attorney General for the State of California, a Deputy District Attorney for Los Angeles, and an Assistant United States Attorney for the Central District of California. In addition, Alarcon teaches at Pepperdine University. Chyna specifically cites the judge's jury instructions as evidence of bias in the case. In his instructions, Alarcon told the jury to consider the messages that Khloe Kardashian, Kylie and Kris Jenner, had exchanged with E! executives between 2016 and 2017. In one such email, Kris Jenner said that Chyna 'beat the s**t out of Rob.' This was after the judge threw out the part of the lawsuit that accused Kim Kardashian of wrongdoing. All four of the women testified during the nine-day trial. None of the aforementioned members of the family were present when the verdict was read out. Pete Davidson, Kim Kardashian, Kris Jenner, and Corey Gamble arrive at The 2022 Met Gala in the wake of the verdict in the lawsuit. Jenner told the media that prayer helped her to deal with the stress of the trial After about 10 hours of deliberations, the jurors decided on the long jury form that the Kardashians often acted in bad faith, finding that they were not justified in telling the executives and producers of Rob & Chyna that Chyna abused their son and brother Rob Kardashian; Chyna and Rob Kardashian are seen together in Las Vegas in May 2016 The family was in New York City preparing for the Met Gala. Kris Jenner told Variety on the red carpet at the Met Gala after the verdict was handed down, 'I'm just happy it's over.' When asked how she coped during the ordeal, Jenner said: 'Pray. I live in my faith and just hope that's enough, and yeah, I'm glad it's over. I'm glad it's over for the girls. We're here to celebrate.' During the trial, the judge also banned Chyna's mother, Tokyo Toni, from of the courtroom due to the latter's social media posts. Shortly after the ruling was handed down in the case, Toni launched a GoFundMe page to help to fund her daughter's appeal. The goal of the page is $400,000. The jury in the case did not exonerate any members of the Kardashian family. The remarks said that the Kardashians may have acted in bad faith in relation to their behavior towards Chyna. However, these actions did not have any impact on E!'s decision to discontinue Chyna's reality show, the jury said in their ruling. In the trial, the jury heard that members of the Kardashian clan had contacted E! executives and accuse Chyna of being physically abusive to Rob Kardashian. In response to Chyna and her lawyer's allegations of bias, the Kardashian's attorney Michael G. Rhodes noted that the pair still continued with a 10-day trial without mentioning their misgivings Ciani maintained that Chyna would be appealing the verdict telling reporters outside of the courthouse after the initial ruling, 'We will appeal the remainder of this verdict.' Chyna's lawyer added: 'The jury found that Chyna had not physically abused Rob Kardashian.' Among those who testified during the trial regarding Chyna's alleged physical abuse of the father of her child was Kris Jenner's boyfriend Corey Gamble. Gamble said that he saw Chyna hitting Rob Kardashian with a rod during an altercation at Kylie Jenner's house in December 2016. Michael G. Rhodes, the lawyer for the Kardashian family, has called Chyna's latest claims of bias as 'baseless' He added: 'She was hitting Rob and I got in the middle and got hit too. I had to try to get her attention on me so [Rob] could get his belongings and get out of the house. I could smell the alcohol on her.' Rob Kardashian alleged in his testimony regarding that night that Chyna had pointed a gun at his head. He said: 'You don't point a gun at your fiance's head whether you think it's loaded or not.' In her appearance on the stand, Chyna defended her actions during her relationship with Rob Kardashian. Speaking about an incident where she wrapped an iPhone cord around his neck, Chyna said that she was 'just being silly.' Kylie Jenner pictured with her sisters Kim and Khloe as well as their mother during the Met Gala. Their lawyer said in the aftermath of the verdict: 'I hope they enjory their gala in New York.' Ciani continued: 'The jury found that all four defendants had intentionally interfered with her contract with the E! Network.' The Kardashian's lawyer, Michael G. Rhodes, has filed an opposition to the Chyna's latest effort noting that the rapper and Ciani 'nonetheless proceeded without complaint as Judge Alarcon presided over a 10-day trial' despite these feelings of bias. Rhodes called the new filings a 'baseless effort to save face after losing at trial.' Rhodes goes to say that Chyna and Ciani had 'ample time' to raise their issues regarding the judge's conduct during the trial. He also said that Ciani should be 'sanctioned' in response to her allegations against Judge Alarcon, reports People. In the trial, the Kardashian matriarch accused Chyna's threats of violence of going beyond her son. Jenner said that Chyna threatened to kill Kylie Jenner during the time when she was with Chyna's ex, Tyga. When questioned by Lynne Ciani, Jenner was asked about messages she exchanged with E! executives in which she referred to Chyna as 'stupid' and 'really ghetto.' Jenner also allegedly said that E! should 'ditch the b****h.' While she didn't admit to saying those specific things, Jenner said might say things like that depending on what was going on Chyna and Rob Kardashian's relationship. Jenner added: 'But I really wanted Chyna to grow and be the best version of herself.' In her closing argument, Ciani argued that it was unreasonable for the four women to have believed that her client violently attacked her former fiance Rob Kardashian. 'He didn't have a mark on him,' Ciani told jurors. 'There was no call to the police, no trip to the hospital, not even a Band-Aid.' In this courtroom artist sketch, Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Gregory W. Alarcon, background right, listens to Chyna's lawyer Lynne Ciani Rhodes argued during his closing that the women had every reason to believe the accounts of the attack from Rob Kardashian and from Kris Jenner's longtime boyfriend Corey Gamble, who arrived at the scene and broke up the dispute. 'Do you remember how Rob looked on the stand? His pain was real,' Rhodes said. 'This is a real family. Yeah, they're famous, but they're real people. He got really badly hurt here.' Last week, Chyna's legal woes got worse when a woman named Sequoya King accused her of assault on May 6. Chyna is alleged to have accused King of making a recording of her inside of a Los Angeles bar. As a result, King said that Chyna 'damaged her phone and kicked her in the stomach,' according to TMZ. The site says that Chyna is under criminal investigation for battery in the case. A terrified gymgoer has revealed how he was forced to hide behind his treadmill as hitmen unleashed up to 20 shots on a Comanchero bikie boss and his brother in a brutal gangland hit. Aziz Alruken told Daily Mail Australia he frequently saw Tarek Zahed, 41, and his brother Omar, 39, working out at the Bodyfit gym in Auburn in Sydney's west before the pair were gunned down at 8pm on Tuesday. Omar died at the scene while his older brother Tarek was rushed to Westmead hospital in a critical condition. He underwent emergency surgery with at least 10 separate bullet wounds - including one to his head - but is now in a stable condition. Aziz Alruken (pictured being swarmed by media) told Daily Mail Australia he was forced to hide behind a treadmill when the shooting started Police and paramedics are seen trying to save the two men at the gym on Tuesday night after the shooting - with pools of blood seen across the foyer Takek Zahed (seated) and his brother Omar (standing) were gunned down outside a gym in Sydney's west on Tuesday night. Zahed is now in a stable condition but Omar is now dead Aziz Alruken (pictured) said he frequently saw Tarek Zahed and his younger brother Omar at the Bodyfit gym in Auburn in Sydney's west Mr Alruken was one of about 30 gymgoers who dropped to the floor and then ran away from the gym's entrance as gunshots rang out. 'I hid behind a treadmill. I thought it was a random attack and thought I would get shot. Of course I was scared,' he said. His car was parked in a section of the complex which was cordoned off by police on Wednesday morning. Mr Alruken was told to find a different way home after his workout and returned about 10am to pick up the Jeep. He often saw both men working out at his gym in the two years since he signed up. 'I didn't know what was happening. It all seemed to happen so fast. They were just getting shot again and again in the walkway,' Mr Alruken said. Another eyewitness so afraid for his safety he did not want to be named or photographed, said bullets were fired 'continuously for about 20 seconds'. 'It was nonstop,' he said. 'The guys just went down but they kept coming.' The man revealed he often also saw the two brother working out together, noting they were 'happy-go-lucky and were always friendly'. 'I actually thought he was a really nice guy,' he said. Forensic investigations scour the scene at the Bodyfit Gym in Sydney's Auburn after underworld figures Omar and Tarek Zahed were both shot Bullet holes can be seen in the glass window of the Bodyfit Gym in Auburn after the shooting A forensic investigator examines evidence outside the Bodyfit Gym in Sydney's Auburn Police sources told Daily Mail Australia the brazen shooting will further escalate the bloody gangland war gripping Sydney's west and southwest. 'Whoever carried out the hit will be sweating on updates about his condition,' the source said. 'They'd be hoping Tarek dies, so at least they got the job done. The retaliation from this will be huge.' 'This is the heaviest hitter in Australia at the moment.' Detectives don't yet have any solid leads or ideas as to who might have been behind the hit. 'Whoever has done this is game to go toe-to-toe with the Comancheros. Nobody does that,' the source said. Tarek Zahed (pictured) miraculously survived after being shot 10 times by hitmen A white Audi station wagon was found engulfed in flames nearby, with police investigating its links to the shooting It's understood the Comancheros are in bed with the Alameddine crime family and act as muscle for their lucrative drug network. By extension of that relationship, the Alameddine's rivals the Hamzy family are considered enemies of the Comancheros. But the Hamzy network is in a world of pain itself as top members have been 'picked off like flies' in recent months. Detectives and forensic investigators remained at the scene of the crime on Wednesday morning, collecting bags of evidence and examining the surrounds. A Volkswagon GTI sport model remains parked in the cordoned off area of the complex, while more detectives are at a second site several blocks away, believed to be where a burnt out luxury getaway car was found. Bullet holes riddle the entrance of the gym, which is closed for business while the investigation is underway. Zahed, 41, is pictured being extradited from Melbourne to Sydney in March, 2021 Advertisement Casey White was pictured in a yellow prison jumpsuit, his hands in cuffs and his legs in shackles at Lauderdale County Courthouse on Tuesday night - one day after he was arrested and his corrections officer lover Vicky White killed herself. DailyMail.com was there to witness the 38-year-old shuffle into court shortly before 10pm little more than 24 hours after the 11-day manhunt for the pair came to an end. White was heavily shackled on his ankles and with chains wreathed around his waist and wrists. He spoke only to assure Judge Ben Graves that he had received proper counsel as he was charged with escape in the first degree. That charge is now added to his laundry list of felonies, the most pressing of which is a capital murder charge for which he is due to stand trial in June. Dressed in Vanderburgh County Correctional Facility yellow shirt and pants, a raw wound was clearly visible in the back of White's shorn head as he sat at the front of the small courtroom. It was the only evidence of any injury sustained by White in the car crash that dramatically ended his 11 day stretch on the lam with co-conspirator, former assistant director of corrections Vicky White, 56. White was walked into the back of Lauderdale County Courthouse by sheriff deputies. He refused to answer questions shouted by waiting press. He did not react when asked if he felt any remorse for Vicky's death. Vicky White, 56, died on Monday from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, the coroner ruled on Tuesday. She pulled the trigger as the car she and Casey White - no relation - were traveling in crashed into a ditch in Indiana, having been run off the road by police. Casey White is seen on Tuesday evening in court in Florence, Alabama. His hands were in cuffs and legs in shackles The 38-year-old did not react on Tuesday night when reporters shouted questions, asking him if he felt remorse for Vicky's death Casey White is seen on Tuesday night being led out of court after appearing before a judge White was still on Tuesday wearing the yellow outfit from Vanderburgh County Correctional Facility in Indiana, where he spent Monday afternoon after his arrest With his arms and legs in shackles, White walks out of the courtroom on Tuesday night Casey White was serving a 75-year sentence for multiple crimes when he confessed to a 2015 murder. Vicky White, who said she was taking him for a mental health evaluation, ran away with him on April 29 Casey White, who is 6ft 9 tall, is seen towering over the guards in Alabama Casey White, who faces a possible death sentence if convicted of a 2015 murder, had additional charges of fleeing added to his rap sheet on Tuesday He showed no emotion during his court appearance in Alabama - the state he ran from on April 29 Casey White's accomplice, Vicky White, is believed to have been planning the escape for some time - selling her house, submitting her retirement, and then telling colleagues she was feeling unwell and would go to the doctors that afternoon The couple's days as fugitives came to a tragic end in Evansville, Indiana, on Monday, with Vicky's death from a gunshot wound moments after their car was rammed off the road and into a ditch. Attorneys for White informed the court that they will be filing a motion for a change of venue for White's forthcoming trial for the murder of 58-year-old Connie Ridgeway allegedly stabbed to death by White. White has confessed the crime, claiming he was paid to commit the heinous act. The trial remains scheduled for June with White's attorney saying his client wanted the trial to go ahead then against his advice. His appearance came as new dashboard and body camera footage from Indiana showed the dramatic moment that Alabama fugitive Casey White was taken into custody and the body of his corrections officer accomplice dragged dying from their car on Monday. She died in hospital on Monday night from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, but spoke to 911 dispatchers before the crash. As officers closed in on the couple's vehicle, Vicky White could be heard saying: 'Airbags are going off. Let's get out and run.' Then other officers arrive, and say she is still breathing. 'We could hear her on the line saying she had her finger on the trigger,' says a 911 dispatcher in audio released by Indiana authorities. In the initial confusion, they believed that Casey White had shot himself, and then requested a negotiator. A second voice then says they do not need a negotiator. Casey White is dragged out of the crumpled car first, by his hands. Officers kneel on him to handcuff him, then bring him away from the wreck towards another cruiser. His denim shirt is ripped, but he appears otherwise unharmed, with his black sunglasses still on his face. He is checked over, then wrestled to the floor. Officers then turn to Vicky White, who is described as 'unresponsive'. As police approach the car, one officer says: 'We need to clear some of this s***' to get to her.' He asks if someone has a long stick. Another officer, kneeling by the overturned car, says: 'She's still got the gun in her hand.' One adds: 'She's still breathing. I can see her chest rising. Finger still on the trigger. She could pull that trigger again.' After several minutes of discussion, the officer leans in to retrieve the gun from Vicky White's hand. They then pull her from the car by her hands. She is then lain on the road. Casey White, 38, is seen in dashboard camera footage released by police in Indiana being taken into custody on Monday A third video released by the police showed them searching a Ford truck, which the couple abandoned before switching to their Cadillac. An officer searches the vehicle, then tells his colleague: 'There's no paperwork. A little bit of trash and a charger and a Glock magazine loader.' He adds: 'It's weird.' The pair were carrying $29,000 in cash, four handguns and an AR-15 rifle and were prepared for a shootout when they were captured, an Indiana sheriff said on Tuesday. The end of the manhunt left authorities trying to piece together what happened during the 11 days that elapsed after Vicky White escorted Casey White from a Florence, Alabama, jail for what she falsely claimed was a mental health evaluation. She also told her coworkers that she felt ill and planned to see a doctor afterward. No one realized that the two were missing until around 3.30pm. The inmate and Vicky White appeared to have had a 'jailhouse romance,' Alabama authorities said last week. They were not related. As for her role in the escape, the sheriff said: 'He was not forcing her. It was a mutual relationship.' Casey White can be seen looking over his shoulder, as Vicky White lay dying in the car Casey White, in the white t-shirt, was serving a 75-year prison sentence for attempted murder and other offenses when he fled. He was also awaiting trial on charges of stabbing a woman to death during a 2015 burglary Casey White, with his hands cuffed behind him, is marched towards the police cruiser - his crashed black car in the ditch behind him The escaped prisoner, standing 6ft 9 tall, towers over the Indiana officers Both Casey and Vicky White had multiple changes of clothes and wigs with them when they were caught The wanted man is seen being wrestled to the ground by Indiana law enforcement on Monday afternoon Casey White is just visible beneath the hood of the police car, as sheriffs wrestle him to the ground Vandenburgh County Sheriff Dave Wedding, right, refers to a photograph during a press conference in Evansville, Indiana on Tuesday These are all of the weapons the couple had in their Cadillac when they were rammed into a ditch by police on Monday The couple had just $29,000 of the $90,000 Vicky had withdrawn when they were caught on Monday At the time of the breakout, Casey White was serving a 75-year prison sentence for attempted murder and other offenses and was awaiting trial on charges of stabbing a woman to death during a 2015 burglary. Casey White is seen in his mugshot, taken on Monday after he was recaptured If convicted, he could get the death penalty. Investigators believe the pair spent about six days holed up at a motel in Evansville. Authorities discovered wigs intended to hide their identities. Dave Wedding, sheriff of Vandenburgh County, said investigators do not believe the two had relatives or other contacts in the city of 120,000. 'They thought they'd driven long enough. They wanted to stop for a while, get their bearings straight and then figure out the next place to travel,' the sheriff said. Authorities closed in on them after the manager of a car wash reported that a man closely resembling the 6-foot-9, 260-pound Casey White had been recorded by a surveillance camera getting out of a pickup truck. Investigators said they located the pickup, then learned that the pair may have switched to a Cadillac, which was then spotted outside a motel nearby. They arrived in Evansville on May 3 and received assistance by a local man whose identity remains unknown. Speaking exclusively to DailyMail.com, Motel 41 manager Paul Shaw said: 'They stayed in a room not in their name. Somebody else rented the room and checked them in. Motel 41 manager Paul Shaw told DailyMail.com the runaway couple was staying in a room booked under a third party's name 'A local man with a local ID checked in and signed the stub. 'I never saw them I wish I had but they stayed in the room.' According to Shaw: 'People come and go here, we don't keep track.' There were few cars in the motel parking lot when DailyMail.com visited the two-story facility on Tuesday. Rooms are all accessed independently by exterior doors and guests need never walk through the small reception area except to use the vending machine or to check in a process that White and Vicky avoided. 'The police have all of the information and the ID. They have been here and spoken to everybody,' Shaw said. Shaw, an electrical engineer by trade, said that he works the morning shift and never saw White or Vicky who, police say, attempted to disguise herself with a variety of red and blonde wigs. When the couple left the motel, police chased them down, authorities said. The pair were caught Monday afternoon after leading US Marshals on a car chase that lasted 'less than a few minutes'. They had been in Evansville, Indiana, since May 3 Sheriffs in Indiana are seen investigating the crumpled wreck of the car, in which Vicky White killed herself A police officer is seen reaching inside the vehicle, to prize the gun from Vicky White's hand Sheriffs are seen pulling Vicky White, 56, from the car Vicky White was taken out of the car and laid on the grass beside the wreck The 56-year-old corrections officer was due to retire on the day she absconded with the suspected murderer The two were found 219 miles away from the jail they left in Alabama on April 29. The manhunt spanned three different states The pair were staying in room 150 on the ground level of the motel, where accommodation costs about $44 a night not including a $25 cash deposit required upon booking Timeline of Vicky White and Casey White's escape April 18: Jail guard Vicky White sold her Lexington home. Public records revealed she sold the property for $95,550, which was below market value. She started living with her mother after the sale. April 28: Vicky submits retirement paperwork to officials at Lauderdale County Jail. According to Lauderdale County Sheriff Rick Singleton, she had been discussing her retirement for many months and 'talked about going to the beach'. Pre-prison break: In the week ahead of the escape (specific dates unknown) Vicky purchased men's clothing at a Kohl's store and visited a sex shop. It is unclear if she bought anything at the adult toy store. Lauderdale County District Attorney Chris Connolly claims she also withdrew $90K in cash out of a series of bank accounts. April 29 at 5.21am: Vicky checks out of a Quality Inn Florence, Alabama. 8.47am: Transport Van 5 leaves the Lauderdale County jail with seven inmates escorted by two deputies 8.56am: Transport Van 2 leaves the jail with five inmates also escorted by two deputies 9.20am: Assistant Director Vicky White tells a deputy to prepare inmate Casey White for transport to courthouse. Deputy removes White from his cell, takes him to booking and handcuffs him and shackles his legs. 9.41am: Vicky leaves detention center with Casey and head to the courthouse for a 'mental health evaluation.' She told the booking officer that she is the only deputy available who is firearm-certified and that she's dropping him off to other deputies at the courthouse. Vicky says she's then going to Med Plus for a personal appointment. 9.49am: Surveillance video shows Vicky's police cruiser parked at the nearby Florence Square shopping center parking lot eight minutes after leaving the jail. 'There was not enough time for them to even attempt to try to come to the courthouse,' Sheriff Rick Singleton said. 11.34am: A Florence Police Department officer spots her cruiser. 3.30pm: Booking officer reports to administration that they've been trying to contact Vicky to check on her, and that her phone is going directly to voice mail. The officer also says that Casey was not returned to the detention center with other inmates. Approximately 11pm: College Grove, Tennessee resident Jackie Adams finds Vicky's SUV - with tinted windows and no tags - abandoned by her home. She reported the vehicle to the Williamson County Sheriff's Office, which had it towed. May 1: Us Marshals offer a $10,000 bounty - 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: Tennessee cops discover the impounded SUV belonged to Vicky, spurring a force of US Marshals, Williamson County Sheriff's Officers, and SWAT members to circle back to Adams' property. Drones and helicopters descended on Adams' home - where they remained for hours and into the evening. 2.15pm: The Williamson County Sheriff's Office tweets 'there is NO sign the two are still in our area.' May 7: Connolly reveals investigators' theory that Vicky is rolling Casey, dressed as a woman, around in a wheelchair. Officials also suspect Vicky might be disguising herself as an elderly woman with a grey wig. May 9: US Marshals search for the couple in Evansville, Indiana after authorities locate a vehicle that had been reported stolen in the area of Tennessee where Vicky's SUV was abandoned. The couple is then caught after a brief car chase in Evansville, Indiana. Casey White surrenders. Vicky White is taken to the hospital with a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Source: WAAY-TV, Lauderdale County Sheriff's Office, NewsNation, TODAY and DailyMail.com Advertisement Casey White told investigators after his capture that 'he was probably going to have a shootout at the stake of both of them losing their lives,' the sheriff said. The inmate appeared by video Tuesday in an Indiana courtroom, where he waived extradition, and authorities said he will be sent back to Alabama. An attorney representing White in the murder case, Jamy Poss, declined to comment. Vicky White, assistant director of corrections at the Lauderdale County jail, had put in for retirement ahead of the escape, and the day of the breakout, April 29, was her last day of work. A woman who worked with her for 16 years could barely speak through tears on Tuesday. 'I know she did wrong and made a terrible mistake, but she's still your friend,' said Sherry Sylvester, a longtime jail employee. She said that White often tried to help prisoners, particularly ones without family. But Sylvester said she never saw White do anything that crossed the line. 'She did everything by the book,' Sylvester said. Connie Moore, Casey White's mother, said she last spoke with him by phone the day before the escape. She said her son may not have known what was about to happen. 'Everything was just as normal as it could be. I doubt he even knew he was leaving when she came in there to get him,' Moore said. A warrant was issued on May 2 for Vicky White charging her with permitting or facilitating escape. Authorities said the plan appeared to have been in the works for some time. She sold her house for about half its market value and bought an SUV that she stashed at a shopping center without license plates. Asked where the bulk of the money had gone, Sheriff Wedding told DailyMail.com: 'They spent it. They spent it on multiple vehicles, equipment, a gun, hotel, meals, clothes. '$60,000 can go pretty quick if you're spending $6,000 a pop.' Vicky used some of the cash and an alias to purchase the bronze 2007 Ford Edge in which they initially fled before abandoning it on a rural road in Tennessee about two hours north of the Florence, Alabama, jail from which White was sprung. According to US Marshalls the couple then spent $6,000 on a Ford F-150 which was spotted parked at an odd angle at an Evansville carwash where White was also pictured on surveillance footage. US Marshals Commander Chad Hunt said at Tuesday's press conference that the couple are believed to have purchased another vehicle. On Tuesday morning, Lauderdale County Sheriff Rick Singleton said she was the 'mastermind' of their logistical escape plan - but it's unclear who came up with the idea to get Casey out. 'To go from day one, thinking she's been kidnapped and maybe in danger then finding out she took him out willingly, then trying to determine was she threatened or coerced in some way...then finding out that she was basically the mastermind behind the whole plan. It's been an emotional roller-coaster,' Singleton said. 'Obviously, he was behind bars he couldn't have planned too much behind bars. 'Personally, I think she was the one who put the plan together. 'She was in a position of knowledge. She made sure the other armed deputies were out, she arranged to purchase the getaway car, she sold her house got her hands on cash, went shopping. 'She obviously put the plan together,' he told CNN. Singleton now believes that Casey and Vicky were in a 'romantic relationship' and that Vicky was 'just as concerned about coming back and facing her family and her co-workers as she was the charges.' Vicky was a widow and had no children. Before she died, Singleton said of his employee: 'I hope she survives this. She has some answers to give us.' He continued: 'You don't know who you can trust. 'I had every bit of trust in Vicky White. She has been an exemplary employee. What in the world prompted her to pull off something like this, I don't know. 'I don't know if we'll ever know.' The couples' abandoned Ford truck - their third getaway vehicle, after a police car, and an orange SUV - is seen abandoned inside a car wash in Indiana An Evansville police officer checked the abandoned Ford truck, and its discovery ultimately led to the couple Vicky was set to be put in a different facility than the Lauderdale County jail where she worked for 17 years and helped Casey escape. Casey will be sent back to state prison. On Monday afternoon, Singleton thanked investigators from the various national agencies that helped them capture the pair, along with the media for shedding light on the story. 'Most escapes - from a county jail especially - they're not planned. They're just sort of spontaneous. There are no resources available, no plan in place,' he said during a press conference on Monday evening. 'This escape was obviously well planned and calculated. A lot of preparation went into this. They had plenty of resources, had cash,' he said, referring to the money that Vicky had on her from the recent sale of her home. 'They had everything they needed to pull this off. 'We were starting from ground zero, and not only that, we started they got a six-hour head start on us.' Singleton added: 'We got a dangerous man off the streets today. He's never gonna see the light of day again. That's a good thing.' He promised to keep Casey White shackled day and night upon his return, according to NewsNation's Brian Entin. 'I'll probably hear from a civil rights attorney but I don't care,' Singleton said. New Zealand will fully reopen to the rest of the world by July 31 after more than two years of tough coronavirus restrictions that closed the border. The move will come two months earlier than the government had initially planned. The final part of the staged border reopening will open the country back up to all visa categories - including tourists, workers, families and students. 'New Zealand is in demand and now fully open for business,' the country's Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said. New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern (pictured) said the country is 'fully open for business' 'This will be welcome news for families, businesses and our migrant communities. 'It also provides certainty and good preparation time for airlines and cruise ship companies planning a return to New Zealand in the peak spring and summer seasons.' Addressing a Business NZ lunch in the country's biggest city Auckland on Wednesday, Ms Ardern also announced immigration changes such as access to residency for highly-skilled workers in global demand. New Zealand's international education sector will also fully reopen by July 31, but with new measures to stop it being used as a 'backdoor route to residency'. The Prime Minister said the changes would help address skill shortages in the country and speed up its economic recovery from Covid-19. Wednesday's announcement has come as a relief to industries looking for more skilled workers, New Zealand's universities and colleges and immigrant families separated from their loved ones for more than two years due to visa requirements. The immigration changes include a simplified process and visa extensions for the 20,000 migrants already in the country in an effort to retain skilled workers. Also included is a 'Green List' of 85 hard to fill roles, which addresses areas where there are skill shortages. It is hoped the list and a pathway to residency will help attract highly skilled healthcare workers, engineers, trade and tech workers to move to New Zealand. New Zealand will soon be welcoming back overseas students. Pictured is the University of Auckland Fifty-six of the Green List jobs will allow the overseas workers it attracts to immediately apply for residency. Another 29 of the positions will allow people to apply for residency after two years in the country. Ms Ardern said providing certainty to people bringing skills to New Zealand had been a missing piece in the immigration system. 'We know a major constraint on business is access to skilled labour. This plan will increase the available pool of labour, while also speeding up our tourism recovery,' she said. The Minister for Immigration Kris Faafoi said the country could not return to pre-pandemic migration trends that relied on lower-skilled workers and led to increased exploitation of some immigrants. In the past two years, more than 190,000 New Zealanders had done trades training, including apprenticeships, Mr Faafoi said. Donald Trump has proven in the 2022 midterms so far that he has coattails, but the former president faced his first defeat Tuesday evening when his pick in the Nebraska gubernatorial race failed to prevail following several allegations of sexual misconduct. All eyes turned to the Nebraska and West Virginia primaries Tuesday as voters headed to the polls to select who they want to run in November against the opposing party. In the two states, Trump threw his endorsement behind Nebraska gubernatorial candidate Charles Herbster and Republicans Carol Miller and Alex Mooney in their respective House races in West Virginia. With nearly all polling places reporting in West Virginia Tuesday evening, Mooney prevailed with 54 percent of the vote for the 2nd congressional district in the deep red state. Former President Donald Trump (right) faced his first endorsements defeat on Tuesday when his pick for Nebraska governor Charles Herbster (left) lost following allegations of groping from multiple women The winner in Tuesday's GOP primary election for Nebraska's next governor is Brett Lindstrom, who was backed by outgoing term-limited GOP Governor Pete Ricketts His top competitor was Representative David McKinley, who was backed by the state's GOP Governor Jim Justice and Democratic Senator Joe Manchin. The current representative for the 1st district who was now running in the 2nd, lost by 18.6 percent. Trump was critical of McKinley for supporting the infrastructure package and voting for the creation of an independent commission investigating the January 6 Capitol riot. Compared to Mooney, West Virginia House primary candidate Miller won with even more percent of the vote in the 1st district of West Virginia as more than 67 percent of voters cast their ballot for her. But in Nebraska, businessman Herbster failed to do as well as he faces multiple sexual misconduct allegations, which he has denied. Eight women accused Herbster of groping in a report published by the Nebraska Examiner. In an ad denying the allegations, Herbster compared himself to Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas and Brett Kavanaugh, who also faced allegations of sexual misconduct during their respective confirmation hearings. Of the dozens of endorsements Trump has issues for the 2022 GOP primary elections, all have won so far making Herbster the first loss for the former president, who doesn't like losing. In West Virginia, both of Trump's picks for the two open House seats prevailed Alex Mooney (left) and Carol Miller (right) With most of the votes accounted for in Nebraska, 30.4 percent went to Herbster. University of Nebraska Regent Jim Pillen, who had the backing of the state's term-limited Governor Pete Ricketts, will become the party's nominee with 33.3 percent of the vote with 93 percent reporting. In third is Brett Lindstrom, a state senator from Nebraska backed by Omaha Mayor Jean Stothert, who earned 26 percent of the vote. West Virginia was a bit more straightforward, with both House races going to the Trump-backed candidates. Both Nebraska and West Virginia are deep red states that had some of the largest majorities going for Donald Trump in the 2020 presidential election. In Nebraska, 58.2 percent of voters cast their election for Trump and in West Virginia a massive 68.6 percent voted for the former president to get a second term. During Trump's rally in Greensburg, Pennsylvania on Friday he bragged about his record of GOP primary wins in the 2022 midterms. Sri Lankan military troops have been given the green light to open fire at looters and vandals during violent protests in the region as Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa has been rescued for fear of his safety. The troops have been told to shoot law-breakers on sight in an attempt to quell the anti-government demonstrators on the island. Protesters have been calling for the resignation of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa over the region's worsening economic crisis, which is considered to be the worst in history. Sri Lanka's Violent Protests On Monday, the president's brother, the prime minister, stepped down from his position amid the violent street clashes between supporters and opposition. However, the announcement failed to bring calm to the storm and protests continued overnight. The government of the region on Tuesday ordered troops to shoot anyone who was seen looting public property or causing "harm to life." Furthermore, authorities deployed tens of thousands of army, navy, and air force personnel to patrol the streets of the capital Colombo, as per BBC. Despite the presence of armed personnel, the city's top police officer was assaulted on Tuesday afternoon by a mob who accused him of failing to protect peaceful protesters. On the seafront at Colombo's Galle Face Green, crowds continued to gather in protest of the economic crisis. Read Also: Yoon Suk Yeol Urges North Korea To Commit to Denuclearization as Pyongyang Poses Threats; New President Says South Korea Is Open for Talks Police officials also said that eight people have died and the capital's main hospital said that more than 200 people have already been admitted for injuries since Monday. Many of the victims were wounded by pro-government mobs while others were hit when police fired tear gas into crowds. Lawyers representing protests said they were filing cases against the prime minister's followers. According to CNN, Mahinda was rescued in a pre-dawn military operation on Tuesday, only a few hours after his resignation. The military troops were allegedly called to the prime minister's "Temple Trees" residence after protesters attempted to breach his private home two times in one night. Prime Minister Resigns The economic crisis in Sri Lanka has caused severe shortages of foreign exchange, resulting in the stalling of essential imports, including drugs and fuel. For several months, India has been supporting the region's economy by providing more than $3.5 billion in assistance funds. The situation comes as the country began much-delayed talks with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for a rescue package and also sought to get support from China. The two nations have long jostled for influence over Sri Lanka, which is a strategically placed island found off the southern tip of India and has a population of roughly 22 million people. However, the public's patience ran out of Monday after supporters of the ruling party indiscriminately attacked anti-government demonstrators in Colombo. This resulted in a series of clashes that killed at least people and injured more than 200. Mahinda's announcement of his resignation was followed by police imposing a nationwide curfew that would last until 7:00 a.m. Wednesday. Furthermore, the country's government's Cabinet stepped down. The violence included protesters defying curfew and setting homes on fire, Reuters reported. Related Article: Russian Ambassador to Poland Blasted With Red Paint During Moscow's Victory Day Celebrations @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. The first migrants have been told they face being sent 4,000 miles to Rwanda to claim asylum, Priti Patel revealed last night. The Home Secretary confirmed the first batch of illegal migrants had been handed official confirmation that they would be the guinea pigs for the controversial scheme. Officials refused to say how many people were in the group but they are thought to have arrived by dinghy from northern France. Home Office guidance, which has just emerged, shows migrants who arrive in Britain from Monday will be a 'priority' for the scheme. Priti Patel says the first batch of illegal migrants had been handed official confirmation that they will be sent to Rwanda. They are thought to have arrived by dinghy from northern France. Pictured: One of the many groups of migrants who have headed across Channel to UK The Ministry of Defence which took command of Channel operations last month confirmed there were 51 arrivals on Monday. None landed yesterday because of poor sea conditions. Miss Patel said: 'The first group of illegal migrants with no right to be in the UK have been informed of our intention to relocate them to Rwanda under the new Migration and Economic Development Partnership.' It comes after 56 migrants were rescued from the Channel and taken back to France on Monday after their motorboat broke down. The group included seven children. Miss Patel unveiled the radical asylum policy last month. An initial 120million from the British taxpayer will be paid to the Rwandan government for accommodation, processing and support costs. Boris Johnson pledged 'tens of thousands' of migrants would be sent to Rwanda but it has since emerged that numbers could be far lower amid an avalanche of legal challenges. Migrants selected for the scheme receive a 'notice of intent' letter informing them they are 'under consideration for relocation'. Earlier this week, the Daily Mail revealed how shameless people smugglers are mocking the Rwanda plan as they continue to peddle perilous cross-Channel dinghy trips on TikTok. Legal challenges against the Rwanda deal have already begun. Trade union PCS, which represents Border Force staff, has joined forces with migrants charities to claim the plan is 'unlawful'. Detention Action, which campaigns for foreign nationals facing deportation, said: 'Priti Patel shut down the few available safe routes for refugees and now she plans to trade them with a foreign government that her own department admits is violently persecuting people. Her Rwanda plan will put even more lives at risk.' It comes as 15 dangerous foreign criminals including a convicted murderer were deported to Lithuania yesterday. Miss Patel announced the offenders were removed on a charter flight in conjunction with the Lithuanian government. A NSW man has been thrown behind bars after he chanced a late-night trip to KFC on a disqualified licence. Daniel Ilic, 30, was pulled over by police on Chapman Avenue in Mount Warrigal, a suburb on NSW's South Coast, just before 10pm on March 22. After spotting the 30-year-old's white Audi officers quickly discovered Ilic didn't have a licence and was disqualified from driving until 2024. When asked why he decided to get behind the wheel anyway he told officers: 'I'm just going to KFC to get some dinner'. Daniel Ilic, 30, (pictured) was pulled over on Chapman Avenue in Mount Warrigal just before 10pm on Friday, March 22 as he made a late-night trip to KFC on a disqualified licence When Ilic was asked why he decided to get behind the wheel anyway he told officers: 'I'm just going to KFC to get some dinner' (pictured, a KFC meal) If Ilic had been headed for the Shellharbour KFC, it had been just a five minute drive from where he was intercepted by police. The 30-year-old plead guilty to a charge of driving while disqualified in Wollongong Local Court on Tuesday, the Illawarra Mercury reports. Defence lawyer Greg Murphy said his client had got into a spat with his partner earlier in the evening and had jumped in the car to get some distance. 'Yes he did the wrong thing, he understands [that],' Mr Murphy said. He asked the court to spare Ilic a jail sentence, despite his criminal record. If Ilic had been headed for the Shellharbour KFC (pictured) it had been just a five minute drive from where he was intercepted by police The court heard he had previously been convicted for his actions behind the wheel, including dangerous driving, driving unlicensed and drink driving. Taking this into account, Magistrate Gabriel Fleming refused to show Ilic leniency. 'The question is should the court show leniency and is this out of character for you?' she asked. 'The answer to both of those is no.' He was sentenced to nine months in jail with a four month non-parole period. The 30-year-old's licence was also disqualified for a further nine months. An SUV driver was lucky not to be killed when then turned directly into the path of a tram and was sent rolling along the track. Scary footage shows car driving along the Burwood Highway in Melbourne before suddenly making a left turn across the tramline. Having no chance to stop in time, the tram t-bones the SUV and flips it sideways on impacts, sending it rolling several times. A cra was flipped into the air and landed on its side after colliding with a tram in Burwood, Melbourne, earlier this month The SUV eventually stops a few metres in front of the tram and passersby rush over to help, along with the tram driver. No one, including the 40-year-old SUV driver, was injured in the crash. Nunawading Highway Patrol attended the scene and issued the SUV driver with an infringement notice. The car was captured on dashcam footage steering directly into the tram's direction of travel No one was injured in the crash but the 40-year-old SUV driver was issued an infringement notice by Victoria Police 'Can't believe the tram didn't swerve to miss the SUV,' Dash Cam Owners Australia captioned the video when it was posted online. The video was shared shortly after Victoria's Department of Transport issued a fresh warning to motorists to be mindful when travelling near trams. 'Seventy per cent of tram crashes happen when cars turn or merge on to tracks,' it said. 70% of tram crashes happen when cars turn or merge on to tracks. pic.twitter.com/hSa9ITJFEQ Department of Transport (@VicGovDoT) May 10, 2022 Hannah Dodson, 25, is one of hundreds of people who believed they were eligible for HomeBuilder grants of up to $25,000 only for the Queensland government to deny their applications using satellite photos An Australian woman who is one of hundreds denied much-needed home grants after authorities used satellite images to reject them says the battle has taken a toll on her mental health. Hannah Dodson, 25, is one of hundreds of people who believed they were eligible for HomeBuilder grants of up to $25,000 only for the Queensland government to deny their applications. On Wednesday the Queensland Revenue Office (QRO) emailed several of the people Daily Mail Australia spoke with to inform them it was reviewing their applications. Also on Wednesday, the man who set up a Facebook group to connect rejected home grant applicants claimed the government told him it would finally pay him the $25,000. The QRO rejected Ms Dodson's application - as well as hundreds of others who applied for the federal government grant - because it said satellite imagery showed construction activity prior to the start date for eligibility, June 4, 2020. Ms Dodson was rejected despite building a house at Pallara in south Brisbane well after that date. She bought her block for $644,000 on August 21, 2021. Ms Dodson found the satellite image the QRO used and said it showed 'no construction'. The Queensland Revenue Office rejected Ms Dodson's - and hundreds of other applications for the federal government grant - because it said satellite imagery showed construction activity prior to the start date for eligibility, June 4, 2020. The above satellite image does not appear to show any construction on Ms Dodson's block Jenna Cross said she'd had to make sacrifices after being knocked back for the HomeBuilder grant. She is pictured with her 11-year-old son On Wednesday the Queensland Revenue Office (QRO) emailed several of the people Daily Mail Australia spoke with to inform them was reviewing their applications, including mum Jenna Cross (pictured right) Many of the rejected applicants, and their developers, claim the satellite images used by the QRO show the aftermath of land clearing and subdivision rather than the construction of homes. Ms Dodson saved for eight years in jobs including working at Hungry Jacks, and applied for the HomeBuilder grant to repay her grandmother, who loaned her the money to pay for her stamp duty. 'The whole build was stressful and a toll on my mental health,' Ms Dodson told Daily Mail Australia. 'I thought, 'finally, I can get a break from running around' after settlement, but the six months wait until I received a rejection and up until now has been such a crazy rollercoaster. 'I received the rejection letter in February 2021 and my jaw dropped, I questioned if I had read everything correctly.' When she received an email from QRO on Wednesday announcing the review, she felt some hope returning. 'The QRO is now reviewing ... applications that may have been rejected in relation to commencement of construction issues. Your application is in scope of this review,' the email said. 'The Australian government has clarified its position on HomeBuilder grant eligibility criteria relating to commencement of construction.' Ms Cross with her son on the Cairns block she bought in December 2020. Queensland Revenue Office rejected her application for the HomeBuilder grant because it said construction had commenced on the site before June 4, 2020 Hundreds of Australians who battled to buy their first home expecting government grants to get them over the line have been denied by a cruel technicality (pictured, the Cairns home Jenna Cross built - although promised government help was denied) 'My eyes lit up and I was already feeling a sense of relief just knowing that this is one step closer to securing the grant! Its about time,' Ms Dodson said. Jenna Leigh Cross, a mum rejected for a $25,000 grant, also said it was 'about time' for the review. 'Applications should have been reviewed more thoroughly. It's such a shame this has caused stressed for so many families including myself.' Meanwhile, Gold Coast single dad Clint Calman posted in the Facebook group he set up to connect with rejected grant applicants that he expected to receive the grant in coming days. 'Just had a phone call from OSR, they have confirmed that they have received advice from Federal Government stating that we do qualify for the grant. 'I have been told that my payment will be processed in the following days. 'Congratulations to all that have been affected, you guys will be next and receive the Grant that you genuinely qualify for.' Ms Cross was left reeling after being denied a $25,000 government grant to buy her first home by the cruel satellite image technicality. Ms Cross, a 31-year-old flight attendant, was 'shocked and disappointed' after being refused the HomeBuilder grant she was planning to put toward building a $400,000 house in Cairns. The rules said no grants can be paid to an applicant if they built on their block before June 4, 2020. Although she signed for the house and land package in October 2020, and the slab for her home was only laid in January 2021, Queensland authorities rejected her, citing aerial photos of work before June 2020. That was four months before she even owned it. A frustrated Ms Cross, who hasn't been shown the satellite photos, says they can only show work done prior to sale by the developer. It cleared and subdivided the land which was previously cane fields, to make it ready for sale. The Queensland government also rejected at least three of Ms Cross's neighbours on a new Mount Peter estate in Edmonton, Cairns. Ms Cross bought a block on the Mount Peter Estate in Edmonton, south of Cairns, in October 2020 from a developer. But the Queensland government used aerial photos showing the developer sub-divided the land to reject her claim for a $25,000 grant The state government rejected grant applications for several people who bought blocks on Ms Cross's street - Mount Peter Estate in Edmonton, south of Cairns - because it said construction had commenced before June 4, 2020. This photo was taken on September 1, 2020 Ms Cross and her neighbours are far from alone in being turned down for the home grants over building work that had nothing to do with them. Ms Cross is adamant she met the criteria to receive the Federal government's $25,000 HomeBuilder grant. Her developer agreed and wrote a letter supporting her claim. But her appeal was rejected with the government claiming 'excavation and site preparation works on the site on which the new home is located commenced prior to 4 June 2020'. 'I'm shocked and disappointed,' Ms Cross told Daily Mail Australia. 'My neighbours had their grants approved and we're all on the same land, registered at the same time. 'They said they had evidence from satellite photos but theyve never sent me the evidenceI can't get my head around it.' She went ahead and built a $400,000 four-bedroom house on the block but has had to make several sacrifices. Ms Cross had to cancel an overseas holiday for her and her son Jailen, 11, and shelved plans to upgrade her car because the grant was denied. She also cancelled the installation of solar panels on her new home. She feels embarrassed that she 'personally thanked the treasurer Josh Frydenberg for the grant on one of my flights'. 'This grant would have helped me so much. Obviously that was before I was rejected.' Melissa Bloomfield applied for a HomeBuilder grant to build a home on this Redlands block, near Brisbane, but her application was rejected because the Queensland government decided construction had begun before the cut-off date for eligibility Richardson Plant wrote a letter of support stating it had only prepared the ground subdivision as required by law. It didn't start building Ms Cross's home until August 28, 2020. Another woman, disability support worker Melissa Bloomfield, had her grant rejected after she worked extra shifts and spent a year couch-surfing in order to raise a deposit. She bought a unit off the plan in Redlands, south of Brisbane. The Queensland government claimed a satellite image showed the site where her home was built showed construction was underway before June 4, 2020. But the image simply showed a cleared patch of land after the house on it previously had been demolished. 'When I first read the letter I was thinking 'surely not'. I couldn't believe it,' Ms Bloomfield told 9News. 'I was very, very taken aback because I was just waiting for the grant to come through. I thought there was no way it would be rejected.' Mr Calman claimed Queensland is the only state using satellite photos to reject HomeBuilder applications. 'I'm dirty about this, they're just getting it wrong,' Mr Calman told Daily Mail Australia. 'You go to purchase a home-bare block of land if you want to build, the previous people subdivided and cleared the land - that has nothing to do with your purchase. 'But someone in a government department seems to be making the decision that this is enough to reject the grant. 'I'm seeing on other Homebuilder grant pages around Australia and they're approving the applications in a few weeks. The team we're dealing with here are the only state doing this. 'I'm frustrated that we have to go through this garbage when we know we qualify.' He applied for the grant when building his first home, a Southport townhouse, and was rejected. A satellite photo of a vacant Hervey Bay block that Queensland Revenue Office used to justify rejecting an application for a housing grant on the basis that building had commenced Another satellite photo showing what looks like a vacant block that QRO claimed shows construction activity. Angry grant applicants say their blocks were not being built on but had just been cleared by developers or previous owners While 85 people have joined the page he said there are probably hundreds more in the same position. 'I know of a lot more and I'm sure there's a lot I don't know about. Just in my block of 30 townhouses there's 13 people who were knocked back.' He claimed dozens of families have been caught out after taking short-term loans or borrowing money from family to get their deposit together. 'I dont understand what the Queensland state government has got to gain from knocking back a federal grant anyway?' Mr Calman said. 'Is it one person in the office deciding on their own to try and save the federal government some money?' Mr Calman said he'd contacted federal housing minister Michael Sukkar and had no reply. A spokesman for Queensland Revenue Office told Daily Mail Australia the rejected applications are now under review. 'Following a revision by the Commonwealth Government, prompted by the Queensland Government, the Commonwealth has relaxed its guidance allowing a review of previously rejected applications. 'This is in relation to commencement of construction dates and residency requirements. 'This also applies to applicants who may have applications pending.' The brazen attempted gangland hit on bikie boss Tarek Zahed and his brother at a Sydney gym may have been an inside job resulting from an internal power struggle within the Comanchero. Tarek, 41, and his brother Omar, 39, were gunned down in a hail of at least 20 bullets as they left the Bodyfit Gym in Auburn in Sydney's south west on Tuesday night. Omar died at the scene while his older brother was rushed to hospital fighting for life. He was taken into surgery after copping 10 bullets to his head and body, and is now in a serious but stable condition. Police warned the brothers as recently as Thursday that their lives were at risk, however their advice went unheeded. Tarek Zahed (pictured) survived after being shot 10 times by hitmen Tarek (left) and his younger brother Omar (right) were gunned down in a hail of at least 20 bullets as they left the Bodyfit Gym in Auburn in Sydney's south west on Tuesday night A white Audi station wagon was found engulfed in flames nearby, with police investigating its links to the shooting Homicide Squad Commander Detective Superintendent Danny Doherty said police are investigating possible motives for the assassination attempt, refusing to rule out the possibility of an inside job. 'We can't discount an internal conflict,' he told reporters. 'There is opportunities for people to take their place and there's a real power struggle within organised crime organisations.' A second line of inquiry is whether there is any connection to the shooting death of Mahmoud 'Brownie' Ahmad almost two weeks ago. NSW Police Commissioner Karen Webb noted Tarek had a target on his back due to his senior role within underworld crime networks. 'He's a senior member of the Comancheros... Australia's largest criminal organisation,' she said. Takek Zahed (seated) and his brother Omar (standing) were gunned down outside a gym in Sydney's west on Tuesday night. Zahed is now in a stable condition but Omar is now dead Police and paramedics are seen trying to save the two men at the gym on Tuesday night after the shooting - with pools of blood seen across the foyer NSW Police Commissioner Karen Webb noted Tarek had a target on his back due to his senior role within underworld crime networks A police source earlier confirmed the hit on Tarek was considered the 'biggest of the year' in the criminal world. 'Whoever has done this is game to go toe-to-toe with the Comancheros and nobody does that,' they said. Raptor Squad a taskforce of specialist officers responsible for monitoring outlaw criminal groups in NSW will receive a boost of 30 new officers, taking the team to 145, to help fight organised crime. Commissioner Webb said there will be a targeted, intelligence based operation to combat increasing crime rates. 'We're not targeting mums and dads,' she said twice. 'It's a small number of people causing fear and we know who they are.' She insisted police had 'not lost control' of the crime networks and vowed to stop at nothing to ensure the community continues to feel safe and protected. Commissioner Webb noted Tarek was warned just last Thursday about a legitimate threat to his life and was told to leave NSW as soon as possible. 'He went about his usual business, his normal routine.' Police sources claim the Comanchero are in bed with the Alameddine crime family and help to supply the network. By extension, the Alameddines rivals the Hamzy family are considered enemies of the Comancheros. But the Hamzy network is in a world of pain itself as top members have been 'picked off like flies' in recent months. Detectives and forensic investigators remained at the scene of the crime on Wednesday morning, collecting bags of evidence and examining the surrounds. Forensic investigations scour the scene at the Bodyfit Gym in Sydney's Auburn after underworld figures Omar and Tarek Zahed were both shot A Volkswagon GTI sport model remains parked in the cordoned off area of the complex, while more detectives are at a second site several blocks away, believed to be where a burnt out luxury getaway car was found. Bullet holes riddle the entrance of the gym, which is closed for business while the investigation is underway. Police confirmed there are two other crime scenes - one in Berala and another in Greenacre - which are subject to investigations. Burnt out Audis were found at each location within minutes of the hit taking place. A forensic investigator examines evidence outside the Bodyfit Gym in Sydney's Auburn Zahed, 41, is pictured being extradited from Melbourne to Sydney in March, 2021 Female and non-binary Uber drivers have been given the power to refuse to take male passengers. The rideshare service's 'women rider preference' policy came into effect on Wednesday in a bid to encourage a higher number of female drivers. Uber says the policy will provide drivers with 'peace of mind' about who is getting in the car. In Mexico, where the policy is already in place, it led to a 40 per cent increase in female drivers, the company claims. A woman driver is pictured with a male passenger. Rideshare company Uber will now allow women drivers to turn down male passengers But the policy has already come under fire, with Rosalina Pirozzi, president of the Ride Share Drivers' Association of Australia, admitting it could be problematic. 'Whether you're looking at it from the passengers' direction or whether from the drivers' perspective... it could be a bit sexist on both sides,' she said on 3AW radio. However, Ms Pirozzi said female drivers made up just five to 10 per cent of drivers and more would sign up if they felt safer. 'I think women drivers would feel a lot more secure doing the evening peak shifts if they could just pick up female passengers,' she said. 'Intoxicated passengers have always been an issue from a driver's perspective and it continues to be an ongoing issue that nobody seems to be addressing. 'A female driver would feel less likely for their personal space to be intruded with a female passenger on board.' Ms Pirozzi said 'women drivers would feel a lot more secure doing the evening peak shift if they could pick up just female passengers', but that the reverse situation - men being allowed to turn down female passengers - 'is not an option'. Uber's (app pictured) Women Rider Preference allows female drivers to turn down male passengers She said the policy also covered non-binary people because 'they're quite often discriminated against as a driver'. Ms Pirozzi insisted the policy was 'unlikely' to result in a lesser service for men. 'There is actually an excessive amount of drivers, so I don't believe it would actually impact them,' she said. After speaking with Ms Pirozzi, talkback host Neil Mitchell said he could see what Uber was trying to achieve, but wondered if it was legal. 'You're not supposed to discriminate on the basis of gender. Well, that's certainly discriminating on the basis of gender,' he said. 'And I wonder if the female drivers can reject a trans (passenger) who was born male.' A Liberal MP has appeared to confuse her rival Labor candidate with another Asian-Australian politician, sparking calls for her to apologise. Liberal Member for Reid Fiona Martin faced off with Labor's Sally Sitou during a fiery debate on 2GB Radio on Wednesday. But things came to an embarrassing halt when Dr Martin accused Ms Sitou of contesting the seat of Reid because she'd been 'kicked out' of Fowler by Kristina Keneally. A visibly confused Ms Sitou later clarified she'd never intended to run for Fowler, with many speculating Dr Martin was actually referring to Vietnamese-Australian Tu Le, who was fighting for preselection for the seat. Dr Martin has since clarified she was referring to reports from 2018 that Ms Sitou was considered as a candidate for the NSW state seat of Cabramatta which is in the Fowler electorate. Liberal member for Reid Fiona Martin (left) accused Labor candidate Sally Sitou (right) of only running for the seat because she got 'kicked out' of Fowler 'You found an opportunity and you couldn't run in Fowler. Kristina Keneally kicked you out of Fowler too,' Dr Martin said during the debate. Ms Sitou, dumbfounded by the remark, then said: 'Now she's just making things up. That's how ridiculous this debate has gotten. And I'm really sorry your listeners have had to listen to that.' She later shared a tweet demanding Dr Martin apologise. Ms Sitout took to Twitter to clarify she'd never intended to run for Fowler The Labor candidate demanded Ms Martin apologise for her comments 'Earlier today in a candidates' debate, my opponent Fiona Martin accused me of having previously contested preselection in Fowler,' she said. 'I have never sought to run for Fowler. I live in Reid, my son goes to school in Reid, and I am excited by the opportunity to represent my community. 'My opponent either has me confused for a different Asian-Australian, or she is deliberately misleading people. Either way, she should apologise.' There have been more calls for Dr Martin to apologise with Ray Hadley also saying she needed to address the mishap. One voter tweeted: 'Did she confuse her with Tu Le as all Asians literally look alike to her? She must apologise immediately'. Many speculated Dr Martin had confused Ms Sitou for Vietnamese-Australia Tu Le (pictured with Anthony Albanese) Dr Martin told SBS News she was 'referring to media reports that Ms Sitou was in the running for the state seat of Cabramatta in 2018'. She also told the Sydney Morning Herald: 'Sally is a failed state candidate for Cabramatta and she is now seat-shopping in Reid'. The publication reported in June, 2018 that Ms Sitou was among a dozen people touted as a possible candidate for the seat of Cabramatta but she never ran. Ms Sitou was born to Chinese parents who fled Laos following the Vietnam war. Earlier in the debate Dr Martin asked where Ms Sitou lived. When Ms Sitou answered she'd grown up in Cabramatta, Dr Martin shot back saying her childhood was in Reid. The back and forth continued with Ms Sitou pointing out her Liberal rival now lives outside the Reid electorate while she lives in Homebush. 'I grew up in Reid. I went to school at Five Dock and Strathfield ... I've got deep roots in the electorate and I care very much,' Dr Martin said. Ms Sitou was announced as the candidate for Reid in October 2021, while Ms Keneally was confirmed as the candidate for Fowler in September. Ms Le had looked set to represent the Labor stronghold of Fowler in Sydney's west until Senator Keneally declared she wanted the seat for herself - even though she lives 44km away on an island on the wealthy Northern Beaches. The 30-year-old migration lawyer wasn't even told that she was being pushed aside and only found out when she saw reports in the media. An Australian teenager has been charged with accessing and sharing child abuse material after police raided his home following a tip-off from United States authorities. Benjamin Cross, 19, faced court on Wednesday charged with a number of child abuse offences after officers allegedly found abusive material on a number of his electronic devices. Detectives from South Australia's Joint Anti-Child Exploitation Team, comprised of Australian Federal Police (AFP) and SA Police officers, raided the Fleurieu Peninsula home on May 1 and seized multiple devices. Benjamin Cross, 19, faced court on Wednesday charged with a number of online child abuse offences after police raided his South Australian home following a tip from American authorities (stock image) Mr Cross was investigated after the Australian Federal Police (AFP) received a referral from the United States' National Centre for Missing and Exploited Children. The 19-year-old was charged with using a carriage service to access child abuse material, using a carriage service to transmit child abuse material, and possessing or controlling child abuse material obtained or accessed using a carriage service. AFP Detective Acting Superintendent Ben Moses said those who viewed the material were boosting an 'abhorrent' industry and contributing to the abuse of more children. Detectives allegedly found child abuse material on a number of his electronic devices seized in the raid. The 19-year-old was remanded on continuing bail and is set to face court again in July (stock image) 'Our common goal is to protect children, wherever they live, and ensure anyone who tries to harm them is identified and brought before the courts,' Mr Moses said. Police Special Crime Investigation Section Detective Chief Inspector Richard Lambert said the arrest should be a warning to others involved in child exploitation. 'Law enforcement is continually working together every single day, to detect and apprehend offenders,' Mr Lambert said. 'If you continue to be involved in child exploitation, expect to experience a life changing moment when you are detected and arrested by authorities.' South Australian Police prosecutors told the Adelaide Magistrate's Court that detectives needed eight weeks to forensically analyse the seized material, according to The Advertiser. Mr Cross was remanded on continuing bail and is set to face court again in July. His offences carry a maximum penalty of 15 years' imprisonment. A massive proportion of Australia's wine production is up for grabs as the owner of Yellow Tail prepares to sell off 35 vineyards. Casella Family Brands owns popular wines Yellow Tail, Peter Lehmann, Wines, Brand's Laira, and Morris of Rutherglen. Managing director John Casella said his wine empire needed a change of direction and announced the company would sell 7,258 hectares worth of vineyards across NSW and Victoria. Casella Family Brands managing director John Casella has decided his wine empire will sell 7258 hectares worth of famous vineyards across 35 properties in NSW and Victoria The well-known vineyards are in some of Australia's best wine regions including Barossa Valley, Clare Valley, Langhorne and Currency Creek, Limestone Coast, and the Riverina. The new owners of the vineyards will also gain a long-term contract to supply the established brands' wine, water titles, established plants, and equipment. However, not all of the company's vineyards are up for grabs, with Mr Casella holding his treasured plots in Griffith, NSW, and other key regions close by. Casella Family Brands is the proud owner of major wine brands Yellow Tail, Peter Lehmann Wines, Brand's Laira, and Morris of Rutherglen 'The company will continue to source from grape-growers across NSW and South Australia, and the intended sale will not impact these longstanding relationships or contractual agreements in place,' the Casella family said in a statement. 'A long-term sale agreement will ensure Casella retains the wine grapes from these vineyards to ensure ongoing supply for its established brands. 'Some Casella-owned vineyards located in the Riverina and Barossa are not included.' Mr Casella said his business was thriving but he wanted to focus on strengthening his company's image. The properties are based in some of Australia's best wine regions including Barossa Valley, Clare Valley, Langhorne and Currency Creek, Limestone Coast, and the Riverina 'The company is in a sound financial position, having recently experienced global record sales for Yellow Tail during the Covid pandemic,' he said. 'While demand has stabilised, we are forecasting future growth due to ongoing investment in our brands supported by a strategic innovation pipeline. 'The intended strategic partnership will allow us to focus on strengthening our brands globally, and therefore deliver positive outcomes for the Australian wine industry.' Yellow Tail has enjoyed success in the US while other Australian wine brands struggled since heavy tariffs hampered a $1 billion export market in China. Yellow Tail is one of Australia's most recognisable wines and has enjoyed success in the United States while other Australian wines struggle with heavy Chinese tariffs Yellow Tail became one of Australia's most recognisable wines with a colourful wallaby pictured on the front of each bottle. Mr Casella took over the wine empire in 1994 from his Sicilian migrant parents Filippo and Maria Casella, who founded the company in 1969. Just three months ago, Mr Casella bought out Coca Cola Europacific Partners from a shared venture in the Australian Beer Co business. The third leader's debate between Prime Minister Scott Morrison and contender Anthony Albanese will get underway later tonight - with the man behind one of the weirdest moments in Australian politics at centre stage. Veteran political reporter Mark Riley will moderate the debate from 9.10pm on the Seven Network with the two candidates making their final pitches ahead of the May 21 election. If the last debate is anything to go by, the clash will be a loud affair with Mr Morrison and Mr Albanese frequently shouting over each other and Nine's moderator, 60 Minutes reporter Sarah Abo. 'Looking forward to The Final Showdown on the Seven Network on Wednesday night. I wonder if our leaders will play nice?' Mr Riley, the station's political editor, tweeted this week. The mood will likely be in stark contrast to the icy political moment Mr Riley is most well known for - when in 2011 he tried to interview Tony Abbott but the ex-PM refused to speak in a remarkably cringeworthy exchange on Parliament House lawn. The third leader's debate which Mr Riley is moderating will likely be anything but quiet (pictured: the raucous second leader's debate) Then Opposition leader Mr Abbott had taken a trip to Afghanistan months earlier in October 2010 at taxpayer's expense, with an official video surfacing of him talking with troops about the combat death of an Australian lance corporal. 'It's pretty obvious that, well, sometimes s*** just happens, doesn't it?' Mr Abbott tells a US commander. The footage was aired on morning television by Channel 7 with Mr Riley then lining up an afternoon interview with Mr Abbott. In front of a television crew Mr Riley asked him to explain the comments which were widely criticised as 'insensitive'. Mr Riley and Mr Abbott shared one of the weirdest moments in Australian politics with the former PM fronting for an interview but refusing to speak (pictured) But Mr Abbott bizarrely remained tight-lipped refusing to even speak while staring down the reporter. 'Well if it's out of context, tell me what the context is,' Mr Riley asked him. After an another awkward silence the journalist tried to push on. 'You're not saying anything, Tony.' Mr Abbott continued staring at the reporter with the awkward interaction dragging on for almost 30 seconds. 'I've given you the response you deserve,' Mr Abbott finally remarks. Mr Riley was then accused of 'ambushing' the politician but claimed he had lined up the interview with Mr Abbott's press team hours earlier and outlined what he would be asking. The veteran newsman will be hoping tonight's leaders are more amenable to his searching questions. The interview was just one of many bizarre moments for the lycra-loving ironman former PM. He invented a new country after referring to 'Canadia' in a speech that he was giving to Canadians while visiting the country. In 2014 he said locals should vote for Fiona Scott, the candidate for the seat of Lindsey, because she had 'sex appeal'. Mr Riley was interviewing Tony Abbott over 'insensitive' comments he made to a US commander while on a trip to Afghanistan in 2010 (pictured) At the end of that year he claimed that abolishing the carbon tax was the best thing his government had done for women. 'As many of us know, women are particularly focused on the household budget and the repeal of the carbon tax means a $550 a year benefit for the average family,' he said. And in March 2015, he bit into a raw unpeeled onion and appeared to enjoy the taste while touring a farm in Tasmania. Mr Abbott was ousted from his seat of Warringah in the 2019 election by Zali Steggall and has since worked for the British Government's Board of Trade. Chinese VP attends SK president inauguration, showing sincerity in furthering ties amid US Indo-Pacific strategy push By Zhang Han and Wan Hengyi (Global Times) 08:39, May 11, 2022 Chinese Vice President Wang Qishan on Tuesday attended the inauguration of South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol, reflecting China's wish to further relations and cooperate with South Korea to cope with challenges to regional stability and prosperity despite the US' continuous efforts to draw South Korea closer to its geopolitical camp and Indo-Pacific Strategy. Observers have predicted some adjustment and challenges in China-South Korea relations after the power transition in Seoul, considering the US' activities to sow discord and Yoon's remarks of enhancing South Korea's alliance with the US during the election campaign. US President Joe Biden will stop first in South Korea on May 20 during his first Asian trip since taking office to "highlight the US focus on Indo-Pacific," said White House official Kurt Campbell on Monday. Biden will then visit Tokyo and attend a QUAD summit there. The US has been putting much effort on winning over South Korea and engaging Seoul into its geopolitical camp, said Da Zhigang, director of the Institute of Northeast Asian Studies at Heilongjiang Provincial Academy of Social Sciences. Knowing South Korea won't easily join the security pact of QUAD and serve US interests at the expense of its ties with China, the US offered the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF) to attract South Korea, while South Korea is interested in more platforms to communicate with Southeast Asia in regard to trade and supply chains, Da told the Global Times on Tuesday. The IPEF was proposed by the US in October 2021 and is expected to formally launch later this month. The South Korean government has decided to join the IPEF, a decision reflecting its intention to take a leading role in regional trade as an initial member of the framework, Business Korea reported Tuesday. The US' blueprint in the Asia-Pacific is to contain China's development by involving as many regional countries as possible to marginalize China in politics, economy and security. Yet other countries will prioritize their national interests rather than solely serve the US' needs, said Li Haidong, a professor from the Institute of International Relations at the China Foreign Affairs University in Beijing. China welcomes all its neighbors to develop balanced relations with other countries on an equal basis, as long as such relations do not harm China's interests, experts said. Yang Xiyu, a senior research fellow at the China Institute of International Studies, told the Global Times that China doesn't need to form its own camp to counter US' small cliques, but should maintain strategic confidence. "China is committed to building a better model -- a global system featuring equality, openness and win-win cooperation." China and South Korea are facing challenges and opportunities internally and externally, and should forge closer ties to jointly cope with those challenges, contributing Asian wisdom to global governance, experts said. For the new government, the major test is how to make best use of the diplomatic legacy of the Moon Jae-in administration, managing South Korea's foreign relations amid the US-China rivalry, properly handling the increasingly complicated geopolitical realities to maximize South Korea's interests, observers said. Vice President Wang met with Yoon after attending the latter's inauguration. Wang delivered President Xi Jinping's greetings to Yoon and raised suggestions on bilateral relations in the next phase. The two sides should enhance strategic communication and high-level exchanges, deepen practical cooperation in key fields and with third party market, hold more activities to enhance people-to-people friendliness, strengthen communication and coordination on regional and international affairs to safeguard multilateralism and free trade, and cooperate on the Korean Peninsula issue and properly handle sensitive topics, Wang said. Yoon asked Wang to deliver his greetings to Xi. Yoon said South Korea is willing to increase high-level exchanges, enhance cooperation of different areas, and push bilateral relations into a new chapter. Da noted the attendance of such a high-level Chinese official to the inauguration is unprecedented in China-South Korea relations, and fully demonstrates China's sincerity in further developing ties. Yoon's tone on many topics in his inauguration speech was softer than in his election campaign. It may take one to two months to observe Yoon's policy based on not only his remarks but also the new government's deeds, Da said. But as long as the two countries uphold the principle of mutual respect, wisely handle sensitive topics and push forward cultural exchanges to enhance mutual understanding, relations will remain stable, the expert said. (Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Liang Jun) Vicky White, a prison officer who appeared to have shot herself after allegedly assisting a dangerous criminal in escaping, was set to receive an "employee of the year" award next week, according to reports. After pulling off an escape from the Lauderdale County Jail, the Alabama jail officer, a 56-year-old divorcee, spent ten days on the run with Casey Cole White (no related). An Indiana coroner said she died on Monday from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Award For Alabama Jail Officer Vicky White Still Underway Authorities apprehended her former charge alive. Vicky White's motivation for reportedly assisting the felon is unknown, with some speculating on a loving involvement while others fearing she was intimidated or blackmailed in some manner. It's uncertain if the ceremony will continue as planned, with Vicky White receiving her award posthumously or, more likely, being removed from the category until authorities figure out exactly what role she had in Casey White's escape. Following US Marshal Martin Keely's allegation that Casey White requested authorities to aid his wife after his capture, leading to suspicion that the two had married while on the run, Vicky White was awarded corrections employee of the year. They're not married to our knowledge, Keely added. "Y'all assist my wife, she shot herself in the head and I didn't do it," Casey White said as he was detained, according to The Associated Press. Vicky White was previously married to a guy whom she divorced in 1991. This year, her spouse passed away. Casey White was serving a 75-year sentence for a series of crimes committed in 2015, including a home invasion and a carjacking, and he also faces two counts of capital murder after slashing 59-year-old Connie Ridgeway in the same year, Newsweek via MSN reported. Read Also: Johnny Depp's Lawyer Appears Thrilled After Amber Heard Mentions Kate Moss; How Will the Alleged Reference Help the Trial? Escape of Casey White With Vicky White Expected Not to Last Long According to John Moriarty, a retired inspector general for the Texas Department of Criminal Justice who has examined other inmate escape cases, including ones in which an inmate was assisted by a correctional officer, escape plans normally don't extend far beyond the walls of a prison or jail. Vicky White, the detention center's second-in-command, "arranged the van transport that morning, making sure all the other armed deputies were out of the facility and tied up in court," according to Singleton. When she informed the booking officer, the assistant director, that she was going to take him to court and hand him off with other staff, she knew she wouldn't be questioned. A sheriff's office spokeswoman told CNN that the SUV was hauled to the property the day the couple vanished after the Williamson County Sheriff's Office discovered it abandoned and locked with no tags or identifying information. Singleton stated during a press briefing on Friday that the couple may have ditched the Ford Edge due to mechanical issues. There was nothing inside. Whatever the motive for abandoning it, William Sorukas Jr., the retired chief of the US Marshals Service's Investigative Operations Division, told CNN that the vehicle's condition and location are revealing. Before the duo was caught, he added that fugitives frequently abandon a vehicle at an airport or a huge shopping center parking lot, where it may not be detected for some time. Vicky and Casey White's SUV was abandoned in the middle of a remote location, implying that they had to "change whatever plans they had of where they were going or how they were going." Vicky White and Casey White spent $6,000 on a Ford F-150 in Tennessee, according to US Marshals Commander Chad Hunt. Where they went next is unknown though Casey White has been very frank with detectives since his arrest, according to Dave Wedding, sheriff of Indiana's Vanderburgh County, as per CNN. Related Article: Missing Alabama Jail Guard Vicky White Hospitalized After Police Chase, Murder Suspect Casey White Arrested @YouTube @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. The family of Ian Thorpe's former long-term boyfriend Ryan Channing have vowed to seek answers following the successful businessman's sudden death in Bali at the age of 32. Channing, a model, lawyer and skincare brand creator from Perth, Western Australia, was rushed to a local hospital on Sunday, where he later died. He was based in Australia but regularly flew to the Indonesian holiday isle and Los Angeles for business. Channing shared a close bond with his younger brother Jake, who confirmed the shock death of his 'beautiful big brother' in an emotional tribute on Wednesday. He ended the post stressing that Ryan's death wasn't Covid-related after he recently contracted contracted the virus. 'Seeing as the news headlines beat my whole family to posting about this unfortunate time in our lives, it's with a heavy heart I announce that my brother Ryan has recently passed away on Sunday the 8th of May at 32 years of age,' Jake wrote. 'As we seek answers and try come to terms with the heartbreaking loss of my beautiful big brother, we ask for your prayers, support and privacy, he will be forever loved, never forgotten and forever young. 'To my big brother, I love you, I'll see you one day soon you'll be missed more than you know.' Jake Channing (left) has confirmed the shock passing of his beloved brother Ryan (right) Ian Thorpe's (right) ex-boyfriend Ryan Channing (left) has died suddenly while in Bali Ryan Channing's shattered family have vowed to seek answers of his shock death Their Perth-based sister Charis wrote: 'Saying goodbye to you on Sunday was the hardest thing my family and I have ever had to do. 32 years young, you're gone too soon. 'As we seek answers and try come to terms with the heartbreaking loss of my brother, we ask for your prayers, support and privacy. 'I know you will be looking down on us and we love you lots.' Charis also shared the tribute on her Instagram stories with the caption 'Heartbroken'. A friend told News Corp that Channing, a successful businessman, had been 'battling health issues' for some time. 'Everyone is distraught,' one close friend said. 'It is just so sad and everyone is shocked.' Channing was the first long term boyfriend of former Olympic swimming champion Thorpe after coming out as gay. The pair were in an on-again, off-again relationship for four years until they split for good in 2019. A friend said that Channing had been 'battling health issues' for some time. Pictured right is his final post taken from hospital when he had Covid Thorpe and Channing both advocated for equality and gay marriage in Australia Charis Channing (left) says she's heartbroken over the loss of her brother Ryan (right) Channing's last Instagram post was a photo from Sydney's St Vincent's Hospital eight weeks ago after testing positive to the virus. 'Covid got me GEWD (good)', he told his 21,000 followers. However, it's not clear whether the virus or its after effects may have played any role in his sudden death. A representative for Thorpe said his thoughts were with Ryan's family. Channing was most recently running a skincare company The Blaq Group, which he founded and owns brands Blaq, Flight Mode and Generation Skin. 'Generating millions of annual unit sales in both Australia and internationally across his three brands, Ryan has earnt his reputation as one of Australia's most influential ecommerce entrepreneurs,' his LinkedIn bio states. Last July he revealed he was filming a pilot for a new reality show on Netflix in Los Angeles, called The Skintrepreneurs, which would follow his business activities. Channing was a model who spent time living and working abroad in New York, Paris and Milan before going to university to study commerce, marketing, intellectual property and international law. He said his time in the modelling industry gave him an eye opening insight into the beauty industry and what consumers want in a beauty product. Jake Channing (right) said his devastated family is seek answers and try come to terms with the heartbreaking loss of his beautiful big brother Ryan (left) Channing was Thorpe's first official boyfriend after coming out as gay in an interview with Michael Parkinson following years of speculation Channing and the swimming champ were together on and off for four years before calling it quits in mid-June Channing has worked as a lawyer and model, and owned his own skincare brand LIFE AND TIMES OF RYAN CHANNING 2015: Ryan Channing starts dating Australian Olympic champion Ian Thorpe In an interview from 2016, Channing described how easy it was for him to come out to his parents. 'I was actually very lucky with my experience as I never really had to come out,' he told Guys Like U. 'I used to bring my gay friends over to our family home and after a while my mum started to notice that my friends were gay and one day she asked me if I was like them. 'I have to admit, I was a slightly anxious about the question, but when she asked I simply said ''yes''.' 2015-2017: Channing works as a lawyer in both Sydney and Paris November, 2016: Channing stars his own skincare company Blaq before founding The Blaq Group in 2018 He now sells gender-neutral products made from natural ingredients all over the world Early 2019: Thorpe and Channing reveal they are hoping to have a baby through a surrogate in the US June, 2019: Channing reveals the pair have split. He was Thorpe's first boyfriend after he came out in an interview in 2014 2021: Channing comes in at 32 on Australia's Top 100 Young Entrepreneurs list May, 2022: Friends confirm Channing has passed away in Bali Advertisement He was best known to most Australians for his relationship with Thorpe, one of the country's greatest ever Olympians. At one point in their relationship, Channing and Thorpe were actively considering having a child via surrogacy. When discussing their plans to have a baby in 2019, Channing told Daily Mail Australia: 'Becoming parents is something that Ian and myself would love to make happen. 'Unfortunately the laws in Australia are difficult for same sex males in regards to surrogacy - California state law has really progressed in this space which makes it the best option legally. 'Something I would love to see progress further in Australia so same sex couples don't have to travel abroad to achieve their family goals.' Channing founded his skincare business in 2018, aiming to provide gender-neutral products that were all Australian-made and natural. He was dubbed one of Australia's most influential ecommerce entrepreneurs when he took his business international to the US and Europe. Channing was a successful businessman and revealed last year he was working on a pilot for a new reality TV show In an interview with Dynamic Business in 2020, Channing said his work as a model taught him the importance of self care. 'I wanted the products to be approachable for anyone, to be inclusive of both genders as we all face the same skin-concern in one way or another,' he said. He credited his success to 'pure hustle and not giving up because one door said no'. A year after splitting with Thorpe, Channing revealed in June, 2020 he was engaged to engineer Leevon Baptiste. Do you know more? Email eliza.mcphee@mailonline.com Advertisement The head of the World Health Organization, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, has finally criticised China's Zero Covid strategy and urged it to change its policy The head of the World Health Organization has finally criticised China's Zero Covid strategy and urged it to change its policy, as millions in Shanghai enter their seventh and most brutal week of lockdown yet. In a rare rebuke of the Communist party, which is one of the biggest financial contributors to the health agency, WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the strategy was unsustainable. 'As we all know, the virus is evolving, changing its behaviours, becoming more transmissible,' he said. 'With that changing behaviour, changing your measures will be very important. 'When we talk about the zero-Covid strategy, we don't think it's sustainable.' He added: 'Considering the behaviour of the virus I think a shift [in China's strategy] will be very important.' The WHO had previously been slammed as too 'China-centric' during the pandemic and was accused of failing to publicly challenge Chinese misinformation in early 2020. Chinese censors have already censored Dr Tedros' comments, with searches for the hashtags 'Tedros' and 'WHO' on the popular Weibo social media platform displaying no results. Users of the WeChat app have also been unable to share articles posted on an official United Nations health agency's account. Official Chinese modelling used to justify sticking to Zero Covid has warned that ditching it now would unleash a 'tsunami' of infections and kill 1.6million people this summer. It came as most of the 25million people living in Shanghai prepared for the most severe phase of lockdown as the state doggedly pursues the virus-elimination strategy. In an attempt to achieve 'societal zero', when no Covid cases are reported outside quarantine facilities, Shanghai officials will over the next few days stop commercial food deliveries and non-emergency hospital visits. More than 40 Chinese cities are under full or partial lockdown measures, according to estimates by the Japanese firm Nomura. China has spent the last two years slamming the West for overseeing so many virus deaths, which makes it politically difficult for the Chinese Government to move away from the Zero Covid policy. China has recorded more than 760,000 new Covid cases since the ultra-infectious Omicron variants broke through China's super-strict restrictions in March - although there are doubts about the reliability of the data. That figure includes semi-autonomous Hong Kong There have been just 550 deaths, but Western scientists are sceptical about that figure Around 90 per cent of the population nationwide has been vaccinated, but China is relying on subpar homegrown vaccines that have been shown to be virtually useless at stopping Omicron from spreading and offer little protection against severe disease compared to the Western mRNA jabs Figures suggest as few as a third of the more vulnerable - those over 60 - have had a booster, although the overall figure is closer to 50 per cent Residents line up for mass COVID testing on Wednesday, May 11, 2022, in Beijing. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan) Members of the Blue Sky Rescue Team disinfect a residential community during the phased lockdown triggered by the COVID-19 outbreak on April 24, 2022 in Shanghai, China Dr Tedros' comments were echoed by Mike Ryan, the WHO's emergencies chief, who said all pandemic control actions should 'show due respect to individual and human rights'. Countries need to 'balance the control measures, the impact on society, the impact on the economy. That is not always an easy calibration to make,' Dr Ryan said. China is one of the last remaining countries to cling onto the virus elimination strategy that was ditched months ago by the likes of South Korea, Australia, New Zealand and Singapore. It means China is still sending every Covid case and their close contact to centralised quarantine facilities and sealing off entire apartment blocks or streets in the event of a single positive test. China has recorded more than 760,000 new Covid cases and around 550 deaths since the ultra-infectious Omicron variants broke through China's super-strict restrictions in March - although there are doubts about the reliability of the data. The Government has maintained the strategy is the best way forward after official modelling claimed that ditching the policy would see Omicron kill 1.6million people between now and July. Researchers at Shanghai's Fudan University made the projections in a study published in the scientific journal Nature. They said even the milder Omicron variant could spark a deadly wave because of China's low vaccine uptake among older groups and reliance on less effective jabs. Around 90 per cent of the population nationwide has been vaccinated, but figures suggest as few as a third of the more vulnerable - those over 60 - have had a booster. China is relying on subpar homegrown vaccines that have been shown to be virtually useless at stopping Omicron from spreading and offer little protection against severe disease compared to the Western mRNA jabs. Meanwhile, the WHO's remarks about China's Covid strategy prompted China's army of internet censors to race to snuff out his comments. Dragged away: Authorities in hazmat suits manhandle a resident in Shanghai Economic impact of China's current zero-Covid policy is TEN TIMES worse than the initial 2020 wave in Wuhan The hit on China's economy from its latest Covid-19 outbreak is more than 10 times that of 2020 when the Wuhan outbreak forced the country into lockdown for the first time, according to a leading Chinese economics professor. China has pursued a strict 'zero-Covid' policy which has involved some of the most restrictive health measures seen anywhere in the world, including food rationing and indefinite lockdowns. Disruptions have already cost China 18 trillion yuan (US$2.68 trillion), according to Xu Jianguo, associate professor of economics at the National School of Development in Peking University. The Wuhan outbreak in 2020 affected 13 million people and caused 1.7 trillion yuan worth of economic damage, he said on a webinar. China has set 5.5 percent as a target for economic growth this year, but Jianguo doubts the country will even be able to match its 2020 growth of 2.3 percent. The Chinese Communist Party has been censoring online criticism of the policy. Advertisement A social media hashtag about the WHO's comments, which had been a rallying point for lively online discussion, appeared to have been blocked by mid-morning. Before they were expunged from the internet, comments had questioned Zero Covid, with one saying 'even the WHO's Tedros has now changed his stance'. Another wrote: 'Will our government listen to the WHO director general's recommendations?' Hu Xijin, the influential former editor of Chinese state tabloid Global Times, slammed the comments in a message to his 24 million Weibo followers, saying 'in the end, the WHO's attitude isn't important'. On Monday, vice-premier Sun Chunlan reminded disease control officials of the political imperatives attached to Zero Covid. It is necessary to 'create the conditions for the victorious convening of the 20th Party Congress', she said, according to state news agency Xinhua. Meanwhile, the daily number of new cases in Shanghai reported on Wednesday had fallen to less than 1,500, down from a peak of 26,000 in mid-April. Official notices from local committees of the ruling Communist Party, seen by the BBC, show the city is about to go into a 'silent period' for the next three days to try and squash the outbreak to zero cases. These include only allowing basic government food deliveries, not allowing residents to go outside their front door for any reason and requiring approval from local authorities before being allowed to access hospitals. Footage on social media also shows extreme disinfection taking place inside homes where people have been removed after testing positive. Residents have in some cases been ordered to leave their keys with a community volunteer when they are taken to quarantine so disinfectant workers can get in, a new requirement that has no apparent legal basis. Rare anti-Government protests have broken out in Shanghai in recent weeks, with the state relying on military force to shut them down. Along with the human cost, the adherence to 'Zero COVID' as many other countries loosen restrictions and try to live with the virus is exacting a growing economic toll. However, the party under leader Xi Jinping shows no sign of backing off amid efforts to ensure stability and shore up its authority ahead of a major party congress this fall. The WHO has said China's death toll stands at just over 15,000 and the Johns Hopkins University of Medicine Coronavirus Resource center offers a figure of 14,538. Those figures combine mainland China's deaths with those in the semi-autonomous region of Hong Kong, which has recorded almost 10,000 fatalities despite tight restrictions, and in self-governing Taiwan. In the capital Beijing, residents have been ordered to undergo mass testing in a bid to prevent a major outbreak like that in Shanghai. The city, which reported 37 new cases on Wednesday, has locked down individual buildings and residential compounds, shut about 60 subway stations and banned dining at restaurants, allowing only takeout and delivery. Barnaby Joyce has yet again failed to correctly pronounce Anthony Albanese's name during a major speech on the campaign trail. The deputy prime minister trashed Labor's climate and resources policies in a fiery address to the National Press Club in Canberra on Wednesday. But every one of the more than a dozen times he invoked the opposition leader's name, he referred to him as 'Alba-nays', as if it rhymed with mayonnaise. Mr Albanese has pronounced his last name several different ways throughout his career, but none of them were what Mr Joyce repeatedly uttered. The Nationals leader has made a habit of mispronouncing Mr Albanese's name, consistently butchering in all his speeches and interviews. Mr Joyce also had to pause his speech to staunch an ill-timed nosebleed, shoving tissues against his face until he was able to continue. Barnaby Joyce (pictured) had to pause a major speech on Wednesday to deal with a bloody nose 'I know you're going to get 1,001 photos of me with a Kleenex in my nose, congratulations,' he said after being handed a tissue by Nationals colleague, Keith Pitt. One of the reporters present commented that politics is a 'blood sport'. Mr Jouyce's speech strongly criticised China, addressed the threat to the Coalition from independents, promised help to the manufacturing sector, and denied the Nationals' stance on climate change is damaging the Liberal vote in inner city seats. He warned the threat posed by China in the South Pacific - such as it's recent military cooperation deal with Solomon Islands - was the same as Japan's island-hopping tactic in World War II. 'China is now utilising the same tactical positioning and it is imperative in this campaign that the Australian people are fully aware of this. It is not alarmism,' he said. It is a reality, and we have to be awake to it. 'It is quite obvious through their desire to have military bases, they are starting a process of encircling Australia and there is a wish, at the very least, to intimidate or to supplicate Australia.' Labor leader Anthony Albanese (pictured) is used to having his surname mangled by Barnaby Joyce as 'Alba-nays' as if it rhymes with mayonnaise Deputy Prime Minister and Nationals leader Barnaby Joyce addresses the National Press Club in Canberra on Wednesday He said Australia's merchant fleet would be expanded under a Coalition push to maintain regional sovereignty in the midst of Pacific instability. 'Australia has a maritime vulnerability. We are surrounded by sea. If you can stop imports and exports into Australia, you can stop Australia,' he said. Mr Joyce said the Coalition, if reelected, would review income tax exemptions with shipowners to ensure they can compete with overseas competitors. Other possible changes would include lowering thresholds for hiring foreign workers. Mr Joyce also used his speech to slam the independents running in several seats against Liberal incumbents such as Treasurer Josh Frydenberg. He accused them of having a sense of entitlement and said they were worse than Labor, 'telling us they are unique and righteous, but are actually the precursor to chaos'. Barnaby Joyce is pictured dabbing his nose after it started bleeding during a speech he gave in Canberra on Wednesday "I think people are starting to see a difference" Deputy Prime Minister @Barnaby_Joyce when asked whether last week's budget was responsible for the Coalition's lift in the polls. pic.twitter.com/K9oSAetn0S Sunrise (@sunriseon7) April 3, 2022 The Nationals leader accused independents of pursuing 'what suits them at the expense of those who bind and stick to their party for the greater good. 'In essence, it is one word selfish, with possibly a sentiment of entitlement residing below this.' Mr Joyce added that 'It is also fundamentally dishonest because they never disclose which side they would support if the vote came down to them (in a hung parliament).' He denied the Nationals' stance on climate change and coal exports is damaging the Coalition vote in inner city seats needed to form government. Mr Joyce said supporting coal mines while agreeing to setting net zero emissions by 2050 as a target is practical. 'What (Labor) have talked about is "in transition" and in regional areas transition is read as unemployment,' he said. 'We have an honourable position and a logical position.' Barnaby Joyce slammed independents such as Monique Ryan (right), who is running against Treasurer Josh Frydenberg (left) in the seat of Kooyong for being 'fundamentally dishonest' by not saying which side they would support in the event of a hung parliament He also said strong international demand for coal propped up Australia's budget. 'We have a safeguard mechanism. It's like the ceiling... to stop (emissions) going through the roof,' he said. '(Labor) are going to bring the ceiling down to about head level for tall people and ... 215 of them will bolt their heads on the fans and the lights and there will be a new tax placed on them.' Such a position on coal to retain Nationals seats would not cause the Coalition to lose government, Mr Joyce said. 'We've got to make sure our nation earns as much money as possible and you can't do that if we shut down our coal industry,' he said. 'You see what we intend to do and you see how we intend to pay for it.' The Deputy PM also announced $132million in grants for the manufacturing sector to boost regional economies if the Liberal-National government retains power. Advertisement An air traffic controller printed out a picture of a plane's cockpit controls to help a passenger with no flight experience land the plane in Florida so he could visit his pregnant wife. Robert Morgan, who has worked in the industry for 20 years, was on his break Tuesday afternoon reading a book outside after switching shifts with a colleague, when he received an emergency call that a passenger with no flight experience was trying to land a flight safely after the pilot suffered a medical emergency and fell unconscious. Morgan had never flown the Cessna 208 Caravan plane before, WBPF reports, but is an FAA-certified flight instructor with around 1,200 hours of flying time under his belt. He quickly decided to print out a layout of the cockpit, which he used to guide the passenger through the steps of flying and landing the plane as he struggled with the navigation system. But soon, the flight from Leonard M. Thompson International Airport in Marsh Harbor, the Bahamas, landed at its destination at the Palm Beach International Airport in Florida. 'I just feel like it was probably meant to happen,' Morgan told the news station. 'I knew the plane was flying like any other plane. I just had to keep him calm, point him to the runway and tell him how to reduce the power so he could descend to land. 'Before I knew it, he was like, ''I'm on the ground. How do I turn this thing off?'' Once he landed, Morgan said, he ran out to meet the passenger - who has not yet been identified - and the two hugged on the tarmac. 'It felt really good to help somebody, and he told me that he was going to go home tonight to see his pregnant wife.' Air traffic controller Robert Morgan, right, printed out a picture of a Cessna 208 Caravan plane to help guide a passenger through the steps of flying and landing the plane as he struggled with the navigation system Tuesday afternoon Morgan had never flown a Cessna 208 Caravan plane, he later revealed, but is an FAA-certified flight instructor with around 1,200 hours of flying time under his belt The Cessna 208 Caravan is seen coming in to land on Tuesday at Palm Beach airport The passenger didn't even know how to turn the navigation system on, and did not know the plane's location other than 'off the Florida coast' The flight path of the Cessna 208 Caravan, piloted by a passenger, is displayed hereby flgithradar24. The passenger turned south and flew roughly 70 miles towards Boca Raton before heading north again to land at Palm Beach International Air traffic control recordings have revealed just how tense the situation was as the unnamed passenger with no flying experience tried to safely landed the Cessna light aircraft - a feat that one JetBlue pilot said was 'nothing short of a miracle.' In the audio, obtained by DailyMail.com, the passenger could be heard telling air traffic control in Fort Pierce, while flying over the Florida coastline around 70 miles north of his destination. 'My pilot has gone incoherent. I have no idea how to fly the airplane.' An air traffic control agent then replied: 'Roger. What's your position?' The passenger replied: 'I have no idea. I can see the coast of Florida in front of me. And I have no idea.' The audibly shocked air traffic controller in Fort Pierce then told the passenger that he would try and locate the plane when the emergency call came through over his radio. 'Maintain wings level and just try to follow the coast, either north or southbound,' the controller said. 'We're trying to locate you.' For the next four minutes, audio showed the passenger remained remarkably calm as he tried to work out what to do and wait for the air traffic controller to find his aircraft. 'Have you guys located me yet?' he asked after a while. 'I can't even get my nav screen to turn on. It has all the information on it. You guys have any ideas on that?' The man was eventually found flying off the coast of Boca Raton, and Morgan, at the Palm Beach airport, eventually managed to talk him down as he guided him on how to land the plane. air traffic control at Palm Beach airport managed to talk him down, guiding him how to land the plane. Air traffic controller Robert Morgan, who printed out a layout of the cockpit and used it to guide the passenger through the steps of flying and landing the plane. Morgan has worked as an air traffic controller for 20 years and is an FAA certified flight instructor with around 1200 hours of flying time under his belt Do you know the brave passenger who landed the plane? Contact newsUS@dailymail.com Advertisement The landing was a little wobbly, but ultimately safe and successful according to air traffic control, who were clearly astounded at the passenger's ability to settle the plane on the runway with no prior experience whatsoever. 'You just witnessed a couple passengers land that plane,' the dumbfounded air traffic controller said over the radio. Another pilot on the runway said: 'Did you say the passengers landed the plane?' 'That's correct,' control responded. 'Oh, my gosh. Great job!' The pilot, who remained unconscious was later taken to the hospital as a result of the unknown illness. His condition remains unknown. An aviation expert told CNN it is not uncommon for small turboprop airplanes such as the Cessna 208 Caravan to fly with only one pilot, particularly when the flights are private. An FAA spokesperson confirmed they were investigating the incident and said the pilot suffered a 'possible medical issue' - though did not provide further details on his condition. The pilot was taken to hospital, and the passenger safely made it off the plane The small aircraft can be seen on the tarmac at Palm Beach airport, having successfully landed Justin Dalmolin, a JetBlue pilot, was told to delay his takeoff to give the unnamed Cessna passenger space and time to land the plane. 'The level of difficulty that this person had to deal with in terms of having zero flight time to fly and land a single engine turbine aircraft is absolutely incredible,' said an amazed Dalmolin. He told ABC 25: 'The incredible part is not just flying the aircraft but obviously the most difficult thing which is configuring the aircraft for approach and landing. And then landing it, and that to me, for a zero time pilot. 'I remember my first days when I first started flight training, I was white-knuckled and sweating for my first ten hours of training.' Dalmolin said it was lucky it was daylight so the passenger at the wheel could see where he was going because it would have been extremely difficult if it the saga had unfolded overnight or in heavy fog. 'You know it's nothing short of a miracle and I'm really glad for them and their families they had such a great outcome,' said Dalmolin. John Nance, an aviation expert, also told ABC 25 that the landing of such a complex plane by someone without any flying history was a remarkable feat. 'This is the first time I've ever heard of one of these being landed by somebody that has no aeronautical experience,' Nance said. 'The person on the airplane who had no aeronautical experience listened very carefully and obviously followed instructions with great calm. 'That's what made the difference.' Do you know the brave passenger who landed the plane? Contact newsUS@dailymail.com Advertisement A new federal report revealed that over the course of 150 years more than 500 Native American children died at government and church run boarding schools with many of them buried in unmarked graves on campus grounds. On Wednesday an Interior Department report uncovered that between 1819 and 1969 more than 500 students died at 408 U.S operated Native American boarding schools across 37 statesor territories, many of them in Oklahoma, Arizona and New Mexico. The department has so far identified at least 53 burial sites at or near boarding schools, a figure expected to grow exponentially as research continues, including 33 marked burial sites, six unmarked burial sites and 14 both marked and unmarked burial sites present at a school location. Native Americans children pictured swinging in the playground at the Phoenix Indian Industrial School in an undated photograph Native American students from the Santa Fe Indian School in Los Angeles pictured on burros in 1900 The entire student body of the Carlisle Indian School in Pennsylvania pose in front of the Superintendent's House in 1885 Young female students are pictured playing with blocks at Fort Yuma Indian Boarding School in an undated photograph The Interior Department said they will not reveal the specific locations of burial sites in order to avoid 'well-documented' grave-robbing and vandalism to Indian burial sites. The report was commissioned last June by Interior Secretary Deb Haaland, who is Laguna, to investigate the troubled legacy of boarding schools and uncover the truth about the government's role in them. 'It is my priority to not only give voice to the survivors and descendants of federal Indian boarding school policies, but also to address the lasting legacies of these policies so Indigenous Peoples can continue to grow and heal,' she said. The U.S. government directly ran some of the boarding schools, while Catholic, Protestant and other churches operated others with federal funding that were backed by U.S. laws and policies to 'civilize' Native Americans. The boarding schools operated for 150 years and sought to assimilate Indigenous children into white society. The children were forcefully removed from their families and once at the schools were made to cut their long hair, banned from speaking their own languages and many were both physically and sexually abused. A second volume of the report will cover burial sites as well as the federal governments financial investment in the schools and the impacts of the boarding schools on Indigenous communities, the Interior Department said. The initial report was prompted after an indigenous group in Canada's Saskatchewan province said it had found the unmarked graves of 751 people at a now-defunct Catholic residential school where tribal children were 'assimilated' into society last June. The dark history of the boarding schools has been felt deeply across Indian Country and through generations. Many children never returned home, and the Interior Department said that with further investigation the number of known student deaths could climb to the thousands or even tens of thousands and that the number of schools identified could change as more data is gathered. The causes included illness, accidental injuries and abuse, officials say. Scores of Native American children line up outside for opening day ay Mt Pleasant Indian Industrial Boarding School on June 30, 1893 An undated photograph of young female students seated with sewing machines in a classroom at the Phoenix Indian Industrial School Students are photographed gathered outside of the Albuquerque Indian School in 1885 The report was commissioned by Interior Secretary Deb Haaland (pictured) to investigate the troubled legacy of boarding schools and the government's role in them 'Each of those children is a missing family member, a person who was not able to live our their purpose on this earth because they lost their lives as part of this terrible system,' Haaland, whose paternal grandparents were sent to boarding school for several years as kids, said. The boarding school era perpetuated poverty in Indigenous communities, loss of wealth, mental health disorders, substance abuse and premature deaths, Haaland said at a news conference Wednesday, choking back tears. 'Recognizing the impacts of the federal Indian boarding school system cannot just be a historical reckoning,' she said. 'We must also chart a path forward to deal with these legacy issues.' The agency - with the help of many Indigenous people who had to work through their own trauma and pain - has poured through tens of thousands of boxes containing millions of pages of records. But accounting for the number of deaths has been difficult because records werent always kept and the coronavirus pandemic and budget restrictions hindered some of the research over the last year, Bryan Newland, the Interior Department's assistant secretary for Indian Affairs, said. Accounting for the whereabouts of children who died has been difficult because records werent always kept. Ground penetrating radar has been used in some places to search for remains. The National Native American Boarding School Healing Coalition, which created an early inventory of the schools, has said Interiors work will be an important step for the U.S. in reckoning with its role in the schools but noted that the agencys authority is limited. Later this week, a U.S. House subcommittee will hear testimony on a bill to create a truth and healing commission modeled after one in Canada. Several church groups are backing the legislation. Elon Musk recklessly misled investors when he said that funding was 'secured' to take Tesla private, a court has ruled. The Tesla CEO claimed in August 2018 that the Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF) had agreed to finance the company's move private. 'Am considering taking Tesla private at $420', he wrote on August 7. 'Funding secured.' Tesla CEO Elon Musk (pictured at last week's Met Gala) tweeted inaccurately and recklessly about his company's readiness to go private, a US District Judge ruled in unsealed documents That led the company's shares to jump by six per cent. But Musk's claims weren't true, according to Wall Street regulator the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) - and, now, a US District Court in San Francisco. Judge Edward Chen wrote last month, according to files unsealed today: 'There was nothing concrete about funding coming from the PIF. 'Rather, discussions between Tesla and the PIF were clearly at the preliminary stage. 'No reasonable jury could find that Mr. Musk did not act recklessly given his clear knowledge of the discussions.' He said details such as the total amount of funding needed to take Tesla private or the price to be paid for Tesla stock were not discussed. No deal between Musk and Saudi investors was ultimately made. Judge Edward Chen (pictured) said Musk had willfully misrepresented the state of negotiations with potential Saudi investors Musk later clarified that he had simply been in discussions with Saudi Arabia's PIF and felt confident that funding would come through at his proposed price. Musk's controversial claim on August 7 prompted the SEC to sue the CEO for securities fraud. Tesla was also charged with failing to require disclosure controls and procedures relating to its CEO's tweets. Musk was forced to step down as chair of Tesla's board of directors and pay a $40million settlement. To this day, his tweets are carefully watched by Tesla staff to prevent him doing the same. The settlement dictated 'additional controls and procedures to oversee Musk's communications'. Tesla investors who are accusing Musk of habitually inflating Tesla's share price with eye-grabbing public statements see Judge Chen's ruling as a victory. World's richest man Musk (pictured last month at the TED2022 conference in Canada) settled with Wall Street regulator the SEC for $40million after he was charged with securities fraud Bringing lawsuits of their own, the aggrieved investors blame billions of dollars in losses on gyrations in the share price caused by Musk's tweets. Their suit is heading to trial in January just as is trying to close a deal to buy Twitter. Musk's lawyer, who has filed motions to undo the court decision, was not immediately available for comment. Musk told an audience at last month's TED2022 conference in Canada that funding was indeed secured to take Tesla private in 2018. He said: 'The SEC knew that funding was secured but they pursued an active, public investigation nonetheless at the time. Tesla was in a precarious financial situation.' Musk's lawyer Alex Spiro also said of the investors' lawsuits last month: 'Nothing will ever change the truth, which is that Elon Musk was considering taking Tesla private and could have. 'All that's left some half decade later is random plaintiffs' lawyers trying to make a buck and others trying to block that truth from coming to light all to the detriment of free speech.' Adam Apton of Levi & Korsinsky, lead counsel for the plaintiff Tesla shareholders, said after Judge Chen's remarks: 'We look forward to proving the rest of our case at trial and recovering damages on behalf of the class.' Musk, 50, who is in the process of a hostile takeover bid for Twitter, told the TED conference he felt forced into the deal with the SEC to save Tesla. 'I was told by the banks that if I did not agree to settle with the SEC, that the banks would cease providing working capital and Tesla would go bankrupt immediately,' Musk said. 'That's like having a gun to your child's head. So I was forced to concede to the SEC unlawfully those bastards.' Though Twitter's board initially attempted to block Musk's bid to buy the tech giant, leading members include co-founder Jack Dorsey have since come around to the deal, which is worth $44billion. After Musk said he would reinstate Donald Trump's Twitter account, Mr Dorsey threw his weight behind the decision and described Trump's suspension as a 'mistake'. Speaking at a Financial Times conference on the future of cars, Musk said: 'I do think it was not correct to ban Donald Trump.' The Tesla founder said Dorsey, who was CEO until November 2021, agreed with him. 'I do agree,' Dorsey tweeted, pointing out that he supported bans for sharing content such as child sexual exploitation (CSE), but not generally. 'There are exceptions (CSE, illegal behaviour, spam or network manipulation, etc), but generally permanent bans are a failure of ours and don't work, which I wrote about here after the event (and called for a resilient social media protocol).' Dorsey then linked to his January 13, 2021, tweet in which he defended the decision. 'I do not celebrate or feel pride in our having to ban @realdonaldtrump from Twitter, or how we got here,' Dorsey said at the time. 'After a clear warning wed take this action, we made a decision with the best information we had based on threats to physical safety both on and off Twitter. 'I believe this was the right decision for Twitter. We faced an extraordinary and untenable circumstance, forcing us to focus all of our actions on public safety. Offline harm as a result of online speech is demonstrably real, and what drives our policy and enforcement above all.' Trump, who recently launched his own competing service dubbed Truth Social, has previously claimed that he would not return to Twitter even if he was invited back. Appearing virtually at the FT Future of the Car conference, Musk called Twitter's ban of Trump a 'mistake'. 'It alienated a large part of the country, and did not ultimately result in Donald Trump not having a voice,' Musk said. 'He is now going to be on Truth Social. 'So I think this may end up being frankly worse than having a single forum where everyone can debate. I guess the answer is that I would reverse the permanent ban.' Musk said that he had discussed the subject of permanent bans, or 'permabans', with Dorsey. 'He and I are of the same mind, which is that permanent bans should be extremely rare, and really reserved for accounts that are bots, or spam/scam accounts,' said Musk. 'I would reverse the permaban [of Trump],' he said, adding: 'Obviously I don't own Twitter yet, so this is not something that will definitely happen.' In his remarks on Tuesday, Musk also said that his acquisition of Twitter, which is still subject to a shareholder approval, could close well before the October deadline. A former SAS soldier has denied concocting a false story with Ben Roberts-Smith to cover up their involvement in the alleged murder of an Afghan prisoner. The witness codenamed Person 11 resumed giving evidence for the war veteran on Wednesday and was questioned about a September 2012 mission in Darwan, in the Uruzgan province. Person 11 told the Federal Court his troop under patrol commander Mr Roberts-Smith had travelled across a dry creek bed when he spotted an insurgent near cornfields about 15 metres away. A former SAS soldier has denied concocting a false story with Ben Roberts-Smith (pictured at the Federal Court in Sydney on Tuesday) to cover up their involvement in the alleged murder of an Afghan prisoner He said the individual was moving in a suspicious manner and was carrying a radio, leading to an assessment he was a Taliban spotter. 'So I engaged,' he said on Tuesday. It backs up his good friend Mr Roberts-Smith's testimony that the man was lawfully shot in a cornfield within the rules of engagement. It has been alleged the dead man was in fact a handcuffed prisoner named Ali Jan, kicked off a steep cliff by the Victoria Cross recipient and executed down below by Person 11. Mr Roberts-Smith (pictured at the Federal Court on Tuesday) is suing The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald for defamation over 2018 media reports claiming he committed war crimes in Afghanistan including murder, and acts of bullying and domestic violence On Wednesday Nicholas Owens SC representing the media outlets put the allegation squarely to the witness. 'You and Mr Roberts-Smith have concocted a false story to say there was a spotter in a cornfield to cover up the fact Mr Roberts-Smith kicked a (prisoner) off a cliff and you shot him in the cornfield.' 'That is not correct,' Person 11 replied. Mr Roberts-Smith is suing The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald for defamation over 2018 media reports claiming he committed war crimes in Afghanistan including murder, and acts of bullying and domestic violence. The 43-year-old denies all claims of wrongdoing, while the mastheads are defending them as true. In court Person 11 said he saw the insurgent wearing an Icom radio, but Mr Owens said his outline of evidence suggests the radio was discovered during the search of the body. Roberts-Smith, 43 (pictured in Afghanistan in 2009) denies all claims of wrongdoing, while the mastheads he is suing are defending the accusations as true Person 11 also denied inventing his evidence on the fly to bolster their story. 'You have overnight realised the evidence you gave in court yesterday was inconsistent with your outline of evidence,' Mr Owens said. 'I disagree.' He also disputed the suggestion he would not have been able to see the radio 15metres away through thick vegetation he estimated was up to 2.1metres high. Another patrol member dubbed Person Four previously testified seeing the prisoner being 'catapulted' over the edge of a steep slope by Mr Roberts-Smith. 'Your Honour it knocked out a number of his teeth including his front teeth,' he told the court in March. After hearing shots ring out Person Four said he observed Person 11 standing in a position to shoot before the radio was planted on the body. On Wednesday Person 11 was asked about his relationship with Person Four, the best man at his 2015 wedding. After allegations of war crimes surfaced, Person 11 said he told his former mentor and good friend their personal relationship was over. 'I felt incredibly hurt that someone who was so close for a number of years ... would have said such things that caused me so much grief and heartache,' he said. The trial continues. Lifeline 13 11 14 Open Arms 1800 011 046 A New Zealand father and his son have been found not guilty of a string of criminal charges that saw a teenage home invader bashed and his finger cut off. William Burr and his son Shaun were found not guilty on all charges by a jury on Wednesday afternoon for a melee that broke out when a 17-year-old and his girlfriend broke into his property in King Country for the third time. The court heard two teenagers had entered Burr snr's bedroom and attacked him after attempting to find his car keys, before he eventually pulled a shotgun on the pair and called for help. His son arrived before another scuffle broke out, with Burr jnr delivering a 'beautiful' punch to fall the male teen before he cut his little finger off, the court heard. Jurors unanimously found the Burrs not guilty of wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm, or wounding with intent to injure in the alternative, with the High Court in Hamilton packed with family and friends. William Burr (pictured left) and his son Shaun (right) were found not guilty on all charges by a jury on Wednesday afternoon for a melee that broke out when a 17-year-old and his girlfriend broke into his property The court has heard six days of accounts from the night where the two teens broke into Burr snr's home on Napinapi Road in Te Mapara. It was the third time the 17-year-old boy, whose name has been suppressed due to his age at the time, had broken into his house to take his car keys, the most recent just a week earlier, the court heard. According to court documents the teen had been out on bail to an Auckland home, when he decided to attempt to rob Burr snr again after consuming bourbon and cannabis. His girlfriend's cousin had driven the two to Burr snr's home in the early hours, where the two searched the property for the car keys. Unable to find them they went into his bedroom. The court heard the girl hit Burr snr on the head, she claims once and he claims twice, before the three broke out into a fight that lasted around eight minutes. Father and son, William (Bill) Bruce Burr and Shaun Bruce Burr were found not guilty of beating and cutting off the finger of a teenage intruder who'd repeatedly stolen cars from William Burr's Piopio home Burr snr then gave in and told the teens the keys were on the top of the microwave, before putting on clothes and grabbing his shotgun. The teens slumped to the floor while Burr snr called police, his son and a neighbour. Burr jnr then arrived and was told by his father to hit the boy who they claim was trying to stand up. The father told court the 17-year-old repeatedly attempted to strike him and his son, as he was holding a knife. Burr snr told the court he said to the boy he would cut his hand off if he kept trying to stand up, the court heard. It's then claimed he refused to put his two hands out so Burr snr instrcuted Burr jnr to make a small cut on his finger, which he did. Burr snr then instructed Burr jnr to cut the finger off when he refused to comply, the court heard. The court heard two teenagers had entered Burr snr's bedroom and attacked him after attempting to find his car keys, before he eventually pulled a shotgun on the pair and called for help The 17-year-old was airlifted to Waikato Hospital after police arrived, while the girl was unharmed. The teens were charged by police - the boy convicted of aggravated burglary while the girl was dealt with by Youth Aid. It was alleged in court Burr snr kicked the girl in the head while she lay on the floor and stomped on the boy. He was found not guilty of those assault charges. The jury took 45 minutes to find the pair not guilty of all charges. Burr snr and Burr jnr hugged family and friends outside the Hamilton court on Wednesday afternoon but refused to speak to waiting media. Comments made to a dying woman in a Melbourne prison cell were disgusting, says a supervisor who had already spoken to guards about how they speak to women. Veronica Nelson died in her cell at the Dame Phyllis Frost Centre in January 2020 after making more than a dozen calls over the intercom system for help. Screaming in pain from leg cramps, it took repeated requests from Veronica before she was given drinks, Panadol and a blanket. 'It's not an emergency, stop asking,' one guard told Veronica in recordings played at an inquest into her death. Veronica Nelson (pictured) died in her cell at the Dame Phyllis Frost Centre in January 2020 after making more than a dozen calls over the intercom system for help She was also told to stop yelling because she was keeping other women awake. Veronica's body was found three hours after her last call for help. She died from an undiagnosed condition in the context of drug withdrawals, for which she was receiving medication. Supervisor Leanne Reid told the inquest the confronting intercom audio wasn't surprising to her because she knew who the officers were and she previously had to speak to them about they way they speak to each other, staff and women. Veronica's family will suggest to the inquest the remarks reflected an attitude that she was 'inferior and unimportant', their lawyers told Ms Reid on Wednesday. 'I don't know if I'd use those words - you're probably being a bit more forgiving than me,' Ms Reid replied. 'I think it's disgusting behaviour and nobody should be treated or spoken to like that.' After a period in the prison medical centre, Ms Nelson was transferred to the Yarra Unit at Ms Reid's request so she could continue to be monitored. Veronica's body was found three hours after her last call for help. She died from an undiagnosed condition in the context of drug withdrawals, for which she was receiving medication. (Pictured: The Dame Phyllis Frost Centre where Veronica died) Veronica was unwell, repeatedly telling prison officers she believed she had vomited up medication supposed to help her. Ms Reid said if she had been on duty she would have called for a senior officer and medical staff to help. The failure to check on Veronica for hours on end was inappropriate, she said. Prison officer Karen Heath was the second most-senior person in the prison that night and saw Veronica in her cell, going with the nurse to deliver medication at 1.30am. 'Lucky she's in custody because she's so unwell,' the inquest heard Ms Heath told the nurse. It was 'tragically unlucky' though, lawyers for Veronica's family said, given she was the type of woman who would have sought medical treatment herself. Nurse Athena George, who saw Veronica in the early hours of the morning she died, is expected to give evidence on Thursday. A Ukrainian village councillor has been arrested by elite special forces after she was accused of being a Russian collaborator. Nadiya Antonova, from Kutuzivka near Kharkiv, was swarmed by Alpha Force troops and secret intelligence agents who led her away in handcuffs - and she now faces life behind bars. The secretary of the local council is accused of betraying her country's defenders by giving away the identities of police, soldiers and counter-terrorism specialists to Putin's invaders. The special forces swooped in on the woman in an unmarked car once the village had been liberated by Ukraine The secretary of the local council is accused of betraying her country's defenders by giving away the identities of police, soldiers and counter-terrorism specialists She passed on the identities of local hunters and park rangers whose countryside knowledge made them ideal fighters, prosecutors said. It is claimed Antonova also forced villagers to wear white armbands to signal support for the Russians who wear white and orange armbands as opposed to Ukraine's yellow, green and blue. The special forces swooped in on the woman in an unmarked car once the village had been liberated by Ukraine. She was found cowering in the basement of a shelled government building, The Sun reported. The councillor was read her rights under martial law and led past her neighbours as she shouted: 'Traitor! You think you've found a traitor? Shame on you. I was here the whole time. How do you think we lived here?' Kharkiv's governor Oleh Syniegubov said: 'According to the investigation, Nadiya Antonova sided with the invaders in the village of Kutuzivka. She established cooperation with the head of the Russian military, with the call sign Knight. 'Antonova handed over anti-terrorist operatives, environmental protection veterans, hunters and law enforcement officers, and forced locals to wear white armbands.' Another official, Eduard Konovalov, was also detained after a raid in Staryi Saltiv in the east of Ukraine. The council chairman is accused of providing housing to Russian troops and encouraging Ukrainians not to resist. For 'treason under martial law', both he and Antonov face up to life in prison. Olexandr Filchakov, Kharkiv's chief prosecutor, said the region has one of the biggest treason caseloads in the country. It shares a border with Russia and many residents have family links across the divide. Volodymyr Zelensky has warned that traitors face exile or jail, saying last month: 'It is necessary to punish collaborators. 'The future of Ukraine directly depends on the strength of our resistance in all its forms. 'The future of us all, each of our cities, each of our villages. 'And I am grateful to everyone who understands this, who does not stop resisting even when it seems that the result is very far. 'Because the darkest time is always before dawn.' The alleged traitors near Kharkiv were discovered after Ukraine drove back Russian troops towards their border from the region, threatening supply lines to the Donbas. Ukrainian counter-attacks to the north of Kharkiv have forced Russian troops back to the border (pictured, a Ukrainian soldier fires a mortar in the area) The city, which sits just 20 miles from the Russian border, has been under attack since the first day of the war and has been among the most-heavily bombed including the first known use of cluster munitions. Commanders said late Tuesday they had recaptured four small towns to the north of Ukraine's second-largest city, with reports overnight suggesting they had pushed to within three miles of the Russian border. They confirmed the capture of Cherkas'ki Tyshky, Rus'ki Tyshky, Bairak and Rubizhne in an update late Tuesday. Reports overnight then suggested they had pushed further and captured Ternova - just two miles from the border - and Lyptsi. around six miles from the frontier. If confirmed, it would put the city of Vovchans'k - a key supply hub linking Russia's Belgorod to its frontlines in Donbas - within artillery range, threatening to cut supply lines and hamper Putin's efforts to take the region. Russian forces appear to be retreating from Kharkiv, which has been under attack since the first day of the war (pictured, medics cover a dead Russian soldier with a sheet) Ukraine's counter-attack north of Kharkiv threatens Russian supply lines into Donbas, where heavy fighting is currently underway. Kyiv's men continue to hold out in Mariupol despite heavy shelling, while Russia is suffering losses trying to hold Snake Island Artillery can now almost certainly range that city, meaning Ukraine can at least disrupt and perhaps sever supply lines to the crucial frontline - slowing or perhaps stalling the Russian advance. Retired US General Jack Keane, now working for the Institute for the Study of War think-tank, said Tuesday that he believes Russia is now having to divert forces from Donbas back to Kharkiv to secure the rear areas. 'It just underscores the challenges they [the Russians] have,' he said. Similar Ukrainian counter-attacks were seen in the areas around Kyiv shortly before the Russian offensive ground to a halt and then turned into a retreat. Meanwhile, Putin's troops are deliberately wounding and even killing themselves to avoid facing the horrors of war in Ukraine, according to one captured Russian soldier. Andrey Ushakov, 20, said he knew of two soldiers who shot and killed themselves on the front line. Others on the battlefield are choosing to shoot themselves in a bid to be sent home injured rather than continue on in the savage campaign. Captured soldier Andrey Ushakov (right), 20, said he knew of two soldiers who shot and killed themselves on the frontline They are hoping to be classified as Cargo 300, meaning wounded, while Cargo 200 means the war dead. Ushakov told a Ukrainian journalist: 'Everyone was panicking, and wanted to leave, but there was no way. 'The only option to go was as 300. Some people couldn't bear it, and shot themselves dead.' He told his interrogator: 'Two guys shot themselves, because they couldn't [cope], there was no other way out . 'Mentally they couldn't cope with what was going on there.' A grave of Russian soldiers is discovered in Vilkkhivka, near Kharkiv, with many troops desperate to escape the horrors of war Ushakov (pictured) said Russians on the battlefield are choosing to shoot themselves in a bid to be sent home As well as the fear of death in fighting with the Ukrainians, there was a shocking lack of rations, he said. 'There was no food, no water,' he told Volodymyr Zolkin who has chronicled Russian captives for Open Media Ukraine. 'We were given little food in general. There were days when three of us shared one dry ration.' Back home, Russia is privately admitting the country is facing the biggest economic collapse in three decades as a result of crippling Western sanctions, a leaked copy of the Kremlin's forecast shows. The Russian Finance Ministry is predicting a 12 per cent collapse in gross domestic product (GDP) this year, the deepest economic contraction since 1994 when Russia was lurching towards capitalism under President Boris Yeltsin. The leaked forecast will put pressure on Vladimir Putin, who is facing criticism from Kremlin officials who warn of the damaging political and economic cost of his war plan. Russia's export-dependent economy is now plunging into recession after the Russian strongman invaded Ukraine as the move triggered sweeping Western sanctions, including a partial freeze of its reserves. According to leaked documents from the finance ministry, seen by Bloomberg, their figure of a 12 per cent contraction is more pessimistic than the Economy Ministry's prediction of a 8 per cent decline this year. The Russian Finance Ministry is predicting a 12 per cent collapse in gross domestic product (GDP) in 2022, the deepest economic contraction since 1994 when Russia was lurching towards capitalism under president Boris Yeltsin The Kremlin has not released a public forecast since Russia invaded Ukraine and the Finance Ministry claimed the forecast was inaccurate. 'Preparation of official macroeconomic forecasts does not fall under the Finance Ministry's authority,' the ministry said in a statement, adding that it 'expects that the measures taken by the government and the Bank of Russia will make it possible to ease to a large extent the negative consequences of sanctions and ensure stable economic development'. At the weekend, the G7, including the US and UK, released a set of sweeping new sanctions that target Russian media and bank executives. During that meeting, G7 leaders agreed to follow the U.S. example and commit to phasing out or banning the import of Russian oil. The move will massively damage Putin's ability to fund his war as energy is a main source of state revenue for Russia. 'The main negatives are the oil embargo, the EU is giving up Russian gas, along with more departures from foreign companies,' Natalie Lavrova, chief economist at BCS Financial Group in Moscow, told Bloomberg. 'All that will probably expand gradually, with a lot of negative carrying over in on 2023.' Lavrova predicts that Russia's economy will face a contraction of 10.8 per cent this year and about 5 per cent in 2023 based on current sanctions. The Bank of Russia said on April 29 that it expects a contraction between 8 per cent and 10 per cent this year. Over the last few days, dozens of TikTok videos mocking Amber Heard have swept the internet. The videos, which received millions of views, have taken video or audio from Amber Heard's harrowing evidence in the Johnny Depp trial, with the creators dramatizing it, dancing to it, or otherwise insulting her. TikTok Trend Mocking Amber Heard The trend includes this video from @sansanjovs where the video creator was reenacting Heard's testimony. Her video garnered 9.9 million views and 2.1 million likes. The majority of netizens commended her skit, with some saying that @sansanjovs acts better than Heard, who by the way is a real-life actress. Meanwhile, most of the netizens mocked Heard's "bad acting" in a video uploaded by @.johnnydepp1. They highlighted that Heard was crying with no tears, and questioned her capabilities as an actress. The video so far has 5.7 million likes and 30.8 million views. In another video, @xerxes_013 claimed that Heard deliberately "paused for the media to take a photo" of her. Many TikTok users agreed that the actress indeed posed for the camera, and mocked her for seemingly forgetting that the whole court is being filmed. Read More: Biden Successfully Pushes 20 ISPs To Provide High-Speed Internet to Low-Income Households According to TikTok's website, the #justiceforjohnnydepp hashtag gained 10.1 billion views as of today, while the #amberturd hashtag has been viewed more than 1.3 billion times. TikTok Removed Some Videos That Used Heard's Testimony Variety reported that TikTok has removed multiple videos that contain Heard's testimony, claiming that they breached the company's anti-bullying regulations. TikTok's Community Guidelines read that the company does not "tolerate members of our community being shamed, bullied, or harassed." The said guidelines also provide that abusive behavior will be enough ground for removal of the content or the user from the platform. The reason is for TikTok to prevent its patrons from severe psychological stress. To counter abusive behaviors, the social media giant said it will "remove expressions of abuse, including threats or degrading statements intended to mock, humiliate, embarrass, intimidate, or hurt an individual." The company added that while critical comments by public figures may be allowed to allow for expression on matters of public interest, significant abusive behavior against public figures is prohibited. Johnny Depp and Amber Heard Defamation Suit The couple went separate ways after 15 months of marriage. As per BBC, Heard filed for divorce and a restraining order in a Los Angeles court, claiming that her then-husband had "violently" assaulted and harassed her, but Depp denied the allegations. As part of their divorce deal, Depp gave Heard $7 million, which she promised to donate to the American Civil Liberties Union - something Depp's lawyers now dispute. It should be noted that Depp sued Heard for $50 million over an op-ed she penned in The Washington Post claiming she was a victim of domestic violence. Heard has filed a countersuit against Depp for $100 million. The defamation trial is expected to include tragic allegations of domestic violence. It will be streamed live on the internet and will feature a number of high-profile witnesses, including James Franco, Paul Bettany, and Elon Musk. Related Article: How to Become A Tiktok Star In 2022 For more tech news read itechpost.com @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Treasure hunters digging for Nazi gold say they have found a metal canister which could contain four tons of looted WWII treasure. Lying around 10ft below the surface, the canister is thought to be between 4 and 5ft in length and 50cm in diameter. The discovery was made using a geo radar search of an abandoned conservatory at an 18th century palace in the village of Minkowskie in southern Poland. The dig which began in May last year at the palace which was used by Hitler's SS as a brothel is hoped to uncover 10 tonnes of gold along with other valuables in the grounds. Treasure hunters digging for Nazi gold say they have found a metal canister which could contain four tons of looted treasure. Pictured: A tube above ground shows the area where they say the canister is buried A visualisation of what the Silesian Bridge foundation says the area may have looked like when the Nazis were burying the canister The discovery was made using a geo radar search of an abandoned conservatory at an 18th century palace in the village of Minkowskie in southern Poland The discovery was made using a geo radar search (pictured) of an abandoned conservatory at an 18th century palace in the village of Minkowskie The dig which began in May last year at the palace which was used by Hitler's SS as a brothel is hoped to uncover 10 tonnes of gold along with other valuables in the grounds The treasure was stolen on the orders of SS boss Heinrich Himmler (pictured) towards the end of WWII to set up a Fourth Reich The treasure was stolen on the orders of SS boss Heinrich Himmler towards the end of WWII to set up a Fourth Reich. It is thought to include the so-called 'Gold of Breslau' which went missing from police headquarters in what is now the nearby Polish city of Wrocaw. It is also thought to include jewellery and valuables from the private collections of wealthy Germans who lived in the region and who handed their possessions to the SS in order to protect them from being looted by the advancing Red Army. Roman Furmaniak, from the Silesian Bridge Foundation which is leading the search, said that the Geo-radar readings from the latest search revealed 'anomalies'. He said: 'The first drill we made showed unnatural contortions on one side. We made a second probe and received the same result on the other side. A third probe struck an object.' 'The shapes and colours show anomalies, in other words human interference in the ground. 'Metal has a different density to earth, and this is shown as a darker colour in the images.' The location was revealed by secret documents, an SS officer's diary and a map that the treasure hunters received from the descendants of officers belonging to a secretive lodge dating back over 1,000 years. Among the bundle of documents is a letter from a senior SS officer to one of the girls who worked at the palace and who later became his lover. The officer wrote: 'My dear Inge, I will fulfil my assignment, with God's will. Some transports were successful. 'The remaining 48 heavy Reichsbank's chests and all the family chests I hereby entrust to you. 'Only you know where they are located. May God help you and help me, fulfil my assignment.' Among the bundle of documents is a letter from a senior SS officer called von Stein to one of the girls who worked at the palace in Minkowskie and who later became his lover. The officer wrote: 'My dear Inge, I will fufill my assignment, with God's will. Some transports were successful. The remaining 48 heavy Reichsbank's chests and all the family chests I hereby entrust to you. Only you know where they are located. May God help you and help me, fulfil my assignment' Roman Furmaniak, from the Silesian Bridge Foundation which is leading the search, said that the Geo-radar readings from the latest search revealed 'anomalies' Furmaniak said the Foundation had been led to the site by one of the girls, Inga, who had worked at the palace The location was revealed by secret documents, a diary (pictured) and a map that the treasure hunters received from the descendants of SS officers belonging to a secretive lodge worshipped by Himmler and dating back over 1,000 years The dig is taking place in the grounds of the 18th century palace in the village of Minkowskie, Poland The diary describes one cache as containing 47 works of art of international importance, believed to be stolen from collections in France. The loot apparently includes works by Botticelli, Rubens, Cezanne, Carravagio, Monet, Durer, Rafael and Rembrandt. Other deposits are said to contain gold coins, medals, jewellery and valuables deposited by wealthy people in the city to the local Nazi police for safekeeping. The Silesian Bridge Foundation is now waiting for permission to raise the canister to the surface. Permission also needs to be obtained from army sappers as the foundation says that the hiding place could have been boobytrapped by the SS. The process will likely take months, Furmaniak said. Yet another treasure stash at the palace is supposed to contain religious objects gathered by Himmler's Ahnenerbe, which hoovered up sacred items from around the world in an attempt to find evidence for Hitler's racial theories. The palace in Minkowskie is the first of 11 sites across Lower Silesia identified in the pencil-written pages of the diary held by the Foundation, which has taken out a 10-year-lease on the building Furmaniak said last year: We are making preparations as we speak to start digging at the other ten sites, where we expect to find much more. He added: We are described everywhere as treasure hunters. In fact we want nothing for ourselves. The goal of the Quedlinburg Lodge and therefore the foundation is to hand these deposits over to their rightful owners in the interests of world heritage and as an act of atonement for the Second World War. The pencil-written pages of the diary (left) are said to identify 11 locations across Lower Silesia which before and during the war was German territory. Right: Roman Furmaniak, head of the Silesian Bridge foundation leading the hunt for the treasure, holding the diary Treasure hunters have started digging for 10 tonnes of Nazi gold at an 18th century palace in Minkowskie, southern Poland In May, the treasure hunters began digging for 10 tonnes of Nazi gold at the palace, with the dig initially concentrating on an old orangery in a small area of the 14-hectare palace park. A team of specialists carefully removed layers of earth by hand as it is also being treated as an archaeological site to uncover the foundations of the orangery. The buried treasure at the palace is thought to include the so-called 'Gold of Breslau' which went missing from police headquarters in what is now the nearby Polish city of Wrocaw. Then a German city, Breslau was one of the wealthiest in Hitlers Third Reich. But, the impending arrival of the Red Army meant that the Germans had to hide tonnes of gold and valuables. These included bank deposits from the Reichsbank as well as private German banks, and civilian deposits as the population had been urged to deposit gold, money and jewellery. According to legend, the treasure was collected in the building of the police headquarters and packed into crates. It was then transported under an SS guard from Breslau towards what was then the town of Hirschberg, todays Jelenia Gora in Poland, and then the Sudeten mountains. But, soon after departing, the trail went dead and the gold has never been seen or heard of since. One of the theories is that it was stolen on Himmlers orders to go towards the creation of a Fourth Reich. Roman Furmaniak, head of the Silesian Bridge foundation leading the hunt for the treasure, told MailOnline last year: 'Several people took part in hiding the deposits in Minkowskie. One of them was an officer called von Stein. 'He used to stay in the palace because he had a lover there. Due to its location it was often visited by high-ranking SS officers who treated it like a brothel.' Roman Furmaniak, head of the Silesian Bridge foundation leading the hunt for the treasure, told MailOnline: 'Several people took part in hiding the deposits in Minkowskie. One of them was an officer called von Stein. He used to stay in the palace (an interior image, pictured) because he had a lover there. Due to its location it was often visited by high-ranking SS officers who treated it like a brothel' The palace in Minkowskie (archive picture) dates back to the 18th century when it was built by Prussian general Friedrich Wilhelm von Seydlitz Inge was the guardian appointed by von Stein to keep an eye on the hiding place. Furmaniak said: 'She was in love with the handsome officer in a black SS uniform. They were like gods. 'She believed that she would have to stay there for a year, maybe two, then it would all be over. 'Nobody believed then that the region would come under the control of the Soviet Union. 'There was a two-month period in 1945 when she had to hide in the forest from the Russians. But when she got back, the area had not been disturbed. 'If they had dug a hole, they would have taken what they wanted and then left the hole. We have seen this in history many times in Poland.' At the end of the war, the region was handed over to the new Soviet-controlled Poland, the entire German population was expelled and Poles who had been living in Western Ukraine arrived. To blend in with the new population, Inge changed her appearance and identity - eventually marrying a local man - and continued to watch over the treasure until her death 60 years later. The palace in Minkowskie dates back to the 18th century when it was built by Prussian general Friedrich Wilhelm von Seydlitz. Over the years it changed hands several times and after the war the Red Army and the Polish Army were stationed there at different times. Later it was used as a local council office, a kindergarten and even a cinema. Now, in a dilapidated state and in private hands, the Silesian Bridge foundation has taken a long-term lease on the property. The lodge that handed over the documents takes its name from Quedlinburg, a small town in Saxony-Anhalt. Quedlinburg members were appointed to top positions in many Nazi-era institutions, most notably the fearsome Waffen SS. Among them was SS monster General Hans Kammler (pictured) who led work on the design of gas chambers and crematoria used in death camps The lodge that handed over the documents takes its name from Quedlinburg, a small town in Saxony-Anhalt. It dates back to the 10th century and the rule of the first German king Henry the Fowler. SS chief Heinrich Himmler was fascinated by the ruler and believed that he was his reincarnation. In the 1930s, the lodge formed an alliance with Hitler under which it became part of the cultural elite in the Third Reich. The deal protected its own status and gave Hitler's thuggish brown-shirt movement an air of respectability. It also provided the Nazi project a sense of historical legitimacy. The Nazis used King Henry's legacy to legitimise their own power, and they held ritual ceremonies at the site of his tomb in Quedlinburg monastery on the anniversary of his death. Quedlinburg members were appointed to top positions in many Nazi-era institutions, most notably the fearsome Waffen SS. Among them was SS monster General Hans Kammler who led work on the design of gas chambers and crematoria used in death camps. Furmaniak said that the lodge, whose members are descended from the SS, had made the diary and documents available to his foundation as a gesture of atonement for Poland's suffering at the hands of Germany during the war. In a statement, the foundation said: 'The return of world heritage is seen as a milestone on the long path of reconciliation.' No executions have taken place in Arizona in nearly eight years He was convicted of killing 21-year-old ASU student Deana Bowdoin in 1978 Clarence Dixon, 66, is scheduled to die by lethal injection in Arizona today An Arizona man convicted of killing a college student in 1978 is scheduled to become the first person to be executed in the state after a nearly eight-year hiatus in its use of the death penalty. Clarence Dixon, 66, is scheduled to die by lethal injection on Wednesday at the state prison in Florence for killing 21-year-old Arizona State University (ASU) student Deana Bowdoin. If the execution goes ahead as planned, he will be the sixth inmate to be put to death in the United States this year. In recent weeks, Dixon's lawyers have made arguments to the courts to postpone his execution, but judges had so far rejected the claim that he is mentally unfit to be executed and has no rational understanding of why the state wants to put him to death. Dixon declined the option of being executed in the gas chamber a method that has not been used in the US in more than two decades after Arizona refurbished its gas chamber in late 2020. Instead, the state plans to execute him with an injection of pentobarbital. Clarence Dixon, 66, is scheduled to die by lethal injection on Wednesday at the state prison in Florence for killing 21-year-old Arizona State University (ASU) student Deana Bowdoin Authorities said Ms Bowdoin, who was found dead in her apartment in Tempe, was raped, stabbed and strangled with a belt The state's hiatus in executions was driven by an execution that critics say was botched and the difficulty of finding lethal injection drugs. The last time Arizona used the death penalty was in July 2014, when Joseph Wood was given 15 doses of a two-drug combination over two hours. Wood gasped more than 600 times before he died. States including Arizona have struggled to buy execution drugs in recent years after US and European pharmaceutical companies began blocking the use of their products in lethal injections. Authorities said Ms Bowdoin, who was found dead in her apartment in Tempe, was raped, stabbed and strangled with a belt. Dixon, who was an ASU student at the time and lived across the street from Ms Bowdoin, was charged with raping Ms Bowdoin, but the charge was later dropped on statute-of-limitation grounds. He was convicted, though, of killing her. In arguing their client is mentally unfit, Dixon's lawyers said he erroneously believes he will be executed because police at Northern Arizona University wrongfully arrested him in a previous case a 1985 attack on a 21-year-old student. His lawyers concede he was in fact lawfully arrested then by Flagstaff police. Dixon was sentenced to life sentences in that case for sexual assault and other convictions. DNA samples taken while he was in prison later linked him to Ms Bowdoin's killing, which had been unsolved. Prosecutors said there is nothing about Dixon's beliefs that prevents him from understanding the reason for the execution and pointed to court filings that Dixon himself made over the years. The execution chamber at the Arizona State Prison Complex- Florence - HU9 is shown in the screen grab from a video provided by the Arizona Department of Corrections March 4, 2015 Defence lawyers said Dixon has been diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia on multiple occasions, has regularly experienced hallucinations over the past 30 years and was found not guilty by reason of insanity in a 1977 assault case in which the verdict was delivered by then-Maricopa County superior court judge Sandra Day O'Connor, nearly four years before her appointment to the US supreme court. Ms Bowdoin was killed two days after the verdict, according to court records. Another Arizona death-row prisoner, Frank Atwood, is scheduled to be executed on June 8 for the killing of eight-year-old Vicki Lynne Hoskinson in 1984. Authorities said Atwood kidnapped the girl, whose body was found in the desert north-west of Tucson. Arizona has 113 prisoners on death row. Missing 11-year-old twins who vanished from their home have today been found safe after a frantic police search. Gracie and Millie Bennett were reported missing shortly after 8.30pm on Tuesday, with both their family and police concerned for their welfare. The pair went missing from their home in Mountsorrel, a village seven miles to the north of Leicester and five miles to the south east of Loughborough. Last night locals joined the search for the twins, with residents meeting at the Mountsorrel memorial centre to assist Leicestershire Police's operation. And this morning a family member of the two girls urged others in the area to join the search. However police have since revealed that the twins have been found 'safe and well'. Siobhan Gorman, Chief Inspector of Leicestershire Police, today thanked members of the community who had helped in the search. She said: 'I'd like to place on record my thanks to everyone who shared our appeal and the local community for their help in locating both girls.' Family members, meanwhile, are said to be 'hugely relieved' at the safe return of the twins. A force source added: 'Their parents are hugely relieved and are extremely grateful to the local community for helping to join in the search for their daughters. They had been frantic with worry.' Gracie and Millie Bennett (pictured) were reported missing shortly after 8.30pm on Tuesday, with both their family and police concerned for their welfare. They have since been found safe and well The pair (pictured) went missing from their home in Mountsorrel, a village seven miles to the north of Leicester and five miles to the south east of Loughborough. They have since been found safe and well Police are said to be with the family now. Officers said they would not at this stage divulge stage where the twins were overnight. It comes after members of the local community joined the search to find the missing girls. Writing on Facebook this morning, before the police announced the girls had been found, a family member urged residents to join the search. In the post, the family member wrote: 'Anyone wanting to help search for the girls there is a search and rescue team set up outside the Mountsorrel memorial centre, I would head there and ask how you can assist. 'Anything more regarding a more coordinated search I will post as and when something is arranged' Meanwhile, members of the community responded in shock to the police's announcement that the girls were missing. Commenting on the police's appeal, one Facebook user, Nadine Tidmarsh, wrote: 'What a nightmare for their parents! Hope they are found safe and well, soon.' Gracie Bennett (pictured left) was wearing a navy blue hoody with the initials 'MB' on the chest, blue jeans and white Puma trainers when she went missing. Millie Bennett (pictured right) was wearing wearing a black Nike Tec jumper, black jeans and white high-topped Nike trainers when she went missing. The pair have both been found safe and well The pair went missing from their home in Mountsorrel, a village seven miles to the north of Leicester and five miles to the south east of Loughborough. Pictured: A map showing the location of Mountsorrel. They have since been found Another, Izzie Baillis, wrote: 'I hope they are found, quickly, safe and well... The parents must be going out of their minds. Truly any parent's worst nightmare.' Hayley Barber added: 'I cannot begin to imagine how their poor parents must feel, please please let them be found safe and well.' One of those who joined the search, Steve Eljay, wrote on Facebook earlier this morning, prior to the girls being found: 'It's daylight and unfortunately no joy. 'After 6 hours i need to call it a day for a few hours. Hopefully some good news will happen.' He later added: 'Still no update. We are out searching. If people can keep sharing of if you want to help search are rescue we are at the memorial centre in Mountsorrel. The more eyes the better.' A spokesperson for Leicestershire Police said: 'Twin girls who were reported missing last night (Tuesday 10 May) have been found safe and well. 'Gracie and Millie Bennett, both 11, were located in Mountsorrel this morning.' Two police officers jailed for taking selfies with the bodies of two murdered sisters as they guarded a crime scene have been attacked five times behind bars, a court has heard. Deniz Jaffer, 48, and Jamie Lewis, 33, were assigned to protect the scene after Bibaa Henry, 46, and Nicole Smallman, 27, were found dead in bushes in Fryent Country Park, Wembley, north-west London, in June 2020. They were jailed for two years and nine months at a hearing at the Old Bailey in December after pleading guilty to misconduct in a public office. News that they had been attacked in prison emerged today as they lost appeals against their sentences. Deniz Jaffer (left) and Jamie Lewis (right) were police constables assigned to guard the scene Bibaa Henry, 46, and Nicole Smallman, 27, were found dead in bushes in Fryent Country Park, Wembley, north-west London, in June 2020 Danyal Hussein was given a life sentence, with a minimum term of 35 years, in October after being found guilty of the women's murders Appeal judges Dame Victoria Sharp, Mrs Justice McGowan and Mrs Justice Farbey dismissed the appeals after considering arguments at a Court of Appeal hearing in London. They said they will give their reasons at a later date. Nicole and Bibaa's mother Mina Smallman and her husband Chris were at today's hearing Lewis, from Colchester in Essex, has been sacked from the Metropolitan Police, while Jaffer, of Hornchurch, east London, resigned. Danyal Hussein was given a life sentence, with a minimum term of 35 years, in October after being found guilty of the women's murders. Judge Mark Lucraft, who jailed Lewis and Jaffer, was told the officers moved from their posts to photograph the women's bodies, with the images shared with colleagues and friends on WhatsApp. The murdered women's mother, Mina Smallman, and her husband Chris, were at the appeal hearing. Barristers representing the men argued that the sentences imposed by Judge Lucraft were excessive. Neil Saunders, who represented Jaffer, said his client has been attacked three times by three different inmates. Luke Ponte, for Lewis, said the other officer has been assaulted twice. A female Al Jazeera reporter was shot and killed during a raid on a refugee camp, with Qatar claiming Israeli security forces 'shot her in the face'. Well-known Palestinian television personality Shireen Abu Akleh, 51, who has American citizenship, was killed during a raid in the occupied West Bank town of Jenin early Wednesday. Al Jazeera put the blame for her death at the feet of Israeli security forces, who said it is 'investigating the event and looking into the possibility that the journalists were hit by the Palestinian gunmen.' Another Palestinian journalist, Ali Al Samoudi, working for the Jerusalem-based Al-Quds newspaper, was wounded but in stable condition, according to the Palestinian health ministry. The Qatar-based broadcaster blamed Israeli forces, saying she was shot 'deliberately' and 'in cold blood' by Israeli troops while wearing a press Pavest and helmet. In a statement that flashed on its channel, it called on the international community to 'condemn and hold the Israeli occupation forces accountable for deliberately targeting and assassinating our colleague, Shireen Abu Akleh.' The IDF responded that Palestinians, who were firing indiscriminately, had claimed to have hit someone, yet no IDF soldier was hit. 'She may have been shot by Palestinians,' IDF spokesperson Ran Kochav said. 'She was very close to them. But if soldiers were responsible, we will have to apologise if a mistake was made.' Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett however said it was 'likely' that Palestinian gunfire killed her. The body of slain Al Jazeera reporter Shireen Abu Akleh, 51, lies on the ground while her colleague, Shatha Hanaysheh, covers her mouth in shock as firing continues Well-known Palestinian television personality Shireen Abu Akleh, 51, (pictured) from Jerusalem, was killed during a raid on the occupied West Bank town of Jenin early Wednesday A young man from the area braves what seems to be continual sniper fire to attend to Abu Akleh's body Journalists escort the body of veteran Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Aqleh, who was shot dead by Israeli troops as she covered a raid on the West Bank's Jenin refugee camp this morning Journalists mourn over the body of veteran Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Aqleh. In video footage of the incident, Abu Akleh can be seen wearing a blue flak jacket clearly marked with the word 'PRESS' A medical worker covers the body of veteran Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh. Al Jazeera put the blame for her death at the feet of Israeli security forces, who said it is 'investigating the event and looking into the possibility that the journalists were hit by the Palestinian gunmen' 'Abu Akleh was wearing a flack jacket so I think she was the person that the Palestinians referred to, but I cannot be 100% sure,' he said. The Palestinian Authority had rejected the offer of a joint investigation with Israel he added. 'I am not sure we will be able to definitively know the truth without their cooperation,' he said. In video footage of the incident, Abu Akleh can be seen wearing a blue flak jacket clearly marked with the word 'PRESS.' Journalist Mujahed Al-Saadi, who accompanied Abu Akleh to cover the Jenin raid, told Reuters that they were being 'targeted' by the Israeli army after having identified themselves as press. 'I turned and found Shireen on the ground in the first few seconds. I found Shatha [Hanaysheh] shielding herself by a tree and screaming with the shooting, and we were telling each other we were being shot at,' he said. 'The shooting continued for more than 3 minutes on the teams that were there, Ali was injured, he was able to cross the street and get to a point of safety, and the shooting continued. The Qatar-based broadcaster blamed Israeli forces, saying Abu Akleh was shot 'deliberately' and 'in cold blood' by Israeli troops while wearing a press vest and helmet 'The last person that the sniper saw was taking refuge under a tree, our colleague Shatha Hanaysheh, the shooting towards her continued while she was standing under the tree, and we could not provide first aid to Shireen. 'The boys came to us, the ones that were in the street, who were trying to pull Shireen out, were also shot at, whenever any one moved forward they were shot at.' The Israeli army confirmed that its forces had carried out an operation in a Jenin refugee camp on Wednesday morning, in a region known to be a stronghold of Palestinian armed groups in the northern West Bank. It firmly denied, however, that it had deliberately targeted journalists. 'The (army) of course does not aim at journalists,' a military official told AFP. 'There is an ongoing inquiry into this event. We offered and want to conduct a joint investigation with the Palestinians.' The army said that during its operation in the camp, 'massive fire was shot toward Israeli forces by tens of armed Palestinian gunmen'. People in the camp 'also hurled explosive devices toward the soldiers, endangering their lives. The soldiers responded with fire toward the sources of the fire and explosive devices. Hits were identified.' The Israeli Foreign Ministry put out a short video on Twitter of IDF soldiers firing and a text over reading: 'Palestinian terrorists, firing indiscriminately, are likely to have hit Al-Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Aqla'. Israel's Foreign Minister Yair Lapid said it had proposed to the Palestinian Authority a joint pathological investigation into the reporter's death. 'Journalists must be protected in conflict zones and we all have a responsibility to get to the truth,' he tweeted. Shireen Abu Akleh's press colleague, Shatha Hanaysheh, is consoled by another colleague after the raid on a refugee camp in Jenin, in the north West Bank Mourners and masked armed men carry the body of veteran Al Jazeera Palestinian journalist Shireen Abu Aqleh, shot and killed this morning during an Israeli raid in Jenin Shireen Abu Aqleh was well known across Palestine and the occupied territories, having joined Al Jazeera in 1997 and appeared on television regularly reported from across the Palestinian territories. The Palestinian Authority, which administers parts of the occupied West Bank and cooperates with Israel on security matters, condemned what it said was a 'shocking crime' committed by Israeli forces. Abu Akleh, 51, was born in Jerusalem. She began working for Al-Jazeera in 1997 and regularly reported on-camera from across the Palestinian territories. Israel has carried out near-daily raids in the occupied West Bank in recent weeks amid a series of deadly attacks inside Israel, many of them carried out by Palestinians from in and around Jenin. The town, and particularly its refugee camp, has long been known as a militant bastion. Israelis have long been critical of Al-Jazeera's coverage, but authorities generally allow its journalists to operate freely. Another Al-Jazeera reporter, Givara Budeiri, was briefly detained last year during a protest in Jerusalem and treated for a broken hand, which her employer blamed on rough treatment by police. Relations between Israeli forces and the media, especially Palestinian journalists, is strained. A number of Palestinian reporters have been wounded by rubber-coated bullets or tear gas while covering demonstrations in the West Bank. A Palestinian journalist in Gaza was shot and killed by Israeli forces while filming violent protests along the Gaza frontier in 2018. Another journalist working for a local Gaza radio station, who was shot on the same day at Gaza frontier, died a week later In November 2018, Associated Press reporter Rashed Rashid was covering a protest near the Gaza frontier when he was shot in the left ankle, apparently by Israeli fire. Rashid was wearing protective gear that clearly identified him as a journalist, and was standing with a crowd of other journalists some 600 meters (660 yards) away from the Israeli border when he was hit. The military has never acknowledged the shooting. During last year's war between Israel and Gaza's militant Hamas rulers, an Israeli airstrike destroyed the building in Gaza City housing the offices of The Associated Press and Al-Jazeera. Residents were warned to evacuate and no one was hurt in the strike. Israel said Hamas was using the building as a command center but has provided no evidence. Tony Blair's son Euan has suggested GCSEs should be scrapped because they are not a good indicator of future work performance and can hinder social mobility. The millionaire founder of the Multiverse apprenticeships firm, who attended the top US university Yale, said there was too much focus in the UK on exam results and 'what type of university did you go to?'. He added that it would not be 'a bad idea' to get rid of GCSEs, saying teenagers sat 'mock after mock, and this becomes the end in itself rather than actually learning, is really problematic'. His remarks set him apart from his father, politically at least. The former prime minister last month called for seven in 10 young people to go to university - saying an increase from the current 53 per cent was key to the UK competing with 'high-innovation economies' like South Korea and Japan. Euan told a panel on the skills gap at the Times Education Summit that 'we've had for a long time the obsession with academics as a kind of marker of potential and talent'. 'Only 4 per cent of those claiming free school meals make it to a Russell Group university. Over half of those on corporate graduate schemes were educated at private school,' he said. 'We are missing out on a huge segment of society and lots of incredibly talented people if we just focus on ''What did you get at GCSE, and A-levels and what type of university did you go to?'' The millionaire founder of the Multiverse apprenticeships firm, who attended the top US university Yale, said there was too much focus in the UK on exam results and 'what type of university did you go to?'. Euan (second from left) with his family in Downing Street after Tony Blair won the 2005 election for Labour The former prime minister last month called for seven in 10 young people to go to university - saying an increase from the current 53 per cent was key to the UK competing with 'high-innovation economies' like South Korea and Japan. Mr Blair Jnr created an estimated 160 million fortune through his company, which encourages school leavers to take up apprenticeships instead of going on to higher education. Asked about his father's target for 70 per cent of school leavers to attend university, Mr Blair said: 'It's not really a matter of having a fixed target in either direction.' He said professional apprenticeships are an 'incredible' way to begin a career, but 'pretty much every teacher went to university and so they're often more comfortable promoting that route'. Geoff Barton, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, said: 'We have lost the sense that assessment is something which is a skill set which teachers use routinely... it has become something that is driving far too much. 'There will be kids sitting their Key Stage 2 tests this week, who will have not done any PE and sport for two years because we allow the assessment to dominate that,' he added. He said GCSEs had been designed for a different era and the qualification had 'seen its day'. The idea of online, adaptive testing, where questions adapt to the pupil's ability, is 'hugely liberating and democratic', he said. Ofqual recently announced it will explore the use of online tests over the next three years. Meanwhile, Kate Bingham, who chaired the UK Government's Vaccine Taskforce during the pandemic, told the event that first-year undergraduates should be given the opportunity to develop vaccines. 'We've got to give them the opportunity to actually figure out how to turn dry science into something practical,' she said. 'And that was what was so exciting about vaccines is it's actually very tangible - you've got a genetic sequence of a pathogen, you can make it whether it's in protein or MRNA and you can vaccinate an animal. 'You can do that, you can do that at first year of university, and it's very straightforward.' She said being able to turn 'what you're learning in basic science' into an 'immediate reality' is the best way for pupils to learn. Russia has privately admitted the country is facing the biggest economic collapse in three decades as a result of crippling Western sanctions, a leaked copy of the Kremlin's forecast shows. The Russian Finance Ministry is predicting a 12 per cent collapse in gross domestic product (GDP) this year, the deepest economic contraction since 1994 when Russia was lurching towards capitalism under President Boris Yeltsin. The leaked forecast will put pressure on Vladimir Putin, who is facing criticism from Kremlin officials who warn of the damaging political and economic cost of his war plan. Russia's export-dependent economy is now plunging into recession after the Russian strongman invaded Ukraine as the move triggered sweeping Western sanctions, including a partial freeze of its reserves. According to leaked documents from the finance ministry, seen by Bloomberg, their figure of a 12 per cent contraction is more pessimistic than the Economy Ministry's prediction of a 8 per cent decline this year. The Russian Finance Ministry is predicting a 12 per cent collapse in gross domestic product (GDP) in 2022, the deepest economic contraction since 1994 when Russia was lurching towards capitalism under president Boris Yeltsin The Kremlin has not released a public forecast since Russia invaded Ukraine and the Finance Ministry claimed the forecast was inaccurate. 'Preparation of official macroeconomic forecasts does not fall under the Finance Ministry's authority,' the ministry said in a statement, adding that it 'expects that the measures taken by the government and the Bank of Russia will make it possible to ease to a large extent the negative consequences of sanctions and ensure stable economic development'. At the weekend, the G7, including the US and UK, released a set of sweeping new sanctions that target Russian media and bank executives. During that meeting, G7 leaders agreed to follow the U.S. example and commit to phasing out or banning the import of Russian oil. The move will massively damage Putin's ability to fund his war as energy is a main source of state revenue for Russia. 'The main negatives are the oil embargo, the EU is giving up Russian gas, along with more departures from foreign companies,' Natalie Lavrova, chief economist at BCS Financial Group in Moscow, told Bloomberg. 'All that will probably expand gradually, with a lot of negative carrying over in on 2023.' Lavrova predicts that Russia's economy will face a contraction of 10.8 per cent this year and about 5 per cent in 2023 based on current sanctions. The leaked forecast will put pressure on Vladimir Putin, who is facing criticism by Kremlin officials who warn of the damaging political and economic cost of his war plan Destroyed Russian armoured vehicles are stacked in a military graveyard outside of Kyiv, after Ukraine's army managed to thwart and attempt to take the capital and force a retreat The Bank of Russia said on April 29 that it expects a contraction between 8 per cent and 10 per cent this year. Last week, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen called on the EU to ban oil imports from Russia. Von der Leyen 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 UK and Britain have already vowed to stop using Russian oil in response to the invasion of Ukraine. The EU gets about 25 per cent of its oil from Russia, most of which goes toward gasoline and diesel for vehicles. Russia supplies about 14 per cent 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. Friends of former air hostess Caroline Watt (pictured left with Rebekah Vardy) say she was initially supportive of Mrs Vardy (inset) after Coleen Rooney (right) accused her of leaking stories, but became alarmed when the row escalated into legal action. One said: 'Caroline saw this all running away in front of them and wanted it to stop. She tried to stop Becky but she was just not having any of it. She was determined that she was going to get her apology from Coleen at any cost, so she just kept going and going. Becky was warned it was going to get expensive and there was a lot of damaging correspondence between Caroline and herself, but it was like Becky was on a runaway train and there was nothing Caroline could do about it. It all got out of control. It was quite extraordinary for Caroline to see. She spent years advising Becky and being her friend, so she hoped that, on this one, she would listen to her. Alas, she didn't.' Mrs Vardy has accepted in court documents that Mrs Watt may have leaked stories to The Sun, but this was without her knowledge. She was accused in court of betraying Mrs Watt by 'throwing her under the bus'. Advertisement Heavy showers are sweeping across Britain today before a mini-heatwave is set to turn the island into a summer paradise by the weekend. Forecasters say that some parts of England and Wales will have heavy rain today while further showers will be in the north of the UK before Friday, Saturday and Sunday turns largely dry. However, the Met Office has said there is a possibility of 'thundery showers' in the south of England this weekend which might dash the hope of some planning for sunny days off. The national weather service also forecasts it seems likely that temperatures could reach mid-20s at times in parts of the south and are set to be between 22C and 23C. A woman struggles as heavy rain and strong winds hit the Plymouth seafront in Devon on May 11 The Met Office has said there is a possibility of 'thundery showers' in the south of England this weekend which might dash the hope of some planning for sunny days off. Pictured: Today a man battling the wind and rain on the Plymouth seafront in Devon Heavy rain and strong winds put people off from sitting outdoors at the Plymouth seafront in Devon today A spokesman for the Met Office told the MailOnline: 'Its largely unsettled today and tomorrow. There is a band of rain currently moving eastward over England and Wales bringing occasionally heavy rain to the south of the UK' People out and about enjoying the sunny weather on the beach in Bournemouth, Dorset yesterday before the weather started to turn wet Heavy rain and strong winds pictured hitting the Plymouth seafront in Devon on May 10 You can see the wet weather sweeping across the south today, on left, while the rain is forecasted to be largely in the south, the north will turn wetter later on, right Promenade walkers in Bournemouth, Dorset yesterday before the weather started to becoming cold and wet today in parts of the south The Met Office's weather forecast Today Spells of rain, heavy at times, for Wales and much of England this morning, rain then clearing to sunny spells from all but the far east and southeast later. Sunny spells for Scotland and Northern Ireland, but also some showers. Tonight A fine end to the day for many, any early evening rain in the southeast soon clearing. Dry with clear spells for many overnight, but some showers in the northwest. Thursday Most areas fine and dry with sunny spells, best of the sunshine in the southeast. Cloudier and windier over Scotland and Northern Ireland with some showery rain at times. Friday to Saturday Breezy with rain for the far northwest Friday, otherwise mostly fine and dry and it will become warm. Risk of some thundery showers in the far south Sunday. Source: Met Office Advertisement Meanwhile, there will be cooler and breezier conditions on Thursday before it heats up. The UK's hottest day so far this year was on April 15, recorded in St James's Park, London, where temperatures reached 23.4C (74.12F). But on Sunday, we could see temperatures skyrocket to get into the 'hot' threshold, potentially reaching over 26C (77F). The heatwave thresholds for the UK are 25C (77F) across the north and west of Britain. Central London is 28C (82.4F), 27C (80.6F) for London's neighbouring counties, and 26C (78.8F) on areas surrounding those. A spokesman for the Met Office told the MailOnline: 'Its largely unsettled today and tomorrow. There is a band of rain currently moving eastward over England and Wales bringing occasionally heavy rain to the south of the UK. 'Once that has passed, the majority of any further showers will be confined to the north and north west of the UK. The weekend will be largely dry with perhaps a chance of thundery showers in the south. 'Temperatures in the south at the weekend could reach 22-23C. Next week theres some uncertainty in the forecast about the extent of any warm air over the UK so its not possible to be precise about temperatures, but it seems likely that temperatures could reach mid-20s at times in parts of the south.' The weather service also said today there will be some 'sunny spells for Scotland and Northern Ireland, but also some showers'. While Thursday is going to be dry with some sunshine in the southeast but 'cloudier and windier' in Scotland and Northern Ireland. The weekend is supposed to be mainly 'fine and dry' but with a possibility of 'thundery showers' However, the weather service also says high temperatures will return to most of the UK. This weekend's forecasted temperatures will be hotter than holiday hotspot Turkey, where it will be 23C (73.4F) on Sunday in Istanbul. Cannes in France will only reach highs of 22C (71.6F) on Sunday, as well as Porto in Portugal, and Gibraltar. Benidorm in Spain will see temperatures of 24C (75.2F) on Saturday and Sunday, with Greek island Santorini only just in the 20s with highs of 21C (69.8F) on both days over the weekend. Crowds flock to the beach at the seaside resort of Lyme Regis to soak up the hot sunshine and clear blue skies on May 7 BBC weather forecaster Stav Danaos said: 'For the next few days it is going to remain breezy rather unsettled, low pressure nearby and we are going to see showers or even longer spells of rain. 'For Wednesday this feature could bring some significant rainfall to parts of England and Wales throughout the day. 'Now some of that rain will really be quite heavy across parts of Wales, south west England through Wednesday morning and then that rain will push into the Midlands, parts of eastern England in the afternoon. I think the northern extent of it will be around the Greater Manchester area not further north than that. 'But as this rain band begins to move south eastwards into East Anglia and the South East it will start to fragment. Again another windy day to come particularly across southern Britain with that rain band, quite gusty as well across the north and west of Scotland where we will see sunshine and showers.' While BBC weather forecaster Tomasz Schafernaker said: 'Thursday into Friday the high pressure starts to build in so this is where the sunny warmer, I'm not going to say better weather necessarily because we need the rainfall, but the warmer sunnier weather is to the south of us, we've got that more unsettled weather to the north again with hints of rain a cross parts of western Scotland. 'But which ever way you look at it, it is really starting to settle down by Friday with widespread sunny skies and temperatures 20C in London. 'Look at the outlooks, so Saturday, Sunday into next week we are talking about 20s, mid 20s across the south.' Visitors wearing waterproof jackets enjoying an afternoon walk around the harbour in the light rain at the seaside resort of West Bay in Dorset on a wet overcast afternoon on Bank Holiday Monday, May 2 Pictured: Families and visitors enjoying an afternoon on the beach in the light rain at the seaside resort of West Bay in Dorset on a wet overcast afternoon on Bank Holiday Monday, May 2 Pictured: Visitors with waterproof jackets and an umbrella enjoying an afternoon walk around the harbour in the light rain at the seaside resort of West Bay in Dorset on a wet overcast afternoon on Bank Holiday Monday, May 2. The news will also be particularly welcome for those planning to celebrate the Platinum Jubilee, when the Bank Holiday is forecast to see 5,000 tonnes of British strawberries bought that week. Rupert Carter, technical director of producer WB Chambers Farms, said: 'We have enjoyed bright days this spring coupled with cool nights, which allows strawberry plants to rest well and put their energy gained during the day into producing high natural sugars overnight. 'This process makes the berries sweeter and is one of the main reasons for such good tasting fruit.' British Summer Fruits chairman Nick Marston said: 'It looks to be another fantastic year for British strawberries. However, rising energy and labour costs are presenting real challenges for UK berry growers. 'Despite these challenges, British strawberries remain a true success story. The UK is totally self-sufficient in strawberries for the entire summer season which now runs from May to October as farms continue to advance growing techniques, such as large-scale glasshouse production for season extension. This allows us to offer shoppers locally-grown fresh berries for longer.' Last year, Britons bought more than 87,000 tonnes of British strawberries. The strawberry industry is now worth more than 769 million to the British economy, according to Kantar figures. A Greek pilot who suffocated his British wife then spun an elaborate lie about an armed burglary to cover his tracks today said he killed her because she failed to apologise following a row. Babis Anagnostopoulos, 33, is facing 30 years in jail in his native Greece for the murder of Caroline Crouch, 20, in May last year, but is seeking a lesser sentence for manslaughter on the basis that it was a 'crime of passion' caused by her behaviour. Giving evidence at an Athens court today - the same day he smothered Caroline to death a year ago - Babis admitted he killed his wife because he did not receive an apology from her after an argument over their daughter Lydia. He described to the court how he smothered Caroline to death by pressing her face against a pillow for five minutes as he heard her muffled screams. Babis also admitted killing the family pet - a puppy called Roxy - and described how the dog had 'cried for a few seconds' as he hung its body from the bannister as a way of giving credence to his lies of there being a break-in. He is facing separate charges for killing the dog. Greek helicopter pilot Babis Anagnostopoulos arrives at an Athens court escorted by armed police officers on Wednesday Babis is escorted by armed police officers as he is escorted to the court in Athens on Wednesday where he is accused of killing his wife Caroline Crouch Babis Anagnostopoulos, 33, today told an Athens court that the word 'sorry' was not enough for him killing Caroline Crouch, 20, (pictured together) and her beloved pet dog Roxy After suffocating Caroline as she slept, Anagnostopoulos then smothered puppy Roxy (pictured) and hanged the pup's lifeless body on the banister of their first floor flat in Athens. Anagnostopoulos is also being charged with the felony of killing a healthy animal - something made possible following a new law introduced last year that forbids their unlawful killing Babis today told the court that, on the night Caroline died, the couple had argued when Lydia started crying - having almost fallen over while he was looking after her. Babis agreed with the judge when asked if he killed Caroline because she had not apologised after he tried to patch things up between them. He said: 'Yes, I wanted the incident to end and for her to apologise.' Babis said that he initially fell asleep in the living room but went to the couple's bedroom at around 4am to smooth things over. He added: 'I went to bed, sat next to her and when she realised I was sitting next to her, she turned her head. I wanted to hug her. She wasn't receptive to my hugging her, she said: 'Go away.' She shook when I tried to hug her. Her reaction was the same as three hours ago. I understood that she hadn't gotten over it at all.' It was then that Babis said that he climbed on top of Caroline in an attempt to hug her, but she rejected his advances. Asked why he climbed onto Caroline when it was obvious that she was not 'calm,' he replied: 'There is no logic in this. I have asked myself a million times about this. I don't have an answer, I don't know why she was so angry.' Recalling the moment he smothered Caroline to death by pressing her face against a pillow, he revealed that he did this for between four to five minutes. Babis said he could hear muffled screaming and swearing from Caroline as he forced her head into the pillow. When asked by the judge what was it that caused his love for Caroline to convert to such hate, Babis replied: 'Everything that happened accumulated in my head during the last three hours before her death. 'I had no purpose. I was in a boiling state of mind. There was no logic. I cannot explain it myself.' Realising she was dead, Anagnostopoulos told the court: 'I could tell she was dead because her eyes were open. I started crying, pulling my hair, moving back and forth across the room.' Anagnostopoulos revealed that he concocted the story of a botched burglary almost immediately because he did not want to go to jail and was afraid that Lydia would lose both her parents. He said: 'I didn't want to come into contact with Caroline's dead body. I didn't want to cover it up. I'm not a psychopath. 'My first thought was to make it look like someone else did it.' He continued: 'I thought only a violent robbery would convince. I thought no one would believe me if the scene wasn't violent. I figured the only way to make it believable was to hurt an animal.' Recounting the killing of Roxy he said: 'I went downstairs where the dog was. I took the dog with the leash and put on the collar. I hung it from the stairs. I couldn't hurt it with a knife or a tool.' 'I couldn't do anything with my hands. I picked up the dog and tied it to the bannister. I left the living room so I wouldn't see it, so I went to the kitchen. It cried for a few seconds. Lydia was already upstairs in her room.' Caroline (left), Anagnostopoulos (right) and their baby daughter pose for a snap in May 2021 Earlier in his testimony, Babis tried to paint Caroline as an uncaring mother who was prone to violent episodes that made him fear for 11-month-old Lydia's safety. He said the pair exchanged hostile words on the night she died before Caroline stormed up to bed around 10.30pm, shouting back down the stairs: 'You can both die. I don't care.' Babis said he then tried to take Lydia into their bedroom three times, before eventually placing the girl in bed next to Caroline which made her even angrier. 'Caroline shouted "go away, go to hell. I don't care what you do with the baby." She wasn't calm,' he said. 'She was furious, she cursed at me. After the third occasion, I left the little one next to her (Caroline) on the right side.' He then told the court that he was 'afraid' of what might she might have done to their baby when they were left alone. 'She was a wonderful mother. But that night, with her temper, unintentionally she could have hurt the child. I couldn't predict what she would do,' he said. 'She was the perfect mother who had moments of violence.' Babis - who began sleeping with Caroline when he was 29 and she was just 16 - also painted an idyllic vision of their early relationship, before claiming it turned sour after his wife suffered a miscarriage and then gave birth to Lydia. He claims she became angry and irrational, and would lash out at him. But psychologists treating the pair paint a very different picture: Saying that he was controlling and Caroline felt 'suffocated' and 'trapped' in the relationship. Having initially tried to mislead police - even going so far as to attend Caroline's funeral and comfort her parents - Babis has now pledged to tell the court 'every detail' about the killing. He told the court: 'There are no excuses for what happened a year ago. Not to myself, not to anyone. What was lost a year ago is irreplaceable. 'She (Caroline) didn't deserve what happened, our dog didn't deserve it or anyone else. The word 'sorry' is not enough. No matter how many times I tell her now that I'm sorry she won't enjoy her life.' Anagnostopoulos does not deny killing Caroline but insists that it was not 'premeditated' and that it was a 'crime of passion' caused by her behaviour. In addition to her murder Anagnostopoulos is also on trial for the murder of Roxy and two counts of attempting to pervert the course of justice. Following the killings, he concocted an elaborate ruse that they were the result of a botched burglary last May. British national Caroline Crouch, 20, was strangled to death by helicopter pilot Babis Anagnostopolous, 33 (pictured) The court has already heard graphic details about how police discovered Roxy's torso hanging from a bannister and the couple's 11-month-old baby Lydia next to her dead mother after they entered their home in an Athens suburb. Anagnostopoulos told the court: 'No matter how many times I say sorry to our child for not growing up next to her mother or to my mother-in-law for trusting me, it makes no difference. There are no words. 'I will tell you exactly what happened in every detail and honestly. It will not be an excuse, I am not trying to rationalize anything from that day. 'I'm not interested in my career or being cursed by a large number of people who have not met me, only that I will never see her (Caroline) again. 'My absolute priority in everything was her happiness.' Ironically, Anagnostopoulos was giving evidence on the one-year anniversary of Caroline's killing. Recalling the start of his and Caroline's sexual relationship, when she was 16 and he was 29, Anagnostopoulos told how they met on the island of Alonissos. The court has already heard how she was 15 when they first met, when he was working as a helicopter pilot and would fly over the school she was attending to impress her. He said: 'My life changed in 2017 when I saw Caroline. We met at Easter. It was platonic, I was disappointed when I found out her age. I went back to the island in the summer. 'She is the rarest person I have ever met in my life. A brilliant woman. At 16 you could speak with her about anything. 'Her personality was lovely. She filled anyone with love.' As his voice quivered, he told a panel of three judges and four jurors: 'We spent the whole summer together. 'After that it was obvious to both of us that we were in a relationship. Despite the practical problems, that she was on the island and I was in Athens.' He added: 'During the four years we were together, Caroline never called me by my name. She only called me 'darling' or 'little one'. No one can tell me otherwise; it was the rarest and most beautiful thing I have ever felt.' Anagnostopoulos said that despite 'issues' in their relationship 'if I could turn back time, I'd choose Caroline again.' The Greek prosecutor hit back: 'The problem is you can't do that.' The couple began dating when Caroline was still a teenager. They married in Portugal in 2019 A psychiatrist has told a court in Athens where a Greek helicopter pilot (pictured arriving in court on Tuesday) is on trial for killing his young British-born wife that the defendant exhibits signs of both narcissistic and anti-social personality disorders Anagnostopoulos was asked in court about why he and Caroline went to Portugal to get married in 2018 without informing her parents. He said: 'In the summer of 2018 we had the crazy idea to get married. 'She had a dream of getting married on a beach. But in Greece this is not legally possible, you need a church. So, we went to Portugal. We both knew it was early. We were madly in love. 'She organised everything perfectly. Even the flowers, the cars, the hotels... everything. 'My absolute priority in everything was her happiness. We were looking for a beautiful house that framed the dream we were living. Caroline loved this particular house. We did not want to live in the city.' Asked why Caroline's parents or wider family were not informed he responded: 'We planned to make the summer trip to Portugal, get married and announce it when we get back.' Anagnostopoulos was asked in court when problems between him and Caroline started to arise. He said: 'When we found out she was pregnant with her first child it was a big shock. It was too soon to have a child. Not only because of her age but also because we hadn't had much time living together. And this had a big effect on our relationship. 'We knew a pregnancy would happen at some point, but this was too soon. We were afraid of how the child would change our plans, our trips and Caroline studies.' The court has already heard how the Caroline suffered a miscarriage before going on to give birth to Lydia. Anagnostopoulos claims that this affected her mental health, causing Caroline to become angrier and more argumentative. But number of expert witnesses have testified that the loss of her first child did not affect her attitude towards Anagnostopoulos. They claimed that Caroline had expressed a desire to leave him because she felt 'suffocated' and 'trapped' by his controlling behaviour and because he prevented her from pursuing further studies to become a pastry chef. Fighting back the tears, he recalled the miscarriage: 'We found out that there was a problem with the pregnancy. We went to the gynaecologist and found out that the baby had no pulse and had died. 'I was devastated, we were both devastated. We were crying as we were falling asleep and hugging as we shed tears.' He added: 'In some moments Caroline would burst out. I could tell she wasn't herself when she was attacking me, either verbally or physically. I didn't mind her taking it out on me, I understood her.' Yesterday, excerpts of Caroline's diary - in which she detailed the couple's troubled relationship - were read out in court. In the entries it was revealed that Caroline told him she wanted to end their relationship in July 2020, when their baby was a month old. Anagnostopoulos broke down in tears and had to be comforted by his lawyer as the court heard Caroline also admitted that she wanted to leave before she fell pregnant but changed her mind, saying: 'I didn't want my daughter to grow up without her parents'. The heartbreaking entries also told of bitter fights between the pair, with Caroline recalling one where she 'hit him' before he 'broke down a door'. One entry read by the judge stated: 'I fought with Babi again. This time it was serious. I hit him, I cursed at him and he broke down the door. 'All I wanted was for him to ask how I am when I woke up. I woke up so weak and tired.' It was at this point that the pilot started sobbing, having appeared unmoved earlier in the hearing when Caroline's autopsy was read to the court. It revealed that she was smothered for five minutes by Anagnostopoulos and died 'in agony.' Her official cause of death was given as asphyxiation. After the hearing, Thanasis Harmanis, the lawyer for the Crouch family said: 'Babis's crocodile tears just underline how heartless he is and are an insult to the memory of Caroline. 'He weeps when he hears about him being attacked by Caroline but does not shed a single tear after horrible details about her death are revealed. 'This is why her parents didn't want to be at the case because they don't want to be confronted by this charade.' Anagnostopoulos faces a possible 30-year sentence if convicted of murder at the Athens Mixed Jury court, where his case is being heard before three full-time judges and four jurors Earlier, a psychiatrist told the Athens court where the Greek helicopter pilot is on trial that the defendant exhibits signs of both narcissistic and anti-social personality disorders. The expert witness, Alkistis Igoumenaki, testified yesterday morning that Anagnostopoulos had a 'psychopathic personality' and a 'lack of empathy' for his 20-year-old spouse and their young daughter Lydia. Igoumenaki said: '[The defendant] has an absence of sentiment and empathy, but his mind is perfectly capable of understanding the wrongdoing he has done. 'He suffers from a number of anti-social behaviour traits and is also a narcissist. But that is not an excuse for saying that he was not in control when he carried out his crimes. The psychiatrist continued: 'He killed his wife and the mother of his child without thinking how much the child would suffer from this loss, so the lack of empathy concerns the child as well. 'We see a man who does not think about the baby... All this contributes to a psychopathic personality.' Anagnostopoulos faces a possible 30-year sentence if convicted of murder at the Athens Mixed Jury court, where his case is being heard before three full-time judges and four jurors. Igoumenaki later claimed that Anagnostopoulos' personality meant he was unable to deal with rejection and posited he wanted to be 'admired' when he entered into a relationship with a much younger woman, highlighting the 13-year age gap between Caroline and her killer. 'We see a quest for the admiration of others... Most of us in the world have experienced rejection and we know that emotion is bad. But fortunately this does not lead to murders,' the psychiatrist decalared. The court has already heard how Caroline expressed a desire to leave Anagnostopoulos because she felt 'suffocated' and 'trapped' by his controlling behaviour. Eleni Mylonopoulou, who was providing couples counselling said at an earlier hearing: 'The moment Babis would leave the room Caroline would tell me that she wanted to leave their marital home, take the baby and start all over again. 'She felt controlled, suffocated and trapped by him. She wanted to go back to university and become a pastry chef. But he didn't give her any freedom and she had no choice in how she lived her life.' She added: 'On paper, Caroline was in love with the idea of Babis but hated the person who he really was.' The pilot gave evidence from 10.30am to 8.35pm. The Crouch family lawyer, Athanasios Harmanis, said after the hearing: For 37 days Babis put on a show to the police and public and he has just put on another 12-hour show in the courtroom. The hearing continues. A Chinese war vessel was spotted off the southwestern coast of Japan's Okinawa island late Monday, May 9, spurring the country to keep close tabs on the aircraft carrier and its warplanes. The Chinese vessel is reported to have already sanctioned over 100 takeoffs of its fighter jets, as well as assorted helicopter activity throughout the area, to what means remains uncertain. Amid a press briefing held on Monday, Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno relayed that consistent surveillance of China's aircraft carrier and its aircraft will be imperative moving forward. The official also noted that its appearance might be due to China's increased efforts to strategize and heighten its operational capacities within the Pacific ocean for both its maritime and aerial fleets. China's aircraft carrier Liaoning was likewise spotted between the islands of Okinawa and Miyako last week, whereupon supply ships and missile destroyers could also be seen accompanying the vessel. In efforts to defend and keep a watchful eye over the area, Japan has sent its Izumo helicopter carrier via the country's Maritime Self-Defense Force. China's Liaoning was spied for six days sending assorted aircraft, such as jets and helicopters, 160 kilometers from Japan's Ishigaki Island. Related Article: China's 'Artifical Sun' is Now Five Times Hotter Than the Real Sun-Here's Everything We Know So Far China has been bolstering its military might within waters over the past several months, strengthening not just its core maritime standing but likewise the technology that goes along with it. These include not only a nuclear-powered carrier, titled the Type 003, but also a prototype hypersonic missile that can supposedly incapacitate rival aircraft carriers. Specifically, in Japanese waters, China has remained bullish in its attempts to assert dominance within the area without actual violence. "The government will continue to watch moves by the Chinese military in waters around Japan," said Matsuno amid Monday's press briefing. Japan has been ever cautious and on high alert with such power moves made via its Asian counterpart. The fears have been bred since Russia's attack on Ukraine, spurring woes in Japan of an Indo-Pacific skirmish if not kept in check. The island country even lodged a complaint regarding a separate incident on Monday involving Chinese Coast Guard ships entering waters near the Senkaku Islands in the East China Sea. Although uninhabited and controlled largely by Japan, China has laid claim on the islets, coining them the Diaoyu, activities which Matsuno calls "regrettable and intolerable." Read Also: China Releases e-CNY as Central Bank Looks to Go Cashless @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. A young boy has tragically died after falling from the roof of a residential construction site. Joshua Field, 12, was playing with his young brother, a cousin and a close friend at the site in Maddington, Western Australia on Monday night. It's believed the boy jumped from the timber roof of an unfinished home and fell at around 8pm, with a metal pole striking his head after the fall. Joshua was rushed to Perth's Children Hospital with critical head injuries. However, his family chose to turn off his life support on Tuesday. Joshua Field (pictured) has tragically died after he fell from the roof of a residential construction site in Maddington, Western Australia Joshua's sister, Charnte Turner, created a TikTok video dedicated to her brother Joshua's sister, Charnte Turner, has put up a GoFundMe page to raise money for her brother's funeral. She wrote in the description of the page that her family had lost a 'beautiful soul'. 'My 12 year old brother Joshy was injured after playing on a construction site,' she said. 'Shortly after getting rushed to hospital and fighting for his life, he sadly didnt make it.' Charnte described her brother as a 'hero' for donating his organs. She said the money raised through the GoFundMe page would go towards 'the cost of the funeral, wake, and all the other expenses'. 'Myself and my whole family will forever be grateful and appreciative of all the help and support from everyone,' Charnte added. It's believed the 12-year-old boy jumped from the timber roof of an unfinished home and fell at around 8pm, with a metal pole striking his head after the fall. (Pictured: Police at the construction site) Joshua was rushed to Perth's Children Hospital with critical head injuries. However, his family eventually chose to turn off his life support. (Pictured with his sister Charnte in her TikTok video) Charnte also posted a touching TikTok video online which featured a montage of images with her and her brother. Several TikTok users offered their condolences to Charnte in the comments section of the tribute. 'I'm so sorry for you loss, hope you're doing okay,' wrote one. 'Rip you will never be forgotten,' said another. A third added: 'Josh you were my best friend, my one and only hat buddy. I still can't believe you are gone when my mum told me my heart was ripped out of me.' CCTV vision taken near the site shows two of the children walk down the road to meet a boy riding his bike to acquire a phone from him CCTV vision recorded near the construction site on the night of Joshua's fall shows two children walking down the road soon after the incident. A boy is seen riding his bike in the distance towards the site to meet the pair. They ask the boy for a phone while appearing visibly distressed. Emergency services were soon contacted, with three ambulances arriving at the site minutes later. Police and Worksafe are investigating the incident. Police are not treating the fall as suspicious. Britain's migration deal with Rwanda could be the first of a number of such agreements struck around the world, a Home Office minister suggested today. Under the 120m scheme with Kigali, any adult who enters the UK illegally can now be sent on a one-way ticket to Rwanda to have an asylum claim processed. The plans have been touted by ministers as a means of clamping down on migrants making perilous journeys across the Channel in small boats. The Home Office has revealed that a first batch of migrants in the UK have already been told they face being sent to Rwanda. There is a hope the scheme will soon deter further people from making Channel crossings. Appearing before the House of Commons' Home Affairs Committee this morning, Tom Pursglove - the minister for tackling illegal migration - stated his belief that there would be a 'deterrent effect' from the scheme. And he also hinted there could be further such deals to come. Prior to the Rwanda deal being signed, the Home Office was reported to have considered similar agreements that would see asylum seekers processed in other countries such as Albania and Ghana. Meanwhile, Denmark is currently holding talks with Rwanda over setting up its own scheme to transfer asylum seekers to the African country. Tom Pursglove, the minister for tackling illegal migration, hinted there could be further such deals to come after the agreement struck with Rwanda Mr Pursglove told MPs: 'There is no one single intervention that will resolve the issues we are grappling with - I've been consistently clear about this. 'It is of course a new policy, this is a world first in terms of this economic and migration partnership we've agreed with Rwanda. 'I doubt it will be the last of those sorts of agreements that are reached involving countries around the world. But I genuinely do believe there will be a deterrent effect.' Mr Pursglove admitted the deterrent being presented by the Rwanda scheme was 'difficult to quantify at this stage'. He said this was due to conflicting reports of some people in Calais being discouraged from crossing the Channel, while others have said they will still leave northern France to journey to Britain. The minister told the Committee that the Rwanda deal was 'not a panacea' but stressed it would make a 'significant contribution in shifting the dial'. He told MPs that it was 'logical' that targeting the business model of people traffickers in the Channel would reduce the number of small boat crossings. But Mr Pursglove was unable to point to any modelling work that had been undertaken by the Home Office as an 'evidence base' for the Rwanda scheme. 'This is a new and untested policy at this point in time,' he told MPs. 'I do think that in the fullness of time we will see this policy, as part of a wider package that we are introducing, really shift the dynamic. 'What is absolutely clear is we cannot continue with the status quo.' He said the cost of processing people to be sent to Rwanda would be 'akin' to the current case rate of 12,000 per individual in the UK. Dan Hobbs, director of asylum, protection and enforcement at the Home Office, highlighted how a similar policy of offshore asylum processing was being utilised successfully by Australia. Asked later about the possibility of new migration deals being struck, a Home Office source told MailOnline: 'Were always in talks with countries around the world on how we can tackle joint challenges.' Ministers have defended the Rwanda plan as a means of clamping down on migrants making the perilous journey across the Channel in small boats Under her new 120million scheme, Home Secretary Priti Patel has warned that any adult who enters the UK illegally could be sent on a one-way ticket to Rwanda Meanwhile, charities have claimed that asylum seekers in Britain are going into hiding as they fear being sent to Rwanda. The British Red Cross and the Refugee Council urged Home Secretary Priti Patel to rethink her plans to send migrants 4,000 miles away. They outlined the 'detrimental impact on the physical and psychological health' on asylum seekers following the announcement of the new proposals. This included reports of young people self-harming, people disappearing from Home Office-supplied accomodation, and others now refusing to access support. Together, the British Red Cross and Refugee Council worked with nearly 44,000 people as they sought asylum in the UK last year. They have now detailed how the announcement of the Rwanda plan last month has affected those within the asylum system in Britain. Those being supported by Red Cross include a Rwandan asylum seeker in South East England who fears being sent back to the country. He told the charity he would be in hiding and refraining from accessing support so he is not identified by authorities. An Afghan living in temporary accommondation supplied by the Home Office in the East Midlands also told the Red Cross he had gone into hiding fearing that he would be detained and sent to Rwanda. He also claimed many of his friends were in the same situation and planned to go underground so they are not detained. An asylum seeker from Ethiopia based in the West Midlands also revealed how he had left his accommodation out of fear he will be sent to Rwanda. Mike Adamson, chief executive at the British Red Cross said: 'We are hearing directly from many people seeking asylum of the distress and anxiety recent announcements have provoked, even though they may not be directly impacted by them. 'As a result of the measures in the Nationality and Border's Act, alongside the recent announcement to remove people to Rwanda on a one-way ticket, people are telling us that they feel less safe and less welcome in the UK. 'It's therefore unsurprising that people's psychological safety and sense that they are welcome has been eroded, and that people considering going underground leaving themselves without formal support and in very vulnerable positions. 'It's vitally important that people who have been displaced from their homes feel safe and able to come forward and apply for the protection they need. 'We already support thousands of people who face destitution each year, and these policies are only likely to increase the need for help. 'We are urging authorities to change tack and instead address fundamental issues within the asylum system by creating more safe routes, improving asylum decisions and making sure people live in dignity with the support they need.' Enver Solomon, CEO at the Refugee Council, said: 'We are hearing tragic stories about the severe impact on mental health, including young, vulnerable children who are terrified what will happen to them with reports of self-harm. 'We are concerned the government is not seeing the face behind the case and should be doing far more to exercise its duty of care towards vulnerable people. 'These are men, women and children who have already endured so much trauma and upheaval. 'These new measures fail to address the reasons people take perilous journeys to the UK, and so will do little to deter people coming but only create more human suffering, distress, and chaos with dangerous, far-reaching consequences for vulnerable people who are simply in need of safety. 'We urge the Government to immediately rethink its plans and focus on operating an orderly, humane and fair asylum system.' Home Office guidance has shown migrants who arrive in Britain from Monday will be a 'priority' for the Rwanda scheme The Home Secretary revealed last night that, under the new scheme, the first migrants have already been told they face being sent to Rwanda to claim asylum. Ms Patel confirmed the first batch of illegal migrants had been handed official confirmation that they would be a test case for the controversial programme. Officials refused to say how many people were in the group but they are thought to have arrived by dinghy from northern France. Home Office guidance has shown migrants who arrive in Britain from Monday will be a 'priority' for the Rwanda scheme. Boris Johnson pledged 'tens of thousands' of migrants would be sent to Rwanda, but it has since emerged that numbers could be far lower amid an avalanche of legal challenges. Migrants selected for the scheme receive a 'notice of intent' letter informing them they are 'under consideration for relocation'. A Home Office spokesperson said: 'The UK has a proud history of supporting refugees in need of protection. 'We have welcomed hundreds of thousands of people to the UK through legal asylum routes, as well as stepping up recently in times of crisis to welcome refugees en masse in a short space of time from Afghanistan and Ukraine. 'Asylum seekers have access to health and social care services from the point of arrival in the UK. We take every step to prevent self-harm or suicide, including a dedicated team responsible for identifying vulnerable asylum seekers and providing tailored support. 'However Britain's asylum system is broken, as criminals exploit vulnerable people through illegal smuggling routes at a huge cost to the taxpayer. 'Under our world leading migration partnership with Rwanda, a fundamentally safe and secure country, illegal migrants will be relocated to Rwanda to have their claims for asylum considered- helping to break the people trafficking business and save lives.' Boris Johnson today urged the EU not to create any 'drama' as he doubled down on his threat to rip up post-Brexit trade rules for Northern Ireland. The Prime Minister shrugged off recent warnings from leaders across the Continent - and even from US President Joe Biden - who have demanded he doesn't scrap key parts of the Northern Ireland Protocol. British ministers stand ready to take unilateral action to override the Protocol, which is at the heart of a trade dispute with Brussels. It follows the historic result of last week's Northern Ireland elections, which have piled the pressure on both the UK and EU to come up with a solution to the ongoing quarrel. The DUP, who have now been replaced by nationalist Sinn Fein as the largest party at Stormont, this week turned up the heat on the Protocol row. The unionist party won't re-enter a powersharing administration in Northern Ireland without 'decisive action' on the post-Brexit trade rules, which introduced checks on goods crossing the Irish Sea. They are refusing to join a Stormont executive unless major changes are made to the agreement signed between the UK and EU less than three years ago. The prospect of Mr Johnson soon abandoning discussions with the EU and taking unilateral action on the Protocol has raised fears of a bitter trade war with Brussels. But, speaking to the BBC on his visit to Sweden today, the PM claimed there was no need for tempers to flare. Boris Johnson urged the EU not to create any 'drama' over the Northern Ireland Protocol amid concerns at a bitter trade war with Brussels The PM said: 'Lets face it, were talking about really in the scheme of things, a very, very small part of the whole European economy and I think 0.4 per cent of the value of the whole of the EU economy in Northern Ireland. It is crazy 'I didnt think theres any need for drama. This is something that just needs to be fixed.' Earlier in the day, Mr Biden had waded into Britain's row with the EU over trade rules for Northern Ireland. In a scathing attack, the White House demanded Mr Johnson show 'leadership' by continuing negotiations with Brussels rather than tear up the Brexit deal to appease unionists. The intervention came after Foreign Secretary Liz Truss prepared to warn her EU counterpart that Britain is prepared to take unilateral action to remove the Protocol. Ms Truss is expected to reiterate in a call with European Commission vice president Maros Sefcovic on Thursday the risk to the Good Friday Agreement and warn that the situation cannot drag on. But a White House spokeswoman told the Times today: 'The best path forward is a pragmatic one that requires courage, co-operation and leadership. 'We urge the parties to continue engaging in dialogue to resolve differences and bring negotiations to a successful conclusion.' In a scathing attack, the White House demanded Boris Johnson show 'leadership' by continuing negotiations with Brussels rather than tear up the Brexit deal to appease unionists. A White House spokeswoman told the Times today: 'We urge the parties to continue engaging in dialogue to resolve differences and bring negotiations to a successful conclusion.' Ms Truss is expected to reiterate in a call with European Commission vice president Maros Sefcovic on Thursday the risk to the Good Friday Agreement and warn that the situation cannot drag on The sausage war spat that threatens to undo the Brexit agreement The row over the Northern Ireland Protocol began almost as soon as the Brexit agreement with the EU came into force. The UK's departure from the block required the two sides to find a square peg that would fit into a round hole: how to avoid a hard border (IE checkpoints) between Ulster and Ireland and yet introduce a viable customs border between the EU and a new external 'third party' state. The protocol avoids a hard border between by effectively keeping the North inside the EUs single market. But it requires checks on goods crossing the Irish Sea from Britain. This compromise incensed unionists who felt that it 'othered' an integral part of the UK. The UK began talks seeking to alter the terms of the agreement, despite it having been signed off by the PM just months earlier. And it introduced a waiver on checks on food and agricultural produce to ease supply problems in supermarkets. After a year of further negotiations between various ministers and Brussels got nowhere, unionists took action into their own hands in February. DUP first minister Paul Givan resigned in February in an effort to force movement. This action left the Executive unable to fully function, due to the way it was set up to share power under the Good Friday Agreement. While ministers remained in post, they were restricted in the actions they could take. Since 1998, when the governance system was devised as part of Northern Ireland's historic peace accord, the first minister has always been a unionist. But that all changed last week, when Sinn Fein became the largest party at Stormont for the first time ever. But the DUP has insisted that it will not return until its demands over the protocol are met. It means that the assembly is still non-functioning. Since the election ministers have begun to again talk of replacing the protocol with domestic UK legislation. This would be illegal under international law and could cause the whole Brexit agreement to collapse. The Biden administration has also taken a dim view, urging continued talks to solve the problem. Advertisement Mr Johnson today said the Protocol fails to command cross-community support in Northern Ireland and 'we need to sort it out'. At a press conference alongside Swedish prime minister Magdalena Andersson at her Harpsund country retreat, Mr Johnson said: 'The most important agreement is the 25-year-old Belfast Good Friday agreement. 'That is crucial for the stability of our country of the UK, of Northern Ireland. 'And it's got to be that means that things have got to command cross-community support. 'Plainly the Northern Ireland protocol fails to do that and we need to sort it out.' Last night he attacked the EU for failing to take 'necessary' steps to address disruption caused by the post-Brexit agreement. But furious EU leaders warned that unilateral action could collapse the whole post Brexit deal, potentially widening the impact of the row beyond Northern Ireland to the whole of the UK. Minister Michael Gove tried to calm the situation this morning. He told broadcasters while he is 'super cool' with threats to tear up the protocol, the UK is 'going to negotiate with the EU in order to get the best possible outcome for the people of Northern Ireland'. Downing Street backed Ms Truss in claiming some EU proposals are 'a backwards step', but declined to say whether preparations have been taken for a possible trade war with the bloc. The Prime Minister's official spokesman said: 'I think we're getting ahead of ourselves. 'We want nothing but good relations with our EU partners but I'm not going to get into speculation about what might happen down the line.' He said 'some relatively minor concessions' from the EU in the past 'show that where there was willing, change could be achieved'. Asked if the Government was drawing up controversial new legislation, the spokesman said: 'I wouldn't get into, on any issue, the ins and outs of policy development. 'This is something we're looking at closely, it's a serious issue, all options are on the table.' There was an added complication from the US today as senior politicians warned Liz Truss not to undermine peace. In a letter to the Foreign Secretary, Congress's Foreign Affairs Committee said unilateral British action 'would undermine (the) Good Friday Agreement and is in direct confrontation with wishes of majority of Northern Ireland Assembly members'. The Sinn Fein vice-president lashed out at the DUP today, accusing leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson of holding society to ransom. Speaking after a meeting with Irish Foreign Affairs Minister Simon Coveney, Michelle O'Neill, who stands to become First Minister, said: 'It is not good enough for the people here that the DUP is holding society to ransom, punishing society, preventing the establishment of a Speaker and an Executive to actually respond to the things people are worried about.' A strong indication that unilateral action on the Protocol might soon come from Westminster was also delivered in a briefing document on the Queen's Speech. In the note accompanying the Government's legislative agenda for the new parliamentary session, ministers highlighted how problems with the Protocol 'continue to stand in the way' of a Northern Ireland government being formed. Speaking at a press conference last night, Mr Scholz urged the UK against going it alone in overhauling the Protocol. 'We have found a good way for Northern Ireland and no one should unilaterally override the arrangement which we have agreed together,' he said. Minister Michael Gove tried to calm the situation, saying that while he is 'super cool' with threats to tear up the protocol, the UK is 'going to negotiate with the EU in order to get the best possible outcome for the people of Northern Ireland'. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz led the backlash against UK plans to scrap key parts of the Northern Ireland Protocol EU vice-president Maros Sefcovic, who will speak to Liz Truss tomorrow, also hit out growing suggestions the UK is ready to abandon those discussions Former Prime Minister Theresa May joined those cautioning Mr Johnson against taking unilateral action on the Protocol as she spoke in the House of Commons The Sinn Fein vice-president lashed out at the DUP today, accusing leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson of holding society to ransom. His warning was echoed by Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo, who said: 'Our message is quite clear: Don't touch this. 'If that agreement would be revoked, then I would think that the whole system will be revoked. I would not see any other solution.' Ms Truss has held ongoing discussions with EU vice-president Maros Sefcovic in recent months over the Protocol. He also today hit out at growing suggestions the UK is gearing up to abandon those talks and unilaterally set aside the Protocol. In a letter to the Foreign Secretary, Congress's Foreign Affairs Committee said unilateral British action 'would undermine (the) Good Friday Agreement and is in direct confrontation with wishes of majority of Northern Ireland Assembly members'. In a statement, Mr Sefcovic said: 'Only joint solutions will work. Unilateral action by the UK would only make our work on possible solutions more difficult.' He added: 'With political will and genuine commitment, joint solutions to legitimate practical issues raised by people and businesses in Northern Ireland can be found within the framework of the Protocol.' But Mr Sefcovic also reiterated the EU's stance that renegotiating the terms of the Protocol 'is not an option'. In Westminster, former Prime Minister Theresa May joined those cautioning Mr Johnson against taking unilateral action on the Protocol. Speaking in the debate on the Queen's Speech in the House of Commons, Mrs May warned about the 'wider sense of what such a move would say about the UK and its willingness to abide by treaties which it has signed'. The ex-premier also lauded her own Brexit deal she reached with the EU in relation to Northern Ireland - despite this being roundly rejected by MPs before her exit from Number 10. Boris Johnson hit out at the EU for failing to take the 'steps necessary' to address the disruption the post-Brexit agreement is causing in Northern Ireland The Protocol was designed to prevent a hard border on the island of Ireland after Brexit and imposed checks on goods moving from Great Britain to Northern Ireland The historic result of last week's Northern Ireland Assembly elections has piled the pressure on both the UK and EU to come up with a solution to their ongoing dispute. The DUP, who have now been replaced by nationalist Sinn Fein as the largest party at Stormont, this week turned up the heat on the Protocol row. The unionist party confirmed they won't re-enter a powersharing administration in Northern Ireland without 'decisive action' on the post-Brexit trade rules. Speaking in the Commons today, DUP leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson said the Protocol 'needs to be dealt with' and was 'undermining political stability in Northern Ireland'. In a phone call with Irish Taoiseach Micheal Martin this morning, the Prime Minister hit out at the EU for failing to take the 'steps necessary' to address the disruption the post-Brexit agreement is causing in Northern Ireland. Downing Street said both Mr Johnson and his Irish counterpart agreed on the 'vital importance' of restoring devolved government in Northern Ireland. 'The Prime Minister made clear that the situation in respect of the Northern Ireland Protocol was now very serious,' Number 10 said in a readout of the call. 'The balance of the Good Friday Agreement was being undermined and the recent elections had further demonstrated that the Protocol was not sustainable in its current form. 'Despite repeated efforts by the UK Government over many months to fix the Protocol, including those sections related to the movement of goods and governance, the European Commission had not taken the steps necessary to help address the economic and political disruption on the ground. 'The Prime Minister reiterated that the UK Government would take action to protect peace and political stability in Northern Ireland if solutions could not be found.' The Queen's Speech, in which the Government unveiled its new legislative agenda, also hinted at possible unilateral action from Westminster. Ministers noted in a briefing document how the problems caused by the Protocol 'continue to stand in the way' of a Stormont executive being formed. 'We will continue to talk with the EU but we will not let that stand in the way of protecting peace and stability in Northern Ireland,' they added. 'As any responsible government would, we will take the steps necessary to protect all dimensions of the Good Friday Agreement and meet our obligations under the 'New Decade New Approach Deal' to protect Northern Ireland's place in the UK internal market.' The Protocol was designed to prevent a hard border on the island of Ireland after Brexit and imposed checks on goods moving from Great Britain to Northern Ireland. But the EU's 'dogmatic' and 'rigid' implementation of the Protocol has been blamed by British ministers for causing significant trade disruption. The DUP and other unionists are also concerned the agreement has been detrimental to Northern Ireland's status within the UK. A foster mother has denied murdering a 12-month-old boy and 'smashing his head against the sofa' but admits killing him because she was 'tired and drained' by his crying, a court heard. Leiland-James Corkill had been living with his prospective adoptive parents - Laura Castle and her husband, Scott, 35 - when emergency services were called to their home in Barrow-in-Furness on January 6 last year. Castle, 38, initially claimed Leiland-James accidentally fell off the sofa at her home despite the youngster having suffered catastrophic head injuries. The defendant continued to maintain Leiland-James's death was a tragic accident until last week when she admitted his manslaughter on the eve of her trial at Preston Crown Court. Castle also lied in her prepared defence case statement before she eventually changed her plea and conceded she had shaken Leiland-James after he would not stop crying and screaming, the court heard. She said she lied because she was 'ashamed' and 'terrified of the consequences of her actions'. The youngster was a 'looked-after child' who was taken into care at birth before he was approved by authorities to live with Castle and her husband, Scott, 35, from August 2020. The defendant denies murder and now says Leiland-James hit his head on the back of a sofa arm-rest after she shook him and then he fell off her knee on to the floor. Medical experts told the trial though that the degree of force required to cause his injuries would have been 'severe' and 'considerable'. Baby Leiland-James (pictured) had been living with his prospective adoptive parents - Laura Castle and her husband, Scott, 35 - when emergency services were called to their home in Barrow-in-Furness on January 6 last year Castle, 38, (left) initially claimed Leiland-James Corkill accidentally fell off the sofa at her home despite the youngster having suffered catastrophic head injuries. Pictured right: Castle's husband Scott Prosecutor Michael Brady QC asked Castle: 'I suggest you smashed the back of Leiland-James's head with significant force against the arm-rest of the sofa or possibly a table?' 'What was so frustrating about this baby that caused you to act in this way?' She said: 'I was so tired and drained and overwhelmed. There was so much noise.' Mr Brady said: 'Why not simply walk away?' Castle said: 'I honestly think about that every second of the day and regret what I have done, and I have to pay the consequence for that. I accept that. What I'm trying to do is give my boy justice.' Mr Brady said: 'In what way are you going to give Leiland-James justice?' She replied: 'That this is my fault.' Mr Brady asked: 'Are you continuing to lie now?' Castle said: 'No. I accept that my child has died because of me.' The court previously heard the couple had struggled to bond with the baby and, unbeknown to social workers, were referring to him by 'unpleasant and aggressive' names, including a 's**t bag', 'fat s**t' and a 'top t**t'. Messages between the pair, later discovered on their mobile phones, also revealed Laura Castle had been violent towards the child, telling her husband she had 'lost the plot and leathered' him. Preston Crown Court heard Castle 'lost her mind' when Leiland-James Corkill wouldn't stop crying after she gave him breakfast on the morning of January 6. She told her barrister, David McLachlan QC: 'I shook my beautiful boy. I just wanted him to stop crying.' Mr McLachlan asked: 'How much force did you use to shake him?' She said: 'I don't know but I would say a lot.' She explained Leiland-James hit his head on the back of the arm of the sofa and fell off her knee to the floor. Castle said: 'I picked him up. I just couldn't take the crying. I don't know who that person is and then it's like I realised what had happened and I thought he was winded. I picked him up and his hands were like stiff, then he went floppy. He was like gasping and I just though he was winded.' In tears, Castle accepted she had killed Leiland-James. Mr McLachlan asked: 'What went through your mind when you shook the life out of Leiland-James?' Castle said: 'Please stop crying, please stop crying. I just wanted it stop.' The youngster was a 'looked-after child' who was taken into care at birth before he was approved by authorities to live with Castle and her husband, Scott, 35, from August 2020 She said at the time she told her husband the boy had fallen off the sofa, but omitted to inform him about the shaking. Mr McLachlan said: 'Why didn't you tell the people trying their best to save Leiland-James's life what had happened?' Castle said: 'I don't have an excuse. I just panicked. I was just terrified of the consequences of my actions and ashamed.' Her barrister said: 'And police officers in interview gave you every opportunity to tell the truth?' The defendant said: 'Yes they did. I told the truth but I didn't tell everything like I should have done.' She admitted she had not also given a full account in her prepared defence statement ahead of the trial. Castle said: 'I found it so hard to admit that your child has died because of your actions, and I can't take that back.' Mr McLachlan asked: 'When you shook Leiland-James, what did you intend Mrs Castle? She replied: 'I didn't have any intention. I just lost my mind.' Mr McLachlan added: 'What did you think would happen when you shook this baby with such force?' She said: 'I honestly was not thinking that far ahead. He was screaming, he did not deserve to... I did not murder my little boy. It is not murder. My little boy, I have killed him.' Castle's husband, an aerospace nightshift worker, also denies causing or allowing the death of a child. The pair both deny two separate charges of child cruelty. The trial continues. Putin's troops are deliberately wounding and even killing themselves to avoid facing the horrors of war in Ukraine, according to one captured Russian soldier. Andrey Ushakov, 20, said he knew of two soldiers who shot and killed themselves on the front line. Others on the battlefield are choosing to shoot themselves in a bid to be sent home injured rather than continue on in the savage campaign. Ukrainian artillery shoot from their positions at an undisclosed in the area of Kharkiv, Ukraine Captured soldier Andrey Ushakov (right), 20, said he knew of two soldiers who shot and killed themselves on the frontline They are hoping to be classified as Cargo 300, meaning wounded, while Cargo 200 means the war dead. Ushakov told a Ukrainian journalist: 'Everyone was panicking, and wanted to leave, but there was no way. 'The only option to go was as 300. Some people couldn't bear it, and shot themselves dead.' He told his interrogator: 'Two guys shot themselves, because they couldn't [cope], there was no other way out . 'Mentally they couldn't cope with what was going on there.' Many Russians have been left horrified at the reality of war in Ukraine and are resorting to shooting themselves in a bid to return home. Pictured: mass grave of Russian troops A grave of Russian soldiers is discovered in Vilkkhivka, near Kharkiv, with many troops desperate to escape the horrors of war Ushakov (pictured) said Russians on the battlefield are choosing to shoot themselves in a bid to be sent home As well as the fear of death in fighting with the Ukrainians, there was a shocking lack of rations, he said. 'There was no food, no water,' he told Volodymyr Zolkin who has chronicled Russian captives for Open Media Ukraine. 'We were given little food in general. There were days when three of us shared one dry ration.' He was asked what type of servicemen had taken their own lives with their army weapons. 'Just the ordinary guys, privates from the 6th,' he replied. As well as the fear of death in fighting with the Ukrainians, there was a shocking lack of rations, he said. Pictured: destroyed Russian tank in Mariupol Ushakov is from an impoverished village in Perm region, and signed up for the army hoping to make some money to help his family (pictured with his mother) One soldier saw the horror of the war and 'just walked away and shot himself' dead. Others are known to have shot themselves in their limbs hoping to be sent home. Ushakov is from an impoverished village in Perm region, and signed up for the army hoping to make some money to help his family. He said his mother was convinced by the propaganda on Russian TV. He was permitted to call her from captivity in Ukraine, he said. 'I told my mother that everything she saw on TV was lies, but she didn't believe me,' he said. 'She literally asked me if I was under hypnosis when I told her everything she saw on Russian TV was lies.' He had hoped to bring money home for his family by going to war but now he sees it as a mistake. 'My dad is quite poorly, blind in one eye, deaf, and has heart problems. My mum has issues with blood pressure. He urged other young men in Russia to resist a new recruitment drive back home 'We have so many issues in our village. We sell gas everywhere in the world, but we don't have gas in our village. And we only got electricity last year.' He urged other young men in Russia to resist a new recruitment drive after Putin told the families of his dead fighters that they were 'heroes' comparable with those in the Second World War. 'Don't come here,' he said. 'There is nothing for us to do. We bring only pain the people here are good. 'And if we don't value our lives, let's not ruin the lives of others.' Zolkin said 90 per cent of the captive soldiers he has interviewed are from 'remote corners of Russia'. 'Two days ago I came across two conscripts from St Petersburg. 'They called their mothers, who told them that a captain who led them into a battle, and left them in the fight, had got back to Russia. 'He filed a report that both of them were deserters. 'They are now shocked and scared to go back home, because they would be jailed.' Passengers have today been told that face masks will no longer be mandatory in airports and on flights in Europe from May 16 amid the easing of coronavirus restrictions in European countries. The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) said it hoped the joint decision, made with the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), would mark 'a big step forward in the normalisation of air travel' for passengers and crews. The agencies said the levels of vaccination, naturally acquired immunity and the lifting of Covid restrictions in many European countries were behind the decision to lift the mandatory mask recommendation, which has been in place since 2020. 'From next week, face masks will no longer need to be mandatory in air travel in all cases, broadly aligning with the changing requirements of national authorities across Europe for public transport,' The EASA Executive Director Patrick Ky said. Italy, France, Bulgaria and other European countries have been relaxing or ending many or all of their measures to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. A flight attendant with a face mask welcomes passengers of a Boeing 747 of Lufthansa after landing at Frankfurt Airport in Frankfurt The two EU agencies said the new guideline 'takes account of the latest developments in the pandemic, in particular the levels of vaccination and naturally acquired immunity, and the accompanying lifting of restrictions in a growing number of European countries.' But the agencies say that wearing a face mask is 'still one of the best protections against the transmission of COVID-19.' A number of U.S. airlines said they would no longer require masks in April, after a federal judge in Florida ruled that the U.S. administration's mask mandate on public transport was unlawful. ECDC Director Andrea Ammon said that even though wearing masks would not be mandatory 'it is important to be mindful that together with physical distancing and good hand hygiene it is one of the best methods of reducing transmission.' Ky said passengers should 'behave responsibly and respect the choices of others around them'. He said that if a passenger is coughing and sneezing, they should 'strongly consider' wearing a facemask so that others seated nearby could be reassured. Vulnerable passengers have been told they should continue to wear a face mask and people will be asked to observe social distancing in indoor areas. The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) said it hoped the joint decision, made with the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), would mark 'a big step forward in the normalisation of air travel' for passengers and crews. File photo: A passenger with a face mask waits for his flight at the airport in Duesseldorf, Germany Rules for wearing masks are expected to vary after the mandatory requirement is lifted, with airlines told to encourage passengers to use masks on flights to or from destinations where wearing a mask on public transport is still required, the agencies said. The agencies also recommended that airlines keep systems for collecting passenger locator information on standby in case they are needed in future, for example if a new dangerous variant emerges. Ammon said washing hands and social distancing should still be practiced, but airport operators are advised not to impose distancing requirements if these are likely to lead to a bottleneck. A young Liberal candidate has lashed out at a critic and labelled him 'a piece of scum' after weeks of online trolling, abuse and sexist slurs. Brooke Vitnell stands by her comments and vowed to continue calling out abuse against female candidates after she was slammed on her personal Facebook page last week. The lawyer running as the Liberal candidate in the marginal NSW Hunter seat of Paterson has been subjected to a barrage of shocking abuse from trolls who branded her a 's**t' and 'bimbo with no brains'. The online trolling has become so vile even Labor rivals have jumped to Ms Vitnell's defence. The abuse has escalated to the campaign trail, where at least 800 of her election posters have been either torn down or defaced with disgusting slurs, including 100 alone on the weekend ahead of pre-polling. Liberal candidate Brooke Vitnell (pictured with her husband) has called out online trolls Last week, a Victorian man took to Ms Vitnell's personal Facebook page to comment on a post she shared three months earlier about Australia Day. 'I note you left promotional material for your campaign on Anzac Day wreaths absolutely pathetic disrespectful but typical of people clinging to your set of values,' he wrote. The comment sparked a fiery response from Ms Vitnell, who defended her actions while labelling the man as a 'sad Labor hack'. 'Yes I honoured our war dead. I have NO SHAME AT ALL in standing there and laying a wreath to respect our Veterans and their sacrifice. Including my own grandfather who served in WWII,' she wrote. 'I was invited to attend by local RSL Sub branches and invited to attend lunches afterwards too as a CANDIDATE. 'No one else sees the problem just you a sad Labor hack. Get off my personal page.' Ms Vitnell had a furious message for an interstate voter who slammed her on her private Facebook account a week ago But a furious Ms Vitnell wasn't finished just yet. 'You're from Victoria what a piece of scum stop trolling female candidates and go contribute something productive to society you scum,' she added. She stands by her response to the critic, vowing to always call out harassment and 'scummy behaviour'. She also defended leaving her card on the Anzac Day wreath for the local RSL Sub branch and others to get in touch with her ahead of the May 21 election. 'Many of the comments tweeted to me by the person in question attacking my character and my appearance which I find abhorrent and disgusting as a young woman putting her hand up for public office,' Ms Vitnell told news.com.au. 'People threatened that 'there is a spot in hell waiting',' she is disgusting' and 'privileged coward' to me plus many other insults because I had the hide the lay a wreath. I fight back and I stand up to internet trolls if you're an online troll attacking a female or any candidate it's scummy behaviour.' Liberal candidate Brooke Vitnell (pictured) is in the marginal NSW Hunter seat of Paterson Earlier this week, Ms Vitnell spoke out about the sexist abuse and online abuse she's been bombarded with during the campaign about her physical appearance. 'On the street I've had people say show us your t***, don't talk about policies,' she told News Corp. 'Because I'm a bottle blonde and I dye my hair, they're just savaging me for my looks.' Ms Vitnell added on Facebook: 'I want more women to put their hand up and run for public office. I've put my hand up to fight locally for my community and what I've been subjected to by way of sexist comments deters women.' Patterson Labor MP Meryl Swanson has condemned the attacks on her rival. 'I am sorry you have been targeted in such a way. I know how you feel and I find it appalling,' she posted on the candidate's page. 'My team and I delete such comments as soon as we are aware of them, and expect all candidates to do the same. In my experience it is usually not 'those opposite' who make such comments but people who are just vile in nature.' Lawyer and aspiring MP Brooke Vitnell (pictured) says she has been subjected to lewd comments about her looks for years Neighbouring Labor MP Kate Washington added: 'These types of comments are not ok. I receive them regularly as well. 'I know too well the impact of dirty Facebook campaigns. It's policies that matter, not appearances.' It's not the first time Ms Vitnell has been subjected to lewd comments. In 2018, former Queensland Opposition leader John-Paul Langbroek posted a suggestive comment about Ms Vitnell's cleavage on social media. He posted the symbols '(.)(.)', which represent boobs, next to a photo of her with her husband at the Parliament House Midwinter Ball. Mr Langbroek later admitted the comment was completely 'inappropriate' and copped a scolding from his wife. Ms Vitnell's husband of four years Julian Leembruggen is Scott Morrison's communications adviser. Ukraine has driven Russian troops back to their own border near Kharkiv and now threatens supply lines into Donbas as Putin's army suffers another humiliating loss. Commanders said late Tuesday they had recaptured four small towns to the north of Ukraine's second-largest city, with reports overnight suggesting they had pushed to within three miles of the Russian border. If confirmed, it would put the city of Vovchans'k - a key supply hub linking Russia's Belgorod to its frontlines in Donbas - within artillery range, threatening to cut supply lines and hamper Putin's efforts to take the region. Meanwhile, Ukraine's gas pipe operator announced that it will cut off a supply hub in a Russian-controlled part of Donbas which transports up to a third of its gas into Europe, starting today. It marks the first time that pipelines carrying gas - the lifeblood of Russia's economy and vital source of funding for its military - have been affected by the war, which has now been grinding on for more than two months. Gazprom, Russia's energy supplier, confirmed that the rate of gas flowing into Europe had fallen by around a quarter after supplies through the pipeline that Ukraine had threatened to cut fell to zero. Ukrainian counter-attacks to the north of Kharkiv have forced Russian troops back to the border (pictured, a Ukrainian soldier fires a mortar in the area) Russian forces appear to be retreating from Kharkiv, which has been under attack since the first day of the war (pictured, medics cover a dead Russian soldier with a sheet) Ukraine's counter-attack north of Kharkiv threatens Russian supply lines into Donbas, where heavy fighting is currently underway. Kyiv's men continue to hold out in Mariupol despite heavy shelling, while Russia is suffering losses trying to hold Snake Island The move has the potential to push already-high energy prices in Europe up even further, though they remained stable in early trading. Ukraine blamed the decision to close the pipeline on Russian 'occupation forces' interfering with the pipe, including by siphoning off gas. Sergei Kupriyanov, a spokesman for Gazprom, questioned that reasoning and said it would be 'technically impossible' to re-route supplies to another pipe. The news emerged as Ukraine's military continues to inflict humiliating losses on Russia - all-but pushing them away from the northern outskirts of Kharkiv. The city, which sits just 20 miles from the Russian border, has been under attack since the first day of the war and has been among the most-heavily bombed including the first known use of cluster munitions. But it now appears that Russia's troops are beating a retreat back across their own border to the north, and across the Donets river to the east after a series of successful Ukrainian counter-attacks. Ukraine's commanders confirmed the capture of Cherkas'ki Tyshky, Rus'ki Tyshky, Bairak and Rubizhne in an update late Tuesday. Reports overnight then suggested they had pushed further and captured Ternova - just two miles from the border - and Lyptsi. around six miles from the frontier. It puts Ukrainian forces around 10 miles from Vovchans'k, a Ukrainian city that contains a key highway and rail line that is being used to supply forces in Donbas. The dead bodies of two Russian soldiers lie alongside a road to the north of Kharkiv in a village that was recently re-taken by Ukrainian forces A Ukrainian soldier is pictured in woodland north of Kharkiv, where counter-attacks have pushed Russian forces back to the border A Ukrainian mortar crew adjusts their fire as they rain shells down on Russian positions north of Kharkiv, during counter-attacks Artillery can now almost certainly range that city, meaning Ukraine can at least disrupt and perhaps sever supply lines to the crucial frontline - slowing or perhaps stalling the Russian advance. Retired US General Jack Keane, now working for the Institute for the Study of War think-tank, said Tuesday that he believes Russia is now having to divert forces from Donbas back to Kharkiv to secure the rear areas. 'It just underscores the challenges they [the Russians] have,' he said. Similar Ukrainian counter-attacks were seen in the areas around Kyiv shortly before the Russian offensive ground to a halt and then turned into a retreat. But President Volodymyr Zelensky sought to lower expectations in his overnight address, saying that while Ukraine's armed forces are showing 'superhuman strength' to fight off Russia, victory is far from assured. 'The Armed Forces of our state provided us with good news from the Kharkiv region. The occupiers are gradually being pushed away from Kharkiv,' he said. 'But I also want to urge all our people, and especially those in the rear, not to spread excessive emotions. We shouldn't create an atmosphere of specific moral pressure, where certain victories are expected weekly or daily.' 'The Armed Forces are doing everything to liberate our land and our people. To liberate all our cities - Herson, Melitopol, Berdyansk, Mariupol and all others.' Despite his calls for patience, foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba gave an interview in which he said that victory in Donbas would mean Ukraine pushing to re-take all of its territory from Russia - including areas occupied before the latest war. Speaking to the Financial Times, he said that Ukraine initially believed victory would be the withdrawal of Russian troops to positions they occupied before the invasion. But 'now if we are strong enough on the military front, and we win the battle for Donbas, which will be crucial for the following dynamics of the war, of course the victory for us in this war will be the liberation of the rest of our territories.' Burnt cars are pictured through the glass of a damaged car in Saltivka neighbourhood, Kharkiv, as Russian forces are pushed away from the city Neighbours in a shelled village near Kharkiv inspect the damage after Ukrainian counter-attacks forced Russian troops away from the city Destroyed cars are pictured amongst the ruins of a building in Saltivka neighbourhood, Kharkiv, after Russian forces were pushed out of the region Russia - while far from defeated in Donbas - has yet to make any significant gains despite announcing the start of its offensive there almost a month ago. Heavy fighting continues around Izyum - where the bulk of Russia's forces are concentrated - as they attempt to push south towards the city of Kramatorsk. Battles are also raging in woodland on the outskirts of Severodonetsk, around 60 miles to the west, as Putin's men try to surround and capture the city. Hundreds of miles to the south, in Mariupol, the last Ukrainian defenders of the city are still holed up inside the Azovstal steel works making an heroic last stand as Russian forces close in from the north and east. The Ukrainian-held cities of Mykolaiv, Dnipro, Zaporizhzhia and Odesa continue to be bombarded from Russian forces occupying Kherson and Melitopol, in the south. However, these are thought to be 'fixing' operations to pin Ukrainian troops in place and stop them reinforcing elsewhere rather than a precursor to an attack. Fighting also continues around Snake Island, a strategically important spit of land 80 miles south of Odesa, which has been attacked by Ukraine in recent days. British intelligence says Russia has 'repeatedly' tried to reinforce its garrison there, despite a series of drone and jet strikes by Kyiv - one of which destroyed a helicopter as it was unloading troops. The island became vulnerable to attack after Ukraine sank the Moskva battleship which was providing it with air defence, the UK's Ministry of Defence said, and is now having to expend men and equipment trying to re-take it. 'If Russia consolidates its position on Snake Island with strategic air defence and coastal defence cruise missiles, they could dominate the north-western Black Sea,' the MoD added. Ukrainian troops calculate their next move as they carry out counter-attacks against Russian positions to the north of Kharkiv Russia is now more than two months into what was supposed to be a days-long war that was originally intended to topple the government and install a Moscow-friendly puppet regime. But an attack on Kyiv from Belarus stuttered, stalled, and then turned into a humiliating retreat - forcing Russia to concentrate on taking Donbas instead. Moscow confirmed its offensive in the region got underway on April 19 with a huge artillery barrage along a frontline stretching for hundreds of miles, followed by ground attacks that have inched forward into Ukrainian territory. But there has been no major breakthrough of Ukrainian lines in the weeks since then, and Russia has gained no significant territory or seized any major cities. Instead it has been dragged into brutal town-by-town fighting, with Kyiv saying it has suffered colossal losses. The outcome of the Donbas fight is seen as key to the outcome of the war. If either Russia or Ukraine can achieve decisive victory over the other, then it will embolden them to push on to other objectives. For Ukraine, it would mean pushing Russia out of all its territories - spelling disaster for Putin an the possible end of his regime. For Russia, it would mean trying to capture Mykolaiv and Odesa to choke Ukraine off from its lucrative Black Sea coast - before perhaps returning to Kharkiv and Kyiv. If neither side can inflict a killing blow, then the Donbas could devolve into a trench-warfare stalemate, as it did back in 2014. Extinction Rebellion (XR) has vowed to send 'millions of people onto the streets' in defiance of a new Government crackdown on disruptive 'guerrilla protests'. The climate change protest group said it is 'foolish' for ministers to think announcing new 'curbs' will stop people 'taking to the streets to demand their Government act to ensure a safe future for people in the UK and around the world', as it set out its intention for action from September 10. It comes after the Public Order Bill was unveiled as part of the Queen's Speech, with harsher sentences and new criminal offences for those involved in some types of protest. The Bill seeks to outlaw tactics in England and Wales such as protesters 'locking on' to public transport infrastructure or gluing themselves to roads, which have been adopted by campaign groups such as Insulate Britain. It will carry a maximum penalty of six months and an unlimited fine. Stop and search powers will allow police to detain campaigners carrying bike locks and other equipment designed to make themselves difficult to remove. A new offence will also be introduced to specifically ban the obstruction of key national infrastructure such as airports, railways and newspaper printing presses, which will be punishable by up to 12 months in prison and an unlimited fine. The move represents a bid to revive measures which were previously put forward under the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill but had to be scrapped after being knocked back by the House of Lords. In a sign of the Government's determination to drive through the measures, officials said the legislation is set to be introduced in Parliament on Wednesday. Extinction Rebellion (XR) has vowed to send 'millions of people onto the streets' in defiance of a new Government crackdown on disruptive 'guerrilla protests' It comes after the Public Order Bill was unveiled as part of the Queen's Speech, with harsher sentences and new criminal offences for those involved in some types of protest An activist from the Extinction Rebellion, a global environmental movement, smashes a window at HSBC headquarters during a protest in Canary Wharf last year Eco 'hooligans' will be BANNED from chaining themselves to buildings and blocking roads Police will be given powers to stop eco 'hooligans' blocking roads and inflicting misery on motorists, under plans announced yesterday. A Public Order Bill to tackle disruptive action by groups such as Extinction Rebellion was unveiled in the Queen's Speech. The Government had attempted to bring in the measures in January, but they were blocked by Labour and others in the House of Lords A criminal offence of 'locking on' will be created to prevent activists chaining themselves to buildings, vehicles and other protesters. It will carry a maximum penalty of six months and an unlimited fine. Stop and search powers will allow police to detain campaigners carrying bike locks and other equipment designed to make themselves difficult to remove. A new offence will also be introduced to specifically ban the obstruction of key national infrastructure such as airports, railways and newspaper printing presses, which will be punishable by up to 12 months in prison and an unlimited fine. Advertisement Charlie Waterhouse, from XR, said: 'It is foolish to think that announcing new curbs in the Queen's Speech will stop people taking to the streets to demand their Government act to ensure a safe future for people in the UK and around the world. 'As we in Extinction Rebellion know full well: what we do works. It's worked countless times before. It has worked to give us weekends and the vote, human rights and freedom. And it will work again. 'Faced with a Government incapable of anything other than a desperate attempt to shore-up its own power and cover-up its criminality, it is the only thing we can do. 'To be a bystander is not enough... 'So Boris Johnson and Priti Patel, we thank you. Our organisations were set up to break the law to drive positive change. Your actions show that we are winning.' The Bill will create new criminal offences of 'locking on' and going equipped to 'lock on' to other people, objects or buildings in order to cause 'serious disruption', with a maximum penalty of up to six months' imprisonment, an unlimited fine, or both. A new offence of interfering with key national infrastructure - such as airports, railways and printing presses - will carry a maximum sentence of 12 months in prison, an unlimited fine, or both. It will also become illegal to obstruct major transport works, such as the HS2 high-speed rail link, again punishable by up to six months in prison, an unlimited fine, or both. The Bill will also extend stop-and-search powers so the police can seize articles related to the new offences, while new serious disruption prevention orders will be available for those who repeatedly cause criminal disruption. Home Secretary Priti Patel said ministers are determined to prevent protesters bringing the country to 'a grinding halt', adding: 'The law-abiding, responsible majority have had enough of anti-social, disruptive protests carried out by a self-indulgent minority who seem to revel in causing mayhem and misery for the rest of us.' Ms Patel denied she is attempting to erode the right to protest, describing it as a 'fundamental right... that we all cherish dearly' and dismissing such claims put forward by opponents as a 'lazy excuse'. ISIS extremists have callously executed 20 Christians in Nigeria in a bloodthirsty rampage to 'avenge the killing of the group's leaders in the Middle East'. The terrorist group published footage of the ruthless killings, showing the masked knife and gun-wielding fanatics standing behind their kneeling victims. The militants carried out the merciless executions in Borno state where rival Islamist groups Boko Haram and Islamic State in West Africa (ISWAP) have been abducting, looting and killing on a huge scale. ISIS extremists have callously executed 20 Christians in Nigeria in a bloodthirsty rampage to 'avenge the killing of the group's leaders in the Middle East' (pictured) Footage of the latest massacre shows one of the executioners saying in the Hausa language that the killings are a response to ISIS deaths in the Middle East earlier this year. It was published on a terrorist-linked outlet and shows three groups of captives wearing civilian clothes. It comes after Islamic rebels killed at least seven people in an attack in northeast Borno last week. The rebels attacked Kautukari village in the Chibok area at the same time that UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres was in the state to meet with survivors of jihadi violence. The Chibok area is 70 miles away from Maiduguri, the state capital, where Guterres met with former militants being reintegrated back into the society and thousands of people displaced by the insurgency. Boko Haram and ISWAP were originally aligned but the groups splintered in 2016 and are now considered rivals 'They came in large number with superior firepower (and) took over the community,' said Hassan Chibok, a community leader. Troops from a nearby military base were deployed to repel the attack but 'the damage had been done,' Chibok said, adding that 'casualties are up to 10.' Another resident Yana Galang said at least seven people were killed in the latest violence before the Nigerian military intervened. Nigeria, Africa's most populous country with 206 million people, continues to grapple with a 10-year-old insurgency in the northeast by Islamic extremist rebels of Boko Haram and its offshoot, the Islamic State West Africa Province. The extremists are fighting to establish Shariah law and to stop Western education. More than 35,000 people have died and millions have been displaced by the extremist violence, according to the UN Development Program. Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari said last week that the war against the extremists is 'approaching its conclusion,' citing continued military airstrikes and the mass defection of thousands of the fighters, some of whom analysts say are laying down their arms because of infighting within the jihadi group. UN General Secretary Antonio Guterres is introduced to Borno state officials during a visit last week The violence however continues in border communities and areas closer to the Lake Chad region, the stronghold of ISWAP. 'Things are getting worse' in Kautukari village in Chibok and adjourning areas closer to the forest, said community leader Chibok, saying the extremists' presence near the forest is a contributing factor. The global coalition against ISIS gathered today in Morocco to coordinate efforts to prevent the jihadists staging a revival in the Middle East and North Africa. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken was to co-host the meeting with Moroccan Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita, but Washington's top diplomat tested positive for Covid-19 and was replaced by senior diplomat Victoria Nuland. Senior officials from dozens of other countries are also attending the meeting, under high security at a discreet luxury hotel in Marrakesh. The discussions were to cover 'stabilisation efforts in areas previously impacted by Daesh', strategic communication against the group's 'radicalisation propaganda' and the battle against foreign fighters, the Moroccan foreign ministry said. The meeting comes three years after the coalition helped Syrian fighters to crush the 'caliphate' IS had proclaimed in Iraq and Syria and as the jihadists step up their efforts to bolster their presence in the Sahel region and West Africa. The Global Coalition against Daesh (an Arabic acronym for ISIS) was formed in 2014 after the militants seized huge swathes of Iraq and Syria and now included 84 states and international organisations. Officials have long warned that IS continues to pose a worldwide threat despite its loss of a territorial base. ISIS has vowed to take vengeance for its elusive leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, killed in a US raid in northern Syria in late 2019. It has also urged its supporters to take advantage of the war in Ukraine to carry out attacks in Europe. Elon Musk has stated he will lift Donald Trump's Twitter ban, calling the action morally wrong, foolish in the extreme, and alienating a significant section of the country. Tesla and SpaceX founder Elon Musk made the remarks at a Financial Times event. Rolling Stone released a story in which top Trump officials stated he regularly questioned whether China had a hidden hurricane gun to unleash storms at the US, maybe as a reminder of what America has been missing without the former president on the platform. Elon Musk Says He Would Lift Donald Trump's Twitter Ban Former Secretary of Defense Mark Esper spoke on Fox News to discuss his new book A Sacred Oath, remembering his experience in the cabinet and confirming that he sees Trump as a threat to American democracy. He questioned host Brett Baier whether there was any other conclusion that could be drawn from the events of January 6, 2021. In a Republican primary in West Virginia on Tuesday night, two incumbent GOP congressman will compete for a newly redrawn district, and their supporters are quite different. While hardline right Alex Mooney has Donald Trump's endorsement, his opponent David McKinley has the support of Joe Manchin, the state's most senior Democrat, according to Independent. If someone tweets anything illegal or otherwise damaging to the globe, Tesla CEO Elon Musk says the account should be temporarily suspended or the content rendered inaccessible. He believes Twitter can gain greater trust by disclosing its algorithm and soliciting feedback on how to improve it. Because of its roots in the San Francisco tech world, Musk claimed the firm had a strong left tilt and needed to be more even-handed. Last week, a group of activists sent an open letter to Twitter advertisers, warning that under Musk's leadership, the platform risks becoming a quagmire of disinformation, with your brand connected. As per BBC, in the United States, White House press secretary Jen Psaki stated that the Biden administration wants internet platforms to maintain free expression while also ensuring that they are not used to disseminate false information. Allowing Trump back on Twitter would be a decision made by the private sector corporation, according to Psaki. Read Also: Warriors vs. Grizzlies: Stephen Curry Makes History With 500 Playoff Triples, Jokes About Getting 'Traded to Kings' After Mike Brown Takeover Jack Dorsey Backs Elon Musk Trump, who just started his rival program called Truth Social, has previously stated that if he were invited back, he would decline. Musk termed Twitter's ban on Trump a mistake while speaking digitally at the FT Future of the Car conference. Musk stated that he and Dorsey have explored the topic of permanent bans or 'permabans.' In February, Trump released his Truth Social app, but the service's launch was marred by technological difficulties. Musk has derided the Twitter clone, dubbing it 'Truth Social' and suggesting that it be renamed 'Trumpet.' He claims that the only reason Truth Social exists is that Twitter censored free expression. Trump claimed last month that he had no intention of returning to Twitter even if his account was reactivated, instead of focusing on Truth Social. Trump was first barred from Twitter for allegedly encouraging violence with his unsubstantiated assertions that the election was rigged. After an assessment of how Trump's comments were received and understood on and off Twitter, Twitter announced at the time that it had blocked his account 'due to the potential of additional encouragement of violence. On January 8, 2021, two days after Trump supporters invaded the US Capitol, the ban was issued. Twitter claimed at the time that they took this comment as a possible incitement to violence since it cast doubt on the election's validity and signaled to supporters that the inauguration would be a safe target for violence. The suspension enraged many, with Piers Morgan pointing out that Twitter's standards looked to be contradictory. Democrats have warned that Trump's reinstatement might pose a threat to democracy; however, others believe that a constantly tweeting Trump will enrage their base and boost turnout in November's legislative elections. Earlier on Tuesday, Twitter shares plummeted to a level that signaled for the first time that the stock market believed Musk would not complete the acquisition for $44 billion as initially negotiated, Daily Mail reported. Related Article: Elon Musk Reacts to Roscosmos Chief's Threat for Providing Starlink Internet in Ukraine @YouTube @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. A Judge has slammed the 'enormous drain' on taxpayers caused by drug issues at music festivals - after revealing one four-day event needed 693 officers to police it. David Bemrose, 33, had attempted to smuggle cocaine and ecstasy concealed up his bottom into Creamfields Music Festival - a popular summer four-day dance event in Daresbury near Warrington, Cheshire. Sentencing him, frustrated Judge Patrick Thompson told Bemrose that going to 'the biggest drug festival in Europe' after going to rehab for cocaine use, was 'not the best idea'. He also blasted the amount of police officers and expensive taxpayer-funded resources required to tackle drugs misuse and dealing at the dance music festival. Referencing the 'enormous drain' on the resources of the Cheshire taxpayer, Judge Thompson added: 'It is quite an operation to try and tackle this issue.' He also read out the number of police officers who worked each day of the festival - Thursday: 144; Friday: 180; Saturday: 187; and Sunday: 182. David Bemrose (pictured), 33, from Cheshire, was sentenced to two-and-half years in jail for trying to smuggle in cocaine and MDMA concealed up his bottom into Creamfields Music Festival The sentencing judge called Creamfields Music Festival the 'biggest drug festival in Europe' The judge went on: 'Those who involve themselves in the traffic of class A drugs at this festival must understand that when they are caught, they will face significant punishment. 'In past years, people have lost their lives at the festival and suffered serious injuries from taking class A drugs.' At an earlier hearing, Bemrose pleaded guilty to possession of cocaine with the intent to supply, possession of ecstasy with the intent to supply and attempted possession of ecstasy with the intent to supply. At last Thursday's sentencing prosecutor Clare Jones told the court how the offences took place at around 2.30pm on Saturday, August 28 last year. She said that Bemrose, of Lymm, Cheshire, had various bags of drugs up his bum which were concealed in balloons. These bags contained cocaine and MDMA - however seven snap bags of what Bemrose thought contained MDMA actually contained ground caffeine pill powder. He admitted possession of the drugs and said some were for himself and that he would be giving a quantity to his friends. Judge Patrick Thompson said Bemrose had gone to the festival (pictured) to make money from selling drugs But Ms Jones said that Bemrose only admitted to this after passing various signs which warn festivalgoers of the consequences of taking in drugs, several amnesty bins and posters. As well as a warning on the tickets. She also said that when his phone was analysed, there were messages referencing he was 'sorting everyone's drugs'. The court heard how Bemrose has no previous convictions. Defending, Gareth Roberts said: 'He has pleaded guilty to what we all know are very serious offences. 'He is a man who has never been to prison and has never been in any trouble - that in itself is a devastating reality.' Mr Roberts said that Bemrose knows he has brought 'shame' and 'embarrassment' on his family and is remorseful. Referencing the messages on Bemrose's phone, Mr Roberts said that this was just 'banter'. He also told the court that Bemrose has ADHD and before Creamfields had been to rehab to tackle his cocaine use. But as he sentenced him for two-and-a-half years Judge Thompson quipped: 'It seems to me that it is probably not the best idea to come out of rehab and go to Creamfields Music Festival - the biggest drug festival in Europe.' He also said that it is 'quite clear' Bemrose's intention was to 'make money' and 'take drugs' at the festival and that Bemrose ignored 'sign after sign' and all of the amnesty bins. Rave event Creamfields returned in August 2021 after a year off when cancelled by Covid - and it was the first major music festival Cheshire hosted since before the first lockdown. Afterwards Cheshire Police announced a total of 29 arrests and a further 27 people were to be dealt with criminally after being removed from the site. Superintendent Simon Parsonage said at the time: 'At its peak almost 70,000 people attended and considering the numbers it's fair to say that crime and levels of disorder were low. 'People were in good spirits clearly revelling in the opportunity to enjoy events of this nature again after previous cancellations because of the pandemic. 'This year we had an increased presence with officers from Project Servator in attendance. This team's aim was to disrupt a range of criminal activity while providing a reassuring presence for the public.' Project Servator is a national operation that works with partner agencies, including other police forces, businesses and the public, to continue to protect people and to make it difficult for criminals and terrorists to operate. Superintendent Parsonage added: 'We recognised that dance festivals of this nature tend to be associated with increased prevalence of drugs. 'By working with other agencies in the run-up and during the weekend we have sought to address this. We had in place a clear surrender policy followed by targeted searches at all entrances.' Police and Crime Commissioner for Cheshire, John Dwyer, said last summer: 'Creamfields is one of the biggest events we host here in Cheshire, and although a small minority of people didn't adhere to the rules, it was great to see the event ran well. 'I want to take this opportunity to thank all of those who were involved in policing the event. It's nice to see more normality returning as the UK continues to navigate through the coronavirus pandemic.' A self-employed builder today appeared in court charged with raping a 14-year-old boy in public toilets at one of Britain's most popular seaside resorts. Richard Coulson, 51, is alleged to have attacked the teenage boy in a cubicle in the toilets on Bournemouth Pier, Dorset. The alleged incident took place at 8.30am on Saturday, May 7. Coulson, of Bournemouth, was arrested on Monday on suspicion of rape and was charged last night Tuesday. Coulson today appeared before magistrates in Poole to answer one charge of rape and one of intentionally touching a boy aged 14. Dressed in a black short-sleeved shirt Coulson spoke only to confirm his name, age and address during the 10 minute hearing. Selina Goddard, defending, told the court that the defendant would be contesting the charges against him and asked for him to be granted bail. Richard Coulson, 51, is alleged to have attacked the teenage boy in a cubicle in the toilets on Bournemouth Pier, Dorset. Pictured: Library image of Bournemouth pier The application was refused by the presiding magistrates and Coulson was remanded into custody. He will appear at Bournemouth Crown Court for a preliminary hearing on June 13. Earlier Detective Chief Inspector Ross Graham, of Bournemouth CID, said: 'Following a fast-paced investigation and consultation with the Crown Prosecution Service, we have been given authority to charge a 51-year-old man from Bournemouth with rape. 'Specially trained officers are continuing to provide support to the boy and his family, and they have been updated with this latest development. 'Our investigation into this reported offence remains ongoing and I would urge any witnesses or anyone with information to please contact Dorset Police.' Neighbourhood Chief Inspector Darren Harris said: 'We understand this reported offence will cause great concern to members of the public. 'Officers from the local neighbourhood policing team will be carrying out enhanced patrols over the coming week and can be approached with any concerns. The incident allegedly took place in a cubicle on the pier (pictured: Library image) at 8.30am on Saturday, May 7. Coulson, of Bournemouth, was arrested on Monday on suspicion of rape and was charged last night Tuesday 'We are continuing to work collaboratively with BCP Council and other partner agencies to ensure we have an increased visible presence along the seafront and these efforts will continue throughout the rest of the spring and summer. 'Police officers, police community support officers, Community Safety Accreditation Scheme (CSAS) officers and council staff can be approached by members of the public with any concerns. 'RNLI lifeguards and staff can also be approached, with their beach towers serving as a safe place to address concerns or seek further help.' Mayor Eric Adams has slammed New York City lawmakers for allowing a man who shot a New York City police officer late Tuesday back on the streets despite a pending firearms charge. The comments from the mayor, who campaigned last year on cleaning up the city's crime-ridden streets, came during a late-night address addressing the shooting at Lincoln Medical Center hospital, where 32-year-old officer Dennis Vargas was treated and released early Wednesday. 'Why wasnt he in jail?' a visibly emotional Adams asked attendees at the middle-of-the-night presser at the Bronx hospital, referring to the now deceased Rameek Smith, the 25-year-old homeless man who shot Vargas around 10:45 pm last night. In an emotionally charged address, the mayor demanded to know how the suspect was not behind bars for the earlier gun crime - to which he pleaded guilty in December and was awaiting sentencing - despite his own District Attorney Alvin Bragg's recent vow to jail fewer criminals. Smith - who fired two shots during the late-night shootout in Claremont after Vargas and his partner approached him suspecting he was armed - died in the shootout. During the presser, Adams and other city officials revealed Smith had been on the streets ahead of a planned sentencing for a prior gun arrest in March 2020 at a Brooklyn subway station, where he was charged with criminal possession of a weapon - charges that were pending at the time of his death. Mayor Eric Adams slammed New York City lawmakers for allowing a man who shot a New York City police officer late Tuesday back on the streets despite a pending firearms charge, during a middle-of-the-night presser at the hospital where the officer was treated and released Officials also added that Smith - who pleaded guilty to the weapons charge last December but was released while he awaited sentencing - was also convicted of robbery in 2016, for which he received five years' probation. Smith's 2020 arrest - which transpired after officers saw him hopping a train turnstile - saw him violate his probation, Adams, 61, said Wednesday, remarking how 'a perpetrator with multiple arrests' was out on the streets while awaiting sentencing for the offense. Prior to pleading guilty in December, nearly two years after the initial crime, Smith had been allowed on the street while his case went through the city's legal system. The suspect, identified as 25-year-old Rameek Smith, died after the Bronx shootout, which transpired around 10:45 pm Tuesday 'For 20 months after the arrest, he remained on the streets,' the mayor said of Smith, who cops said was shot in the head during the shootout, which saw Vargas shot in the arm. 'He finally pled guilty in December 2021.' He continued: 'This is what we're dealing with - a perpetrator with multiple arrests. The last arrest: criminal possession of a weapon. 'How was he found to have been carrying the weapon? Jumped the turnstile at the subway station, and had the weapon on him,' said Adams, who recently came under fire the arrest of a woman who was selling mangoes on at a Queens subway station. 'People want to ask why am I cracking down on fare evasions? That's why.' Alvin - who has sought to eliminate pretrial detention except in 'very serious cases' - assumed office in January, a month after Smith was charged with the crime - however, his policies would see even fewer people behind bars before they are sentenced. The 32-year-old officer, Dennis Vargas, was treated and released from Lincoln Hospital in the Bronx early Wednesday, after a fierce gun battle that left the suspect, a career criminal freed ahead of a planned sentencing for a prior gun arrest, dead The shootout unfolded late Tuesday night, cops said Wednesday, after Vargas and his partner spotted and approached the suspect during their beat in the Bronx neighborhood of Claremont at roughly 10:45 pm. Cops say Smith then began to run from the officers, spurring Vargas and his partner to give chase. After about a block-and-a-half, police say Smith suddenly turned around and produced a handgun, letting off two shots at the officers - one of which struck Vargas. Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg has sought to eliminate pretrial detention except in 'very serious cases' - which would see even fewer people behind bars before they are sentenced. Adams criticized city laws that allowed the suspect on the streets despite the previous gun charge The officers then returned fire, hitting Smith in the head, police said Wednesday. Cops added that the suspect was initially stopped because it appeared he was carrying a weapon. Smith was arrested and then taken to a hospital, where he later died, officers said. A 9 mm Glock was recovered at the scene, police said. Dozens of officers and city officials - including Police Commissioner Keechant Sewell and new Mayor Adams - gathered outside Lincoln Hospital in the Bronx early Wednesday to greet the wounded officer upon his release just four hours after the fatal shootout. Vargas, an eight-year veteran of the force, smiled and waved to fellow officers and journalists after being wheeled out of the hospital in a wheelchair. Following Vargas' release early Wednesday, a presser was held at the hospital to address the shooting, where officials revealed Smith's extensive criminal past and pending criminal case. During the address - which saw both Sewell and Adams speak - the NYPD Commissioner slammed the city's criminal justice system, calling Smith a 'dangerous criminal who should not have been on the streets of the Bronx or anywhere else.' She added: 'We are extremely fortunate.' Adams, who donned a suit emblazoned with the message 'Stop Gun Violence' at last week's Met Gala, echoed Sewell's sentiment in his own address, in which he slammed a city that allowed 'a perpetrator with multiple arrests' to acquire and carry a weapon on the streets of his city. Police investigate the crime scene on the Bronx street where the shootout occurred late Tuesday night 'Who the hell will protect the innocent New Yorkers in this city? That's the question we have to ask ourselves,' Adams said, asking how local lawmakers allowed the crime occurred. 'We took 2,600 guns off our streets,' the mayor attested. 'And the shooters of those guns are back on our streets just like this person here. Under normal circumstances, you would see a decrease in crime in this city. But the same criminals are continuing to come out on our streets, committing violence over and over again. The city deserves better.' He went on: 'Our city is divided. The overwhelming number of New Yorkers are the good guys. A small number of violent people are the bad guys.' Added that the officer who was shot, as well as that officer's father-in-law, also a cop, are both on the Bronx Borough public safety team, which target illegal guns. 'You have family members in the city that are saying we're tied of living in violence, and they are up against those who believe we should be spending our attention protecting criminals. The 9mm Glock recovered by police from the scene (pictured here) had been reported stolen out of Virginia last June, cops said Wednesday Critics say the arrest is the wrong approach to reduce crime in New York City, which is up by 41.26 percent from last year 'It is time for us to stop spending our energy protecting people who are committing crime and violence. This person has an extensive arrest history, he has made up his mind - he was not going to stop until he took the life of an innocent person.' Chief of Detectives James Essig noted during the presser that the 9mm Glock recovered by police from the scene had been reported stolen out of Virginia last June. Mayor Adams ran on a platform of increasing public safety and is under pressure to deliver after steep crime increases in 2021. Felony assaults in New York City are up 19.9 percent and robberies are up 44.5 percent. Overall crime is up by 41.26 percent. Advertisement Griff Rhys Jones has joined local residents in a fight to save Britain's oldest beach huts from being torn down and removed from the promenade by the council. The 68-year-old actor has weighed in on the 'David versus Goliath' dispute over the location of the Victorian-era cabins, which date back to the 1880s and sell for 88,000 each in Felixstowe. The colourful beach huts have overlooked the sea for almost 140 years and are understood to have been the first in the country - but East Suffolk Council has said beach erosion means they have to be moved. However, as new locations for the huts still have to be approved, the hut owners still face the prospect of seeing their licences terminated completely. Councillors want to move the 44 wooden huts from their desirable promenade spot - where they've been labelled an 'obstruction' to beachgoers - to other areas in the seaside town of Felixstowe, Suffolk. Griff Rhys Jones (pictured) has joined local residents in a fight to save Britain's oldest beach huts from being torn down and removed from the promenade by the council In the 1930s, beach huts had become a must have at popular resorts such as Felixstowe in Suffolk, pictured, with row upon row of the structures built to meet ever-increasing demand The colourful beach huts have overlooked the sea for almost 140 years and are understood to have been the first in the country - but East Suffolk Council has said beach erosion means they have to be moved East Suffolk Council says 'beach erosion and unpredictable conditions' means they cannot be returned to the sand where they have stood for over 100 years and will now have to be moved or possibly demolished The Victorian-era cabins date back to the 1880s and sell for 88,000 each But Griff Rhys Jones has urged the council to preserve what are believed to be the UK's first beach huts, which can sell for tens of thousands of pounds. Griff, who lives in Suffolk, said: 'I think everything should be done to preserve them. The beach huts are part of the British seaside experience. They are beautiful.' Griff is the president of the Victorian Society, a charity that aims to protect Victorian and Edwardian heritage in the UK. He added: 'I've lived in the area for 40 years and I know Felixstowe very well. It's my nearest seaside. 'When my children were small they used to go to the beach. It's where we go for ice cream and fish and chips.' On Sunday, Griff shared an Instagram picture of him alongside locals campaigning to save the beach huts, which has gained around 3,000 likes. He captioned the post: 'Felixstowe. Keep your beach huts. The council want to get rid of them. Why? Councillors want to move the 44 wooden huts from their desirable promenade spot - where they've been labelled an 'obstruction' to beachgoers - to other areas in the seaside town of Felixstowe, Suffolk 'These good people are fighting to preserve what may be oldest shedloads of beachside gaiety in the land. 'The Vic Soc is behind them. They are a treasure.' The beach huts' location near the town's Spa Pavilion has been contested since 2018 when the 'Beast from the East' storm caused erosion to Felixstowe beach. The huts, for which owners pay a 500 ground rent, have historically been on the beach in the summer and on the promenade in the winter. But they were permanently moved to the promenade in 2018 due to the beach being deemed unsafe for them. Councillors now want to move the cabins to other locations in Felixstowe as they claim they are obstructing the promenade for beachgoers. But campaigners say the council has only found spaces for 30 huts, meaning that 14 owners will lose their beach huts. But campaigners say the council has only found spaces for 30 huts, meaning that 14 owners will lose their beach huts Ruth Dugdall, an author who has owned a beach hut with her family on the promenade for 20 years, said that they faced a 'David versus Goliath battle'. She said: 'We're not an obstruction. We've got 15 usable feet on our promenade. 'The council are completely ignoring the history of the huts. If you move them you completely change how the area looks. 'The council are digging in their heels. We don't have any power. We're David versus Goliath.' Ruth has signed a petition to save the huts which has had 4,000 signatures since starting two months ago. Felixstowe has more than 900 beach huts and they are notoriously expensive, with one selling for 88,000 last summer. Julie Downton, secretary of Felixstowe Beach Huts and Chalet Association, is leading legal action against council-issued termination notices that ended hut owners' licences on March 31. She said: 'What the council did to these people has been completely mismanaged. Felixstowe has more than 900 beach huts and they are notoriously expensive, with one selling for 88,000 last summer 'Once these beach huts go you're losing part of Felixstowe's heritage. 'It would be a travesty if the council don't keep the beach huts in this area. Julie, who has owned a beach hut in Felixstowe for 35 years, added: 'The council served termination notices in February and beach hut owners lost their licences on March 31. 'We managed to stop them having to vacate on April 7 because of the legal action we launched. 'The council only have room to move 30 beach huts, so 14 would have to lose their huts. 'We desperately want mediation so we can take it right back to 2018 when the storm came in and these huts had to be moved.' East Suffolk Council has previously said that it explored all reasonable options before deciding to relocate the beach huts. An East Suffolk Council spokesperson said: 'East Suffolk Council received notification that legal proceedings have been issued on behalf of beach hut owners in Felixstowe. 'We will be writing to acknowledge service of this notification and it would not be appropriate to comment any further while our consideration is pending. 'The Council has sought new locations for the beach huts at the Spa Pavilion site, in regular consultation with FBHCA, and has thoroughly explored all reasonable options, including beach platforms. 'There is no safe option for their return to the beach, and the temporary solution, which impacts on other users of the promenade, is not a viable permanent option.' President Joe Biden has formally requested that Congress approves the sale of upgraded weapons systems, radar and other technical equipment to dramatically improve the capabilities of Turkey's fleet of F-16 fighter jets. The potential deal represents a major development in relations between Ankara and Washington, and comes as a result of Turkey showing considerable support for Ukraine amid the Russian invasion. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has allowed two rounds of Ukrainian-Russian peace talks to be held on Turkish soil while also supplying weapons to Ukraine - including the Bayraktar TB2 drone which has become a highly-effective tool for the nation's armed forces. US officials familiar with the request said the Biden administration may use the deal to gauge the level of support in Congress for a separate proposal to sell 40 new F-16s to Turkey, according to the Wall Street Journal. Relations between Ankara and Washington have been tense ever since Turkey relied on Russia to provide its air-defence systems in 2017. Members in both houses of Congress are also said to be wary of forging too strong a relationship with Erdogan amid concerns over his nation's human rights record, though the US State Department declared its desire to improve ties with the NATO member last year. 'Turkey is a key NATO Ally and critical regional partner, and the United States is committed to improving the relationship between our two countries. It is in our interest to keep Turkey anchored to the Euro-Atlantic community,' a statement given in August read. President Joe Biden has formally requested that Congress approves the sale of upgraded weapons systems, radar and other technical equipment to dramatically improve the capabilities of Turkey's fleet of F-16 fighter jets US officials familiar with the request said the Biden administration may use the deal to gauge the level of support in Congress for a separate proposal to sell 40 new F-16s to Turkey, according to the Wall Street Journal (a pair of F-16 fighters are pictured in Arizona) Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has allowed two rounds of Ukrainian-Russian peace talks to be held on Turkish soil while also supplying weapons to Ukraine - including the Bayraktar TB2 drone which has become a highly-effective tool for the nation's armed forces The deal is expected to be worth around $400 million and would include the sale of a variety of missiles, advanced radar equipment and other technical upgrades fitted to Turkey's jet fighters. Meanwhile, a further sale of 40 F-16s to Turkey would likely see Washington and Ankara develop much closer ties - something the Biden administration is said to be interested in amid fears an extended period of frosty relations could push Erdogan to partner with Russia and China. Erdogan reportedly first expressed interest in purchasing a second fleet of F-16 fighters from the US in a March phone call with Biden. But several lawmakers on both sides of the floor are resistant to the deal despite Turkey playing a major role in providing arms and support to Ukraine. 'Turkey is a critical NATO ally, and so I have an open mind on allowing them to buy the F16, but it will take substantial convincing. I'm not there yet,' said Sen. Jim Risch, the ranking Republican on the Foreign Relations Committee. The State Department 'doesn't publicly confirm or comment on proposed defense transfers until they have been formally notified to Congress,' a spokesman said. An elderly Australian couple have been charged $15,000 for a flight from Hervey Bay to Melbourne because a Qantas worker overcharged their credit card. Dennis and Pat Amor had been planning on visiting family after two years apart due to the pandemic and called the flagship airline on Saturday to book their return trips. The call centre employee had asked for Mrs Amor's card number, repeatedly saying it was declined as the Bundaberg woman read the number back to her. The Qantas staff member had instead charged the Amors 15 times - racking up a shocking debt that has yet to be returned. 'She wanted the credit card, we gave her the number, and she said it had declined,' Mrs Amor told A Current Affair. 'It's never declined and she apparently tried to push it over and over again.' An elderly Australian couple have been charged $15,000 for a flight from Hervey Bay to Melbourne because a Qantas worker overcharged their credit card The pair said they had issues speaking with Qantas because they were referred to an offshore call centre where the workers were struggling with English. To their shock after getting off the phone after unsuccessfully booking their flights, they found they'd lost a small fortune. 'They just said there was a bill of $15,000 on the card, being 15 transactions had gone through, so we were really flummoxed,' Mrs Amor said. They have been on the phone to Qantas ever since attempting to get their money back, but so far have had little assistance. 'I eventually got a support member. He assured me that he was going to sort it out with their finance team and he would ring me back the same afternoon, or the following day, but he hasn't.' Dennis and Pat Amor had been planning on visiting family after two years apart due to the pandemic - but instead have been stuck with a financial nightmare Her cardholder, Mastercard, have refunded her $11,000, but the Amors are still owed $4,000 and they want Qantas to pay. 'We feel as though we are the only people in Australia that aren't allowed to make a Qantas flight,' Mrs Amor said. 'It doesn't seem fair to us. We are frustrated. We are angry.' The couple have been forced to book through Jetstar instead of Qantas as a result of being barred from booking any flights with the airline until the matter is resolved. However, the Jetstar flight only goes from Sunshine Coast Airport, which means their commute is now four hours instead of 90 minutes. The pair said they had issues speaking with Qantas because they were referred to an offshore call centre where the workers were struggling with English Qantas said in a statement they weren't holding any of the Amors money and that it was an issue with their credit card rather than anything the airline did. Mastercard instead said it was the fault of Qantas and the bank. 'Mastercard provides the technology that facilitates payments safely and securely. Banks are solely responsible for holding customer funds and authorising payments. As a result, any remediation required is the responsibility of Qantas and the issuing bank,' the company said. Anthony Albanese is tipped to become Australia's next Prime Minister with a majority Labor government, according to the latest poll. Ten days out from election day, Scott Morrison could lose more than a dozen Coalition seats with Treasurer Josh Frydenberg predicted to be among the big casualties. A YouGov poll has Labor returning to power with 80 seats, 17 clear of the Coalition with one Greens MP and seven others rounding out parliament. A hung parliament would be highly unlikely, based on the poll. The shock results were revealed as Mr Albanese and Mr Morrison battled it out in the third and final leaders debate on Wednesday night. The latest poll suggests Anthony Albanese (pictured) will lead a Labor majority government The Coalition isn't expected to win any seats from Labor while six seats are considered too close to call. The greatest losses for the Coalition are in Victoria, where it stands to lose four seats in Melbourne, including the electorate of Kooyong held by Mr Frydenberg, who currently trails Climate 200 candidate Monique Ryan 53-47. In Goldstein, sitting Liberal MP Tim Wilson is also in serious trouble and trails 52-48 against Climate 200 Independent Zoe Daniels. In NSW, Robertson MP Lucy Wicks is tipped to lose her seat on the Central Coast while Coalition colleague Dr Fiona Martin is also in big trouble in Reid. The marginal seat of Reid in the Sydney's inner-west was regarded as a must-win for the Coalition. Former NSW minister Andrew Constance's campaign to enter federal parliament is also on shaky ground, trailing sitting Labor MP Fiona Phillips in the seat of Gilmore on the state's south coast. The Coalition could lose more than a dozen seats on May 21. Pictured is Prime Minister Scott Morrison with his family on Sunday. The traditional Liberal heartland of Bennelong is among the six seats considered too close to call. Held by retiring Liberal MP John Alexander, the Sydney seat has only been won once by Labor in 2007 when journalist Maxine McKew ousted Prime Minister John Howard from his own seat. Liberal candidate Simon Kennedy faces a tough battle against his Labor rival, Ryde councillor Jerome Laxale. In the western Sydney seat of Lindsay, the battle between Coalition MP Melissa McIntosh and Labor candidate Trevor Ross is also on a knife's edge and too close to call. Other close seats include the Coalition-held seats of Ryan in outer-suburban Brisbane, Longman in Queensland and Sturt in South Australia, along with the Victorian electorate of Corangamite held by Labor. Sitting independents Helen Haines, Zali Steggall, Rebekha Sharkie, and Andrew Wilkie are also expected to retain their seats. Treasurer Josh Frydenberg (pictured) is expected to be ousted from the seat of Kooyong The Coalition is also expected to lose two seats in Western Australia, including the Perth seat of Pearce currently held by former Attorney-General Christian Porter, who's retiring. It's also expected to lose one each in Queensland, South Australia and Tasmania. The poll which surveyed 19,000 voters shows a host of affluent inner-city seats in Sydney and Melbourne recording big swings against the Coalition. The margin of error suggests Labor would win 76 seats that at a worst case scenario but could win as many as 85. The Coalition could have as low as 58 seats and while the upper margin of error is 68. Boris Johnson warned Sweden and Finland must be free to decide whether to join NATO without 'fear of retaliation' as he visited the countries to sign historic security assurance declarations today. The PM sent a stark message to Vladimir Putin as he inked pledges to 'bolster military ties' and support both countries should they come under attack. Speaking alongside Swedish counterpart Magdalena Andersson at her Harpsund country residence, Mr Johnson said it was a matter for the country's people whether to apply for membership of the military alliance. But he insisted: 'The war in Ukraine is forcing us all to make difficult decisions. 'Sovereign nations must be free to make those decisions without fear or influence or threat of retaliation.' Mr Johnson set out a UK commitment to come to the country's aid in the event of a crisis, saying if help was requested 'we will provide it'. However, he sidestepped questions about whether that might include using nuclear weapons. Ms Andersson said Sweden was safer as a result of the deal. The premier later visited to Finland, where he formalised a similar agreement with the country's President Sauli Niinisto during a whirlwind 24 hours. An offer to increase deployments to the region, including with Royal Air Force, British Army and Royal Navy personnel and assets, has also been made. Boris Johnson arrived in Stockholm before travelling to Harpsund, the country residence of his Swedish counterpart, Magdalena Andersson, where he set out a UK commitment to come to the country's aid in the event of a crisis The UK and Swedish leaders enjoyed lunch before holding a press conferennce The PM (pictured in Sweden) is inking pledges to 'bolster military ties' and support both countries should they come under attack Both countries consider the prospect of Nato membership in the face of Putin's ongoing military aggression It comes as both countries consider the prospect of Nato membership in the face of Russian President Vladimir Putin's ongoing military aggression. But the Kremlin has warned that it is 'watching very closely anything that can affect NATO configuration near our borders'. Ms Andersson said: Are we safer with this declaration? Yes we are. Of course this means something. This is important whatever policy choice we make in Sweden. Mr Johnson said it was 'a matter for Sweden' whether it chose to apply for membership of Nato. 'What we are saying emphatically is in the event of an attack upon Sweden then the UK would come to the assistance of Sweden with whatever Sweden requested,' he said. Mr Johnson said earlier: 'We are steadfast and unequivocal in our support to both Sweden and Finland and the signing of these security declarations is a symbol of the everlasting assurance between our nations. 'These are not a short-term stop-gap, but a long-term commitment to bolster military ties and global stability, and fortify Europe's defences for generations to come.' The declarations build on claims made earlier in the month that the UK would always aid Finland if it were attacked by Russia, regardless of whether the country was a member of Nato. Speaking at a press conference in Helsinki alongside Finnish president Sauli Niinisto, Mr Johnson said the two countries would 'always come to one another's aid'. 'The security declaration, the solemn declaration we have signed today, ensures that our two nations can intensify our partnership and take it to unparalleled heights, both latitudinal and metaphorical,' he said. 'From the high north, to the Baltics and beyond, our armed forces will train, operate and exercise together, marrying our defence and security capabilities and formalising a pledge that we will always come to one another's aid. 'Because this is not a short-term stop gap, Sauli. 'This is not a short-term stop gap as you consider Nato membership, but an enduring assurance between two nations, an assurance that brings us ever closer as we face the challenges of today, the threats of tomorrow, side by side.' Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said it was 'inconceivable' that Britain would not help either Finland or Sweden if it were in crisis, even 'without any big formal agreement'. Mr Johnson held talks with Ms Andersson and Mr Niinisto in March as part of a meeting of the Joint Expeditionary Force nations, which includes Denmark, Estonia, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania the Netherlands and Norway. After the meeting, Downing Street said the two leaders agreed that 'Putin's invasion had dramatically changed the landscape of European security'. Finland shares a lengthy land border with Russia and is only about 250 miles from St Petersburg. Joe Manchin has essentially killed Democrats' efforts to codify Roe v. Wade into federal law as his party prepares to bring a vote on abortion legislation Wednesday afternoon. 'We're going to be voting on a piece of legislation, which I will not vote for today.,' Manchin told reporters on Capitol Hill on Wednesday. 'But I would vote for a Roe v. Wade codification if it was today I was hopeful for that,' the West Virginia Democrat assured. 'But I found out yesterday in caucus that wasn't going to be and you probably heard of that by now.' President Joe Biden's new Press Secretary Karine Jean Pierre said Wednesday that abortion rights are in 'severe jeopardy' after a Supreme Court draft opinion was leaked last week and showed an impending overturn of the landmark abortion rights ruling. 'It is imperative for Congress to act to adapt to adopt statutory protections for women's access to health care services and productive choices,' she added, noting that there is a 'strong support from the American people' on keeping the law in place. In what will be a show-vote, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer will attempt to file cloture to stop Republicans filibustering the Women's Health Protection Act, which was introduced by Senator Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut. Schumer knows he doesn't have the votes needed to make the landmark abortion case federal law but says he wants to put anti-abortion lawmakers on the record. Moderate Democratic Senator Joe Manchin told reporters at the Capitol Wednesday (pictured) that he would not vote to file cloture on ending a filibuster for a bill that would codify Roe v. Wade The attempt comes after Democrats tried to get the same bill through in February, but the measure has more urgency now that a Supreme Court leak shows a draft opinion that would overturn 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling that made abortion constitutionally protected. While Democrats try to invoke culture on the Women's Health Protection Act and stop a GOP filibuster three senators will be able to stop that effort and prevent the bill from going for a full floor vote. Moderate Manchin from West Virginia will not support a cloture vote and already went against his party on the same abortion bill earlier this year. Democrats were hoping to for a plan B that would see pro-choice Republican Senators Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Susan Collins of Maine vote with them to make up for Manchin's defection. But it's unlikely that either, or both, will flip on the issue from when they last voted against it as recently as February. The House already passed its version of the Women's Health Protection Act, which would codify Roe v. Wade into law, but the Senate was unable to do so with the trio of moderates against making abortion rights federal law. Manchin and Democratic Arizona Senator Kyrsten Sinema have stopped their party from getting rid of the filibuster in order for the slim majority to be able to jam through whatever legislation they desire without the need for 60 votes to bring it to the floor. Senator Chuck Schumer (pictured Tuesday at the Capitol) will try to overcome a GOP filibuster Wednesday and bring a floor vote on codifying abortion rights into federal law but the effort is almost assuredly dead on arrival as Democrats don't have the votes to get the legislation through The new urgency in the push comes after a Supreme Court leak shows a draft opinion that would overturn Roe v. Wade. Pictured: Police watch anti-abortion protesters outside the Supreme Court Building on Tuesday, May 10 Manchin (left) voted against the abortion bill in February as did pro-choice GOP Senators Susan Collins (center) and Lisa Murkowski (right) Since Manchin opposes the legislation, Democrats aren't even able to use the 'nuclear option' to only need a simple majority of votes, which is the only conceivable options to get this abortion legislation passed. Many more progressive senators, like independent Bernie Sanders of Vermont and Democrat Kirsten Gillibrand from New York, are reupping calls to end the filibuster in order to protect Roe. But the topic was not discussed during Democrats weekly lunch on Tuesday. While typically a Senate leader won't bring a vote unless they feel there are the votes to pass it, Schumer says it's important for every senator to go on the record on abortion rights. He claims the proposal is 'very simple'. His team also feels it's important to show that Democrats are fighting for a woman's ability to terminate their pregnancy. '[W]e are making sure that every senator will have to vote and every, every American will see how they voted,' Schumer said, according to Punchbowl News. 'And I believe the Republican Party, the MAGA Republican Party, will suffer the consequences electorally when the American people see that.' Republicans are overwhelmingly against abortion and believe the decision making on the matter should go back to the states so laws can reflect constituents and the values of different jurisdictions. Large, un-scalable fencing was erected around the Supreme Court following the leak last week as demonstrations between pro- and anti-abortion activists became increasingly violent and threatening towards Supreme Court Justices Pro-choice activists protests with Democratic Representative Cori Bush outside the Supreme Court on Tuesday On the other hand, Democrats are trying to play a potential Roe v. Wade overturn as a hit to privacy, specifically between women and their healthcare providers. Many, including House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, have presented slippery slope arguments claiming gay marriage and birth control will be the next to go. The Women's Health Protection Act is headed by Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut. He told Punchbowl on tuesday that the legislation is critical because it would prevent states from legal challenges to the 50-year status quo on abortion rights. 'Part of what Roe precludes are restrictions like admitting privileges, ultrasounds, mandatory waiting periods, which have been litigated to violate [rights], but which states continue to pass,' the senator said. Nevada Senator Jackie Rosen said Democrats need to 'take that fear' and 'channel it into action to defend our majority.' 'We're not living in a hypothetical,' she added. In recent years, red states have started implementing restrictions on abortion whether it be the timelines allowed for a pregnancy termination or preventing anyone from aiding a woman in seeking an abortion. These laws are almost always challenged and make their way up through the court system. The most recent, Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization, is a Mississippi case that would ban abortion after 15 weeks into a pregnancy. This is the case that made its way to the Supreme Court and led to the draft opinion by conservative Justice Samuel Alito that would entirely overturn Roe v. Wade. Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts is the only conservative of six to dissent with liberals, according to the leak earlier this month from Politico. Roberts is, however, in favor of the 15-week ban. With a 6-3 majority bench, conservatives can afford to lose on justice to liberal and still prevail. Dr Strange actress Zara Phythian is facing jail after she and her Taekwondo 'master' plied a 13-year-old girl with rum and sexually abused her 'one or twice a month' over three years. Phythian, 36, who starred in the 2016 Marvel superhero film Doctor Strange, alongside Benedict Cumberbatch and Tilda Swinton, was today found guilty of sexually abusing a girl over three years, starting when she was 13. She and husband Victor Marke, 59, were jointly charged with 14 historical counts of sexual activity with the girl. The pair plied the teenager with Captain Morgan dark rum as part of a three-year reign of terror. A court heard the pair abused their victim 'once or twice a month' from 2005 to 2008 and that she was abused at least 20 times on different occasions. Alongside the joint charge, Pythian's husband was separately charged with four counts of indecently assaulting another girl, aged 15 at the time, between 2002 and 2003. The couple had denied all the charges, but a jury found them guilty following a 12-day trial at Nottingham Crown Court. They held hands tightly in the dock as the sentences were announced. Phythian had a look of horror on her face as her first guilty verdict was delivered. She wept as the jury foreman delivered the verdicts, while Marke put an arm around her shoulder. Hollywood actress Zara Phythian was facing a jail sentence today after she was convicted of child sex offences Phythian, 36, who starred in the 2016 Marvel superhero film Doctor Strange, alongside Benedict Cumberbatch and Tilda Swinton, was found guilty of sexually abusing a girl over three years, starting when she was 13 Phythian (pictured with Benedict Cumberbatch) and her Taekwondo 'master' husband Victor Marke, 59, were jointly charged with 14 historical counts of sexual activity with the girl The actress, (pictured left at the 'Knights of the Damned' film premiere in August 2017, and right at an event in 2016), had denied all the charges MailOnline has uncovered disturbing details about how the origin of Victor and Zara's own relationship follow a similar pattern to the grooming that was highlighted in their trial. The couple met when she was just 14 and he was 37 after she joined his School of Champions academy in Nottingham which he had started with his former wife Juliet, and she started to train under him. She was aged 19 and he was aged 42 when they started a sexual relationship. His marriage to wife Juliet ended after his relationship with Zara became public. At the time, he was considered to be one of Britain's leading martial artists and was head of the World Congress of Martial Arts Association. The trial heard that she had undergone a ceremony to become his 'official disciple'. MailOnline can reveal that Zara is said to have accepted Victor as her 'master' in an ancient Shaolin ceremony at the age of 17. After bowing before him and uttering some traditional verses, she allegedly swore allegiance to him, vowing to do everything he required of her, even if it went against her own values. The trial heard that she had undergone a ceremony to become his 'official disciple'. MailOnline can reveal that Zara, who appeared in Doctor Strange (pictured: Her in character in the 2016 film) is said to have accepted Victor as her 'master' in an ancient Shaolin ceremony at the age of 17 A martial arts enthusiast who once trained with the couple and only gave his first name as Bob, said: 'The ceremony is taken very seriously in the martial arts world. 'Once you accept somebody as your master, you have to completely accept what they ask you to do or say. 'It's like being a slave because you are at the mercy of the master. You are not even supposed to think for yourself because the master is your God.' He added: 'Victor groomed Zara as well as his other victims. He used his power and influence as a master of martial arts to dominate and control young girls.' Martial arts enthusiast Paul, who once trained with the couple, told MailOnline: 'Zara was very good at martial arts and was already a black belt by the time she started at Victor's academy. 'He took an instant shine to her and devoted a lot of time and energy on her development. It was obvious that she was his favourite pupil, and she worshipped the ground he walked on.' He added: 'It was very odd when we found out that he and Zara were having a relationship because of their age difference and the fact that he was such a senior martial arts figure. Juliet was devastated because she was left alone to bring up their baby.' MailOnline can also reveal that Victor and Zara were friends with another prominent martial arts master Paul Drury who was jailed for 15 years in 2015 for raping a girl shortly before her 13th birthday at his home and his academy Zara and Victor visited and performed at his Black Belt Academy in Dawlish, Devon, at around the time they were carrying out their own crimes against their teenage victims. Drury also posted a gushing interview with Zara in 2008 which was titled: 'Looks like a model. Hits like Bruce Lee. The Zara Story.' Francis McGrath, defending Victor, suggested that his two victims may have 'colluded' with each other, saying that the first girl had 'given' the second girl's name to detectives. Jurors heard the alleged abuse began after the couple plied the girl with Captain Morgan dark rum, before Zara (pictured) 'dared' her to perform a sex act on Victor Ms Phythian as Zealot in Doctor Strange with Mads Mikkelsen (left). She is also the star of a number of martial arts action movies including Tribal: Get out Alive with another due out this year He told jurors: 'The two complainants in this case are not independent of each other. This is not a case where two people have gone to police independently and a link has been established. 'You cannot eliminate the possibility there has been some form of collusion that has not been identified by the police. Mr Marke does not need to satisfy you that it has not occurred. It is a possibility that we cannot safely eliminate.' But both the victims who are now women denied that they had conspired together in any way, and their claims were believed by the jury. Prosecutor Ahmad Hossain QC told jurors in his closing speech: 'Is there any benefit to either of these women? What is the benefit of making up false allegations and putting themselves through this? 'You may feel you are drawn to the inescapable conclusion that they are telling the truth. The court heard extracts from Zara's police interview in which she described the claims as 'bulls***' 'When you look at them closely the conclusion you can come to is that you can be sure what they said happened really happened.' Earlier, he stated: 'Both of those defendants commanded admiration and respect within the martial arts world and the prosecution case is that Victor Marke groomed these two separate complainants when they were children and that he used his position of trust and authority to make them feel special so that he could satisfy his sexual urges. 'And, it is the prosecution's case, that Zara Marke was part of that process and Zara Marke acted, as is alleged, with Victor Marke.' The second girl said she 'would never have come forward' if police had not approached her, and that she had planned to 'die with my shame'. But she claimed that she had recently become a mother, and felt she had 'no option to speak my truth' in a bid to stop anyone else being targeted in the same way she had been. The court heard how Zara and Victor had been hugely respected and admired within the martial arts world. Giving evidence, Zara strongly denied any sexual activity with the girl, telling the court that she had 'lied to me all the time I have known her'. Dressed in a smart grey trouser suit, Zara told the court how her film career had begun after she was 'spotted' while taking part in a martial arts tournament in the United States. She began 'working her way up the ladder' and took part in Guinness World Record attempts on Sky TV, and did 'lots of stunt work'. Her big breakthrough came in 2016 when she successfully auditioned for the role of 'Brunette Zealot' in Doctor Strange, which grossed $677m at the box office. She has also starred in other martial arts action movies such as 'Tribal: Get out Alive', and another due out this year. Zara protested her innocence, saying she had 'never been in trouble with the police before' and describing the claims against her as 'bulls**t'. It was put to her under cross-examination that she had started sexual activity with the girl after suggesting they play a game of 'dare'. Zara replied: 'That is not true, by the way. That is ridiculous.' She went on to claim the alleged victim had 'not been in my house at 13 or 14', and that she 'would not let her drink full stop' before she was aged 18. Hollywood actress Zara Phythian, 36, (with spouse Victor Marke arriving at court on May 3) Zara and her husband (pictured) were arrested in March 2017 on suspicion of sex crimes involving the girl. The trial heard graphic details of their sex life, which included filming themselves having sex, taking part in swinging sessions and using a wide variety of sex aids And when Mr Hossain listed a series of sex acts between her and the then-teenager, she replied: 'It was not, and I think you know it was not. 'That sexual activity that she described did not happen and is fabricated.' Giving evidence of her role in Doctor Strange, she said: 'It was a massive stepping stone. In early 2016 we did some pick-ups in New York and Los Angeles, and it (her role) was leaked to the media and there were photos of me and (actor) Mads Mikkelsen on the streets.' She added she was offered a position on tour with Britain's Got Talent winners Diversity but had to turn down the dance group because she was defending a world record in India. Zara told the court that her current business interests included running the Personal Best Academy martial arts school in Mansfield as well as owning an entertainment and production firm. She also said in a police interview: 'I am not a paedophile or a rapist, nor is Victor. I just feel sick right now and angry.' Zara and her husband were arrested in March 2017 on suspicion of sex crimes involving the girl. The trial heard graphic details of their sex life, which included them filming themselves having sex, taking part in swinging sessions and using a wide variety of sex aids. Zara admitted in her police interview that she owned a number of sex toys including a 'Rampant Rabbit' and nipple tassels. But she said her alleged victim, who referred to sex toys in her police statement, 'could easily have gone through my belongings to find those'. The court heard that Zara had a tattoo with Victor's name in Chinese symbols written just above her vagina. Her victim was said to have copied her by having a similar tattoo in the same spot on her body. Zara admitted during the trial that news of her relationship with Victor had 'caused a bit of stir' when it started, although she denied that she was 'infatuated' with him. Victor also strongly denied sexually abusing the girls and broke down in tears during his trial while he was giving evidence from the witness stand. He accused one of the girls of having had drug issues and being involved with gangs, telling police she was 'a thief, a liar and a problem child'. Victor admitted having sex with her once, legally and consensually, when she was aged 18, saying: 'I am not proud of it. It's a low part of my life. I am ashamed of it.' He claimed that the girl may have been jealous of his wife as the allegations were made to police shortly after Zara had appeared in Doctor Strange. He embraced his wife when he returned to the dock. MailOnline can reveal that Zara is said to have accepted Victor as her 'master' in an ancient Shaolin ceremony at the age of 17 She had been hugely respected and admired within the martial arts world, a court heard Her former training partner claims she was 'groomed' by her now husband from the age of 14 Character witnesses described him as 'diligent, honest and passionate about his job' and said he was 'a decent, respectful and wonderful person'. Despite the manner of their breakup, Victor's ex-wife Juliet also gave evidence on his behalf insisting that he was not guilty of any sexual crimes. When asked about how she felt when she first discovered that Zara and Victor were in a relationship she confessed: 'It led to some frostiness.' Judge mark Watson adjourned the case until 2pm when he will decide when to fix a date for sentencing. In the meantime he ordered Zara and Victor to go down to the cells. Remanding both Phythian and her husband Victor Marke in custody, Judge Mark Watson told them: 'Both of you know that the sentence I pass is likely to be measured by a considerable period of custody.' Phythian's counsel had asked the judge to allow her bail until sentencing to allow her to 'sort out' unspecified matters. The couple had previously been on bail arriving at court every day. Judge Watson thanked the jury, saying: 'Ladies and gentlemen, these are always very difficult cases. 'Thank you very much for your care and attention over the last two or so weeks. It is desperately important that trials like this are tried by juries so you can bring your own collective sense of responsibility and judgement.' The jury of seven men and five women reached their unanimous verdicts after just over seven hours deliberation. Relatives of Zara refused to comment after the case. How Dr Strange actress Zara Phythian was 'groomed' by married martial artist when she was just 14 and he was 37 and 'became his slave' before starting sexual affair By Andrew Young and Vivek Chaudhary for MailOnline Hollywood actress Zara Phythian - today convicted of child sex offences - was 'groomed' by her married martial arts coach from the age of 14, accepted him as her 'master' and then later engaged in an affair with him, according to a former training partner. The 36-year-old star, who featured in the 2016 Marvel superhero film Doctor Strange, alongside Benedict Cumberbatch and Tilda Swinton, took Victor Marke as her master in an ancient Shaolin ceremony at the age of 17, After bowing before him and uttering some traditional verses, she allegedly swore allegiance to him, vowing to do everything he required of her, even if it went against her own values. A martial arts enthusiast who once trained with the couple and only gave his first name as Bob, told MailOnline: The ceremony is taken very seriously in the martial arts world. Once you accept somebody as your master, you have to completely accept what they ask you to do or say. Its like being a slave because you are at the mercy of the master. You are not even supposed to think for yourself because the master is your God. Jurors heard the alleged abuse began after the couple plied the girl with Captain Morgan dark rum, before Zara (pictured) 'dared' her to perform a sex act on Victor Today Phythian was found guilty of sexually abusing a girl over three years, starting when she was 13. She and her Taekwondo master husband Marke, 59, were jointly charged with 14 historical counts of sexual activity with the girl. Her husband was also charged with four counts of indecently assaulting another girl, aged 15 at the time, between 2002 and 2003. The couple had denied all the charges, but a jury found them guilty following a trial at Nottingham Crown Court. He added: Victor groomed Zara as well as his other victims. He used his power and influence as a master of martial arts to dominate and control young girls. Martial arts enthusiast Paul, who once trained with the couple, told MailOnline: Zara was very good at martial arts and was already a black belt by the time she started at Victors academy. He took an instant shine to her and devoted a lot of time and energy on her development. 'It was obvious that she was his favourite pupil, and she worshipped the ground he walked on. He added: It was very odd when we found out that he and Zara were having a relationship because of their age difference and the fact that he was such a senior martial arts figure. 'Juliet was devastated because she was left alone to bring up their baby. MailOnline can also reveal that Victor and Zara were friends with another prominent martial arts master Paul Drury, who was jailed for 15 years in 2015 for raping a girl shortly before her 13th birthday at his home and his academy. Zara and Victor visited and performed at his Black Belt Academy in Dawlish, Devon around at around the time they were carrying out their own crimes against their teenage victims. Drury also posted a gushing interview with Zara in 2008 which was titled: Looks like a model. Hits like Bruce Lee. The Zara Story. Francis McGrath, defending Victor, suggested that his two victims may have colluded with each other, saying that the first girl had given the second girl's name to detectives. He told jurors: The two complainants in this case are not independent of each other. This is not a case where two people have gone to police independently and a link has been established. You cannot eliminate the possibility there has been some form of collusion that has not been identified by the police. Victor Marke and actress Zara Marke, arrive at Nottingham Crown Court, April 28 2022 'Mr Marke does not need to satisfy you that it has not occurred. It is a possibility that we cannot safely eliminate. But both the victims who are now women denied that they had conspired together in any way, and their claims were believed by the jury. Prosecutor Ahmad Hossain QC told jurors in his closing speech: Is there any benefit to either of these women? What is the benefit of making up false allegations and putting themselves through this? You may feel you are drawn to the inescapable conclusion that they are telling the truth. When you look at them closely the conclusion you can come to is that you can be sure what they said happened really happened. Earlier, he stated: 'Both of those defendants commanded admiration and respect within the martial arts world and the prosecution case is that Victor Marke groomed these two separate complainants when they were children and that he used his position of trust and authority to make them feel special so that he could satisfy his sexual urges. 'And, it is the prosecution's case, that Zara Marke was part of that process and Zara Marke acted, as is alleged, with Victor Marke.' The second girl said she would never have come forward if police had not approached her, and that she had planned to die with my shame. But she claimed that she had recently become a mother, and felt she had no option to speak my truth in a bid to stop anyone else being targeted in the same way she had been. The court heard how Zara and Victor had been hugely respected and admired within the martial arts world. Giving evidence, Zara strongly denied any sexual activity with the girl, telling the court that she had lied to me all the time I have known her. Dressed in a smart grey trouser suit, Zara told the court how her film career had begun after she was spotted while taking part in a martial arts tournament in the United States. She began working her way up the ladder and took part in Guinness World Record attempts on Sky TV, and did lots of stunt work. Her big breakthrough came in 2016 when she successfully auditioned for the role of Brunette Zealot in Doctor Strange, which grossed $677m at the box office. She has also starred in other martial arts action movies such as Tribal: Get out Alive, and another due out this year. Zara protested her innocence, saying said she had never been in trouble with the police before and describing the claims against her as bullshit. It was put to her under cross-examination that she had started sexual activity with the girl after suggesting they play a game of dare. Zara replied: That is not true, by the way. That is ridiculous. She went on to claim the alleged victim had not been in my house at 13 or 14, and that she would not let her drink full stop before she was aged 18. Hollywood actress Zara Phythian, 36, (with spouse Victor Marke arriving at court on May 3) And when Mr Hossain listed a series of sex acts between her and the then-teenager, she replied: It was not, and I think you know it was not. That sexual activity that she described did not happen and is fabricated. Giving evidence of her role in Doctor Strange, she said: It was a massive stepping stone. In early 2016 we did some pick-ups in New York and Los Angeles, and it (her role) was leaked to the media and there were photos of me and (actor) Mads Mikkelsen on the streets. She added she was offered a position on tour with Britain's Got Talent winners Diversity but had to turn down the dance group because she was defending a world record in India. Zara told the court that her current business interests included running the Personal Best Academy martial arts school in Mansfield as well as owning an entertainment and production firm. She also said in a police interview: I am not a paedophile or a rapist, nor is Victor. I just feel sick right now and angry. Zara and her husband were arrested in March 2017 on suspicion of sex crimes involving the girl. The trial heard graphic details of their sex life, which included them filming themselves having sex, taking part in swinging sessions and using a wide variety of sex aids. Zara admitted in her police interview that she owned a number of sex toys including a 'Rampant Rabbit' and nipple tassels. But she said her alleged victim, who referred to sex toys in her police statement, could easily have gone through my belongings to find those. The court heard that Zara had a tattoo with Victors name in Chinese symbols written just above her vagina. Her victim was said to have copied her by having a similar tattoo in the same spot on her body. Zara admitted during the trial that news of her relationship with Victor had caused a bit of stir when it started, although she denied that she was infatuated with him Victor also strongly denied sexually abusing the girls and broke down in tears during his trial while he was giving evidence from the witness stand. He accused one of the girls of having had drug issues and being involved with gangs, telling police she was a thief, a liar and a problem child. Victor admitted having sex with her once, legally and consensually, when she was aged 18., saying: I am not proud of it. Its a low part of my life. I am ashamed of it. He claimed that the girl may have been jealous of his wife as the allegations were made to police shortly after Zara had appeared in Doctor Strange. He embraced his wife when he returned to the dock. Character witnesses described him as diligent, honest and passionate about his job and said he was a decent, respectful and wonderful person. Despite the manner of their breakup, Victors ex-wife Juliet also gave evidence on his behalf insisting that he was not guilty of any sexual crimes. When asked about how she felt when she first discovered that Zara and Victor were in a relationship she confessed: It led to some frostiness. The United States and European nations declared on Tuesday that a cyberattack that took down satellite communications in Ukraine in the hours before the February 24 invasion was the work of the Russian government, officially blaming the Russian government for an attack that rattled the Pentagon officials and private industry because it revealed new vulnerabilities in global communications systems. The nations accused Moscow of a unified statement but did not name the entity that carried out the sophisticated campaign to block Ukrainian communications. Russia Behind Cyberattack in Ukraine However, American sources who spoke on the condition of anonymity about the nature of the discoveries claimed it was the Russian military intelligence agency, the G.R.U., which was also behind the 2016 breach of the Democratic National Committee and a slew of other attacks on the US and Ukraine. The attack targeted a system operated by Viasat, a California-based corporation that offers high-speed satellite communication services, which the Ukrainian government relied on extensively. The attack happened only weeks after 'wiper' malware was used to wipe data from certain Ukrainian government websites. Officials in the United States and Europe have warned that cyberweapons are frequently unpredictable, and the Viasat intrusion demonstrated how rapidly a cyberattack may spread beyond its intended targets. NotPetya is a Russian cyberattack that began in Ukraine in 2017 and swiftly moved around the world, impacting the operations of Maersk, a Danish shipping behemoth, and other significant corporations, New York Times reported. Russia has launched many cyberattacks against Ukraine over the last eight years. Hackers working for the Kremlin triggered electrical shortages in 2015 and 2016, leaving hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians without heat during one of the coldest months of the year. In the months leading up to Russia's invasion of its neighboring nation in January 2022, Russia launched a slew of different cyberattacks against Ukrainian targets, including distributed denial-of-service assaults, website defacements, and wiper operations. Read Also: Russian Oil Ban: Expert Warns Middle East Cannot Help Europe Address Gas Shortage Russia Also Targets electricity Infratructure Aside from the two assaults on Ukraine's energy system, evidence suggests that Russia was also behind NotPetya, a disk wiper that began in Ukraine and spread throughout the world, causing an estimated $10 billion in damage. The US sanctioned Russia in 2018 for the NotPetya hack and electoral meddling in 2016. Critics have long said that the US and its allies did not do enough to punish Russia for NotPetya and the 2015 and 2016 assaults on Ukraine, which are the only known real-world cyberattacks that have knocked out power, as per ARS Technica. On Tuesday, the State Department provided further details on how the US government is assisting Kyiv in fending against a wave of suspected Russian hacking. The US Agency for International Development has hired contractors to help Ukrainian government agencies and vital infrastructure identify malicious malware and restore services. According to the State Department, the FBI has been briefing Ukrainian officials on Russian intelligence agencies' hacking efforts and getting tips on cyber risks for the FBI to examine. In a statement, the European Council said the hack was yet another example of Russia's persistent pattern of reckless behavior in cyberspace, which also forms an important component of its unlawful and illegitimate invasion of Ukraine, according to CNN. Related Article: Russia Bombs School in Eastern Ukraine Amid Reports That Russian Troops Struggle To Make Military Gains in Donbas @YouTube @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Sen. Mitt Romney slammed the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for 'risking the lives of infants across the nation' by forcing America's biggest baby formula plant to stay closed while desperate parents scramble to feed their children. 'The responsibility falls on the FDA and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) to protect infant health by ensuring they have access to safe formula,' Romney penned Tuesday in a letter to FDA Commissioner Robert Califf and Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack. 'Given the serious implications of the current shortage on infant health, I am deeply concerned about the apparent lack of an effective mitigation strategy and urge both agencies to move as fast as possible to safely resolve this situation.' Romney wants the agencies to do more to ensure the availability of baby formula, citing 'serious implications of the current shortage on infant health,' and asked for an update on the investigation into the alleged contaminated formula that forced the recall and shutdown of the Abbott Laboratories plant in Sturgis, Michigan. The plant ceased operation nearly three months ago after a bacterial infection caused deaths of two children and other serious illnesses. Abbott has since denied its plant is responsible for the deaths. The manufacturer also issued a nationwide recall on its powder baby formulas in February, exacerbating months of spot shortages at pharmacies and supermarkets. Now, pediatricians, healthcare experts and politicians are urging the FDA to reopen the plant and distribute Abbott's formula to families in need. 'There's still some risk from the formula because we know there are problems at the plant and FDA hasn't identified a root cause,' said Sarah Sorscher of the Center for Science in the Public Interest. 'But it's worth releasing because these infants might die without it.' The FDA issued a statement to DailyMail.com on Tuesday, alleging it was working with U.S. manufacturers to increase their output and streamlining paperwork to allow more imports. An Abbott spokesperson also confirmed the manufacturer was 'doing everything we can to address the infant formula supply shortage,' which includes priorities production of formula products and importing products from the company's FDA-registered facility in Ireland on a daily basis. Sen. Mitt Romney (pictured on May 4) slammed the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for 'risking the lives of infants across the nation' by forcing America's biggest baby formula plant to stay closed while parents across the nation are scrambling to feed their children. Food safety experts are also demanding the FDA reopen America's biggest baby formula plant - the Abbott Laboratories plant in Sturgis, Michigan Sen. Romney argues the FDA and USDA have a 'responsibility' to mitigate the impacts of the shortage. 'Please provide a comprehensive update on the progress of the investigation, estimated timeline to completion, efforts to coordinate with other federal agencies, including the USDA, and any other authorities that may be necessary to help relieve the formula shortage,' he urged. 'Between the risk of ingesting contaminated formula, and the risk of malnutrition from an inability to receive said formula, the FDA is an exceedingly difficult position protecting infant health. 'I appreciate the FDAs efforts to support case-by-case release of essential product, but the pace of release is far slower than demand felt across our nation. In its attempt to balance safety from contaminated product and safe infant development through formula access, FDA is achieving neither objective.' The Republican legislator also criticized the quality of the FDA's inspections at the Abbott plant, citing instances of possible contamination dating back to 2019. 'I am alarmed to see documented instances of non-descript contamination in September 24, 2021, and inadequate sample testing to prove formula products met microbiological quality standards in 2019,' Romney wrote. Sen. Mitt Romney has questioned the FDA's inspection process and is demanding to know what steps were taken to ensure the 'contaminated products did not leave the facility' after initial inspections in 2019 and 2021 'This documentation suggests FDAs routine inspection authority is insufficient to meet consumer safety demands, yet its hammer of near-shutdowns of facilities causes a ripple effect throughout the country.' The FDA, which claims Abbott failed to maintain sanitary conditions and procedures at its Michigan manufacturing plant that was linked to a cluster of infant Cronobacter sakazaki infections, published its initial inspection findings in March 2022. The findings showed the facility didnt maintain clean surfaces used in producing and handling the powdered formula. Additionally, inspectors found a history of contamination with the bacteria, including eight instances between fall 2019 and February of this year. An Abbott spokesperson told DailyMail.com Tuesday that 'thorough investigation' by the FDA and Abbott revealed 'infant formula produced at our Sturgis facility is not the likely source of infection in the reported cases and that there was not an outbreak caused by products from the facility'. Regardless, Romney has questioned the FDA's inspection process and is demanding to know what steps were taken to ensure the 'contaminated products did not leave the facility' after initial inspections in 2019 and 2021. Retailers including Target, CVS and Walgreens have begun limiting formula purchases to three containers per customer. An barren shelf meant to store formula is pictured Tuesday at a Target store in Tulsa, Oklahoma More than half of U.S. states are seeing out-of-stock rates between 40 percent and 50 percent, according to the firm, which collects data from 11,000 locations Nationwide about 40 percent of large retail stores are out of stock of baby formula, up from 31 percent in mid-April, according to Datasembly, a data analytics firm. More than half of U.S. states are seeing out-of-stock rates between 40 percent and 50 percent, according to the firm, which collects data from 11,000 locations. White House press secretary Jenn Psaki said Monday the Food and Drug Administration was 'working around the clock to address any possible shortages,' however shelves across the country meant to carry formula remain largely barren. Retailers including Target, CVS and Walgreens have begun limiting formula purchases to three containers per customer. For now, pediatricians and health workers are urging parents who can't find formula to contact food banks or doctor's offices. They warn against watering down formula to stretch supplies or using online DIY recipes. 'For babies who are not being breastfed, this is the only thing they eat,' said Dr. Steven Abrams, of the University of Texas, Austin. 'So it has to have all of their nutrition and, furthermore, it needs to be properly prepared so that it's safe for the smallest infants.' The nationwide share of out-of-stock baby formula hit 40 percent in April Texas, Tennessee, Missouri, Iowa, North Dakota and South Dakota, seemingly hardest hit by the shortages, reported out-of-stock rates of about 50 percent TIMELINE SHOWS HOW AMERICA'S LARGEST BABY FORMULA PLANT CEASED PRODUCTION Abbott Laboratories, the biggest baby formula supplier in the U.S., ceased production at its Michigan plant in February 2022 amid reports of fatal bacterial infections. A timeline of events shows reveals the shut down was the plant had previously been under scrutiny by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). September 2021: The FDA conducted a four-day inspection of the Abbott Laboratories plant in Sturgis, Michigan. The inspection report revealed the plant 'did not maintain' clean and sanitary conditions in at least one building that manufactured, processed, packaged or held baby formula. FDA officials also observed poor hand washing among Abbott plant staff who 'worked directly with infant formula.' The FDA also noted an instance of improper equipment maintenance and temperature control. October 2021: A whistleblower sends the FDA a 34-page document outlining potential concerns with the Sturgis plant. The document, which was made public by Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro in April 2022, was written by a former plant employee. The employee accused the plant of lax cleaning practices, falsifying records, releasing untested infant formula, and hiding information during an FDA audit in 2019, among other issues. January - March 2022: The FDA conducted multiple inspections at the Sturgis plant over the course of three months in 2022. A ten-page inspection report revealed multiple violations at the facility. The agency alleged the plant failed to ensure that all surfaces that contact infant formula were maintained to prevent cross-contamination. The report states the facility 'did not establish a system of process controls' to ensure the baby formula 'does not become adulterated due to the presence of microorganisms in the formula or the processing environment.' Officials also alleged the plant failed to disclose in an investigation report whether a health hazard existed at the facility. Additionally, the report stated plant workers were did not wear the 'necessary protective material' when working directly with infant formula. February 17: U.S. health officials urgently warn parents against using three popular baby formulas manufactured at the Abbott plant in Michigan. Investigators claim the products were recently linked to bacterial contamination after an infant died and three others fell ill. Abbott voluntarily recalled several major brands and shut down its Sturgis plant. The FDA also said it is investigating four reports of infants who were hospitalized after consuming the formula, including one who died. February 28: Abbott Laboratories expanded its recall of Similac baby formulas after a second infant who was exposed to the powdered baby formula died. April 15: Abbott releases a statement alleging it is working closely with the FDA to restart operations at the Sturgis plant. Week of April 24: The nationwide share of out-of-stock baby formula hit 40 percent. Texas, Tennessee, Missouri, Iowa, North Dakota and South Dakota, seemingly hardest hit by the shortages, reported out-of-stock rates of about 50 percent. May 10: Abbott releases a statement to DailyMail.com claiming 'thorough investigation' by the FDA and Abbott revealed 'infant formula produced at our Sturgis facility is not the likely source of infection in the reported cases and that there was not an outbreak caused by products from the facility'. Abbott claims they are 'working closely with the FDA to restart operations' at the plant, with the spokesperson noting: 'We continue to make progress on corrective actions and will be implementing additional actions as we work toward addressing items related to the recent recall'. The FDA told DailyMail.com it was holding discussions with 'Abbott and other manufacturers to increase production of different specialty and metabolic products' but refused to say when the Sturgis plant could reopen. Sen. Mitt Romney issued a letter to the FDA and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) urging leaders to address the formula shortage and work to prevent future threats to infant health. May 11: Lawmakers on Capitol Hill announce plans to hold a hearing in two weeks on infant formula shortages. Abbott announced it would take up to ten weeks for the company to get baby formula to retailers once the Sturgis plant reopens. Abbott also said: 'After a thorough review of all available data, there is no evidence to link our formulas to these infant illnesses.' Advertisement The shortages are especially dangerous for infants who require specialty formulas due to food allergies, digestive problems and other conditions. 'Unfortunately, many of those very specialized formulas are only made in the United States at the factory that had the recall, and that's caused a huge problem for a relatively small number of infants,' Abrams said. After hearing concerns from parents, the FDA said last month that Abbott could begin releasing some specialty formulas not affected by the recalls 'on a case-by-case basis.' The company is providing them free of charge, in coordination with physicians and hospitals. Food safety advocates say the FDA made the right call in releasing the formula, but that parents should talk to their pediatricians before using it. 'Always talk with your pediatrician if you have concerns about your baby's nutrition and feeding your baby,' Dr. Sarah Abrams, of Akron Children's Hospital in Ohio, told Fox News. 'Switch to other formula brands or types of formula,' she advised to parents struggling to find product, 'but talk to your pediatrician first, especially if your baby must use a hydrolyzed or amino acid-based formula.' The pediatrician also shared that due to the Abbott recall, parents have been fearful of that other brands of formula may have been contaminated. 'I have been told that due to the recall, [parents] were afraid to use the formula they had, even if it wasn't one that was recalled,' she explained. 'And if they do find formula, they worry about the limits of how much formula they can buy at one time. 'They are calling our office and we are helping them by reaching out to local formula representatives.' Despite the results of the investigation and pressure from experts and concerned parents, it remains unclear when Abbott's Michigan plant might reopen. The FDA said the company is still working 'to rectify findings related to the processes, procedures and conditions' but refused to say when the plant can resume operations. Other infant formula makers are 'meeting or exceeding capacity levels to meet current demand,' the agency stated Tuesday. Among other steps, the FDA said it was waiving enforcement of minor product labeling issues to increase availability of both U.S. and imported products. 'We recognize that many consumers have been unable to access infant formula and critical medical foods they are accustomed to using and are frustrated by their inability to do so. We are doing everything in our power to ensure there is adequate product available where and when they need it,' FDA Commissioner Robert M. Califf, M.D. told DailyMail.com in a statement. 'Ensuring the availability of safe, sole-source nutrition products like infant formula is of the utmost importance to the FDA. Our teams have been working tirelessly to address and alleviate supply issues and will continue doing everything within our authority to ensure the production of safe infant formula products.' Baby formula is particularly vulnerable to disruptions because just a handful of companies account for almost the entire U.S. supply, analysts allege. Industry executives say the constraints began last year as the COVID-19 pandemic led to disruptions in ingredients, labor and transportation. Supplies were further squeezed by parents stockpiling during lockdowns. Then in February, Abbott recalled several major brands and shut down its Sturgis, Michigan, factory when federal officials concluded four babies suffered bacterial infections after consuming formula from the facility. Two of the infants died. When FDA inspectors visited the plant in March they found lax safety protocols and traces of the bacteria on several surfaces. None of the bacterial strains matched those collected from the infants, however, and the FDA hasn't offered an explanation for how the contamination occurred. For its part, Abbott says its formula 'is not likely the source of infection,' though the FDA says its investigation continues. Abbott claims they are 'working closely with the FDA to restart operations' at the plant, with the spokesperson on Tuesday noting: 'We continue to make progress on corrective actions and will be implementing additional actions as we work toward addressing items related to the recent recall'. Meanwhile, parents are across the nation are issuing alarming calls for help as they try to find ways to nourish their children. Laura Stewart, a 52-year-old mother of three who lives just north of Springfield, Missouri, has been struggling for several weeks to find formula for her 10-month-old daughter, Riley. Parents across the nation are scrambling to feed their children because supply disruptions and a massive safety recall have swept many products off store shelves Baby formula is stored in a locked case, with shelves half empty, at a Walmart store on Tuesday Riley normally gets a brand of Abbott's Similac designed for children with sensitive stomachs. Last month, she instead used four different brands. 'She spits up more. She's just more cranky. She is typically a very happy girl,' Stewart said. 'When she has the right formula, she doesn't spit up. She's perfectly fine.' A small can costs $17 to $18 and lasts three to five days, Stewart said. Like many Americans, Stewart relies on WIC - a federal program similar to food stamps that serves mothers and children - to afford formula for her daughter. Abbott's recall wiped out many WIC-covered brands, though the program is now allowing substitutions. Brian Dittmeier, Senior Director of Public Policy at the WIC Association told DailyMail.com in a statement Tuesday that the 'unprecedented scope of this infant formula recall has serious consequences for babies and new parents.' 'Assurances from manufacturers that production has ramped up have not yet translated to new product on the shelf. Each day that this crisis continues, parents grow more anxious and desperate to find what they need to feed their infants,' the statement said. 'Unlike other food recalls, shortages in the infant formula supply affects a major or even exclusive source of nutrition for babies. Inadequate nutrition could have long-term health implications for babies. Supply shortages are particularly acute for infants who require specialty formulas to address allergies, gastrointestinal issues, or metabolic disorders; adequate substitutes with other brands may not be easily identifiable. 'Every day, we hear from parents who are hurt, angry, anxious, and scared. The lives of their infants are on the line. It is time for answers and accountability as we all work to improve the supply and ease the worries of parents enduring this national crisis.' National Grid will share some of the excess cash it has made from electricity cables to Europe ahead of schedule as regulator Ofgem and others try to help keep bills pushed down. The company said it will pay 200 million to consumers over the next two years - ahead of the schedules originally set. The grid operator would have to pay the money anyway as it is part of the deal it signed with Ofgem, but this way the money comes to customers earlier, it said. 'While National Grid's impact on customer bills is relatively small, we strive every day to keep our costs as low as possible,' said its boss John Pettigrew. 'Given how challenging the current rise in overall energy costs is for people across the country, we want to play our part in helping reduce consumer bills.' If spread equally that would mean an average of 9 off bills for Britain's 22million electricity bill payers. National Grid will share some of the excess cash it has made from electricity cables to Europe ahead of schedule as regulator Ofgem and others try to help keep bills pushed down The company said it will pay 200 million to consumers over the next two years - ahead of the schedules originally set The cash comes from cables that connect France, Belgium and Norway with the British power grid. It means that when French electricity generators produce more than their customers can use, they can sell their excess to households in Britain. Meanwhile, when British wind turbines spin more than British households have use for, that gets sold back to the French. National Grid is not allowed to make more than a certain amount of money from its cables, so excess has to be paid back to consumers. The balance is normally settled every five years, but an unprecedented crisis in the energy markets meant the company and Ofgem thought it wise to make the payments earlier. 'This early payment of 200 million ensures consumers get value for money sooner from our regulatory framework,' said Jonathan Brearley, the chief executive of Ofgem. 'Our regulatory approach for interconnectors not only protects the interests of consumers, but it also promotes new investment in affordable, modern energy infrastructure.' He added: 'We're now working at pace to ensure this money is returned to the consumer in the fastest and most impactful way.' The agreement comes just days after Prime Minister Boris Johnson said it is 'insane' that Britain is 'mainlining energy from France', without mentioning the energy that Britain sends in the other direction. Video captured the horrifying moment a woman was stabbed and slashed by a boy with a knife during a high street brawl outside a chicken shop. In the footage recorded on a mobile phone, the woman, 40, can be seen pushing the teenager away from her - as he clutches onto her shirt. As a crowd of schoolchildren gather and record the distressing incident on their mobile phones, the woman hits the youngster in the face. In retaliation, the teen pushes the woman back and proceeds to brandish a large knife - slashing her repeatedly before two other boys pull him away. Detectives confirmed a 15-year-old was arrested yesterday on suspicion of grievous bodily harm. He remains in custody and enquiries are ongoing. This is the horrifying moment a woman is stabbed by a 15-year-old boy with a knife during a high street brawl outside a chicken shop In the footage, which appears to have been recorded on a mobile phone, the woman, 40, can be seen pushing the teenager away from her - as he clutches onto her shirt The Metropolitan Police and London Ambulance Service were called to the scene on Tuesday afternoon at around 4:30pm on Grosvenor Road, Pimlico in south London The Metropolitan Police and London Ambulance Service were called to the scene on Tuesday afternoon at around 4:30pm on Grosvenor Road, Pimlico in south London. In the shocking video, girls could be seen pouring their drinks over the woman's head while another adult attempted to stop the brawl before the teenager revealed the large knife. One mother told The Sun: 'A lady was arguing with a year 7 girl and nearly bought her to tears. 'Then she started on a year 11 and her arm got sliced. Apparently she was trying to fight this year 7 girl.' A London Ambulance Service spokesperson said: 'We were called at 4.39pm yesterday (Tuesday 11 May) to reports of an incident in South Norwood High Street, SE25. 'We sent an ambulance to the scene and treated a woman before taking her to hospital.' Detectives confirmed the 15-year-old was arrested yesterday on suspicion of grievous bodily harm. He remains in custody and enquiries are ongoing Detective Sergeant Danielle Power of South Area Command said: 'We understand the concern that will spread through our communities in relation to this horribly violent incident and would like to reassure parents and local residents that enhanced, highly visible patrols will take place at the end of the school day to reassure pupils, their parents and the wider community. 'We continue to work closely with the local school and to support the victim. 'We are aware of footage circulating on social media and ask that this is not shared further to avoid prejudicing any future legal proceedings.' The Metropolitan Police told MailOnline: 'Police were called at 16:35hrs on Tuesday, 10 May to reports of an altercation between a woman and a group of youngsters at Grosvenor Road, SE25. 'Police and London Ambulance Service [LAS] attended. At the scene a woman, aged 40s, had suffered a slash wound. Her injury was not life threatening. 'A 15-year-old male was arrested on Tuesday, 10 May on suspicion of grievous bodily harm [GBH]. He remains in custody at this time. Enquiries are ongoing.' Anyone who witnessed this incident but has not yet spoken with police should call 101 or Tweet @MetCC quoting 5441/10May. Advertisement Pro-choice activists gathered outside of Speaker Nancy Pelosi's home to complain that the Democratic leader has done nothing to stop the potential overturning of Roe v. Wade. Half a dozen pro-choice protestors stood outside Pelosi's San Francisco home on Tuesday carrying signs of drawings of conservative Supreme Court Justices labeled as 'liars' and a banner that read: 'Abortion on demand and without apology.' The protest comes a week after a leaked draft opinion written by Justice Samuel Alito suggested a majority of conservatives on the court are prepared to end the constitutional right to an abortion. Multiple protests took place outside the homes of multiple Republican Supreme Court justices last week, with activists demanding they vote to keep the right to abortion. But now it appears pro-choice demonstrators have turned on Democrats, the pro-choice party, claiming their inaction has allowed Republicans to push through forced abortion laws and could lead to the repeal of Roe v Wade. Scroll Down For Video: Taking turns on a bullhorn the protestors took shots at Democrats, blaming them for the potential reversal of the landmark abortion law Pro-choice protestors stood outside Pelosi's San Francisco home on Tuesday carrying signs of conservative Supreme Court Justices labeled as 'liars' Half a dozen protestors rallied outside of Speaker Pelosi's home in Pacific Heights (pictured) on Tuesday, blaming her and the Democratic party for inaction on Roe v. Wade Despite Democrats being the pro-choice party, the protestors claimed they were just as liable as conservatives for the overturning of Roe 'We are here because the Democratic Party and the Democrats as a whole have been complicit in this whole thing,' a female protester said 'We are here because the Democratic Party and the Democrats as a whole have been complicit in this whole thing,' a female protester said. They then targeted Speaker Pelosi personally, specifically for her perceived inaction on the issue and for previously saying 'that the Democratic Party was focusing too much on the abortion issue.' 'Speaker Pelosi, this will be your legacy, 35 years of your reign of terror,' a protestor said. 'You had a supermajority under Obama under which this should have been your top priority. Why did you keep this on the table? Because this is your most effective fundraising tool. That's why.' The protestors even blamed Hillary Clinton for her messaging around abortion during her time as first lady. 'Hillary Clinton, who started the whole thing like abortion should be legal, but rare, as if abortion is a tragedy,' a protestor said. 'We are here to say abortion is a basic right, a basic human right, and without this right, women are basically enslaved. And we will not stand for it.' Protestors targeted Speaker Pelosi personally for previously saying 'that the Democratic Party was focusing too much on the abortion issue' Abortion right protests have sprung up around the country following the leak of Justice Alito's draft last week The protest come just days after Pelosi praised people marching over the leaked draft. 'While we have seen and heard extraordinary anguish in our communities, we have been moved by how so many have channeled their righteous anger into meaningful action: planning to march and mobilize to make their voices heard,' Pelosi wrote in a letter she shared on her website. Justice Alito's draft opinion written in February and published by Politico last week reveals that the court has voted to strike down the landmark 1973 ruling which legalized abortion in the United States. The official opinion won't be released until near the end of the court's term - in late June or early July - and could be changed until then. Five of the six conservative justices are said to support the opinion with only Chief Justice John Roberts dissenting with the three liberals on the bench. Roberts does, however, support a ban on abortion at the 15-week point of a pregnancy. President Joe Biden, in a statement issued hours after the leak, said women have a 'fundamental' right to an abortion and called on American voters to 'elect pro-choice officials this November.' He also pledged the White House would be 'ready when any ruling is issued.' Meanwhile, abortion right protests have sprung up around the country. Demonstrators arrived outside the homes of Chief Justice John Roberts and fellow conservative Brett Kavanaugh on Saturday just days after a massive, un-scalable fence was erected around the Supreme Court Building for the safety of staff. Pro-abortion rights advocates stage a protest outside the house of Supreme Court Associate Justice Samuel Alito in the Fort Hunt neighborhood, in Alexandria, Virginia Protesters carrying a 'Repro Freedom For All!' sign were seen demonstrating outside Justice Samuel Alito's home Law enforcement officers stand between abortion-rights advocates and the home Justice Alito Candles are left on the street during a pro-abortion rights protest outside Justice Alito's house Protesters also appeared outside churches over the weekend and violence ensued at the office of pro-life groups. Antifa vandals hurled at least one Molotov cocktail into offices of Wisconsin Family Action in Madison, an anti-abortion group in the state. The group also scrawled a chilling message on the wall that read, 'If abortions aren't safe you aren't either,' as well as the Antifa Symbol a capital 'A' inside a circle and the number 1312, which is a code that stands for ACAB, meaning 'All Cops are Bastards.' The White House finally condemned the protests on Monday after coming under fire from Republicans for remaining silent on the issue. White House press secretary Jen Psaki said that President Biden condemned the protests. '[President Joe Biden] strongly believes in the Constitutional right to protest,' she tweeted. 'But that should never include violence, threats, or vandalism,' Psaki continued in her tweet. 'Judges perform an incredibly important function in our society, and they must be able to do their jobs without concern for their personal safety.' Police are investigating if food played a role in the deaths of three Americans at a luxury resort in the Bahamas which had recently 'fallen into a state of disrepair' according to reviews. Michael Phillips, 68, and his wife Robbie Phillips, 65, as well as Vincent Chiarella, 64, were all found dead at a Sandals resort in Exuma last week. The condition of the incident's lone survivor, Chiarella's wife, Donnis - has been upgraded to being in good condition, a spokesperson for a local hospital told Fox News. Investigators are still looking into a cause of death for the tourists, who were staying in neighboring villas, but have launched probes into the resort's air conditioning, heaters and use of pesticides. Now they are turning their focus to the hotel's cuisine to try and rule out food poisoning as another potential cause, according to Paul Rolle, the commissioner of the Royal Bahamas Police Force. Police are now looking into the possibility that food played a role in the deaths of three Americans at a luxury resort in the Bahamas, while recent reviews suggest the resort had taken a turn for the worse Bahamian officials identified two of the three Americans who were found dead at a resort on Friday as Michael Phillips, 68, left, and his wife, Robbie Phillips, 65, of Tennessee. They are pictured on another vacation in September Vincent Chiarella is pictured with his wife Donnis at Sandals in the Bahamas just days before he died and she was left seriously ill 'They were all treated at different times and they ate at different places, so... we're checking all of that, which we will hopefully be able to determine whether or not it was some food or something else that caused it,' Rolle said. Samples from all three victims were taken to a lab in Philadelphia and will make up a toxicology report scheduled to come back next week. Several reviewers on TripAdvisor reported seeing bugs in their rooms and one guest speculated that issues with the air conditioning may have caused Freon poisoning. All three had reportedly sought medical treatment while staying at the Sandals, the Nassau Guardian reported. A spokesperson for Sandals would not comment on the possibility of food poisoning and referred DailyMail.com to an earlier statement. One day before her death, Robbie posted pictures of the beach to her Facebook as she apparently tried to sell others on the idea of the resort 'Nothing is more important to Sandals Resorts than the safety of our guests. It is with deep sadness that we can confirm the passing of three guests at Sandals Emerald Bay on May 6, 2022. A health emergency was initially reported and following our protocols we immediately alerted emergency medical professionals and relevant local authorities.' '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.' Reviews on TripAdvisor suggest that the resort has gone into a state of disrepair recently. Michael T. wrote a review May 8, days after the incident and said that he had booked a trip to the resort after enjoying himself last year. The second trip, however, was markedly different. 'What we experienced is a resort in a state of disrepair and drastically under staffed,' Michael wrote. 'Air conditioning, plumbing, no towels, employees that were new and poorly trained, and staff that seemed to be over worked. Tragically we had to experience the death of three guests and injury of a fourth. It was very difficult to relax to say the least under these circumstances.' He added that he 'can not see myself returning anytime soon' to the resort. Reviewer Cameron H. referenced the tragedy and noted that 'the resort did nothing to comfort their guests or even let them know they are safe.' They also said the resort needed major renovation and called the food 'horrible.' Gabrielle K. referenced having problems with the thermostat, poor service and being unable to close a door due to a jam. Other reviewers reported finding 'vomit' in their bathrooms, being served 'powdered eggs and cruise ship bacon.' Reviewers reported finding 'vomit' in their bathrooms, being served 'powdered eggs and cruise ship bacon' TripAdvisor customers also complained about the resort being in a 'state of disrepair' Some even found bugs in their rooms at Sandals Emerald Bay The American victims were found dead Friday morning at the Sandals Emerald Bay resort in Exuma, where the couples had been staying in two separate villas. They were all said to have suffered from convulsions before their deaths, and when Donnis Chiarella, from Panama, Florida, woke up on Friday morning, she found herself paralyzed and her late husband not moving, the couple's devastated son Austin Chiarella previously told ABC News. 'She woke up and my dad was laying there on the floor, and she couldnt move,' he said. 'Her legs and arms was swollen and she couldnt move and she screamed to get someone to come in the door.' What is Freon? The toxic chemical found in air conditioners Air conditioners commonly use a chemical called Freon, which can prove toxic if inhaled, as a refrigerant. The chemical is a stable, nonflammable, moderately toxic gas that is tasteless and mostly odorless. Signs of Freon exposure include irritation of the lungs, burns on the esophagus and irritation of the stomach. Skin lesions and tissue damage are also common symptoms of those experiencing Freon poisoning. Lung failure or death may occur with prolonged exposure to Freon. Accidental poisoning from Freon, while rare, usually occurs in persons who work directly with cooling chemicals. Symptoms of mild to moderate Freon poisoning include: -headache -irritation of eyes, ears, and throat -dizziness -vomiting -chemical burns -nausea -coughing Severe Freon poisoning symptoms include: -vomiting blood -breathing difficulties -loss of consciousness -bleeding or fluid buildup in the lungs -seizures -burning irregular heartbeat confusion coma or sudden death Advertisement The stricken son said his mom had first fallen ill on Thursday, and visited a local clinic. She was discharged shortly afterwards, and believed her health had improved. An initial investigation also found that the Phillips had 'complained of illness the previous evening,' cops previously announced, adding that the pair 'attended the local Medical facility' where they received treatment, and then returned to their lodging. The investigation into their deaths is ongoing, and US State Department officials told USA Today over the weekend it is 'closely monitoring local authorities' investigation into the cause of death. 'We stand ready to provide all appropriate consular assistance,' the department said in a statement. 'Out of respect for the privacy of the families, we have nothing further to add at this time.' Another American vacationer has previously blamed a faulty air conditioner for their deaths, though that has not yet been confirmed. In a Facebook post, Chris Coucheron-Aamot wrote that: 'Three of our neighbors in the building right next to us died and a fourth was airlifted in critical condition early yesterday. The post, which seemed to be penned by Coucheron-Aamot's partner, describes a crime scene at the resort's luxury beachside villas where the bodies of the guests were discovered by hotel personnel. He added: 'There was crime scene tape and security guards all around our unit,' the post from Coucheron-Aamot, who was staying in the same villas as the stricken guests, reads. In the post, Coucheron-Aamot - who said he was continuing his vacation at the resort despite the deaths - suggested that there may have been issues with some of the villas' air-condition systems that may have led to the deaths. 'It sounds like it may have been a fault with the a/c in the unit, causing a toxic coolant leak,' the post reads. 'It was hard to sleep last night - every time the a/c came on, I woke up. 'Were continuing our vacation because thats what I would want people to do if I were to have been one who died - celebrate my life by living yours to the fullest. That said, our hearts are with those who grieve. May God have mercy on them and us.' Sandals said staff were alerted to a medical emergency and the victims' families are being supported, she told the Mirror. They would not comment further on the deaths on Monday, saying instead: 'Out of respect for the privacy of our guests, we cannot disclose further information at this time.' Left-wing firebrands plotting demonstrations against SCOTUS judges' homes this week urged fans to 'rise up to force accountability' on the lawmakers following a leaked Supreme Court draft opinion to overturn Roe v. Wade. The group, Ruth Sent Us, released a map on their website revealing the alleged addresses of the judges' homes as they urge activists to show up and protest for 'Walk-by Wednesday.' It comes after the draft opinion was leaked to Politico last Monday revealing five judges - Justices Samuel Alito, Amy Coney Barrett, Clarence Thomas, Brett Kavanaugh, and Neil Gorsuch - were planning to vote to overturn the Roe v. Wade decision. Chief Justice John Roberts remained undecided. The justices are scheduled to meet on Thursday - the first time they will gather in person since a draft opinion. But Ruth Sent US are plotting to overshadow it, writing: '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.' Artists who join the march - like muralists or graphic designers - are being offered stipends for their contributions, their website states. Demonstrators have previously targeted the homes of conservative Justices Roberts and Brett Kavanaugh in response to the leaked Supreme Court draft decision to overturn Roe v. Wade. Pro-abortion rights advocates march in the street during a protest outside the house of Supreme Court Associate Justice Samuel Alito in Alexandria, VA on May 9 A draft opinion leaked to Politico on Monday revealed five out of the six, Justices Samuel Alito, Amy Coney Barrett, Clarence Thomas, Brett Kavanaugh, and Neil Gorsuch, were planning to vote to overturn the Roe v. Wade decision. Chief Justice John Roberts remaining undecided On Saturday dozens of pro-abortion protestors gathered in the rain in DC and marched towards the homes of conservative Justices Kavanaugh and Roberts Protestors chanted 'Keep abortion safe and legal!' and 'Pro-life is a lie! You don't care if people die!' outside of Supreme Court Justice John Robert's home in Chevy Chase, Maryland Images of coat hangers were chalked on the street outside the justices' homes, an apparent attempt to reinforce the pro-choice argument that overturning Roe v. Wade will not put an end to abortion, but instead will end safe abortions. Protests continue around the country, with some planned this week at the homes of the justices. The nine justices of the Supreme Court are scheduled to meet on Thursday - the first time they will gather in person since a draft opinion, written by Justice Samuel Alito and published by POLITICO, was leaked on Monday. The document revealed the court has voted to strike down the landmark 1973 ruling Rove v. Wade, which legalized abortion in the United States. Still, Alito's opinion, which overturns the landmark case that made abortion legal in the country, remains the only circulated draft pending, Politico reported. Saturday's demonstration was not the first time Kavanaugh was targeted at his home because of his stance on abortion. Demonstrators are pictured outside his house on Sept. 13, 2021 Protestors held up a sign that read 'repro freedom for all!' in front of Justice Kavanaugh's home in Maryland on Sept. 13, 2021 Protesters outside Kavanaugh's home were heard loudly chanting: 'We will not go back!' Additionally, none of the conservative justices who initially sided with Alito have to date switched their votes. And there are no dissenting draft opinions making the rounds from any other justice, including the three liberals on the court. 'This is the most serious assault on the court, perhaps from within, that the Supreme Court's ever experienced,' a person close to the court's conservatives told Politico. 'It's an understatement to say they are heavily, heavily burdened by this.' The draft opinion could change before the court formally unveils its ruling in the Mississippi abortion case, Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization, at the end of its term in late June or early July. Many are watching Roberts, wondering what he will do in his role as Chief Justice, and seeing this case as the biggest test of his leadership. He could try to get one of the other conservative justices to withdraw their support from Alito's opinion and join him in a more centrist opinion that wouldn't formally overturn Roe but would uphold Mississippi's 15-week cut off for performing most abortions. That would maintain some federal guarantee of abortion rights. Overturning Roe would return the abortion issue to the states, letting each one make their own law. Many are watching John Roberts, wondering what he will do in his role as Chief Justice, and seeing this abortion case as the biggest test of his leadership Demonstrators in support of reproductive rights march to the justices' homes in DC last week The Senate on Wednesday will vote on codifying abortion rights into federal law but Majority Leader Chuck Schumer doesn't have the votes to overcome a Republican filibuster. But Schumer is using the vote to make a political point. 'We are making sure that every senator will have to vote and every American will see how they voted,' he said, adding that he believed Republicans 'will suffer the consequences electorally when the American people see that.' Tensions around abortion debate have skyrocketed with protests taking place around nation Abortion rights have been under threat in recent months as Republican-led states move to tighten rules - with some seeking to ban all abortions after six weeks, before many women even know they are pregnant. These include Arizona, where the Republican Governor in March signed a bill banning abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy; and Idaho where the governor signed a six-week abortion ban that allows family members of the fetus to sue providers who perform abortions past that point, similar to a Texas law enacted last year. As it stands in the US, abortion can take place until about 24 weeks into pregnancy - but the exact period varies between states. For example, Texas bans abortion after about six weeks but Florida has a 15-week abortion ban. Dubbed by president Biden as an 'unprecedented assault on a woman's constitutional rights under Roe v. Wade' five conservative justices, including Kavanaugh, backed the law known as the 'Texas Heartbeat Act' that bans abortion once a fetal heartbeat can be detected, which is normally after six weeks and before many women even know they are pregnant. The law makes no exceptions for rape or incest and allows Texans to report people, including Uber drivers, who help or take women to get abortions. The only exemption is if there is a danger to the woman's health. A saltwater crocodile has killed a fisherman's dog at a causeway just a week after a woman was attacked by a freshwater crocodile in the same area. The pooch was mauled by the four-metre long saltwater croc at Ivanhoe Crossing near Kununurra in far northern Western Australia on Monday afternoon. The dog's owner was fishing on the southeast edge of the crossing when the attacked happened, according to PerthNow. It was the second reported attack at Ivanhoe Crossing in the space of a week. A saltwater crocodile has killed a fisherman's dog just a week after a woman was attacked by a freshwater crocodile at the same site (stock image) The site is inhabited by saltwater crocodiles, with their population reportedly increasing every year. It's prompted the local Parks and Wildlife Service in Kimberley to issue a warning online to those considering a visit to the crossing. 'Saltwater crocodiles are ambush predators that can stalk their prey and attack quickly without warning,' the warning read. The Parks and Wildlife Service noted the 'high risk' recreational activities at the site including fishing, children swimming and people wading through the water at the causeway. Large signage is erected at the site on both sides of the crossing warning visitors about the crocodiles and boat ramp hazards. The service wrote that there's now been additional signage added in the aftermath of Monday's crocodile attack. 'DBCA Parks and Wildlife Service and the Shire of Wyndham East Kimberley strongly advises all visitors to stay vigilant and always BE CROCWISE,' their post continued. 'Stay away from the water's edge, supervise children and pets, and do not swim at or wade across Ivanhoe Crossing,' they added. Ivanhoe Crossing (pictured) near Kununurra in far northern Western Australia inhabited by saltwater crocodiles, with their population reportedly increasing It comes just a week after a 38-year-old woman was bitten on the leg by a freshwater crocodile while swimming. The woman, whom Daily Mail Australia understands is from elsewhere in WA, sustained serious leg injuries and was first rushed to Kununurra Hospital before being taken to Broome Regional Hospital. The hospital said she was 'in a stable condition' last week. The traveller is understood to have been part of a group that hired a five-metre boat to get around the lake. On its website, the boat hire company said: 'We do have freshwater crocodiles in Lake Argyle but these creatures don't actively hurt humans.' It adds that: 'We swim in deeper parts of Lake Argyle where they frequent less.' A crocodile was later spotted roving around the area and was shot by authorities. WA's Department of Biodiversity and Conservation (DBCA) sent a crew to patrol the area on Tuesday and said the attack was by 'a problem animal'. 'The attack was unprovoked (and) a 2-2.5 metre freshwater crocodile was seen in the area soon after the incident,' a DBCA spokesperson said. A 38-year-old was bitten on the leg by a freshwater crocodile while swimming (stock image) A warning sign alerting people to the risk of crocodiles is displayed along the Ord River at Lake Argyle. A woman was attacked by a crocodile in Lake Argyle on Monday When officers conducted a patrol of Butler Cove on Tuesday, a freshwater crocodile of the same size approached and interact with their vessel. 'Both the behaviour of a crocodile approaching the boat and the events of the previous day is consistent with what staff would identify as a problem animal,' the spokesperson said. 'To ensure public safety in the popular recreation and swimming area and with a the annual Lake Argyle swim taking place this weekend, the animal was destroyed.' Last year a six-year-old boy was bitten by a freshwater crocodile at Kununurra's Swim Beach. The young boy was swimming in the area before a 2 metre crocodile rose from the water and bit him on his left leg, leaving deep puncture wounds. The Welsh Government has come under fire for presenting plans to boost the number of Senedd seats by more than half at an estimated cost of 12million a year. Under proposals unveiled by the Labour-led administration and nationalist party Plaid Cymru, the number of seats in the Senedd would jump from the current 60 to 96. The parties, who have a formal agreement to work together in some areas of government, also want gender quotas introduced under reforms to be implemented before the next Senedd election in 2026. Simon Hart, the Welsh Secretary in the UK Government and MP for Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire, blasted the plans. As well as noting how they were revealed on the same day as the Queen's Speech at Westminster - when Boris Johnson's Government unveiled its new legislative agenda - Mr Hart took aim at the estimated multi-million pound annual cost of the proposals. He posted on Twitter: 'On a day when the UK Government is laying out its new programme, including creating more jobs, making streets safer & even more NHS support, Welsh Labour & Plaid Cymru announce plans for another 12 million worth (at least) of more politicians' The Welsh Conservatives claimed the cost of the Senedd expansion could even be as high as 75million over the five-year period between elections. Under proposals unveiled by Mark Drakeford's Labour-led administration and nationalist party Plaid Cymru, the number of seats in the Senedd would jump from the current 60 to 96 Adam Price, leader of Plaid Cymru, claimed the reforms would 'lay the foundations for a stronger Welsh democracy and a fairer, more representative Senedd' The plans would see the number of seats in the Senedd jump from the current 60 to 96 Andrew RT Davies, Welsh Conservative leader, said: 'Wales does not need more politicians in Cardiff Bay we need more teachers, doctors, dentists, and nurses. 'With residents across the country facing cost-of-living pressures, the last thing they need is to be footing the bill expected to be more than 75 million over five years at least for Labour and Plaid's pet project. 'Ministers should be spending that money on tackling the big issues facing Wales, not wasting time and cash looking at upping the number of Senedd members. 'Now is the time to fix our broken NHS, get the economy fired up, and boost our education system, but sadly Labour and Plaid have got their priorities completely skewed.' The Welsh Tories also accused Welsh Labour and Plaid Cymru of undermining cross-party work on Senedd reform by pushing to increase the number of politicians in Wales. As well as an increase in Senedd members and gender quotas, Welsh Labour and Plaid Cymru also want a closed list system. This would see seats allocated in order to the candidates on a party's list, rather than voters voting specifically for the person they want to represent them. It would also introduce a 'zipping' format, whereby parties alternate between men and women on their list. The seats would be allocated under the D'Hondt formula under plans to completely ditch the first-past-the-post system used for Westminster elections. The D'Hondt formula is currently used in Senedd elections and aims to ensure that the number of seats allocated to each party are as proportionate as possible to the votes cast. Welsh Secretary Simon Hart took aim at the estimated multi-million pound annual cost of the proposals Labour's First Minister Mark Drakeford said: 'The case for Senedd reform has been made. 'We now need to get on with the hard work to create a modern Senedd, which reflects the Wales we live in today. A Parliament that truly works for Wales.' Adam Price, leader of Plaid Cymru, said: 'These reforms will lay the foundations for a stronger Welsh democracy and a fairer, more representative Senedd that will look entirely different to the outdated political system at Westminster. 'A stronger, more diverse, more representative Senedd will have a greater capacity to perform its primary purpose of making a positive difference to the lives of the people of Wales.' The parties want to see 32 Welsh UK Parliamentary constituencies to be paired to create 16 Senedd constituencies, which would each elect six members. Notorious bikie Tarek Zahed's rigorous gym routine was the fatal mistake that saw him riddled with bullets, a criminal underworld figure has claimed. The Comanchero hardman, 41, is currently fighting for his life in hospital after he was shot 10 times in the head, body and legs at Bodyfit Gym in Auburn in Sydney's west on Tuesday. His brother, Omar, was also shot several times and died soon after the attack. An underworld source said Zahed had continued going to the gym leading up to the attack despite constant warnings from both police and his associates to be cautious and not follow the same routine. Notorious bikie Tarek Zahed's biggest mistake was sticking to a routine, according to one Sydney gangster in the criminal underworld. The Comanchero hardman is currently fighting for his life in hospital after he was shot 10 times. His brother, Omar, was also shot several times and died soon after the attack. (Pictured: Tarek with Omar) 'Anyone with a hit on their head makes sure they don't have a routine,' the source told The Daily Telegraph. 'But Tarek f**ked it, the dumb c**t said he was going to gym last night, like he did the same time the night before, the night before and the nights before.' The gangster asserted that the 'boys' in the gym' would see Zahed 'every night' at the same time and know exactly 'where and when to get him'. He explained that gyms are the perfect place to carry out a shooting because targets are 'not armed'. He said no one goes to the gym with weapons in case they're pulled over by the police. Last November a gangland shooting was carried out at World Gym in Prospect, NSW. Alameddine associate, Murat Gulasi, suffered a gunshot wound to his leg on his way to a gym workout with three other men. The underworld source said it was ultimately his routine that was his downfall. He said if someone sticks to a routine with a bounty on their head, they 'asking to get knocked'. 'If you go to McDonald's every day at 10am, you'll get shot at McDonald's at 10am'. An underworld source told The Daily Telegraph that Zahed continued going to the gym leading up to the attack despite constant warnings from both police and his associates The source said gyms are the perfect place to carry out a shooting because targets are 'not armed'. Last November a gangland shooting was carried out at World Gym in Prospect, NSW. Alameddine associate, Murat Gulasi, suffered a gunshot wound to his leg Underworld sources and detectives had all told the Balenciaga-clad crime lord to keep a low profile after a huge price was put on his head. But instead the TikTok gangster flaunted his chiselled physique on social media while working out at Bodyfit Gym in Auburn in Sydney's west, leading killers straight to him. The ruthless enforcer had been a marked man for weeks, with gangland rivals putting a seven figure bounty on his head, believed to be worth between $1million and a staggering $7million. On Tuesday night, someone almost got their bumper payday. Despite the warnings about the hitmen hunting him, Zahed refused to stay away from the gym. As a result, he was cut down in a hail of bullets alongside his younger brother Omar, 39, on Tuesday evening. Omar was killed instantly, but Zahed has grimly held on to life after being shot 10 times in the body and head, leaving him critically injured. The pair had been told to get out of town just days earlier. 'The two brothers were warned last Thursday,' revealed NSW state crime commander Michael Fitzgerald. 'Their lives have been at risk for some time. 'They decided not to follow our recommendations to leave this state.' Tarek Zahed was cut down in a hail of bullets at the Bodyfit Gym in Auburn in Sydney's west, alongside his younger brother Omar Omar was killed instantly, but miraculously, Tarek Zahed has grimly held on to life after being shot at 10 times, including bullets to his head, leaving him critically injured Zahed was the savage king of the eshays, with his three-quarter length trackpants and innocuous subtly-branded white $895 Balenciaga t-shirts, surrounded by goons with trademark crossbody manbags. His fearless propensity for instant ruthless violence earned him a terrifying reputation and his gangland power grab had put the massive price on his head. Zahed was in the crosshairs of Sydney's escalating gang war after his profile soared in the past year and he returned to Australia from a failed bid to flee to Lebanon. The shaven-headed bikie boss had tried to get Lebanese citizenship but was foiled by an Interpol alert from Australian police warning of his drug world connections. He flew back to Australia but relocated to Victoria after court restrictions in NSW - which limited his movements - made his underworld life too hard. In January, he interrupted the Australian Open final between Rafael Nadal and Daniil Medvedev in Melbourne when he returned late to his seat. The crowd turned on him with abuse as he ambled down the aisle, holding up play midway through the crunch match, and the umpire ordered him: 'Just sit in the nearest seat.' Another video clip gave a clear insight into his volatile fury. He was caught on CCTV talking to younger associate Mohamed Aouli at a private birthday function in Crown Casino's a'Mare restaurant in Sydney's Barangaroo. Zahed leads him to a toilet before suddenly unleashing savage blow after blow as his sidekicks herd the unwitting victim back inside, before the door closes. Zahed - the Comanchero's sergeant-at-arms - was in line to take control of the national bikie gang network after leader Mick Murray was jailed while awaiting trial for a 2019 murder. Police on Wednesday admitted that the Comancheros was Australia's 'largest criminal organisation.' It follows links between the bikie gang and the Alameddine crime family - where the bikies act as brutal enforcers. Zahed has been in and out of jail after setting his dog on one man, stamping on another man's skull in a drug row - leaving him brain damaged - and shooting another after a wild street fight Zahed has effectively been the recent leader of the NSW Comancheros since state boss Mark Buddle fled overseas in 2016 after he was linked to the murder of a Sydney security guard. And Zahed's own life of crime dates back 27 years to 1995 when he was first convicted of assault. Since then, Zahed has been in and out of jail after setting his dog on one man, stamping on another man's skull in a drug row - leaving him brain damaged - and shooting another after a wild street fight. More recently, the Comancheros had been linked to an alleged $1million drugs haul of meth and MDMA seized by police in Bankstown last December which saw two other members of the bikie gang arrested. Zahed was also said to have been making enemies while living in Victoria, which may also have sparked the hit. Tarek Zahed was also said to have been making enemies while living in Victoria, which may lso have sparked the hit But police phone call intercepts from 2020 also revealed he was on the hit list of the Alameddine's deadly rivals, the Hamzy clan. Investigators are also probing whether the latest shooting is linked to the execution of Mahmoud 'Brownie' Ahmad two weeks earlier. Detectives admit there is no shortage of suspects, even within the Comancheros. 'The gangland murder a few weeks ago is one of the lines of inquiry but we can't discount an internal conflict either,' said homicide squad chief Danny Doherty. 'There's opportunities for people to take their place and there's a real power struggle within organisations for people to take their place.' Even before Tuesday's shooting, one police source admitted: 'We don't know who would want that to happen. 'In that world, someone's always wanting to kill someone. They are always upset.' Police chiefs have now set up a separate Strike Force Leary to probe the shooting and work with Strike Force Raptor which was also boosted by another 30 officers from 115 to 145 detectives. 'It is shocking, disturbing and unacceptable. When it happens in a public place, at 8pm, at a gym, it will not be tolerated,' NSW police minister Paul Toole said. 'If you are part of Sydney's underworld, we are going to hunt you down. We will actually kick down doors. 'We will raid homes, we will raid businesses, we will harass you, we will disrupt your everyday life to stop this kind of activity out. It is unacceptable. 'If you are involved, an associate then I say to you right now, you better rethink your actives. We will come after you and lock you up.' The nine justices of the Supreme Court are scheduled to meet on Thursday - the first time they will gather in person since a draft opinion that would overturn Roe v. Wade was leaked. As the justices gather for their private, closed-door conference, there is no sign the court is changing course from issuing that ruling - written by Justice Samuel Alito - despite heavy public pressure. Protests have sprung up around the country, including at the homes of the justices. One abortion rights group is planning protests outside the homes of all six Republican-appointed justices - Justices John Roberts, Clarence Thomas, Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh, Amy Coney Barrett, and Alito in what the group is calling 'Walk-by Wednesday.' Still, Alito's opinion, which overturns the landmark case that made abortion legal in the country, remains the only circulated draft pending, Politico reported. The nine justices of the Supreme Court are scheduled to meet on Thursday - the first time they will gather in person since a draft opinion that would overturn Roe v. Wade was leaked Pro-abortion rights advocates stage a protest outside the house of Supreme Court Associate Justice Samuel Alito Demonstrators show support for Justice Samual Alito outside his home Additionally, none of the conservative justices who initially sided with Alito have to date switched their votes. And there are no dissenting draft opinions making the rounds from any other justice, including the three liberals on the court. 'This is the most serious assault on the court, perhaps from within, that the Supreme Court's ever experienced,' a person close to the court's conservatives told Politico. 'It's an understatement to say they are heavily, heavily burdened by this.' The draft opinion could change before the court formally unveils its ruling in the Mississippi abortion case, Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization, at the end of its term in late June or early July. Many are watching Roberts, wondering what he will do in his role as Chief Justice, and seeing this case as the biggest test of his leadership. He could try to get one of the other conservative justices to withdraw their support from Alito's opinion and join him in a more centrist opinion that wouldn't formally overturn Roe but would uphold Mississippi's 15-week cut off for performing most abortions. That would maintain some federal guarantee of abortion rights. Overturning Roe would return the abortion issue to the states, letting each one make their own law. The leak of the draft opinion caused shock waves throughout the nation. Tensions between both sides on the abortion debate have skyrocketed. Anti-demonstration fences have gone up around the Supreme Court building. Justices' houses are being targeted. Many are watching John Roberts, wondering what he will do in his role as Chief Justice, and seeing this abortion case as the biggest test of his leadership Demonstrators in support of reproductive rights march to Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh Tensions around abortion debate have skyrocketed with protests taking place around the nation The Senate on Wednesday will vote on codifying abortion rights into federal law but Majority Leader Chuck Schumer doesn't have the votes to overcome a Republican filibuster. But Schumer is using the vote to make a political point. 'We are making sure that every senator will have to vote and every American will see how they voted,' he said, adding that he believed Republicans 'will suffer the consequences electorally when the American people see that.' Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have confirmed that they and their two children would be attending Queen Elizabeth II's Platinum Jubilee festivities next month. The 96-year-old queen will meet the couple's 11-month-old daughter, Lilibet Diana, during their planned June visit to the UK, which comes after the Duke and Duchess of Sussex paid a secret visit to the Queen last month before traveling to The Hague, Netherlands for the Invictus Games. Where Are Prince Harry, Meghan Markle During Platinum Jubilee? The visit does, however, raise the question of where the couple would remain while in the UK. According to The Sun, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, their daughter, and their three-year-old son, Archie Harrison, will remain at their former home, Frogmore Cottage, during their visit to the UK, since heightened security measures are already in place ahead of their arrival. Before stepping down from their duties in the royal family and relocating to the United States in April 2020, the couple resided at the Windsor house. However, it was rumored at the time that the duke and duchess, who spent $3 million renovating the house, planned to maintain it so that they would have a property in the UK. It was also reported in February 2022 that the couple, who now live in California with their children, have extended their lease at Frogmore Cottage. The duke extended his lease on the house to continue acting as one of the Queen's four-state counselors. According to the official Royal Family website, the counselors of state shall be appointed by Letters Patent to serve in Her Majesty's stead if the Queen is temporarily unable to perform her formal responsibilities as Sovereign due to sickness or absence abroad. Prince Charles, Prince of Wales, Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, Prince Harry, and Prince Andrew, Duke of York are the current state counselors. Prince Harry, on the other hand, had to be "domiciled" in the UK to continue working as a counselor. Frogmore Cottage has now become the home of the duke's cousin Princess Eugenie and her husband Jack Brooksbank while Prince Harry and Meghan have only visited the UK together once since stepping down from royal responsibilities. August, the couple's one-year-old son, lives with them in Frogmore Cottage. Princess Eugenie and Jack are likely to welcome the Duke and Duchess of Sussex in the guest rooms of Frogmore Cottage on their visit to the UK next month. In April of last year, the Duke stayed at the mansion when he came home to attend his grandpa Prince Philip's burial. While Prince Harry, Meghan Markle, and their children will attend the weekend of festivities, they will not be seen on the Buckingham Palace balcony during Trooping the Colour because the Queen has restricted balcony appearances during her official birthday celebration to working members of the royal family. As a result of the decision, Prince Andrew, who retired from public life in 2019, will not be present on the balcony on Thursday, June 2nd. Although the Sussexes will not be present on the balcony for the monarch's birthday parade, they are expected to attend other events marking the Queen's 70 years on the throne over the weekend, Independent reported. Read Also: New Twitter Owner Elon Musk Wants To Reverse Donald Trump's Account Ban After Promising Major Change; Former CEO Jack Dorsey Agrees Prince Harry, Meghan Markle Face Battle Meanwhile, Amber Melville-Brown, global head of reputation at international legal firm Withers, warned that adopting the Royal Family's customary "never complain, never explain" motto might lead to a "life-long struggle" of litigation. The Queen Mother is claimed to have adopted the phrase when she became Queen Consort in 1936, and it was then handed down to her daughter, Queen Elizabeth II. In a word, the term describes the Firm's approach to public relations, as the Royal Family has typically avoided becoming involved in the media frenzy surrounding various royal crises. The monarchy, on the other hand, has a long history of standing aside and letting the drama play out. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, according to Amber Melville-Brown, will be extremely busy if they continue to sue the press. She points out that, in contrast to the Sussexes, the monarchy's stance has made it quite apparent that no explanation or interaction would be forthcoming, according to Express. Related Article: Prince William Set To Make History Amid Queen Elizabeth's Absence in Platinum Jubilee; Prince Charles To Deliver Speech for the Monarch @YouTube @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Johnny Depp's snickering and seemingly irreverent behavior in court could potentially jeopardize his $50million defamation trial against ex-wife Amber Heard, according to legal analysts. The Pirates of the Caribbean star has won the hearts of supporters and fans on social media who seemed to be charmed by his tongue-in-cheek remarks and conduct throughout the high-profile trial. But legal experts warn that Depp's 'smartass' comments including joking about his drinking could make him look 'unsympathetic' to those who will actually be deciding his fate: the jury. The actor's laughing and joking during Heard's testimony could make him less 'likable', two top defamation lawyers in Virginia, where the case is being held, told DailyMail.com. They also predicted that both sides could potentially lose their cases because neither has met the standard for defamation yet. Legal experts say Johnny Depp is potentially jeopardizing his $100million defamation trial against ex-wife Amber Heard with his conduct in court Depp's tongue-in-cheek remarks and fits of laughter could be off-putting and paint him as 'unlikable' or 'unsympathetic' to a jury, lawyers told DailyMail.com. Pictured: Spectators in the gallery at Fairfax County Circuit Court last week The trial, which is being held at Fairfax County Court, is currently on a break for a week, but returns on Monday when Heard, 36, will continue giving evidence. Depp, 58, is suing his ex-wife for $50million over a 2018 Washington Post op-ed in which she claimed she was a victim of domestic abuse. Although the piece did not name Depp, he alleges it cost him $40million in acting jobs including his iconic role as Captain Jack Sparrow in the Pirates of the Caribbean films. Heard, 36, meanwhile, is countersuing for $100million, claiming Depp's allegations have smeared her and destroyed her career. Over the first four weeks of the case the jury has heard explosive testimony including claims that Depp headbutted Heard and sexually assaulted her with a bottle. The trial has also seen some moments of comic relief on the stand as a result of minor gaffes from witnesses and even Depp himself. At one point in his testimony when asked about his drinking habits, Depp quipped: 'Isn't happy hour any time?' He has also been seen shaking his head dismissively, and snickering and laughing at some of Heard's claims in court. But according to Virginia lawyer Lee Berlik, the Hollywood star could be sabotaging his case with his laughter while Heard was giving grueling and emotional testimony. 'In Fairfax, Virginia we don't get a lot of celebrity trials,' Berlik told DailyMail.com. Depp was seen laughing during the cross-examination of his bodyguard last week after the witness was asked if he had ever seen the actor's penis Depp has been seen shaking his head dismissively, and snickering and laughing at some of Heard's claims in court Depp also made a number of flippant remarks during his testimony earlier in the trial. At one point when asked about his drinking habits, Depp quipped: 'Isn't happy hour any time?' 'In a normal case where nobody knows the parties and you have somebody suing his wife for $100million, you don't want to see that person giggling and chuckling to himself and making smartass comments on the witness stand. 'You want the jury to sympathize with your client and they have to be likable for that. If you're acting like this is just fun and games that could turn a lot of people off. 'But I don't know how Johnny Depp being Johnny Depp changes that. Normal people aren't met by 100 screaming fans as they enter the courtroom. I think it will turn some people on the jury off but will it turn all of them off? He continued: 'Amber Heard was sitting up straight and focused on Depp and making a neutral expression but online people have been saying she's giving him the evil eye.' On the other hand, Steven Krieger, a lawyer based in Virginia who handles defamation cases, said that Heard's stoic disposition could cause her problems too. He said: 'It wouldn't surprise me if there was at least one juror who found each of their reactions to be inappropriate or not credible or in some way negative. 'As for Depp, you don't want to appear to a jury that you're making jokes, snickering, or not taking this seriously. 'As for Heard, you don't want to be staring straight ahead with a deadpan expression on your face. Both should be trying to appear sympathetic, humane, and like the victim. Amber Heard broke down on the stand last Thursday as she detailed how Johnny Depp sexually assaulter her with a liquor bottle in March 2015 in Australia at their rented home As for Heard, the legal experts told DailyMail.com, she should avoid 'staring straight ahead with a deadpan expression' as she was at times seen doing before taking the stand last week Legal analysts said that Amber Heard's stoic disposition during proceedings could possibly hurt her case as well 'If you're trying to prepare your clients for a jury trial you want to have some physical disposition in between what both of them have been doing.' The case has generated significant media attention due to the explosive claims levied by both sides. But Berlik told DailyMail.com he believe both sides could lose their claims because each have yet to meet the required threshold. Should the jury find 'just a single act of abuse by Johnny Depp against Amber Heard' and if they are doing their jobs properly, they would likely find her op-ed was truthful, and Depp would then likely lose his case. 'Most of what I'm hearing so far is about all kinds of details about all sorts of incidents with fingers getting chopped off and people pooping in beds and doing cocaine,' Berlik said. 'But when you read the op-ed there's not a lot in there and I'd expect Heard's lawyer to instruct the jury very carefully about what this case is really about.' Depp and Heard are seen in September 2015 in Venice, Italy. Both sides have employed scorched-earth tactics since the explosive suit was first filed Berlik said that Heard's lawsuit was a 'kneejerk reaction' that was based on comments by Depp's lawyer that seemed like a denial of her op-ed. As Berlik sees it, the comments cited in Heard's counterclaim do not have the 'same sting as a real defamatory comment.' He said that if the jury looks past the celebrity participants then 'both sides will walk away empty handed.' 'I don't think either side will get anything,' he added. Krieger also believes both Depp and Heard have 'very difficult defamation cases to win'. Depp bears the burden of proof in this case and has to convince the jury he was not abusive, meaning he effectively has to prove a negative. 'How do you prove a negative? It's very challenging,' Krieger said. Then there is the problem of how you work out what the damages could be, assuming one party wins. Krieger said: 'Part of Depp's damages could be the money he lost for losing his role in Pirates of the Caribbean, but there's also presumed damages to your reputation if Depp can prove that the statements negatively impact him in his profession. 'However, if his reputation was already damaged because of his substance abuse issues or anything else going on in his life, then it's unclear how much further damage was done by the defamatory statements. 'The reality is you can only prove reputational damage if you had a positive reputation to begin with.' Depp sued his ex-wife Amber Heard for libel in Fairfax County Circuit Court after she wrote an op-ed piece in The Washington Post in 2018 referring to herself as a 'public figure representing domestic abuse' Legal experts believe both Depp and Heard have 'very difficult defamation cases to win'. Pictured: Judge Penney Azcarate who is presiding over the trial One issue being discussed among those who follow the case is how the jury will react to evidence that Heard, who has claimed to be a victim of abuse, hit Depp. Among the material played to the jury was an audio recording where she admits to 'hitting' Depp but denies 'punching' him. Depp, in his evidence, described how Heard once punched him in the face an act she claims was in defense of her sister. Krieger said that this could be a 'mitigating factor' for the jury but admits that even if the jury finds Heard was also abusive, they could still decide in her favor. 'If the jury finds that she beat him up, it definitely could muddy the waters because a jury may decide that Amber's testimony about how she was abused is less credible if she's also abused Johnny,' he explained. 'The jury will have to decide who is more credible and they may throw up their hands and say, "we can't figure it out", which would effectively mean that the plaintiff hadn't met his burden of proof.' The same jury of seven people that decides the case will have to decide what damages to award Depp or Heard, should they find in their favor. But there is little guarantee of what that money could be if anything at all. Berlik said: 'Really, they're going to do whatever they want to do. Maybe it will be based on a calculation with scientific precision. Sometimes it will be based on what their gut tells them. 'This is why jury trials are risky,' he added. And according to Berlik, whatever the outcome, the case will almost certainly be appealed to the Virginia Supreme Court meaning this will likely not be the last you hear about Depp vs Heard. French authorities have opened an investigation into the president of Interpol over accusations of complicity in the torture and arbitrary detention of two Britons while he was a senior UAE interior ministry security official in 2018. An investigating magistrate will have to decide whether or not Ahmed Nasser al-Raisi of the United Arab Emirates, in his position as head of the global police agency, enjoys diplomatic immunity from prosecution. Matthew Hedges and Ali Issa Ahmad, from the United Kingdom, accuse al-Raisi of having ultimate responsibility - as a senior interior ministry security official - for the torture and arbitrary detention they say they suffered in the UAE. Interpol's headquarters are in the south eastern French city of Lyon, meaning al-Raisi could potentially be detained for questioning when he next goes to the office. General Ahmed Nasser Al-Raisi, the UAE's head of security forces who has been accused of torture, is standing to become the president of Interpol, the global police agency Matthew Hedges (right) and Ali Issa Ahmad (left), from the United Kingdom, accuse al-Raisi of having ultimate responsibility - as a senior interior ministry security official - for the torture and arbitrary detention they say they suffered in the UAE British citizen Matthew Hedges talks during a news conference along with compatriot Ali Issa Ahmad, left, in Istanbul, Turkey, Monday, Nov. 22, 2021. Hedges, said he was detained and tortured between May and November 2018 in the UAE, after he was arrested on false charges of espionage during a study trip British academic Hedges, said he was detained and tortured between May and November 2018 in the UAE, after he was arrested on false charges of espionage during a study trip. He has sued four UAE officials - including Al-Raisi - for 350,000 in damages after allegedly being held in ankle cuffs, denied sleep and fed a cocktail of drugs. The Britons filed the complaint under France's principle of universal jurisdiction, which allows it to prosecute serious crimes even if they are committed on foreign soil. British academic Matthew Hedges, said he was detained and tortured between May and November 2018 in the UAE, after he was arrested on false charges of espionage during a study trip. He is suing Al-Raisi and three other officials for 350,000 in damages (pictured with his wife Daniela Tejada) The case against al-Raisi, opened in late March, goes a step further than the torture inquiry opened against him by French prosecutors in November, over the detention of UAE dissident Ahmed Mansoor. At the time, the UAE's foreign ministry rejected the complaints over Mansoor's detention conditions as 'without foundation'. Mr Hedges is claiming damages against four UAE officials, including Major General Ahmed Naser Ahmed Alrais Al-Raisi 'Any legal complaint that may be filed with allegations against al-Raisi is without merit and will be rejected,' the UAE foreign ministry added. In the latest case, the inquiry is now in the hands of an investigating magistrate, a step that precedes the pressing of any charges. The UAE embassy in Paris declined to comment. Al-Raisi was a controversial choice when he was elected to the presidency of Interpol in November last year. It was feared that putting him in the top job might signal to authoritarian states that using Interpol to pursue critics abroad 'is okay'. There were also concerns that the system of Red Notices - international arrest warrants put out by Interpol - might be abused by corrupt regimes targeting their political opponents. In October 2020, 19 NGOs, including Human Rights Watch, expressed concern about the possible choice of Raisi, who they described as 'part of a security apparatus that continues to systematically target peaceful critics'. The eldest son of hook-handed hate cleric Abu Hamza has been ordered to pay back just 5,200 despite making nearly 180,000 from a money laundering plot. Tito Ibn-Sheikh, 35, was handed information by an HSBC bank insider, which he used to create false identities for account holders, Southwark Crown Court heard. The bank accounts were then used to launder the proceeds of thefts and frauds, with victims losing a total of 342,000 between May 2018 and December 2019. Ibn-Sheikh, one of eight children of Hamza, was jailed for a total of three years and nine months in January. Appearing via video-link from HMP Highpoint in Suffolk, he confirmed his benefit from the money laundering scheme was 179,413. But his realisable assets amount to just 5,242.64 and a judge ordered the cash to be confiscated following a brief hearing under the Proceeds of Crime Act today. Ibn-Sheikh was also jailed for 12 years in 2014 for leading a gang who kidnapped a man and tortured him over a 15,000 debt. At the time of the money laundering scheme Ibn-Sheikh was on licence following his release from prison. Tito Ibn-Sheikh (pictured) was handed information by an HSBC bank insider, which he used to create false identities for account holders, Southwark Crown Court heard Ibn-Sheikh is one of eight children of the radical Muslim hate cleric Abu Hamza (pictured) Judge Adam Hiddleston said: 'I will make the order for the confiscation of the available amount, ceased as part of an application under the Proceeds of Crime Act. 'There is also a serious crime prevention order to be imposed. 'These restrictions in relation to communication devices and other terms will last from five years after the date of which you are released from prison. 'If you breach any of the terms of the order, that is a separate offence for which you may be punished. 'These are obviously serious matters.' Ibn-Sheikh, of Godolphin Road, Shepherd's Bush, west London, admitted two counts of conspiracy to convert criminal property, possession of an article for use in fraud, possession of fraudulent identity documents, and possession of criminal property on the 11 January this year. Ibn-Sheikh, one of eight children of Hamza, was jailed for a total of three years and nine months on Tuesday at Southwark Crown Court (pictured: Library image) Former Finsbury Mosque imam Abu Hamza, 64, is serving life without the possibility of parole after being found guilty of terror offences in both the UK and US. Another of his sons, Yasser Kamel, 31, was jailed for four years last April after he was caught with cocaine, MDMA and ketamine worth 30,000 at his home Speaking after Ibn-Sheikh was jailed earlier this year Russell Tyner, of the CPS Organised Crime Division, said: 'Ibn-Sheikh was perfectly willing to bank and move large amounts of stolen money. 'The number of passports and other ID showed he was more than just a neutral recipient of the cash. 'He was an active and willing participant in the conspiracy and he had the ability and means to create false accounts to launder cash. 'His guilty pleas shows the strength of the case against him. 'These are not victimless crimes and wherever possible the CPS will work with our law enforcement partners to bring money laundering cases before a court and any ill-gotten gains recovered.' A Connecticut man was convicted on Tuesday in the cold-blooded murder of his wife after prosecutors told the jury that data from her her Fitbit tracker showed her moving around the house an hour after he claimed she'd been killed by an intruder. Richard Dabate, 45, was found guilty of three charges - murder, tampering with evidence and making false statement to authorities - over the death of his wife, Connie Margotta Dabate, 39, by a jury in Rockville Superior Court on Tuesday. Dabate, shot his wife at their Ellington, Connecticut home two days before Christmas in 2015, while their two young sons were in school. Judge Corinne Klatt increased Dabate's bond to $5 million. He had been free after posting his $1 million bail following his 2017 arrest. He claimed a masked intruder, who sounded like Vin Diesel had broken into their home, tied him up and shot his wife dead before he burned the intruder with a torch. Investigators said Richard's story did not match up with what his wife's Fitbit showed - that she'd been moving around the home an hour after he claimed she'd been shot dead. It was later learned that Dabate had been having an affair with a woman he knew since childhood. She'd become pregnant and wanted him to leave his wife. Richard Dabate, 45, was found guilty of three charges - murder, tampering with evidence and making false statement to authorities - over the death of his wife, Connie Margotta Dabate, 39, by a jury in Rockville Superior Court Dabate, pictured at a hearing in 2017, claimed a masked intruder, who sounded like Vin Diesel had broken into their home, tied him up and shot his wife dead before he burned the intruder with a torch The sprawling Ellington, Connecticut home where Dabate shot his wife dead two days before Christmas in 2015 During Tuesday's trial, Prosecutor Matthew Gedansky said in his closing argument that Dabate hatched a plan to kill his wife and staged a home invasion as his life was about to unravel after the woman he had an affair with became pregnant. LaLima questioned the reliability of the data from the Fitbit tracker, saying the devices were not designed with the accuracy needed for court testimony. Dabate's defense attorney, Trent LaLima, told the jury that unknown DNA that was found in the Dabates' home, including on the gun that killed Connie. He also argued that a house cleaner said they may have seen a dark green figure move past the window around the time of the crime. After the verdict, LaLima said he planned to appeal the conviction. Wayne Rioux, a spokesperson for Connie Dabate's family told the Associated Press that 'justice prevailed,' but said that 'the trial was not about Fitbit, but about the cold-blooded planned murder of Connie Margotta Dabate.' He added: 'There will be no closure for the Margotta family, but there is finally justice for Connie.' When Dailymail.com contacted Rioux he was unavailable for comment. The crime scene in the 2015 murder of the Connecticut mother of two Connie Margotta Dabate being carried out by pall bearers at her funeral as her husband, Richard Dabate (pictured far left) stands near family members appearing distraught. Investigators later larned that the father of two was having an affair with another woman, a childhood friend, who became pregnant and wanted him to leave his wife An undated photo of the couple during happier times An undated photo of the couple enjoying a day outdoors. According to the pullover Richard Abate was wearing the couple may have been at Mystic Seaport in Connecticut A jury had been picked for the case in early 2020, before state courts shut down because of the coronavirus pandemic. But, a judge dismissed that jury in August 2021 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. Tuesday's verdict was announced on the second day of jury deliberations following a five-week trial. The murder charge carries up to 60 years in prison. Dabate is scheduled to be sentenced on September 16, 2022. The wives of two of the last remaining Ukrainian fighters holed up in Mariupol's steelworks have tearfully pleaded with Pope Francis to help rescue their husbands. Kateryna Prokopenko, 27, and Yuliya Fedosiuk, 29, told the Catholic leader he was their 'last hope', begging him: 'Please don't let them die.' Denis Prokopenko is Lieutenant Colonel in the National Guard of Ukraine and a commander in the Azov Regiment, while Arseniy Fedosiuk is an Azov sergeant. Their wives spoke to the Pope for five minutes at the end of his general audience in St. Peter's Square today. They also asked him to intervene directly with Vladimir Putin to let them go because 'Russian captivity is not an option'. 'You are our last hope, I hope you can save their lives, please don't let them die,' Prokopenko could be heard telling the pope on a video released by the Vatican. The wives of two of the last remaining Ukrainian fighters holed up in Mariupol's steelworks have pleaded with Pope Francis to help rescue them Kateryna Prokopenko (centre), 27, and Yuliya Fedosiuk (second right), 29, told the Catholic leader he was their 'last hope' The women told reporters afterwards that they described to the pope scenes of injured soldiers, rotting flesh, unburied bodies and lack of food, water and medicine at the steelworks. They said they last spoke to their husbands on Tuesday. 'Our soldiers are waiting to be evacuated to a third country, to lay down their arms in case of evacuation,' Fedosiuk said. 'They will not go to Russian captivity because they will be tortured and killed,' Fedusiuk told Francis, according to a video of the encounter shot by another member of their entourage, Pyotr Verzilov, a prominent member of the Russian protest group Pussy Riot who is working on a documentary about Ukraine. The pope said he would do everything possible and would pray for them. Prokopenko's husband, Denis Prokopenko, is the commander of the Azov Regiment in the Azovstal mill (pictured before the war) Yulia shows off a photo of herself and her husband Arseny taken in happier times before the war Denis Prokopenko is Lieutenant Colonel in the National Guard of Ukraine and a commander in the Azov Regiment Fedosiuk said they asked him to come to Ukraine and to talk to Putin and tell him to 'let them go'. The women mentioned Switzerland and Turkey as possibilities but gave no details. The pair have been in Italy for over two weeks seeking to rally international support for a diplomatic resolution to the standoff at the plant. Francis, who has been hobbled by knee trouble that makes walking and standing painful, stood up to greet the women, a gesture he didn't extend to others who lined up to see him Wednesday at the end of the audience. He held their hands as they wept, blessed them and said he had spoken about the plight of the soldiers with Cardinal Konrad Krajewski, whom he has dispatched to Ukraine. Verzilov told Francis that time was running out for the troops in the Azovstal mill. 'We feel that if some emergency intervention does not happen in the next few days it will end in a big tragedy,' Verzilov told The Associated Press afterward. He said Francis said he was aware of the standoff. 'He understands how tragic it is and will do what he can.' Scores of civilians have been evacuated from the steelworks in recent days, but an aide to Mariupol's mayor, Petro Andryushchenko, said at least 100 still remained inside. Francis said in an interview published on May 3 that he asked for a meeting in Moscow with Putin to try to stop the war in Ukraine but had not received a reply. Fedosiuk called for countries to form a 'a strong diplomatic coalition to push Putin to let them go safely to a third country'. Fedosiuk added that the last time she spoke to her husband, he asked her to find a article on the internet about how to live without water for the longest possible time. The women told reporters afterwards that they described to the pope scenes of injured soldiers and rotting flesh The wives spoke to the Pope for five minutes at the end of his general audience in St. Peter's Square today Fedosiuk said they asked the Pope to come to Ukraine and to talk to Putin and tell him to 'let them go' The Azov Regiment said in a social media post on Tuesday that in the past 24 hours, 34 Russian aircraft had flown over the plant including eight sorties by strategic bombers. It said the plant had come under fire from the Russian navy and from tanks, artillery and rockets. Reuters was unable to verify the situation. Azovstal is a four-square-mile industrial complex at the heart of Mariupol where the city's final Ukrainian defenders are holed up. It is built on top of a nuclear-proof network of tunnels which fighters are using as a base to repel Russian forces that surrounded the complex more than two weeks ago. Hundreds of civilians had also fled there for safety during the siege of the wider city, and ended up trapped alongside the troops as Russia attacked. After days of appeals to get them out, a final evacuation took place on Saturday when around 300 were rescued by Red Cross and UN workers. Azovstal is a four-square-mile industrial complex at the heart of Mariupol where the city's final Ukrainian defenders are holed up (pictured today) Injured Ukrainian service members use crutches at a field hospital inside a bunker of the Azovstal Iron and Steel Works in Mariupol President Volodymyr Zelensky said late Saturday that all civilians, children and elderly were now out of Azovstal and he was working on evacuating the wounded and medics as well as opening humanitarian corridors in the wider city. Fighting has since resumed in the wake of the evacuation, with fierce battles reported Monday along a bridge that was used to evacuate the civilians just two days beforehand. Ukraine said it repelled the attack. Captain Svyatoslav Palamar, deputy commander of the Azov battalion, said late Monday wounded soldiers are inside the plant and called for them to be given safe passage out. Russian commanders are said to be desperate to capture Azovstal because it would given them full control over Mariupol - a key port city that has been besieged since the early days of the war. British intelligence also believes commanders want to take out Azovstal so they can move troops further north, to join the battle for Donbas. Smoke rises from the steelworks during a Russian strike where Ukrainian soldiers are still holed up Russia has been making slow gains in the region in recent weeks, but has yet to achieve a major breakthrough of Ukrainian lines. A sister plant of the Azovstal mill in the southern city of Zaporizhzhia has highlighted how the Mariupol facility has proven key to the Ukrainian resistance to the numerically superior Russian force. 'We can stay in the shelters for a long time,' said Zaporizhstal employee Ihor Buhlayev, 20, in his hooded silver safety gear as molten metal flowed and sparked behind him. 'I think it will give us the chance to survive.' One other rallying point for Ukrainians has become the Eurovision song contest, the world's biggest live music event which takes place this weekend. Ukraine's rap folk band Kalush Orchestra is the favourite to win the camp celebration, and they progressed through Tuesday night's semi-final to ensure they participate in Saturday's grand final. 'We are here to show that Ukrainian music and Ukrainian culture exists,' frontman rapper Oleh Psiuk said. Sen. Josh Hawley launched an attack on Disney's copyright protection for Mickey Mouse, unveiling a bill on Tuesday that would strip it of its control of the iconic cartoon rodent. His bill has little chance of succeeding but represents the latest salvo in Republican attacks on Disney since the company signaled its opposition to the Parental Rights in Education bill - known to critics as the 'Don't Say Gay' bill. Hawley's proposal would limit copyright protection to 56 years, which would effectively mean anyone would use images of Mickey Mouse, who debuted in the 1928 eight-minute animation 'Steamboat Willie.' 'The age of Republican handouts to big business is over,' said Hawley. 'Thanks to special copyright protections from Congress, woke corporations like Disney have earned billions while increasingly pandering to woke activists. 'It's time to take away Disney's special privileges and open up a new era of creativity and innovation.' Sen. Josh Hawley launched an attack on Disney's copyright protection for Mickey Mouse, unveiling a bill on Tuesday that would strip it of its control of the iconic cartoon rodent His office said that under a 'sweetheart deal' companies like Disney have been granted certain copyright protections for up to 120 years - well beyond the original maximum of 28 years. Hawley's bill would crack down on copyright monopolies to ensure they only last long enough to encourage innovation, it said. His bill has little prospect of progressing through the Democratic controlled Senate and House, but it represents another shot in America's culture wars. When Mickey Mouse first appeared, Disney's copyright was protected for 56 years. Before it expired, the company supported the Copyright Act of 1976 which extended protections for 75 years, And then in 1998 it lobbied for a further extension, giving it protection for 95 years. Republicans have repeatedly condemned Disney for meddling in Florida's politics. It came after it spoke out about the Parental Rights in Education bill DeSantis signed the law, which was fast-tracked through the state legislature, on Friday after the media conglomerate began speaking out against the state's new 'Don't Say Gay' law The Reedy Creek district employs more than 400 people who enjoy benefits like health care and complimentary lifetime Disney passes, a value of up to $1,300 a year Walt Disney's 'Magic Kingdom': How 1967 law allowed the company to govern its vast Florida domain The Reedy Creek Improvement District, a semi-private, special-purpose government, is controlled by Disney and spans 39 square miles. It was created in 1967 when then-Florida Gov. Claude Kirk, a Republican, signed into law the Reedy Creek Improvement Act authorizing it to regulate land use, enforce building codes, treat wastewater, control drainage, maintain utilities and provide fire protection at Disney World. The district is governed a Board of Supervisors that is selected by its 19 landowners, the biggest and most influential of them being Disney World. The district has the authority to tax the land, and use the revenue to provide essential public services and operate and maintain all public roads and bridges. Such private governments aren't uncommon in Florida, which has more than 600 community development districts that manage and pay for infrastructure in new communities. If the 1967 is repealed by GOP lawmakers, Disney World's property will fall under the control of Orange and Osceola counties. Advertisement 'Florida's HB 1557, also known as the "Dont Say Gay" bill, should never have passed and should never have been signed into law,' it said in a statement posted to Twitter last month. 'Our goal as a company is for this law to be repealed by the legislature or struck down in the courts, and we remain committed to supporting the national and state organizations working to achieve that.' Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has moved to strip the company of its unique status that allows it to exist as its own self-governing district around its Orlando theme parks. It allows Disney to provide its own public services, such as firefighting and police, and gives it tax advantages. When he signed the bill last month, DeSantis accused Disney of lying about the content of the state's parental rights law. 'You're a corporation based in Burbank, California, and you're gonna marshal your economic might to attack the parents of my state,' he said. 'We view that as a provocation, and we're going to fight back against that.' It came after Disney said in March it would suspend political donations in the state and added it would in turn support organizations working to oppose what is officially called the Parental Rights in Education bill. Supporters say the bill, which was signed into law in March, stops teachers from pushing inappropriate content on children, which they believe students may be too young to understand. Opponents say the bill is homophobic, and that the vagueness of its wording could see a teacher reported to authorities for something as minor as mentioning their same-sex partner in class. Disney initially stayed quiet on the bill, but the firm - which has long had a good track record on supporting its LGBT staff - is said to have waded into the issue after being pressured by woke in-house diversity factions now said to exert growing influence over bosses there. Donald Trump last week waded into the row saying saying he thought Walt Disney is looking down at his company's pro-LGBTQI stance and wondering, 'What has happened to my Magic Kingdom?' Donald Trump boasted that 'nobody has done more for religion of all types than me' during an interview with the Christian Broadcasting Network He reacted to Disney wading into the culture war in Florida with its opposition to Republicans' 'Don't Say Gay' bill, which outlaws discussion on sexual orientation and gender identity in the classroom for kindergarten through third grade. It was signed into law by Governor Ron DeSantis, who like Trump is seen as a potential 2024 presidential nominee He also claimed without backing that more than half of transgender youth regret making the change 'later in life' as Republican-led states across the country crack down on gender-affirming care for kids and teens, and limit trans participation in youth sports. Trump called the trans rights movement a 'terrible thing' during a wide-ranging interview with the Christian Broadcasting Network. 'That's not the way it should be, that's for sure. It is a terrible thing. I mean, especially when you're taking children that don't even have this period to form,' the former president said. 'And you know, in many cases -- I hear 60 percent of the cases -- later they say "Why did they do this to me?" Sixty percent. No, I think it's a terrible thing.' Trump continued, 'I think what's happened with Disney and what Disney's doing, Walt Disney is looking down.' 'He's not happy, OK? Walt Disney's saying, "What ever happened to my beautiful Magic Kingdom?"' The former president predicted the entire movement promoting gender exploration for LGBTQI youth would be 'shut out.' 'This is a different different world. It's a new world and I think it's actually going to be shut out. You know how it's gonna get shut out? Common sense. It's common sense, but I think it's going. And I think religion will help shut it out,' Trump said. A transgender woman who was sentenced to just two years for molesting a 10-year-old girl in a restaurant bathroom in 2014 has now been charged with murder in connection with a robbery three years ago, it was revealed yesterday. Hannah Tubbs, 26, formerly known as James, pleaded guilty in 2020 to sexually assaulting the young girl in a Denny's bathroom in 2014, and was also accused of molesting a four-year-old one year prior to that incident. She was only given a lenient two-year sentence to be served in a juvenile detention center with no obligation to register as a sex offender as a result of progressive LA District Attorney George Gascon's progressive policies. But Tubbs is now being held on a $1million bond in Kern County, California, after being charged with second-degree murder and robbery in connection with the death of 22-year-old Michael Clark. Clark's body was found washed up in the Kern River in August 2019, after he disappeared months earlier in April. The criminal complaint filed by the Kern County District Attorney's Office charged Tubbs under her birth name, James Edward Tubbs, and will see the defendant return to court on May 20 for trial after she pleaded not guilty to both counts. Gascon meanwhile admitted in February that his directive preventing juveniles to be tried in an adult court for serious crimes, meaning Tubbs was not registered as a sex offender, may have been too lenient. 'After her sentencing in our case, I became aware of extremely troubling statements she made about her case, the resolution of it and the young girl that she harmed,' the DA, who is facing a recall vote, stated. 'If we knew about her disregard for the harm she caused, we would have handled this case differently.' Tubbs showed no remorse for the molestation offense and even bragged to her father about the lax sentence over the jailhouse phone. Hannah Tubbs, 26, formerly known as James, pleaded guilty in 2020 to sexually assaulting a young girl in a Denny's bathroom in 2014, and was also accused of molesting a four-year-old one year prior to that incident CCTV images show Hannah Tubbs, a.k.a. James, entering a Denny's restaurant in Palmdale, CA, in 2014 where a 10-year-old girl was molested in the bathroom Tubbs is now being held on a $1million bond in Kern County, California, after being charged with second-degree murder and robbery in connection with the death of 22-year-old Michael Clark. Clark's body was found washed up in the Kern River (pictured) in August 2019, after he disappeared months earlier in April Tubbs was two weeks away from turning 18 years old when police said she walked into a women's bathroom, locked a 10-year-old girl in a stall, grabbed her by the throat, shoved her hand down the child's pants and proceeded to sexually assault her. Tubbs only stopped when someone else walked into the restroom. She got off with a slap-on-the-wrist sentence of just two years in a juvenile facility as per LA DA Gascon's reforms. In calls revealed earlier this year, Tubbs openly laughed at her generous plea deal and was heard mocking her 2014 victim from her jailhouse. She boasted to her father in the November call that she will not have to register as a sex offender, and that 'nothing' will be done to punish her for violently assaulting a 10-year-old, according to an audio recording that was obtained by Fox. 'So now they're going to put me with other trannies that have seen their cases like mine or with one tranny like me that has a case like mine,' Tubbs told her father. 'So when you come to court, make sure you address me as her.' Tubbs got off with a slap-on-the-wrist sentence of just two years in a juvenile facility for the 2014 assault as per LA District Attorney George Gascon's reforms, although she was just days from turning 18 Tubbs also reportedly made crude and disparaging comments about the child she had abused, jokingly talking about her sexual attraction for the 10-year-old. Tubbs' victim, now aged 18, hit out at Gascon for his handling of the case, which she described as 'insulting.' 'The things [Tubbs] did to me and made me do that day were beyond horrible for a 10-year-old girl to have to go through,' the young woman said, referring to Tubbs as a male. 'That man was very clear minded and old enough to know what he did that day was wrong and still did it anyway. 'It's something I struggle with and it's insulting that this is all he was given as punishment. And I want something done about it.' Tubbs has a vast criminal record including arrests in multiple states. She is pictured in some of her old mugshots taken prior to her transition from a man to a woman DNA entered into a database matched Tubbs with the sexual assault at Denny's and she was brought back to California in 2019 - by which point she had already been arrested for battery, drug possession and probation violations in several states. Tubbs was eventually brought to LA in November 2021 where she was sentenced to the two-year stretch in a juvenile detention center. By this point, Tubbs had transitioned and was known as Hannah rather than James. LA County Deputy District Attorney Jon Hatami, a prosecutor and supporter of the movement to recall Gascon, said earlier this year that Tubbs was too dangerous to be in the juvenile system. 'This was done with limited guidance and no concerns for public safety,' Hatami said speaking of California's system to handle violent juveniles. 'This clearly shows you the dangerous aspect of the blanket policies of George Gascon,' he said. 'Under George Gascon's ''reforms'', a 26-year-old admitted child molester is being housed with juveniles,' Hatami said. 'She may be released early, back into the community, with no sex registration. Only innocent victims and the public suffer because of George Gascon's so-called progress. 'This is not somebody who should appear in the juvenile system.' Tubbs was two weeks away from turning 18 years old when police said she walked into a women's bathroom, locked a 10-year-old girl in a stall, grabbed her by the throat, shoved her hand down the child's pants and proceeded to sexually assault her in 2014 Court documents from a 2013 incident show that then 16-year-old Tubbs was also accused of exposing herself and molesting a four-year-old child at a library in Bakersfield Meanwhile, court documents from a 2013 incident show that then 16-year-old Tubbs was also accused of exposing herself and molesting a four-year-old child, Fox News Digital reported. The alleged attack happened at a library in Bakersfield, two hours away from Los Angeles, while the child's mother was browsing books 'just a few aisles over.' The young victim told her mother that Tubbs, who was wearing a ripped black shirt and shorts with blonde hair, cornered her near locked bathrooms and proceeded to touched her. The little girl allegedly escaped while Tubbs tried to retrieve the bathroom keys and returned to her mother 'crying hysterically' and pointing at her mouth and private parts. It is unclear what charges were filed against Tubbs or whether she was convicted, as her records are sealed because she was a minor at the time. Former President Trump loomed large over a West Virginia primary where two incumbents faced off against each other, and Trump-backed Rep. Alex Mooney emerged victorious. Mooney, who represents the 2nd district, faced off against Rep. David McKinley, who currently represents the 1st district, for the 2nd district seat after West Virginia lost a congressional seat in redistricting. McKinley had backing of big names within the state - including GOP Gov. Jim Justice and Sen. Joe Manchin, D. But the former president threw his weight behind Mooney, deeming McKinley a 'RINO' and knocking him for voting for the bipartisan infrastructure bill and a bipartisan commission to investigate the Jan. 6 Capitol riot. Mooney also had the backing of powerful conservative groups Club for Growth and FreedomWorks. McKinley had hoped his vote for the infrastructure bill, which will bring money into the state to fix its crumbling roads and bridges, lead pipes and expand broadband access, would be an asset, not a setback. With the former president's star power behind him Mooney was able to overcome a historical disadvantage: much more of the new district the House members were running in was part of McKinley's old district. The Associated Press called the race around 9 p.m. Tuesday evening, when Mooney had 51.8 percent of the vote and McKinley 38 percent in the five-candidate field. Mooney is heavily favored to win the general election in November in the state where Trump won 68 percent of the vote in 2020. Known more as a conservative warrior than a legislator, Mooney won Trump's blessing even though he voted with the former president less often than McKinley - 86.7 percent to 92 percent of the time, according to FiveThirtyEight. McKinley, a civil engineer who ran on infrastructure in 2010, had been told by Trump's advisors that a vote for the bipartisan infrastructure bill would result in Trump endorsing his opponent, and even GOP Minority Leader Rep. Kevin McCarthy asked him to vote against it. Rep. Alex Mooney, who represents the 2nd district, faced off against Rep. David McKinley, who currently represents the 1st district, for the 2nd district seat after West Virginia lost a congressional seat in redistricting Mooney won Trump's endorsement and the pair knocked McKinley for voting for the bipartisan infrastructure bill 'I'm gonna pass up 11 years? Finally we're getting a vote,' McKinley told Roll Call. 'And that's where Kevin McCarthy and some of the other boys came over to me and said, 'Can you just hold off? Give us another two years until we're in the majority.' In the end, Trumpist ideology won out over concerns of the state's need for infrastructure spending. 'He is a liberal RINO Republican,' Mooney declared at a Trump rally in Greensburg last weekend. He promised to 'fight for the values of our country, not go along to get along with the Democrats.' Mooney on Wednesday mocked Manchin, the notably popular Democrat senator in a red state, for wading into the GOP primary for his opponent. 'It was one of the weirder moments to wake up one day and see a Democrat U.S. senator who voted to impeach Donald Trump twice try to tell Republican primary voters how to vote. It certainly did not help my opponent. It may have hurt him but it certainly didn't help,' Mooney said on Fox and Friends. 'I was surprised. I mean it's, frankly, quite arrogant of a Democrat senator to think he can intervene in a Republican primary like that, not to mention the nasty personal attack and false way that he did it,' he continued. 'It was I think it was embarrassing to him. Obviously, he's afraid of me. But it certainly didn't help.' Compared to Mooney, West Virginia House primary candidate Carol Miller, who also had Trump's backing, won with even more percent of the vote in the 1st district of West Virginia as more than 67 percent of voters cast their ballot for her. But in Nebraska, businessman Charles Herbster failed to do as well as he faces multiple sexual misconduct allegations, which he has denied. Eight women accused Herbster of groping in a report published by the Nebraska Examiner. In an ad denying the allegations, Herbster compared himself to Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas and Brett Kavanaugh, who also faced allegations of sexual misconduct during their respective confirmation hearings. Of the dozens of endorsements Trump has issues for the 2022 GOP primary elections, all have won so far making Herbster the first loss for the former president, who doesn't like losing. During Trump's rally in Greensburg, Pennsylvania on Friday he bragged about his winning streak in midterms. 'Every single candidate that I endorsed won their primaries on Tuesday,' Trump said last Friday, referring to the Ohio and Indiana primary elections. 'We have a total record of 55 and 0.' West Virginia isn't the only place Trump has waded into a member v. member race - in Illinois the former president has endorsed Rep. Mary Miller over Rep. Rodney Davis. That primary isn't until June 28. Both Miller and Mooney are part of the 42-member right-wing House Freedom Caucus. A church charity worker who claimed she was sacked for whistleblowing about a married priest having a relationship with a 'vulnerable' member of his congregation has won 8,000 in compensation. Caroline Marsland was unhappy that the clergyman was allowed to return to work after it was alleged he had a 'relationship' with the woman, an employment tribunal heard. The alleged behaviour of the priest - identified in tribunal documents only as 'DE' - came to light after the unnamed woman's partner complained to the Diocese, a hearing was told. Mrs Marsland - project co-ordinator for a food bank run by the church - was left 'angry, upset and disgusted' by the revelations as she considered the woman to be a 'vulnerable adult'. Caroline Marsland - project co-ordinator for a food bank run by the church - was unhappy that the clergyman was allowed to return to work after it was alleged he had a 'relationship' with the woman, an employment tribunal heard But after an investigation ruled the priest had done nothing wrong and he returned to work at the church and as chair of the committee that ran the charity, Mrs Marsland's relationship with him and the other church members became 'strained'. Despite being told to keep the priest's behaviour a secret, Mrs Marsland confided in a church friend. Five months later she was made redundant, with the charity saying it had decided to focus on using volunteers instead of paid employees. Mrs Marsland sued the food bank, claiming the real reason for her being let go was that she had blown the whistle on DE. She has now won 8,000 in compensation after a tribunal ruled that while her disclosures were not the principal reason behind her losing her job she had been unfairly dismissed by the charity. The tribunal, held in Glasgow, heard Mrs Marsland worked for Food For Thought, an emergency food donation service operating out of the community hall of St Augustine's Scottish Episcopal Church in Dumbarton. Between April 2016 and January 2019 she was employed as a project co-ordinator on 24,000 a year, until she was made redundant aged 55. In June 2018, the tribunal heard DE was a priest of the church and chairman of the charity's committee. A complaint was made to the Diocese of Glasgow and Galloway about a 'relationship' between DE and a woman identified only as AB - a client and volunteer with the charity who was also a member of the church. At the request of the Diocese, Mrs Marsland spoke to the client about her relationship with DE and reported her conversation to the Provincial Safeguarding Officer of the Diocese who was investigating the complaint. The tribunal heard: '[Mrs Marsland] was shocked by the complaint against DE.. She had strong views about DE as a married man having a relationship with a client. 'She considered the client to be a vulnerable adult. She felt protective towards AB. She felt let down by DE. She was angry and upset. She felt disgusted.' Around a week after the complaint was made, Mrs Marsland met with DE and his wife at the suggestion of charity committee member Reverend Liz O'Ryan, but the meeting 'did not go well'. The priest was absent from the church during the Diocese's investigation, but returned in August 2018 under the supervision of another clergyman. The tribunal heard Mrs Marsland was 'upset and angry' that DE had been allowed to return to the church to continue his duties as a priest and remain as chairman of the committee. She was 'disgusted', let it be known that it was her intention to resign from the charity and stopped attending the church. Mrs Marsland and DE met in October 2018 to discuss their working relationship but again the meeting 'did not go well'. The tribunal heard Mrs Marsland suggested the priest should stand down as chairman, while DE said she was 'causing division in the church' and suggested that 'as she was thinking of leaving anyway it was time for her to find another job'. After meeting with DE, the claimant consulted her GP and was signed off with work-related stress. The tribunal heard Mrs Marsland was 'upset and angry' that DE had been allowed to return to the church to continue his duties as a priest and remain as chairman of the committee. Pictured, St Augustine's Scottish Episcopal Church in Dumbarton Two days later she met Anne Dyer, a friend and member of a church committee, and told her everything she knew, despite being told to keep everything confidential. After DE stepped down and a new charity chairman was appointed, Mrs Marsland returned to work in December 2018. But the tribunal heard she continued to raise her concerns about DE's return to work with Reverend O'Ryan. She was hostile towards DE and would not 'engage' with him. Eventually she stopped engaging with Reverend O'Ryan and the atmosphere at work became 'strained'. The committee met in January 2019 but Mrs Marsland was ill and unable to attend. At that meeting they agreed the charity did not need a full-time project co-ordinator as most of Mrs Marsland's work could be done by volunteers. The decision was made to terminate her contract and rely on volunteers, but the committee members mistakenly believed Mrs Marsland was self-employed. Therefore, the tribunal found the dismissal lacked a 'fair procedure' as she was not considered an employee with employment protection rights. Mrs Marsland appealed, believing her employment was terminated because she 'could not conspire in allowing DE to continue to be involved with [the charity]'. In March 2019, her sister published a post on social media criticising the charity and saying Mrs Marsland had been 'fired because she refused to be complicit in a cover up'. This is the claim Mrs Marsland brought to the employment tribunal - that she had been unfairly sacked for whistleblowing about the DE revelations to Mrs Dyer. However, the tribunal ruled this was not the case. Employment Judge Frances Eccles said: '[She] was entitled to disagree with the outcome of the investigation. She was entitled to feel that it was contrary to her moral principles. 'This was not sufficient however, to persuade the Tribunal that she held a reasonable belief that the information disclosed to Anne Dyer tended to show that the health and safety of any individual had been, was being or was likely to be endangered. 'From the evidence before it, the Tribunal was not persuaded that the principal reason for [Mrs Marsland's] dismissal was for disclosing information to Anne Dyer.' However, the tribunal ruled the dismissal was procedurally unfair and awarded her 8,059.13 in compensation. A massive, nearly 1,000lb great white shark known as Ironbound was spotted swimming off the Jersey Shore, the site of the infamous 1916 shark attacks that inspired the film Jaws. Ironbound - who hails from Nova Scotia and measures 12 feet, 4 inches - made his way to the Jersey Shore as he continues traveling up north to Canada, according to OCEARCH, an nonprofit marine research group that tracks shark migrations. OCEARCH's chief scientist Bob Hueter said Ironbound, who weighs 998lbs and is likely 20 years old, was first tagged on October 3, 2019, in Nova Scotia and has been spotted multiple times in the U.S. 'When we tagged him, he was impressive,' Hueter told CNN of the shark's first sighting. Ironbound - who hails from Nova Scotia and measures 12 feet, 4 inches, and 998lbs - made his way to the Jersey Shore. Pictured, researchers tagging the great white in 2019 OCEARCH tracked Ironbound near the Jersey Shore on April 28. The site of the great white in the shore is reminiscent of Steven Spielberg's 1975 classic, Jaws The massive shark is believed to be 20 years old and heading north for the summer Ironbound, who was named after the West Ironbound Island, in Nova Scotia, first pinged in the waters off the coast of New Jersey on April 28, and was spotted by South Carolina's Pamlico Sound on Tuesday. The sight of the great white along the Jersey shore is reminiscent of Steven Spielberg's 1975 cult classic, Jaws, which was inspired by the deadly Jersey Shoe shark attacks of 1916. During the 12 day siege of the shore at the start of July by a large shark, believed to be a great white or bull shark, four people were killed and one was injured. The deadly incident came as a result of thousands of residents heading to the beach during a summer heatwave along the east coast. OCEARCH tracks sharks traveling throughout the U.S. eastern coastline. Pictured, an even bigger shark, who was recorded at 15-feet long Ironbound was recently spotted by South Carolina's Pamlico Sound on Tuesday As the migrating great whites seek rich feeding grounds up north, scientists believe the sharks will 'bulk up' when they are set to return to Florida by the winter Heuter said the great white has traveled an estimated 13,000 miles since OCEARCH began tracking him three years ago. The scientist told CNN Ironbound and his fellow sharks migrate every year, spending their winters in Florida and the Gulf Coast before heading back north for the summers. 'They're moving north to the very rich feeding grounds off of Canada and the northeastern US,' Hueter said. He noted that the shark's summer up north would likely see the fish 'bulk up' when he returns to the Florida waters in the winter. Despite his impressive size and weight, Ironbound is not the largest shark swimming in the U.S. coast as Hueter said OCEARCH has tagged great whites as long as 17.5 feet and as heavy as 4,000lbs. Finland is expected to submit its membership application to join NATO later this week which could threaten Russian President Vladimir Putin's war on Ukraine. United States and European officials also anticipate that Sweden will follow suit with Finland and start processing its membership in the alliance. If Finnish President Sauli Niinisto and the Social Democrats who govern both countries ignore Moscow's warnings and come out in favor of accession, NATO could have two new members located on Russia's doorstep. Finland's NATO Membership If the Western military alliance makes such an expansion, it would force Russia to be surrounded by NATO countries in the Baltic Sea and the Arctic. This also represents a serious setback for Russian President Putin who has expressed his disagreement with the alliance expanding on its doorstep. The Russian president previously argued that NATO's expansion in Eastern Europe, and the possibility that Ukraine joins the alliance, were part of the reasons that it chose to invade its neighboring country. Putin marked Victory Day on Monday, a holiday when Moscow commemorates Nazi Germany's surrender in the second world war, as per the Associated Press. If Finland and Sweden join NATO, it would be a historic development as the latter has avoided military alliances for more than two centuries, and the former adopted neutrality after it was defeated by the Soviet Union in World War II. Read Also: Russian Ambassador to Poland Blasted With Red Paint During Moscow's Victory Day Celebrations Finnish authorities have been considering becoming a member of the NATO alliance in the wake of Russia's unprovoked war on Ukraine. Prime Minister Sanna Marin had previously stated that the invasion "changed the security policy situation in such a way that there is no going back to the way things were." According to CNBC, becoming a NATO member would also mark backlash from Russia, whose president has been extremely vocal about his opposition to the expansion of the alliance. In a statement, Finland's minister for foreign affairs, Pekka Haavisto, said that when all of the political parties are ready they will move as a government to enter discussions and negotiations. Consequences for Russia The situation comes as recent opinion polls have shown that at least 60% of Finland's citizens approve of becoming a member of NATO. The numbers show a massive jump from 30% in the past few years. If the decision pushes through, the country, which houses nearly six million people, will have redrawn the European security map. This would be in a way that was previously inconceivable and may have tremendous consequences for Moscow. Currently, Russia shares roughly 755 miles of land border with five NATO member countries, according to the alliance. Finland's inclusion would result in the 800-mile border that Russia shares would become formally militarily aligned with the United States. On top of being bad for Moscow, Finland's potential NATO membership would increase NATO's influence and power. Despite having a relatively low population size, the country has a powerful military force that has been unofficially aligned with the West for several decades. They have used equipment purchased from the U.S. that is compatible with NATO allies, CNN reported. Related Article: US, Allies Claim Russia Wages Massive Cyberattack Against Ukraine's Satellite Internet Since Invasion Began @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Congressional Democrats argue Roe v. Wade will galvanize their voters ahead of the midterms as lawmakers see the issue as a boost for their candidates in the election that will decide control of Congress. 'Today, we start the march towards the November elections,' said Democratic Rep. Judy Chu of California on Wednesday. She sponsored The Women's Health Protection Act that has already passed the House and will be voted on in the Senate on Wednesday, where it's expected to fail. 'Today is the start of the galvanization of all women in this country and the men who support them,' she said. 'We will march to the polls this November to protect the rights of every person in every state for their right to an abortion.' Democrats hope their effort to codify abortion rights will boost their candidates in the midterm election, where Republicans were expected to take control of the House of Representatives. 'Already candidates are being asked about their abortion stance. I've seen a total change in the way the elections are being processed even as of this last week,' Chu said. 'It's changed the landscape totally,' she added. 'And I expect more of these kinds of decisions and changes to go on moving forward. Every candidate now is having to decide how they will answer the question of choice and it's going to be very very interesting.' Congressional Democrats argue Roe v. Wade will galvanize their voters ahead of the midterm election: 'Today, we start the march towards the November elections,' said Democratic Rep. Judy Chu of California The Women's Health Protection Act would create federal protections for providing and accessing abortion services. But Majority Leader Chuck Schumer doesn't have the votes to overcome a Republican filibuster in the Senate. Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin said on Wednesday he will not support the bill, saying it's too broad of an expansion. Democrats see political opportunity in the vote's failure. They will use the vote to argue to voters that the only way to protect reproductive rights from extreme Republicans is elect more Democrats. 'This is a cruel, repressive, dangerous vision for our country, but it is precisely the future that MAGA Republicans are working towards,' Schumer said on the Senate floor on Wednesday. 'It is precisely the outcome that extreme Republicans have planned for.' Republicans counter abortion should be decided by the states and say the Democratic bill is too extreme. 'Democrats bill would functionally allow elective abortion through all nine months. Abortion until the moment of birth,' said Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell on Wednesday. Wednesday's vote is not expected to be the last in what Democrats' see is a winning issue. 'I would love to see us vote on every sub-issue that we can because I think there are many people that have an agenda that doesn't fit not just with Democrat or Republican, it doesn't fit with America,' said Democratic Sen. Cory Booker of New Jersey. He argued Democrats should hold votes on issues such as whether there should be excepts for rape or incest and other issues. 'You should make them vote on that to see where folks stand so they know where people's positions are and they informed as an electorate,' he said. His comments come as a new Morning Consult/Politico poll shows that 58% believe it is 'very important' or 'somewhat important' to vote for a candidate this fall that supports abortion rights. More than half the respondents in the poll - 53% - want to keep Roe v. Wade, the landmark 1973 case that made abortion legal, the law of the land. Democratic Rep. Diana DeGette of Colorado said on Wednesday that the pro-choice majority in the House needs to be maintained as a 'backstop' against those who want to take away abortion rights. 'We have a pro choice majority and we need to keep it that way because we need to have a backstop against the extreme legislative efforts,' she said. 'People have assumed for almost 50 years now that they could make their health care decisions. They now know that the radical Supreme Court and the Republican majority has no intention to let that happen.' Abortion has become a hot button political issue ahead of an expected Supreme Court rulilng Women dressed as handmaids protest for the protection of abortion rights outside the U.S. Embassy in London Abortion has become a hot button political issue after Politico published a draft Supreme Court opinion that, if adopted as is by the court, would overturn Roe v. Wade. Demonstrations have sprung up around the country - both against and supporting the decision. If adopted, and it could still be changed by the court ahead of its announcement of a decision this summer, each state would have the right to determine its own abortion law. Multiple states have enacted or proposed strict limits or outright prohibitions on abortion, which is why Democrats are pushing for a federal law. A university professor and Insulate Britain activist who has never owned or driven a car has appeared in the dock over a speeding conviction after mix-up in the crown court. Nick Till, 67, was listed to appeal a conviction at Lewes Crown Court for failing to tell Sussex Police who had been driving a speeding car along Brighton seafront. But the self-described 'eco zealot' had never owned or driven a car. Mr Till, a professor at the University of Sussex, had been due to appear at the court for public nuisance during Insulate Britain's protests on the M25 last September, which he denied. But he was also listed for the other speeding case, and asked court officials what he should do, and they told him to go to court to clear up the mix-up. It then emerged in court that it was another Nicholas Till who should be attending the speeding hearing. The judge said he was furious with the CPS barrister Michael Shilliday that the 'wrong man' was in court, according to Brighton and Hove News, and said he did not want this case 'darkening his door' again. Nick Till (pictured speaking with an officer in October 2021), 67, said he was listed to appeal a conviction at Lewes Crown Court for failing to tell Sussex Police who had been driving a speeding car along Brighton seafront. On that day, the self-described 'eco zealot' was also due to appear for public nuisance during the Insulate Britain campaign group's protests on the M25 last September, which he denied He asked the court officials what he should and they told him to go to court to clear up the mix-up. This was when barrister Michael Shilliday (pictured) for the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) told the court a Nicholas Alexander Till was here to appeal his conviction And the environmental campaigner and professor replied that his name is Nicholas John Thirlwall at Lewes Crown Court, pictured This left Judge Mooney (pictured) furious who said he did not want this case 'darkening his door' again Mr Till said the 'primary reason' he went to Lewes was to attend a 'plea hearing' for charges of causing a public nuisance which he denied. He told the MailOnline: 'It was clearly a case of mistaken identity, and I have no idea how it happened. 'I was attending Lewes court that day on another matter, and found out the day before that I had also been listed as appellant in a case that I knew nothing about. 'I queried this with the court officials, and they advised that it would be best for me to present myself in the court to clarify the matter.' The Sussex professor had appeared at Crawley Magistrates' Court last month, which was the first time he had gone there. While the other Mr Till was sent a driving licence to an address in Crawley, the CPS' Mr Shilliday told the court. The CPS barrister said a Nicholas Alexander Till should be in court. Mr Till denied being that Mr Till and said he was Nicholas John Thirlwall Till. He told the court 'Until I went to the magistrates' court, I'd never been to Crawley. I live in London.' Judge Mooney said 'Is there anything at all that links this Mr Till to the address where the summons was served?' Mr Till at an Insulate Britain protest before he was up in the wrong court for the wrong charge This was when Mr Shilliday gave the other Mr Till's name and when the University of Sussex professor denied he was that Mr Till. The Judge said: 'It's not going well so far, Mr Shilliday.' The barrister then said: 'I don't know why this particular Mr Till is in court.' The judge said: 'So you've got the wrong man?' Mr Shilliday said: 'The short answer is that I don't know why that Mr Till is in the dock.' The court also heard the other Mr Till is 30 while the eco campaigner is 67 and is from London. Judge Mooney said: 'This is the wrong man. This is Kafka comes to Lewes!' Mr Till was awarded costs and the appeal was allowed with the judge telling the court: 'I dont want this case darkening our door.' The speeding case has been listed for next week. While Nicholas John Thirlwall Till appeared for the pre-trial hearing for public nuisance which he denies. A spokeswoman for the CPS said: 'As procedures are ongoing, we arent able to comment at this time.' Advertisement Anyone who was a teenager in the 1980s and 1990s will remember carrying around dozens of mini-discs with them as they sought to listen to their music collection while on the go. Devices such as Sony's Walkman, the first version of which was released in 1979, gave fans access - albeit in a somewhat cumbersome fashion - to their favourite songs when out of the house. But that all changed with the release of Apple's iPod in 2001, when the company's boss Steve Jobs hailed the device as a 'quantum leap' in listening to music. 'Your entire music library fits in your pocket,' he said. With its mechanical scroll wheel, black and white interface and iconic white case, the iPod was the first MP3 player to pack 1,000 songs into a machine that was the size of a pack of cards. With the iPod's release came a whole new legion of devoted Apple fans who stuck with the firm as it kept bringing out new versions of its device, including the Nano and Touch. The iPod's popularity was typified by the queues of hundreds of shoppers outside Apple stores all around the world as fans sought to get their hands on the firm's revolutionary music player. Along the way, the firm embedded itself further into popular culture with its commercials boasting silhouetted figures dancing to music that they were listening to with their white Apple headphones. It was those white wires cascading from the ears of millions of fans across the world that signified to others what device was being used, and told them that they needed to buy one too. Yet Apple still managed to upset fans of their products, when in 2014 they automatically installed Irish band U2's new album onto all their devices. The writing was on the wall for the iPod as early as 2007 when Jobs launched the iPhone. With theatrical flair, he told an expectant audience the new product was an 'iPod, a phone and an internet communicator'. He was lighting a fire under his own product even though at the time it accounted for roughly 40 percent of Apple's revenue, according to analysis by Statista. Five years later, the iPod's revenue share had plunged below 10 percent and it was being outsold by the iPhone. the most recent version of the device, the 2019 iPod Touch, has remained unchanged since its release. Yesterday, Apple finally announced the end of the iPod, saying that it was discontinuing the Touch. They said it will still be on sale 'while stocks last'. The release of Apple's iPod in November 2001 totally revolutionised the music industry and the experience of millions of listeners Apple boss Steve Jobs (left) hailed the device as a 'quantum leap' in listening to music. 'Your entire music library fits in your pocket,' he said. Right: Queues outside the UK's first Apple store, on London's Regent Street The first of the Apple music players hit the shops in November 2001 and was priced at $399. It had enough memory space for '1,000 songs in your pocket'. While this was incredibly advanced then, the average smartphone can now hold more than ten times that amount. Yet its 5GB of storage outstripped the competition at the time and its mechanical wheel was instantly iconic as it allowed a constant stream of music uncoupled from conventional albums. In the following years, prices came down, storage space grew, colours and models proliferated and sales exploded. The project almost failed due to last-minute battery problems, and Jobs complained that the device's original volume controls were not up to scratch. The credit for naming the iPod goes to copywriter Vinnie Chieco, who drew his inspiration from the line 'Open the pod bay door, Hal!' in Stanley Kubrick's film 2001: A Space Odyssey. Music industry consultant Stephen Abbott was working for a record label in New York when Apple developed the iPod. Speaking to the BBC, he recalled getting a 'call out of the blue' from Apple in Christmas 2001, before executives arrived with a prototype of the iPod. The firm embedded itself further into popular culture with its commercials boasting silhouetted figures dancing to music that they were listening to with their white Apple headphones Anyone who was a teenager in the 1980s and 1990s will remember carrying around dozens of mini-discs with them as they sought to listen to their music collection while on the go. Devices such as Sony's Walkman, the first version of which was released in 1979, gave fans access - albeit in a somewhat cumbersome fashion - to their favourite songs when out of the house 'Three people came to the office... sat in a room amongst all our CDs, vinyl, cassette demos and they put this very small white plastic box in the middle of all of it and said this is going to change the way everybody listens to music. HISTORY OF iPOD MODELS - iPod Classic (seven generations, 2001-2008) - iPod Mini (two generations, 2004-2005) - iPod Nano (seven generations, 2005-2012) - iPod Shuffle (four generations, 2005-2010) - iPod Touch (seven generations, 2007-2019) Advertisement 'It looked very sort irrelevant and small and did not look like it had any sort of impact. But by the time they left it was like we had witnessed a monolith from 2001. It was just incredible.' Laura Snapes, The Guardian's deputy music editor told the BBC that she remembered carrying around a 'gigantic wallet of mini discs' before the iPod era. 'iTunes saved the record industry in a way after the era of illegal downloading but it also started to break down the album. there was massive controversy about the fact you could buy an individual song from a record, you didn't have to buy the whole thing, you could buy three bits of it if you wanted to,' she said. 'That really sowed the seeds of how we listen today.' The next version of the iPod to come along was the iPod Mini, introduced in February 2004, which had a smaller design and came in a range of colours. A year earlier, the iTunes Store - which marked the beginning of a digital marketplace for music - had been released by Apple. The iPod Shuffle, meanwhile, which was first released in January 2005, came without a display and was the smallest model in the iPod family. Speaking in 2007, the year that the first iPhone was released, Jobs said of the iPod: 'It didn't just change the way we all listen to music, it changed the entire music industry.' Digital music was still in its infancy and closely associated with piracy. File-sharing platform Napster had horrified the industry by dispensing with any idea of paying the record companies or musicians. Against this background, Apple managed to persuade record company bosses to sanction the sale of individual tracks for 99 cents. For years, bands from AC/DC to the Beatles and Metallica refused to allow Apple to sell their music. Apple staff are seen clapping as they welcome customers through the doors of the firm's Regent Street store on the day it opened housands people queue up to wait for the opening sales of Apple's iPod Mini digital music player in front of Tokyo's Apple Computer store, 24 July 2004 An iPod is seen on display at Apple's Regent Street store on the day that it opened in November 2004 Yet Apple still managed to upset fans of their products, when in 2014 they automatically installed Irish band U2's new album onto all their devices. Above U2 with current Apple boss Tim Cook Pictured, the popular iPod Mini, introduced on February 20, 2004, which packed iPod's capacity into a smaller design at just 3.6 ounces iPod shuffle (fourth generation), introduced on July 15, 2015, offered a sleek design with up to 15 hours of battery life, 2GB of storage good for hundreds of songs, and a VoiceOver button to hear a song title, playlist name, or battery status iPod nano (second generation), introduced on September 25, 2006, offered a thin design, a bright color display, six stylish colors, and up to 24 hours of battery life, and put up to 2,000 songs in users pockets But the industry has since found a way to stay hugely profitable and even embrace technology like streaming. The industry's embrace of the music revolution led to Apple's partnership with U2 from 2004 onwards. The tie-up saw the firm promoting the band's music and even release a U2-branded iPod. But in 2014, Apple decided to distribute U2's latest album, Songs of Innocence, to all iTunes users, prompting a furious backlash. It meant that the tracks automatically appeared in the Music app on iPhones and iPods, leading many to question how they could delete the tracks. By the time the final iPod Touch model came out, the form factor essentially replicated Apple's smartphones, with a selection of handy apps. iPod Touch can even make phone calls, rendering the iPod almost redundant in the face of Apple's all-powerful iPhone. The Daily Mail reported in 2003 how 'iPod fever' had taken over high streets, as stores ran out of stock of the device The writing was on the wall for the iPod as early as 2007 when Jobs launched the iPhone. With theatrical flair, he told an expectant audience the new product was an 'iPod, a phone and an internet communicator' Apple's announcement, made on Tuesday, led to an outpouring of fond memories on social media from former iPod owners. Dutch designer Sebastiaan de With, who goes by the Twitter handle @sdw, said: 'I'm endlessly grateful for iPod. 'It got me into the Apple 'universe' at 15. It's what made me buy my first Mac three years later, which started my career as a designer.' Another Twitter user, @NikiasMolina, simply said: 'Thank you for changing the world iPod.' Apple said customers can purchase iPod Touch through apple.com, Apple Store locations and authorized Apple resellers while supplies last. Fans are already snapping up the last of the iPod Touch devices still being sold, possibly to keep them in their packaging and turn them into collectors items in years to come. A doctor broke down in tears today after being cleared of sexually assaulting a female colleague during a hospital night shift. A jury took over six and a half hours to find Dr Senthil Gopalakrishnam not guilty of the allegations that he had hugged, kissed and groped the woman doctor without her consent. The consultant anaesthetist wiped away tears as the 10-2 majority verdict was read out and thanked the jury and the judge before leaving the court room. A jury took over six and a half hours to find Dr Senthil Gopalakrishnam not guilty of the allegations that he had hugged, kissed and groped the woman doctor without her consent It followed a week-long trial at Bournemouth Crown Court, Dorset, during which the complainant alleged that Dr Gopalkrishnam forced himself upon her before pushing her into her on-call bedroom and touching her breasts Dr Gopalakrishnam denied one count of sexual assault that was said to have happened at an NHS hospital in Dorset last April It followed a week-long trial at Bournemouth Crown Court, Dorset, during which the complainant alleged that Dr Gopalkrishnam forced himself upon her before pushing her into her on-call bedroom and touching her breasts. She claimed he told her, 'at least least let me see your top half' before eventually leaving the room. But Dr Gopalakrishnam, 52, denied the allegations and said it was the woman who had come onto him. He said the female doctor had touched his bottom before pulling him into the bedroom. He said she then told him to shut the door before placing his hand on her breast. When asked about the woman's account, he denied ever having sexual intentions towards her and said he 'just wanted to be polite'. He told the court: 'I am a man of trust. I am an honest man who does not lie. I am not a person to fabricate - I had no intentions of a sexual nature towards her.' Dr Gopalakrishnam denied one count of sexual assault that was said to have happened at an NHS hospital in Dorset last April. One of Bill Clinton's former special advisors who helped cement his friendship with Jeffrey Epstein has died at the age of 59, becoming the latest associate of the former President to die young. Mark Middleton's family said that he passed away on Saturday in a statement which did not reveal the cause of death. The father-of-two lived in Little Rock, Arkansas, and local law enforcement and the county coroner told DailyMail.com that they were not investigating the death and did not respond to it. The Middleton family did not reply to requests for comment. Middleton had for decades run an air conditioning business in Little Rock but in the 1990s he was a special advisor to Clinton and finance director on his Presidential campaign. During that time Middleton admitted Epstein to the Clinton White House on seven of the at least 17 times the late pedophile visited. Middleton also flew on Epstein's plane and appears to have acted as a conduit between the two men. Mark Middleton's family said that he passed away on Saturday at the age of 59 in a statement which did not reveal the cause of death Middleton was Bill Clinton's special advisor who admitted Jeffrey Epstein to the White House on seven of the at least 17 times the late pedophile visited. Epstein, Ghislaine Maxwell and Clinton are seen in 1993 at the White House DailyMail.com has previously reported on how Epstein's access to the Clinton White House gave him entry to a world of influence he would cultivate for the rest of his life and use to impress and threaten underage girls he abused. Middleton's death was announced in a Facebook post now deleted for the family's air conditioning company, Middleton Heat & Air. According to a report in Arkansas Business, the company was one of the largest HVAC providers in the state. Middleton's death was announced in a Facebook post now deleted for the family's air conditioning company, Middleton Heat & Air The post said: 'The Middleton Family is saddened to share that Mark Middleton passed away this weekend. 'The Middleton family has lost an inspiring and dedicated leader, as well as a son, brother, husband, and father. Mark leaves behind a company that he helped build from the ground up alongside his family and was proud to run for the last 25 years. 'No words can express our sadness over this loss or our gratitude for your support and prayers during this time'. Middleton was also managing partner of the investment firm MidCorp Capital, an investment company, and worked for a handful of nonprofit foundations. The only potential hint at a possible cause was a request in Middleton's obituary that, instead of flowers, well wishers donate to a service that specializes in counseling and therapy linked to the New Life Church, which is based in Arkansas. A spokesman for the Little Rock Police Department said they had not investigated the death. The Pulaski County Sheriff's office said they had not responded to Middleton's death, and neither had the county coroner, according to an employee in the office reached by DailyMail.com. Middleton's life in recent years was a world away from the power he enjoyed in the 1990s. White House visitor logs previously reported by DailyMail.com showed that he appears as the authorizing authority on seven of Epstein's White House visits, most of which were to the West Wing. In addition to being a special assistant to the President, Middleton was also assistant to the chief of staff, Thomas 'Mack' McLarty, Middleton also flew on Epstein's plane and appears to have acted as a conduit between the two men. Clinton and Ghislaine Maxwell are seen on the plane Middleton had for decades run an air conditioning business in Little Rock but in the 1990s he was a special advisor to Clinton and finance director on his Presidential campaign 'The Middleton family has lost an inspiring and dedicated leader, as well as a son, brother, husband, and father. Mark leaves behind a company that he helped build from the ground up alongside his family and was proud to run for the last 25 years,' a post said. Mark Middleton with his wife Rhea & daughters, Lindsay and Lauren Middleton left the White House in February 1995 and was accused of setting himself up as an international deal-maker, exactly the kind of person that would appeal to Epstein. In 1996 an investigation by the White House found that Middleton had abused his access to impress business clients and he was barred from the executive mansion without senior approval. Middleton denied the claims. A source has told DailyMail.com that some of Middleton's meetings with Epstein happened in room 176 which was in the old Executive Office building, not the White House. The source said that Middleton asked for a meeting room next to the White House mess, which was in the West Wing, so he could impress his guests with his proximity to the Oval Office. The source said: 'Mark was trying to make himself look bigger than he was. He was trying to make himself out like he had more power than he really did in the White House. 'Mark knew that Epstein was managing the money of Les Wexner,' referring to the billionaire founder of L Brands and Victoria's Secret. The source went on: 'The year 1994 there were midterm elections, Clinton needed money and Mark thought he could get some of Wexner's money. 'Mark wanted to set himself up as the guy who could bring in those kinds of big donors', the source said. The only potential hint at a possible cause of death was a request in Middleton's obituary that, instead of flowers, well wishers donate to a service that specializes in counseling and therapy linked to the New Life Church, which is based in Arkansas In addition to being a special assistant to the President, Middleton was also assistant to the chief of staff, Thomas 'Mack' McLarty. Clinton and McLarty are pictured in the White House in 1993 Following a May 1994 visit by Epstein to the White House, Epstein flew from Washington to Palm Beach, Florida, with Middleton on board. The following day the pair flew from Palm Beach to Grand Bahama International Airport in the Bahamas. They returned the same day to Palm Beach. Several of Clinton's former associates have died over the years in unexpected circumstances, sparking the conspiracy theory known as Clinton Body Count. They include deputy White House counsel Vince Foster, whose 1993 death was ruled a suicide but sparked a slew of conspiracy theories about the involvement of the Clintons. After Epstein hanged himself while awaiting trial in 2019 Donald Trump retweeted conspiracy theories that Clinton was involved. Vince Foster (left with Hillary Clinton) and Seth Rich are two of the names of people whom conspiracy theorists name as dying young after being involved with the Clintons Others whose deaths have been linked to the Clintons without foundation have been Seth Rich, the Democratic National Committee staffer who was murdered in 2016, and Christopher Sign, the reporter who broke the news of a meeting on the tarmac of Phoenix Airport between Clinton and then-attorney general Loretta Lynch. Sign was found dead at his home in 2021. The Wikipedia page for Clinton Body Count also includes C. Victor Raiser, Bill Clinton's National Finance Co-chairman who died alongside his son in a 1992 plane crash; Mary Mohane, a White House intern who was gunned down in a Starbucks in 1997 and Jim McDougal, a financial partner of the Clintons who died of a heart attack while in prison in 1998. It also lists Edward Willey, whose wife Kathleen alleged that Clinton sexually assaulted her. His death was ruled a suicide. Clinton's head of security Jerry Parks was gunned down as he left a Mexican restaurant in 1993. A passenger aboard a flight from the Bahamas to Florida who successfully landed the plane despite having no flight experience has been pictured. The passenger - who has not yet been named - was on board a Cessna 208 Caravan traveling from Leonard M. Thompson International Airport in Marsh Harbor, the Bahamas, on Tuesday when the pilot suffered a medical emergency and fell unconscious. The man, pictured wearing light-colored clothes and sunglasses, quickly sprang into action and managed to successfully land the plane in a feat that one JetBlue pilot said was 'nothing short of a miracle.' He was aided by Robert Morgan, an air traffic controller, who printed out a picture of the cockpit controls to to guide the passenger through the steps of flying and landing the plane as he struggled with the navigation system. After he successfully landed, Morgan told WBPF, the two embraced on the tarmac of the Palm Beach International Airport in Florida, where they were pictured. 'It felt really good to help somebody, and he told me that he was going to go home tonight to see his pregnant wife,' Morgan told the news station in the aftermath. A passenger who successfully landed a plane traveling from the Bahamas to Florida after the pilot passed out is pictured, right, with Robert Morgan, an air traffic controller who helped guide him during the flight The passenger didn't even know how to turn the navigation system on, and did not know the plane's location other than 'off the Florida coast' Morgan said he was on his break reading a book outside, when he received an emergency call that a passenger with no flight experience was trying to land a flight safely. He revealed that he has never actually flown a Cessna 208 Caravan plane before, but he is an FAA-certified flight instructor with around 1,200 hours of flying time under his belt. Morgan said he quickly decided to print out a layout of the cockpit, which he used to guide the passenger through the steps of flying and landing the plane as he struggled with the navigation system. 'I just feel like it was probably meant to happen,' Morgan told the news station. 'I knew the plane was flying like any other plane. I just had to keep him calm, point him to the runway and tell him how to reduce the power so he could descend to land. 'Before I knew it, he was like, ''I'm on the ground. How do I turn this thing off?''' Morgan, right, printed out a picture of a Cessna 208 Caravan plane to help guide a passenger through the steps of flying and landing the plane Morgan had never flown a Cessna 208 Caravan plane, he later revealed, but is an FAA-certified flight instructor with around 1,200 hours of flying time under his belt Audio of the man's conversation with air traffic control, obtained by DailyMail.com, though, reveals just how tense the situation was. In the recordings, the passenger could be heard telling air traffic control in Fort Pierce, 'I've got a serious situation here,' as he flew over the Florida coastline around 70 miles north of his destination. 'My pilot has gone incoherent. I have no idea how to fly the airplane.' Do you know the brave passenger who landed the plane? Contact newsUS@dailymail.com Advertisement An air traffic control agent then replied: 'Roger. What's your position?' The passenger replied: 'I have no idea. I can see the coast of Florida in front of me. And I have no idea.' The audibly shocked air traffic controller in Fort Pierce then told the passenger that he would try and locate the plane when the emergency call came through over his radio. 'Maintain wings level and just try to follow the coast, either north or southbound,' the controller said. 'We're trying to locate you.' For the next four minutes, audio showed the passenger remained remarkably calm as he tried to work out what to do and wait for the air traffic controller to find his aircraft. 'Have you guys located me yet?' he asked after a while. 'I can't even get my nav screen to turn on. It has all the information on it. You guys have any ideas on that?' The man was eventually found flying off the coast of Boca Raton, and Morgan, at the Palm Beach airport, managed to talk him down as he guided him on how to land the plane. Morgan later discussed the experience on local news channels, saying 'It felt really good to help somebody, The landing was a little wobbly, but ultimately safe and successful according to air traffic control, who were clearly astounded at the passenger's ability to settle the plane on the runway with no prior experience whatsoever. 'You just witnessed a couple passengers land that plane,' the dumbfounded air traffic controller said over the radio. Another pilot on the runway said: 'Did you say the passengers landed the plane?' 'That's correct,' control responded. 'Oh, my gosh. Great job!' The pilot, who remained unconscious was later taken to the hospital as a result of the unknown illness. His condition remains unknown. An aviation expert told CNN it is not uncommon for small turboprop airplanes such as the Cessna 208 Caravan to fly with only one pilot, particularly when the flights are private. An FAA spokesperson confirmed they were investigating the incident and said the pilot suffered a 'possible medical issue' - though they did not provide further details on his condition. The pilot was taken to hospital, and the passenger safely made it off the plane The small aircraft can be seen on the tarmac at Palm Beach airport, having successfully landed Justin Dalmolin, a JetBlue pilot, was told to delay his takeoff to give the unnamed Cessna passenger space and time to land the plane. 'The level of difficulty that this person had to deal with in terms of having zero flight time to fly and land a single engine turbine aircraft is absolutely incredible,' said an amazed Dalmolin. He told ABC 25: 'The incredible part is not just flying the aircraft but obviously the most difficult thing which is configuring the aircraft for approach and landing. And then landing it, and that to me, for a zero time pilot. 'I remember my first days when I first started flight training, I was white-knuckled and sweating for my first ten hours of training.' Dalmolin said it was lucky it was daylight so the passenger at the wheel could see where he was going because it would have been extremely difficult if it the saga had unfolded overnight or in heavy fog. 'You know it's nothing short of a miracle and I'm really glad for them and their families they had such a great outcome,' said Dalmolin. John Nance, an aviation expert, also told ABC 25 that the landing of such a complex plane by someone without any flying history was a remarkable feat. 'This is the first time I've ever heard of one of these being landed by somebody that has no aeronautical experience,' Nance said. 'The person on the airplane who had no aeronautical experience listened very carefully and obviously followed instructions with great calm. 'That's what made the difference.' This is the heart-stopping moment a hero clings to the outside of a tower block window to rescue a young girl after spotting her dangling from the eighth floor. Sabit Shontakbaev, 37, was on his way to work with a friend when he saw a crowd below staring up at the three-year-old. Her mother had gone shopping and left her home alone in Kazakhstan's capital Nur-Sultan when she piled up her toys and cushions to climb out of the window. Sabit Shontakbaev clings to the outside of a tower block window to rescue a young girl after spotting her dangling from the eighth floor Sabit, a father-of-four, immediately rushed upstairs in a bid save her before she fell to her death. He said: 'We noticed that people were gathering and I immediately looked up and saw a girl hanging from the eighth floor.' He ran inside the block and went up to the seventh floor, to the flat immediately below where the girl was precariously hanging on. 'We knocked and fortunately they immediately opened the door,' he said. He climbed out of the window below the terrified girl who by then had been holding on for 15 minutes. Shontakbaev, 37, was on his way to work with a friend when he saw a crowd below staring up at the three-year-old Sabit, a father-of-four, immediately rushed upstairs in a bid save her before she fell to her death 'I did not have a safety harness so my friend held my legs. 'At that moment I didn't think about anything, I just wanted to help the child.' He dramatically reached up and caught the girl's legs then tugged her down so he could catch her. Then he carefully passed her through the open window to his friend. Sabit did not wait to be thanked by the girl's mother as he did not want to be late for work. 'I didn't even see her parents,' he said. 'Afterwards, I went straight to work with my friend. Nobody knew that this would happen. He ran inside the block and went up to the seventh floor, to the flat immediately below where the girl was precariously hanging on He was awarded a medal for showing 'courage' by the deputy emergency minister Ibrahim Kulshimbayev 'I just saved the child and left, and in the news and social networks they suddenly began to call me a hero. I do not consider my actions heroic. 'To me, everyone should lend a helping hand in such situations.' The girl had piled cushions and soft toys under the window and then climbed out, said an official source. Shontakbaev has been hailed for his brave deed by the city's mayor Altai Kulginov. He was awarded a medal for showing 'courage' by the deputy emergency minister Ibrahim Kulshimbayev. But he was also offered a new job as a rescuer after his astonishing bravery. Reports say Shontakbaev - who has a daughter and three sons - will also be awarded with a new three bedroom apartment, and a television. This will enable his family to move to Nur-Sultan and live with him. Until now he had been earning money in the capital and sending it home to his wife in Kyzylorda. The fees for his children to attend summer camp will also be paid. A 23-year-old man was shot by a Philadelphia police Wednesday morning after authorities say he stormed a local Police District building with a screwdriver, attacking multiple officers. Police say the unidentified suspect attacked officers upon entering the 39th Police District building just before 9:30 am, where he was shot at least one by one officer. 'They attempted to disarm this individual while he was swinging the screwdriver in their direction - this was all within about 30 seconds. Right around that time one of the officers that was in the operations room fired at least one shot at this individual, striking him in to torso,' said PPD Sergeant Eric Gripp said Wednesday. The suspect was taken to a nearby hospital, Gripp added, where he is in critical but stable condition. According to police, the individual gained access to the police building by entering through the lobby, where he approached a secured side door to an operations room where the officers were working. The suspect, who police said was wearing a mask, attempted to converse with a 32-year-old female officer through a window in the key code-protected door, police said. Police say the unidentified suspect attacked officers upon entering the 39th police district building just before 9:30 am, where he was shot at least one by one officer. He was taken to a nearby hospital in critical but stable condition, cops said Wednesday morning The officer behind the window, a seven-year veteran of the force, police said, then proceeded to open the door, after having difficulty understanding what the suspect was saying. 'At which point this individual lunged into the operations room, right at the officer,' Gripp said Wednesday, adding that the suspect attacked the unidentified officer with a screwdriver. A second officer then rushed to the female officer's aid, Gripp said, in an attempt to disarm the assailant. During the ensuing scuffle, the female officer discharged her service weapon, striking the suspect in the torso, Gripp said. The suspect was then taken to nearby Temple University Hospital in critical condition, where he succumbed to his injuries later that morning. Police say one officer suffered wounds to the back of his head. He was subsequently hospitalized and is in stable condition. A family member of the officer outside the hospital Wednesday told NBC10 the officer suffered a puncture wound behind his right ear. The officer however is in good spirits, they said, and he's expected to be discharged later today. A second officer suffered an injury to his elbow, upper body and hand. Both are expected to make a full recovery, police said Wednesday. Police Commissioner Danielle Outlaw said the discharging officer was not hurt. The 23-year-old suspect stormed the local Police District building with a screwdriver, gaining access to a room where officers were working after a female cop opened a secured side door The suspect reportedly entered the district building through this door leading to the building's lobby, where he proceeded to implore the female officer to open the keycode protected side door to the operations room where the incident took place During a presser held outside the 39th District, Gripp described the operations room of the police building as 'the customer service window' for the public, noting the window the suspect approached had Plexiglass with holes that citizens can talk through Gripp said the entire encounter lasted less than 30 seconds. He added that there were not any surveillance cameras in the area where the incident took place. During a presser held outside the 39th District, Gripp described the operations room of the police building as 'the customer service window' for the public, noting how the window the suspect initially approached has Plexiglass with holes that citizens can talk through. 'Were very lucky this wasnt worse than it was,' Gripp told reporters. The chief added that an investigation into the incident has since been declared, revealing that it will be spearheaded by the department's Officer-Involved Shooting Investigations unit. The officer who shot the man has been put on administrative duty per department guidelines, pending the police's and District Attorney office's investigation. This is a developing story; please check back for more updates. A local Conservative councillor has quit less than a week after being elected, after his Twitter feed was allegedly found to be full of 'racist' retweets. Marco Lorenzini won the election for the Bush Fair seat for Harlow Council in Essex on Thursday by just four votes. But yesterday the Conservatives removed the whip 'immediately' and he stepped down, after his Twitter was discovered to have retweeted posts which made comments that were described as racist. Mr Lorenzini is yet to make a comment about his social media activity or the actions of the Conservative Party against him. He has also deactivated his Twitter account. The likes and retweets of the content which had been allegedly been made by Mr Lorenzini's account emerged on Twitter yesterday afternoon, including one referring to a 'Muslim invasion' and another saying white people are 'the only race you can legally discriminate against'. Another mocked the recent casting of Ncuti Gatwa, a Black Scottish actor with Rwandan heritage, as the next Doctor Who. Marco Lorenzini (pictured) quit as a local councillor for the Conservatives in Essex after less than a week when his Twitter account was discovered to have retweets deemed to be racist Mr Lorenzini deactivated his Twitter after it was found by activists who took screenshots of his retweets and likes Labour activists said they had uncovered Mr Lorenzini's Twitter account which was also said to include references to Islam, praise for Tommy Robinson and insulting references to London mayor Sadiq Khan and Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer. Another Twitter account he used read 'If you live in the country, learn the language' in its bio. A spokesperson for the Harlow Conservatives said they 'utterly condemn' the remarks after they removed the whip from him and called for his resignation. They said: 'These abhorrent views are not the views of the Conservative party and we utterly condemn them. There is no place in our party for such thought and we will never accept it.' The Conservative party in Harlow (pictured), Essex condemned Mr Lorenzini's retweets Conservative councillor Dan Swords, who also represents Bush Fair ward, told the BBC that he thinks the retweets are 'disgusting'. He said: 'We will absolutely not accept racism in any form; it's genuinely sickening to read, and we acted immediately.' Mr Lorenzini reportedly told the local party that he did not have any social media accounts, so they weren't vetted. Cllr Swords added: 'Vetting was carried out regardless and I understand at the time that he was using an unusual Twitter handle at the time that meant, despite extensive searches, nothing appeared but over the weekend he changed his Twitter handle which made the account identifiable.' The White House on Wednesday condemned the killing of an American journalist during an Israeli raid in the occupied West Bank, and demanded an investigation into the death of Al Jazeera's Shireen Abu Akleh. Akleh, 51, was a well-known Palestinian television reporter who also had U.S. citizenship. Al Jazeera quickly blamed Israeli security forces for her death during a raid on the West Bank town of Jenin. Qatar, where the TV station is headquartered, claimed Israeli forces 'shot her in the face.' White House spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre condemned the killing and said prosecuting anyone responsible for attacks on journalists was of 'paramount importance.' 'We strongly condemn the killing of Al Jazeera journalist and American citizen Shireen Abu Akleh in Jenin today and we extend our deepest condolences to her family,' she siad. 'We call for a thorough investigation to determine the circumstances of her death. 'Investigating attacks on independent media and prosecuting those responsible are of paramount importance.' Al Jazeera said Shireen Abu Akleh was shot 'deliberately' and 'in cold blood' by Israeli troops while wearing a press vest and helmet during a raid in the West Bank White House Principal Deputy Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre condemned the killing as she she spoke to reporters aboard Air Force One on Wednesday The State Department also demanded a thorough, immediate investigation and said those responsible for killing the American journalist 'must be held responsible' Earlier State Department spokesman Ned Price demanded accountability for those responsible. 'We are heartbroken by and strongly condemn the killing of American journalist Shireen Abu Akleh in the West Bank,' he said. 'The investigation must be immediate and thorough and those responsible must be held accountable. 'Her death is an affront to media freedom everywhere.' Another Palestinian journalist, Ali Al Samoudi, working for the Jerusalem-based Al-Quds newspaper, was wounded but in stable condition, according to the Palestinian health ministry. The Qatar-based broadcaster blamed Israeli forces, saying she was shot 'deliberately' and 'in cold blood' by Israeli troops while wearing a press Pavest and helmet. In a statement that flashed on its channel, it called on the international community to 'condemn and hold the Israeli occupation forces accountable for deliberately targeting and assassinating our colleague, Shireen Abu Akleh.' The IDF responded that Palestinians, who were firing indiscriminately, had claimed to have hit someone, yet no IDF soldier was hit. 'She may have been shot by Palestinians,' IDF spokesperson Ran Kochav said. 'She was very close to them. But if soldiers were responsible, we will have to apologise if a mistake was made.' Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett however said it was 'likely' that Palestinian gunfire killed her. The body of slain Al Jazeera reporter Shireen Abu Akleh, 51, lies on the ground while her colleague, Shatha Hanaysheh, covers her mouth in shock as firing continues Well-known Palestinian television personality Shireen Abu Akleh, 51, (pictured) from Jerusalem, was killed during a raid on the occupied West Bank town of Jenin early Wednesday A young man from the area braves what seems to be continual sniper fire to attend to Abu Akleh's body Journalists escort the body of veteran Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Aqleh, who was shot dead by Israeli troops as she covered a raid on the West Bank's Jenin refugee camp this morning Journalists mourn over the body of veteran Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Aqleh. In video footage of the incident, Abu Akleh can be seen wearing a blue flak jacket clearly marked with the word 'PRESS' A medical worker covers the body of veteran Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh. Al Jazeera put the blame for her death at the feet of Israeli security forces, who said it is 'investigating the event and looking into the possibility that the journalists were hit by the Palestinian gunmen' 'Abu Akleh was wearing a flack jacket so I think she was the person that the Palestinians referred to, but I cannot be 100% sure,' he said. The Palestinian Authority had rejected the offer of a joint investigation with Israel he added. 'I am not sure we will be able to definitively know the truth without their cooperation,' he said. In video footage of the incident, Abu Akleh can be seen wearing a blue flak jacket clearly marked with the word 'PRESS.' Journalist Mujahed Al-Saadi, who accompanied Abu Akleh to cover the Jenin raid, told Reuters that they were being 'targeted' by the Israeli army after having identified themselves as press. 'I turned and found Shireen on the ground in the first few seconds. I found Shatha [Hanaysheh] shielding herself by a tree and screaming with the shooting, and we were telling each other we were being shot at,' he said. 'The shooting continued for more than 3 minutes on the teams that were there, Ali was injured, he was able to cross the street and get to a point of safety, and the shooting continued. The Qatar-based broadcaster blamed Israeli forces, saying Abu Akleh was shot 'deliberately' and 'in cold blood' by Israeli troops while wearing a press vest and helmet 'The last person that the sniper saw was taking refuge under a tree, our colleague Shatha Hanaysheh, the shooting towards her continued while she was standing under the tree, and we could not provide first aid to Shireen. 'The boys came to us, the ones that were in the street, who were trying to pull Shireen out, were also shot at, whenever any one moved forward they were shot at.' The Israeli army confirmed that its forces had carried out an operation in a Jenin refugee camp on Wednesday morning, in a region known to be a stronghold of Palestinian armed groups in the northern West Bank. It firmly denied, however, that it had deliberately targeted journalists. 'The (army) of course does not aim at journalists,' a military official told AFP. 'There is an ongoing inquiry into this event. We offered and want to conduct a joint investigation with the Palestinians.' The army said that during its operation in the camp, 'massive fire was shot toward Israeli forces by tens of armed Palestinian gunmen'. People in the camp 'also hurled explosive devices toward the soldiers, endangering their lives. The soldiers responded with fire toward the sources of the fire and explosive devices. Hits were identified.' The Israeli Foreign Ministry put out a short video on Twitter of IDF soldiers firing and a text over reading: 'Palestinian terrorists, firing indiscriminately, are likely to have hit Al-Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Aqla'. Israel's Foreign Minister Yair Lapid said it had proposed to the Palestinian Authority a joint pathological investigation into the reporter's death. 'Journalists must be protected in conflict zones and we all have a responsibility to get to the truth,' he tweeted. Shireen Abu Akleh's press colleague, Shatha Hanaysheh, is consoled by another colleague after the raid on a refugee camp in Jenin, in the north West Bank Mourners and masked armed men carry the body of veteran Al Jazeera Palestinian journalist Shireen Abu Aqleh, shot and killed this morning during an Israeli raid in Jenin Shireen Abu Aqleh was well known across Palestine and the occupied territories, having joined Al Jazeera in 1997 and appeared on television regularly reported from across the Palestinian territories. The Palestinian Authority, which administers parts of the occupied West Bank and cooperates with Israel on security matters, condemned what it said was a 'shocking crime' committed by Israeli forces. Abu Akleh, 51, was born in Jerusalem. She began working for Al-Jazeera in 1997 and regularly reported on-camera from across the Palestinian territories. Israel has carried out near-daily raids in the occupied West Bank in recent weeks amid a series of deadly attacks inside Israel, many of them carried out by Palestinians from in and around Jenin. The town, and particularly its refugee camp, has long been known as a militant bastion. Israelis have long been critical of Al-Jazeera's coverage, but authorities generally allow its journalists to operate freely. Another Al-Jazeera reporter, Givara Budeiri, was briefly detained last year during a protest in Jerusalem and treated for a broken hand, which her employer blamed on rough treatment by police. Relations between Israeli forces and the media, especially Palestinian journalists, is strained. A number of Palestinian reporters have been wounded by rubber-coated bullets or tear gas while covering demonstrations in the West Bank. A Palestinian journalist in Gaza was shot and killed by Israeli forces while filming violent protests along the Gaza frontier in 2018. Another journalist working for a local Gaza radio station, who was shot on the same day at Gaza frontier, died a week later In November 2018, Associated Press reporter Rashed Rashid was covering a protest near the Gaza frontier when he was shot in the left ankle, apparently by Israeli fire. Rashid was wearing protective gear that clearly identified him as a journalist, and was standing with a crowd of other journalists some 600 meters (660 yards) away from the Israeli border when he was hit. The military has never acknowledged the shooting. During last year's war between Israel and Gaza's militant Hamas rulers, an Israeli airstrike destroyed the building in Gaza City housing the offices of The Associated Press and Al-Jazeera. Residents were warned to evacuate and no one was hurt in the strike. Israel said Hamas was using the building as a command center but has provided no evidence. A top-ranking US intelligence official warned that Russian President Vladimir Putin is apt to implement martial law in Russia to sustain Moscow's invasion of Ukraine. US Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines disclosed in a Senate hearing on Tuesday that Putin might employ "more drastic means" to make sure that his war against Ukraine will endure, as per a report from Business Insider. Putin may also order extra industrial output to compensate for lost assets in the battle, as well as "potentially escalatory" military steps to allocate the resources required to accomplish his objectives as the fighting continues" or if he thinks Russia is losing the war. Putin's goals are higher than Russia's military strength, which "likely implies the next few months might see us going along a more unpredictable and perhaps "escalatory trajectory," according to Haines, who spoke before a Senate hearing per Insider Paper. In her testimony, Haines also stated that US intelligence estimates Putin is "getting ready for a prolonged conflict in Ukraine," in which he still seeks to accomplish goals far beyond Donbas. After its soldiers faltered outside of Kyiv and were eventually forced to withdraw, Russia refocused its invasion of Ukraine on the country's eastern Donbas area. Putin's forces have been accused of committing a slew of war crimes against Ukrainians, including indiscriminate shelling of civilian areas and the killing of civilians. Russia Could Deploy Its Nuclear Weapons Against Ukraine The US intelligence community does not believe Russia is planning to deploy nuclear weapons in Ukraine, and Putin would only authorize the firing of a nuclear weapon if he believed Russia was confronting an existential threat. Haines, who supervises the US intelligence community, including the CIA and the National Security Agency, stated that he does not believe Putin is ready to intensify the crisis by using nuclear weapons. According to Haines, Putin utilizes nuclear "rhetoric" to scare the West away from supporting Ukraine. She suggested that because he believes the West is ignoring his warnings, Russia may escalate the rhetoric by initiating a new nuclear military exercise featuring the deployment of his nuclear threats on land, air, and submarines. Read Also: US, Allies Claim Russia Wages Massive Cyberattack Against Ukraine's Satellite Internet Since Invasion Began Nevertheless, Haines said US intelligence believes Putin would only approve the use of even smaller "tactical" nuclear weapons if Russia itself were under "existential threat." Nonetheless, US intelligence believes Putin would only authorize the use of even smaller "tactical" nuclear bombs if Russia faced an "existential" danger," according to Haines. She predicted that Moscow would increase its signaling to indicate when it was ready to deploy nuclear weapons. Russia-Ukraine in a Stalemate Situation In the same hearing, US Defense Intelligence Agency Director Lt. Gen. Scott Berrier described the present battle in the Donbas region as "a bit of a stalemate," with both sides facing down along a lengthy front. That, he added, might change if Moscow wages war and authorizes a general military mobilization to beef up its military. Berrier told the senators that if Moscow does not proclaim war and "mobilize," the "stalemate" would last a while. Though he sees no "breakout" in both camps, per France 24. "If they do mobilize and they do declare war, that will bring thousands more soldiers to the fight, and even though they may not be as well-trained and competent, they will still bring mass and a lot more ammunition," he said. Related Article: Finland Expected To Submit NATO Membership Application Later This Week That Could Threaten Putin's War on Ukraine @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Scottish victims of the Post Office Horizon scandal had their lives turned upside down after they were forced to pay tens of thousands of pounds of their own money, a public inquiry heard. The Post Office Horizon IT inquiry began in Glasgow today and heard from three former postmasters implicated in the scandal. The Horizon system, introduced in 1999, saw thousands of users suffer unexplained losses which they say they were expected to 'make good' on. Vinod Sharma, now 74, first took over a post office in Balornock, Glasgow, in 1977 before retiring in 2015. Mr Sharma said the accounting became difficult following the switch to the Horizon scheme. Training for the new system, he said, was 'insufficient', and he later noticed recurring unexplainable discrepancies which he would have to repay. Vinod Sharma, now 74, first took over a post office in Balornock, Glasgow, in 1977 before retiring in 2015 He said: 'We were led to believe the system was faultless. It was quite clear over the years that any shortfall was the responsibility of the sub-postmaster. I had to make it good. 'I was always told no errors could be made when using the Horizon system.' But in June 2015, Mr Sharma received a phone call while visiting family in Arizona. He was told there was a shortfall of 28,845 - and on his return he spent days reviewing CCTV to show a trusted staff member could not have taken the money. A union rep told Mr Sharma that his only option was to repay the significant fee or face suspension and punishment. Mr Sharma said he 'was in a state of shock' and described the period as 'catastrophic' for his family, before subsequently borrowing money from relatives to pay off the debt. Peter Worsfold, 77, also gave evidence after he was forced to repay around 37,000 from the period from 1997 to 2002 at his Inverness Post Office Mr Sharma retired months later and used more than half of his 52,000 pension to repay the people who had given him a loan. Peter Worsfold, 77, also gave evidence after he was forced to repay around 37,000 from the period from 1997 to 2002 at his Inverness Post Office. Mr Worsfold said Horizon would never balance properly and discrepancies occurred almost daily. In 2001, he was notified of a 20,000 discrepancy - however, he said it took three months before the Post Office flagged up the issue. As he was unable to locate where the funds had gone, Mr Worsfold was suspended from his post. He described two security officers arriving at his house who said they had the same rights as police officers. Mr Worsfold was given a few hours to pay the outstanding balance or face charges of false accounting, theft and fraud. Louise Dar, who ran a Post Office in Lenzie, near Glasgow, said she felt 'fobbed off' after asking for troubleshooting training ahead of opening her branch The Post Office Horizon IT inquiry began in Glasgow today and heard from three former postmasters implicated in the scandal (stock photo used) He said: 'I was very worried and devastated by it. They told me if I signed a statement admitting to false accounting and if I paid the shortfall then the other charges would be dropped.' In a panic, he signed the document without being given access to a lawyer and scrambled to come up with the cash. He added: 'After 22 years we continue to struggle due to paying back the losses incurred through the failure of the Post Office and the accounting system Horizon.' And Louise Dar, who ran a Post Office in Lenzie, near Glasgow, said she felt 'fobbed off' after asking for troubleshooting training ahead of opening her branch. On the first day, an auditor setting up the system noticed a 900 shortfall and accused Mrs Dar of taking it - despite her not having access to the system. Over the course of two and a half years, Mrs Dar, 39, paid around 40,000. The inquiry, overseen by Sir Wyn Williams, continues. A Welsh language campaigner has won a court battle after refusing to pay a 60 parking fine written in English. Toni Schiavone, 67, from Saron near Llandysul appeared in Aberystwyth's civil court on Wednesday for refusing to pay the parking fine because the penalty notice was not served in Welsh. The former teacher and education officer for the Welsh Government was given the parking notice in a car park in the Ceredigion seaside village of Llangrannog in September 2020. Retired teacher Toni Schiavone won the case over a 60 parking fine One Parking Solutions manages the car park and has its headquarters in Worthing, West Sussex. Welsh language pressure group, Cymdeithas yr Iaith said that Mr Schiavone contacted the company to request the penalty notice in Welsh several times. He demanded all the correspondence and the fine be written in Welsh and refused to pay until it was. Mr Schiavone's case was thrown out of court in Aberystwyth on Wednesday as One Parking Solutions failed to send a legal representative. As Mr Schiavone had asked for all correspondence from the court in Welsh, One Parking Solutions had to translate all the information for the court, including a copy of the fine. After the case, Toni Schiavone said: 'I repeatedly asked for the penalty notice in Welsh, and I would have paid the fine, but instead One Parking Solutions decided to take me to court. Welsh language campaigners from Cymdeithas yr Iaith supported Mr Schiavone and held banners outside Aberystwyth justice centre on Wednesday Almost half the village speak Welsh in Llangrannog, North Wales 'Because they had been asked to translate a copy of the penalty notice for the court they did, but it took them a court case - and I haven't receive the official notice in Welsh at all. ' Thanking supporters who came to court he said: 'Seeing as they've translated the copy of the penalty notice there is nothing to stop them from issuing penalty notices in Welsh in the future. 'Companies like this can do things in Welsh, but only if they are legally obliged to. And this is just one of many private companies that run car parks. 'Clearly, the Welsh Language Measure needs to to be changed to include the private sector. 'It's been more than ten years since the Language Measure was passed, and the Welsh language Standards have made a difference in the public sector - more people can and do use Welsh language services provided by their councils' and so on. 'So when will we see the same change in the private sector?' he added. Welsh language pressure group Cymdeithas yr Iaith praised Mr Schiavone's stand and hoped companies would provide Welsh-language versions of documents in future. The village car park on the seafront has previously made headlines due to the number of people receiving fines in the post after parking their vehicles there. In April of this year a man was issued a 270 fine despite paying for parking. One Parking Solutions had a local Welfare Committee claiming it had been 'inundated' with complaints over allegedly unfair fines issued at a busy beachside car park operated by the firm. Committee secretary Dr Kathryn Dawes said in March: 'We began having serious problems with the car park operators in mid-2019, and since then have personally answered over three hundred emails from those who have been unfairly fined. 'We have also had a lot of people swearing that they will never visit the village again, and will not recommend it to anyone else, which is sad for the community as we have no control over the situation.' A British man has appeared in court in Cyprus accused of running down and killing a Swedish mother whilst driving a beach buggy in the holiday party town of Ayia Napa. Manraj Singh Sidhu, 25, appeared in court in Cyprus this afternoon handcuffed and with his arm in a sling where it was said he was high on drugs when he hit the woman. He was held after police tracked him down after an appeal for the driver who allegedly killed Camilla Christina Pamdahl in the hit and run before fleeing on foot. Mrs Pamdahl, 46, suffered multiple injuries after being hit on a pedestrian crossing as Sidhu allegedly overtook a car in the resort of Ayia Napa. Sidhu, who is from Shefford, Hertfordshire, was held on remand in jail close to the city until his appearance at Famagusta district court today in front of judge Nayia Oikonomou. Manraj Singh Sidhu (pictured), 25, appeared in court in Cyprus this afternoon handcuffed and with his arm in a sling where it was said he was high on drugs when he hit the woman A British man has appeared in court in Cyprus accused of running down and killing a Swedish mother whilst driving a beach buggy in the holiday party town of Ayia Napa The case prosecutor outlined the case and asked the judge to keep Sidu to be kept in jail. In total he faces seven charges including death by dangerous driving and driving while under the influence of drugs - a police press release last week said he had tested positive for cannabis after being caught. The initial report also said he had failed a breath test having 44 mg of alcohol in his blood when the limit is nine but there was no mention of driving while under the influence of drink in the charges. Sidhu, did not speak during the hearing and was represented by Andreas Laos and Eleni Toumpi, while his parents sat in the back of the court and listened to proceedings. Sidhu, who is from Shefford, Hertfordshire, was held on remand in jail close to the city until his appearance at Famagusta district court today in front of judge Nayia Oikonomou Sidhu was provided with a translator and apart from his arm in a sling appeared to have no other injuries. He was also accused of having no insurance, dangerous driving endangering the public, leaving the scene of an accident, failing to ensure the damaged buggy was identifiable to other road users, fleeing the scene and not informing police. Following the incident last Wednesday police issued a photograph of Sidhu which appeared to have been taken at a hotel pool. Sources said he was held just before 11.30pm, almost six hours after the incident which happened close to Aya Napa's main strip which full of bars and pubs. Camilla, who was on holiday in Cyprus with her five-year-old daughter, was rushed to Famagusta general hospital where she was declared dead on arrival. Sidhu was provided with a translator and apart from his arm in a sling appeared to have no other injuries The rental buggy had overtaken a stopped car on Wednesday night before fatally hitting Pamdahl on a pedestrian crossing on Ayia Napa's Nissi Avenue The mother, from Vastra Gotaland County in Sweden, had left her five-year-old daughter with staff at the hotel's playground so she could buy some groceries but she never returned. Images from the scene show the twisted remains of the buggy next to the pedestrian crossing and another car. The rental buggy had overtaken a stopped car on Wednesday night before fatally hitting Mrs Pamdahl on a pedestrian crossing on Ayia Napa's Nissi Avenue. A police spokesman said after the tragedy: 'A young man driving the rental buggy overtook a stopped car, and hit the woman.' Judge Oikonomou ruled that Sidhu should remain in custody until next Thursday where he will appear again and enter a plea and the court heard the maximum sentence he could face would be four years for the most serious charge. His parents declined to comment and Sidhu was later driven away in a police car. The venue for the case was the same court where a British girl was tried and accused of inventing a rape case three years ago. A refrigerated train filled with the bodies of Vladimir Putin's fallen troops has been filmed in Ukraine, with gold allegedly looted from civilians found in their pockets. The Ukrainian army gave journalists access to the carriage near Kyiv, with one colonel telling reporters that Moscow has refused to claim its own dead. Video inside the train showed a pile of corpses in white body bags stacked at one end of the carriage. Morgue workers showed reporters that they had found gold in the pockets of the soldiers, likely looted from Ukrainian civilians. One of the morgue workers held two military badges up to the camera, saying that it showed one of the slain soldiers had been an 'elite paratrooper'. Kyiv says that more than 25,000 Russian soldiers have been killed since the Russian president ordered his troops into Ukraine on February 24. The Kremlin has only acknowledged around 1,300 deaths. Speaking to Al Jazeera, Ukrainian army colonel Volodymir Liamzin said the bodies in the train 'will be kept as long as need be,' saying Kyiv intends to treat the Russian dead better than they treated Ukrainian civilians. A refrigerated train filled with the bodies of Vladimir Putin's fallen troops has been filmed in Ukraine. Pictured: A morgue worker zips up a body bag inside the train carriage Morgue workers showed reporters that they had found gold in the pockets of the soldiers, likely looted from Ukrainian civilians 'The [Ukrainian] government will decide [what to do with the bodies] because Russian refuses to take them,' he said. 'Each body is proof of a war crime.' Ukrainian morgue workers showed the Al Jazeera reporters golden jewellery that was found on the Russian bodies. It is thought that it was looted by the soldiers from Ukrainian civilians. Golden necklaces and rings could be seen in the small hoard. Looting in Ukraine by Putin's soldiers has been well documented, while prosecutors - both Ukrainian and international - are investigating hundreds of other potential war crimes carried out by Russian soldiers, including mass murder, torture and rape. Russia troops invaded Ukraine on 24th February in what the Kremlin calls a 'special military operation' to 'protect Donbass'. Today marks the 77th day of the campaign. From 24th February to 10th May, the total combat losses of Russian troops stood at around 26,000 personnel, according to the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. The Ukrainian military also claims that Russia has lost thousands of military vehicles, including 1,170 tanks, 2,808 armoured fighting vehicles, 519 artillery systems, 185 multiple launch rocket systems, 87 anti-aircraft systems, 199 warplanes, 158 helicopters, 1,980 motor vehicles, 10 fuel tankers, 12 vessels, 380 unmanned aerial vehicles, 41 units of special equipment and 94 cruise missiles. Pictured: Dozens of body bags containing the corpses of slain Russian soldiers were shown inside the refrigerated train near Kyiv Pictured: The outside of the train is seen in footage. Speaking to Al Jazeera, Ukrainian army colonel Volodymir Liamzin said the bodies in the train 'will be kept as long as need be,' saying Kyiv intends to treat the Russian dead better than they treated Ukrainian civilians This week, Vladimir Putin addressed a huge military parade on Red Square in Moscow to commemorate the defeat of Nazi Germany at the hands of the Soviet Union in World War II. The Russian President used his speech to claim that Russian troops in eastern Ukraine were 'defending the motherland'. He also said that the 'special military operation' in Ukraine was necessary and was provoked by the West. Putin has long bristled at NATO's creep eastward into former Soviet republics. Ukraine and its Western allies have denied the country posed any threat, saying that Putin's invasion was unprovoked. The Russian strongman has also claimed his forces are there to 'de-nazify' Ukraine - despite Ukraine's president Volodymyr Zelensky being Jewish and the far-right enjoying little support in the country. Analysts believe Russian troops were expecting to be welcomed with open arms as they entered the country, but have instead been met with heavy resistance. It has been widely reported that Putin was expecting his forces to rapidly advance across Ukraine and overthrow the country's elected government within days. Instead, his forces have been drawn into a protracted conflict - which is showing no signs of abating. Ukraine is being supplied by its Western allies, and intelligence updates have suggested Moscow's armies are running low on equipment. Pictured: A view shows destroyed facilities of Azovstal Iron and Steel Works during Ukraine-Russia conflict in the southern port city of Mariupol, Ukraine May 11, 2022 After unexpectedly fierce resistance forced the Kremlin to abandon its effort to storm Kyiv over a month ago, Moscow's forces have concentrated on capturing the Donbas, Ukraine's eastern industrial region. But the fighting there has been a back-and-forth, village-by-village slog. Putin appeared to be preparing for a long conflict, and a Russian victory in Donbas might not end the war, U.S. Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines said Tuesday. In the retaken villages of Staryi Saltiv and Vilkhivka near Kharkiv, Ukrainian servicemen gathered the bodies of Russian soldiers killed in the fighting, according to Reuters witnesses. Residents found the bodies of 44 civilians under the rubble of a destroyed building in the eastern town of Izyum, which is under Russian control, Kharkiv's governor said today. The town acts as a gateway to the Donbas region, which Russia has vowed to 'liberate.' Ukrainian border guards said on their Telegram channel that Russian forces were shelling the Sumy and Chernihiv regions close to the border. In the country's south, Ukrainian armed forces said they struck nine enemy targets, with enemy losses of 79 servicemen. Russian fire was concentrated on the Mykolaiv region bordering the Black Sea where homes, farms and power lines were damaged. Russian forces also continued to bombard the Azovstal steelworks in the southern port of Mariupol with, Ukraine's general staff said, trying to capture the last bastion of Ukrainian resistance in the ruined city. Reuters was unable to independently verify the reports of fighting. Ukraine says tens of thousands of people have been killed there during two months of Russian siege. Russia denies targeting civilians and rejects Ukrainian and Western allegations of war crimes. Russia was trying to reinforce exposed troops on Zmiinyi Island, also known as Snake Island, which became famous for the foul-mouthed defiance of Ukrainian border guards early in the invasion. If Russia consolidated its position there it could dominate the northwestern Black Sea, Britain's Ministry of Defence said in a regular bulletin. Russia's resupply vessels have minimum protection in the western Black Sea, after the Russian navy's retreat to Crimea following the loss of the flagship Moskva, it said. The Queen held a Privy Council virtually on Wednesday, but will not have her weekly audience with the Prime Minister because Boris Johnson asked to reschedule, Buckingham Palace said. A Palace spokesman said there would be no phone call with the PM because he was abroad. Mr Johnson is on a trip to Sweden and Finland to sign historic security assurance declarations in the face of Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Prime Minister Boris Johnson speaking today during a joint press conference with Swedish Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson in Harpsund, Sweden The Queen, 96, missed the State Opening of Parliament on Tuesday for the first time in nearly 60 years due to ongoing problems with her mobility. She made the historic decision to delegate the duty of reading the Queen's Speech to her son and heir the Prince of Wales for the first time, with Charles opening Parliament with the Duke of Cambridge in their roles as Counsellors of State. It was the first time that the Duke of Cambridge had attended the State Opening. The monarch is understood to have watched proceedings on television. The Queen is head of the Privy Council and its role is to advise the monarch as she carries out her duties as head of state. The Queen held a Privy Council virtually today. Pictured in April while receiving the President of Switzerland Ignazio Cassis and his wife Paola Cassis during an audience at Windsor Castle It is one of the oldest parts of the UK's constitutional arrangements, with its origins dating back to the time of the Norman kings when the monarch met in private - hence the description Privy - with his or her group of trusted counsellors who fulfilled the role that the Cabinet performs today. As well as advising the Queen, it provides administrative support for the leaders of the Commons and Lords. It also has responsibility for the affairs of 400 institutions, charities and companies incorporated by Royal Charter. The body also has a judicial role as it is the court of final appeal for the UK overseas territories and Crown Dependencies, and for a number of Commonwealth countries. The Prince of Wales read the Queen's Speech for the first time as the monarch missed the State Opening of Parliament for the first time in almost 60 years It also has a number of important executive functions - Parliament is dissolved by proclamation approved by the Queen in Council and the monarch formally prorogues Parliament on the Council's advice. The Leader of the House of Commons Mark Spencer is Lord President of the Council. The Queen is facing 'episodic mobility problems', the Palace has said. She has carried out only one major engagement outside of a royal residence or home in the last seven months. In just a few weeks' time, she is preparing to appear at some of the high-profile Platinum Jubilee celebrations. The Palace said she was looking forward to the festivities but her presence will not be confirmed until much nearer the time or even on the day of the events. Jill Biden issued a personal plea to Vladimir Putin on Wednesday to end his invasion of Ukraine, coming after her secret Mother's Day trip to the war torn country, where she met with Olena Zelensky. 'Mr. Putin, please end this senseless and brutal war,' the first lady wrote in an essay about her trip published on CNN.com. Biden became the highest ranking member of President Joe Biden's administration to visit the Ukraine when she spent two hours there on Sunday. She met with her counterpart, the wife of Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky at one of the nation's public schools where the two women did art projects with some of the children. 'Olena Zelenska, the wife of Ukraine's President, came out of hiding, leaving her own children, to visit with me and ask for help for the people of her country. She didn't ask me for food or clothing or weapons. She asked me to help her get mental health care for all those suffering from the effects of Vladimir Putin's senseless and brutal war,' Jill Biden wrote. 'She told me of the rapes of women and children, and the many children who had seen people shot and killed, their homes burned. "I want to return home quickly," she told me. "I only want to hold the hands of my children,"' she added. The first lady wrote the essay by hand in her cabin on the flight home from Slovakia on Monday, according to her spokesperson Michael LaRosa. Jill Biden and Ukrainian First Lady Olena Zelensky post with Uzhhorod Mayor Bohdan Andriyiv (left) and Head of the Zakarpattia Regional State Administration Viktor Mykytaduring (right) during Biden's visit to the Ukraine on Sunday Jill Biden issued a personal plea to Vladimir Putin to end his invasion of Ukraine Her essay came the day after U.S. Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines, the administration's top spy chief, warned the fighting will grow worse and that Putin will expand his reach beyond the Donbas region in southeast Ukraine. His targets could include neighboring Moldova, which is mostly encircled by Ukraine and, in its east, has Transnistria, a breakaway region controlled by pro-Russian separatists with the help of around 1,500 Russian troops. 'We are not confident that the fight in the Donbas will effectively end the war,' Haines said in testimony before the Senate Armed Services Committee. 'We assess President Putin is preparing for prolonged conflict in Ukraine during which he still intends to achieve goals beyond the Donbas.' Russian missiles have pounded the port of Odesa in an effort to disrupt the supply lines and weapons shipments that have been critical to Kyiv's defence. The war is entering its 11th week. After her visit on Sunday, Jill Biden encouraged President Biden to keep supporting the Ukraine. The first lady called the president from her car as she returned from her secret visit to a Ukraine public school where she met with her counterpart Olena Zelensky and made art projects with the children. She told reporters in Slovakia on Monday that she said to her husband: 'I said just how much I saw the need to support the people of Ukraine.' She also said she told him about the 'horrors and the brutality that the people I had met had experienced.' Biden said she will carry with her the stories of the mothers and children she met on her trip. 'I am returning home to the United States carrying with me the stories of the mothers and children I met. As a Romanian mother said: "our hearts have no borders,"' Biden wrote on Twitter. 'We are committed to supporting Ukraine, the Ukrainian people, and our Allies and partners.' Jill Biden and Olena Zelensky, wife of Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky Jill Biden and Olena Zelensky have corresponded in the past few weeks, the White House said Jill Biden and Olena Zelensky join a group of children in making tissue-paper bears Jill Biden with Olena Zelensky - this is the first time Zelensky has appeared in public since Feb. 24, the date of the Russian invasion Biden became the highest profile member of President Joe Biden's administration to visit the Ukraine when she made her secret visit there on Sunday. 'I wanted to come on Mother's Day. I thought it was important to show the Ukrainian people that this war has to stop and this war has been brutal and that the people of the United States stand with the people of Ukraine,' she said. The visit wasn't announced due to security reasons. The first lady traveled by vehicle to the town of Uzhhorod, about a 10-minute drive from a Slovakian village that borders Ukraine. She spent about two hours in Ukraine. Biden always planned to visit a school in the Ukraine as part of her trip, her spokesperson Michael LaRosa told reporters traveling with the first lady but Ukrainian officials suggested Mrs. Zelensky would want to meet her. That part of the visit came together in the past 10 days. Biden gave Zelensky, the wife of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, a bouquet of flowers. This is the first time Zelensky has appeared in public since Feb. 24, the date that Russia invaded. The two first ladies have exchanged correspondences in the last few weeks, the White House said. It began when the Ukrainian ambassador to the U.S. gave Biden a letter from Mrs. Zelensky at the State of the Union, when she was one of the first lady's guests. Zelensky sent Biden another letter in April expressing concerns about the toll of the war having on the mental health of children, soldiers and families. 'First of all, I would like to thank you for a very courageous act,' Zelensky said through a translator when she and Jill Biden met together at the school 'Because we understand what it takes for the US First Lady to come here during a war when the military actions are taking place every day, where the air sirens are happening every day even today,' she said. She and her children have been in a secure location during the war. 'We all feel your support and we all feel the leadership of the U.S. president but we would like to note that the Mother's Day is a very symbolic day for us because we also feel your love and support during such an important day,' Zelensky said. The two also met privately for about 30 minutes. LaRosa said the first lady asked Zelensky how she was doing as a mother and how she handling the war. Zelensky said she was grateful she 'is able to hold her children's hands every night even though she can't be with her husband.' The first ladies visited a public school in Uzhhorod that is being used as temporary housing and shelter for 163 displaced Ukrainians, including 47 children. They joined kids who were working on art projects for their mothers. The children were crafting cardboard and tissue paper bears, which represent the symbol of the Zakarpattia Oblast. Both women worked on crafting their own bears, using white and yellow tissue paper. A man who was rescued from a raft off the coast of New England in 2016 after his boat sank has pleaded not guilty to killing his mother at sea in a plot to inherit the family's estate. Nathan Carman, 28, was arraigned in federal court in Rutland, Vermont on Wednesday on multiple fraud counts and a charge of murder on the high seas in the death of his mom Linda Carman. He shouted 'Not guilty!' in the direction of reporters who asked him if he had killed his mother as he approached the courtroom, where he then entered a formal plea of not guilty. Authorities alleged in the indictment unsealed Tuesday that Carman also fatally shot his grandfather, John Chakalos, at his home in Windsor, Connecticut, in 2013 as part of a scheme to obtain money and property from his grandfather's estate, but he was not charged with that killing. 'As a central part of the scheme, Nathan Carman murdered John Chakalos and Linda Carman,' the indictment reads. Nathan Carman, 28, was arraigned in federal court in Rutland, Vermont on Wednesday on multiple fraud counts and a charge of murder on the high seas in the death of his mom Linda Carman. He yelled 'not guilty' as he was led into the courthouse Carman is seen after his 'rescue' at sea in 2016. Prosecutors say he killed his mother and intentionally sank his boat as part of a scheme to gain a $7 million inheritance Carman allegedly killed his mother (pictured together) and grandfather in a bid to defraud Chakalos' $42million estate - built up through building and renting nursing homes The indictment in Burlington, Vermont, also claims Carmen shot and killed his grandfather John Chakalos (right), 87, as he slept at home in Windsor, Connecticut, in 2013 In September 2016, Nathan Carman was found in an inflatable raft eight days after leaving a Rhode Island marina to go fishing with his mother, who was never found. Prosecutors allege Carman killed his mother on the boat, which he had altered to make it more likely to sink that day. He has denied doing anything to intentionally make the boat unseaworthy. Carman, who was arrested Tuesday, faces life in prison if convicted of killing his mother. His attorney did not return an email seeking comment. Prosecutors allege the inheritance scheme that has spanned nearly a decade began with Carman buying a rifle in New Hampshire that he used to shoot Chakalos on December 20, 2013, while he slept. He then discarded his computer hard drive and the GPS unit that had been in his truck, prosecutors said. Police have said Carman was the last person to see his grandfather alive and owned a semi-automatic rifle similar to the one used to kill Chakalos - but the firearm disappeared. After Chakalos' death, Carman received $550,000 from two bank accounts that his grandfather had set up and that he was the beneficiary of when Chakalos died. He moved from an apartment in Bloomfield, Connecticut, to Vernon, Vermont, in 2014. He was unemployed much of the time, and by the fall of 2016 was low on funds when he hatched the scheme to kill his mother, prosecutors said. Carman and his mom Linda frequently took fishing trips together (above) and prosecutors say he used it as a pretense to lure her to her death in 2016 Prosecutors allege Carman killed his mother on his boat, dubbed the Chicken Pox (above) which he had altered to make it more likely to sink that day Carman takes off his life vest after he arrives at the Coast Guard base in Boston on September 27, 2016 In September 2016, Carman arranged to go on a fishing trip with his mother on his boat named the 'Chicken Pox.' 'Nathan Carman planned to kill his mother on the trip,' the indictment reads. 'He also planned how he would report the sinking of the 'Chicken Pox' and his mother's disappearance at sea as accidents.' Before the trip, Carman altered the boat by removing two forward bulkheads and trim tabs from the transom of the hull, the indictment states. 'After leaving the marina, Nathan Carman killed his mother, Linda Carman, and eventually sank the Chicken Pox,' it states. Carman has for years been a suspect in his grandfather's murder and his mother's disappearance, but has insisted he is innocent of any crime. It's not clear from court documents what new evidence might have emerged to result in the federal charges unsealed on Tuesday. In 2019, a federal judge in Rhode Island decided that Carman contributed to the sinking of the Chicken Pox. U.S. District Judge John McConnell issued a written decision in favor of an insurance company that had refused to pay an $85,000 claim to Carman for the loss of his 31-foot fishing boat. Carman, left, arrives with his lawyer, David Anderson, at US District Court for his federal civil trial in Providence in August 2019 Nathan Carman speaks to reporters outside district court after a 2018 probate hearing Carman's grandfather made his money building and selling nursing home properties Carmen denied the allegations, telling the Coast Guard that when the boat filled quickly with water, he swam to the life raft and called for his mother but never saw her again. He was found floating in the raft off the coast of Marthas Vineyard, a Massachusetts island, by the crew of a freighter eight days after the boat was reported missing. Chakalos, who was a real estate developer, left behind an estate that was worth nearly $29 million, which was to be divided among his four daughters. Carman is in line to get about $7 million of the estate, as his mother's only heir. Chakalos' three surviving daughters sued Carman in New Hampshire probate court, seeking to bar him from receiving any money from Chakalos estate. A judge dismissed the case in 2019, saying Chakalos was not a New Hampshire resident. The probate case was refiled in Connecticut, where it remains pending. William Michael, an attorney for Carman's mother's sisters, said Tuesday the family had no immediate comment. A baby boy died after being shaken by his mother's new boyfriend when she went to get her lover a bacon roll, a court has heard. Mitchell Gibbs, 28, went back to smoking cannabis after causing fatal 'whiplash' injuries to Albie Johnson, who was almost 10 months old, while Sophie Crowther, 22, left her son in his care to go to a cafe, a jury was told. Woolwich Crown Court heard the pair had been in a relationship for just four weeks when paramedics were called to Ms Crowther's first-floor flat in Dagenham, east London, on October 5, 2018. Despite receiving emergency medical treatment, Albie died at Great Ormond Street Hospital two days later. Gibbs, from South Ockendon, Essex, denies manslaughter, while Crowther, from Bethnal Green, east London, has pleaded not guilty to three charges of child cruelty. Mitchell Gibbs and Sophie Crowther appeared at Woolwich Crown Court, pictured, today over their involvement in Albie Johnson's death The cruelty charges relate to her allegedly leaving Albie alone with Gibbs on the day he was injured and twice assaulting her son by hitting his bare leg and foot, and pulling him from his cot by his clothes before throwing him onto the sofa, between July 1 and August 31 2018. Prosecutor Sally O'Neill QC told a jury there was no dispute the 'severe injuries' that killed Albie were caused unlawfully by him 'being forcibly shaken so that his head went violently backwards and forwards'. 'There is no issue that this is what was done to Albie and that he died as a result of what was done to him,' she said. 'It must be apparent that whoever did that to him was acting unlawfully in the full knowledge that they were causing at least some harm to the baby. 'That is manslaughter and the prosecution case is that the person who acted in that way with Albie, also probably throwing him onto a hard surface, was Mitchell Gibbs. 'He denies that, which leaves the only other person as far as he is concerned who could have done it was Sophie Crowther.' But the prosecutor said 'it is not conceivable' the injuries were caused before she went to a nearby cafe, returning to the flat after around 12 minutes with a bacon roll which was later found on the sofa. 'Her responsibility for what happened was for having left her 10-month-old son in the care of someone she had been in a relationship with for only four weeks and who was smoking cannabis at the time,' she added. Jurors were told Ms Crowther said in a 11.16am 999 call: 'He was drinking his bottle and then he just started choking and now he's gone all limp and he's turning blue.' Ten-month-old Albie was taken to Great Ormond Street hospital, pictured, where he sadly died two days later Just three minutes earlier, Gibbs had told a friend during a phone call 'he was smoking a zoot', the court heard. 'This would have been just before Sophie Crowther arrived back at the flat,' said Ms O'Neill. 'If that was true and Mitchell Gibbs was the person who had deliberately and forcefully shaken Albie, he went back to smoking his cannabis after he had done so.' The court heard both defendants initially lied about what had happened, claiming Albie started choking while he was in his cot drinking juice before Gibbs picked him up and 'shook him a bit' and she did CPR on him. The court heard Crowther has already pleaded guilty to a count of perverting the course of justice relating to the lies she told to the emergency operator, a doctor and police. The trial, which is expected to last up to five weeks, continues. A federal judge released former President Trump from a civil contempt finding but ordered him to pay $110,000 in fines for failing to comply with a subpoena to turn over several financial documents to state Attorney General Letitia James. Judge Arthur Engeron said the contempt charge would be lifted only if certain conditions are met - including that the former president's team provides the court with a description of the Trump Organization's document retention and destruction policy and reviewing the remaining five boxes tied to Trump at an off-storage facility by May 20, according to CNN. Engeron agreed that Trump could place the $110,00 fine in an escrow account until his appeal of the contempt ruling is completed. 'I want the fine paid. That fine is now $110,000,' the judge told Trump's attorney. If Trump fails to comply with the fee, the judge said he will bring back the contempt finding. Engeron had issued the contempt finding on April 25 and slapped the former president with a $10,000 a day fine for every day he held out financial documents from James' investigation into whether the Trump Organization, the former president's real estate empire, misstated the values of its real estate properties to obtain favorable loans and tax deductions. Since then, the Trump legal team has been filing a slew of documents to try to comply with the subpoena. A federal judge released former President Trump from a civil contempt finding but ordered him to pay $110,000 in fines for failing to comply with a subpoena to turn over several financial documents to state Attorney General Letitia James James accused the former president of inflating property valuations for financing purposes and lowering them in statements to tax authorities. She also accused the ex-president of missing a mutually agreed-upon deadline to hand over eight personal financial documents -- which Trump's attorneys claim he simply does not have Judge Arthur Engeron stopped the clock on the daily fine on Friday when Trump's attorney submitted sworn statements about his efforts to comply with the attorney general's subpoena Engeron stopped the clock on the daily fine on Friday when Trump's attorney submitted sworn statements about his efforts to comply with the attorney general's subpoena. A new Trump affidavit claimed the former president no longer possessed the mobile devices James had requested. An outside company told the court it had reviewed 1,300 boxes of documents searching for material that complied with the subpoena but came up empty, according to the New York Times. The judge had denied a motion to block the fines on May 3, arguing the Trump team had failed to demonstrate they conducted an adequate search. James has said her probe had found 'significant evidence' suggesting that for more than a decade the company's financial statements 'relied on misleading asset valuations and other misrepresentations to secure economic benefits.' James accused the former president of inflating property valuations for financing purposes and lowering them in statements to tax authorities. The attorney general has questioned how the Trump Organization valued the Trump brand, as well as properties including golf clubs in New York and Scotland and Trump's own penthouse apartment in midtown Manhattan's Trump Tower. She also accused the ex-president of missing a mutually agreed-upon deadline to hand over eight personal financial documents -- which Trump's attorneys claim he simply does not have. James sought the order with the $10,000 a day fine after Trump failed to meet a March 31 deadline to comply with a subpoena. Trump has repeatedly denounced James' probe as a 'witch hunt' and accused her of acting out of political bias. She subpoenaed him and two of his adult children, Ivanka Trump and Donald Trump Jr., in December. James has been seeking a deposition from all three. The ex-president's third-eldest child Eric Trump was questioned by James in fall of 2020. Trump attorney Alina Habba called James' contempt request a 'publicity stunt' in an April 20 filing and claimed the onus was on his family business to produce the documents. After a 'dutiful search' for what prosecutors were seeking, Habba said he 'simply did not have any of the requested documents in his personal possession or custody.' Instead, she claimed 'all potentially responsive documents were in the possession, custody or control of the Trump Organization.' She pointed out her client 'was not obligated to produce documents' in the company's control. Engoron expressed astonishment in his April 29 ruling that Trump couldn't produce documents. 'He's Donald Trump, the most famous real estate developer in the world, arguably,' the judge said. 'I am surprised he doesn't seem to have any documents; they're all with the organization.' Trump had signed a sworn affidavit that he didn't believe he had any relevant documents. As president, Trump and White House lawyers repeatedly refused to cooperate with a House impeachment probe's document requests, and several of his former White House aides are battling the House select Jan. 6 Committee over its subpoenas that they testify. Engoron noted that Trump hasn't provided any post-it notes even though he is 'famous' for using them, as Trump Organization CFO Alan Garten testified. James' civil investigation overlapped with a criminal one from the Manhattan district attorney, which was moving toward indicting Trump, before prosecutors grew weary about proving the case. Britain has pledged to come to Sweden and Finland's aid should either of the Nordic countries come under Russian attack, following Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine. Prime Minister Boris Johnson signed security pacts with his Swedish and Finnish counterparts during visits to the countries on Wednesday. The pacts could see British troops sent to the two nations in the event of a Russian invasion from '21st century tyrant' Putin - who has threatened 'military and political consequences' should either country join the NATO alliance. Both Finland and Sweden are expected to announce this week whether to apply to join NATO in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, in what would be a stunning reversal of decades-long non-alignment policies. The Nordic nations have been rattled by Moscow's war against its pro-Western neighbour, which has bolstered domestic support for joining the alliance - and the security that membership would provide. Any NATO expansion is bound to spark anger from Vladimir Putin, who has warned Sweden and Finland against joining. The Russian tyrant has historically pushed back at any eastward expansion of the alliance and has strongly condemned any notions of Ukraine joining. He claimed Ukraine's closeness with the West was one reason behind his invasion. But Moscow's mounting warnings and threatening rhetoric appear only to have strengthened Finland's and Sweden's resolve to join. Prime Minister Boris Johnson signed security pacts with his Swedish and Finnish counterparts during visits to the countries on Wednesday. Pictured: Sweden's Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson shows the way to British Prime Minister Boris Johnson as he arrives for talks today Britain's Prime Minister said the parallel agreements would help defend each country should it come under threat as he met with leaders in both nations over a whirlwind 24 hours on Wednesday. Mr Johnson said the UK would come to Finland's assistance, including with military support, in the event of an attack on the country. Asked during a press conference in Helsinki - alongside Finnish president Sauli Niinisto - if there would be 'British boots on the ground' on Finnish territory during a 'possible conflict with Russia', he said: 'I think the solemn declaration is itself clear. 'And what it says is that in the event of a disaster, or in the event of an attack on either of us, then yes, we will come to each other's assistance, including with military assistance. 'But the nature of that assistance will of course depend upon the request of the other party. But it's also intended to be the foundation of an intensification of our security and our defence relationship in other ways as well.' Meeting with Swedish prime minister Magdalena Andersson earlier in the day, Mr Johnson said the UK 'will not hesitate' to act in the event of an attack on the country. The British Prime Minister said it was 'a sad irony' that the security assurance declaration was signed days after marking VE Day, but was more important than ever under the 'grim circumstances' following Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, left, and Finland's President Sauli Niinisto meet the media at the Presidential Palace in Helsinki, Finland, Wednesday, May 11, 2022 Speaking alongside his Swedish counterpart, he added: 'The many carcasses of Russian tanks that now litter the fields and streets of Ukraine, thanks to Swedish-developed and British-built NLaws (anti-tank weapons), certainly speak to how effective that co-operation can be.' 'Most importantly, this is an agreement that enshrines the values that both Sweden and the UK hold dear, and which we will not hesitate to defend.' Johnson met with Sweden's Prime Minister in Harpsund, the country retreat of Swedish prime ministers, which is located about 55 miles southwest of Stockholm. Andersson said: 'Putin thought he could cause division, but he has achieved the opposite. We stand here today more united than ever.' Mr Johnson, deploying some of his strongest language yet to condemn the Russian president, told a press conference: 'This week, many of us have been paying tribute to the brave men and women who secured victory and peace in Europe 77 years ago. 'So it's a sad irony that we've been forced to discuss how best to fortify our shared defences against the empty conceit of a 21st century tyrant.' Ms Andersson said she was 'very happy' to sign the bilateral agreement while Mr Niinisto said the declaration would 'deepen the cooperation we already have'. It comes as both European countries consider the prospect of Nato membership in the face of Mr Putin's ongoing military aggression. Speaking after signing the pact, Mr Niinisto said he did not view joining the military alliance as a 'zero sum game'. 'Joining Nato would not be against anybody,' the Finnish president said. Any NATO enlargement is bound to spark anger from Vladimir Putin (pictured on Monday), who has warned Sweden and Finland face 'military and political consequences' if they join Pictured: Russian officers march during the Victory Day Parade at Red Square on May 9, 2022 Describing the declaration as a 'pivotal moment in our shared history', Mr Johnson added: 'It's pivotal because... the Russian invasion of Ukraine has changed the equation of European security and it has rewritten our reality and reshaped our future. 'We've seen the end of the post-Cold War period and the invasion of Ukraine sadly has opened a new chapter'. The declarations build on claims made earlier in the month that the UK would always aid Finland if it were attacked by Russia, regardless of whether the country was a member of Nato. Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said it was 'inconceivable' that Britain would not help either Finland or Sweden if it were in crisis, even 'without any big formal agreement'. Mr Johnson held talks with Ms Andersson and Mr Niinisto in March as part of a meeting of the Joint Expeditionary Force nations, which includes Denmark, Estonia, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands and Norway. After the meeting, Downing Street said the two leaders agreed that 'Putin's invasion had dramatically changed the landscape of European security'. Finland shares a lengthy land border with Russia and is only about 250 miles from St Petersburg. Speaking to the BBC during his visit to the Scandinavian country, Mr Johnson said Russia's invasion of Ukraine had sparked a 'general anxiety' around security 'for many countries in Europe'. He added: 'There is a separate conversation going on in Sweden about Nato membership. 'That may come to a head in the next few days and weeks. It is not for the UK to intervene in that debate. Suffice to say that we would strongly support Sweden's accession if that was what the Swedes chose to do. 'We would certainly try to make things go as smoothly and easily as possible.' British Prime Minister Boris Johnson (L) and Sweden's Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson sign a declaration of political solidarity at the Swedish Prime minister's summer residence Harpsund, Sweden, 11 May 202 Boris Johnson, left, and Finland's President Sauli Niinisto sign a security assurance, at the Presidential Palace in Helsinki, Finland, Wednesday, May 11, 2022 Britain is already present in the Baltic Sea areas with the Joint Expeditionary Force, which consists of 10 Northern European nations: the United Kingdom, Sweden, Finland, Denmark, Estonia, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands and Norway. In 2017, Sweden and Finland joined the British-led military rapid reaction force, which is designed to be more flexible and respond more quickly than the larger NATO alliance. It uses NATO standards and doctrine, so it can operate in conjunction with NATO, U.N. or other multinational coalitions. Fully operational since 2018, the force has held a number of exercises both independently and in cooperation with NATO. Meanwhile, it was reported by The National on Wednesday that families in Sweden are stocking up on food, water and fuel amid fears that Russia will hit the country with cyberattacks as punishment for its application to join NATO. Special water tanks, camping stoves and hand-charged radios are also flying off the shelves, while reports say the Swedish government is making plans to refill its major oil reservoir and a power plant that dates back to the Cold War era. It is expected that Putin will use increasingly threatening rhetoric against the Scandinavian country, including threats of nuclear attack. There are also fears that Russia could use a port it leases from Sweden on the strategically important island of Gotland to intimidate the country. Military sources have reported the port has been deepened to allow room for warships. Pictured: Soldiers from Gotland's regiment patrol Visby harbour, amid increased tensions between NATO and Russia over Ukraine, on the Swedish island of Gotland, Sweden, in January Despite the increasing threats, Russia's February 24 invasion of Ukraine has led to a swift turnaround in Finnish and Swedish public opinion in favour of NATO membership, which until recently had little backing. A poll published Monday by Finnish public broadcaster Yle showed that a record 76 percent of Finns now support joining the alliance, up from the steady 20 to 30 percent registered in recent years. Public opinion has also surged in Sweden, albeit to lower levels, with around half of Swedes now in favour. After weeks of intense political meetings at home and abroad, all signs now point to the two countries announcing a joint bid before the end of the week. Sweden's ruling Social Democratic Party said Monday it would announce its position on the NATO issue on May 15. A favourable stance would provide a clear parliamentary majority for an application. Elisabeth Braw, an expert on Nordic countries' defence at the American Enterprise Institute, told AFP that even though Stockholm appears more hesitant than Helsinki, she believes the two countries 'will do the application at the same time'. Traditionally accustomed to lengthy consensus-building debates on major issues, Sweden has been caught off-guard by Finland's swift turnaround. 'The Social Democrats in Sweden have always said: 'We'll think about this when Finland joins'... because they thought Finland would never join', Braw said. A picture taken on March 3, 2022 shows a general view of the town of Visby on the island of Gotland, Sweden. The island is strategically important for both Sweden and Russia If Finland and Sweden do opt to join NATO, it will be in direct response to Moscow's military aggression in Ukraine. And the alliance would move in right next door. Finnish membership would double NATO's land border with Russia to around 2,600 kilometres (1,615 miles). And if they do join, the timing could be advantageous for Sweden and Finland. 'From a risk perspective, the timing is perfect', Braw said. 'Russia is so busy elsewhere, it would be very hard for Russia to respond militarily.' In Finland, President Sauli Niinisto is expected to announce his 'personal' opinion on the NATO question on Thursday, while Prime Minister Sanna Marin's Social Democratic Party is due to announce its decision by Saturday at the latest. According to Finnish daily Iltalehti, a committee made up of the president, prime minister and four other cabinet ministers is to meet Sunday to make the country's final decision. Asked by AFP, the Finnish government refused to comment on the report, saying the committee's meeting dates were confidential information. Swedish Home Guard volunteers practice at a shooting range in Gotland, May 5, 2022. On Sweden's strategically-located Baltic Sea island of Gotland, Home Guard troops were last week called in for a special month-long training exercise, coinciding with annual military exercises taking place across Finland and Sweden next week. With a professional army of 12,000, another 21,000 conscripts per year and a wartime force of 280,000 troops - in addition to powerful artillery and around 60 fighter jets - Finland's military might is impressive for a country of just 5.5 million people. And while the post-Cold War period was marked by deep cuts in defence spending, Sweden also has a modern army that already meets NATO standards, as well as a cutting-edge arms industry. During the Cold War, Finland remained neutral in exchange for guarantees from Moscow that it would not invade. Sweden meanwhile has long maintained a policy of neutrality during conflicts, dating back to the Napoleonic wars. And while the two countries have until now chosen to remain outside NATO, they have gradually inched closer to the alliance over the years, taking part in its Partnership for Peace Program and NATO-led peacekeeping missions. 'It is a huge shift in public opinion and in the political decision. But militarily it wouldn't be, simply because they are already closely linked to NATO,' Braw said. 'They will marry NATO after having cohabited with NATO'. Russian aircrafts are pictured after two Russian aircrafts SU 27 and two SU 24 violated Swedish airspace, amid Russia's invasion in Ukraine, east of Gotland, over the sea March 2, 2022. Picture taken March 2, 2022 Wary of provoking Russia's ire over possible NATO bids, Finland and Sweden have spent recent weeks seeking assurances from NATO members that they would be protected while awaiting full membership. Stockholm and Helsinki have cranked up their international contacts to seek support for their potential bids, which could be announced in the coming days. All signs point to a joint application, with the talks in recent weeks centred on obtaining crucial security assurances, in particular from NATO's most powerful members, according to Swedish and Finnish leaders. The application process requires lawmakers in all 30 NATO members to ratify a country's membership bid, a procedure which can take months or even up to a year. During this period, candidate countries are not covered by NATO's Article 5 mutual defence agreement. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg has said he is 'certain that we will be able to find arrangements' to help protect the two hopefuls. In the case of Sweden, he said a 'heightened presence of NATO and NATO forces around Sweden and the Baltic Sea' was a possibility. 'It's not as solid a guarantee as Article 5, but that is what we'll get during the interim period,' said Joakim Paasikivi, a lieutenant-colonel who teaches military strategy at the Swedish Defence University, told AFP. As members of the European Union, Sweden and Finland are also covered by the bloc's mutual defence clause in Article 42-7. Even before the war in Ukraine, Moscow regularly warned Finland and Sweden about the 'political and military consequences' of joining NATO. Military strategist Paasikivi said the countries could expect to see 'aggressive and threatening Russian rhetoric' during the application period. There could also be 'hybrid measures', such as 'cyberattacks, which could be more serious than before, against our countries', targeting financial or energy infrastructures - or violations of the two countries' airspace or territorial waters. Experts questioned by AFP said however that a military attack was highly unlikely, given the Russian army's mobilisation in Ukraine. According to Salonius-Pasternak, Moscow could technically attempt to block the membership process. Russia could 'stop the application process by occupying an island or a piece of land', as countries with an ongoing conflict are barred from joining NATO. 'This is possible, as they have recently made decisions which do not seem very rational from our perspective', Salonius-Pasternak said. 'But I think NATO countries would see through this and it would not be too challenging for Finland to handle militarily.' The ruins of St Catherine's Church are pictured on March 4, 2022, in Visby on the island of Gotland, Sweden Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, meanwhile, said Russia's war in Ukraine is 'pushing a number of countries' toward NATO membership. With Finland and Sweden moving toward joining the alliance, he said, 'These countries want to be protected from Russia' because their people see what's happening in Ukraine and want 'to live in security, in their own house, and spend time calmly with their family.' Russia has cited NATO's expansion toward its borders as a reason for invading Ukraine. Speaking Wednesday to French university students via video link, Zelensky also proposed 'preventive sanctions' against Russia and any countries that threaten to use nuclear weapons. He also called for international debate about nuclear disarmament. He said Russia's suggestions that it could use nuclear force in the war in Ukraine should not go unpunished, but didn't elaborate. He urged more unity in European policy, as the EU's 27 members haggle over a sixth round of sanctions that include an oil embargo. Asked how the war could end, he said, 'The war will end when we restore our unity and territory...when we get back what belongs to us.' Russian President Vladimir Putin has sparked more speculation that he is suffering from health deterioration after he was photographed watching a military parade with his legs covered with a thick green blanket. The official was one of the few attendees that used a covering on his legs while he sat among elderly World War II veterans as the country celebrated Victory Day. The Russian president was seen wearing a buttoned-up black puffer jacket with a victory ribbon tied to his chest while he observed military soldiers and vehicles roll by in the nation's famous Red Square. Putin's Allegedly Deteriorating Health The thick green blanket was initially left at Putin's seat when he first arrived at the viewing platform. Many people believed that the temperature in the area at the time of the parade was around nine degrees Celsius. Rumors have begun to spread about Putin's alleged deteriorating physical and mental health amid the heavy burden of commanding the invasion of Ukraine. There have been persistent reports that he is suffering from Parkinson's and is due to undergo cancer treatment in the following months, as per The Sun. The Russian president did not use the thick green blanket at first and instead tucked it next to him when he first sat down on his chair. He later gave a speech that lasted for 11 minutes, where he claimed that his country was fighting Nazis in Ukraine while accusing the West of planning to invade Crimea. Read Also: Russian Ambassador to Poland Blasted With Red Paint During Moscow's Victory Day Celebrations The 69-year-old then covered only his knees, prompting one online user from Twitter to comment that the heavy blanket was an interesting detail. Despite the widespread rumors, the Kremlin has not acknowledged the rumors. According to the New York Post, former British diplomat Sir Tony Brenton noted that Putin has been locked away as a result of COVID-19 for the last two years and has only recently started to re-engage. He added that the people who have spoken with the Russian president, such as French President Emmanuel Macron and Americans, have reported less coherence from the Kremlin leader. Widespread Rumors Brenton said that this brought along reasons to be worried about Putin's health and condition but warned that people should still be careful about what they wish for. The rumors about the official's health were first spread after he was seen looking swollen and awkwardly gripping a table for support. Another incident that supported the rumors was during a meeting with Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, where he appeared to experience leg tremors. On multiple occasions, Putin was seen walking with a heavy step as if trying to disguise a limp. In the incident where Putin grabbed onto a table for support, he was in a meeting with Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu. For the entirety of the meeting, which lasted roughly 12 minutes, the Russian president held onto the table's corner. Prior to ordering the invasion of Ukraine, Putin had hosted Lukashenko in Moscow, where he was seen clutching his chest and shaking. And most recently, a U.S. media claimed that the Russian President could temporarily hand over his powers to someone else if he does undergo surgery, ABP Live reported. Related Article: US, Allies Claim Russia Wages Massive Cyberattack Against Ukraine's Satellite Internet Since Invasion Began @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. The United States does not believe that Vladimir Putin has any desire to fight N.A.T.O., Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said Wednesday, as the Russian president struggles to achieve his goals in Ukraine. He gave his view to lawmakers during a congressional hearing beside Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen Mark Milley who said Russia's use of hypersonic weapons was not having 'really significant or game-changing effects.' Three months into the Russian invasion, Moscow this week reportedly launched hypersonic missiles on the port city of Odesa. But Putin's aim of capturing the capital Kyiv has failed and he has instead been forced to concentrate his war machine on the eastern Donbas region. Austin was asked what would happen if Putin decided to attack a N.A.T.O. member state. 'As you look at Putin's calculus, my view - and I'm sure the chairman has his own view - but my view is that Russia doesn't want to take on the N.A.T.O. alliance,' Austin told members of the House Appropriations Defense Subcommittee. 'He's got a number of troops arrayed in the region right now, on the Ukrainian border. And he had some in Belarus and still has some there. 'But there are 1.9 million forces in N.A.T.O. 'N.A.T.O. has the most advanced capabilities of any alliance in the wold, in terms of aircraft, shups, types of weaponry that the ground forces uses. 'So this is fight that he really doesn't want to have.' Two of the country's top military officials appeared before lawmakers Wednesday. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin (R) and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mark Milley (L) gave evidence before the House Appropriations subcommittee 'As you look at Putin's calculus, my view - and I'm sure the chairman has his own view - but my view is that Russia doesn't want to take on the N.A.T.O. alliance,' Austin said A shopping mall is destroyed as a result of rocket strikes launched by Russian troops, Odesa, southern Ukraine. As reported, one person was killed and five more were injured as Russians fired seven missiles on Odesa Monday Earlier this week, the Center for Defense Strategies, a Ukrainian think tank, said Moscow used hypersonic Kinzhal air-to-surface missiles in strikes on Odesa. Hypersonic weapons are capable of flying five to 25 times the speed of sound and can outmaneuver missile defense systems. However, a senior defense official said on Tuesday that the U.S. had not seen evidence that Russia used such weapons on Odesa, but did confirm that Mosco has launched as many as 12 hypersonic missiles against Ukraine in the conflict so far. A day later, Milley said he did not believe the weapons were having a big impact on the war. 'Other than the speed of the weapon, in terms of its effect on a given target, we are not seeing really significant or game-changing effects to date with the delivery of the small number of hypersonics that the Russians have used,' he told lawmakers Austin said he agreed and saw no reason to think that Putin would escalate from hypersonics to nuclear weapons. 'I think hes trying to create a specific effect with the use of that weapon,' he said. 'And as the chairman has pointed out, it moves at a speed that makes it very difficult to interdict. But it hasnt been a game-changer.' In the meantime, the White House said it was focused on strengthening Ukraine's position in order to give it the best chance of achieving peace. 'It's clear that Putin has not been able to accomplish the objectives he's laid out before Russia's invasion of Ukraine,' said White House Principal Deputy Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre. Hypersonic missiles differ from ballistic ones in that they travel closer to the earth and as such can largely avoid radar detection The missile can carry conventional weapons and nuclear warheads, and can be launched from fighter jets. Pictured: The missile is seen being carried by a MiG-31K during a fly-over of Moscow's Red Square in 2018 Pictured: A video screen grab showing a test of the Kh-47M2 Kinzhal, dubbed 'an ideal weapon' by Vladimir Putin (file photo) Two police officers are pictured on the premises of a shopping mall destroyed as a result of rocket strikes launched by Russian troops, Odesa, southern Ukraine 'Russia has failed to overthrow the Ukrainian government. They lost the battle for Kyiv and were forced to retreat and re refocus elsewhere. 'And they have failed to divide the West ... 'Diplomacy is the only way to end this conflict. 'Russia has shown no signs that they are willing to seriously engage in negotiation. 'So we are focused on strengthening Ukraine's hand as much as possible on the battlefield so that when the time comes, they have as much leverage as possible at the table. 'But again, as we've said, over and over again, this is Russia's war. 'They created this war, they invaded Ukraine in a brutal way. 'And so what Ukraine is doing is they are defending themselves and their democracy. 'This is for Russia to end this war.' The production company of the ill-fated Rust film is challenging a New Mexico safety agency's findings that found producers 'knew that firearm safety procedures were not being followed on set' of an accidental shooting - and are accusing the agency of being 'out of its depth.' Rust Movie Productions filed a notice of contest Tuesday arguing the New Mexico Environment Department's Occupational Health and Safety Bureau is unequipped to make determinations of safety violations on movie sets. 'The supposed 'fire extinguisher' NMED claims should have been inspected and maintained is not a real fire extinguisher it is a special effects device used to create fake smoke,' according to the motion. 'The attempt to extend the application of a fire extinguisher regulation to a special effects device shows their misunderstanding of the film industry.' The OHSB released a report in April citing a slew of 'willful and serious' safety violations following a six-month investigation into the circumstances leading up to the accidental October shooting that killed cinematographer Halyna Hutchins and wounded director Joel Souza. Following the report, Rust Movie Productions was fined $136,793, the maximum allowable by state law in New Mexico. A vehicle from the Office of the Medical Investigator enters the front gate leading to the Bonanza Creek Ranch on October 22, 2021 in Santa Fe, New Mexico Rust Movie Productions filed a notice of contest on Tuesday arguing that the New Mexico Environment Department's Occupational Health and Safety Bureau is unequipped to make determinations of safety violations on movie sets Alec Baldwin and Halyna Hutchins, along with other cast, are pictured on the Rust set in October. Baldwin and other producers of the film have been ordered to pay $136,793 by New Mexico safety regulators for failures that led to the shooting of the cinematographer In the April report, officials noted that while the film industry has 'clear national guidelines' for firearms safety, Rust Movie Productions 'failed to follow these guidelines or take other effective measures to protect workers'. The guidelines require live ammunition 'never to be used nor brought onto any studio lot or stage' and that safety meetings take place every day when firearms are being handled. They also requires that employees 'refrain from pointing a firearm at anyone' except after consultation with senior figures such as the armorer. But the report concludes: 'By failing to follow these practices, an avoidable loss of life occurred.' Hutchins, 42, was shot and killed on set by Baldwin on October 21, after the actor fired a prop gun that inexplicably contained live ammunition in her direction while practicing for a scene Alec Baldwin speaks on the phone in the parking lot outside the Santa Fe County Sheriff's Office in Santa Fe after he was questioned about the shooting on the set of the film Rust Rust Movie Productions said in a filing on Tuesday that it wasn't the employer responsible for supervising the film set. 'The law properly permits producers to delegate such critical functions as firearm safety to experts in that field and does not place such responsibility on producers whose expertise is in arranging financing and contracting for the logistics of filming,' the filing reads. Rust Movie Productions says it enforced all safety protocols on set. 'The first was not a misfire at all and did not involve a firearm it was a harmless noise from a special effects 'popper.' The other two involved discharges of blank rounds. Contrary to NMED's statements, none of the 'misfires' violated firearm safety protocols on the set and appropriate corrective actions were taken, including safety briefings of cast and crew.' Baldwin's lawyers say they are 'grateful' to the New Mexico Occupational Health and Safety Bureau, saying the report 'exonerates' the actor Alec Baldwin said Wednesday that a report released by New Mexico safety regulators slamming Rust producers as responsible for the accidental shooting death of a staffer on the film's set last year, has seen him 'exonerated' - despite serving on the unfinished film's production team himself. Pictured is the Wednesday statement from the actor Following the April report, Baldwin's lawyers say they are 'grateful' to the New Mexico Occupational Health and Safety Bureau, saying the report 'exonerates' the actor. A statement from Baldwin's lawyers, posted by the actor on Twitter, said: 'We are grateful to the New Mexico occupational health and safety bureau for investigating this matter. It comes as the Hollywood actor continues to fight a number of lawsuits stemming from the incident. Cases are being brought by script supervisor Mamie Mitchell, head of lighting Serge Svetnoy and Hutchins' family. As well as Baldwin, two of the lawsuits name nearly two dozen defendants associated with the film, including Hannah Gutierrez Reed, who was in charge of weapons on the set. The Bonanza Creek Ranch, where the film 'Rust' was being filmed, appears in Santa Fe on Oct. 23, 2021. On Wednesday, New Mexico workplace safety regulators issued the maximum possible fine against a film production company for firearms safety failures on the set of 'Rust' where a cinematographer was fatally shot in October 2021 by actor and producer Alec Baldwin Lawyers for Gutierrez Reed said the report also showed that the armourer was 'not provided adequate time or resources to conduct her job effectively, despite her voiced concerns'. 'Critically, OSHA also determined that production failed to call Hannah in to perform her armorer duties and inspect the firearm right before its use in the impromptu scene with Baldwin,' they said in a statement. 'As we have stated before, had anyone from production called Hannah back into the church before the scene to consult with her, this tragedy would have been prevented. 'Hannah has also reached out to OSHA recently in an effort to provide her suggestions for changes and improvement of safety standards on sets to avoid a tragic incident in the future.' Environment cabinet secretary James Kenney said: 'Our investigation found that this tragic incident never would have happened if Rust Movie Productions, LLC had followed national film industry standards for firearm safety. 'This is a complete failure of the employer to follow recognized national protocols that keep employees safe. 'Employees should speak up about unsafe workplace conditions or report them anonymously to us.' Robert Genoway, chief of the New Mexico environment department's occupational health and safety bureau, said: 'As a reminder, it is illegal for any employer to retaliate against any employee who alleges a workplace safety violation.' The bureau said the investigation involved 1,560 hours of staff time, 14 interviews and review of 566 documents. In the wake of the shooting, production on Rust was halted indefinitely while authorities investigated. 'Chinese spy' Christine Lee targeting MPs is not a 'one-off case', security sources have said, as they today warned of a growing threat of foreign state interference in British politics. MI5 issued a rare security alert earlier this year, informing MPs that the prominent London-based solicitor had engaged in 'political interference activities' on behalf of China's ruling communist regime. It came amid increasing concern over interfering foreign states presenting a huge danger to democratic institutions and values. Ken McCallum, MI5 director general, has described the UK as being in a 'contest' with states attempting to undermine national security and interfere with democracy - as he welcomed plans to overhaul espionage laws. He described the problem as an 'insidious' threat and a 'really significant challenge'. And security sources have said Ms Lee's case is not a 'one-off', adding: 'We are seeing that manifesting elsewhere and we are prepared to see much more of that in the future.' Whitehall officials believe powers put forward in the National Security Bill, which was introduced to Parliament today, can help tackle similar cases in future. Christine Lee (pictured), MI5 accuses of working on behalf of China's powerful United Front Work Department agency to corrupt politicians Ken McCallum (pictured), MI5 director general, describes the UK as being in a 'contest' with states trying to undermine national security When MI5 first circulated the warning about Ms Lee in January earlier this year, it emerged that senior Labour MP Barry Gardiner had previously received more than 500,000 from her to pay for researchers in his office. But at the time, he told the Commons he had been assured the alert did not relate to those donations. Mr McCallum says it 'must be right' that Parliament looks at modernising powers available to MI5. While espionage is as 'old as the hills, the way in which it comes at us is changing', Whitehall officials have said. And discussing the rise in threats from hostile foreign states, officials added that the UK is 'regarded as one of a leading pack of unfriendly nations towards Russia, so we are expecting to see heightened activity'. Particularly, grave concerns remain over the Russian regime being 'prepared to kill on UK soil'. The warning sent by MI5 to MPs in January warning to avoid contact with Mrs Lee after she had engaged in 'political interference activities' on behalf of China's ruling communist regime MPs were warned in a bombshell email in January to avoid contact with Mrs Lee, 58, who has been monitored by the security services for some time. MI5 said Lee had 'facilitated' donations to British political parties and legislators 'on behalf of foreign nationals'. In a dramatic intervention, MI5 accused the 58-year-old of working on behalf of China's powerful United Front Work Department agency to corrupt politicians. Lee moved with her parents to Northern Ireland in 1974 before relocating to the West Midlands in 1985 and marrying her first husband in Birmingham when she was 21. Some five years later she married Martin Wilkes in Solihull and the couple had two children. There is no suggestion of any wrongdoing on the part of Mr Wilkes Paris Hilton revealed on Wednesday her nightmare experience at a Utah treatment center for trouble teens where she was sleep-deprived, overmedicated and forced to submit to random midnight gynecological exams while male staffers watched. Hilton, 41, held a press conference in the morning calling for the passage of the Stop Institutional Child Abuse Act which would increase reporting and oversight of these institutions and put an end to what she said was a 'tragically overlooked children's human rights crisis.' The hotel heiress also penned an op-ed in USA Today that detailed some of the abusive treatment that she says she suffered at Provo Canyon School, in Utah where her parents sent her for a year in the 1990s to address her attention deficit disorder with the institution's 'tough love' treatment. Paris Hilton, 41, brought a simulation of a solitary confinement cell to show the public how it felt to be locked in such a small space 'On my first day, I was forced to remove all my clothes, squat and cough, and submit to a gynecological exam - all watched closely by male staff,' she wrote in the opinion piece. 'Although it was an extremely uncomfortable experience, I was led to believe it was legitimate, routine check for contraband. 'But what I couldn't understand as a 16-year-old why that internal exam would be don to me frequently during my time at Provo, and only in the middle of the night.' Hilton detailed the ordeal she suffered in her 2020 documentary 'This is Paris' describing how her parents had been 'conned' into sending her to the facility. She said routinely she was awaken in the night by the staff shining a flashlight in her face then taken to the 'exam room' where she was forced to lie on a padded table, spread her legs and submit to a pelvic exam. 'I remember crying while they held me down,' she said in her op-ed. 'I kept saying 'No!' an asking 'Why?' They just said 'Shut up. Be quiet. Stop struggling or you'll go to Obs.' Obs was another name for solitary confinement, a cold spare room with drain and a roll of toilet paper where she was held barely clothed. She said she would pace the floor in Obs until should couldn't stand anymore. The experience has left her with lasting emotional scars. 'I'm still processing the trauma, doing the hard work it takes to tell the whole story in a memoir that will be published next year,' she said. The Provo Canyon School, where Paris Hilton spent a year, routinely gave her gynecological exams in the middle of the night. If she resisted, they would force her into solitary confinement Hilton called for the passage of the Stop Institutional Child Abuse Act which would cut funding for these institutions Hilton comforts another survivor of a troubled-teen treatment facility after a press conference in Washington, D.C. to promote the issue Obs was a particularly traumatic experience for her. 'Solitary has always been one of the sources of my recurring nightmares since I left Provo,' she wrote on her Instagram account accompanying a photo of her in mock solitary cell. 'The helplessness & powerlessness stays with you. 'But here, today, I am taking back my power. This solitary booth represents the environment the youth in residential treatment programs are subjected to. 'It was so important to me to bring this booth to Capitol Hill so policy makers can experience and empathize with this community. 'We must pass the Stop Institutional Child Abuse Act! It is my hope that members on both sides will hear our voice & take action!' The teen treatment center, where a 12-month stay costs up to $300,000, has faced previous accusations of beating, drugging and sexually abusing its clients She said that she wasn't the only one mistreated. There were many girls who were overmedicated and sleep-deprived who were abused. 'This was especially true for girls who got dragged to those sham medical exams and the ones who adult male staff leered at as we showered,' she wrote. 'If we tried to protest or question anything, they said it was a bad dream. They told us to stop making things up. 'But looking back on these experiences an adult woman, I can recognize these exams for what they were: sexual assault of children.' Hilton said that she suffered post-traumatic stress disorder and insomnia from the experience. Hilton was joined by an upstart group called Unsilenced, which was formed to provide support for victims of these facilities, lobby for the passage of the Stop Institutional Child Abuse Act and educate the public and lawmakers of their abuse. Co-founder of Unsilenced, Meg Appelgate, who spent four years in Wyoming and Montana group treatment centers, said that Texas Republican Sen. John Cornyn, Oregon Democrat Jeff Merkley and Silicone Valley Congressman Ro Khanna (D-Cal.) are all behind the legislation. The federal law would put an end to the billion-dollar industry that she says preys on vulnerable families. The bill would stop public funds like Medicaid, Title IV-E and special education funding from going to these types of institutions. The Provo Canyon School did not return a messaged left for comment. The Provo Canyon School for troubled teens has faced previous accusations of abuse, most notably by Paris Hilton, who has launched a campaign to shut the school down Elementary school staffers bragged about outright ignoring parents' requests to refer to their children by their given names and pronouns late last month, during a virtual panel that saw speakers refer to parents as 'caregivers.' The virtual 'Creating and Sustaining GSAs in Elementary Schools' meeting, held over Zoom April 26, saw moderator Katy Butler, a second grade public school teacher at Harvey Milk Civil Rights Academy in San Francisco, poise a question to her fellow panelists concerning pronoun use when it comes to their students. The inquiry, sent to the group by another, unnamed educator, asked advice on how to deal with parents peeved over teachers' pronoun use. What should we do if a parent requests that we refer to their child by the pronouns associated with their sex assigned at birth instead of their preferred pronouns, and that we use a legal name instead of a students chosen name?' Butler - who panel organizers billed as a white queer cisgender female teacher on social media - read. Butler - the creator of Gender Inclusive Classrooms, the group that organized the panel - then gave way for the three other panelists, staffers at public schools across the country, to weigh in on the matter. One panelist, fellow cocreator Kieran Slattery, a fifth grade teacher in Massachusetts, proceeded to provide his advice on the matter - proudly revealing instances where he ignored parents' requests to call their child by certain pronouns. Elementary school staffers bragged about outright ignoring parents' requests to refer to their children by their given names and pronouns late last month, during a virtual panel in which the public school workers discussed ways to deal with parents peeved over their pronoun use The virtual 'Creating and Sustaining GSAs in Elementary Schools' meeting, held over Zoom April 26, saw moderator Katy Butler (top left), a second grade public school teacher at Harvey Milk Civil Rights Academy in San Francisco, poise a question to her fellow panelists concerning how to ignore parents requests to use their kids' given names and pronouns So, I can respond with something that Ive done, Slattery, who teaches at Jackson Street Elementary, began. This came up for me - its come up in a couple different ways - but its come up for me where caregivers asked.' Slattery said: I actually refer to their childs name using the name the name they asked to be referred to and their chosen pronouns, and caregivers reacted very strongly.' The teacher then detailed how parents 'followed up with me and the principal, and said, like, I know you were using a different name than my childs given name at birth and the pronouns we gave them, and Im respectfully asking that you use the name and the pronouns that we gave them. Slattery - who panel organizers billed as a 'white, queer transgender man' - proceeded to warn the three other panelists of the legal concerns that come with rejecting parents' requests on how they refer to their children. So the laws in every state are different, obviously, and I cant speak to the laws in everyones particular state, but I will say - again, the resources that well give you after this have some helpful sites where you can look up what the rules are for your state,' the Northampton elementary school teacher said. 'Before I responded to the caregiver, I made sure I ran it by my principal and my superintendent just to make sure that they had my back.' One panelist, Kieran Slattery, a fifth grade teacher in Massachusetts who created the group presiding over the panel, proceeded to provide his advice on the matter - proudly revealing instances where he ignored parents' requests to call their child by certain pronouns Slattery - who panel organizers billed as a 'white, queer transgender man' - he rejected the request of one pair of parents - or as he called them, 'caregivers' - and touted the slight as a victory The transgender teacher then revealed how he rejected the request of one pair of parents - or as he called them, 'caregivers' - touting the slight as a victory. 'And then I responded - and I chose my words carefully - and I said, I hear you, I hear what youre saying," Slattery said, adding that, 'I tried to really affirm what the caregiver was asking me, like in terms of, I hear you saying that youre feeling uncomfortable with me using the childs preferred name and pronouns; I hear that youre using different ones at home.' He continued: 'But here at school, the expectation is that all of my students feel comfortable and welcome in my classroom. The assertion saw the educator put particular emphasis on the word 'my.' So, in my classroom, I will refer to your child by whatever name and pronouns that theyve told me they feel most comfortable with,' Slattery then said, with his fellow panelists nodding in approval. The teacher went on to equate conveying that concept to parents to teaching children in his classroom. Just have that be it,' he said - 'almost like the guidelines I try to use when Im, like, explaining hard topics to my students. Like, less is more.' The other panelists again nodded in approval. Slattery continued: I just say, like, That sounds like it works really well for you at home, and you can absolutely choose to do whatever you like at home. 'In my classroom and I even say, like, every year I start out my year by sending home information to caregivers that says, like, Just so you know, this is an affirming class the way that I affirm students is I call them by the names they ask to be called by and use their correct pronouns.' The teacher then reiterated how he denied the parents' request. 'I just told them maybe thats not helpful I just told them, No,' seemingly conceding the contentious nature of his assertion. Respectfully, no. The assertion again garnered more impassioned nods from the other panelists. 'And because I had my principal and my superintendents support, there wasn't much they can do,' Slattery then said. 'And they eventually, kind of like, found another topic to squawk about, he added, before letting out a laugh. And they left that alone. Slattery was joined by fellow panel presider Butler (top left) - who panel organizers billed as a 'white queer cisgender female teacher' on social media - New York fifth grade teacher Daniel Alonso (bottom left), and Maryland school counselor Heather Eig. All agreed with Slattery's assertions The remaining panelists all seemed to agree with the educator's assertion, with Butler in particular nodding affirmatively throughout her contemporary's spiel. Another panelist, 5th grade Spanish teacher Daniel Alonso, echoed Slattery's sentiments, describing a similar incident between him and a set of parents at Chavez Elementary in Yonkers, New York. Similarly to what Kieran said,' said Alonso, referring to Slattery, 'in my school district, LGBTQ+ students have a bill of rights - and the fourth one is that they have the right to be referred to by their gender pronouns and a name that fits their gender identity. And so, similarly, there was a situation where a parent felt that the school was not doing what they wanted them to do, and we I dont even know if we were respectful about it we were just like, No, sorry. Like, our district-wide rule is that the student determines that, not you,' he said, while offering a smug smile. Alonso - who organizers described as 'an advocate for all, lover of puppies, and redeemer of all things Mariah' - added: 'Even though you are the parents. The final panelist, Maryland School Counselor Heather Eig, seemed in agreement with the others. 'Ours is the same and again, it really speaks to where youre working, where the district is, the state laws, and really having the backing of your administration, and your superintendent, and the a district that says, This is our policy and Im going to follow suit. A clip of the exchange shared to Twitter by journalist Colin Wright Tuesday quickly went viral, garnering more than 1,000 likes and hundreds of reshares. Observers shared their outrage over the panelists' assertions, calling them criminal and a gross overstep of public school staffers' authority. The group laughed and nodded in approval during Slattery's spiel during the April meeting 'LAWSUITS,' one user wrote in all capital letters. 'This is a violation of the human and constitutional rights of parents.' Another user responded to Slattery's assertion that there was nothing parents could do when confronted with parents concerns over how teachers address their children. 'They could pull their child out of your class and demand another teacher. That's what they could do,' the observer wrote. A further user remarked on how it was unethical for teachers to be referring to a student by pronouns or names not known to the kids' parents of guardians. 'Teachers might spend around 1 or 2 hours a day, 5 days a week for 9 months with a student in a year. Parents will devote a major part of everyday to their kids for 18 years. 'Teachers shouldn't be keeping secrets with a child or keeping those same secrets from their parents,' they wrote. The panel's strong words come shortly after parents expressed outrage toward California school district after learning that male counselors who identify as non-binary were sleeping in the same rooms as fifth-grade girls at a school-organized science camp. In another instance in January, the parent of a 12-year-old Florida girl who tried to hang herself twice at her school after 'months of secret meetings about her gender identity' with school officials, slammed district staff for going behind their backs and 'creating a double life' for their daughter. The parents subsequently filed a lawsuit contending staffers violated their parental rights by failing to inform them of the child's alleged gender identity crisis. Former President Donald Trump delivered a Wednesday broadside against Gov. Brian Kemp of Georgia for his plans to campaign with current and former Republican governors, dismissing them all as 'Republicans in name only.' The Republican primary, on May 24, has turned increasingly bitter as Trump seeks revenge against a governor who refused to go along with his efforts to overturn the 2020 election results. But Trump's primary pick, former Sen. David Perdue, is struggling in a contest that has become a proxy battle for the former president with the GOP establishment. Trump weighed in with statement blasting Kemp and saying that a victory for him would be a blow to 'election integrity.' 'Today, the worst "election integrity" governor in the country, Brian Kemp, loaded the great state of Georgia up with RINOs,' he said in an emailed statement. 'That's right, he had them all. 'Chris Christie, Doug Ducey from Arizona, and Pete Ricketts from Nebraska. 'That tells you all you need to know about what you are getting in Georgia just a continuation of bad elections and a real RINO if you vote for Brian Kemp.' Former President Donald Trump is intent on bringing down Governor Brian Kemp of Georgia after he ignored pleas to overturn the 2020 election result in his state Arizona Republican Gov. Doug Ducey is among the figures campaigning for Kemp Chris Christie was an adviser to Trump during the 2020 campaign but has spoken out against the former president for insisting the election was stolen Trump is intent on helping oust Kemp after the governor refused to overturn his defeat in the state in 2020. However, the latest polls show Kemp on about 53 to 54 percent of support, comfortably ahead of Perdue on anything from 31 to 38 percent. The race has seen Republicans from the establishment wing backing Kemp, while Trump loyalists have lined up to back the challenger. Kemp has won the backing of the National Rifle Association and former President George W. Bush. The Republican Governors Association has also bolstered his campaign, dropping millions of dollars in the state big, including TV ad buys. And its co-chairs Ricketts and Ducey are expected to travel around the state to give Kemp a push. Former New Jersey Governor Christie will also lend his support, according to CNN. Although he was an adviser during the 2020 campaign, he has spoken out against Trump for insisting the election was stolen. The result could be one of Trump's riskiest endorsements, as he seeks to impose his personality and war chest on the midterms. 'A vote for Brian Kemp in this primary is a vote for Stacey Abrams,' said Trump in a recent telerally, invoking the likely Democratic candidate. 'And Ill tell you, I dont believe the Republicans are going to go out and vote in the general election for Brian Kemp.' Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts is another senior Republican campaigning for Kemp At the same time, the former president himself has admitted that defeating an incumbent like Kemp might be difficult. 'Its hard. Its very hard to beat, because they have a lot of money behind them. You know, everybody is giving them money,' Trump said in an interview with conservative broadcaster John Fredericks. 'But we will see what happens.' Trump has also endorsed Rep. Jody Hice who is in primary race with Georgia sec. of state Brad Raffensperger, whom he famously asked to 'find' 11,000 votes in a phone call after the race. He has seen several of his high-profile endorsees win so far - including the author and former Marine J.D. Vance in Ohio. But on Tuesday, his pick, Charles Herbster, lost the Nebraska Republican gubernatorial primary. He missed out to Jim Pillen, who had the backing of Ricketts. NYC Mayor Eric Adams is calling on the Biden administration to yank the federal firearms license of a Nevada company that sells parts and kits for ghost guns, firearms without serial numbers that have been increasingly turning up at crime scenes around the US. Mayor Eric Adams joined with gun control group Everytown for Gun Safety on Wednesday to publicly call for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives to immediately revoke the license of a Polymer80, Inc., alleging the company has violated federal gun laws requiring background checks of purchasers and serial numbers, among other measures. Adams said ghost guns have been a growing contributor to gun violence and gun-related homicides in New York City. 'We must get ghost guns out of our communities, and those that manufacture them must be shut down,' said Mayor Adams. 'The bad guys are outpacing us,' he continued. 'We are too slow to identify and correct the loopholes in violence.' Since January alone, the NYPD has already taken approximately 200 ghost guns off the streets, up from 148 in 2020. NYPD also reports that approximately 90 percent of ghost guns year after year include Polymer80 parts. Adams said ghost guns have been a growing contributor to gun violence and gun-related homicides in New York City Adams said ghost guns have been a growing contributor to gun violence and gun-related homicides in New York City A huge spread of guns were littered across a work surface during the press conference on Thursday NYC Mayor Eric Adams is calling on the Biden administration to yank the federal firearms license of a Nevada company that sells parts and kits for ghost guns that are showing up at crime scenes. Today, a 17-year-old was shot in Queens The push comes as the Biden administration is working to crack down on sellers of ghost guns. A recently unveiled new rule will change the definition of a firearm and require federally licensed gun dealers to add serial numbers to ghost guns and unfinished parts of guns, and to run background checks on their buyers - just like they do for commercially made firearms. The rule is scheduled to take effect in August. But Adams and Everytown contend that Polymer80s sales could be considered violations of other federal guns laws already in effect and called on the ATF to revoke the company's license. In their letter, Adams and Everytown said they were 'deeply concerned' that the company continues to keep its federal license 'despite clear evidence of numerous willful violations' of the law. The New York City Police Department linked a shooting last month in the Bronx that left a 16-year-old girl dead and two other teens injured to a ghost gun assembled from a Polymer80 kit, the city said. Allowing it to keep the license 'would also send a terrible message to bad actors in this industry and would be wholly inconsistent with the administrations crackdown on ghost gun sellers and its `zero tolerance approach to wayward gun manufacturers and sellers,' the letter said. Adams' comments on Wednesday come on the same afternoon that a 17-year-old boy was shot in the left arm outside of a Queens high school around 1:40 p.m. Wednesday afternoon. Adams' call for the license to be stripped comes on the same afternoon that a 17-year-old boy was shot in the left arm outside of a Queens high school The teen is a student at Maspeth High School and ran into the school after he was hit, PIX11 reported. He was taken to the hospital with a non-fatal injury The teen is a student at Maspeth High School and ran into the school after he was hit, PIX11 reported. The teen was taken to the hospital with a non-fatal injury, police said. Two male suspects were taken into police custody, according to the NYPD. Adams, a Democrat, has made cracking down on rising violent crime a chief focus of his new administration. He even hosted President Joe Biden in February as they pledged to work closely together to combat gun violence, with a particular focus on the proliferation of ghost guns. He is one of the co-chairs of Everytown's group of mayors fighting illegal guns, and his communications director is the organization's former chief public affairs officer. The NYPD said thus far this year, it has taken about 200 ghost guns off the street, compared with 148 for the entire year in 2020. The weapons are a fraction of roughly 2,600 illegal firearms recovered in New York City this year. Polymer80 has been targeted by other elected officials and law enforcement departments around the U.S., including the ATF, and Everytown. Everytown last year joined the city of Los Angeles to sue Polymer80 for allegedly creating a public nuisance and violating the states business code. Two Los Angeles County sheriffs deputies badly wounded in an ambush shooting sued the company in August for making parts of a ghost gun used in the attack and the attorney general of Washington, D.C., has filed a lawsuit against the company, claiming it violated D.C. gun laws. The ATF served a search warrant on the company in December 2020 as it investigated whether the company violated gun laws by making and selling gun kits. The company notes on its website that the kits do not fall under the federal definition of a firearm or firearm 'frames or receivers.' Polymer80 did not immediately respond to a message from DailyMail.com seeking comment. The ATF served a search warrant on the company in December 2020 as it investigated whether the company violated gun laws by making and selling gun kits An overhead view of the premises search in 2020 Polymer80, a Nevada based company, is, by far, the largest source of ghost guns used in crimes and recovered by law enforcement nationally, accounting for over 86 percent of the 1,475 ghost guns entered into ATF's National Integrated Ballistic Information Network database in 2019. 'Polymer80's entire business operation presents a clear and present danger to public safety through New York and the entire country not only selling guns, but also marketing an entire lifestyle brand that celebrates violence and lawlessness. As mayor of the largest city in America, a former police officer, and co-chair of Mayors Against Illegal Guns, I have a message for Polymer80: We will not surrender our city to a violent few. No one is above the law. And the law is coming for you.' Critics say the arrest is the wrong approach to reduce crime in New York City, which is up by 41.26 percent from last year 'Our job is to keep people safe, and we will do everything possible to keep that promise we make each day, to every New Yorker,' said NYPD Commissioner Sewell. 'And as we continue to tackle this public safety crisis head-on, our focus and attention is clear: Seize the guns and arrest the individuals who possess them. Stop the shootings, and save lives.' 'Ghost guns are a dream come true for criminals, so it should come as little surprise that Polymer80, the largest maker of these untraceable weapons, has shipped its deadly goods to felons,' said John Feinblatt, president, Everytown for Gun Safety. 'Now that President Biden has taken action against ghost guns, it's time for ATF to do its job and shut down Polymer80.' 'Ghost guns are the fastest-growing gun safety threat in the nation, and Polymer80 leads the pack in flooding our streets with these deadly, untraceable firearms,' said Nick Suplina, senior vice president of law and policy, Everytown for Gun Safety. 'This manufacturer has operated with impunity for far too long. The ATF should shut down Polymer80 now and put an end to this clear and present danger to public safety.' The request to revoke the company's license comes a day after Adams addressed a shooting on Tuesday night, where suspect Rameek Smith allegedly shot an NYPD officer. The mayor slammed New York City lawmakers for allowing the gunman back on the streets despite a pending firearms charge. The 32-year-old officer, Dennis Vargas, was treated and released from Lincoln Hospital in the Bronx early Wednesday, after a fierce gun battle that left the suspect, a career criminal freed ahead of a planned sentencing for a prior gun arrest, dead The comments from the mayor, who campaigned last year on cleaning up the city's crime-ridden streets, came during a late-night address addressing the shooting at Lincoln Medical Center hospital, where 32-year-old officer Dennis Vargas was treated and released early Wednesday. 'Why wasn't he in jail?' a visibly emotional Adams asked attendees at the middle-of-the-night presser at the Bronx hospital, referring to the now deceased Rameek Smith, the 25-year-old homeless man who shot Vargas around 10:45 pm last night. In an emotionally charged address, the mayor demanded to know how the suspect was not behind bars for the earlier gun crime - to which he pleaded guilty in December and was awaiting sentencing - despite his own District Attorney Alvin Bragg's recent vow to jail fewer criminals. Smith - who fired two shots during the late-night shootout in Claremont after Vargas and his partner approached him suspecting he was armed - died in the shootout. During the presser, Adams and other city officials revealed Smith had been on the streets ahead of a planned sentencing for a prior gun arrest in March 2020 at a Brooklyn subway station, where he was charged with criminal possession of a weapon - charges that were pending at the time of his death. Mayor Eric Adams slammed New York City lawmakers for allowing a man who shot a New York City police officer late Tuesday back on the streets despite a pending firearms charge, during a middle-of-the-night presser at the hospital where the officer was treated and released Officials also added that Smith - who pleaded guilty to the weapons charge last December but was released while he awaited sentencing - was also convicted of robbery in 2016, for which he received five years' probation. Smith's 2020 arrest - which transpired after officers saw him hopping a train turnstile - saw him violate his probation, Adams, 61, said Wednesday, remarking how 'a perpetrator with multiple arrests' was out on the streets while awaiting sentencing for the offense. Prior to pleading guilty in December, nearly two years after the initial crime, Smith had been allowed on the street while his case went through the city's legal system. The suspect, identified as 25-year-old Rameek Smith, died after the Bronx shootout, which transpired around 10:45 pm Tuesday 'For 20 months after the arrest, he remained on the streets,' the mayor said of Smith, who cops said was shot in the head during the shootout, which saw Vargas shot in the arm. 'He finally pled guilty in December 2021.' He continued: 'This is what we're dealing with - a perpetrator with multiple arrests. The last arrest: criminal possession of a weapon. 'How was he found to have been carrying the weapon? Jumped the turnstile at the subway station, and had the weapon on him,' said Adams, who recently came under fire the arrest of a woman who was selling mangoes on at a Queens subway station. 'People want to ask why am I cracking down on fare evasions? That's why.' Alvin - who has sought to eliminate pretrial detention except in 'very serious cases' - assumed office in January, a month after Smith was charged with the crime - however, his policies would see even fewer people behind bars before they are sentenced. The shootout unfolded late Tuesday night, cops said Wednesday, after Vargas and his partner spotted and approached the suspect during their beat in the Bronx neighborhood of Claremont at roughly 10:45 pm. Cops say Smith then began to run from the officers, spurring Vargas and his partner to give chase. After about a block-and-a-half, police say Smith suddenly turned around and produced a handgun, letting off two shots at the officers - one of which struck Vargas. Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg has sought to eliminate pretrial detention except in 'very serious cases' - which would see even fewer people behind bars before they are sentenced. Adams criticized city laws that allowed the suspect on the streets despite the previous gun charge The officers then returned fire, hitting Smith in the head, police said Wednesday. Cops added that the suspect was initially stopped because it appeared he was carrying a weapon. Smith was arrested and then taken to a hospital, where he later died, officers said. A 9mm Glock was recovered at the scene, police said. Dozens of officers and city officials - including Police Commissioner Keechant Sewell and new Mayor Adams - gathered outside Lincoln Hospital in the Bronx early Wednesday to greet the wounded officer upon his release just four hours after the fatal shootout. Vargas, an eight-year veteran of the force, smiled and waved to fellow officers and journalists after being wheeled out of the hospital in a wheelchair. Following Vargas' release early Wednesday, a presser was held at the hospital to address the shooting, where officials revealed Smith's extensive criminal past and pending criminal case. During the address - which saw both Sewell and Adams speak - the NYPD Commissioner slammed the city's criminal justice system, calling Smith a 'dangerous criminal who should not have been on the streets of the Bronx or anywhere else.' She added: 'We are extremely fortunate.' Adams, who donned a suit emblazoned with the message 'Stop Gun Violence' at last week's Met Gala, echoed Sewell's sentiment in his own address, in which he slammed a city that allowed 'a perpetrator with multiple arrests' to acquire and carry a weapon on the streets of his city. Police investigate the crime scene on the Bronx street where the shootout occurred late Tuesday night 'Who the hell will protect the innocent New Yorkers in this city? That's the question we have to ask ourselves,' Adams said, asking how local lawmakers allowed the crime occurred. 'We took 2,600 guns off our streets,' the mayor attested. 'And the shooters of those guns are back on our streets just like this person here. Under normal circumstances, you would see a decrease in crime in this city. But the same criminals are continuing to come out on our streets, committing violence over and over again. The city deserves better.' He went on: 'Our city is divided. The overwhelming number of New Yorkers are the good guys. A small number of violent people are the bad guys.' Added that the officer who was shot, as well as that officer's father-in-law, also a cop, are both on the Bronx Borough public safety team, which target illegal guns. 'You have family members in the city that are saying we're tied of living in violence, and they are up against those who believe we should be spending our attention protecting criminals. The 9mm Glock recovered by police from the scene (pictured here) had been reported stolen out of Virginia last June, cops said Wednesday 'It is time for us to stop spending our energy protecting people who are committing crime and violence. This person has an extensive arrest history, he has made up his mind - he was not going to stop until he took the life of an innocent person.' Chief of Detectives James Essig noted during the presser that the 9mm Glock recovered by police from the scene had been reported stolen out of Virginia last June. Mayor Adams ran on a platform of increasing public safety and is under pressure to deliver after steep crime increases in 2021. Felony assaults in New York City are up 19.9 percent and robberies are up 44.5 percent. Overall crime is up by 41.26 percent. Amelia Baca, 75, of Las Cruces, was shot dead on April 16 by a nine-year veteran officer after her daughter called 911 and reported the woman was 'trying to kill me' A police officer fatally shot a 75-year-old woman with dementia in the doorway of her New Mexico home for refusing to drop two giant carving knives after threatening to kill her daughter. The horrifying moment was captured on the cop's body cam after Amelia Baca's daughter called 911 and reported the woman was 'trying to kill me'. Amelia Baca, of Las Cruces, was shot dead on April 16 by a nine-year veteran officer after her daughter called 911 and reported the woman was 'trying to kill me.' 'I really need an officer, an ambulance, or someone because my mother's getting aggressive right now,' her daughter, Jennifer Enriquez, told a 911-operator. 'She's 75 and she has dementia. I'm hiding in a room because she is threatening to kill me...I have my little one here.' The 'freaked out' Enriquez told police she didn't know where her mother obtained the weapon and wasn't sure if she 'took her medication this morning'. '[She's] hitting the floor [with the knife], saying she's going to kill me,' she told police. She later reported the Baca had begun to 'throw hot water' and was 'scaring' her little girl, who can be heard crying in the backroom. The older woman, who has dementia, can be seen carrying two knives at her side as the officer screamed 'drop the f**king knives' several times at her but the woman did not speak English The police officer, a nine-year veteran, arrives at the scene in Las Cruces at about 6.45pm and asked Baca to step out of the home. Two adult women exit the home, with one of them telling the officer to 'please be very careful with her.' The 911-caller, child and husband reportedly escaped the home through a window, the Las Cruces Sun News reported. Additional videos suggested that the two women who exited the home arrived after the 911-call was made. Baca can be seen standing in the doorway with two large knives at her side on the officer's body camera footage. 'Set it down,' the officer instructed. 'Back up, drop the knives.' Baca appears to tell the officer no several times and at one point she can be seen backing up and placing both knives in one hand and holding them over what appears to be a couch, out of frame. Baca can be seen trying to wave the officer away (pictured) as she held both knives out of view but was shot when she stepped forward The older woman begins to wave the officer backward with her free hand as he continues to tell her to 'drop the f**king knives.' She takes two steps forward and the officer fires two shots. She is later seen folded over on the ground. The two women scream simultaneously and the daughter begins to cry. The younger woman can be heard telling the woman in Spanish: 'Mama, it is not a real gun.' They initially thought the gun was a taser but later discovered that it wasn't. Baca was pronounced dead on the scene. In a post-incident interview, obtained by the Las Cruces Sun News, her granddaughter Albitar Inoh revealed the old woman didn't know English and she had asked the officer not to shoot Baca. 'I told them plenty of times, 'don't shoot her, she's mentally ill,' she told detectives, according to the Las Cruces Sun News. 'There was no danger. 'I don't even know how many times I yelled at him: "Don't shoot her she's mentally ill.' The pair were pushed back by a second officer, who did not appear in the bodycam footage, the Las Cruces Sun News reported. Two women (pictured) who arrived at house after the 911 call told officers 'don't shoot her she's mentally ill' Inoh, who was not in the home when the 911-call was made, said she approached her grandmother when she arrived at the home and asked her what had happened. She reportedly said the family inside the home was trying to 'scare' her. Baca had refused to give Inoh the knives when asked. Another video obtained by Daily Mail showed the family paying respects to Baca, who was covered with a sheet. The police department also shared that the officer, who has yet to be named or charged with a crime, has more than 70 hours of crisis invention training and is currently working on the patrol desk. American Civil Liberties Union of New Mexico slammed the department for not having a crisis intervention team on the scene, stating: 'If this team had been deployed to de-escalate the situation, [Baca] may still be alive today and receiving the help she needed.' A mother-of-three whose arms were ripped off in a brutal pit bull attack has been discharged from the hospital after seven weeks - but could still lose her leg. Kaylee Waltman, 38, sustained life-threatening injuries on March 21 when three dogs - two pit bulls and a German shepherd - attacked her as she was walking home from her boyfriend's house on Honea Path Road in Abbeville County, South Carolina. She passed out during the attack, and the dogs bit her so hard, they tore through the skin on her head until her skull was visible as they also tore off her eyelid and chewed into her colon. Fortunately, Waltman was saved by local farmer Avery Presley, who blasted a gun into the air and kicked one of the dogs to get them to flee. The dogs were euthanized following the attack, People reports, and their owner Justin Minor, 36, faces multiple charges. Now, after a grueling seven weeks in the hospital, she has returned to her mother's house, her sister, Amy Wynne, told supporters on a Go Fund Me page Tuesday. 'It's been rough, but we've been trying to get her settled into her new life,' Wynne, 41, wrote in an update on the online fundraiser for Waltman's medical expenses. 'She is a talker, lol... She is running our poor mama raged [sic] as the least.' But, Wynne revealed, Waltman still faces several outpatient surgeries - including having her shoulder re-grafted and getting grafts to prevent her from losing her leg. '[The leg] is healing, but they have to pull her muscle up from her calf and see if that is gonna work,' Wynne explained. 'They did graft around the [wound] to see if it'll take, and it did.' She added that the doctors did not want to do both surgeries at once, so they did a three-hour long operation on Waltman's shoulder first and will do another nine-hour long surgery on the leg at a later date. Kyleen Waltham, 38, was brutally attacked by two pit bulls and a German shepherd as she was walking home from her boyfriend's house on March 21 Waltham was finally released from the hospital on Tuesday after losing both her arms and needing a bag for her colon. She may also lose her leg. The dogs were euthanized following the attack, and their owner now faces several criminal charges But the recovery has not been easy with Wynne revealing on Tuesday that their mother, 61-year-old Diane Johnson, has to take care of the 38-year-old. They are hoping they can get an in-home care nurse, but so far Waltman has been denied Medicaid and disability coverage. Meanwhile, Wynne revealed on Tuesday, her mother has been taking care of the 38-year-old as she has been denied Medicaid and disability. 'So we have to do it all for her,' Wynne wrote on the Go Fund Me, noting: 'Mama takes the brunt of it because Kyleen lives with mama.' Still, the family has raised more than $260,000 to help cover Waltman's medical expenses. She has already undergone more than a dozen surgeries to heal the wounds she suffered from the devastating attack. Doctors have had to amputate both her arms and remove her colon, the Daily Beast reports, and her shoulder bones had to be removed - which means she may not be able to get prosthetic arms. But nothing could be done for Waltman until a month after the attack, as doctors had to wait for an infection from the deep bites to subside before they could stitch up the gashes on her forehead and scalp, Wynne previously told DailyMail.com. 'She said doctors had to put 109 staples in the front of her head and at least 90 staples in the back of her head,' Wynne claimed, adding that a trachea tube was placed in her throat because the bacteria from the dogs mouth got into her esophagus. She also lost her vocal chords and now is now forced to speak using a voice-generated box. Wynne went on: 'My sisters blood pressure went down to 86 and that her organs were starting to shut down after the attack. She told how Waltman nearly died three times - in the ambulance, helicopter and on the operating table. But she said: 'She is alive. 'They had to put in a colostomy bag and her appendix shut down and they put her on dialysis. Doctors are hoping to regrow the tissue for her colon.' She added: 'By the grace of God she has no brain damage.' Doctors could not address the wounds to her head for a month, her sister Amy Wynne previously revealed to DailyMail.com, as they were extremely infected A trachea tube was placed in her throat because the bacteria from the dogs mouth got into her esophagus, and Waltman is now forced to speak using a voice-generated box. Waltman, 38, is pictured with her mother, Diane Johnson, 61. Her mother is now her primary care giver as they wait to find out if they can get a home health aide Doctors also tried to do skin grafting and remove skin from her buttocks and her shoulder to repair the missing skin on her left inner thigh and near the groin area. But the infection was so severe they were unable to complete the surgery. Wynne said she was just relieved farmer Presley had been driving back in a tractor to see his cows at the time. She revealed he had yelled at the savage beasts but they did not respond so he fired a pistol he carried after the same dogs tried to attack him a few weeks earlier. Wynne said: 'Avery Presley saved her life. We have not met face to face yet but because of the investigation.' 'He tried to get the dogs off of her. He fired a few shots in the air. My sister had already been passed out. 'Two of the dogs ran but one dog stayed and kept attacking that is when he had to kick the dog off my sister and the dog ran. 'He called 911 and tried to put pressure on her arms all that was left. They ate all the flesh on her arms. They had EMS out there. They have it all on bodycam.' Wynne said she was in the courtroom at a preliminary hearing staring at the animals' owner, Minor. She said: 'He [Minor] said that he trained the dogs to do exactly what they did to attack and kill. They were trained to kill.' The dogs' owner, Justin Minor, 36, is charged with three counts of penalty for the owner of a dangerous animal that attacks or injures a human, one count of a dangerous animal not permitted beyond premises unless restrained, and one count of a rabies control chapter Minor is charged with three counts of penalty for the owner of a dangerous animal that attacks or injures a human, one count of a dangerous animal not permitted beyond premises unless restrained, and one count of a rabies control chapter. He was released last month on a $15,000 bond and may still face a penalty of $5,000 or a sentence of three years in prison. His case will be sent to a grand jury. Wynne said: 'It makes me so angry. He needs to be charged and put in jail. He needs to suffer like my sister is suffering. 'She is only 38 years old so she going to have so many issues that we as a family are going to have to deal with. 'She is not going to have a normal life now, her quality of life is gone.' She said the laws in South Carolina are very lenient regarding dog attacks. 'This breed [pit bulls] have got to die. There was another attack in Alabama and the person was killed. 'Minor is not on house arrest and he can do whatever he wants,' she added. 'My mother saw him leaving a store carrying beer meanwhile my sister is not able to do anything anymore.' Lawmakers on Capitol Hill will hold a hearing in two weeks on infant formula shortages, the House Energy and Commerce Committee said on Wednesday, as it called the situation 'increasingly alarming.' The House of Representatives panel, which is scheduled to meet May 25, did not name any company executives or other witnesses, but said it would release more details before the meeting. The hearing will focus on the shortage's causes, efforts to increase production, and what action is needed 'to ensure access to safe formula across the nation,' the committee chair, Representative Frank Pallone, a Democrat, said in a statement. 'The nationwide infant formula shortages are increasingly alarming and demand Congress' immediate attention,' he said. White House spokesperson Karine Jean-Pierre on Wednesday also said it was a top priority to ensure that baby formula is available amid the shortage. 'This is an urgent issue that the FDA as you all know and the White House is working 24/7 to address they are committed to pulling every lever and are ready to making progress and getting more supply onto the market,' she said. Pallone said lawmakers stood ready to work with President Joe Biden's administration to resolve the shortage, although it is unclear what specific steps Congress or the White House can take to boost supplies near-term. Lawmakers will hold a hearing in two weeks on infant formula shortages House Energy and Commerce Committee will hold hearing on May 25 'The nationwide infant formula shortages are increasingly alarming and demand Congress' immediate attention,' said Rep. Frank Pallone, chair of the committee Meanwhile, Sen. Mitt Romney slammed the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for 'risking the lives of infants across the nation' by forcing America's biggest baby formula plant to stay closed while desperate parents scramble to feed their children. 'The responsibility falls on the FDA and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) to protect infant health by ensuring they have access to safe formula,' Romney penned Tuesday in a letter to FDA Commissioner Robert Califf and Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack. 'Given the serious implications of the current shortage on infant health, I am deeply concerned about the apparent lack of an effective mitigation strategy and urge both agencies to move as fast as possible to safely resolve this situation.' Romney wants the agencies to do more to ensure the availability of baby formula, citing 'serious implications of the current shortage on infant health,' and asked for an update on the investigation into the alleged contaminated formula that forced the recall and shutdown of the Abbott Laboratories plant in Sturgis, Michigan. The plant ceased operation nearly three months ago after a bacterial infection caused deaths of two children and other serious illnesses. Abbott has since denied its plant is responsible for the deaths. The manufacturer also issued a nationwide recall on its powder baby formulas in February, exacerbating months of spot shortages at pharmacies and supermarkets. Now, pediatricians, healthcare experts and politicians are urging the FDA to reopen the plant and distribute Abbott's formula to families in need. 'There's still some risk from the formula because we know there are problems at the plant and FDA hasn't identified a root cause,' said Sarah Sorscher of the Center for Science in the Public Interest. 'But it's worth releasing because these infants might die without it.' The FDA issued a statement to DailyMail.com on Tuesday, alleging it was working with U.S. manufacturers to increase their output and streamlining paperwork to allow more imports. An Abbott spokesperson also confirmed the manufacturer was 'doing everything we can to address the infant formula supply shortage,' which includes priorities production of formula products and importing products from the company's FDA-registered facility in Ireland on a daily basis. The company said on Wednesday it could resume infant formula production within two weeks at its Michigan plant as it works with the FDA. From then, it would take six to eight weeks before the product is available on store shelves. Sen. Mitt Romney (pictured on May 4) slammed the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for 'risking the lives of infants across the nation' by forcing America's biggest baby formula plant to stay closed while parents across the nation are scrambling to feed their children. Food safety experts are also demanding the FDA reopen America's biggest baby formula plant - the Abbott Laboratories plant in Sturgis, Michigan Sen. Romney argues the FDA and USDA have a 'responsibility' to mitigate the impacts of the shortage. 'Please provide a comprehensive update on the progress of the investigation, estimated timeline to completion, efforts to coordinate with other federal agencies, including the USDA, and any other authorities that may be necessary to help relieve the formula shortage,' he urged. 'Between the risk of ingesting contaminated formula, and the risk of malnutrition from an inability to receive said formula, the FDA is an exceedingly difficult position protecting infant health. 'I appreciate the FDA's efforts to support case-by-case release of essential product, but the pace of release is far slower than demand felt across our nation. In its attempt to balance safety from contaminated product and safe infant development through formula access, FDA is achieving neither objective.' The Republican legislator also criticized the quality of the FDA's inspections at the Abbott plant, citing instances of possible contamination dating back to 2019. 'I am alarmed to see documented instances of non-descript contamination in September 24, 2021, and inadequate sample testing to prove formula products met microbiological quality standards in 2019,' Romney wrote. Sen. Mitt Romney has questioned the FDA's inspection process and is demanding to know what steps were taken to ensure the 'contaminated products did not leave the facility' after initial inspections in 2019 and 2021 'This documentation suggests FDA's routine inspection authority is insufficient to meet consumer safety demands, yet its hammer of near-shutdowns of facilities causes a ripple effect throughout the country.' The FDA, which claims Abbott failed to maintain sanitary conditions and procedures at its Michigan manufacturing plant that was linked to a cluster of infant Cronobacter sakazaki infections, published its initial inspection findings in March 2022. The findings showed the facility didn't maintain clean surfaces used in producing and handling the powdered formula. Additionally, inspectors found a history of contamination with the bacteria, including eight instances between fall 2019 and February of this year. An Abbott spokesperson told DailyMail.com Tuesday that 'thorough investigation' by the FDA and Abbott revealed 'infant formula produced at our Sturgis facility is not the likely source of infection in the reported cases and that there was not an outbreak caused by products from the facility'. Regardless, Romney has questioned the FDA's inspection process and is demanding to know what steps were taken to ensure the 'contaminated products did not leave the facility' after initial inspections in 2019 and 2021. Retailers including Target, CVS and Walgreens have begun limiting formula purchases to three containers per customer. An barren shelf meant to store formula is pictured Tuesday at a Target store in Tulsa, Oklahoma More than half of U.S. states are seeing out-of-stock rates between 40 percent and 50 percent, according to the firm, which collects data from 11,000 locations Nationwide about 40 percent of large retail stores are out of stock of baby formula, up from 31 percent in mid-April, according to Datasembly, a data analytics firm. More than half of U.S. states are seeing out-of-stock rates between 40 percent and 50 percent, according to the firm, which collects data from 11,000 locations. White House press secretary Jenn Psaki said Monday the Food and Drug Administration was 'working around the clock to address any possible shortages,' however shelves across the country meant to carry formula remain largely barren. Retailers including Target, CVS and Walgreens have begun limiting formula purchases to three containers per customer. For now, pediatricians and health workers are urging parents who can't find formula to contact food banks or doctor's offices. They warn against watering down formula to stretch supplies or using online DIY recipes. 'For babies who are not being breastfed, this is the only thing they eat,' said Dr. Steven Abrams, of the University of Texas, Austin. 'So it has to have all of their nutrition and, furthermore, it needs to be properly prepared so that it's safe for the smallest infants.' The nationwide share of out-of-stock baby formula hit 40 percent in April Texas, Tennessee, Missouri, Iowa, North Dakota and South Dakota, seemingly hardest hit by the shortages, reported out-of-stock rates of about 50 percent TIMELINE SHOWS HOW AMERICA'S LARGEST BABY FORMULA PLANT CEASED PRODUCTION Abbott Laboratories, the biggest baby formula supplier in the U.S., ceased production at its Michigan plant in February 2022 amid reports of fatal bacterial infections. A timeline of events shows reveals the shut down was the plant had previously been under scrutiny by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). September 2021: The FDA conducted a four-day inspection of the Abbott Laboratories plant in Sturgis, Michigan. The inspection report revealed the plant 'did not maintain' clean and sanitary conditions in at least one building that manufactured, processed, packaged or held baby formula. FDA officials also observed poor hand washing among Abbott plant staff who 'worked directly with infant formula.' The FDA also noted an instance of improper equipment maintenance and temperature control. October 2021: A whistleblower sends the FDA a 34-page document outlining potential concerns with the Sturgis plant. The document, which was made public by Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro in April 2022, was written by a former plant employee. The employee accused the plant of lax cleaning practices, falsifying records, releasing untested infant formula, and hiding information during an FDA audit in 2019, among other issues. January - March 2022: The FDA conducted multiple inspections at the Sturgis plant over the course of three months in 2022. A ten-page inspection report revealed multiple violations at the facility. The agency alleged the plant failed to ensure that all surfaces that contact infant formula were maintained to prevent cross-contamination. The report states the facility 'did not establish a system of process controls' to ensure the baby formula 'does not become adulterated due to the presence of microorganisms in the formula or the processing environment.' Officials also alleged the plant failed to disclose in an investigation report whether a health hazard existed at the facility. Additionally, the report stated plant workers were did not wear the 'necessary protective material' when working directly with infant formula. February 17: U.S. health officials urgently warn parents against using three popular baby formulas manufactured at the Abbott plant in Michigan. Investigators claim the products were recently linked to bacterial contamination after an infant died and three others fell ill. Abbott voluntarily recalled several major brands and shut down its Sturgis plant. The FDA also said it is investigating four reports of infants who were hospitalized after consuming the formula, including one who died. February 28: Abbott Laboratories expanded its recall of Similac baby formulas after a second infant who was exposed to the powdered baby formula died. April 15: Abbott releases a statement alleging it is working closely with the FDA to restart operations at the Sturgis plant. Week of April 24: The nationwide share of out-of-stock baby formula hit 40 percent. Texas, Tennessee, Missouri, Iowa, North Dakota and South Dakota, seemingly hardest hit by the shortages, reported out-of-stock rates of about 50 percent. May 10: Abbott releases a statement to DailyMail.com claiming 'thorough investigation' by the FDA and Abbott revealed 'infant formula produced at our Sturgis facility is not the likely source of infection in the reported cases and that there was not an outbreak caused by products from the facility'. Abbott claims they are 'working closely with the FDA to restart operations' at the plant, with the spokesperson noting: 'We continue to make progress on corrective actions and will be implementing additional actions as we work toward addressing items related to the recent recall'. The FDA told DailyMail.com it was holding discussions with 'Abbott and other manufacturers to increase production of different specialty and metabolic products' but refused to say when the Sturgis plant could reopen. Sen. Mitt Romney issued a letter to the FDA and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) urging leaders to address the formula shortage and work to prevent future threats to infant health. May 11: Lawmakers on Capitol Hill announce plans to hold a hearing in two weeks on infant formula shortages. Abbott announced it would take up to ten weeks for the company to get baby formula to retailers once the Sturgis plant reopens. Abbott also said: 'After a thorough review of all available data, there is no evidence to link our formulas to these infant illnesses.' Advertisement The shortages are especially dangerous for infants who require specialty formulas due to food allergies, digestive problems and other conditions. 'Unfortunately, many of those very specialized formulas are only made in the United States at the factory that had the recall, and that's caused a huge problem for a relatively small number of infants,' Abrams said. After hearing concerns from parents, the FDA said last month that Abbott could begin releasing some specialty formulas not affected by the recalls 'on a case-by-case basis.' The company is providing them free of charge, in coordination with physicians and hospitals. Food safety advocates say the FDA made the right call in releasing the formula, but that parents should talk to their pediatricians before using it. 'Always talk with your pediatrician if you have concerns about your baby's nutrition and feeding your baby,' Dr. Sarah Abrams, of Akron Children's Hospital in Ohio, told Fox News. 'Switch to other formula brands or types of formula,' she advised to parents struggling to find product, 'but talk to your pediatrician first, especially if your baby must use a hydrolyzed or amino acid-based formula.' The pediatrician also shared that due to the Abbott recall, parents have been fearful of that other brands of formula may have been contaminated. 'I have been told that due to the recall, [parents] were afraid to use the formula they had, even if it wasn't one that was recalled,' she explained. 'And if they do find formula, they worry about the limits of how much formula they can buy at one time. 'They are calling our office and we are helping them by reaching out to local formula representatives.' Despite the results of the investigation and pressure from experts and concerned parents, it remains unclear when Abbott's Michigan plant might reopen. The FDA said the company is still working 'to rectify findings related to the processes, procedures and conditions' but refused to say when the plant can resume operations. Other infant formula makers are 'meeting or exceeding capacity levels to meet current demand,' the agency stated Tuesday. Among other steps, the FDA said it was waiving enforcement of minor product labeling issues to increase availability of both U.S. and imported products. 'We recognize that many consumers have been unable to access infant formula and critical medical foods they are accustomed to using and are frustrated by their inability to do so. We are doing everything in our power to ensure there is adequate product available where and when they need it,' FDA Commissioner Robert M. Califf, M.D. told DailyMail.com in a statement. 'Ensuring the availability of safe, sole-source nutrition products like infant formula is of the utmost importance to the FDA. Our teams have been working tirelessly to address and alleviate supply issues and will continue doing everything within our authority to ensure the production of safe infant formula products.' Baby formula is particularly vulnerable to disruptions because just a handful of companies account for almost the entire U.S. supply, analysts allege. Industry executives say the constraints began last year as the COVID-19 pandemic led to disruptions in ingredients, labor and transportation. Supplies were further squeezed by parents stockpiling during lockdowns. Then in February, Abbott recalled several major brands and shut down its Sturgis, Michigan, factory when federal officials concluded four babies suffered bacterial infections after consuming formula from the facility. Two of the infants died. When FDA inspectors visited the plant in March they found lax safety protocols and traces of the bacteria on several surfaces. None of the bacterial strains matched those collected from the infants, however, and the FDA hasn't offered an explanation for how the contamination occurred. For its part, Abbott says its formula 'is not likely the source of infection,' though the FDA says its investigation continues. Abbott claims they are 'working closely with the FDA to restart operations' at the plant, with the spokesperson on Tuesday noting: 'We continue to make progress on corrective actions and will be implementing additional actions as we work toward addressing items related to the recent recall'. Meanwhile, parents are across the nation are issuing alarming calls for help as they try to find ways to nourish their children. Laura Stewart, a 52-year-old mother of three who lives just north of Springfield, Missouri, has been struggling for several weeks to find formula for her 10-month-old daughter, Riley. Parents across the nation are scrambling to feed their children because supply disruptions and a massive safety recall have swept many products off store shelves Baby formula is stored in a locked case, with shelves half empty, at a Walmart store on Tuesday Riley normally gets a brand of Abbott's Similac designed for children with sensitive stomachs. Last month, she instead used four different brands. 'She spits up more. She's just more cranky. She is typically a very happy girl,' Stewart said. 'When she has the right formula, she doesn't spit up. She's perfectly fine.' A small can costs $17 to $18 and lasts three to five days, Stewart said. Like many Americans, Stewart relies on WIC - a federal program similar to food stamps that serves mothers and children - to afford formula for her daughter. Abbott's recall wiped out many WIC-covered brands, though the program is now allowing substitutions. Brian Dittmeier, Senior Director of Public Policy at the WIC Association told DailyMail.com in a statement Tuesday that the 'unprecedented scope of this infant formula recall has serious consequences for babies and new parents.' 'Assurances from manufacturers that production has ramped up have not yet translated to new product on the shelf. Each day that this crisis continues, parents grow more anxious and desperate to find what they need to feed their infants,' the statement said. 'Unlike other food recalls, shortages in the infant formula supply affects a major or even exclusive source of nutrition for babies. Inadequate nutrition could have long-term health implications for babies. Supply shortages are particularly acute for infants who require specialty formulas to address allergies, gastrointestinal issues, or metabolic disorders; adequate substitutes with other brands may not be easily identifiable. 'Every day, we hear from parents who are hurt, angry, anxious, and scared. The lives of their infants are on the line. It is time for answers and accountability as we all work to improve the supply and ease the worries of parents enduring this national crisis.' A passenger with no experience in flying an aircraft managed to land an airplane in Florida on Tuesday as their pilot got sick during the flight and became "incoherent." The single-engine Cessna 208 landed successfully at the Palm Beach International Airport around 12:30 p.m. Tuesday, according to NBC News affiliate WPTV of West Palm Beach. A live audio call was made by the unidentified passenger to Fort Pierce Tower, informing the authorities on the ground about the emergency they were experiencing during the flight. The passenger can be heard during the audio call saying, "I've got a serious situation here." "My pilot has gone incoherent," the passenger added. But the next thing he told the ground control indicated that the situation was a lot worse. "I have no idea how to fly the airplane." Thrilling Landing The dispatcher calmly responds: "Roger. What's your position?" As personnel attempted to track the plane, the dispatcher can be heard advising the passenger to "maintain wings level" and "just try to follow the coast, either north or southbound." Someone can be heard commenting in a separate call log from the air traffic control station that they did a tremendous job, as the passenger seemingly maintained his composure and focused on his task of bringing the plane on the ground safely, per USA Today. This is brand new video (courtesy of Jeff Chandler) of a passenger landing a plane today at PBIA. His pilot had passed out, and the passenger with zero flight experience was forced to land the plane. Team coverage of this amazing landing is on @WPBF25News at 11. pic.twitter.com/jFLIlTp6Zs Ari Hait (@wpbf_ari) May 11, 2022 Another person inquired clarifying if the passengers had landed the plane, and when it was confirmed, he said, "Oh, that was amazing." Before landing the plane, the first person can be heard, indicating that the passenger has "no flying experience." They said that a controller who was also a flight teacher assisted them in landing the plane. Read Also: US Intel: Why Vladimir Putin Could Declare Martial Law in Russia Amid War With Ukraine FAA Investigates the Incident According to a Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office spokesperson, one person was taken to the hospital as a result of the incident. The individual's health and identity, however, were not disclosed by officials. Members of the press have contacted the sheriff's office to gain further details. The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating the incident. Tiny turboprop planes like the Cessna 208 Caravan are not uncommon to fly with only one pilot, especially when the flights are private, according to aviation experts. The Cessna Caravan aircraft are well-known for their robust utility and versatility. The aircraft offers a one-of-a-kind combination of great performance, low operating costs, and mission adaptability, according to the company website. The PT6A-114A turbine engine, which is powerful, efficient, and dependable, is responsible for the Caravan turboprop's remarkable cargo capabilities. The plane seats nine people with a single pilot, but with a FAR Part 23 waiver, it may accommodate up to 14 passengers. It is also possible to use the plane for cargo feeder liner flights. Cessna set the benchmark for the private aviation business after the Second World War, per Britannica, with a series of best-selling single- and twin-engine planes. In 1954, It began manufacturing the T-37, the United States' first main and intermediate jet trainer for the US Air Force. Related Article: US Gun-Related Deaths Spike More Than 35% During First Year of the Coronavirus Pandemic, CDC Study Shows @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Advertisement The Senate failed in a 49-51 vote to codify abortion rights Wednesday afternoon in a bill that even some moderate abortion rights supporters said went too far. The bill was expected to fail but gave Democrats a chance to put on a public display of support for abortion rights -even Vice President Kamala Harris showed up to the Capitol to preside over the vote. A group of fired-up female members of the House Progressive Caucus marched toward the Senate side chanting 'my body, my decision' as the upper chamber voted on the House-passed bill. The bill would have needed 60 votes, 10 from Republicans, to pass, but failed to garner even a simple majority as Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., voted against it, as did pro-choice Republican Sens. Lisa Murkowski, Alaska, and Susan Collins, Maine. Murkowski and Collins had submitted their own more narrow bill to codify abortion rights, the Reproductive Choice Act, but Schumer refused to put it up for a vote. 'We're going to be voting on a piece of legislation, which I will not vote for today.,' Manchin told reporters on Capitol Hill on Wednesday. 'But I would vote for a Roe v. Wade codification if it was today I was hopeful for that,' the West Virginia Democrat assured. 'But I found out yesterday in caucus that wasn't going to be and you probably heard of that by now.' In a show-vote, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer attempted to file cloture to stop Republicans filibustering the Women's Health Protection Act, which was introduced by Senator Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut. Schumer knew he didn't have the votes needed to make the landmark abortion case federal law but he wanted to put anti-abortion lawmakers on the record and give Democrats a pro-choice vote to take home ahead of the midterm elections. Even Vice President Kamala Harris, who would break a tie in the split Senate if the bill wasn't subject to a filibuster, showed up to the Capitol to preside over the vote Members of the US House of Representatives chant 'my body, my decision' while walking to the Senate side of the US Capitol in Washington, DC, on May 11 Members of the US House of Representatives, including (L-R) US Representaitve Nydia Velazquez (D-NY), US Representative Ilhan Omar (D-MN), US Representative Pramila Jayapal (D-WA), and US Representative Carolyn Maloney (D-NY), chant 'my body, my decision' while walking to the Senate side of the US Capitol Rep. Madeleine Dean (D-PA), Rep. Nikema Williams (D-GA) and Rep. Veronica Escobar (D-TX) lead a march of Democratic women members of the U.S. House of Representatives through a tunnel in the U.S. Capitol to gather outside of the U.S. Senate chamber to protest and advocate for abortion rights Capitol Police clear the halls in the Capitol as members of the House Progressive Caucus went to the Senate chamber and shouted in protest Moderate Democratic Senator Joe Manchin told reporters at the Capitol Wednesday (pictured) that he would not vote to file cloture on ending a filibuster for a bill that would codify Roe v. Wade Schumer ahead of the vote claimed that his GOP colleagues were 'hellbent on sending women's rights back to the stoneage' and said the public 'will not forget' at election time. The attempt comes after Democrats tried to get the same bill through in February, but the measure has more urgency now that a Supreme Court leak shows a draft opinion that would overturn 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling that made abortion constitutionally protected. President Biden condemned the bill's failure in a statement after the vote, but dangled a potential future passing of the bill in front of voters ahead of midterm elections. 'Senate Republicans have blocked passage of the Womens Health Protection Act, a bill that affirmatively protects access to reproductive health care. This failure to act comes at a time when womens constitutional rights are under unprecedented attack and it runs counter to the will of the majority of American people,' Biden said. 'To protect the right to choose, voters need to elect more pro-choice senators this November, and return a pro-choice majority to the House. If they do, Congress can pass this bill in January, and put it on my desk, so I can sign it into law.' Harris expressed a similar sentiment. 'This vote clearly suggests that the Senate is not where the majority of Americans are on this issue,' she told reporters after the vote. 'The priority is to elect pro-choice leaders.' The vice president ignored shouted questions on why Democrats didn't pursue a more moderate bill with Murkowski and Collins. Murkowski said in a statement ahead of the vote that the Women's Health Protection Act was billed as a way to 'codify Roe v. Wade' but 'in reality goes much furthernullifying state and religious freedom laws across the country in the process.' Murkowski noted that the bill does not include the Hyde Amendment, which bans federal dollars from funding abortion, does not include conscience protections for healthcare providers who do not wish to perform abortions due to their religious beliefs and 'allows late-term abortions without any notable restrictions.' Senator Chuck Schumer (pictured Tuesday at the Capitol) will try to overcome a GOP filibuster Wednesday and bring a floor vote on codifying abortion rights into federal law but the effort is almost assuredly dead on arrival as Democrats don't have the votes to get the legislation through The new urgency in the push comes after a Supreme Court leak shows a draft opinion that would overturn Roe v. Wade. Pictured: Police watch anti-abortion protesters outside the Supreme Court Building on Tuesday, May 10 Manchin (left) voted against the abortion bill in February as did pro-choice GOP Senators Susan Collins (center) and Lisa Murkowski (right) Meanwhile, Manchin and Democratic Arizona Senator Kyrsten Sinema have stopped their party from getting rid of the filibuster in order for the slim majority to be able to jam through whatever legislation they desire without the need for 60 votes to bring it to the floor. Since Manchin opposes the legislation, Democrats aren't even able to use the 'nuclear option' to only need a simple majority of votes, which is the only conceivable option to get this abortion legislation passed. Many more progressive senators, like independent Bernie Sanders of Vermont and Democrat Kirsten Gillibrand from New York, are reupping calls to end the filibuster in order to protect Roe. But the topic was not discussed during Democrats weekly lunch on Tuesday. While typically a Senate leader won't bring a vote unless they feel there are the votes to pass it, Schumer says it's important for every senator to go on the record on abortion rights. He claims the proposal is 'very simple'. His team also feels it's important to show that Democrats are fighting for a woman's ability to terminate their pregnancy. '[W]e are making sure that every senator will have to vote and every, every American will see how they voted,' Schumer said. 'And I believe the Republican Party, the MAGA Republican Party, will suffer the consequences electorally when the American people see that.' Republicans are overwhelmingly against abortion and believe the decision making on the matter should go back to the states so laws can reflect constituents and the values of different jurisdictions. But each side has taken to clinging on to the fringes of the matter. 'We must oppose the vision that MAGA Republicans clamor for: forced pregnancies, punishment for women and doctors, and zero exceptions for rape or incest,' Schumer said ahead of the vote. It is a generally accepted view among Republicans that laws should not go after the pregnant woman herself, and many allowing abortions in cases of rape and incest. There are, of course, exceptions. Republicans, meanwhile, have taken to hitting Democrats for supporting 'abortion until birth.' 'Under Schumers radical Abortion on Demand Until Birth Act, these twins I delivered could have been aborted,' Sen. Roger Marshall, R-Ky., wrote on Twitter, along with a photo of himself with newborn twins he'd just delivered. 'Chuck Schumer right now is bringing a bill on the Senate floor today to make America in the category of China, North Korea and Guinea. We would be in the territory of countries that allow abortion on demand as widespread as we've seen it anywhere in the world,' House Minority Whip Rep. Steve Scalise, R-La., said during a press conference ahead of the Senate vote. Roe v. Wade allows for restrictions on abortion after viability, at about 22-24 weeks. The Women's Health Protection Act would protect a woman's right to end her pregnancy at least until 'fetal viability' and would require abortions be legal up until birth if 'when, in the good-faith medical judgment of the treating health care provider, continuation of the pregnancy would pose a risk to the pregnant patient's life or health.' The bill directs courts to 'liberally' interpret the legislation. The bill's chief sponsor in the Senate, Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., said that the bill 'doesn't distinguish' between physical and mental health in decisions on late-term abortions. Large, un-scalable fencing was erected around the Supreme Court following the leak last week as demonstrations between pro- and anti-abortion activists became increasingly violent and threatening towards Supreme Court Justices Pro-choice activists protests with Democratic Representative Cori Bush outside the Supreme Court on Tuesday On the other hand, Democrats are trying to play a potential Roe v. Wade overturn as a hit to privacy, specifically between women and their healthcare providers. Many, including House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, have presented slippery slope arguments claiming gay marriage and birth control will be the next to go. Nevada Senator Jackie Rosen said Democrats need to 'take that fear' and 'channel it into action to defend our majority.' 'We're not living in a hypothetical,' she added. In recent years, red states have started implementing restrictions on abortion whether it be the timelines allowed for a pregnancy termination or preventing anyone from aiding a woman in seeking an abortion. These laws are almost always challenged and make their way up through the court system. The most recent, Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization, is a Mississippi case that would ban abortion after 15 weeks into a pregnancy. This is the case that made its way to the Supreme Court and led to the draft opinion by conservative Justice Samuel Alito that would entirely overturn Roe v. Wade. Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts is the only conservative of six to dissent with liberals, according to the leak earlier this month from Politico. Roberts is, however, in favor of the 15-week ban. With a 6-3 majority bench, conservatives can afford to lose on justice to liberal and still prevail. An Arizona man convicted of raping and murdering a college student on 1985 protested his innocence, and then said 'now let's do this s***t' before he was executed by lethal injection on Wednesday. Clarence Dixon, 66, died in Florence, Arizona, after receiving a lethal dose of pentobarbital. In 1985, he strangled, raped and stabbed 19-year-old Deana Bowdoin, a student at Arizona State University. He lived opposite her and was also a student at the time. Just before he was killed on Wednesday, Dixon's last words were: 'The Arizona Supreme Court should follow the laws. They denied my appeals and petitions to change the outcome of this trial. I do and will always proclaim innocence. Now, lets do this s**t'. He is the first inmate to be put to death in Arizona in eight years, but the sixth in America to be executed this year. Troy Hayden, a FOX reporter who was present for Dixon's sentencing, said it went 'smoothly'. Clarence Dixon, 66, was executed via lethal injection in Florence, Arizona, on Wednesday Authorities said Ms Bowdoin, who was found dead in her apartment in Tempe, was raped, stabbed and strangled with a belt 'Once the drugs started flowing, he went to sleep almost immediately,' he said. Bowdoin's sister Leslie spoke after the execution. 'Today the process has been finalized. 43 and 20 - the number of hearings and the number of years I have attended since the indictment. 'We should have been able to grow old together. I wish you all could have known her,' she said afterwards. She added that she had 'no idea' it would take so long to execute the man who killed her sister. Bowdoin's sister Leslie spoke after the execution. 'Today the process has been finalized. 43 and 20 - the number of hearings and the number of years I have attended since the indictment. We should have been able to grow old together. I wish you all could have known her,' she said afterwards. The victim's sister became emotional as she said the execution didn't bring her closure, but brought an end to the legal saga that has lasted decades In recent weeks, Dixon's lawyers made arguments to the courts to postpone his execution, but judges rejected their claim that he was mentally unfit to be executed. Dixon declined the option of being executed in the gas chamber a method that has not been used in the US in more than two decades after Arizona refurbished its gas chamber in late 2020. The state's hiatus in executions was driven by an execution that critics say was botched and the difficulty of finding lethal injection drugs. The last time Arizona used the death penalty was in July 2014, when Joseph Wood was given 15 doses of a two-drug combination over two hours. Wood gasped more than 600 times before he died. States including Arizona have struggled to buy execution drugs in recent years after US and European pharmaceutical companies began blocking the use of their products in lethal injections. Bowdoin, who was found dead in her apartment in Tempe. She had been raped, stabbed and strangled with a belt. The execution chamber at the Arizona State Prison Complex- Florence - HU9 is shown in the screen grab from a video provided by the Arizona Department of Corrections March 4, 2015 Dixon, who was an ASU student at the time and lived across the street from Bowdoin, was charged with raping her but the charge was later dropped on statute-of-limitation grounds. He was convicted of killing her. In arguing their client was mentally unfit, Dixon's lawyers said he erroneously believed he was going to be executed because police at Northern Arizona University wrongfully arrested him in a previous case a 1985 attack on a 21-year-old student. His lawyers conceded he was in fact lawfully arrested then by Flagstaff police. Dixon was sentenced to life sentences in that case for sexual assault and other convictions. DNA samples taken while he was in prison later linked him to Ms Bowdoin's killing, which had been unsolved. Defence lawyers said Dixon has been diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia on multiple occasions, has regularly experienced hallucinations over the past 30 years and was found not guilty by reason of insanity in a 1977 assault case in which the verdict was delivered by then-Maricopa County superior court judge Sandra Day O'Connor, nearly four years before her appointment to the US supreme court. Bowdoin was killed two days after the verdict, according to court records. Another Arizona death-row prisoner, Frank Atwood, is scheduled to be executed on June 8 for the killing of eight-year-old Vicki Lynne Hoskinson in 1984. Authorities said Atwood kidnapped the girl, whose body was found in the desert north-west of Tucson. Arizona has 113 prisoners on death row. America's largest baby formula manufacturer warned it could take more than two months to get their products back on retail shelves once the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) gives the go to reopen its Michigan plant. Abbott Laboratories, which shut down its major plant in Sturgis, Michigan in February, announced Wednesday that with FDA approval the site could be restarted in two weeks. However, the manufacturer claims it will take another eight weeks before stocks of baby formula are replenished - a devastating blow for parents scrambling to find the product amid supply disruptions and Abbott's massive safety recall. 'We understand the situation is urgent getting Sturgis up and running will help alleviate this shortage,' the company said in a statement Wednesday. 'We would begin production of EleCare, Alimentum and metabolic formulas first and then begin production of Similac and other formulas. From the time we restart the site, it will take six to eight weeks before product is available on shelves.' The news comes amid a nationwide infant formula shortage and just hours after lawmakers on Capitol Hill announced the House Energy and Commerce Committee will hold a hearing in two weeks to address the 'increasingly alarming' situation. The House of Representatives panel, which is scheduled to meet May 25, did not name any company executives or other witnesses, but said it would release more details before the meeting. Meanwhile, Republican Sen. Mitt Romney slammed the FDA for 'risking the lives of infants across the nation' by forcing America's biggest baby formula plant to stay closed while desperate parents scramble to feed their children. Abbott Laboratories warned it could take more than two months to get their products back on retail shelves once the FDA gives the go to reopen its Michigan plant Abbott Laboratories, which shut down its major plant in Sturgis, Michigan (pictured) in February, announced that with FDA approval the site could be restarted in two weeks Abbott, after nearly three months of being shutdown, addressed the FDA's investigation into its plant on Wednesday. The regulatory agency concluded its inspection of the plant on March 18, according to Abbott, issuing a list of observations identifying where the company did not follow processes and could improve its systems and protocols. The manufacturer, announcing it formally responded to the FDA's report on April 8, said it takes the matter 'very seriously'. 'Even before our formal response, we had begun working to address these issues, implement improvements and take corrective action,' Abbott shared, noting officials started by reviewing and updating education, training and safety procedures for both employees and visitors. Plant officials also updated their protocols regarding water, cleaning and maintenance at the facility. The company says it 'immediately implemented' corrections to address the concerns raised by the FDA, adding they are aware their shut down and product recall had worsened the nationwide baby formula shortage. 'We've been seeing and hearing the stress and despair of parents who are facing empty shelves,' Abbott said. 'We deeply regret the situation and since the recall, we've been working to increase supply at our other FDA-registered facilities, including bringing in Similac from our site in Cootehill, Ireland, by air and producing more liquid Similac and Alimentum. 'We also began releasing metabolic formulas that were on hold earlier this month at FDA's request to those who need these unique formulas.' Abbott released a statement Wednesday detailing its response to the FDA's investigation of its plant. The company 'immediately implemented' corrections to address the agency's concerns Abbott's statement comes as about 40 percent of large retail stores are out of stock of baby formula, up from 31 percent in mid-April, according to Datasembly, a data analytics firm. More than half of U.S. states are seeing out-of-stock rates between 40 percent and 50 percent, according to the firm, which collects data from 11,000 locations. Retailers including Target, CVS and Walgreens have started limiting formula purchases to three containers per customer. Congress will hold a hearing to focus on the shortage's causes, efforts to increase production, and what action is needed 'to ensure access to safe formula across the nation,' the committee chair, Representative Frank Pallone, a Democrat, said in a statement. 'The nationwide infant formula shortages are increasingly alarming and demand Congress' immediate attention,' he said. White House spokesperson Karine Jean-Pierre on Wednesday also said it was a top priority to ensure that baby formula is available amid the shortage. 'This is an urgent issue that the FDA as you all know and the White House is working 24/7 to address they are committed to pulling every lever and are ready to making progress and getting more supply onto the market,' she said. Pallone said lawmakers stood ready to work with President Joe Biden's administration to resolve the shortage, although it is unclear what specific steps Congress or the White House can take to boost supplies near-term. About 40% of large retail stores are out of stock of baby formula, up from 31% in mid-April Texas, Tennessee, Missouri, Iowa, North Dakota and South Dakota, seemingly hardest hit by the shortages, reported out-of-stock rates of about 50% Meantime, Sen. Romney wants the FDA and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) to do more to ensure the availability of baby formula, citing 'serious implications of the current shortage on infant health,' and asked for an update on the investigation into the alleged contaminated formula that forced the recall and shutdown of the plant. 'The responsibility falls on the FDA and the USDA to protect infant health by ensuring they have access to safe formula,' Romney penned Tuesday in a letter to FDA Commissioner Robert Califf and Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack. 'Given the serious implications of the current shortage on infant health, I am deeply concerned about the apparent lack of an effective mitigation strategy and urge both agencies to move as fast as possible to safely resolve this situation.' The plant ceased operation nearly three months ago after a bacterial infection caused deaths of two children and other serious illnesses. Abbott has since denied its plant is responsible for the deaths. The manufacturer also issued a nationwide recall on its powder baby formulas in February, exacerbating months of spot shortages at pharmacies and supermarkets. Now, pediatricians, healthcare experts and politicians are urging the FDA to reopen the plant and distribute Abbott's formula to families in need. 'There's still some risk from the formula because we know there are problems at the plant and FDA hasn't identified a root cause,' said Sarah Sorscher of the Center for Science in the Public Interest. 'But it's worth releasing because these infants might die without it.' The FDA issued a statement to DailyMail.com on Tuesday, alleging it was working with U.S. manufacturers to increase their output and streamlining paperwork to allow more imports. An Abbott spokesperson also confirmed the manufacturer was 'doing everything we can to address the infant formula supply shortage,' which includes priorities production of formula products and importing products from the company's FDA-registered facility in Ireland on a daily basis. Abbott's statement came just hours after Rep. Frank Pallone (left) and other lawmakers on Capitol Hill announced the House Energy and Commerce Committee will hold a hearing in two weeks to address the 'increasingly alarming' formula shortage. The response also came after Sen. Mitt Romney (right) slammed the FDA for 'risking the lives of infants across the nation' Retailers including Target, CVS and Walgreens have begun limiting formula purchases to three containers per customer. An barren shelf meant to store formula is pictured Tuesday at a Target store in Tulsa, Oklahoma Sen. Romney argues the FDA and USDA have a 'responsibility' to mitigate the impacts of the shortage. 'Please provide a comprehensive update on the progress of the investigation, estimated timeline to completion, efforts to coordinate with other federal agencies, including the USDA, and any other authorities that may be necessary to help relieve the formula shortage,' he urged. 'Between the risk of ingesting contaminated formula, and the risk of malnutrition from an inability to receive said formula, the FDA is an exceedingly difficult position protecting infant health. 'I appreciate the FDAs efforts to support case-by-case release of essential product, but the pace of release is far slower than demand felt across our nation. In its attempt to balance safety from contaminated product and safe infant development through formula access, FDA is achieving neither objective.' The Republican legislator also criticized the quality of the FDA's inspections at the Abbott plant, citing instances of possible contamination dating back to 2019. 'I am alarmed to see documented instances of non-descript contamination in September 24, 2021, and inadequate sample testing to prove formula products met microbiological quality standards in 2019,' Romney wrote. Sen. Mitt Romney has questioned the FDA's inspection process and is demanding to know what steps were taken to ensure the 'contaminated products did not leave the facility' after initial inspections in 2019 and 2021 TIMELINE SHOWS HOW AMERICA'S LARGEST BABY FORMULA PLANT CEASED PRODUCTION Abbott Laboratories, the biggest baby formula supplier in the U.S., ceased production at its Michigan plant in February 2022 amid reports of fatal bacterial infections. A timeline of events shows reveals the shut down was the plant had previously been under scrutiny by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). September 2021: The FDA conducted a four-day inspection of the Abbott Laboratories plant in Sturgis, Michigan. The inspection report revealed the plant 'did not maintain' clean and sanitary conditions in at least one building that manufactured, processed, packaged or held baby formula. FDA officials also observed poor hand washing among Abbott plant staff who 'worked directly with infant formula.' The FDA also noted an instance of improper equipment maintenance and temperature control. October 2021: A whistleblower sends the FDA a 34-page document outlining potential concerns with the Sturgis plant. The document, which was made public by Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro in April 2022, was written by a former plant employee. The employee accused the plant of lax cleaning practices, falsifying records, releasing untested infant formula, and hiding information during an FDA audit in 2019, among other issues. January - March 2022: The FDA conducted multiple inspections at the Sturgis plant over the course of three months in 2022. A ten-page inspection report revealed multiple violations at the facility. The agency alleged the plant failed to ensure that all surfaces that contact infant formula were maintained to prevent cross-contamination. The report states the facility 'did not establish a system of process controls' to ensure the baby formula 'does not become adulterated due to the presence of microorganisms in the formula or the processing environment.' Officials also alleged the plant failed to disclose in an investigation report whether a health hazard existed at the facility. Additionally, the report stated plant workers were did not wear the 'necessary protective material' when working directly with infant formula. February 17: U.S. health officials urgently warn parents against using three popular baby formulas manufactured at the Abbott plant in Michigan. Investigators claim the products were recently linked to bacterial contamination after an infant died and three others fell ill. Abbott voluntarily recalled several major brands and shut down its Sturgis plant. The FDA also said it is investigating four reports of infants who were hospitalized after consuming the formula, including one who died. February 28: Abbott Laboratories expanded its recall of Similac baby formulas after a second infant who was exposed to the powdered baby formula died. April 15: Abbott releases a statement alleging it is working closely with the FDA to restart operations at the Sturgis plant. Week of April 24: The nationwide share of out-of-stock baby formula hit 40 percent. Texas, Tennessee, Missouri, Iowa, North Dakota and South Dakota, seemingly hardest hit by the shortages, reported out-of-stock rates of about 50 percent. May 10: Abbott releases a statement to DailyMail.com claiming 'thorough investigation' by the FDA and Abbott revealed 'infant formula produced at our Sturgis facility is not the likely source of infection in the reported cases and that there was not an outbreak caused by products from the facility'. Abbott claims they are 'working closely with the FDA to restart operations' at the plant, with the spokesperson noting: 'We continue to make progress on corrective actions and will be implementing additional actions as we work toward addressing items related to the recent recall'. The FDA told DailyMail.com it was holding discussions with 'Abbott and other manufacturers to increase production of different specialty and metabolic products' but refused to say when the Sturgis plant could reopen. Sen. Mitt Romney issued a letter to the FDA and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) urging leaders to address the formula shortage and work to prevent future threats to infant health. May 11: Lawmakers on Capitol Hill announce plans to hold a hearing in two weeks on infant formula shortages. Abbott announced it would take up to ten weeks for the company to get baby formula to retailers once the Sturgis plant reopens. Abbott also said: 'After a thorough review of all available data, there is no evidence to link our formulas to these infant illnesses.' Advertisement 'This documentation suggests FDAs routine inspection authority is insufficient to meet consumer safety demands, yet its hammer of near-shutdowns of facilities causes a ripple effect throughout the country.' The FDA, which claims Abbott failed to maintain sanitary conditions and procedures at its Michigan manufacturing plant that was linked to a cluster of infant Cronobacter sakazaki infections, published its initial inspection findings in March 2022. The findings showed the facility didnt maintain clean surfaces used in producing and handling the powdered formula. Additionally, inspectors found a history of contamination with the bacteria, including eight instances between fall 2019 and February of this year. An Abbott spokesperson told DailyMail.com Wednesday: 'After a thorough review of all available data, there is no evidence to link our formulas to these infant illnesses' Regardless, Romney has questioned the FDA's inspection process and is demanding to know what steps were taken to ensure the 'contaminated products did not leave the facility' after initial inspections in 2019 and 2021. Despite the results of the investigation and please from legislators, it remains unclear when Abbott's Michigan plant might reopen. The FDA said the company is still working 'to rectify findings related to the processes, procedures and conditions' but refused to say when the plant can resume operations. Other infant formula makers are 'meeting or exceeding capacity levels to meet current demand,' the agency stated Tuesday. Among other steps, the FDA said it was waiving enforcement of minor product labeling issues to increase availability of both U.S. and imported products. 'We recognize that many consumers have been unable to access infant formula and critical medical foods they are accustomed to using and are frustrated by their inability to do so. We are doing everything in our power to ensure there is adequate product available where and when they need it,' FDA Commissioner Robert M. Califf, M.D. told DailyMail.com in a statement. 'Ensuring the availability of safe, sole-source nutrition products like infant formula is of the utmost importance to the FDA. 'Our teams have been working tirelessly to address and alleviate supply issues and will continue doing everything within our authority to ensure the production of safe infant formula products.' For now, pediatricians and health workers are urging parents who can't find formula to contact food banks or doctor's offices. They warn against watering down formula to stretch supplies or using online DIY recipes. 'For babies who are not being breastfed, this is the only thing they eat,' said Dr. Steven Abrams, of the University of Texas, Austin. 'So it has to have all of their nutrition and, furthermore, it needs to be properly prepared so that it's safe for the smallest infants.' The shortages are especially dangerous for infants who require specialty formulas due to food allergies, digestive problems and other conditions. 'Unfortunately, many of those very specialized formulas are only made in the United States at the factory that had the recall, and that's caused a huge problem for a relatively small number of infants,' Abrams said. After hearing concerns from parents, the FDA said last month that Abbott could begin releasing some specialty formulas not affected by the recalls 'on a case-by-case basis.' The company is providing them free of charge, in coordination with physicians and hospitals. Food safety advocates say the FDA made the right call in releasing the formula, but that parents should talk to their pediatricians before using it. 'Always talk with your pediatrician if you have concerns about your baby's nutrition and feeding your baby,' Dr. Sarah Abrams, of Akron Children's Hospital in Ohio, told Fox News. 'Switch to other formula brands or types of formula,' she advised to parents struggling to find product. 'But talk to your pediatrician first, especially if your baby must use a hydrolyzed or amino acid-based formula.' The pediatrician also shared that due to the Abbott recall, parents have been fearful of that other brands of formula may have been contaminated. 'I have been told that due to the recall, [parents] were afraid to use the formula they had, even if it wasn't one that was recalled,' she explained. 'And if they do find formula, they worry about the limits of how much formula they can buy at one time. They are calling our office and we are helping them by reaching out to local formula representatives.' Baby formula is particularly vulnerable to disruptions because just a handful of companies account for almost the entire U.S. supply, analysts allege. Industry executives say the constraints began last year as the COVID-19 pandemic led to disruptions in ingredients, labor and transportation. Supplies were further squeezed by parents stockpiling during lockdowns. More than half of U.S. states are seeing out-of-stock rates between 40 percent and 50 percent, according to the firm, which collects data from 11,000 locations. This photo, taken Tuesday, shows a barren Walmart shelf meant to hold baby formula Then in February, Abbott recalled several major brands and shut down its Sturgis, Michigan, factory when federal officials concluded four babies suffered bacterial infections after consuming formula from the facility. Two of the infants died. When FDA inspectors visited the plant in March they found lax safety protocols and traces of the bacteria on several surfaces. None of the bacterial strains matched those collected from the infants, however, and the FDA hasn't offered an explanation for how the contamination occurred. For its part, Abbott says its formula 'is not likely the source of infection,' though the FDA says its investigation continues. Abbott said Tuesday they are 'working closely with the FDA to restart operations' at the plant, with the spokesperson on Tuesday noting: 'We continue to make progress on corrective actions and will be implementing additional actions as we work toward addressing items related to the recent recall'. A nearly empty baby formula display shelf is seen Sunday at a Target store in Orlando, Florida Advertisement Thousands of Palestinians tonight chanted in support of Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh who was shot dead while covering a raid in Israel's West Bank on Wednesday morning. Her was body carried through the city of Ramallah, with thousands chanting 'thank you, dear Shireen', as calls mounted for an independent investigation into the killing of the veteran journalist. Pictures showed a huge crowd gathered in the city as Abu Akleh's body, draped in a Palestinian flag', was carried ahead of a full state memorial for her Palestinian presidential compound that is organised for tomorrow. Abu Akleh, 51, who was a Christian and well-known Palestinian television personality with American citizenship, was killed during a raid in the occupied West Bank town of Jenin early Wednesday. Amid conflicting reports, Al Jazeera put the blame for her death at the feet of Israel's security force, the IDF. The IDF, meanwhile, blamed Palestinian gunfire. The Qatar-based broadcaster said she was shot 'deliberately' and 'in cold blood' by Israeli troops while wearing a press vest and helmet. Al Jazeera said in a statement that 'the Israeli occupation forces assassinated in cold blood Al Jazeera's correspondent in Palestine'. In a statement on its channel, it called on the international community to 'condemn and hold the Israeli occupation forces accountable for deliberately targeting and assassinating our colleague, Shireen Abu Akleh.' Meanwhile, the IDF said it is 'investigating the event and looking into the possibility that the journalists were hit by the Palestinian gunmen.' 'She may have been shot by Palestinians,' IDF spokesperson Ran Kochav said. 'She was very close to them. But if soldiers were responsible, we will have to apologise if a mistake was made.' Israel's Defence Minister Benny Gantz appeared to distance himself from earlier remarks by Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, who had said it was 'likely' that Abu Akleh was killed by stray Palestinian gunfire. 'Our initial findings from the investigation cannot indicate what gunfire was directed at Shireen and cannot exclude any option under this operational chaos', Gantz said, briefing reporters late on Wednesday. He said Palestinian gunmen in Jenin were firing from 'multiple directions. We are not certain how she was killed,' Gantz added, adding that Abu Akleh's death was a 'a serious loss.' Another Palestinian journalist, Ali Al Samoudi, working for the Jerusalem-based Al-Quds newspaper, was wounded but in stable condition, according to the Palestinian health ministry. Samudi later said no Palestinian fighters were nearby, stressing that otherwise 'we would not have gone into the area'. Thousands of Palestinians tonight chanted in support of Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh who was shot dead while covering a raid in the West Bank on Wednesday. Her was body carried through the city of Ramallah (pictured) Palestinians carry the body of Al Jazeera reporter Shireen Abu Akleh, who was killed in an Israeli raid, in Ramallah, in the Israeli-occupied West Bank May 11, 2022 Palestinians carry the flag-draped body of veteran Al-Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh as it is carried toward the offices of the news channel in the West Bank city of Ramallah, on May 11, 2022 Mourners carry the body of Al Jazeera reporter Shireen Abu Akleh, who was killed by gunfire during an Israeli raid, during her funeral in West Bank city of Jenin on May 11, 2022 Palestinians carry the body of Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh during her funeral in the West Bank city of Nablus Palestinian journalists protest the death of veteran Al-Jazeera journalist, Shireen Abu Akleh, at the the Church of the Nativity in the West Bank city of Bethlehem, 11 May 2022 The body of slain Al Jazeera reporter Shireen Abu Akleh, 51, lies on the ground while her colleague, Shatha Hanaysheh, covers her mouth in shock as firing continues Well-known Palestinian television personality Shireen Abu Akleh, 51, (pictured) from Jerusalem, was killed during a raid on the occupied West Bank town of Jenin early Wednesday A young man from the area braves what seems to be continual sniper fire to attend to Abu Akleh's body The European Union urged an 'independent' investigation while the United States' envoy to the UN, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, demanded the killing be 'transparently investigated', calls also made by UN human rights chief Michelle Bachelet. Israel has offered to participate in a joint investigation with the Palestinian Authority, and Gantz urged the PA to provide the army with the bullet that killed Abu Akleh. Gantz told reporters that Israel was seeking the findings of the Palestinian autopsy, conducted in Nablus earlier Wednesday. There was no indication on whether Palestinian officials were prepared to cooperate with Israel in an investigation. Rayyan Ali, a forensic pathologist at Al Najah University in Nablus where the autopsy was conducted, told reporters 'it is not possible to make any statement about who bears responsibility,' because details of the weapon and ammunition used had not been fully examined by experts. Abu Akleh, who joined Al Jazeera in 1997 and whose coverage of the conflict was revered across Palestinian society, will receive a full state memorial at the Palestinian presidential compound in Ramallah on Thursday. Her was body carried through the city on Wednesday evening, with thousands chanting 'thank you, dear Shireen.' The Israeli army has stepped up operations in Jenin, a historic flashpoint in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, in recent weeks. Several of the suspects blamed for deadly attacks on Israelis were from the area. Witnesses in Jenin said that the Israeli army had been targeting the home of an Islamist operative, with an apartment's heavy metal door blown off its hinges. Majid Awais, a witness, told AFP that Abu Akleh 'turned in panic' when she saw her colleague Samudi was shot, and that she was struck by the fatal bullet moments later. An AFP photographer reported that Israeli forces were firing in the area, and that he then saw Abu Akleh's body lying on the ground, with no Palestinian gunmen visible at the time. The Qatar-based broadcaster blamed Israeli forces, saying Abu Akleh was shot 'deliberately' and 'in cold blood' by Israeli troops while wearing a press vest and helmet A sand sculpture reads 'Shireen Abu Akleh', for the Al Jazeera reporter who was killed in an Israeli raid in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, on a beach in Gaza City May 11, 2022 A woman lights a candle in front of a poster depicting veteran Al-Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh, who was shot dead while covering an Israeli army raid in Jenin, at the the Church of the Nativity in the West Bank biblical city of Bethlehem Palestinian journalists protest against the killing of Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh in front of the office of Al-Jazeera news in Gaza City, 11 May 2022 Women light candles in memory of veteran Al-Jazeera Palestinian journalist Shireen Abu Akleh, at the the Church of the Nativity in the West Bank city of Bethlehem, 11 May 2022 In video footage of the incident, Abu Akleh can be seen wearing a blue flak jacket clearly marked with the word 'PRESS.' She is shown lying prone on the ground as gunfire continues. Another journalist is shown taking cover against a wall, clearly distressed. A man, who appears to be a citizen wearing a white T-shirt and jeans, takes the second journalist to safety and attempts to check on Abu Akleh. Journalist Mujahed Al-Saadi, who accompanied Abu Akleh to cover the Jenin raid, told Reuters that they were being 'targeted' by the Israeli army after having identified themselves as press. 'I turned and found Shireen on the ground in the first few seconds. I found Shatha [Hanaysheh] shielding herself by a tree and screaming with the shooting, and we were telling each other we were being shot at,' he said. 'The shooting continued for more than 3 minutes on the teams that were there, Ali was injured, he was able to cross the street and get to a point of safety, and the shooting continued. 'The last person that the sniper saw was taking refuge under a tree, our colleague Shatha Hanaysheh, the shooting towards her continued while she was standing under the tree, and we could not provide first aid to Shireen. 'The boys came to us, the ones that were in the street, who were trying to pull Shireen out, were also shot at, whenever any one moved forward they were shot at.' Journalists escort the body of veteran Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Aqleh, who was shot dead by Israeli troops as she covered a raid on the West Bank's Jenin refugee camp this morning Journalists mourn over the body of veteran Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Aqleh. In video footage of the incident, Abu Akleh can be seen wearing a blue flak jacket clearly marked with the word 'PRESS' A medical worker covers the body of veteran Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh. Al Jazeera put the blame for her death at the feet of Israeli security forces, who said it is 'investigating the event and looking into the possibility that the journalists were hit by the Palestinian gunmen' The Israeli army confirmed that its forces had carried out an operation in a Jenin refugee camp on Wednesday morning, in a region known to be a stronghold of Palestinian armed groups in the northern West Bank. It firmly denied, however, that it had deliberately targeted journalists. 'The (army) of course does not aim at journalists,' a military official told AFP. 'There is an ongoing inquiry into this event. We offered and want to conduct a joint investigation with the Palestinians.' The army said that during its operation in the camp, 'massive fire was shot toward Israeli forces by tens of armed Palestinian gunmen'. People in the camp 'also hurled explosive devices toward the soldiers, endangering their lives. The soldiers responded with fire toward the sources of the fire and explosive devices. Hits were identified.' The Israeli Foreign Ministry put out a short video on Twitter of IDF soldiers firing and a text over reading: 'Palestinian terrorists, firing indiscriminately, are likely to have hit Al-Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Aqla'. Israel's Foreign Minister Yair Lapid said it had proposed to the Palestinian Authority a joint pathological investigation into the reporter's death. 'Journalists must be protected in conflict zones and we all have a responsibility to get to the truth,' he tweeted. Abu Akleh's death came nearly a year after an Israeli air strike destroyed a Gaza building that housed the offices of Al Jazeera and news agency AP. Tensions have risen in recent months as Israel has grappled with a wave of attacks which has killed at least 18 people since March 22, including an Arab-Israeli police officer and two Ukrainians. A total of 31 Palestinians and three Israeli Arabs have died during the same period, according to an AFP tally, among them perpetrators of attacks and those killed by Israeli security forces in West Bank operations. In the latest unrest targeting Israeli forces, a West Bank Palestinian attempted to stab a police officer in Jerusalem's Old City late Wednesday. Officers opened fire, leaving the attacker with serious injuries, police said. The latest Palestinian death was an 18-year-old killed by Israeli troops during clashes near Ramallah on Wednesday. The army said its forces had used rubber bullets to suppress unrest. Shireen Abu Akleh's press colleague, Shatha Hanaysheh, is consoled by another colleague after the raid on a refugee camp in Jenin, in the north West Bank Mourners and masked armed men carry the body of veteran Al Jazeera Palestinian journalist Shireen Abu Aqleh, shot and killed this morning during an Israeli raid in Jenin Shireen Abu Aqleh was well known across Palestine and the occupied territories, having joined Al Jazeera in 1997 and appeared on television regularly reported from across the Palestinian territories. The Palestinian Authority, which administers parts of the occupied West Bank and cooperates with Israel on security matters, condemned what it said was a 'shocking crime' committed by Israeli forces. Abu Akleh, 51, was born in Jerusalem. She began working for Al-Jazeera in 1997 and regularly reported on-camera from across the Palestinian territories. Israel has carried out near-daily raids in the occupied West Bank in recent weeks amid a series of deadly attacks inside Israel, many of them carried out by Palestinians from in and around Jenin. The town, and particularly its refugee camp, has long been known as a militant bastion. Israelis have long been critical of Al-Jazeera's coverage, but authorities generally allow its journalists to operate freely. Another Al-Jazeera reporter, Givara Budeiri, was briefly detained last year during a protest in Jerusalem and treated for a broken hand, which her employer blamed on rough treatment by police. Relations between Israeli forces and the media, especially Palestinian journalists, is strained. A number of Palestinian reporters have been wounded by rubber-coated bullets or tear gas while covering demonstrations in the West Bank. A Palestinian journalist in Gaza was shot and killed by Israeli forces while filming violent protests along the Gaza frontier in 2018. Another journalist working for a local Gaza radio station, who was shot on the same day at Gaza frontier, died a week later In November 2018, Associated Press reporter Rashed Rashid was covering a protest near the Gaza frontier when he was shot in the left ankle, apparently by Israeli fire. Rashid was wearing protective gear that clearly identified him as a journalist, and was standing with a crowd of other journalists some 600 meters (660 yards) away from the Israeli border when he was hit. The military has never acknowledged the shooting. During last year's war between Israel and Gaza's militant Hamas rulers, an Israeli airstrike destroyed the building in Gaza City housing the offices of The Associated Press and Al-Jazeera. Residents were warned to evacuate and no one was hurt in the strike. Israel said Hamas was using the building as a command center but has provided no evidence. Actor Andy Dick was arrested on Wednesday for felony sexual battery after an man claimed the funnyman sexually assaulted him at a campground. Police from the Orange County Sheriff's Department swarmed his modest trailer parked at California's O'Neill Regional Park and the moment was broadcast on Captain Content's RV livestream, TMZ reported. Dressed in a gray hoodie and black joggers, Dick was hauled away in handcuffs before being placed inside a patrol car. Dick had reportedly been living in an RV with a group of livestreamers when law enforcement arrived. During the police ambush, sheriff's deputies were seen entering Dick's trailer and searching it after he was placed into custody. Police from the Orange County Sheriff's Department swarmed his modest trailer parked at California's O'Neill Regional Park Officers are seen here handcuffing Dick before placing him in the patrol car The moment was broadcast on Captain Content's RV livestream Dressed in a gray hoodie and black joggers, Dick was hauled away in handcuffs before being placed inside a patrol car Over the decades, Dick has been open about his alcohol and drug abuse, and has had a string of arrests that have made news headlines Last month, Las Vegas police conducted a welfare check at the home the comedian was staying in, after a man he was with pulled a gun during an argument that was featured on a live feed, TMZ reported. According to the news outlet, fans of Dick were concerned and believed the actor's life was in danger, but when police arrived, Dick told them he was fine and said authorities he wanted to stay. Over the decades, Dick has been transparent about his alcohol and drug abuse, and have had a string of arrests that have made news headlines. In November 2021, Dick was arrested for felony domestic battery after he allegedly hit his boyfriend in the head with a liquor bottle. According to police, Dick and his boyfriend had been at his home when they got into a heated argument that quickly turned physical. When police were called, they determined there was enough evidence to arrest the comedian, as his boyfriend was allegedly bleeding from a sizable wound on his head. Dick was released after he posted $50,000 bond. In October 2021, Dick was arrested for allegedly hitting his boyfriend in the face with a frying pan. In June 2021, the actor was arrested for assault with a deadly weapon for allegedly attacking a male partner with a metal chair. Dick also made his $50,000 bail after that altercation. In 2019, the actor was sentenced to 14 days in jail after being convicted of sexual battery for allegedly squeezing a woman's rear end. He was released after a single night due to jail overcrowding. A mugshot of comedian Andy Dick taken in 2011 Last month, Las Vegas police conducted a welfare check at the home the comedian was staying in, after a man he was with, pulled a gun during an argument that was featured on a live feed, TMZ reported. The same year, he was seen on video being slammed to the ground after he got into a fight with an Uber Eats driver while seemingly intoxicated. He previously pleaded not guilty to one count of misdemeanor sexual battery in April 2018 after he allegedly groped an Uber driver's crotch. Dick's estranged wife Lena Sved received a domestic violence restraining order against him in 2018, which required him to move out of their home and remain 100 yards away from her and their adult children: Lucas, 33, Jacob, 27, and Meg, 24. In 2012, he was arrested for allegedly grabbing a 17-year-old girl's top and pulling it down to expose her breasts. He was later found with marijuana and pleaded guilty to misdemeanor drug and battery charges, for which he was sentenced to three years of probation. In 2010, he was arrested for allegedly grabbing a man's genitals while intoxicated at a West Virginia bar. In 2007, Dick groped Ivanka Trump during an interview on Jimmy Kimmel Live and was pulled off stage by Kimmel's security staff. Daryl Hannah will not be called to give evidence against disgraced movie producer Harvey Weinstein, a judge in Los Angeles ruled Wednesday. The actress was on a list of 16 potential witnesses the prosecution wanted to call in Weinstein's sex assault case due to be heard later this year. But after hearing fierce protests from the former Hollywood big shot's attorney, Judge Lisa Lench reduced the number of additional 'victims' she will allow to six. She identified four of them identified as Natassia, Kelly S, Miss I and Miriam H and told the prosecution it could choose two more. But Hannah, who claimed Weinstein had banged on her hotel door, forcing her to leave through a window, and McGowan will not be among those called, Variety reported. Calling 16 more women none of whom has proven their cases in court is a 'cynical ploy to overwhelm the court,' said Weinstein's lawyer, Mark Werksman who accused prosecutors of trying to portray the 69 year-old as an 'all-purpose, all weather, 24-7 rapist.' He called the large number of extra alleged victims whose stories of assault by Weinstein span a 45 years period and places ranging from New York to Canada to France 'mind-numbing, preposterous and ridiculously prejudicial.' Prosecutors in Harvey Weinstein's case asked a judge to allow 16 more alleged victims to testify today. He's pictured at a 2019 court hearing One of the alleged victims who the prosecution wanted to call as a witness to support the sexual assault allegations is movie star Daryl Hannah, but she will not be testifying Defense lawyer Mark Werksman described Daryl Hannah as 'America's sweetheart, the mermaid from Splash!' 'Nobody is going to remember who did what to whom, when, where and why,' added Werksman. 'It's totally irrelevant, totally unnecessary.' He described the prosecution's bid to bring the 'unproven' testimony of so many more alleged victims into the trial as a 'kamikaze' tactic. 'Sure, it could get a conviction, but it would also be certain to get a reversal on appeal.' Weinstein in a wheelchair and wearing brown prison overalls, plus blue mask and clutching a book with a red cover was pushed by sheriff's deputies into LA's downtown criminal court today with his hands in shackles. Judge Lisa Lench (pictured) reduced the number of additional 'victims' she will allow to six At one point in the hearing he started whispering intently with Werksman who then told the court that his client had reminded him that he 'absolutely denies each and every allegation' of the 16 women prosecutors wanted to call as witnesses. The LA charges against him include rape, sexual battery, forced oral copulation and forced sexual penetration involving five un-named women between 2004 and 2013 Weinstein, 70, already entered not guilty pleas on all 11 charges when he appeared in court in LA last July after being extradited from New York where he's serving a 23-year prison sentence for rape and sexual assault of two women. If he's convicted of the LA charges, the man whose actions helped spark the #MeToo movement is looking at a maximum total sentence of 140 years in prison. Most of the alleged crimes happened at LA area hotels where New York-based Weinstein who insists that any sexual activity was consensual was staying during visits to Hollywood. As for the other 16 women, all have been identified by prosecutors by first names only, though one, named 'Daryl' was clearly identified by Werksman on Wednesday as Daryl Hannah, blonde-haired star of the 1984 movie Splash! Describing her as 'America's sweetheart, the mermaid from Splash!' Werksman said that Daryl's testimony only amounted to an 'unproven' account of Weinstein banging on her hotel door at the Cannes Film Festival in France and scaring her into thinking that 'he was going to come in and ravish her' so she 'crept out of a window to escape.' The Weinstein stories of the other 15 women included one who claimed he 'dragged her kicking and screaming, caveman-style' into a hot-tub and performed oral sex on her, the attorney said. Another claimed to have been raped, then returned to Weinstein's hotel room to find him in bed with another woman and when he invited her to join in a threesome, she refused, added Werksman Rose McGowan has been one of Harvey Weinstein's most prominent accusers, but she will not be called to give evidence in his upcoming trial, a judge ruled. They are pictured together in 2007 McGowan alleges Weinstein assaulted her in 1997 at the Sundance Film Festival in 1997, but the judge ruled no evidence before 2000 should be presented at his upcoming case The disgraced movie producer is accused of 11 sexual assaults against five women Other stories ranged from women saying they were forced to watch as he masturbated, to being forced to perform oral sex on him, to attempted rape, he said. Deputy district attorney Paul Thompson argued that the evidence of the 16 other women was important because it showed Weinstein's 'MO' (modus operandi) and their experiences provided a 'high level of similarity' with the charges Weinstein is facing in LA. But Werksman countered, saying that the prosecution's aim with this long list of 'vile uncharged acts' was to 'make the jury hate Mr. Weinstein'. Allowing these extra women on the witness stand would be 'irrelevant, inflammatory and unnecessary,' he added. 'We have a large abundance of witness already in the 11 charges in Los Angeles. Weinstein's lawyer Mark Werksman said that calling 16 more women none of whom has proven their cases in court is a 'cynical ploy to overwhelm the court' '(Prosecutors) are wasting our time. It's a big feint - and your honor should not stand for it.' Judge Lench told him, 'I am not going to allow all of them (the 16 additional alleged victims). The number of them is going to confuse the jury.' She ruled that all of the pre-2000 alleged victims except for one, should be excluded, leaving six she will allow to testify. Rose McGowan's allegation against him dates from 1997 when she claimed he assaulted her at the Sundance Film Festival in Utah. The judge set a June 10 date for another hearing where arrangements will be finalized for Weinstein's trial, expected to start in mid to late September. Last December attorney Werksman tried to get all the LA charges thrown out, filing a motion arguing that the grand jury which indicted his client had been 'manipulated' by prosecutors who had presented 'weak, lame, false and misleading' evidence supported by 'pseudo -scientific' testimony from expert witnesses. But Judge Lench denied the motion telling the court that she felt prosecutors 'did not manipulate the grand jury' and saying that she 'did not find irregularities' in the evidence prosecutors presented to the grand jury. And she ruled that 'there is sufficient evidence to support the charges.' At the December hearing, Werksman, claimed there were inconsistencies in the grand jury testimony of the victims Jane Does 1 through 5 and all of them continued to communicate with Weinstein after the alleged sex assaults. Jane Doe 1 described a sexual act that was 'physically impossible,' said Werksman. Jane Doe 2 went back to see Weinstein the day after she claimed he sexually assaulted her, he added. Jane Doe 3 is a masseuse 'who agreed to let him masturbate in front of her' in exchange for him helping her Hollywood career ambitions, Werksman told the court. Jane Doe 4 'faked an orgasm,' said Werksman, so how was Weinstein to know 'that she was not consenting to a sexual act. 'She testified that she acquiesced to sex because she felt she had to because of the possible affect on her career if she didn't.' Jane Doe 5, he added, ''agreed to get get undressed and get in a shower with a man she claimed had previously raped her and let him rub shower gel on her naked body.' Werksman slammed a 1,000-page medical report prosecutors presented to the grand jury, calling it 'incomprehensible gobbledygook.' And he attacked the two medical experts the prosecution called as witnesses, saying the grand jury was 'bludgeoned' by their 'preposterous' testimony. Prosecutor Paul Thompson denied Werksman's claims, saying, 'We did not say anything incorrect to the grand jury,' and accusing his opposing counsel of 'misrepresenting' the evidence that was put before the grand jury. 'The grand jury was instructed on the law..on what constituted consent. And the grand jury indicted.' Jane Doe 3 'told him to stop,' Thompson said. 'Jane Doe 4 was trembling, shaking and crying.when he was assaulting her. 'Jane Doe 5 thought he had the power to destroy her career. So she got in the shower with him. That is not voluntary. That is why the grand jury indicted.' Werksman (pictured in court with Weinstein) slammed a 1,000-page medical report prosecutors presented to the grand jury, calling it 'incomprehensible gobbledygook' At an earlier hearing, Werksman, was granted a request for a medical evaluation of the former film mogul who is reportedly suffering from spinal stenosis and is blind in one eye. Weinstein who is being held at the Twin Towers jail in downtown Los Angeles used his medical ailments as a reason to hold up his extradition to LA for many months. And outside that July 21 hearing, women's rights lawyer Gloria Allred, who represents one of Weinstein's New York victims and two of his alleged victims in LA, scorned the delaying tactics in an interview with DailyMail.com. 'I am happy that this day has come and I'm looking for a fair trial here in Los Angeles,' she said. 'Mr. Weinstein and his defense have been delaying his extradition to Los Angeles for a long time,' she said. 'But he finally ran out of excuses. 'It's absurd that he claimed he needed to stay in New York because he needed medical care. We have excellent medical care here in LA. 'I think that it's important for him to face trial here in LA because some of his victims here have not had their day in court. 'Justice may have been delayed in Los Angeles, but it's not going to be denied,' she added. Two men have been left with potentially life-threatening injuries after scaffolding attached to a town hall collapsed in west London. Dozens of police, fire and ambulance vehicles were at Hammersmith Town Hall in King Street after being alerted to the incident at just before 5.45pm on Wednesday. The Metropolitan Police said the men were taken to a central London hospital, and the Health and Safety Executive has been informed. Two men are fighting for their lives in hospital after being injured after scaffolding on a town hall collapsed at a building site in West London The force told MyLondon: 'An investigation has been launched after two men were injured after scaffolding attached to Hammersmith town hall collapsed late on Wednesday afternoon. 'Officers from the Metropolitan Police attended along with firefighters.' Hammersmith and Fulham Council said the incident occurred at a construction site run by Ardmore Construction Limited, where work is taking place. It said on Twitter: 'King Street (W6) is temporarily closed to motorists between Dalling Rd and Hammersmith Broadway. 'Emergency services are attending to an incident in the area. 'Please avoid King St and the surrounding area where possible. 'We will update once King St reopens.' Queensland is being battered by a huge storm that claimed the life a woman who disappeared in floodwaters. Rainfall records tumbled as rising floodwaters swamped roads and bridges as the dangerous weather system tracked southeast across the central Queensland coast. Floodwaters killed a woman north of Mackay when her car was swept from a causeway on Wednesday morning. The bulk of the rain will be in Queensland on Wednesday along the state's mid-north coast but is forecast to spread further south into NSW and Victoria by Thursday (pictured) Two other passengers, a man and woman, escaped with minor injuries. While the far west starts to dry out, the Bureau of Meteorology warns the rain will continue to fall. Heavy downpours and possible thunderstorms are forecast for the central, southern and southeast regions of Queensland on Thursday. Weatherzone warned the system could dump three to five months worth of rain in some parts of the state. 'These could produce damaging wind gusts and also intense rainfall that could lead to life-threatening flash flooding,' meteorologist Christie Johnson said. 'Moving into Friday, we see the focus move to the southeast and, after that, the system moves away to the east and conditions improve on the weekend.' Rainfall totals across the east of the state were generally between 50-70 mm, with areas between the Daintree and Mackay, the Sunshine Coast and Central Queensland recording more than 100mm on Wednesday. Three people in a ute (pictured) were swept off a causeway near Mackay on Wednesday with one woman unable to be rescued Brisbane (pictured) is set to be drenched with locals urged not to travel unless necessary as there will likely be disruptions caused by the weather event A major flood warning is current for the Haughton River and a moderate flood warning is current for the Bohle River. Beaches on the Gold and Sunshine coast are expected to stay closed with dangerous surf and huge swell along the coastline. Sydneysiders can also expect to see rain as they finish their working week before the system eases off heading into the weekend. 'We are expecting rainfall today,' a Bureau of Meteorology meteorologist said. 'It's already started to shower a bit, with totals expected to reach 10-20mm today. Sydneysiders will finish off their working week with rain before the wet weather eases over the weekend 'The system that's bringing that rainfall will continue moving over Sydney tomorrow. 'There will be a shower or to but move away later in the day with conditions improving into the afternoon and evening. 'Then the weekend's looking pretty good with a slight chance of showers on Saturday and Sunday.' The NSW coast is predicted to be battered by heavy winds on Friday and Saturday. The BoM has issued a Marine Wind Warning for the Byron Coast, Coffs Coast, Macquarie Coast, Hunter Coast, Sydney Coast, Illawarra Coast, Batemans Coast, and Eden Coast. The BoM has issued a Marine Wind Warning for several regions off the NSW coast including the Sydney Coast, Illawarra Coast, and Batemans Coast Melbourne is forecast for a grey weekend with high chances of low rainfall heading into next week. 'Melbourne could get a shower today,' the BoM meteorologist said. 'We're right on the bottom of the weather system that's affecting Queensland and NSW.' 'A cold front will move through Melbourne on the weekend, so we'll see showers on Saturday and hang around on Sunday. 'The coolest of that air will start to come in on Monday and Tuesday, with showers expected each day.' Perth residents some drizzle in coming days as heavy rainfall eases on Thursday into light showers over the weekend. Melbourne is forecast for a grey weekend with high chances of low rainfall heading into next week Lucky Darwin residents will have a chance to soak up the sun from Sunday and heading into next week Cloudy weather is settling in over Adelaide but no rain is expected until Saturday, with a maximum rainfall of 3mm forecast. Thursday's clouds will partially leave Hobart on Friday before light showers set in Saturday through to next week. The grey skies are predicted to be paired with cold temperatures with a low of 9C expected on Friday. Canberra's rain on Thursday will ease into showers over the weekend before moving away Sunday night. Darwin will see a cloudy start to the weekend before the sunshine moves in on Sunday and sticks around through to next Tuesday. The sunny weather will see maximum temperatures reach the low thirties and lows sit comfortably in the low twenties. A kindergarten has been destroyed and a church severely damaged after a massive fire erupted Up to 60 firefighters arrived at the Presbyterian church on Punt Road in the Melbourne suburb of South Yarra about 6.30am on Thursday to find the church completely engulfed by flames. Several crews worked to control the blaze at Christ Church Grammar School, an independent primary school in Melbourne's inner-east. The 'intense' fire is believed to started inside the church before spreading to an early learning centre attached to the grammar school. A massive fire has erupted at a building in the Melbourne suburb of South Yarra (pictured) South Yarra Primary School was in close proximity to the flames but appears to be unaffected thanks to 'remarkable' efforts by firefighters. Residents in a 1km radius of the flames were told to close all exterior doors and windows to protect from smoke and flying embers. Images of the scene show towering flames as tall as buildings and large clouds of black smoke billowing from the scene in the city's southeast. Footage from above the blackened church shows the roof had been completely destroyed by the blaze. Witness Diana described the flames as 'really, really big'. 'They're about 10 storeys high,' she told 3AW. Incident controller Mitch Simons said the rear of the church was extensively damaged while the front section remained mostly intact. 'It was a really intense fire,' he told 9NEWS, adding the cause was still unknown 'Flames were leaping up into the air quite high.' Fire South Yarra pic.twitter.com/QZvH7TPIt3 Michael Pivac (@mpivac) May 11, 2022 Reports suggest crews are still working to extinguish a blaze at an early learning centre at Christ Church Grammar School (pictures is the scene in South Yarra on Thursday morning) Fire Rescue Victoria said firefighters were able to stop the flames spreading to the front section of the large L-shaped church. 'The rear section and roof of the building has sustained extensive damaged,' it said, adding the fire had been declared under control just after 8am. It is understood two firefighters were injured while fighting the blaze with Ambulance Victoria treating one patient at the scene. One suffered a hand injury from a burst hose, while the other had heat stress. Victoria Ambulance said one person was assessed on the scene but was not taken to hospital. A Christ Church Grammar School employee told the Today show the building had recently been renovated. He believes no one would have been inside the building when the fire took hold. Up to 60 firefighters arrived on the scene of the blaze at about 6:30am on Thursday, with a school believed to be in the vicinity of the fire. A watch and act alert was issued for residents in Albert Park, Cremorne, Melbourne, Prahran, Richmond, South Melbourne, South Yarra, and Windsor. The fire caused major delays along Chapel Street with Punt Road closed between Toorak Road and Commercial Road. Motorists were advised to alternatively use St Kilda Road or Chapel Street as VicRoads monitor congestion and public transport movements. Residents in a 1km radius were told to avoid the area. Firefighters will stay on the scene on Thursday to ensure the fire does not reignite with smoke expected to linger in the area for days. An MP has revealed that she was threatened with gang rape by fellow students while at Cambridge University. Labour's Stella Creasy said this was just one instance in a two-year sexual harassment campaign waged by a group of young men at Magdalene College in the 1990s. The MP said college authorities 'admonished' her instead of punishing her abusers when she made a complaint. Stella Creasy says she was threatened with gang rape as part of a two-year sexual harassment campaign while she was a student at Cambridge University Miss Creasy, then about 19 and now 45, said she remains 'terrified' of seeing the men, who have gone on to become doctors, civil servants and 'high-fliers'. The MP, who represents Walthamstow in London, said a culture of 'privilege and entitlement' is behind the recent 'Pestminster' allegations and warned it is not unique to Parliament. Miss Creasy, a campaigner for women's rights including fighting for maternity leave for MPs, said her sexual harassment was from 1996 to 1998. It included abusive posters when she ran for the role of president of the college student council. The Labour MP said when she made a complaint she was 'admonished' by college authorities instead of punishing the abusers The mother of two said: 'I'll never forget the night that I was in a room with them all and they threatened to gang rape me, let alone the posters that they put up around the college when I had the temerity to stand for a position in the student union, telling people not to vote for me because of who I'd slept with.' The former social and political sciences student said sexual harassment remains a big issue in universities, adding: 'I tell you that because I think that culture isn't unique to Parliament, where there's privilege and entitlement, and, frankly, it's always the men that people think are least likely to do it who are involved in it.' In an interview on GB News with broadcaster and former Labour MP Gloria De Piero, Miss Creasy said: 'I'm in my mid-40s now and it's the first time I've really felt even willing to talk about it. It was terrifying at the time, I'm terrified I'll ever run into those young men again. Ms Creasy said the authorities at Cambridge University, pictured, 'admonished' her when she reported the abuse 'And I say that because, several years after I left university, I did exactly that I walked into a bar and they were all sat there, and I collapsed inside and left as soon as I could.' Cambridge University apologised to Miss Creasy for her 'horrific ordeal' and said: 'In recent years the university has taken significant steps in order to provide support for victims of sexual misconduct, to improve systems for reporting any incidents, and to take action as a result.' Washington should not squeeze Manila into US-China competition By Global Times editorial (Global Times) 08:43, May 11, 2022 According to Philippine media, Ferdinand Marcos Jr., son of former Philippine president Ferdinand Marcos, cemented a landslide election victory over Vice President Leni Robredo. Furthermore, his running mate, Sara Duterte, daughter of incumbent President Rodrigo Duterte, also won the vice presidential election. Because of their close policy philosophy, Philippine media outlets said the two would form "joined forces" and predicted that the new administration would most likely continue Duterte's relatively pragmatic and balanced style. US and Western public opinion generally labeled it as "the most important election in the Philippines over the four decades," and believe that the election result will affect the direction of the Philippines on Washington's "Indo-Pacific chessboard." They have tried to interfere and guide the Philippine electoral agenda from the very beginning of the election. For example, they simply and rudely categorize candidates as "pro-US" and "pro-China," underlining that this is a "contest of values," and hyping that all candidates except Marcos Jr. are "in tough stance" on issues of the South China Sea. These "hints" are so stark that they almost lecture Filipino voters how to vote. Marcos Jr. made it clear that he would not lean to either China or the US, and would only be "pro-Philippines." He has repeatedly expressed his desire to develop relations with China, called for a solution to the South China Sea issue through dialogue and described China as a "friend." These remarks suggesting his reluctance of taking sides have stimulated some forces in the US and the West. As a result, some US and Western media outlets labeled him as the "son of a dictator." After Marcos Jr. secured the win, they warned that "kowtowing to China" would put the Philippines once again "in a weak position." Frankly speaking, these expressions are quite rude, implying extreme disrespect and even humiliation of Filipinos as well as contempt for the country's sovereignty. In the eyes of some arrogant people from the US and the West, it seems Filipinos should only care about the "China threat" and US Indo-Pacific Strategy. And if the people of a country don't make the "right choice" as Washington wants, it shows the "fragility" of that nation's democracy. Calling its allies and partners, Washington is eager to stir up trouble in the South China Sea. But these forces are becoming increasingly "pretentious" in the region. In this year's presidential election, Marcos Jr. was supported by a large number of young Filipinos who care the most about the economy and employment rather than the dogmatic "values" of the US and the West. Marcos has rich experience in local governance with good record among governors in the Philippines. Some US and Western media portrayed his victory as a "victory for Beijing," pretending not to see Filipinos' desire for national unity and development - such a yearning is strongly supported in Southeast Asia. It's clear that the US is taking advantage of the Philippines while not giving it the respect it deserves. The US is unwilling to truly spend any money to help the Southeast Asian nation's development, but still constantly interferes in the latter's internal affairs. In fact, Washington has never treated Manila with sincerity. It sometimes has to make the gesture of roping in the Philippines due to its geopolitical value. This makes US policy toward the Philippines erratic, contradictory and hypocritical. Refusing to be a tool for the US to contain China, Duterte eased relations with China after taking office. This has proven to be more in line with the Philippines' national interests. It is also what Filipinos want to see. It is worth noting that it is a discourse trap that the US and Western media labeled Duterte or Marcos as "pro-China." That word has been twisted by US and Western media into "kowtowing to China." In fact, they want to use the label to hinder and intimidate goodwill and rationality toward China in the Philippines and drive a wedge between the two countries. China respects the choice of the Philippine people. China-Philippine relations are based on the fact that the two countries share common interests. We hope that both sides will continue to create new opportunities for common development and bring more practical benefits to the people of both countries while enhancing peace and stability in Asia. (Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Liang Jun) Elon Musk says Tesla Supercharger stations in the United States are getting the much-awaited CSS connectors, similar to what the European market readily has. Elon Musk and Tesla Supercharger Stations The CEO and founder of Tesla, Musk, previously said that the EV tech giant is looking to open up its Supercharger network to other all-electric cars out there, as per a news story by Electrek. However, the online news outlet said that Tesla's to open its Superchargers to more EV owners has been relatively slow. Not to mention that it is currently limited only to the European region. It is worth noting that the Musk-led automaker could easily open up its Supercharger network to non-Tesla EVs in Europe as it already has CSS connectors. That said, the Supercharger network of the giant EV maker in Europe was conveniently built to welcome other electric cars. In fact, according to the latest report by The Driven, the Tesla Superchargers in Norway have already started opening up 42 stations to more non-Tesla EV owners. On the other hand, the North American region, whose current infrastructure is heavily exclusive to Tesla owners, still lacks the widely-used CSS connectors. Tesla still uses the proprietary connector, which only works on its EVs and its Supercharger stations throughout America. As such, it goes both ways: Non-Tesla car owners could not utilize the Supercharging network of the EV maker, while Tesla drivers are somewhat limited to what charging stations of the Musk-led automaker. However, Tesla EV owners could still charge on to other charging stations along the American roads, but they will have to get their hands on the CCS adapter. Read Also: Elon Musk: Tesla Robotaxi Mass Production Targeted in 2024 | Cheaper than Bus Tickets? Tesla Supercharger Stations North America: Opening to All? Despite all that, the Tesla boss previously announced that the Supercharger network would soon open to all EV owners. The plan is not only for the charging stations in various European countries. Instead, the carmaker is planning to embrace non-Tesla drivers globally. To make it possible in North America, the tech giant should add CCS connectors, which other automakers use, to its current infrastructure. It indeed is not an impossible endeavor as its charging station in Europe is already equipped with a widely used connector. Tesla Superchargers and CSS Connectors The Tesla CEO said that opening up Superchargers in North America is "a little trickier," given that it still uses its own proprietary connector. However, Musk said during the FT Future of Cars Conference that Tesla "will be adding the rest of the industry connector as an option to Superchargers in the US." Related Article: Elon Musk to Serve as Temporary Twitter CEO Once Deal Closes A plane carrying 11 people crashed in a forest in central Cameroon on Wednesday, the Ministry of Transport said. Air traffic controllers 'lost radio contact with the aircraft' which was later 'located in the forest' near Nanga Eboko, around 150 kilometres (90 miles) northeast of the capital Yaounde, the ministry said in a statement. A ministry official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the plane 'crashed' and rescuers were 'trying to see if it's possible to save anyone'. The plane was chartered by a private company, the Cameroon Oil Transportation Company (COTCO) that maintains a hydrocarbon pipeline that runs between Cameroon and neighbouring Chad, official sources told AFP. Air traffic controllers 'lost radio contact with the aircraft' which was later 'located in the forest' near Nanga Eboko, around 90 miles northeast of the capital Yaounde, the ministry said in a statement (file image: The airstrip at Maroua airport in the Far North Region of Cameroon) The aircraft, whose type and make was not made public, was flying from Yaounde-Nsimalen airport to Belabo, in the east of the country, the ministry statement said. It was the first major air catastrophe reported in Cameroon since 2007, when a Kenya Airways plane carrying 114 people crashed after take-off from Douala Airport. There were no survivors in that accident. Three years later, an investigation by Cameroon's civil aviation authority concluded that the crash was due to pilot error. Since then, Cameroon has only experienced minor air accidents involving small passenger planes or helicopters. The Northern Ireland Protocol is threatening the stability of the United Kingdom, Boris Johnson claimed last night. As Brussels and Washington urged London not to scrap parts of the post-Brexit deal, the Prime Minister said there was no need for 'drama'. But he could rip up parts of the agreement as early as next week and ministers have drawn up legislation to unilaterally suspend checks on goods flowing from Great Britain to Northern Ireland. The Northern Ireland Protocol is threatening the stability of the United Kingdom, Boris Johnson (pictured in April) claimed last night Foreign Secretary Liz Truss will tell European Commission vice president Maros Sefcovic in a call this morning that the EU must move or the UK will act unilaterally. And at a press conference in Sweden yesterday, Mr Johnson said the protocol needed to be sorted out when he was asked whether now was the right time to pick a fight with Brussels. 'The most important agreement is the 25-year-old Belfast Good Friday Agreement,' Mr Johnson said. Pro Europe Brexit protesters in Parliament Square on Wednesday. As Brussels and Washington urged London not to scrap parts of the post-Brexit deal, the Prime Minister said there was no need for 'drama' Q&A What is the NI Protocol? The protocol is a special Brexit deal for Northern Ireland. It was negotiated by the UK Government to avoid a hard border with the Republic of Ireland, by effectively keeping the province in the European Union's single market for goods. What is the issue? Northern Ireland continues to follow some EU laws under the protocol, and there are extra checks and paperwork for some products crossing over the Irish Sea from Great Britain. But not all the trade controls required by the Brexit agreement apply yet because of 'grace periods'. What is the EU's solution? Brussels has repeatedly ruled out renegotiating the protocol and believes solutions can be found without changing the agreement. It has proposed to build on existing grace periods and cut 80 per cent of checks on some goods. How has Britain responded? Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said the EU's proposals fell short and in some cases would 'take us backwards'. British sausages, for example, would need veterinary certificates to enter Northern Ireland, and products like New Zealand lamb could be unavailable. She has threatened to tear up parts of the protocol as early as next week if a negotiated solution cannot be found. How would the EU respond? EU leaders have threatened a trade war between London and Brussels if the UK takes unilateral action. Belgian PM Alexander De Croo said this week that if the protocol was revoked then 'the whole system will be revoked'. Advertisement 'That is crucial for the stability of our country, of the UK, of Northern Ireland. 'And it means that things have got to command cross-community support. 'Plainly the Northern Ireland Protocol fails to do that and we need to sort it out.' He later told the BBC: 'Let's face it, we're talking about really in the scheme of things a very, very small part of the whole European economy and I think 0.4 per cent of the value of the whole of the EU economy in Northern Ireland. 'It is crazy. I don't think there's any need for drama. This is something that just needs to be fixed.' Meanwhile Attorney General Suella Braverman has advised that the Good Friday Agreement has 'primordial significance' and is more important than the protocol in a submission, The Times reports. According to the outlet, she has advised legislation to override the protocol would be legal because the way it has been implemented by the EU is 'disproportionate and unreasonable'. Ms Braverman's evidence, in hand with her findings, is also said to claim that the EU is creating a trade barrier, thus undermining the Good Friday agreement. A government source told The Times: 'There's mountains of evidence that there's a trade barrier down the middle of our country. Suella has argued that trade is being diverted.' The informant added that Ms Braverman also discusses 'societal unrest' in her submission. Cabinet minister Michael Gove yesterday insisted he was 'super cool' with threats to rip up the agreement despite reports he was opposed to the plan. 'We are going to negotiate with the EU in order to get the best possible outcome for the people of Northern Ireland, but no option is off the table,' he said. EU officials have accused Britain of acting 'irresponsibly' by threatening to tear up the protocol during the Ukraine conflict. A Brussels diplomat told The Guardian that Britain's move threatened the international alliance against Vladimir Putin and would 'only worsen the standing of the West'. US President Joe Biden urged the PM not to walk away from the protocol unilaterally. 'The best path forward is a pragmatic one that requires courage, co-operation and leadership,' a White House spokesman said. 'We urge the parties to continue engaging in dialogue to resolve differences and bring negotiations to a successful conclusion.' EU leaders have also warned against ripping up the deal, including German chancellor Olaf Scholz, who said: 'No one should unilaterally cancel, break or in any way attack the settlement.' Meanwhile Attorney General Suella Braverman (pictured in March) has advised that the Good Friday Agreement has 'primordial significance' and is more important than the protocol in a submission, The Times reports Northern Ireland minister Conor Burns, who is the PM's special representative to the US on the protocol, last night echoed Mr Johnson's comments and said the deal was now the 'greatest threat to the stability of the institutions that were born out of the Good Friday Agreement'. But he insisted the UK wanted to 'get this sorted in negotiations with our European friends and allies' and said he was convinced there was 'a landing zone'. UK ministers are under fresh pressure to resolve issues with the protocol following last week's historic elections in which Sinn Fein became Stormont's largest party. The nationalist party is now entitled to nominate a first minister but the Democratic Unionist Party must nominate a deputy to serve alongside them in the joint office. US President Joe Biden (pictured on Wednesday) urged the PM not to walk away from the protocol unilaterally The Unionist party has vowed to continue its boycott of the power-sharing executive until 'decisive action' is taken on the protocol by the UK Government. The protocol was negotiated by the Government to avoid a hard border with the Republic of Ireland, by effectively keeping Northern Ireland in the EU's single market for goods. But Unionists have been pushing for it to be scrapped because of the trade barriers it has created on products crossing the Irish Sea from Great Britain. Detectives investigating the death of the South American diver who died trying to recover $20million of cocaine off the Australian coast have arrested a man 2200km away as he attempted to flee the country. James Blee, 62, was stopped by Queensland police and Australian Federal Police at Cairns Airport as he attempted to board a flight to Singapore on Wednesday. He has since been charged with importing a large commercial quantity of border controlled drug and large commercial drug supply related to an alleged attempt to smuggle the cocaine from an Ecuadorian ship off the coast of Newcastle, NSW, on Monday. A man has been arrested in connection with the death of a diver who was trying to recover $20 million of cocaine from the hull of a ship in Newcastle Blee was arrested following investigations by Strike Force Groove which was established by the NSW Organised Crime Squad after the body of a diver and 54kg of cocaine was located at Newcastle port, NSW, on Monday. The team includes officers from Australian Federal Police, Australian Border Force, Northern Territory Police and Queensland Police. The unconscious diver, believed to have travelled to Australia from South America, was wearing technical dive gear when he was hauled from the water at 9.30am on Monday, with police suspecting he was using 'old school' smuggling tactics rarely used by modern drug syndicates. Police also recovered 54kg cocaine off Heron Road, near the Port of Newcastle. Police divers are pictured in a recovery operation after a diver was found dead close to a massive cocaine haul 'These people have fled so it's quite disgusting that this man's been left to die regardless of what he was involved with,' said Police Detective Superintendent Rob Critchlow on Monday. Det Supt Critchlow said the port had been under police scrutiny for some time. 'There have been some indications in the past of (outlaw criminal motorcycle gang) involvement around the docks,' he said. 'It remains a point of risk ... and organised crime definitely look for weaknesses to target those ports.' The map shows Australia's 'cocaine superhighway' Australia's largest coal port has long been a beacon for international drug importers, with the nation's most lucrative market for illicit substances - Sydney - just a two-hour drive south. The route is often referred to among seasoned organised crime detectives as Australia's drug 'superhighway'. NSW Police investigator turned private sector consultant Peter Moroney recently revealed to Daily Mail Australia that an old tactic of drug traffickers was to train in deep-water scuba diving. 'Someone would fly to places such as Indonesia, identify a cargo ship then dive down and secretly attach drugs to the hull of the vessel,' the veteran ex-cop of 25 years said. 'When it arrived and was under anchor they would then unattach it and bring it back to an Australian port.' He said the smuggling tactic is rarely seen anymore with drug lords now opting to move illicit product into Australia by using a 'mothership'. Port of Newcastle has long been a beacon for international drug importers with the nation's largest market for illicit substances - Sydney - just a two-hour drive south 'These days they send out a 'mothership' somewhere into the South Pacific where there's little attention from local authorities and a vast amount of ocean to patrol,' Mr Moroney said. The vessel will then meet a cruising yacht and fill it up with either Colombian cocaine or Mexican meth. Police said members of the public and NSW Ambulance paramedics tried desperately to save the man, but he died at the scene. 'The person was wearing full scuba gear and very technical scuba gear,' Detective Superintendent Rob Critchlow told 2GB radio. 'Port officials noticed what appeared to be a body. Water police came over to assist and then they located what appeared to be drugs, not far away from where the person was found.' The drugs were bricks of cocaine covered in thick plastic in a bundle that had been secured with ropes and plastic. He said the Australian Border Force are now closely examining a nearby ship and its crew. The body of a man wearing technical dive gear (pictured) has washed up at a busy port with police suspecting he was trying to bring ashore a $20million-haul of cocaine using 'old school' smuggling tactics that are rarely seen by modern drug syndicates 'It is a ship that is registered in Panama and it last left port in Argentina before it came to Australia,' Detective Superintendent Critchlow said. 'We are talking to all the sailors on board and the Captain as well as offshore authorities.' He admitted the road between Newcastle and Sydney has become a major target of drug cartels able to hide their dangerous product amongst the constant flow of sea traffic. 'Anywhere we have large movements of shipping it makes it really open to organised crime,' Detective Superintendent Critchlow Organised Crime Squad detectives are travelling to Queensland to seek the mans extradition to NSW when he appears at Cairns Magistrates Court later today. A police spokesman added: 'Inquiries under Strike Force Groove are ongoing.' Horse-drawn carriages will be been banned Melbourne's busy inner city streets from next month. Carriages will not be permitted on public roads in the CBD area, bound by Flinders Street, Spring Street, La Trobe Street and Spencer Street. Operators will still be allowed to drive the carriages outside this zone within the City of Melbourne, with pre-booked passengers. Victorian government is looking to ban horse-drawn carriages (pictured) in a number of Melbourne's inner city streets Roads Minister Ben Carroll says it would ensure safer streets and protect animal welfare. 'We've heard the community's concerns about horse-drawn carriages and this proposal will improve safety for everyone on some of our busiest streets,' he said. 'We will continue to work with our road safety partners, RSPCA and the community to ensure animal welfare and safety across the industry.' The plan came about after concerns for the horses (pictured) and traffic safety from the public Melbourne Lord Mayor Sally Capp says it will improve safety on some of the city's busiest roads and allow for better management of horse-drawn carriages. 'We know that road and footpath space in the Hoddle Grid is at a premium, which is why we need to keep people moving as best we can,' she said. The Victorian government has previously said the horse-drawn carriages pose a hazard for operators, their passengers, horses and other road users including pedestrians, cyclists, trams, drivers, e-scooter riders, delivery vans and commercial passenger vehicles. Pictured is Victorian Premier Dan Andrews More to come A Union chief will today take an extraordinary swipe at Jacob Rees-Mogg for attempting to get civil servants back to the office. Dave Penman, the general secretary of the FDA a trade union for civil servants will accuse the minister of discouraging talented people from applying for Whitehall jobs. Mr Rees-Mogg last month left notes on empty desks in the Cabinet Office saying: 'Sorry you were out. I look forward to seeing you in the office very soon.' The minister for government efficiency has said civil servants must stop working from home and return to the office. And last night he suggested they should be back in the office four days a week. He told ITV's Peston there is 'a desire for people to take Mondays and Fridays off to work from home' which 'indicates there is not a serious attitude to work, it's about extending the weekend'. He added: '[Education Secretary] Nadhim Zahawi is asking people to be back in four days a week, I think that's a very reasonable target.' It comes after it emerged yesterday that staff will not be given a 'default' right to work from home, despite previous predictions that legislation would be introduced on the issue. Jacob Rees-Mogg last month left notes on empty desks in the Cabinet Office In his address to the FDA's annual conference in London today, Mr Penman will denounce the minister's notes as 'crass, condescending and passive aggressive'. The union represents senior civil servants. The union boss will tell members: 'Can you imagine a chief executive in private industry treating staff like that? 'Or one who would brief the press that their staff were lazy and undermine their most senior managers in the process? 'So, whilst private industry has embraced this quiet revolution in working practices, delivering efficiencies for employers and greater flexibility for employees, we have Jacob Rees-Mogg wandering around Whitehall with his clipboard and his clicker counting people at desks. 'And of course, it is only Whitehall. It's like he doesn't understand that the majority of civil servants are outside of the M25. 'Tens of thousands of civil servants... all being told to forget about flexible working.' The note Mr Rees-Mogg left on absent civil servants desks Mr Penman said the minister for government efficiency job title 'sounds Orwellian'. He also added that it is 'not efficient to be paid 150,000 a year to wander around offices' and 'demotivate hundreds of thousands of public servants'. Mr Penman said Mr Rees-Mogg was effectively telling potential recruits: 'Come work in the civil service. 'Be micro-managed, demeaned... get paid a fraction of what you would get elsewhere and, of course, you can now forget about flexible working.' The union leader said his message to Boris Johnson was that the 'culture war against the civil service has to stop'. He added: 'You say you want a brilliant civil service and you want to attract the brightest and best to join it. Well, this is not the way to go about it. 'Challenge us to deliver, be clear about your priorities, but step back and let those whose job it is to run the service get on with it.' Mr Rees-Mogg last month told the Daily Mail that civil servants needed to use their plush London offices or 'lose' them. He released a picture of an empty Cabinet Office department after he left notes for absent staff. Advertisement Britain's house hunters continue to show their love of the coast and the affluent Poole suburb of Canford Cliffs has seen asking prices rise more than any other seaside area during the past year. The Dorset hotspot saw newly-listed asking prices jump 24 per cent last month compared to a year earlier, reaching more than 1.2million on average, according to Rightmove. More than two years on from the beginning of the pandemic, there seems to be no let up in desire for more open space, particularly near the seaside. Across all seaside locations in Great Britain, asking prices are up 13.9 per cent on average compared to last year, outpacing the national average of 9.9 per cent. Rightmove has revealed the coastal areas where asking prices have increased the most during the past year to April Canford Cliffs has seen coastal asking prices rise the most: This five-bed house in the affluent Poole suburb is for sale for 2.2million via Savills estate agents Residents in Dorset's affluent Canford Cliffs enjoy easy access to beautifully well-maintained sandy beaches on the south coast COASTAL AREAS WITH THE HIGHEST ASKING PRICE RISES IN THE PAST YEAR Location Average Asking Price April 2022 Average Asking Price April 2021 Average Asking Price YoY Canford Cliffs, Poole, Dorset 1,223,180 987,752 24% Brixham, Devon 337,129 274,944 23% Abergele, Conwy (County of) 234,613 191,603 22% Skegness, Lincolnshire 201,976 165,758 22% Ilfracombe, Devon 266,353 219,154 22% Gorleston, Great Yarmouth, Norfolk 224,066 185,066 21% Burnham-On-Sea, Somerset 298,938 248,432 20% Paignton, Devon 286,188 239,183 20% Dawlish, Devon 296,286 249,755 19% Ryde, Isle Of Wight 292,003 246,454 18% Source: Rightmove This modern five-bed family home in Canford Cliffs is on the market for 1,695,000 and is being sold by Savills estate agents In second place is the Devon fishing town of Brixton, where asking prices have increased 23 per cent during the past year. And the Welsh market town of Abergele, in Conwy, takes the third slot, with asking prices up 22 per cent in a year. Demand for homes has outstripped the supply of homes for sale in many areas in Britain and coastal areas are no exception. Competition for homes in seaside locations during the past year means the pace of the market has increased. The average time to find a buyer in a seaside location is 33 days, and on average, homes are finding buyers 20 days quicker than last year. This Grade II listed terrace property in Devon's Brixham has two bedrooms and is for sale for 355,000 via estate agents Eric Lloyd & Co For those with a smaller budget who are looking in Canford Cliffs, this two-bed flat is for sale for 825,000 via Key Drummond estate agents This four-bed semi-detached property in Abergele - a market town on the north coast of Wales - is for sale for 235,000 via Peter Large estate agents Steve Isaacs, of Luxury & Prestige Properties in Canford Cliffs, said: 'Like many coastal areas, we have been incredibly busy for a long time, and we're still seeing really strong demand to move to this part of Dorset. 'One of the key things we've noticed influencing moves is that working patterns have changed. We're seeing lots of people wanting to buy larger homes now that they spend more time working from home, and we're also seeing new types of buyers looking in Canford Cliffs from outside the area now that their work has become more flexible. 'Whereas before the pandemic we had many people interested in a holiday home, now we're seeing more people looking for a property they can comfortably spend a good portion of the year in and work. 'With more demand than homes available we've seen strong competition between buyers which has contributed to a growth in prices. One advantage of Canford Cliffs is its easy access to London and other parts of Great Britain, and we've had some buyers choose the area because of this.' This modern three-bed house in Canford Cliffs is on the market for 785,000 and is being sold by Tailor Made estate agents This flat in Canford Cliffs has three bedrooms and is on the market for 555,000 via Frost & Co estate agents This four-bed detached property in Norfolk's Gorleston-on-Sea is on the market for 585,000 and is being sold by estate agents Yopa Tim Bannister, of Rightmove, said: 'Right at the start of the pandemic when the market re-opened, we saw a huge surge in demand for these coastal areas as people wanted a sea view or more space near the coast. 'There have been large periods where demand has greatly outstripped supply over the last couple of years which has contributed to the significant rise in asking prices we're seeing today. 'Encouragingly, with new stock coming to market we are starting to see signs of a better balance of supply and demand in seaside areas than we were a year ago, and we'd expect this to filter through to the market and potentially moderate the pace of price rises in the coming months.' British telecommunications company Three has announced it will retire its 3G network by the end of 2024 after two decades of service. Switching off 3G will 'free up resources' to allow Three to focus on improving its customers' 4G experience and rolling out 5G, the firm said in a statement. But the decision means Three customers with old phones that don't support 4G or 5G such as the iPhone 5 or older will have to buy a new device. Three launched on March 3, 2003 (03/03/03) as the UK's first 3G-only network, although it has since rolled out 4G and 5G networks. 5G is considerably faster than previous generations of mobile connectivity and is able to deliver larger amounts of data faster. Three has said it will switch off its 3G network by the end of 2024 as investment and customer usage shifts to 4G and 5G (file photo) WHAT IS 5G? 5G is the fifth generation of cellular technology. It is designed to increase speed, reduce latency, and improve flexibility of wireless services. 5G technology has a theoretical peak speed of 20 Gbps, while the peak speed of 4G is only 1 Gbps. 5G also promises lower latency, which can improve the performance of business applications as well as other digital experiences (such as online gaming, videoconferencing, and self-driving cars). Source: Cisco Advertisement Three said it expects the trend of customers using 3G-only handsets to continue to decline, as faster 4G and 5G devices are introduced the market. The telco has said it is spending 2 billion on network upgrades for its ongoing 5G rollout. '3G kick-started the mobile revolution and launched Three into the UK 20 years ago but the future is undoubtedly 5G,' said David Hennessy, chief technology officer at Three UK. 'As we continue to roll out our ultrafast connectivity, by not only upgrading our existing 4G sites but building new 5G sites, we'll be in a position to switch off our use of 3G across our network by the end of 2024.' Three's announcement follows the same decision from EE, which said in July 2021 that it would be phasing out its 3G network within two years. Vodafone will also retire its 17-year-old 3G network next year, it announced in January. Vodafone customers will have the option to keep using its 2G network, however (Three customers won't, simply because the firm doesn't have one). Vodafone is retaining 2G because it is a 'truly universal technology', according to a Vodafone spokesperson, although telcos have agreed with the UK government to phase out 2G by 2033. The only one of the 'big four' British telcos yet to announce it's retiring 3G now is O2. Meanwhile, in the US, telcos including AT&T and Verizon are planning to phase out 3G this year. Switching off 3G networks mean many people with older phones will no longer be able to use them and will have to upgrade to modern devices THREE TURNS OFF 3G: AFFECTED PHONES - iPhone 5 and earlier - Samsung Galaxy S4 and earlier - Nokia C2-01 If you are unsure whether your older model phone is 3G, contact your service provider. Advertisement Three is yet to reveal the exact date when its 3G network is switched off, which could potentially come sooner than December 31, 2024. As the date approaches, Three said it will 'work with its customers' who have an older 3G-only device to ensure they stay connected. Currently, Three covers 99 per cent of the UK outdoor population with its combined 3G and 4G network and carries 28 per cent of mobile data traffic in the country. Three's 5G network, which launched in August 2019, now covers more than one third of the UKs population. Demand for more data continues to increase and rose to 19GB per month per customer in December a rise of 20 per cent on the previous year so there is a need to continue investing in newer technologies including 5G. The fifth-generation wireless standard provides faster connectivity and more bandwidth, meaning higher download speeds for internet users, and more capacity and connectivity for billions of devices. Three's recently-published 'Mobile Britain 2022' report also found that 5G handset usage nearly quadrupled in 2021. The telco predicts that 5G will account for 35 per cent of data usage by the end of this year. The firm said it is continuing to roll out 5G 'through 2022 and beyond'. In February, it launched 5G at Chelsea FC's home ground Stamford Bridge, as part of its role as the club's primary sponsor. The following month, Three suspended the 40million-a-year partnership following UK government sanctions on Russian club owner Roman Abramovich (who is now in the process of selling the club) due to the war on Ukraine. Three requested that Chelsea remove its brand 'from shirts and around the stadium until further notice', which the club has so far declined to do; Chelsea squads are continuing to wear the Three logo on their shirts for every match. NASA has shared an incredibly crisp image of a nearby galaxy, captured by its new James Webb Space Telescope. For comparison, it also shared an image of the same galaxy captured by its now retired Spitzer Space Telescope, which launched in 2003 and was the first to provide high-resolution images of the near- and mid-infrared universe. While the Spitzer image shows a blur of around seven nearby stars located in the Large Magellanic Cloud a satellite galaxy that orbits the Milky Way the James Webb image captured the foreground stars in sharp detail. It also reveals more subtle details such as wispy clouds of interstellar gas and hundreds of background stars and galaxies in what NASA calls 'unprecedented detail'. The two images illustrate the huge advances in space photography capable with the new James Webb Telescope, now that all four of its science instruments are in 'perfect alignment'. Two images of the Large Magellanic Cloud captured by Spitzer (left) and Webb (right). The Webb image not only shows the foreground stars in sharp detail but also more subtle details such as wispy clouds of interstellar gas and hundreds of background stars and galaxies Instruments on the James Webb Space Telescope NIRCam (Near InfraRed Camera) an infrared imager from the edge of the visible through the near infrared NIRSpec (Near InfraRed Spectrograph) will also perform spectroscopy over the same wavelength range. MIRI (Mid-InfraRed Instrument) will measure the mid-to-long-infrared wavelength range from 5 to 27 micrometers. FGS/NIRISS (Fine Guidance Sensor and Near Infrared Imager and Slitless Spectrograph), is used to stabilize the line-of-sight of the observatory during science observations. Advertisement 'I'm delighted to report that the telescope alignment has been completed with performance even better than we had anticipated,' said Michael McElwain, James Webb Space Telescope project scientist at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Maryland, according to CBS News. 'We basically reached a perfect telescope alignment. There's no adjustment to the telescope optics that would make material improvements to our science performance.' The $10 billion James Webb Space Telescope was launched in December 2021 and is expected to be fully operational by the end of June 2022. It is intended to succeed the Hubble Space Telescope as NASA's flagship mission in astrophysics. The telescope is composed of 18 hexagonal mirror segments, fitted together into one large, 21-foot-wide mirror. During its decade or more in orbit, Webb will be used by teams of astronomers to study a wide variety of celestial phenomena, from exoplanets to black holes. It is able to peer further into the history of the universe than any space telescope before it, in part due to its position 930,000 miles from the Earth. James Webb has four key instruments onboard a Near InfraRed Camera (NIRCam), a Near InfraRed Spectrograph (NIRSpec), a Mid-InfraRed Instrument (MIRI) and a Fine Guidance Sensor and Near Infrared Imager and Slitless Spectrograph (FGS/NIRISS). The test image was captured by MIRI Webbs coldest instrument at 7.7 microns. It is compared to a past image of the same target taken with NASAs Spitzer Space Telescopes Infrared Array Camera at 8.0 microns. Slide me SLIDE TO REVEAL: The same view of the Large Magellanic Cloud a satellite galaxy that orbits the Milky Way captured by the Spitzer and Webb space telescopes The Webb Space Telescope is composed of 18 hexagonal mirror segments, fitted together into one large, 21-foot-wide mirror. NASA said that Webb, with its significantly larger primary mirror and improved detectors, will allow scientists to see the infrared sky with improved clarity, enabling even more discoveries. Scientists predict that Webb will be able to image distant objects up to 100 times too faint for the Hubble Space Telescope to see. With its instruments aligned, the Webb telescope now awaits a final instrument calibration before it officially begins studying distant stars later this summer. In July, the telescope will share its first batch of science images, targeting galaxies and objects that 'highlight all the Webb sciences themes ... from the early Universe, to galaxies over time, to the life cycle of stars, and to other worlds,' said Klaus Pontoppidan, Webb project scientist at the Space Telescope Science Institute. This week Apple announced that it is discontinuing the iPod one of its most successful products that revolutionised the way we listen to music. Apple launched its first iPod Classic back in 2001 with a $399 price tag, which shocked fans who had become accustomed to using significantly cheaper portable CD players and Walkmans. Fast-forward almost 21 years to today, and your old iPods could now be worth an eye-watering amount of money. Amid the news of its discontinuation, listings for iPods on eBay have surged, with many sellers asking for huge sums of money for their retro devices. Speaking to MailOnline, James Andrews, senior personal finance editor at money.co.uk, said: 'With iPods discontinued, you might be asking whether it's time to cash in on some of your old tech. 'The first thing to say is don't get excited by list prices on ebay. While a few models are selling for thousands, the vast majority are selling for far less. 'But that doesn't mean you couldn't pick up a reasonable amount. Do a search and check recent sold prices for models like your own to see what you're likely to get. 'In general, the best prices go to iPod Classic models, in great condition and with all the leads needed included. If you're lucky enough to have an unopened U2 Special Edition iPod from 2004 in the back of a cupboard, it could make you thousands.' From the original iPod Classic to the brightly-coloured iPod Mini, here's how much your old Apple gadgets could be worth. Amid the news of its discontinuation, listings for iPods on eBay have surged, with many sellers asking for huge sums of money for their retro devices History of iPod models - iPod Classic (seven generations, 2001-2008) - iPod Mini (two generations, 2004-2005) - iPod Nano (seven generations, 2005-2012) - iPod Shuffle (four generations, 2005-2010) - iPod Touch (seven generations, 2007-2019) Advertisement iPod Classic The first iPod Classic was launched in October 2001 and was priced at $399, with six further generations going on sale until 2008. If you have a first-generation iPod Classic at the back of one of your drawers, you could be in for a treat. Yesterday, an iPod Classic 5GB 1st Gen sold on eBay for $1,599 with an additional $114.60 shipping - a 330 per cent increase on the original price! Newer generations are also popular on eBay, with a seventh generation iPod Classic selling in April for $1,388, and another in February for $1,045. One ambitious seller listed their first-generation iPod Classic on eBay in 2019 for $19,995 (15,367), although it remains unclear how much the item actually fetched. iPod Mini iPod Mini, which launched in 2004, was slightly smaller than the iPod Classic and came in a range of bright colours. At $249, it was slightly more affordable than its predecessor, making it a popular choice among Apple fans. Unfortunately, the iPod Mini isn't worth a huge amount just yet, if the sold items on eBay are anything to go by. On May 3, an iPod Mini second generation was sold on eBay for $324.99, while a first-generation device only sold for $290 in March. iPod Shuffle Apple released its first screenless iPod in 2005, in the form of the iPod Shuffle, which started at just $99. Like the iPod Mini, it appears the iPod Shuffle hasn't hugely increased in value. A first-generation iPod Shuffle only fetched $129.99 when it sold on eBay in February, while a second-generation device sold for a modest $199.99 in March. Apple released its first screenless iPod in 2005, in the form of the iPod Shuffle, which started at just $99 iPod Nano The iPod Nano also launched in 2005, priced at $149, and was considered a huge modernisation over the Shuffle, thanks to its colour screen for album art. This device has more than doubled in value, according to recent eBay auctions. In March, second-generation iPod Nanos were sold for $399.99 and $382.47. The iPod Nano also launched in 2005, priced at $149, and was considered a huge modernisation over the Shuffle, thanks to its colour screen for album art iPod Touch While many of us take touchscreen devices for granted now, the iPod Touch was revolutionary when it launched back in 2007. The $299 device could surf the web when connected to Wi-Fi, and had 8GB of storage for songs, photos and apps. If you have an iPod Touch at home, you'll be delighted to hear that it appears to have skyrocketed in value. In March, a fourth-generation iPod Touch sold for a whopping $6,524.07 - a huge 2,081 per cent increase on the original price - while a sixth-generation device sold in April for $3,470. If you have an iPod Touch at home, you'll be delighted to hear that it's skyrocketed in value Why is Apple discontinuing the iPod? A spokesperson for Apple said the iPod redefined how music is discovered and listened to, and that its spirit 'lives on' in other devices. 'Music has always been part of our core at Apple,' said Greg Joswiak, Apple's senior vice president of worldwide marketing. 'Bringing it to hundreds of millions of users in the way iPod did impacted more than just the music industry it also redefined how music is discovered, listened to and shared. 'Today, the spirit of iPod lives on. We've integrated an incredible music experience across all of our products, from the iPhone to the Apple Watch to HomePod mini, and across Mac, iPad and Apple TV. 'And Apple Music delivers industry-leading sound quality with support for spatial audio there's no better way to enjoy, discover, and experience music.' Echidna and platypus specimens dating back nearly 150 years have been rediscovered in a university museum. Collected in the 1880s by the scientist William Caldwell, the specimens have been found in the stores of Cambridge's University Museum of Zoology. At the time of their collection, these specimens were key to proving that some mammals lay eggs a fact that changed the course of scientific thinking and supported Darwin's theory of evolution. Cambridge's collection includes baby echidnas and possums in jars, a dissected platypus uterus and a number of other platypus and marsupial specimens. A preserved echidna from the newly discovered collection by Scottish zoologist William Caldwell. The egg-laying mammal with a long snout and claws is native to Australia and New Guinea A newly discovered echidna specimen, suspected to have been collected by William Caldwell WHO WAS WILLIAM CALDWELL? William Caldwell (1859 to 1941) was a Scottish zoologist who performed research in Australia in the 1880s. Born in Portobello, Edinburgh in 1859, he went from Loretto (Scotland's oldest boarding school) to Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge, in 1877. He was scholar of his College during 187883, and obtained a first class in the Natural Sciences Tripos of 1881. William Caldwell was sent to Australia in 1883 - with substantial financial backing from the University of Cambridge, the Royal Society and the British Government. In an extensive search Caldwell collected around 1,400 specimens with the help of a large group of Aboriginal Australians. In 1884 the team eventually found an echidna with an egg in her pouch, and a platypus with one egg in her nest and another just about to be laid. Advertisement This unique collection had not been catalogued by the museum, so until recently staff hadn't been aware of its existence. The find was made by Jack Ashby, assistant director at the museum, while he was doing research for a new book on Australian mammals. 'It's one thing to read the 19th century announcements that platypuses and echidnas actually lay eggs. But to have the physical specimens here, tying us back to that discovery almost 150 years ago, is pretty amazing,' said Ashby. 'I knew from experience that there isn't a natural history collection on Earth that actually has a comprehensive catalogue of everything in it, and I suspected that Caldwell's specimens really ought to be here. 'The specimens weve found are all pouch-young or nestlings, so they are quite small. The largest is about 12cm [4.7 inches].' Ashby had asked collections manager Mathew Lowe to keep an eye out for Caldwell's specimens Only three months later, a small box of specimens was found in the museum with a note suggesting they were Caldwell's which was later confirmed by Ashby's investigations. Ashby had to shine UV light on some of the labels inside the jars to make them easier to read, because the writing on them had faded. 'Some of those labels name Caldwell, some of them just have the dates of his expedition, and some say C Collection, but looking at them all together has enabled me to match which ones we can say definitely are Caldwells,' Ashby said. 'Ive also been comparing them to what Caldwell wrote back in the 1880s to try and identify them that way the kind of material he writes he was working on is matches closely what weve found in the store.' Overall there are two possums, two echidnas and one platypus that are certain to be collected by Caldwell from a batch catalogued last week. Another newly discovered echidna specimen. Believe it or not, echidna spines are actually long, tough, hollow hair follicles Jack Ashby, assistant director of University Museum of Zoology at Cambridge, holds a newly discovered Caldwell specimen MAMMALS LAYING EGGS SUPPORTS DARWIN'S THEORY OF EVOLUTION Platypuses and echidnas were important for supporting evolutionary theory in the 19th century. The fact that they lay eggs is a good example of how evolution works, said Jack Ashby at the University of Cambridge's Department of Zoology. Egg-laying was considered something that reptiles and amphibians do, but not mammals. 'Since we now know that mammals evolved from reptile-like ancestors, it stands to reason that the first mammals lay eggs,' Ashby told MailOnline. 'In proving that indeed, some mammals today lay eggs, it provides evidence for that idea. 'Echidnas and platypuses, therefore, showed a mix of features that people had previously considered to be either mammalian or reptilian - in having both sets of features, it shows that animals evolve.' 'Evolution works with what its got, and then adds or modifies features from there.' 'In the case of mammals, it started with egg-laying, and 200 million years later we have the diversity of forms we see today. Some of those have never stopped laying eggs (platypuses and echidnas), and some have (everything else alive today).' Advertisement Ashby and colleagues are still finding more specimens in the museum's collection; on Wednesday, he told MailOnline that they had found another 10 specimens in another part of the stores. 'Thats a bit of a surprise as I thought wed found all of the places uncatalogued platypuses and echidnas were in the stores,' he said. 'There are definitely some more in the batch weve just found this afternoon, but that will take some time to unpick. 'On top of that there are probably about 10-20 more that are in the probably Caldwells category.' Ashby told MailOnline that the platypuses were able to fit in jars because the ones they found are all pouch-young or nestlings, so they are quite small. The discovered echidnas are also nearly all pouch-young and nestlings. Until Europeans first encountered platypuses and echidnas in the 1790s, it had been assumed that all mammals give birth to live young. The question of whether some mammals lay eggs then became one of the biggest questions of 19th century zoology, and hotly debated in scientific circles. The newly discovered collection of little jars represents the huge scientific endeavour that went into solving this mystery. 'In the 19th century, many conservative scientists didn't want to believe that an egg-laying mammal could exist, because this would support the theory of evolution the idea that one animal group was capable of changing into another,' said Ashby. 'Lizards and frogs lay eggs, so the idea of a mammal laying eggs was dismissed by many people I think they felt it was degrading to be related to animals that they considered "lower life forms".' The newly discovered collection includes echidnas, platypuses and marsupials at varying life stages from fertilised egg to adolescence. Caldwell was the first to make complete collections of every life stage of these species although not all of his specimens have been found in Cambridge's museum. Platypus from Shaw (1799). Platypuses are one of the only mammals that can detect electricity, and one of the only mammals to produce venom Echidna foraging in the wild. Echidnas, sometimes known as spiny anteaters, are quill-covered monotremes belonging to the family Tachyglossidae Ashby said: 'Platypuses and echidnas are not weird, primitive animals as many historic accounts depict them - they are as evolved as anything else' Caldwell was sent to Australia in 1883 with substantial financial backing from the University of Cambridge, the Royal Society and the British Government. In an extensive search Caldwell collected around 1,400 specimens with the help of a large group of Aboriginal Australians. In 1884, the team eventually found an echidna with an egg in her pouch, and a platypus with one egg in her nest and another just about to be laid. This was the definitive proof Caldwell had been looking for, and the news was sent around the world. The colonial scientific establishment was apparently only willing to accept this result now that it had been confirmed by 'one of their own'. Over the last two centuries, scientists have consistently belittled Australian mammals by describing them as strange and inferior, according to Ashby. He believes that this language continues to affect how we describe them today, and undermines efforts to conserve them. A well-preserved platypus specimen in the Cambridge University Museum of Zoology. Theis platypus specimen is an adult, but its not part of the Caldwell Collection. It came to the Museum in the 1970s, when the President of the Royal Society was given it as an official gift of his visit (it had died after getting caught in a fishing net) The specimens have been found in the stores of Cambridge's University Museum of Zoology (pictured with Ashby) 'Platypuses and echidnas are not weird, primitive animals as many historic accounts depict them they are as evolved as anything else,' Ashby said. 'It's just that they've never stopped laying eggs. I think they're absolutely amazing and definitely worth valuing.' The quill-covered echidnas are the most widespread mammal in Australia. They cover the whole continent and have adapted to live in all climates, from snow-covered mountains and the driest deserts. Platypuses are one of the only mammals that can detect electricity, and one of the only mammals to produce venom. With a tail like a beaver, a flat bill, and webbed feet like a duck, the first specimens brought to Europe were deemed by some as fakes that had been sewn together. Ashby's new book, Platypus Matters: The Extraordinary Story of Australian Mammals, is published in the UK on Thursday (May 12) by HarperCollins. Online used car retailer, Carvana, laid off approximately 2,500 of its workers over Zoom on Tuesday. Tweets showed that Carvana's action incited "mass hysteria" among workers when the company sent a company-wide email at 7:30AM. The email notified the employees of the impending job cuts, however, it did not specify who would be affected. It was rumored that the Zoom had been pre-recorded, but Carvana said it was not the case. The laid off employees are mostly in "operation positions" comprising 12% of the companies' workforce. Carvana Says It Held as Many Conversations in Person as Possible Carvana said that "less than half" of the layoffs were conducted over Zoom and that the company "had as many conversations as we could in person," the company's spokesperson told Protocol. However, the spokesperson did not say a word as to how many of the layoffs were conducted over Zoom and how many were in person. But the company initially did not dispute that 2,500 employees were laid off via Zoom. Carvana isn't the first company to poorly choose a Zoom webinar to conduct layoffs. Mortgage startup Better.com fired about 10% of its workforce in a webinar late last year. Better.com was heavily criticized online for the ill-advised choice. It looks like Carvana is bound to have the same fate. On the same day it told employees of the layoffs, Carvana announced it would spend $2.2 billion to buy the Adesa business of car auction sites from KAR Auction Services. The Wall Street Journal reported that while CEO Ernie Garcia expects the purchase to help "catapult" Carvana back to growth, the company faced some challenges financing the deal. Read Also: Car Vending Machine Just Opened In Houston Carvana Offers 4 Weeks of Pay to "Impacted Team Members" According to TechCrunch, per the same filing, the company will offer "impacted team members" the "opportunity to receive four weeks of pay plus an additional week for every year they have been with Carvana." Along with it, affected employees will have "the opportunity to receive extended healthcare." According to an 8-K form the company filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, Carvana's executives are forgoing their salaries for the remainder of the year to help pay the laid-off employees' severance. It is not a surprise that the company is cutting staff given its recent financial performance because despite finding success early in the pandemic, Carvana has struggled recently, as per Engadget. The company reported a $260 million net loss during its first-quarter earnings call. The CEO blamed the layoffs on the financial headwinds that have come its way. Its stock price is down more than 84% since the start of the year, according to Protocol. A Carvana spokesperson told Protocol: "Recent macroeconomic factors have pushed automotive retail into recession. While Carvana is still growing, our growth is slower than what we originally prepared for in 2022, and we made the difficult decision to reduce the size of certain operations teams to better align with the current needs of the business." Related Article: What is the Best Car Loan Company For Bad Credit? Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp has hailed Erling Haaland as a 'real beast' and has admitted he expects the Norwegian to make title rivals Manchester City much stronger next season. City announced on Tuesday the 21-year-old Norway international will join Pep Guardiola's squad ahead of the 2022-23 campaign following a 51million transfer from Borussia Dortmund. German boss Klopp has described Haaland as a 'force of nature' in the past and even saw him score past his side in Liverpool's 4-3 victory against Red Bull Salzburg in a Champions League group game at Anfield in 2019. Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp (left) has hailed Erling Haaland as a 'real beast' after sealing his move to title rivals Manchester City The 21-year-old Norway striker will join Pep Guardiola's squad ahead of the 2022-23 campaign But Klopp will now have to see the striker line-up for Liverpool's Premier League title rivals in recent seasons, and admitted he is a 'really good signing' who will score plenty of goals at the back post. When asked - after seeing his side beat Aston Villa - if Haaland's arrival at the Etihad Stadium would make City stronger, the Reds boss replied: 'A lot. Good player. City was never and will never be a team that wins because of one player. 'They have a specific way to play, and I think Erling will all of a sudden realise that he will score a lot of goals at the second post where he just puts his foot on it. He will love that. He is a real beast. 'He was injured a couple of times at Dortmund but when he's fit he's a real beast. Unfortunately, he is a really good signing.' Klopp saw Haaland score against his Liverpool side for Red Bull Salzburg in October 2019 Haaland has attracted interest from around Europe after netting 85 times in 88 appearances for Dortmund during two-and-a-half years there. The current top-flight leaders beat Real Madrid to the striker's signature, and he had also been linked with Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester United in recent months. Haaland will be City's first genuine No 9 since club record goalscorer Sergio Aguero but Reds icon Jamie Carragher believes his signing could upset the balance of their team. He told Sky Sports: 'Brilliant signing, it really is. Not just for Man City, but for the Premier League. I think we're all intrigued to see how he'll do. Him and (PSG's Kylian) Mbappe feel like the next two superstars who are going to eclipse [Lionel] Messi and [Cristiano] Ronaldo and you're just delighted that he's at the Premier League. Liverpool icon Jamie Carragher believes his signing could upset the balance of City's team 'More often than not, those type of players have gone to maybe a Barcelona or a Real Madrid, but I feel like now that the Premier League is the strongest league. You've seen how well we'll done in the Champions League. 'He'll score goals, that's what he's been bought to do, but it doesn't guarantee that City will win everything. You still have to integrate him into the team. That means City will lose another creative player that helps them keep the ball more or have more control in games.' But former Liverpool midfielder Jamie Redknapp revelled in the fact the Premier League will finally see a 'global star everyone's coveted' once again. Jamie Redknapp revelled in the fact the Premier League will finally see a 'global star everyone's coveted' He said: 'It's a game changer not just for Man City but for the league. It's the first time in a long time we've got that global superstar everyone's coveted. It's super exciting for everyone concerned. It's gonna be great to have him in our league.' After Liverpool's 2-1 victory at Villa Park, Redknapp added: 'I can't wait to see Haaland, he's a world superstar and such a young man, he's got such a brilliant future. 'He's so lucky to work with Pep, working with a great manager and with players who have a brilliant mentality.' The Portuguese boss was sacked by them in December 2018 after over two years Jose Mourinho couldn't turn down the chance to take a little swipe at his former club Manchester United. The Portuguese was axed by the Red Devils in December 2018 after two-and-a-half years at the helm following what was then the club's worst start to a top-flight season since 1990. Serial winner Mourinho, now in charge of Roma, did bring glory back to Old Trafford by winning three trophies - the Community Shield, the League Cup and the Europa League. Jose Mourinho couldn't resist pointing out he was last manager to win a trophy at Man United Mourinho won three titles during two-and-a-half years, including the League Cup in 2017 Silverware has not been seen since and Mourinho was quick to remind fans that he was the last manager to deliver success at the club, back in 2017. When asked about his relationship with Roma attacker Henrikh Mkhitaryan after the pair worked together at the Premier League giants, he told Sky Sports: 'We won together three titles at Man United, unfortunately the last three titles of Man United. 'I say unfortunately because I like the club very, very much and I wish the club the best. 'We won three titles together so everything went well, in the second season was a little bit different.' Mkhitaryan joined United in the summer of 2016 from Borussia Dortmund before departing for rivals Arsenal in a swap deal involving Alexis Sanchez in January 2018 after struggling to hit the heights he did in Germany. The Armenian international won the Europa League in his first season at the club, scoring United's second goal in the final against Ajax. Mourinho was victorious in the 2016 Community Shield at the start of his Old Trafford tenure However, it was arguably his stand-out moment in Manchester as he failed to convince Mourinho, resulting in limited game time under the Portuguese boss. Mkhitaryan admitted last year that life at United was 'hard' under Mourinho but insisted he had no regrets over his Old Trafford move. The 33-year-old is now flourishing under Mourinho in Italy, scoring five goals and supplying nine assists in 43 appearances this term, proving to be a reliable and versatile player Mourinho can call upon. 'The thing that makes me really happy was because in the beginning as always people try to go on the negative and people trying to say "Mkhitaryan with Jose has no chance, Jose's the kind of guy that when things go wrong never go well again" and it was proven exactly the opposite,' he continued in the interview. Mourinho opened up on his relationship with Henrikh Mkhitaryan after his United struggles 'We were very mature, honest with each other, at that time even with Mino [Raiola], rest in peace Mino, the discussion was very good. 'We all know that I try always to be very, very honest with the players. I saw my project in Rome needing a player like Mkhi. I also understand immediately at the beginning the importance of Mkhi even in the group and he's had an amazing season. 'He's helping us to cope with all the problems that we face as a small squad, as a squad without many options, he was playing everywhere - playing as a winger, as a 10, then we had injuries and Covid situations and he became a central midfielder that he's never been in his life. 'I'm so happy with Mkhi and people understanding that with me not everything is black or white and it's possible that a player becomes with a different relation than it was in the past.' Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola has aimed another dig at Liverpool as he hit out at how his club's spending and their sponsorship deals are treated differently to those of the Anfield club and Manchester United. Guardiola stepped up the mind games in the Premier League run-in when he claimed everyone in the country wants Liverpool to lift the title. The prickly Spaniard also made a jibe about Liverpool's record in the Premier League when he said: 'They have an incredible history behind them in European competitions. Not in the Premier League, because they've won one in 30 years.' Now Guardiola has taken aim at the treatment of his club when it comes to their transfer fees and lucrative sponsorship agreements. Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola has aimed another dig at Liverpool in the title run-in Jurgen Klopp laughed off Guardiola's claim that everyone wanted Liverpool to win the title City on Tuesday confirmed they had reached an agreement to sign Erling Haaland HIGHEST TRANSFER FEES Manchester City Jack Grealish - 100m Manchester United Paul Pogba - 89.3m Liverpool Virgil van Dijk - 76.2m Advertisement City on Tuesday announced they had reached an agreement in principle to sign Borussia Dortmund striker Erling Haaland for an initial 51million - although the eventual fee is expected to be significantly higher. It is the latest high-profile transfer since City, who broke the transfer record when they signed Jack Grealish for 100m last summer, were bought by the Abu Dhabi United Group in 2008. 'Listen, Liverpool in the 1970s or 80s, or United with Sir Alex Ferguson who spent more money?' Guardiola told Sky Sports. 'Who spent more money? It was Norwich? Norwich spent more money in that period? 'Or what other teams Leicester? Leicester spent more money than them? No. They spent more money than the other ones. But the money from them is completely different than now.' The club's dealings with sponsors based in their owners' homeland of Abu Dhabi have also been the subject of significant scrutiny. City's agreement with the Etihad airline is thought to be worth 67.5m a year. City's sponsorship deal with Etihad has been the subject of scrutiny and investigation City broke the transfer record when they lured Jack Grealish from Aston Villa for 100million Liverpool have an 80m-a-year deal with Standard Chartered, while United last March signed a 235m, five-year contract with TeamViewer. 'I've said I'm not going to change that [perception],' added Guardiola. 'When we put here [on the front of our shirts] Etihad, people say, "Oh it's overpaid". But now United and Liverpool are going to get paid maybe more than us, because maybe (it's) deserved because they are working well, because the CEO negotiated well, whatever happened. 'They get more and because it's from the United States of America or another country or the owners are so now it's perfect. SPONSORSHIP DEALS Manchester City Etihad Airlines - 67.5m a year Manchester United TeamViewer - 235m over five years Liverpool Standard Chartered - 80m a year Advertisement 'So that's why it's not going to change, for a long time it's not going to change, that is the reality. The only way we can change is doing well on the pitch.' City are top of the Premier League table ahead of Liverpool on goal difference and can extend their lead to three points if they beat Wolves at Molineux on Wednesday. As revealed in the Mail on Sunday, the Premier League have appointed 'subject matter experts' for the ultra-secretive three-year legal investigation into City's finances, which suggests the Financial Fair Play battle between the Premier League champions and the authorities is reaching its protracted final stage. 'Subject matter experts' are expert witness that explain the context of detail within a case and according to one Premier League legal expert they would normally be appointed in anticipation of a charge being made, but there is no confirmation from City or the Premier League that they have been charged with any offence. Klopp's Liverpool spent an initial 37million to sign Luis Diaz from Porto in January United also splashed the cash under Sir Alex Ferguson, including signing Robin van Persie for 24million Raheem Sterling signed for City from Liverpool in a fee that could rise to 49million Indeed, both parties have gone to extraordinary lengths to keep the battle secret. It was sparked by Der Spiegel's publication of leaked emails, which suggested that City's commercial figures were inflated by Sheikh Mansour's Abu Dhabi United Group to circumnavigate Financial Fair Play rules. That led to City being charged by UEFA and the Premier League investigating in March 2019. City were initially banned from the Champions League by UEFA's Financial Control Body in February 2020 but that decision was overturned by the Court of Arbitration for Sport in July 2020, because much of the evidence fell outside of a time limit. CAS decided the case against City hadn't been established by the emails that were within the five-year limit. It was the CAS ruling that helped allay manager Guardiola's fears, after the Catalan sought assurances from the Manchester City hierarchy about the club's financial conduct. Gabriel Jesus' agent has confirmed the Manchester City striker has held talks with Arsenal and is interested in a move to the Emirates Stadium. The Brazilian has long been linked with a move to Arsenal, who will be in the market for a striker in the summer as Alexandre Lacazette and Eddie Nketiah could both leave the club. Jesus has a year left on his contract but has refused to commit his future to City, while the signing of Erling Haaland from Borussia Dortmund could limit his playing time next season. Gabriel Jesus has long been linked with a move to Arsenal from champions Manchester City Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta has refused to be drawn on the club's links with the Brazilian striker The 25-year-old's agent, Marcelo Pettinati, claims Arsenal are one of seven teams interested in Jesus. 'We had talks with Arsenal about Gabriel Jesus,' said Pettinati. 'We like the project it's a possibility we're discussing. There are six more clubs interested in Gabriel. He's focused on the final games with Man City; we'll see.' Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta refused to be drawn on the talks in his pre-match press conference on Wednesday. 'I don't talk about any players that are not with us,' Arteta said. Jesus scored four goals in City's thumping 5-1 win over Watford at the Etihad last month Jesus, who has been with City since 2017, has scored 13 goals in 39 appearances for the club in the 2021-22 campaign. He has started 19 of City's Premier League games, netting eight goals - including four in the 5-1 win over Watford last month. Jesus started both legs of City's Champions League semi-final defeat to Real Madrid but had hardly featured in the competition before then. The arrival of Haaland in a deal initially worth 51million - but which is expected to end up costing significantly more - could further sideline Jesus under Pep Guardiola next season. With Arsenal looking to fill a void up front which could be left if Lacazette and Nketiah depart, a move for Jesus makes sense for Mikel Arteta's team. Chelsea will announce a massive 20million-a-year deal with cryptocurrency firm WhaleFin as their shirt sleeve sponsor, according to reports. The Blues confirmed on their official website in the early hours of Saturday morning that American billionaire Todd Boehly and his consortium had signed an agreement purchase the club, following the UK Government's approval. He has partnered with fellow Dodgers owner Mark Walter, Swiss billionaire Hansjorg Wyss as well as investment firm Clearlake Capital. And as reported by Sky News, the Premier League side are now set to confirm a lucrative deal with burgeoning group WhaleFin, who will replace South Korean car firm Hyundai. Chelsea are set to announce cryptocurrency firm WhaleFin as their new shirt sleeve sponsor The deal will be a big boost for Chelsea, worth 20million a year to the Premier League side Exclusive: Chelsea FC has struck a 20m-a-year shirt-sleeve sponsorship deal with WhaleFin, a cryptocurrency group, that could be announced as early as tomorrow. Although the club continues to operate under the strict conditions of its government licence, the partnership... 1/2 Mark Kleinman (@MarkKleinmanSky) May 11, 2022 WhaleFin is a digital asset platform owned by Amber Group, a company based in Singapore. Sky sources claim the deal, which is expected to come into effect this summer ahead of the 2022-23 season, could be formally unveiled as soon as Thursday morning. It would be the club's first official move into the crypto market, weeks after Liverpool were linked with picking another such firm to replace their main shirt sponsor, Standard Chartered, and after Manchester United made a deal with blockchain group Tezos. Todd Beohly (middle) is leading a consortium which sealed its Chelsea takeover on Saturday Government sanctions placed on Chelsea due to previous owner Roman Abramovich did not allow him to financially profit from ownership of the club. It is reported that this sponsorship deal was signed in January, before the Government sanctions came into force. Cryptocurrency firms are staking large amounts of money in the attempt to develop their brands, with WhaleFin also paying around 35m a year to sponsor the shirts of Spanish side Atletico Madrid. Chelsea are also thought to be considering replacing their main shirt sponsor 3 UK. Chelsea declined to comment, and Amber Group could not be reached for comment. If slow service leaves a particularly bitter taste in your mouth, then make a beeline for the restaurant that serves customers in just 13.5 seconds. Diners at Karne Garibaldi Santa Tere, in the Mexican city of Guadalajara, see their food arrive on their tables mere seconds after they place their order with the waiters. The restaurants speed has even been officially recognised - back in August 1996, it was granted the Guinness World Record for the fastest service in the world. Karne Garibaldi Santa Tere, a restaurant in the Mexican city of Guadalajara, serves customers in just 13.5 seconds However, its not known for certain if the restaurant still holds the title, because Guinness World Records doesnt monitor the record anymore. We enjoy international prestige for the fast service we offer, since in just 13.5 seconds you will be receiving your food, the restaurant, which first opened in 1970, declares on its website. Since earning a reputation for lightning-fast service, the eatery has become hugely popular. Ironically, this means that you'll often have to wait in a queue to get in. Whats on the menu? Once you sit down, sharing plates of refried beans, salsa and tortilla chips are placed on the table. Next, it's time to place your order and watch the clock. One of the reasons the restaurant is able to serve customers so quickly is because it has only one main dish - 'carne en su jugo', which translates to meats in their juice. It's a traditional Guadalajara dish that's described by two travellers who visited the restaurant and filmed their experience as 'a brothy beef dish with chunks of crispy bacon cooked in its own juices alongside chopped onion, cilantro [coriander], lemon and beans'. Their verdict? 'Really freaking delicious.' A large portion at Karne Garibaldi will set you back 6.50 (165 Mexican pesos). Above are some of the dishes served at Karne Garibaldi, including their signature - 'carne en su jugo', which translates to meats in their juice (pictured centre foreground) Desserts on offer include jericalla (1.50), a Mexican dessert made with milk, sugar, and cinnamon, and the drinks menu ranges from horchata (1.20 for a pint), a traditional drink made from rice soaked in water, to sangria (1.90), wine (2.15) and beer (1.50). The Tripadvisor reviews for the eatery also laud the impressive speed of its staff. User Mariocoto74 wrote: This place is known for having a Guinness record [for] the fastest service time and I can validate that, we ordered... and in 15 seconds the waiter was coming with the food. The food is delicious! User 'luguicastro' branded the service 'ridiculously speedy' while, 'Clfarias' said it is the 'fastest service ever'. However, it's noted that not everyone gets their food in as little as 13.5 seconds - user 'MarioAG16' noted that they received their meal 'one or two minutes' after placing their order. Above is a bird's eye view of Guadalajara. Thanks to its reputation for lightning-fast service, Karne Garabaldi has become hugely popular in the city, with queues forming at the door Karne Garibaldis Laura Mariaud revealed to Food and Wine Magazine further explanations for the speedy service: Of course, we train our staff to learn how to be efficient, but theres a whole process behind the preparation of the food that allows the workflow to be fast and effective. This is how our service turns into a production chain that makes the waiter serve in the fastest way possible to our customers. It's a winning recipe, with the success of the original Karne Garibaldi Santa Tere restaurant inspiring the owners to open five new branches around the wider Guadalajara area. For more information visit karnegaribaldi.com.mx. Former WWE star Steph De Lander has found a new job after being released from her contract with the pro-wrestling company in April. The Melbourne-born grappler, best known by her WWE stage name Persia Pirotta, launched her own OnlyFans account this week to great fanfare. 'We're doing hot girl s**t. OnlyFans is now live,' the 25-year-old announced on Twitter. Twist of fate: Steph De Lander, better known by her WWE ring name Persia Pirotta, has joined OnlyFans after being released from her contract with the pro-wrestling company in April The tweet received more than 5,000 'likes' and dozens of comments from enthusiastic wrestling fans. 'I'm all for supporting women. Count me in!' responded one fan, while another wrote: 'Someone go subscribe and let me know if it's good or not lol.' 'Damn, this gives me Chyna vibes,' wrote another, referring to the late Joanie 'Chyna' Laurer who launched a porn career after leaving WWE. Steph recently said she was 'shocked' to be dropped from WWE out of the blue. Stone cold stunner! 'We're doing hot girl s**t,' the 25-year-old announced on Twitter 'I think in general for a talent to be let go smack bang in the middle of a story[line], when I was on TV every single week for three months, and so was Dexter [Lumis], I think in that sense it's a surprise,' she told NBC Sports. Steph and Dexter were just two of 10 pro wrestlers who were released from WWE's developmental NXT brand last month. The Australian star debuted on the independent wrestling circuit in 2017 under the stage name FaceBrooke, before joining WWE in 2021 as Persia Pirotta. Rock bottom: Steph recently said she was 'shocked' to be dropped from WWE out of the blue A growing number of female professional wrestlers have turned to OnlyFans in recent years after exiting major wrestling promotions like WWE, Impact and AEW. Former Impact Wrestling Knockouts Champion Chelsea Green launched her account last October, while ex-WWE star and Instagram model Scarlett Bordeaux has also found success on the platform. Last month, Kiwi-born wrestler Toni Storm revealed she had raked in more than $30,000 during her first week on OnlyFans. Fans went wild for Star Wars legends Ewan McGregor and Hayden Christensen as they enjoyed a night out in Berlin on Tuesday. The duo enjoyed dinner at Bochardt Restaurant in the city as they enjoyed some quality catch up time during their press tour for their limited series Obi-Wan Kenobi on Disney+. The outing comes after Ewan exchanged vows last month with actress Mary Elizabeth Winstead in front of 'close friends and family,' after first meeting on the FX series Fargo in 2016. Out and about: Newlywed Ewan McGregor stepped out in Berlin on Tuesday just days after marrying actress Mary Elizabeth Winstead as he enjoyed a catch up with Hayden Christensen Reunited! Hayden played Anakin Skywalker and Ewan took on the role of Obi-Wan Kenobi in Star Wars and are set to be reunited in a new series (pictured in Star Wars Episode III - Revenge Of The Sith in 2005) The dynamic duo who first appeared on screen together 17 years ago looked in high spirits as they dined in one of the city's trendiest restaurants. Ewan, 51, cut a dapper figure in a navy jacket and beige trousers while Hayden, 41, looked smart in an all black attire donning a chic pair of wide leg trousers. Fans flocked to the Hollywood stars as they attempted to make their way to their awaiting cars to whisk them off to their hotels. Husband and wife! Their outing comes after Ewan McGregor married Mary Elizabeth Winstead in a low-key outdoor ceremony Stylish: Ewan, 51, cut a dapper figure in a navy jacket and beige trousers The pair who recently have kicked off the press tour for the limited series, stopped to pose for photos as fans waited patiently to catch a glimpse of their heroes. While the majority of fans looked for a selfie, a selection of the crowd asked for autographs which Hayden delightfully signed while wearing a face covering. The pair were then assisted by security as they made their way through the crowd of die hard fans. Procedure: Ewan wore a face covering as he left the established eatery Star power: Ewan was met by crowds of adoring fans outside the venue Crowds: He stopped to take selfies with the crowd as he departed The outing comes after sources told People that Ewan and Mary exchanged vows last month in front of 'close friends and family,' after first meeting on the FX series Fargo in 2016. An insider told the publication: 'It was a small wedding for family and close friends. They had an outdoor ceremony. It was lovely and joyful.' 'The menu was farm-to-table. They are an adorable couple. They are pretty low-key and like their canyon life. They often hike and go to the beach,' the source added. Trendy: Hayden, 41, looked smart in an all black attire donning a chic pair of wide leg trousers Ushered: Hayden was helped through security to make his way through the large crowd A source told Page Six: 'They are more in love than ever and having their first child together last year just strengthened their bond.' Ahead of their big day, the pair's eco-canyon hideaway was spotted being prepared for their big day, with the couple covering their pool with chairs for 60 guests, indicating an intimate affair. Trucks and other vehicles could be seen in the drive while workmen are pictured carrying tables to the property. A number of other tables were seen dotted around, while strings of fairy lights are hung up and outdoor heaters set up, suggesting the couple opted for an outdoor reception with celebrations heading into the night. Camera ready: The pair who recently have kicked off the press tour for the limited series Giving back: They also stopped to pose for photos as fans waited patiently to catch a glimpse of their heroes He shares daughters Clara, 26, Esther, 21, and Anouk, 11, with ex-wife Eve. They split in 2017 after 22 years of marriage and their divorce was finalised in August 2020. The couple, who met on the set of the TV crime drama Kavanagh QC, first confirmed their split in 2017 amid claims Ewan had been seen kissing Mary in a London restaurant. In 2020, Mary discussed her romance with Ewan after her own first marriage ended, telling Glamour UK: 'I got divorced a couple of years ago, which was a scary, crazy thing for me because I had been with the same person since I was 18 years old, and that was what I knew. 'I was really starting new as an adult for the first time in my life. For me that was a big turning point, being okay with changing, accepting that change is a good thing and that it's okay not to know where that change is going to take you.' Home time: Ewan was assisted by a member of security as he made a dash to get to his hotel after a lively evening Print: A selection of the crowd asked for autographs which Hayden delightfully signed while wearing a face covering All smiles: The majority of fans looked for a selfie with the actors Eve was pictured without her wedding ring at around the same time. The Star Wars actor who blamed 'irreconcilable differences' for the split then began dating Mary. The couple welcomed Laurie into the world in June. In September, Ewan also paid tribute to Mary during his acceptance speech at the Emmy Awards, saying: 'Mary, I love you so much. I'm gonna take this home and show it to our new little boy, Laurie. 'And to my beautiful girls, who I know are watching, Clara, Esther, Jamyan and Anouk, hello to you too. Thank you very much everybody.' The couple, who never revealed they were expecting, had their baby news announced by Ewan's daughter Clara on Instagram. She was known as the 'party Rottweiler' for the Primrose Hill set in the 1990s because she refused to admit people she deemed not important enough to join the hedonistic gatherings she organised for Kate Moss and Sadie Frost. But it would appear the tables have turned for PR supremo Fran Cutler: I hear she's been banned from one of London's most exclusive private clubs. Cutler, 58, is said to have been made persona non grata at Notting Hill club and restaurant Laylow after allegedly making an 'outrageously offensive' comment about a fellow patron. She was known as the 'party Rottweiler' for the Primrose Hill set in the 1990s because she refused to admit people she deemed not important enough to join the hedonistic gatherings she organised for Kate Moss and Sadie Frost 'I can't imagine there's a way back for her at the club,' a source tells me. It wouldn't be the first time that Cutler has caused discord among her fashionable circle. She fell out with Moss, 48, in 2018, after accidentally sending an unflattering message about the supermodel's appearance to Moss herself. The Laylow ban would be a wounding blow as it's one of the capital's trendiest venues. It was launched in 2017 by 61-year-old fashion designer Bella Freud's then toyboy, Taz Fustok, 38, before he went on to date Soho porn and property heiress India Rose James. He and Freud started going out after he'd asked her to design the staff uniforms for Laylow. But it would appear the tables have turned for PR supremo Fran Cutler: I hear she's been banned from one of London's most exclusive private clubs Previously a pub, four-storey Laylow was soon playing host to the likes of Sir Mick Jagger, David Beckham, pop superstar Rihanna and socialite Poppy Delevingne. Although the restaurant is open to all, the club is notoriously difficult to join. Examples of questions on the application form include 'Describe yourself in three words' and 'What would be your ultimate party guest list of people dead or alive?'. Applicants also need to provide a photo to see if they make the cut. Laylow does not deny that Cutler is banned but declines to say anything 'at the moment'. Cutler didn't respond to my request for a comment. Penelope Wilton, who plays Lady Merton in Downton Abbey, complains that her friend and fellow Dame, Maggie Smith, snaffles the most cutting ripostes in Julian Fellowes's popular period drama. 'Maggie gets all the best lines,' Wilton, 75, says of Smith, 87, who plays her acid-tongued sparring partner, the Dowager Countess of Grantham. 'With Maggie, you need to be on your game to hit the ball back at her. I said to Julian: 'Can I at least win one of the arguments?' and he said: 'No.' ' Count Nikolai Tolstoy is rightly proud of his illustrious kinsmen, who include the War And Peace author Leo Tolstoy, but he's ashamed of his cousin Pyotr, a Russian politician. 'I read with dismay of my thoroughly eccentric cousin's diatribe against Britain and support for Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine,' says the father of socialite Alexandra Tolstoy. 'I would be surprised were any other member of the family to share his views, and know of many who emphatically do not.' Beat this for a Chelsea tractor! It's not just Tory MPs who find farm machinery sexy. Made in Chelsea star Binky Felstead hopped on a Porsche tractor during her hen do in Ibiza. Perhaps it was a cheeky allusion to Neil Parish, who last week quit as an MP after he was caught looking at porn on his phone in the Commons. He claimed he was searching for tractors online. Posting the photo, she said: 'The most incredible weekend with my hens ever.' Binky, 31, married businessman Max Darnton, 32, in an intimate civil ceremony at Chelsea Old Town Hall last July but is planning a star-studded service in Greece. Made in Chelsea star Binky Felstead hopped on a Porsche tractor during her hen do in Ibiza The 'Tinder Swindler' gets cold shoulder 'Tinder Swindler' Simon Leviev is not as adept at raking in cash from legitimate sources. I hear he's been forced to slash his rates on a popular messaging site after poor sales. Brazen Leviev, 31, who is alleged to have stolen millions of pounds from women he met on dating sites, has signed up to do personalised messages on the platform and was charging 148 a pop. But he's received only 156 reviews and has reduced his fees to 80 to drum up new business. After years of partying, Leviev was convicted in Israel of theft, fraud and forgery in 2019 and served five months in jail. Don't tick-box female actors, warns Minnie Minnie Driver is sick of political correctness in Hollywood. 'Don't just hire a woman as a film-maker so it will tick that box,' says the Good Will Hunting star, 52. Speaking at a How To Academy event, where she was promoting her memoir Managing Expectations, the actress says: 'There's an awful lot of 'shoe-horning' and it doesn't solve the problem. Instead, we should be sharing knowledge and mentoring, so the women who are given jobs happen to be the best candidates anyway.' Jousting lord rocks right up to the end He was custodian of Knebworth which he called 'a Tudor manor house with Victorian icing sugar on it' and of a pair of Sir Mick Jagger's underpants, discarded in 1976 following a full-blooded Rolling Stones performance at one of the rock concerts held on the estate. So yesterday's funeral of Lord Cobbold, who was jousting in full chain mail well into his 70s and died on Monday aged 84, was always going to be a fusion of the ancient and the uninhibited. 'His coffin was driven through Knebworth village,' a Hertfordshire local tells me. David Lytton-Cobbold was accompanied by blasts of Pink Floyd's The Dark Side Of The Moon his favourite album, the cover design of which was painted on his cardboard coffin. The Old Etonian and his wife took over Knebworth in the 1970s when it had dry rot and a leaking roof. The rock concerts ensured its salvation. Veteran Australian actress Rowena Wallace is turning to Islam. The Sons and Daughters star, 74, made the stunning revelation during Channel Seven's The Fame Game on Sunday night. 'If I were going to be anything I would be a Muslim,' she said. Big news: Veteran Australian actress Rowena Wallace (pictured) is taking a leap of faith by turning to Islam Wallace, who in 1984 became the first soap star to win a Gold Logie, has faced a number of financial and health challenges over the years. And she has credited her newfound faith with helping to 'centre' her. 'I have studied a bit of Islam and I do merge towards Islam,' Wallace told the 7News Spotlight program. Faith found: 'If I were going to be anything I would be a Muslim,' said Wallace. (Pictured: a mosque in Sharjah, in the United Arab Emirates) However, she specifically identifies as a Sufi, which she describes as 'a lover of God'. Sufism is a form of Islamic mysticism that emphasises introspection and spiritual closeness with God. 'I do try to live as a Sufi but it is not a common thing. There is not a group of Sufis in Wonthaggi [a seaside town in Victoria] where I live.' 'I am where I am, and I just want to be happy where I am and I am,' she added. Struggle street: Wallace, who in 1984 became the first soap star to win a Gold Logie, has faced a number of financial and health challenges. (Pictured in a 2007 episode of Neighbours) During the 7News special, Wallace also revealed she was once forced to sell off her Logie Awards to survive. But in a heartwarming moment, she got one of them back during the broadcast. Home and Away star Ada Nicodemou announced she was handing a Silver Logie 'to Australia's biggest TV legend' who was the award's rightful owner. Moved: Wallace was forced to sell off her Logie Awards to survive, but she got one of them back during Channel Seven's The Fame Game on Sunday night 'Oh my god, is it really? Oh my god, it is too!' Wallace cried when she was handed the Logie and told it was hers. Wiping away tears, she joked that it had been some years since she had last seen it. 'Oh, thank you. I don't know what to say,' the emotional actress said, before revealing it was her 1983 Silver Logie for Most Popular Lead Actress. Sweet: Home and Away star Ada Nicodemou (pictured) announced she was handing a Silver Logie 'to Australia's biggest TV legend' who was the award's rightful owner Wallace has won several Logies throughout her career. In 1984, she took home the Gold Logie, and the Silver Logie for Most Popular Actress and Best Actress in a Series. In 1985, she won Best Lead Actress in a Series. The Sons and Daughters star, who suffers from clinical depression, revealed in 2017 that she was struggling to survive on 'roughly $400 a week'. She reluctantly allowed friends to setup a crowd funding page on GoFundMe to help fund an intended move to Brisbane. Hard: The Sons and Daughters star, who suffers from clinical depression, revealed in 2017 that she was struggling to survive on 'roughly $400 a week'. She sold her Gold Logie several years ago to cover living expenses 'I don't know what else to do,' she confessed to The Daily Telegraph at the time. The Home and Away alum remained conflicted about asking for money, and admitted she thinks the public's backlash is an unavoidable inevitability. She sold her Gold Logie several years ago to cover living expenses at the secluded Victorian home she shares with beloved pooches Phoebe and Reubus. To make matters worse, she revealed: 'I'm not in great shape. I have chronic pain, which is debilitating.' Star: The beloved star rose to fame on soap opera Sons and Daughters, beginning her role as Patricia Dunne, nicknamed Pat the Rat, in 1981. Pictured on the soap She revealed that's she's been riddled with anxiety for years, with every coming bill pushing her further into panic. Like many of the actors who started out in the '60s, she revealed she lacks a Superannuation fund, because it wasn't required back then. The beloved star rose to fame on soap opera Sons and Daughters, beginning her role as Patricia Dunne, nicknamed Pat the Rat, in 1981. Many content creators and social media influencers are excited about YouTube's new monetization tool. Beginning on Wednesday, the video sharing platform YouTube is launching gifted membership in beta to select channels. With this, both fans and creators will have the ability to gift each other with paid channel subscriptions. The gifted subscriptions have been part of Twitch, YouTube Gaming's main competition. This is seen by many streamers as an easy way to generate revenue while building their community at the same time. YouTube took some time to release this much-awaited feature in its platform. But finally, YouTube Japan examined gifted memberships feature earlier this year for a select number of channels, as per Engadget. It will be available to all YouTube Gaming users in the U.S. and U.K. YouTube Plans To Expand Memberships Gifting Beta Over the Next Several Months YouTube said that the memberships gifting beta will be available to a "small group of creators" to start, but will eventually, be expanded to more "over the next several months." According to The Verge, channels interested in trying the feature can fill out this Google Form, but you'll need to satisfy a set of requirements to be eligible. To start, gifting will only be available for viewers using a desktop browser window. YouTube plans to have allow buying gift memberships on mobile for the feature's full launch. As a way to prevent harassment, viewers will also have to opt in to be able to receive gifted memberships on a channel. Gifted memberships will appear in the chat. To allow gifts, you'll have to click a link and then a toggle. According to YouTube, "With Memberships Gifting, your channel members can buy a set number of channel memberships [5, 10, 20] in a single purchase, that YouTube will 'gift' out to other viewers in your live stream," Youtube added that viewers who receive a gift membership get 1 month of access to your channel membership perks like loyalty badges, custom emojis, and more. Moreover, viewers who receive gift memberships do not pay any charges. Also, as the creator, you receive your usual revenue share from each transaction. Read Also: YouTube Offers Podcasters Up to $300K to Embrace Video Format YouTube Gaming Launches Other Twitch-like Features This Year This year, YouTube Gaming has launched a number of other Twitch-like features including Live Redirects, which allow streamers to send fans to other streams or premieres. As per Engadget, fans normally pay $4.99 per month for channel memberships. This membership allows them to access user badges, emotes, and other exclusive content by their favorite creators. Twitch remains the biggest U.S.-based platform for livestreaming. However, in recent years, a number of its high-profile streamers have departed for YouTube Gaming. It is expected that there may be more to follow. Last month, Bloomberg reported that under a new monetization model by the Amazon-owned platform, Twitch partners will get a smaller cut of revenue from subscriptions, 50% from 70%. Engadget said that YouTube Gaming takes only 30% of a streamer's revenue from channel subscriptions. At present, YouTube Gaming doesn't have as many audience as Twitch, but this could easily change if more popular Twitch creators leave for better opportunities. Related Article: Tips on Avoiding a YouTube Copyright Claim She once claimed to be related to legendary animator Walt Disney. And Rebel Wilson showed her love for iconic cartoon character Mickey Mouse as she went for her morning stroll in Los Angeles on Tuesday. The Pitch Perfect star, 42, wore a bright $425 Gucci Mickey T-shirt during the brisk walk. Disney fan! Rebel Wilson showed off her weight loss in a $425 Gucci Mickey Mouse T-shirt during a walk in Los Angeles on Tuesday She teamed the hot pink top with black leggings, an Alo visor and a pair of Aviator sunglasses. Makeup free, she bundled her blonde hair up into a pun and wore a pair of Earpods as she strode along. In a defamation case against Bauer Media in 2015 Rebel spoke openly about her 'relation to Walt Disney', a claimed fact she said her grandmother told her at just five years of age. Bright star: She teamed the hot pink top with black leggings, an Alo visor and a pair of Aviator sunglasses In addition Rebel's birth name, Melanie Elizabeth Bownds, is also similar to the surname of Walt's wife, Lillian Bounds. The Disney husband and wife team died a decade before Rebel was born. Meanwhile, Rebel has lost more than 35kg (77lbs or 5.5st) in the last 18 months, which she attributes to healthy eating and daily walks. She told Apple Fitness+ in January that walking, rather than high-intensity workouts, had actually been her secret weapon for weight loss. 'The doctor said to me, "Rebel, the best way for you to lose unwanted body fat is just simply walking,"' she explained. 'Doesn't have to be high-intensity, doesn't have to be uphill, just moderate walking an hour a day. And if you can do that, for you, for your body type, it's, like, the best way to lose unwanted body fat.' To keep her walks interesting, Rebel said she often listens to podcasts. Uma Thurman was spotted while working on the Hoboken, New Jersey set of The Kill Room on Tuesday afternoon. The 52-year-old actress was seen mingling with the forthcoming project's crew members as she switched between two different outfits during her time on set. The performer is currently set to reunite with her Pulp Fiction costar Samuel L. Jackson in the upcoming movie, which is currently in the middle of production. Hard at work: Uma Thurman was spotted while working on the Hoboken, New Jersey set of The Kill Room on Tuesday afternoon A different look: She later changed into a black t-shirt and a puffy jacket as she made her way across the set Thurman initially wore a stylish light beige blouse underneath a dark green jacket during her time on set. The Gattaca actress contrasted her tops with a pair of blue jeans and a fashionable set of leather shoes. The performer kept a small burgundy bag slung over her left shoulder while working on the project. She later changed into a black t-shirt and a puffy jacket as she made her way across the set. Ooh la la! Thurman initially wore a stylish light beige blouse underneath a dark green jacket during her time on set Thurman also put on a slightly distressed pair of light gray jeans after switching out her clothing. The Academy Award-winning performer accessorized with a lovely set of earrings and several other articles of jewelry. Her gorgeous blonde locks remained free-flowing and cascaded onto her shoulders. Development on The Kill Room was initially revealed to the public by The Hollywood Reporter this past April. Recent event: Development on The Kill Room was initially revealed to the public by The Hollywood Reporter this past April The movie will be centered on an assassin who becomes an overnight avant-garde star as a result of their involvement in a money-laundering scheme. Thurman is set to portray an art dealer, while Jackson will play a crime boss in the upcoming film. Joe Manganiello was added to the cast last month, and his role is currently unknown. Director Nicol Paone gave a statement to the media outlet where he called the script 'incredible' and expressed his excitement about being able to work with the movie's stars. So excited: Director Nicol Paone gave a statement to the media outlet where he called the script 'incredible' and expressed his excitement about being able to work with the movie's stars 'Getting to make The Kill Room...with Uma Thurman and Samuel L. Jackson is beyond my wildest dreams,' he said. He added: 'Every moment they're onscreen, they are both enviable and eye-catching. I am eternally grateful to both of them for saying yes.' Producers Jordan Yale Levine and Jordan Beckerman also expressed that 'the combination of Uma and Sam for this project is a dream come true.' The pair then spoke about their confidence in the director's ability to create a spectacular movie. In awe: The director added that 'every moment they're onscreen, they are both enviable and eye-catching. I am eternally grateful to both of them for saying yes' 'We are certain that Nicol is going to deliver a special film, and one that strikes the perfect balance between dark humor and edge-of-your-seat thrills,' they stated. Production on the movie commenced earlier this year, with New Jersey and New York serving as filming locations. The Kill Room's eventual release date has not been revealed to the public as of yet. Sheridan Smith has had jewellery stolen from her trailer in a raid on set of her new drama Rosie Molloy Gives Up Everything in south west London, according to a new report. The Gavin & Stacey actress, 40, is reportedly 'very upset' after some of the items, including her bracelets, rings, and necklaces were taken. The gang, nicknamed the Movie Takers - who according to The Sun have previously raided other film sets, are thought to have several stolen thousands of pounds worth of jewellery in the robbery. Hard: Sheridan Smith has had jewellery stolen from her trailer in a raid on set of her new drama Rosie Molloy Gives Up Everything in south west London according to a new report The publication reports that police were called on last Thursday night after Sheridan and other stars noticed that things were missing. A source said: 'This was a very upsetting incident and everyone involved is shocked - but Sheridan is understandably very hurt. It's absolutely disgraceful that these people would do this. 'Fortunately, it wasn't hugely expensive items, more day-to-day things, but she had left them in her trailer for safety while filming in character and came back to find the place had been turned over. 'It's hard to get on to a set without being recognised by somebody immediately, so a few incidents in quick succession is very unusual. It could be that the same people are targeting sets, knowing there are high-value items.' Oh dear: The Gavin & Stacey actress (pictured in the drama) is reportedly 'very upset' after some of the items- including her bracelets, rings, and necklaces were taken from her trailer Gone: It's thought that Sheridan's jewellery was taken from her trailer on set (stock image) It's thought crews have become increasingly suspicious after similar incidents on other sets, including the recent theft of expensive props from the filming location for Netflix's The Crown. A Met Police spokesman said: 'The offence happened at about 11.50pm on May 5. Items of jewellery were stolen from trailers in Surbiton. There have been no arrests, inquiries continue.' A representative for Sheridan has been contacted by MailOnline for further comment. In the new show, Sheridan has the lead role as Rosie who suffers from anxiety and depression and the plot follows her efforts to ditch booze and drugs and start afresh. The hotly-anticipated series is expected to hit screens this winter. Sheridan has also appeared in Gavin and Stacey, The Royle Family and Two Pints of Lager and a Packet of Crisps. The star will next be seen on the big screen in The Railway Children Return, an eagerly-anticipated sequel to the 1970s classic. The film, slated for release on 15 July 2022, will follow child evacuees from Salford to the Yorkshire village of Oakworth during the Second World War. Jenny Agutter is reprising her role as Roberta 'Bobbie' Waterbury over five decades since the original film - The Railway Children - and she is joined by onscreen daughter played by Sheridan as they dote on the evacuees: Lily (Beau Gadsdon), Pattie (Eden Hamilton) and Ted (Zac Cudby). While navigating their new surroundings, the curious children find injured American soldier, Abe (Kenneth Aikens [KJ]), hiding in the yard at Oakworth Station. They quickly befriend him and embark on a potentially dangerous quest to assist him in finding his way home. Returns: Sheridan will next be seen on the big screen in The Railway Children Return, an eagerly-anticipated sequel to the 1970s classic (pictured with co-stars Jenny Agutter, right, and Austin Haynes) Also starring in the upcoming feel-good family feature include Austin Haynes as Bobbie's grandson, as well as BAFTA-Award winning actor Tom Courtenay and Game Of Thrones' John Bradley. At the directorial helm is Morgan Matthews, whose previous credits include Taxidermy: Stuff the World, Channel 4's My Crazy Parents and feature-length Beautiful Young Minds. The crew shot scenes in key locations from the original film, including the Haworth, Oakworth Station, The Bronte Parsonage and the Keighley & Worth Valley Railway. Filming commenced in May 2021 and took between six and eight weeks. Quest: The story will follow child evacuees from Salford to the Yorkshire village of Oakworth during the Second World War It comes after Sheridan admitted that her son Billy was 'the best thing that ever happened to her.' She welcomed her first child in May 2020 with ex-fiance Jamie Horn, and the pair are believed to be co-parenting after they split in July 2021. Speaking to Notebook magazin, Sheridan said: 'I try to take him everywhere with me, he's like my little shadow. We're like two peas in a pod, he's the best thing that's ever happened to me. So long as I keep working and have my little boy with me then I'm happy. ' While she tries to take her son 'everywhere' with her, Sheridan confessed that her gruelling work schedule and unusual hours as an actress means they sometimes have to be separated. But the busy star doesn't intend to stop working any time soon, admitting that she loves it and it helps her stay 'focused'. 'Now Ive got a son hes always my priority, but things have really changed,' she said. 'Production companies are great and they allow your little ones to come out and stay with you. If work meant I couldnt see Billy Id probably cut back, but I love working and sometimes Im better when Im working because it keeps my mind focused.' Music icon Nile Rodgers is preparing for a wheel-y fun summer. The legendary musician, 69, announced the opening of DiscOasis, an immersive roller disco experience in Central Park on Tuesday. Nile was looking stylish as usual with a flashy blue blazer, paint-splattered trousers, typical cap an teal roller skate slung over his shoulder. Having a wheel-y good time! Nile Rodgers announced the opening of DiscOasis, an immersive roller disco experience in Central Park on Tuesday The Good Times hit-maker was also seen mingling with the Mayor of New York City, Eric Adams, who also spoke at the press conference announcing the event. The duo appeared engrossed in some serious conversation as they chatted outside. But it wasn't all business for Nile. The music icon appeared to be busting a move beside a fellow skater at the event. Meeting of the minds: Rodgers appeared to be engrossed in some serious conversation with Mayor Eric Adams Dance break! Rodgers appeared to be busting a move with another skater Nile was clearly in high spirits as he took the podium, speaking to the crowd with a huge smile on his face. Nile will be serving as Groovemaster at the upcoming roller skating extravaganza, set to take place at Central Park's Wollman Rink from June 16 to October 1. 'The DiscOasis will offer exciting evening skate times & programs featuring theatrical performances with an array of live DJs, artists and special guests, as well as open skate sessions during the daytime,' according to a release. Grooving and moving! Rodgers will be serving as the event's Groovemaster Summer fun! The event will feature nightly theatrical shows, a 'glittering roller rink fantasia' designed by the Tony-nominated David Korins and lighting done by the award-winning David Weiner The event will feature nightly theatrical shows, a 'glittering roller rink fantasia' designed by the Tony-nominated David Korins and lighting done by the award-winning David Weiner. 'There will also be interactive installations inspired by Groovemaster Nile Rodgers' iconic catalog, a dance floor, live roller-dance performances, food and beverage service, and more. Rodgers is curating a special playlist of skate-worthy, groove-inducing tracks for each night's local DJ to spin fresh for skaters and dancers,' the release stated. Nile gushed about the roller skating extravaganza in the release. 'I'm a lifelong New Yorker and, for me, Central Park was always the place where big things happened from watching Sly & the Family Stone and Diana Ross, to sharing the first moon landing and the inaugural Earth Day. Since The DiscOasis is all about celebrating New York culture, there's no other place for it to be.' Taking the stage: Adams addressed the crowd at the Central Park location Heartbreaking scenes are ahead for Emmerdale viewers as lovable Dingle matriarch Faith, played by Sally Dexter, is set to be told that her breast cancer has returned. In episodes due to air later this week on ITV, Faith will be given the devastating diagnosis from her doctors. Not only will she have to deal with the consequences of secondary cancer, but tensions remain high with her children, Chas (Lucy Pargeter) and Cain (Jeff Hordley), whom she's unable to get support from after the news. Sad: Heartbreaking scenes are ahead for Emmerdale viewers as lovable Dingle matriarch Faith, played by Sally Dexter, is set to be told that her breast cancer has returned With nowhere to turn, Faith will lean on Moira, (Natalie J Robb), for the guidance she so desperately needs. Moira urges Faith to tell the rest of the family, but she is adamant that she wants to mend her relationships first. The episodes have been produced with the support of the charity Breast Cancer Now who are working closely with the Emmerdale production team on Faith's secondary cancer storyline to give it a realistic and authentic depiction. Catherine Priestley, Clinical Nurse Specialist at Breast Cancer Now, said: 'With it estimated that around 35,000 people are living with secondary breast cancer in the UK, it's been an incredibly important opportunity for us to provide expert guidance around Faith's storyline. Tough: Not only will she have to deal with the consequences of secondary cancer, but tensions remain high with her children, Chas (Lucy Pargeter) and Cain (Jeff Hordley),- left - whom she's unable to get support from after the news 'We have giving a steer to script writers as to how her diagnosis and experience of the disease can be portrayed accurately and raising awareness of some of the signs and symptoms of secondary breast cancer among millions of Emmerdale fans. 'Everyone's experience of breast cancer is different, but we know from calls to our Helpline just how anxious women may feel about the possibility of their cancer returning, and how overwhelming the impact of a secondary breast cancer diagnosis can be for patients and their families.' Actress Sally, 62, added: 'It's upsetting, but really important as a storyline, because it's more than a storyline for so many people. It matters to people who are going through it as well as people who will go through it. 'I feel a sense of real responsibility, but also a privilege to be doing this storyline.' Illness: In episodes due to air later this week on ITV, Faith will be given the devastating diagnosis from her doctors Emmerdale Producer, Laura Shaw, commented: 'Faith's devastating cancer diagnosis will impact not only her life, but all those around her. We know at the very core of the Dingles is a strong sense of family and love, so for them to try and navigate through this heartbreaking time will be incredibly difficult.' Laura continued: 'Faith's zest for life with her spicy sense of humour and appetite for fun and adventure means that while there will inevitably be some painful and heart wrenching moments, we will also see life affirming and positive moments of light in the story too. 'Given the calibre of actor Sally is, I know she will approach the story with great honesty and depth and do it justice and this in turn will raise awareness of such an important issue that affects many people on a daily basis.' Faith first revealed her cancer diagnosis in 2018 on the show and afterwards Sally recalled the 'extraordinary' experience of meeting breast cancer survivor Brigitte Cole, who acted as her body double during the emotional storyline. The star told Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby on an episode of This Morning that she was inspired by Brigitte who battled the disease, as she prepared to bare all in The Real Full Monty: Ladies Night. Fans saw Faith hiding a dark secret upon her return to the Emmerdale village the year before, eventually unveiling her mastectomy scars after a row with daughter Chas. Talking about the tear-jerking scenes, Sally said that writers took inspiration from Brigitte who acted as a body double, changing the scene to accurately portray how someone with a mastectomy would view their scars. She said: 'The woman whose chest you saw on the show. She's had a double mastectomy, and she stood in for me when we did it. Raising awareness: After her original cancer storyline aired Sally took part in The Real Full Monty: Ladies Night to raise money for breast cancer charities 'An extraordinary lady to meet savvy, sassy, funny lady. One of the first things she did was ask me if I wanted to see a photo of a mastectomy. Next thing she'd ripped her jumper off! More surprised by what she did, than what I saw. They were evidence that she'd come through it.' The soap star added: 'I remember looking at the script initially and they had it the other way round that I was upset about a row with my daughter, took my bra off, and burst into tears seeing myself. 'But having met Brigitte, I thought we can't do that. It's evidence of her survival. So that last look we did was to say, 'We've come through this, we'll come through everything,' (she cries first, then removes her bra and stops crying looking in the mirror).' Sally also revealed that working on the storyline inspired her to go and have her first mammogram, saying: 'I thought it was going to be painful and humiliating and horrible, but it was none of those things.' David Spade posted a rare pic featuring his 13-year-old daughter Harper on Instagram Tuesday. 'Harper crushing it before our friends bat mitzvah rager,' the Saturday Night Live alum, 57, captioned the shot, which was posed in front of a set of staircases. 'My shirt got a bit john travolta in all the chaos.' The comedy veteran donned a black suit with a white button-up top at the event, with his shaggy brown locks parted. The latest: David Spade, 57, posted a rare pic featuring his 13-year-old daughter Harper on Instagram Tuesday Harper wore a black wool coat over a floral maroon dress with her blonde locks parted down the middle. The Birmingham, Michigan-born funnyman received a number of responses from his showbiz friends, as comic Lauren Lapkus wrote, 'Harper is so pretty!' Howard Stern's wife Beth left a heart emoji, while broadcaster Lauren Sivan commented, 'Ive never seen her smile in a photo with you! Congrats. You finally did it!!!' Spade, who's also been seen in films including Joe Dirt, Joe Dirt 2: Beautiful Loser and Dickie Roberts: Former Child Star, welcomed Harper in August of 2008 with his ex-girlfriend, one-time Playboy model Jillian Grace, 36. He has no other children. Spade and his daughter were pictured at an event in Westwood, California in 2018 They were joined by his mother Judith M. Spade at the event in Southern California Spade last week spoke in a comprehensive interview with The Hollywood Reporter in support of his new Netflix special Nothing Personal, which began streaming last month. Spade opened up about the shifting landscape in stand-up in the wake of the attack on Chris Rock by Will Smith at the Oscars in March, and another last week against Dave Chappelle at the Hollywood Bowl, by a man armed with a knife. 'Since the Will Smith incident, I feel theres a change in the air,' Spade told the outlet. 'The invisible barrier between audience and stage has been broken. But clearly, the grace period is over. I think all performers will hit first and ask questions later if someone comes at them. Even if its a juggler, you might get a bowling pin across the temple.' Asked about how his colleague Rock handled the situation in the aftermath of the slap from Smith, Spade said, 'I think he got a lot of props for just continuing and not causing a scene more than it was, and sort of defusing it and moving on, and its really pretty much the only option. 'And you are at the Oscars - it is a worldwide event, and theres just too many things going through your head at that point. I think he picked the right one, and just move on and try not to over-talk about it because it was talked about so much. Let it die down.' Spade was snapped on a Disneyland ride with Harper and her mother, one-time Playboy model Jillian Grace in September of 2011 The trio enjoyed their turn on the Mad Tea Party ride in the Fantasyland area of the park Spade was also asked about his Nothing Personal reference of Alec Baldwin's fatal shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the set of the film Rust last fall, and if he told Baldwin that he would be mentioning it. 'I forgot about that one ... funnily enough, no,' Spade said. 'I love Alec Baldwin, and he was great on SNL ... that was something I threw in that morning of the special because it fit into that chunk. 'But again, people are going to know that thats a very serious situation. But when you say a flip remark, it catches you off-guard. It doesnt mean I think lightly of what happened. It doesnt mean any of that.' Dave Hughes is said to be 'desperate' to secure a Sydney home after relocating to the Harbour City for his 2Day FM breakfast radio show. And the comedian, 51, apparently has his sights set on a Rose Bay apartment being sold by Bachelor star Tim Robards and his wife Anna Heinrich. The three-bedroom unit has a new price guide of $2.8million after previously being listed for $3.45million. Tough times: Dave Hughes is said to be 'desperate' to secure a Sydney home after relocating to the Harbour City for his 2Day FM breakfast radio show 'Hughes, and his buyers agent Jack Henderson may cast their eye over the apartment again,' realestate.com.au reports. In December last year, the funnyman expressed his desire to move to trendy Surry Hills, jokingly referring to it as 'St Kilda without the beach.' However he now appears to have his sights set on a harbourside residence in Robards and Heinrich's apartment. Selling out: And the comedian, 51, apparently has his sights set on a Rose Bay apartment being sold by Bachelor star Tim Robards and his wife Anna Heinrich. Couple are pictured with daughter Elle, one The boutique apartment is located on a block of six, just moments from the Rose Bay Wharf and eateries. It features open-plan kitchen and dining, which leads out to a balcony. The marble kitchen has luxurious appliances including a Smeg gas cooktop and an integrated fridge/freezer. Must be sold: The Bachelor and I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! stars have set a price guide of $2.8million for the three-bedder The property also has timber floors in the living spaces and high quality carpet in the three bedrooms. Agent Gavin Rubenstein told the website the couple 'need a house' after last year expressing a desire to expand their family. The latest property move for the couple comes after they recently put their third and final investment property in Queensland on the market. Location location: The boutique apartment is located on a block of six, just moments from the Rose Bay Wharf and eateries Tim and Anna last month listed their townhouse in Brisbane's Aspley, reported realestate.com.au last month. The four-bedroom, two-storey house has been advertised as 'an unmissable buying, downsizing or investment opportunity'. It features a fully fenced courtyard and garage, and was purchased by Tim, 39, for $452,500 back in February 2016. That same year, he bought two other properties in Brisbane suburbs Richlands and Murarrie, both of which have since been sold. Finishings: The property also has timber floors in the living spaces and high quality carpet in the three bedrooms Tim and Anna, 35, sold their three-bedroom townhouse in Murarrie for $730,000 in November last year. A month later, they sold their four-bedroom townhouse in Richlands for $450,000, making the Aspley townhouse their last Brisbane property. The couple, who share one-year-old daughter Elle, have made Sydney their permanent base in recent years. They met on the set of the 2013 season of The Bachelor. Surgery-addicted social media star Mary Magdalene has admitted to getting 'under-the-table' silicone butt injections after being refused more surgery. The American model has already undergone three separate Brazilian butt lift procedures in addition to butt implants, and as a result was turned down by doctors for further work on her behind. Despite getting the 'dangerous' silicone injections, Mary warned her fans not to follow in her footsteps. Extreme: Surgery-addicted social media star Mary Magdalene (pictured) has admitted to getting 'under-the-table' silicone butt injections after being refused further surgery 'Shots are dangerous and very hush hush, under the table,' she wrote to her 108,000 followers on Instagram. 'I love them but I do not recommend people to get them because it is a very risky procedure,' she continued. 'There's a reason why it's banned in every country. I am just okay with taking the risks and I have butt implants and three BBLs already, so injections are the only way I can achieve a huge unnatural result now.' She added: 'For normal people, you're better off getting a BBL. It's cheaper or just as much, and much safer.' Dangerous: 'I love them but I do not recommend people to get them because it is a very risky procedure,' Mary told her fans on Instagram 'There's a reason why it's banned in every country': Silicone butt injections can cause a variety of health issues and are even lethal in some cases The former exotic dancer showed off the results of the extreme injections on Instagram, proudly declaring: 'I love my new a**.' Silicone butt injections can cause a variety of health issues and are even lethal in some cases. They are illegal in many parts of the world, including the United States. Mary famously almost died on the operating table during an operation to 'inflate' her vagina back in 2018. Curves: The model showed off her butt implants and multiple BBLs in a video (pictured) taken before her silicone injections 'I had to get two blood transfusions,' she told The Sun. 'The doctor said I was losing so much blood, and turning very pale. He thought I was going to die.' Explaining the bizarre procedure on No Jumper, Mary said she wanted her nether regions to look 'inflated' so she could have 'the world's fattest vagina'. 'So basically there's this contraption that you use and it sucks your p***y and then it makes it very inflated, so I told the doctor that I just want it permanently to look like that,' she said. 'I would say it's a female ball sack. I'm gonna keep just growing it and getting it bigger. I'm gonna get injections.' Risking it all: Mary famously almost died on the operating table during an operation to 'inflate' her vagina back in 2018 'The old me was sad and lost': In a recent post, an emotional Mary detailed how her plastic surgery makeover had changed her life The heavily tattooed model had her first procedure done at the age of 21, when she was working as a stripper and escort. Over the years, her surgeries have included a brow lift, fat transfers, multiple nose and boob jobs, veneers, liposuction, butt implants, porcelain veneers and more. Earlier this year, she had a fourth nose job to create a 'Barbie nose', along with cat-eye surgery and eyebrow implants. First time: Mary had her first surgery at age 21, a breast augmentation to make her more desirable to clients in the strip club (pictured at the time) Innocent: Mary, who grew up in a strict Christian family, is pictured here as a fresh-faced teenager with blonde hair and braces In April, she claimed she was unable to fully close her mouth anymore after a lip lift and another round of lip filler. In a recent post, an emotional Mary detailed how her plastic surgery makeover had changed her life. 'The old me was always sad and lost, thought I wasn't good at anything and did not have much hope for the future,' she said. 'When I'm crying now it's because I feel happy and proud of myself and I feel like this surgery was really just fully saying goodbye to the old me now because now I no longer see any of her at all.' Aussie rap sensation The Kid Laroi has parted ways with his American manager Adam Leber. Leber 'resigned amicably' from his role and had a good relationship with Laroi, but struggled working with the star's internal team, reports Billboard. Laroi and Leber had been working together under his management company Rebel since last September. Moving on: Aussie rap sensation The Kid Laroi (pictured in Las Vegas on April 3) has parted ways with his American manager Adam Leber Before joining forces with Rebel, Laroi had been working with Scooter Braun and his management company SB Projects. Laroi, whose real name is Charlton Howard, is one of the biggest names in music right now. Since bursting onto the scene in 2019 thanks to an endorsement from late rapper Juice Wrld, the teenager has become one of Australia's most successful exports. Claims: Leber (pictured) 'resigned amicably' from his role and had a good relationship with Laroi, but struggled working with Laroi's internal team, reports Billboard Partners: Before joining forces with Leber, Laroi had been working with Scooter Braun and his management company SB Projects. (Braun is pictured with Justin Bieber in November 2012) The 18-year-old scooped three prizes at the APRA Awards in Melbourne earlier this month, including Song of the Year for Stay ft. Justin Bieber. Laroi teased a collaboration with Post Malone last week. 'You guys want 2 hear me & Posty sing?' he asked on Instagram. Success: Since bursting onto the scene in 2019 thanks to an endorsement from Juice Wrld, the teenager has become one of Australia's most successful exports. (Pictured on April 21) Collab: Laroi teased a collaboration with Post Malone (right) last week Just a few years ago, life looked rather different for Laroi. Born in Waterloo, Sydney, he grew up in relative poverty, spending his formative years in a housing commission block and couch surfing with his mother. He began rapping at the age of 13, predominantly as an outlet to process his family struggles and the death of his uncle two years earlier. He achieved modest success as a finalist in Australian radio station Triple J's Unearthed High competition, but his real breakthrough came when he was signed as international rap sensation Juice Wrld's labelmate at Grade A Productions in 2019. Struggles: Born in Waterloo, Sydney, Laroi grew up in relative poverty, spending his formative years in a housing commission block and couch surfing with his mother The duo quickly became close, with Laroi even referring to Juice as his 'big brother' after being selected to support him on the Sydney and Melbourne legs of his Australian tour in November 2019. Fate took a cruel turn and just weeks later on December 8, Juice Wrld died at the age of 21, after suffering a reported seizure at Chicago Midway International Airport. Prior to his death, Juice recorded a verse for GO, the lead single on Laroi's debut mixtape, knowing full well it would rocket the teen to fame overnight. It did just that upon its release in June 2020, and in the blink of an eye the talented underdog from Waterloo had a single on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 - topping megastar Justin Bieber that he's been compared to - a feat many artists can only ever dream of achieving. He went on to become the youngest Australian to have a number one album on the ARIA charts with the release of F*ck Love (Savage) in July 2020. The record settled at number three in the U.S. The next month, Laroi secured a record deal with Sony Music and relocated from Sydney to Los Angeles with his family. She's well known for her bold looks at Australian Fashion Week. And Imogen Anthony was at it again on Wednesday when she attended day three of AFW in a pleather dress, along with matching gloves and thigh-high boots. The 31-year-old ex-partner of radio host Kyle Sandilands paired the dominatrix look with oversized sunglasses. Back to black: Imogen Anthony attended day three of Australian Fashion Week in Sydney on Wednesday wearing a pleather dress, along with matching gloves and thigh-high boots Imogen's blonde tresses were styled in a half-up spiky 'do, and she accessorised with sword-shaped drop earrings. She sported the bold look while attending The Innovators TAFE NSW design show at the Carriageworks venue in Eveleigh. It was just the latest head-turning ensemble by Imogen, who previously donned a barely there top with a black corset, ripped jeans and denim boots. Future's so bright: The 31-year-old ex-partner of radio host Kyle Sandilands paired the dominatrix look with oversized sunglasses She rounded out her quirky ensemble with a pair of futuristic wrap-around sunglasses, and styled her long blonde hair loosely. Imogen, who appeared on Big Brother VIP last year, previously dated radio titan Kyle Sandilands. Kyle, 50, and his new partner Tegan Kynaston, 36, revealed in February they were expecting their first child together. Case of the ex: Imogen, who appeared on Big Brother VIP last year, previously dated radio titan Kyle Sandilands However the usually outspoken Imogen, who dated Sandilands for eight years before their split in 2019, decided not to comment straight away. After giving the couple 24 hours to bask in the announcement, she released a classy statement wishing them both well. 'I wish them nothing but love and happiness,' the socialite wrote on Instagram. Elon Musk said Tuesday that if his $44 billion offer to buy Twitter succeeds, the ban on former President Donald Trump will be lifted. Why Did Musk Say That He Will Reverse Twitter's Ban on Trump? According to CNET, Musk labeled Twitter's banning of Trump's Twitter account a "morally bad decision" during a Financial Times conference. Musk said that while temporary suspensions made sense, permanent bans would "fundamentally undermine trust in Twitter as a town square where everyone can voice their opinion." However, if there are any tweets that are incorrect or harmful, he clarified that they should be removed or hidden. Supporting Musk's statement, Twitter Co-Founder and former CEO Jack Dorsey said in a tweet on Tuesday that "generally permanent bans are a failure of ours and don't work." I do agree. There are exceptions (CSE, illegal behaviour, spam or network manipulation, etc), but generally permanent bans are a failure of ours and don't work, which I wrote about here after the event (and called for a resilient social media protocol): https://t.co/fQ9KnrCQGX jack (@jack) May 10, 2022 Musk has already stated before that he disagrees with the way the social media platform is being operated. He indicated that the company is extremely aggressive in regulating its platform to remove hate speech and harassment. Read More: UK Parliament Invites Elon Musk to Discuss Twitter Acquisition When Did Trump Get Banned on Twitter? As previously reported, two days after the devastating strike on the U.S. Capitol, Twitter permanently banned Trump on Jan. 8, citing the risk of further carnage if the then-president was allowed to remain on the social media network. Other services, such as Facebook and YouTube, have also removed Trump from their platforms. District Judge Dismissed Donald Trump's Case Against Twitter Our previous report noted that in July 2021, Trump and five others filed a class action lawsuit against Twitter, alleging that the social media platform "censored" them. According to Trump's lawsuit, Twitter, as well as Facebook and Google, which he also sued, are "government actors" that must follow the First Amendment's restriction on limiting free speech. The idea was rejected by U.S. District Judge James Donato, with the court saying that the Trump case "does not plausibly allege that Twitter acted as a government entity when it closed plaintiffs' accounts." While the order allows for an appeal, it is extremely critical of the lawsuit's claims, hinting that any altered version will face a long road ahead. Trump claims that Twitter violated the First Amendment and that Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act is unconstitutional. Just a quick FYI, the First Amendment can only be invoked against a government entity. If Trump's Ban Is Lifted, Would He Join Twitter? The Guardian reported that Trump has declared openly that even if he were allowed to return to Twitter, he would prefer to use the Truth Social network, which he founded himself. However, it should be noted that the former president did not post anything on the site until May, roughly two and a half months after it was launched. Because of this, many of Trump's political opponents believe he would not turn down the chance to broadcast to a far wider audience on Twitter due to the perception that a comeback may provide Trump with a bigger platform to influence the 2024 U.S. presidential election. Related Article: Trump's Truth Social App Suddenly Became Most Downloaded on App Store Skye Wheatley has come out swinging after she clashed with Cyrell Paule at a star-studded dinner party on the Gold Coast on Tuesday. Another diner had secretly recorded the pair arguing after Wheatley asked Paule about rumours her relationship with boyfriend Eden Dally was fake, and Paule later shared the video on Instagram. Wheatley, 28, responded to the viral footage on Wednesday, posting a series of Instagram Stories offering her account of what really happened. She said she initially didn't want to address the row because she doesn't like having 'negativity' on her page, but couldn't hold her tongue any longer. 'I'm not the bully!' Big Brother alum Skye Wheatley (pictured) has hit back at Cyrell Paule after she was secretly recorded asking if the Married At First Sight star's relationship was fake The showdown had taken place at the glitzy Palazzo Versace hotel on Tuesday night, with Paule losing her temper when Wheatley questioned whether her three-year relationship with Love Island alum Dally was genuine. The person sitting next to Paule secretly recorded Wheatley ranting as they dined with other influencers and TV personalities. 'Don't be a smart a**e b***h. I will put you in your place,' she warned Wheatley in the footage, which she shared on Instagram. Clash: The pair's showdown had taken place at the glitzy Palazzo Versace hotel on Tuesday night, with Paule (pictured on MAFS) losing her temper when Wheatley questioned whether her three-year relationship with Love Island alum Eden Dally was genuine Wheatley said in her now-deleted Stories on Wednesday that she never meant to offend anyone and just wanted to ask Paule a simple question. 'There was no malicious intent involved,' she stressed. Wheatley said she did not appreciate being branded a 'bully' by Paule because she is 'so against bullying'. 'I'm like a puppy,' she added, before claiming that Paule was the one threatening her. 'There was no malicious intent involved': Wheatley said on Wednesday that she never meant to offend anyone and just wanted to ask Paule a simple question. (Pictured at the dinner party) She acknowledged her question had 'triggered' Paule, but said her angry response at the dinner party was not justified. 'I'm so open and honest as I put my life on here so if anyone asked something about Lachy and I, I'd just answer it,' Wheatley said, referring to her partner Lachlan Waugh. Wheatley said she was shocked by how the incident snowballed and joked that she should 'just take out my voice box' to avoid offending anyone ever again. In the video of Tuesday's catfight, Wheatley bluntly asked if Paule's romance with Dally was 'fake' - despite the fact they share a son together. 'How did you guys meet?' the tipsy influencer began. 'Jules' birthday [party],' Paule dryly responded, referring to her MAFS co-star Jules Robinson, who was also in attendance. Drama: The person sitting next to Paule secretly recorded Wheatley (centre) ranting as they dined with other influencers and TV personalities at the Palazzo Versace hotel Star arrival: Paule was earlier pictured flying to the Gold Coast via private jet Pals: She was joined by fellow MAFS star Jules Robinson on the flight 'That's so cute. So was he friends with Cam [Merchant, Robinson's husband]? I saw an article that said you guys had a fake relationship or something,' Wheatley said. 'Aww, sorry! But like, if you know the truth babe, who cares! I wanted to know who said that.' An angry Paule told Wheatley her questions were inappropriate. 'Do I sit there and say, "Are your lips real?" No, that's an inappropriate question. I don't ask that. Don't be a smart a**e b***h. I will put you in your place... Eat your food or I'll shove your face in it. Shut up,' Paule snapped. The mother of one later criticised Wheatley in a series of posts on Instagram Stories, calling her a 'fake b***h' and a 'bully'. 'Tonight... I experienced nothing but female b**ching and bullying from Skye, questioning whether or not my relationship of three years was to this day genuine! Is it so impossible for Eden to be with me?' she wrote. Rant: The mother of one later criticised Wheatley in a series of posts on Instagram Stories, calling her a 'fake b***h' and a 'bully' Paule claimed Wheatley had also asked her before the dinner party if she was 'still with Eden' and if they'd had their baby. 'If someone says something is inappropriate or shouldn't be discussed... know your place. If someone says the topic makes them uncomfortable and it's inappropriate, know your place! Don't sit there and laugh at my interracial relationship that I have had to justify for three years,' Paule said. She then said Wheatley's actions 'affect her son', Boston. 'I pity you because for a person to claim to have it all, your actions tonight proved just how little you have! Goodbye. Love Eden, Cyrell and our son Boston,' she wrote. Claims: Paule claimed Wheatley had also asked her before the dinner party if she was 'still with Eden' and if they'd had their baby Furious: Paule, whose fiery temper earned her the nickname Cyclone Cyrell on MAFS, also called Wheatley (pictured) 'uneducated and two-faced' Paule, whose fiery temper earned her the nickname Cyclone Cyrell on MAFS, also called Wheatley 'uneducated and two-faced'. Daily Mail Australia has contacted Wheatley for comment. Paule and Dally met in March 2019 after her TV 'marriage' to Nic Jovanovic on MAFS ended when they decided they were better off as friends. The pair began dating officially within a matter of weeks, and she later moved into his Sydney home. They welcomed their first child together, son Boston, in February 2020. She jetted out of Australia in early March, after living Down Under for two years. But it turns out it wasn't goodbye forever, because Kate Walsh was back in her adopted home city of Perth on Tuesday. The Grey's Anatomy star, 54, was spotted buying flowers in the WA capital while clad in a quirky ensemble. She couldn't stay away! Grey's Anatomy star Kate Walsh was back in her adopted home city of Perth on Tuesday, after she was seen jetting out of Australia in early March The American actress, who relocated to Perth just before Covid hit in 2020, teamed a black slogan T-shirt with cropped pants with shiny embellishments. She completed her look with socks and slides, a bright yellow jacket, and yellow tinted sunglasses. Kate was seen carrying her car keys and climbing into her vehicle after buying a bouquet of flowers and some take-away. Quirky: The American actress, who relocated to Perth just before Covid hit in 2020, teamed a black slogan T-shirt with cropped pants, a bright yellow jacket, and yellow tinted sunglasses She had bid farewell to the land Down Under on March 3, catching a flight to the U.S. from Sydney Airport. But it appears this wasn't a permanent move back home, as Kate continues to spend time in Perth. The Private Practice star, who hails from San Jose, California, has an Australian boyfriend, farmer Andrew Nixon. The couple have been living together for about two years and he convinced her to relocate to WA, reports The West Australian. New home: Kate, 54, had bid farewell to Australia on March 3, but is now back living in Perth Kate previously told The Daily Telegraph she enjoyed living in Perth so much she didn't want to return to New York City, even when she was able to. 'I didn't really want to go back to New York in the middle of a pandemic when it was pretty gnarly to say the least,' she said. 'I couldn't go home initially, and now that I can, I don't really fancy going back. When I have my own mother saying don't come home, my 86-year-old mum we are in a very challenging time!' Kate jetted off to Paris last June to shoot the Netflix show Emily in Paris, but returned to Australia once production wrapped. Though Andrew's relationship history is unclear, Kate was married to producer Alex Young from 2007 until their divorce in 2010. Advertisement Emmy Rossum looked every bit the leading lady as she arrived to the premiere of her new Peacock limited series Angelyne in Los Angeles on Tuesday night. The 35-year-old actress - who plays the show's titular character - posed before a plush hot pink backdrop in a dazzling black strapless gown with jeweled embellishments. Angelyne follows the blonde bombshell of the same name who rose to fame in the 1980s for plastering her provocative image and iconic mononym on billboards across Los Angeles. Leading lady: Emmy Rossum looked every bit the leading lady as she arrived to the premiere of her new Peacock limited series Angelyne in Los Angeles on Tuesday night. The 35-year-old actress - who plays the show's titular character - posed before a plush hot pink backdrop in a dazzling black strapless gown with jeweled embellishments Her defining characteristics are her Barbie-inspired aesthetic, voluminous bleached blonde hair, bubblegum pink Corvette and ample bust. But Angelyne has been a bit of an enigma because while she is consistent with the sexy image she projects, she is actually very guarded about her personal life. The eight-episode series is loosely based off Gary Baum's 2017 article for The Hollywood Reporter which revealed the secrets of the icon's origins, including being the daughter of Polish-born Holocaust survivors. Angelyne will be made available in its entirety on Thursday, May 19 on NBC's Peacock streaming service. Transformation: Angelyne follows the blonde bombshell of the same name who rose to fame in the 1980s for plastering her provocative image and iconic mononym on billboards across Los Angeles. Emmy transformed into the show's titular character thanks to facial and body prosthetics, as well as a dramatic blonde wig Details: Emmy's eye-catching gown hugged her slender frame and had a daring thigh-slit Glamour girl: Her flowing brunette hair cascaded down her back and chest in loose curls with a section tucked behind her ears to show off her pink dangly earrings For Tuesday's big premiere, Emmy's eye-catching gown hugged her slender frame and had a daring thigh-slit. It was embellished with gold beads in the shape of paper fans that were further decked out with purple, green and pink gemstones. Her flowing brunette hair cascaded down her back and chest in loose curls with a section tucked behind her ears to show off her pink dangly earrings. Strike a pose: She strolled the hot pink carpet in a pair of strappy black heels and she often posed with her hands pressed tightly around her tiny waist Married lady: Emmy's nails were painted a pale pink shade and she sported her gorgeous diamond wedding ring from her film producer husband Sam Esmail, 44 Ready to mingle: After getting in her solo glamour shots, the Phantom Of The Opera took the opportunity to mingle on the red carpet with the rest of Angelyne's cast and crew She strolled the hot pink carpet in a pair of strappy black heels and she often posed with her hands pressed tightly around her tiny waist. Emmy's nails were painted a pale pink shade and she sported her gorgeous diamond wedding ring from her film producer husband Sam Esmail, 44. After getting in her solo glamour shots, the Phantom Of The Opera took the opportunity to mingle on the red carpet with the rest of Angelyne's cast and crew. Mini-me: She posed for several shots with Olivia Jellen, who plays 'young Angelyne' in the forthcoming limited series Jovial: Emmy appeared to be having a blast on the red carpet with felly actress Molly Ephraim. Molly could hardly contain her laughter in Emmy's presence as the Shameless star beamed down at her in a pair of high heels Darling: Molly looked darling a blue puff-sleeved midi dress She posed for several shots with Olivia Jellen, who plays 'young Angelyne' in the forthcoming limited series. The child actress wore a pale pink tulle gown with a fun ruffled skirt. Olivia gave her look a sporty vibe by rocking a pair of white Converse All Star sneakers. Emmy appeared to be having a blast on the red carpet with felly actress Molly Ephraim, who looked darling a blue puff-sleeved midi dress. Pretty in pink! Olivia Jellen wore a pale pink tulle gown with a fun ruffled skirt; seen with Emmy Rossum (left) Group shot: Emmy and the rest of the Angelyne cast gathered for a group shot on the red carpet Molly could hardly contain her laughter in Emmy's presence as the Shameless star beamed down at her in a pair of high heels. American Horror Story's Lily Rabe looked effortlessly chic in a sheer black button-up shirt tucked into a pair of flouncy black trousers. Her blouse cinched at the wrist and the cuffs concealed the majority of her hands. She toted her belongings in a black acrylic clutch with silver studs on the front of it. The 39-year-old actress' long blonde hair was parted down the center and styled in beachy waves that flowed down her chest. Chic: American Horror Story's Lily Rabe looked effortlessly chic in a sheer black button-up shirt tucked into a pair of flouncy black trousers Loved-up: She strolled the red carpet with her longtime partner Hamish Linklater, 45 Sweet: He held hands with Lily as they posed for shutterbugs before heading inside the theater for the screening Blonde beauty: The 39-year-old actress' long blonde hair was parted down the center and styled in beachy waves that flowed down her chest As for makeup, Lily kept her look natural with a peach lip gloss and a light wash of warm brown eyeshadow on the lids. She strolled the red carpet with her longtime partner Hamish Linklater, 45, who looked stylish in a fitted black suit with matching vest. The actor completed his ensemble with some brown leathers shoes, an eye-catching belt with a bold gold buckle and a pale pink dress shirt that was left slightly unbuttoned. He held hands with Lily as they posed for shutterbugs before heading inside the theater for the screening. Bold: Carly Chaikin stunned in a pair of bright orange trousers styled with a white off-the-shoulder top. The Last Song actress's brunette hair was swept back in a loose ponytail and she added height to her petite frame with a pair of white stiletto heels Trendy: Tonatiuh - who plays the role of Andre Casiano - cut a stylish figure by layering a leather zip-up dress over a white blouse and black leather trousers Big night: Series director Matt Spicer hit the red carpet with Parenthood star Sarah Ramos, 30 Carly Chaikin stunned in a pair of bright orange trousers styled with a white off-the-shoulder top. The Last Song actress's brunette hair was swept back in a loose ponytail and she added height to her petite frame with a pair of white stiletto heels. Tonatiuh - who plays the role of Andre Casiano - cut a stylish figure by layering a leather zip-up dress over a white blouse and black leather trousers. Series director Matt Spicer hit the red carpet with Parenthood star Sarah Ramos, 30. The OG infuencer: In a press release last month, Emmy called Angelyne as the 'original influencer' and gushed over how much the series means to her; the real Angelyne pictured in 1986 In a press release last month, Emmy called Angelyne as the 'original influencer' and gushed over how much the series means to her. 'I've spent the better part of 4 years thinking, living, and breathing this project. I love Angelyne,' she shared. 'She's as if Marilyn Monroe got into an easy bake oven with a 80s punk Barbie Doll, and a dose of new age spirituality.; Rossum added, 'She's a trailblazer, a hustler, a visionary, the original influencer, a living-breathing piece of art.' Model Mimi Elashiry turned heads as she attended an Australian Fashion Week dinner to celebrate designer Paco Rabanne on Tuesday night. The brunette beauty stepped out in a completely see-through $3055 Maison Margiela black lace dress which she wore over a black bra and G-string underwear. Mimi, 26, accessorised the revealing dress with a Paco Rabanne handbag and a pair of stilettos. Model Mimi Elashiry wore a wild $3055 black lace netted dress over G-string underwear as she attended an Australian Fashion Week dinner to celebrate Spanish designer Paco Rabanne on Tuesday night The Gothic theme extended to her hair and makeup, with Mimi's chocolate locks coiffed in a smooth straight style and a swipe of vampish lipstick applied to her pout. Mimi boasts over one million followers on Instagram and has modelled extensively for GQ and Teen Vogue. In November 2017, she revealed to the Daily Telegraph how hard she works to remain Insta-famous, saying: 'In terms of physically, very hard.' Turning heads: The brunette beauty stepped out in a completely see-through $3055 Maison Margiela black lace dress which she wore over a black bra and G-string underwear She continued: 'I train or am at dance classes every day, I need to be fit all year round.' The bombshell is just one of many young Australian women who have forged modelling careers online. She now boasts her own popular blog and is a professional social media 'influencer.' Mimi, 26, accessorised the revealing dress with a Paco Rabanne handbag Mimi previously dated photographer Nick Tsindos following his split from fashion designer, Jodhi Meares, 47. Nick was married to The Upside designer and creator, Jodhi, who is the ex-wife of billionaire James Packer. Jodhi and Nick tied the knot in a fairy tale wedding in idyllic Hawaii, but split after 14 months of marriage in March 2017. The lady is a vamp! The Gothic theme extended to her hair and makeup, with Mimi's chocolate locks coiffed in a smooth straight style and a swipe of vampish lipstick applied to her pout Stan has released a new teaser trailer for the upcoming second season of their hit crime show, Gangs of London. The teaser trailer, which was released on Wednesday, opens with Elliot Finch (played by Sope Dirisu) talking in what appears to be an underground room. 'You think you know this world you're in. Really. I've seen things you haven't,' he says ominously. Coming soon: Stan has released a new teaser trailer for the upcoming second season of their hit crime show, Gangs of London 'You know how it feels to be powerless. To be a pawn in someone else's game. The things it makes you do.' It then cut to a montage of scenes from the upcoming season, giving fans of the series a glimpse at what they can expect. While no release date for season two has been announced as yet, it will premiere on Stan the same day it's released in the UK. The teaser trailer, which was released on Wednesday, opens with Elliot Finch (played by Sope Dirisu) talking in what appears to be an underground room Armed and dangerous: It then cut to a montage of scenes from the upcoming season, giving fans of the series a glimpse at what they can expect Season two is set one year after the tumultuous events of season one, and 'charts London's map and soul being redrawn'. Following the collapse of the Wallace Dumani empire, things have spiralled out of control in the city. 'Order is lacking and the energy and chaos of a gold rush threatens the city with gangland anarchy,' reads a press release for the upcoming season. Fast-tracked: While no release date for season two has been announced as yet, it will premiere on Stan the same day it's released in the UK Upheaval: Season two is set one year after the tumultuous events of season one, and 'charts London's map and soul being redrawn' It added: 'As The Investors step in, a new gang leader is tasked with restoring the status quo.' The show's original cast is set to return for the highly anticipated second season, along with a slew of newcomers. The award-winning series first premiered in April 2020, and it holds an impressive approval rating of 91 per cent on review website Rotten Tomatoes. Gangs of London Season 2 is coming soon and will premiere the same day as the UK on Stan. A Channel Nine reporter was left blushing after a British man asked her whether she wanted to go for a swim with him live on air. Today show correspondent Mia Clover was broadcasting on the heavy rain and wild weather on the Gold Coast. Mia then approached a male who had just enjoyed a swim in the ocean despite the rough swell. That's cheeky! A British man asked Nine's Today reporter if she wanted to go for a swim with him during a live broadcast on the Gold Coast 'It was lovely and warm. Did you want to come in for a swim?' he asked the reporter. Mia responded: 'Nah I'm good thanks'. It comes after Today reporter Scherri-Lee Biggs showcased her incredible makeup transformation as she took fans behind the scenes at Channel Nine last month. Live: Today show correspondent Mia Clover was broadcasting on the heavy rain and wild weather on the Gold Coast The TV star was clearly excited as she showcased the transformation by beauty and makeup guru, Kelsey Regel. Scherri started off by going makeup-free in the chair with her hair freshly washed prior to her on-air segment. The star showed herself getting her face primed with oxygen before getting mascara applied to her eyelashes. Mia then approached a male who asked: 'It was lovely and warm. Did you want to come in for a swim?' The beauty was then seen getting a lip liner applied. Scherri looked happy with the matte makeup look as she smiled gently to the camera in the makeup chair. The star then had foundation applied: 'Went for a spin in makeup chair,' she wrote. Ian Thorpe's former long-term boyfriend Ryan Channing has suddenly died at the age of 32 in Bali, friends and family have confirmed. While he was a successful model, lawyer and skincare brand creator, Channing's name was perhaps mostly splashed across headlines due to his relationship with the Olympic swimmer, 39, after the pair dated from 2015 to 2019. Here, we take a look at the couple's turbulent romance - from how they met, to their break-ups and a 'white pill' photo which went viral in 2016. Inside Ryan Channing and Ian Thorpe's turbulent love story: From falling in love, to planning a family and THAT 'white pill' photo - as the model dies in Bali aged 32. Pictured: Ryan (left) and Ian (right) in October 2018 The love story begins: During an interview with UK talk show host Michael Parkinson in 2014, Ian Thorpe came out as gay to an audience of thousands. 'I'm comfortable saying I'm a gay man. And I don't want people to feel the same way I did. You can grow up, you can be comfortable and you can be gay,' he said. 'I am telling the world that I am gay and I hope this makes it easier for others now, and even if you've held it in for years, it feels easier to get it out.' Love story: Ian Thorpe's first major relationship after coming out was with Channing. He shared his first picture alongside the swimmer in February 2016 (pictured, second and third left) while they enjoyed a cruise together with pals on Sydney Harbour Thorpe's first major relationship after coming out was with Australian model and entrepreneur Channing, with the pair reportedly meeting through mutual friends. Channing shared his first pictured alongside Thorpe in February 2016, while they enjoyed a cruise together with pals on Sydney Harbour. He captioned the image: 'The summer of [love] continues...' It's believed the pair had started seeing each other in 2015, and spent the summer together. 'While it is early days in relationship terms, they are smitten with one another,' a source told The Courier Mail at the time. Happy: From then on, the duo began sharing sweet photos on social media and were regular fixtures on the glamorous event circuit. Pictured in November 2016 at the GQ Men of the Year Awards 'Over the last few weeks Ian and Ryan have been inseparable. They have been going out in public together and meeting one anothers friends, they seem really happy.' From then on, the duo began sharing sweet photos on social media and were regular fixtures on the glamorous event circuit. The 'white pill' photo In March 2016, Thorpe and Channing's names were splashed across headlines for reasons which had nothing to do with their romance. Moments before Sydney's Mardi Gras, a picture emerged of Thorpe rejecting an offer of a white pill-like object by the alleged ex-boyfriend of Channing. It is not suggested that the white pill contained any illegal substance. Standing outside in Point Piper with his boyfriend, Thorpe was seen refusing the item, which was being handed by model Oliver Barry. The photo: Moments before Sydney's Mardi Gras in March 2016, a picture emerged of Thorpe rejecting an offer of a white pill-like object by the alleged ex-boyfriend of Channing, Oliver Barry (right). His manager later claimed the item was a breath mint. It is not suggested that the white pill contained any illegal substance The blonde model was pictured taking the white object from his wallet, before he appeared to move it towards the Australian swimmers mouth. Thorpe, however, was seen turning away from the alleged offer, while the long-haired model later placed the item in his mouth. The swimmer's manager at the time, James Erskine, vehemently denied claims the gold medallist did anything wrong and claimed the item was a breath mint. Oliver also denied any involvement. Thorpe later spoke out about the incident to Confidential, saying: 'I dont know what it was. Breaking his silence: Thorpe (left) later spoke out about the incident to Confidential, saying: 'I dont know what it was. Ive thought "It looks terrible if someone is putting something into my mouth", thats when I turned my head, but unfortunately it was something that was front-page news.' Pictured with Ryan (right) in April 2016 'Ive thought "It looks terrible if someone is putting something into my mouth", thats when I turned my head, but unfortunately it was something that was front-page news.' Family plans: While the couple were never engaged, at one stage in their romance they actively considered starting a family through a surrogate in the United States. When discussing their plans to have a baby in early 2019, Channing told Daily Mail Australia: 'Becoming parents is something that Ian and myself would love to make happen. 'Unfortunately the laws in Australia are difficult for same sex males in regards to surrogacy - California state law has really progressed in this space which makes it the best option legally. Family plans: While the couple were never engaged, at one stage in their romance they actively considered starting a family through a surrogate in the United States. Pictured: The couple in November 2018 'Something I would love to see progress further in Australia so same sex couples don't have to travel abroad to achieve their family goals.' Ian confirmed they were in the early stages of becoming parents after Ryan was pictured arriving at a reproductive clinic in Beverly Hills. 'We're talking about it and have for a while, but it's still early days,' Ian said at the time. 'We decided to visit the clinic in LA - it's all part of the plan at this stage. Split: Just months after the duo had confirmed their plans to start a family, the couple officially confirmed they had ended their romance in June 2019. Channing confirmed the news to The Daily Telegraph at the time, but said that the breakup was a friendly one. The model told the publication: 'Yes, the rumours are true, we have parted ways. It has all been very amicable. We have stayed friends.' Over: Just months after the duo had confirmed their plans to start a family, the couple officially confirmed they had ended their romance in June 2019 He went on to reveal that he'd moved out of the home he shared with the Olympian. 'We have just gone our separate ways. I have moved out,' he confirmed. As far as a reason for the split, Ryan indicated that the pair were spending too much time apart due to their careers. 'We are both very busy so it is really just not the same as it was before,' he told the paper. It was later speculated that the pair had rekindled their romance in August, after Thorpe shared a photo to Instagram of the couple partying with friends in Ibiza. At the time, an insider claimed they were enjoying their time together on the Spanish island and were even considering 'getting engaged'. 'They're trying to find the nearest Cartier store for rings,' the source added. Over: As far as a reason for the split, Ryan indicated that the pair were spending too much time apart due to their careers. 'We are both very busy so it is really just not the same as it was before,' he told the paper In November 2019, Ryan told Daily Mail Australia that he is no longer in a relationship with Ian and also denied they had ever reconciled in August. 'Ian and I have been separated for over a year now but remain close friends and [in] the same circle of friends. We still share our puppy Kaia. Everything is going great!' he said. After their romance ended, Channing confirmed he was engaged to Brisbane-based civil engineer Leevon Baptiste in June 2020. He exclusively told Daily Mail Australia the the couple planned to get married in Bali the following year, though it's not know if the wedding took place. Engaged: After their romance ended, Channing confirmed he was engaged to Brisbane-based civil engineer Leevon Baptiste (left) in June 2020. He exclusively told Daily Mail Australia the the couple planned to get married in Bali the following year, though it's not know if the wedding took place Channing's tragic passing: Ryan Channing died suddenly in Bali at the age of 32 this week after he was rushed to a local hospital on Sunday. Channing was based in Australia but regularly flew to the Indonesian holiday isle and Los Angeles for business. A friend told News Corp that Channing had been 'battling health issues' for some time. Channing posted a picture from Sydney's St Vincent's Hospital eight weeks ago saying 'Covid got me GEWD (good)', after testing positive to the virus. Tragic loss: Ryan Channing died suddenly in Bali at the age of 32 this week, after he was rushed to a local hospital on Sunday However, it's not clear whether the virus or its after effects may have played any role in his sudden death. A representative for Thorpe said his thoughts were with Ryan's family. Channing shared a close bond with his younger brother Jake, who confirmed the shock death of his 'beautiful big brother' in an emotional tribute on Wednesday. His shattered sister Charis also broke her silence and said saying goodbye to Ryan was the hardest thing she and her family had ever done. Passing: Channing posted a picture from Sydney's St Vincent's Hospital eight weeks ago saying 'Covid got me GEWD (good)', after testing positive to the virus. However, it's not clear whether the virus or its after effects may have played any role in his sudden death 'Seeing as the news headlines beat my whole family to posting about this unfortunate time in our lives, it's with a heavy heart I announce that my brother Ryan has recently passed away on Sunday the 8th of May at 32 years of age,' Jake wrote. 'As we seek answers and try come to terms with the heartbreaking loss of my beautiful big brother, we ask for your prayers, support and privacy, he will be forever loved, never forgotten and forever young. 'To my big brother, I love you, I'll see you one day soon you'll be missed more than you know.' Their Perth-based sister Charis wrote: 'Saying goodbye to you on Sunday was the hardest thing my family and I have ever had to do. 32 years young, you're gone too soon. 'I know you will be looking down on us and we love you lots.' She's currently playing Suranne Jones' partner in series two of period drama Gentleman Jack. And Sophie Rundle was busy filming scenes for her next role as a modern day lawyer in Barcelona on Tuesday. The 34-year-old, who will lead the cast of Albi's new crime caper The Diplomat, put on a on a very animated display as she larked around with co-stars before the cameras started rolling. New role: Sophie Rundle, 34, was spotted cutting a casual figure in an oversized blazer as she filmed scenes for her new Alibi show the Diplomat in Barcelona on Tuesday The Peaky Blinders actress cut a casual figure in cropped pistachio slacks which she wore with a black blouse. The costume department layered the look with an oversized alabaster blazer, adding a little extra height with strappy tawny heels. Her blonde tresses tied back in a low bun, the star wore a very simple palette of make-up for the role. Casual: Her blonde tresses tied back in a low bun, the star wore a very simple palette of make-up for the role Chatting to a co-star, the talented actress juggled a lavender water bottle along with a carton of apple juice and a paperback novel. The costume was accessorised with simple gold hoops earrings and a matching link chain necklace. Sophie will play lawyer Sarah in the new series, who fights to protect those who come through the doors of the British consulate in the Spanish city. Pals: This comes after co-star Suranne Jones, 43 (right) revealed how much the pair bonded while filming the lesbian drama's second series (pictured together on the show) This comes after co-star Suranne Jones, 43 revealed how much the pair bonded while filming the lesbian drama's second series. Appearing on Lorraine the actresses admitted that they became 'like an old married couple' and would lie in bed together 'like two nanna's having brews' in their PJS, while shopping online. Of how Gentleman Jack portrays their on-screen same sex relationship, Suranne (who plays Anne Lister) stated: 'It doesn't shy away from every detail of their marriage. They have no certificate that bonds them, no child that bonds them.' Co-stars Appearing on Lorraine the actresses admitted that they became 'like an old married couple' and would lie in bed together 'like two nanna's having brews' in their PJS, while shopping online And off-screen the pair became incredibly close, with Sophie (who plays Ann Walker) revealed: 'We did become like an old married couple by the end.' The actress also confessed that they 'did a lot of online shopping' to pass the time during shooting. Suranne added: 'We spent a lot of time in bed like two nanna's having brews in our pyjamas. It was during Covid times and were like, "what should we buy? We're not going anywhere".' Off-screen fun: Of how Gentleman Jack portrays their on-screen same sex relationship, Suranne (who plays Anne Lister) stated: 'It doesn't shy away from every detail of their marriage. They have no certificate that bonds them, no child that bonds them.' Elsewhere in the interview, Suranne explained of her character: '[Anne is] like no other character I've played. She finds me. 'As soon as I put the costume on, and the shoes on, which are very flat men's shoes, and then everything - you get trussed in, because I wear the corsets underneath as well, and then the tie goes on. 'It's like the credits when she's getting dressed. It builds throughout the day. We have a really good chat in makeup, put the world to rights, staying there far too long and then we get dragged out... 'And then something happens where I do become her. That doesn't happen with every character that you play. She's so full of life, she's so energetic, she's so glorious in every way and a pain in the backside!' Advertisement Rebel Wilson channeled Old Hollywood glamour as she arrived to the premiere of Netflix's Senior Year in Los Angeles on Tuesday night. The actress, 42, strolled the red carpet in a sparkling green off-the-shoulder gown that accentuated her hourglass frame. Rebel's curve-clinging dress was floor length and had a sweetheart neckline that showcased her ample bust. Leading lady: Rebel Wilson channeled Old Hollywood glamour as she arrived to the premiere of Netflix's Senior Year in Los Angeles on Tuesday night. The actress, 42, strolled the red carpet in a sparkling green off-the-shoulder gown to accentuated her hourglass frame Her look was completed with a pair of matching emerald green heels. The Bridesmaids star's signature blonde strands were parted down the middle and styled in voluminous curls that cascaded down her back and shoulders. She rocked a neutral toned manicure and opted for a more natural red carpet glam, consisting of a soft brown eyeshadow look and plenty of lip gloss. Busty: Rebel's curve-clinging dress was floor length and had a sweetheart neckline that showcased her ample bust On display: Several costumes and props worn by Rebel in the film were put on display at The London West Hollywood at Beverly Hills, where the premiere screening was held Rebel eagerly posed for shutterbugs on the red carpet with a beaming smile on her face, before eagerly reuniting with her Senior Year co-stars. She first cozied up to This Us Us star Justin Hartley, who plays the role of Blaine in the high school comedy. The hunky actor, 45, looked suave in a black fitted suit styled with a pale blue dress shirt and matching pocket square. Fan service: Rebel stopped to pose with one super fan on the red carpet, who had the star's name tattooed on their bicep All together! Zaire Adams, Angourie Rice, Michael Cimino, Alex Hardcastle, Ana Yi Puig, Alicia Silverstone, Rebel Wilson, Todd Garner, Joshua Colley, Avantika, Tyler Barnhardt, Molly Brown, Jade Bender, Brandon Scott Jones, Chris Parnell, Zoe Chao, Justin Hartley and Mary Holland pictured on the red carpet Changes: Rebel made headlines around the world after declaring 2020 her 'Year of Health', and has since lost around 35kgs He also tied a navy blue tie around his neck and slipped his feet into a pair of patent leather dress shoes. Rebel also mingled with the film's director Alex Hardcastle and co-star Brandon Scott Jones, before posing for selfies with fans on the red carpet. Alicia Silverstone looked undeniably chic in a powder blue pantsuit with flared trousers and a double breasted blazer. Hunky co-star: Rebel cozied up to This Us Us star Justin Hartley, who plays the role of Blaine in the high school comedy Suave: The hunky actor, 45, looked suave in a black fitted suit styled with a pale blue dress shirt and matching pocket square Mingling: Rebel also mingled with the film's director Alex Hardcastle and co-star Brandon Scott Jones The Clueless actress, 45, wore her blonde hair curled and swept to one side and she toted her belongings in a mirrored clutch. Angourie Rice dazzled in a silver sequin mini dress covered in pink floral appliques. The Mare Of Easttown star styled the eye-catching dress with some strappy silver heels and she wore her jaw-length hair in curls. Chic: Alicia Silverstone looked undeniably chic in a powder blue pantsuit with flared trousers and a double breasted blazer Ageless: The Clueless actress, 45, wore her blonde hair curled and swept to one side and she toted her belongings in a mirrored clutch Quirky: Angourie Rice dazzled in a silver sequin mini dress covered in pink floral appliques Jade Bender rocked a bold red romper with an avant-garde twist as she strolled the evening's pre-screening carpet. Avantika dazzled in a form-fitting striped off-the-shoulder dress and an ornate gold choker necklace with a ruby red stone. She later posed beside Ana Yi Puig, who looked gorgeous in a silky white cheongsam dress. Avant-garde getup: Jade Bender rocked a bold red romper with an avant-garde twist as she strolled the evening's pre-screening carpet Wow! Avantika dazzled in a form-fitting striped off-the-shoulder dress and an ornate gold choker necklace with a ruby red stone. She later posed beside Ana Yi Puig, who looked gorgeous in a silky white cheongsam dress. Retro: Zoe Chao leaned into 80s nostalgia by stepping out in a vibrant purple and black polkadot jumpsuit Zoe Chao leaned into 80s nostalgia by stepping out in a vibrant purple and black polkadot jumpsuit. Rebel stars in the film as the cheer captain Stephanie Conway, who suffers a head injury ahead of her senior prom that puts her in a two-decade coma. She awakens to find that the world and her own body have changed considerably. World rocked: Rebel stars in the film as the cheer captain Stephanie Conway, who suffers a head injury ahead of her senior prom that puts her in a two-decade coma. She awakens to find that the world and her own body have changed considerably Taking her power back: Despite now being 37, she re-enrolls in school to graduate on her own terms Despite now being 37, she re-enrolls in school to graduate on her own terms. During a recent appearance on the TODAY Show, Rebel called Senior Year a 'big glossy comedy' but she believed that's message that 'high school doesn't define you' is important for young people to hear. Senior Year premieres on Netflix this coming Friday, May 13. Love Island's Molly Smith looked stunning as she put on a busty display while enjoying a date night with beau Callum Jones in Manchester on Tuesday. The couple, who met on season six of the ITV2 reality show, looked loved up as they left Menagerie arm in arm. Molly, 27, looked sensational as she showed of her incredible figure in a green corset top and blue wide leg jeans. Love-up: Love Island's Molly Smith, 27, looked stunning while enjoying a date night with beau Callum Jones, 25, at Menagerie Manchester on Tuesday She added a white blazer which hung over her shoulders and carried her personal belongings in a white handbag. Molly added some height to her frame in a towering pair of platform green heels and accessorised with a gold necklace spelling out her name and chunky hoop earrings. The model styled her long blonde tresses in perfect waves as they cascaded down past her shoulders. Stunning: The couple, who met on season six of the ITV2 reality show, put on a loved up display as they left the venue arm in arm Molly took to Instagram to share a transition video of her getting ready showing off a glam face of makeup including a smoky eyeshadow and pink lipstick. She also shared a clip of a small bathtub on their table filled with shots as two sparklers dazzled. Callum looked smart as he opted for a black striped jacket over a white T-shirt and grey trousers. Looking good: The model looked sensational as she showed of her incredible figure in a green corset top and blue wide leg jeans Before and after: Molly took to Instagram to share a transition video of her getting ready showing off a glam face of makeup including a smoky eyeshadow and pink lipstick The 25-year-old completed his look with a white pair of trainers as he beamed while holding onto Molly's hand. Last month the couple celebrated two years together as Molly posted a sweet throwback snap with her beau. She captioned the snap: Happy 2 years @callum_jones' Congrats! Last month the couple celebrated two years together as Molly posted a sweet throwback snap with her beau on holiday in Mexico Celebrating: Molly captioned the snap: Happy 2 years @callum_jones' The pair often share loved up snaps to their respective Instagram pages, after meeting in the Love Island villa. They have gone from strength to strength as they now live together in a home in Manchester. But it wasn't always smooth sailing for the couple, as their get-together caused a stir on the ITV2 show. Callum entered the show as one of the original contestants on episode one of the series, and connected with Shaugna Phillips at the beginning. Awkward: It wasn't always smooth sailing for the couple, who met in Casa Amor and ruffled some feathers on return to the villa The couple grew their relationship and continued to blossom until the infamous Casa Amor came along - which saw Molly's arrival to the show. Molly and Callum hit it off upon meeting, and he decided to return to the villa with her - leaving Shaugna devastated as she was left to fly solo. She was later dumped from the villa when Luke Mabbott coupled-up with Demi Jones instead of her - while Molly and Callum made it to days before the final, before being dumped by their fellow islanders. A portrait of the late actress Kang Soo-youn is carried during her funeral service at Samsung Medical Center in southern Seoul, Wednesday. She died at the age of 55 due to a cerebral hemorrhage Saturday, two days after having a cardiac arrest. Joint Press Corps Iconic movie star Kang Soo-youn was laid to rest in Seoul, Wednesday, after half a century in the Korean film industry. Her funeral service began at 10 a.m. in a funerary hall at Samsung Medical Center in southern Seoul with about 100 family members, friends and film industry people attending. Kang, the first Asian to win best actress at the Venice International Film Festival, died of a cerebral hemorrhage at the hospital Saturday, two days after suffering a cardiac arrest. She was 55. "I wish this could be just a scene from a movie," actor Yoo Ji-tae, who led the funeral, said. He became so emotional that he could not speak any more. Kim Dong-ho, a former chairman of the board of the Busan International Film Festival (BIFF) who had known Kang for decades, regretted the burden her early-found status as an iconic figure in the film industry must have given her. "You've lived a hard life wearing the world star crown at the young age of 21," Kim said. "You have lived more honorably and more like a star, standing firm to protect your honor and pride. You were the tough, wise and strong head of your family. Showing strong leadership and inclusivity, you have loved younger actors and had them follow in your footsteps with trust." Director Im Kwon-taek gave a short eulogy, before also choking up. "Soo-youn, I was always reassured to have you, like a friend, a daughter and a younger sister. What's the hurry to go so early? Rest in peace," he said. Foreign filmmakers sent video clips to honor the late actress. Jennifer Jao, vice chairman of the Taipei Film Commission, described Kang as a "model of film industry people around the world" in a video, while Taiwanese actress Yang Kuei-mei said she was "still the most dazzling goddess to us." Tsai Ming-liang, a Malaysian-born filmmaker in Taiwan, expressed his condolences in silence as he stared into the distance in a video. Mourners' sobs grew louder when a video highlighting the deceased's life, such as winning in various film festivals and leading an industrywide movement to defend the "screen quota" system mandating movie theaters fill part of their screen times with domestic films, was shown. Director Im and his wife, as well as younger actors, including Jung Woong-in, Kim Ah-joong, Uhm Jung-hwa and Ye Ji-won, bade their last farewells to Kang before director Yeon Sang-ho and three actors, including Jung Woo-sung and Sul Kyung-gu, carried her coffin out of the hall. After the one-hour service closed and all mourners left, only the banner reading, "Goodbye, a star more beautiful than all the stars in the sky" was left hanging on the wall. (Yonhap) 'Mama' June Shannon has defended her daughter Alana 'Honey Boo Boo' Thompson's relationship with Dralin Cresswell, after she was trolled for dating a man who is four years her senior. Alana, 16, has been dating Dralin Carswell, 20, for 'over a year' but has received negative comments from fans who believe their age gap is too big. But June has hit back, as she explained that 'Alana has grown up' since she rose to fame as a contestant of child beauty pageants. Hitting back: 'Mama' June Shannon (pictured on her reality show) has defended her daughter Alana 'Honey Boo Boo' Thompson's relationship with Dralin Cresswell Speaking in an interview with TooFab, Mama June said: 'People need to realise that she's going to be 17 in August and that [Alana's older sister] Pumpkin and Josh were the same age as they were.' Pumpkin, who was featured in Here Comes Honey Boo Boo alongside her siblings, Jessica and Anna, is currently expecting twins with her long-time boyfriend Josh. June continued: 'She is getting a lot of hate because she's in an interracial relationship, he is older, but at the end of the day, Alana's not that six/seven-year-old child y'all fell in love with 11 years ago. 'Alana has grown up, she's graduating high school next year, guys!' Under fire: June said: 'She is getting a lot of hate because she's in an interracial relationship, he is older' (Alana 'Honey Boo Boo' Thompson pictured with Dralin Carswell in April 2022) Last month, Alana looked happier than ever as she donned matching outfits with her boyfriend Dralin in a rare post of the pair to Instagram. The loved-up couple donned black t-shirts emblazoned with the writing 'Have a Nike day!' in white and the brand's trademark swoosh in red. The reality TV star, has refrained for sharing photos of her beau online after she came under fire and was forced to turn off the comments on an earlier post. After seven months of dating, Alana shared a photo of the two last September, which she later deleted due to the 'hate'. Child star: She added: 'She's not that six/seven-year-old child y'all fell in love with 11 years ago. 'Alana has grown up, she's graduating high school next year, guys!' (pictured in January 2012) In the photo, the duo were holding hands as they wore matching T-shirts that said 'that's how I roll' while at a pumpkin patch. The post received some negative comments from fans who objected to the teenager and the 20-year-old dating. Alana and Dralin live in Georgia where 16 is the youngest age a person can give his or her lawful consent to sexual activities. They have now been dating for over a year and her family has approved of him despite their age difference. He's mine! The reality TV star, has refrained for sharing photos of her beau online after she came under fire and was forced to turn-off the comments on an earlier post In early September, The Sun claimed that she was 'attached at the hip' with Dralin. Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, Carswell attended a Nashville technical school but now lives near in Georgia near Alana and her sister Lauryn 'Pumpkin' Shannon, 21, the site reported. While he was 'quiet at first' around her loved ones, a source told the outlet that Carswell is 'like one of the family now' and is 'as fun and crazy as the rest of them.' 'Dralin and Alana hang out together all the time,' the insider added of the duo, who went Facebook official in March 2021. Nigella Lawson caught up with MasterChef runner-up Laura Sharrad in Adelaide on Tuesday. The 62-year-old culinary icon was seen dining at Laura's restaurant Fugazzi, which she opened with husband Max last year. The former MasterChef guest judge looked amazing in a flattering patterned dress, as she posed with a clearly delighted Laura who rocked a blouse and skirt. Dining magic: Nigella Lawson looked radiant as she dined at MasterChef runner-up Laura Sharrad's restaurant in Adelaide on Tuesday. Both pictured Laura later posted the pictures to her Instagram, creating a frenzy among her followers. '2 Queens,' gushed one friend, before another wrote: 'Oh, wow.' This comes after Channel Seven announced earlier this year that the famed British cook would be replacing disgraced chef Pete Evans in the 2022 season of My Kitchen Rules. Kitchen Queens: The 62-year-old culinary icon was seen dining at Laura's restaurant Fugazzi, which she opened with husband Max last year Nigella will be appearing in the upcoming season alongside returning judge Manu Feildel. 'I'm so looking forward to working with Manu,' Nigella said. 'Although he's a chef and I'm a home cook, the fact is we both just want to eat good food. I feel I've got a lot to learn from him, but just know we'll have a lot of fun in the process. I can't wait!' Favourite: Laura narrowly missed out on winning MasterChef: Back to Win in 2020 (pictured) Meanwhile Laura, who narrowly missed out on winning MasterChef: Back to Win in 2020, has been wowing diners with her latest venture, Fugazzi, an Italo-American styled restaurant she runs with husband Max. The fan favourite's time on MasterChef was undone by her overly icy gelato dessert, which she'd accidentally left in an open freezer. There was good news for Laura, however, as she was awarded $30,000 to help grow her business. Laura and Max married in 2018, three years after meeting as colleagues at the Orana restaurant in Adelaide, which was owned by Jock Zonfrillo. Elsa Pataky has candidly claimed that being a parent is more difficult than starring in movies in the June issue of Marie Claire Australia, on sale from Thursday, May 13. The 45-year-old, who shares daughter India, nine, and twin sons Sasha and Tristan, eight, with husband Chris Hemsworth, opened up about the topic while discussing her lead role in Netflix's upcoming action film, Interceptor. During the interview, Elsa confessed: 'Being a mum is the hardest work of all - and there's no awards for that. Cover girl: Elsa Pataky has candidly claimed that being a parent is more difficult than starring in movies in the June issue of Marie Claire Australia , on sale from Thursday, May 13 'And then you do a movie and people are like, "Oh wow!" - it's kind of nice to feel appreciated, and to have your own thing that makes you feel like yourself.' Elsa's husband Chris, 38, is best known for playing superhero Thor in the Marvel movies. And after landing the lead role as Interceptor's no-nonsense army lieutenant JJ Collins, Elsa has admitted she's proud to be able to show her daughter that gender is no barrier when it comes to following your dreams. 'It used to be difficult to get these roles, but now it's opening up,' she added. 'It was such a good opportunity to show her that.' Lovely: In a stunning accompanying photo shoot for the magazine, Elsa was seen with her back to the camera while she stared over her shoulder In an accompanying photo shoot for the magazine, Elsa posed for the cover in a Yves Saint Laurent top which showed off her muscular arms and abs to perfection. Her hair was whisked back into a tight bun, and she wore subtle bronze makeup to accentuate her striking features. In another image, Elsa was seen with her back to the camera while she stared over her shoulder. Gorgeous: A third saw her pose in a stunning green lace dress teamed with a pair of patterned tights A third saw her pose in a stunning green lace dress teamed with a pair of patterned tights. Elsa - who originally feared she was 'too old' to play such a physically intense role in Interceptor - endured 'military-style training' for six months before filming began. She will lead the film as a soldier who must save the world when 16 nuclear missiles are launched in the United States. Family: Elsa says she's proud to be able to show her daughter India (left) that gender is no barrier when it comes to following your dreams Leading lady: Elsa stars as no-nonsense army lieutenant JJ Collins in the upcoming Netflix movie Interceptor, which is released on June 3 Elsa's husband Chris produced the action film alongside Kathy Morgan, Christopher Mapp, Robert Slaviero, and Peter D. Graves. In March last year, Elsa told News Corp that she has been rehearsing moves for the film using a toy pistol at home with Chris and their three children. 'I brought home a toy gun to practice with and was showing my kids a fight I have to do and they were really excited. Especially my daughter, who has two brothers who keep telling her 'we're stronger than you' and she says 'no way!' The actress continued: 'She can now see in what ways she can be stronger.' The June issue of Marie Claire is on sale Thursday, May 13 Verdict: Some kind of wonderful Rating: No prizes for guessing that a show titled Wonder Boy would be cartoonish. The real wonder of Ross Willis's play (which had a run at Bristol Old Vic earlier this year and is now, thanks to a deal with Digital Theatre, being made available as a digital stream) is that its methods are wildly, impossibly exaggerated, but its message is somehow plausible. What rings true is the character of 12-year-old Sonny and the extent and hellishness of his stammer. Asked his name by the panto-villainous, cat-obsessed headteacher Miss Fish (Jenny Fitzpatrick), he begins with an 's' sound and minutes later has got no further. In Sally Cookson's powerfully visualised, brightly coloured, deeply moving production, Raphel Famotibe's superb Sonny is buried beneath a heap of huge S-shaped letters, mercifully made of foam so they can't hurt him. Unlike his crippling stammer. Review: Raphel Famotibe (Sonny), Ramesh Mayyappan (Captain Chatter) in Wonder Boy Sonny retreats into his sketch book, creating Captain Chatter, who effortlessly communicates through Roy Lichtenstein-style captions, 'POW', 'KAPOW', which flash up on the back screen. Played by silent, super-fluent mover Ramesh Meyyappan, as an old-fashioned sci-fi hero, he is Sonny's constant companion. Until mean kids at school steal Sonny's drawing book. Lost for words, a broken Sonny rips out his own vocal chords and stamps on them. These stark stage directions: 'Sonny rips out his vocal chords', are typed out, as is all the dialogue, including every endlessly repeated letter of every elusive syllable. I thought the rest would be silence. Character: What rings true is the character of 12-year-old Sonny (pictured) and the extent and hellishness of his stammer Coming to Sonny's aid is comic-strip bad gal Roshi (hilarious Juliet Agnes) who boasts that 'ketchup defines me' and whose precis of Hamlet ('a s**t version of The Lion King') is a set-piece hoot. Much more significant is another outrageously scatological, foul-mouthed, super-sweary creation, Miss Wainwright, a recovering stammerer. Made miraculously persuasive by Amanda Lawrence, she is the fantasy figure all children wish their teachers to be. She helps Sonny to 'slide into a word' and, in the end, to find expression for the terrible trauma that silenced him. Wonderful theatre. Tickets available now, from 15 (early bird tickets, book in advance until May 22).Box office: tickets@bristololdvic.org.uk / 0117 987 7877. There were were many famous faces at the Pride of Manchester Awards 2022 on Tuesday night. And, Katie McGlynn and Kimberly Hart-Simpson made a stylish exit from the star-studded bash, while Victoria Ekanoye cosied up to her boyfriend Jonny Lomas. The stars left the ceremony feeling inspired after watching foster carers, fundraisers and other real life heroes receive honours for their incredible work. Leading the leavers: Katie McGlynn, 28, and Kimberly Hart-Simpson made a stylish exit from the Pride of Manchester Awards 2022 on Tuesday night Katie, 28, looked incredible in a strapless black top with a sheer detail that she wore with a matching pair of trousers, and layered up with a black blazer while leaving the venue. The actress, who most recently appeared in Hollyoaks, went braless in the garment, boosted her height in heels while adding to her outfit with a white tassel clutch bag. Kimberly, 35, beamed with delight as she sauntered away in a floor length black gown, which she teamed with velvet gloves. She added a splash of sparkle with glittering silver pointed stilettos, and styled her blonde extensions into a braid. Cute couple: Victoria Ekanoye, 40, borrowed her boyfriend Jonny Lomas' suit jacket to shield her from the chill of the night, following the ceremony Gorgeous: Kimberly, 35, (left) sauntered away in a floor length black gown, which she teamed with velvet gloves, while Angela Griffin (right) stunned in a colourful frock Wow! Seema Malhotra showed off some leg in a zebra-design dress, and was followed on by Rachel Lugo, who wowed in a black velvet jumpsuit with a sheer section at the top Victoria Ekanoye, 40, flashed her cleavage in a cut-out black dress which revealed her ample assets. The actress borrowed her boyfriend's suit jacket to shield her from the chill of the night, following the ceremony. Her beau, Jonny, braved the cold in just his plain white T-shirt and sleek suit trousers after offering up his outer layer. Seema Malhotra showed off some leg in a zebra-design dress, and was followed on by Rachel Lugo, who wowed in a black velvet jumpsuit with a sheer section at the top. Hometime: While Angela breezed along in her colourful ensemble, Ricky Hatton (right) kept things simple in an all-black outfit Fun with friends: Katie and Kimberly left the bash together The awards were hosted by Kym Marsh and the evening honoured Manchester's unsung heroes for the amazing things they do to bring together and nurture the city's communities. This year's winners included courageous kids, amazing fundraisers, and awe-inspiring police officers - all of whom make Manchester the place it is today. Professor Tony Redmond, 70, OBE, who has led the UKs response to humanitarian disasters for more than 30 years, won the lifetime achievement awards. Professor Erinma Bell, 57, MBE who has devoted her life to protecting young people from violent crime, was also honoured at the ceremony. She is set to join the tour of Chicago The Musical later this month, after landing the role of Mama Morton. And on Tuesday, Gemma Collins took the morning off from rehearsals to enjoy a pamper day at Tracey Giles, and Ice Health Cryotherapy Spa in London's Belgravia. The TOWIE star, 41, put on a joyful display in a colourful pair of floral trousers and a grey jumper brandishing the matra: 'Be Happy. Stay Weird.' Pamper day: On Tuesday, Gemma Collins, 41, took the morning off from Chicago The Musical rehearsals to enjoy a pamper day at Tracey Giles, and Ice Health Cryotherapy Spa in London Gemma looked happier than ever as she dashed between her early-morning treatments, strolling along in orange and pink floral print trousers. The GC kept things easy breezy in flat gold sandals and her light grey jumper, while adding an extra splash of colour with her vibrant blue Chanel cross body bag. Gemma's pamper day comes after her recent stay at the swanky Palazzo Versace hotel in Dubai, with the star taking to Instagram where she shared a photograph of herself in a pink swimsuit. She captioned her swimming pool snap: 'Girls just wanna have SUN. 'I will be shining brightly and unapologetically for the foreseeable future.' Living her best life: Gemma's pamper day comes after her recent stay at the swanky Palazzo Versace hotel in Dubai, with the star sharing a photograph of herself in a pink swimsuit Happy! The TOWIE star put on a joyful display in a colourful pair of floral trousers and a grey jumper brandishing the matra: 'Be Happy. Stay Weird' Early morning freeze: The GC enjoyed a cryotherapy session in a swanky area of London Sharing a moment: Gemma hugged one of the workers at Ice Health Cryotherapy Spa Fan favourite: Gemma happily paused to pose for selfies with fans Meanwhile, Gemma recently revealed revealed that she and fiance Rami Hawash don't know if he will 'ever regain sight in his eye' after a 'serious work accident'. The update comes after the reality star shared news of the accident back in April, explaining that her husband-to-be needed an operation. But despite the uncertainty surrounding the injury, she has assured Rami that she will love him no matter the outcome in an emotional post. Good spirits: Gemma beamed with delighted after having an early morning freeze Fitting it all in: Gemma looked happier than ever as she dashed between her early-morning treatments, strolling along in orange and pink floral print trousers Onto the next: Gemma jumped into a black cab to get to her various beauty appointments Glam: The GC kept things easy breezy in flat gold sandals and her light grey jumper, while adding an extra splash of colour with her vibrant blue Chanel cross body bag Hair up: Getting on with her day, Gemma tied her platinum tresses into an up-do Since the incident, which she dubbed as 'upsetting', 'scary' and 'worrying' at the time - Gemma has been looking after Rami as he recovers. And talking to Metro recently, the former TOWIE star explained: 'He's really shaken up he's been in excruciating pain as he had his operation last week. 'We hope that he's going to get the sight back in his eye, but I did reassure him that if he went blind or if he was going to lose his eye, that I'm still going to be with him because you don't think about all those things.' Next appointment: Following her cryo session, Gemma popped into Tracie Giles Multitasking: Gemma held paperwork in her hands as she made a phone call and made her way to her next appointment Gemma added that the operation has resulted in his eye 'drooping down', meaning it has changed aesthetically. Standing by her man, she continued: 'But I said don't worry, I love him with an eye, without an eye, whether or not he gets his sight back. 'So there's been a lot going on emotionally as well, but we make sure to support one another.' Serious: Gemma Collins recently revealed her fiance Rami Hawash's eye may not regain full sight after 'serious accident'... but she has reassured him that she 'loves him with or without it' Painful: The update comes after the reality star shared news of the accident back in April, explaining that her beau needed an operation Scary: Since the incident, which she dubbed as 'upsetting', 'scary' and 'worrying' at the time - Gemma has been looking after Rami as he recovers Full story: She explained the situation in an instagram post in April, sharing that he had a 'very serious accident at work Sharing the news of Rami's eye last month, she took to Instagram to share a painful looking snap of the inflamed injury. Gemma wrote over the snap: ''It's been one hell of a week, good to have Rami home today. It's been a very upsetting time for us. Scary, worrying, no sleep, please god he will be ok [sic]. thank you Queens Hospital @NHSEngland.' The star also shared a selfie to Instagram of herself and Rami to offer fans an update, as he donned a white eye patch. The Hairy Bikers' Si King has offered an update on his close friend and co-host Dave Myers after the chef revealed he had been diagnosed with cancer. During an appearance on This Morning on Wednesday, Si, 55, told viewers that his pal 'remains positive' in the wake of the news and admitted it was strange to appear on the programme without his Hairy Bikers co-host. Dave, 65, recently went public with his diagnosis and revealed he had been undergoing chemotherapy, as he told his podcast listeners that the year ahead will be a 'quiet one'. Update: The Hairy Bikers' Si King has offered an update on his close friend and co-host Dave Myers after the chef revealed he had been diagnosed with cancer Si branded his friend 'tough as an old boot' during a cooking segment without the chef, when hosts Phillip Schofield and Rochelle Humes asked how Dave was doing. Speaking of his friend's illness, Si told the pair: 'He's doing okay. He's doing okay, he remains really positive and pretty focused on his treatment. 'He's typically Dave, he's as tough as an old boot. He's doing grand, thank you for asking.' News: Dave, 65, recently went public with his diagnosis and revealed he had been undergoing chemotherapy, as he told his podcast listeners that the year ahead will be a 'quiet one' (pictured in September 2021) Solo appearance: During an appearance on This Morning on Wednesday, Si, 55, told viewers that his pal 'remains positive' in the wake of the news and admitted it was strange to appear on the programme without his Hairy Bikers co-host How is he? Si branded his friend 'tough as an old boot' during a cooking segment without the chef, when hosts Phillip Schofield and Rochelle Humes asked how Dave was doing He also revealed how weird it felt doing the segment without his fellow Hairy Biker, telling the hosts: 'It's a bit odd without my mate, I have to say but no, it's good.' Dave recently told how he has cancer and is currently undergoing chemotherapy, vowing: 'I will get over this.' Dave, who married wife Lily in 2011 after the pair met while he was filming The Hairy Bikers in Romania, has chosen not to publicly reveal the type of cancer he has. Dave, who competed on Strictly Come Dancing in 2013, revealed 'I haven't been too well recently' and 'this year is a write off', whilst reassuring fans 'the prognosis is okay.' Speaking about his medical condition with his TV cooking partner and Hairy Biker other half, Si King he said: 'I may be a baldy biker for a while it's simply something I have to live with.' Support: Dave, who married wife Lily (pictured) in 2011 after the pair met while he was filming The Hairy Bikers in Romania, has chosen not to publicly reveal the type of cancer he has Dave said: 'Anyway Kingy, I've got to come clean now, I haven't been too well recently and basically, I've got to have some chemo, you know all this anyway, so this year is going to be a bit quiet for me, I'm not going to be filming, some of the festivals I'm not going to be able to go to, some may be okay but this year's a bit of a write off for us. 'I have had to speak up about this because I don't want to hide under a rock, but I would love it if people respected my privacy and just let me get on with it and give Si and our team all the support they need, that would be great. But look, the prognosis is okay, I'm going to be fine.' He continued: 'I've just got to tuck in, look after myself, eat sensibly and get over this mess, flog books, and be a happy person so within that, that's where I am. 'I may be a baldy biker for a while so it's just a warning, I don't want to make a fuss about it, I look alright bald actually.' 'I've got to come clean': Dave, who competed on Strictly in 2013, revealed 'I haven't been too well recently' and 'this year is a write off', whilst reassuring fans 'the prognosis is okay' (pictured in 2013) Talking on their podcast The Hairy Bikers Agony Uncles, Si replied: 'No listen, when I first met you dude you looked like an upside down Hells Angel so I like that look, I've always liked that look, you look cool' with Dave saying: 'Yeah I know, and under different circumstances I would embrace it more but I feel under these circumstances it's simply something I have to live with.' In 2018, the TV chef, whose new book Simply Healthy Food is out on May 12, spoke about overhauling his lifestyle, after being warned by doctors when he weighed 18 stone that he was 'heading for an early grave.' He said: 'I was a Northern carbohydrate monster who was morbidly obese six years ago and weighed over 18 stone. Si and I were warned we were morbidly obese and heading for an early grave, so our weight loss saved our lives. 'This year's a bit of a write off': Speaking about his medical condition with his TV cooking partner and Hairy Biker other half, Si King, he said: 'I maybe a baldy biker for a while' 'I'm 6ft, now around 15 stone and aim to drop to 14 stone. I cycle, jog, and eat as healthily as possible. I'd never have managed to take part in Strictly Come Dancing in 2013 if I hadn't got healthy.' Dave has suffered with illness in the past after being diagnosed with a cyst on his brain in 1998, and later glaucoma, which is an eye condition that can lead to blindness. He admits worrying about his health has impacted his mental wellbeing over the years after enduring the loss of both his parents by the time he was just 23. Dave's dad died from a stroke and his mum multiple sclerosis, causing him to 'hate anything to do with illness.' The same year he was diagnosed with having a cyst on his brain, Dave sadly lost his fiancee to cancer, previously describing 1998 as the worst year of his life. In celebration of his weight loss, Dave competed in Strictly with pro partner Karen Hauer, 40, and said once he was eliminated it had been a 'spectacular privilege' to take part. Dave met best friend and co-star Si in 1995 and together the duo have gained millions of fans through their popular BBC cookery series and books, as well as their Agony Uncles podcast. An abundance of Sydney celebrities stepped out to celebrate day three of Afterpay Australian Fashion Week 2022 on Wednesday evening. Natalie Roser, 31, cut an ethereal figure in a tight bodysuit which showed off her slender frame to perfection. The white, almost see-through material glazed down her body like butter, with the model teaming her look with a pair of white kitten heels. Australian Fashion Week continues: On day three, Natalie Roser, 31, cut an ethereal figure in a tight bodysuit which showed off her slender frame to perfection She added a hint of punk glamour to her ensemble with a dark purple lipstick, and styled her hair sleek and straight. Also grabbing attention on the night was former Bachelor star Kiki Morris, who put on quite the display in a minuscule leather dress and a diamante bum bag. The 34-year-old, who sported an ultra glowing tan for the occasion, teamed her look with a pair of knee-high boots and a diamond watch. Beauty: She added a hint of punk glamour to her look with a dark purple lipstick, and styled her hair in sleek and straight Tantastic! Also grabbing attention on the night was former Bachelor star Kiki Morris, who put on quite the display in a minuscule leather dress and a diamante bum bag Wow! The 34-year-old, who sported an ultra glowing tan for the occasion, teamed her look with a pair of knee-high boots and a diamond watch Style: Kiki wore lashings of makeup on her pretty features, including thick black lashes and a peach colour on her pout. Pictured with Mark Judge Kiki wore lashings of makeup on her pretty features, including thick black lashes and a peach colour on her plump pout. Meanwhile, model Erin Holland looked utterly gorgeous in a mesh top teamed with a pair of casual jeans. She scraped her hair back into a tight bun, and wore a flash of bronzer and mascara to enhance her gorgeous features. Sheer beauty: Model Erin Holland looked utterly gorgeous in a mesh top teamed with a pair of casual jeans Model behaviour: She scraped her hair back into a tight bun, and wore a flash of bronzer and mascara to enhance her gorgeous features Pip Edwards attended the event with her P.E Nation co-founder Claire Tregoning. Pip, 42, looked fashionable as ever in a white long-sleeved dress from her own brand, teamed with a pair of ankle boots. Claire stunned in a demure striped top, silk skirt and simple black boots. Stylish: Meanwhile, Pip Edwards attended the event with her P.E Nation co-founder Claire Tregoning So cool: Pip, 42, looked fashionable as ever in a white long-sleeved dress from her own brand, teamed with a pair of ankle boots Meanwhile, the Married At First Sight stars were out in full force once again on day three of Australian Fashion Week. Tamara Djordjevic rocked up to the Emma Pills event in a stunning embellished gown which she teamed with a faux fur coat. Selin Mengu flashed the flesh in a shirt and trouser combo, exposing her leopard-print bra as she posed for photos. Sultry: Tamara Djordjevic rocked up to the Emma Pills event in a stunning sequin gown which she teamed with a faux fur coat Out there: Selin Mengu flashed the flesh in a shirt and trouser combo, exposing her leopard-print bra as she posed for photos Sultry: Carolina Santos, meanwhile, wore a tiny black bandeau and skirt which she teamed with an oversized faux fur coat Carolina Santos, meanwhile, wore a tiny black bandeau and skirt which she teamed with an oversized faux fur coat. She complemented her bold look with heavy black eye makeup, while whisking her hair into a simple side ponytail. Model Natasha Oakley looked utterly glamorous in a skintight latex dress and a pair of pointed heels. Gorgeous: Model Natasha Oakley looked utterly glamorous in a skintight latex dress, which she teamed with a pair of pointed heels. Pictured with designer Emma Pillemer (right) She teamed her cleavage-baring ensemble with a subtle makeup palette and Hollywood curls. Meanwhile, Cameron Robbie - the brother of Hollywood star Margot Robbie - oozed casual chic in a green shirt teamed with matching trousers. He teamed his look with a necklace and navy Converse sneakers. How cool! Meanwhile, Cameron Robbie - the brother of Hollywood star Margot Robbie - oozed casual chic in a green shirt teamed with matching trousers New images emerged on Wednesday of Amelia Hamlin modeling bikinis for Tropic Of C, a swimwear brand from Victoria's Secret vet Candice Swanepoel. The ex-girlfriend of Scott Disick was seen in a strappy rust-colored swimsuit with a mesh neon green crop top as she stood on the beach. The daughter of Lisa Rinna and Harry Hamlin has become one of the top models in the world thanks to her natural good looks and very toned figure. Hot stuff on the shore: New images emerged on Wednesday of Amelia Hamlin modeling bikinis for Tropic Of C, a swimwear brand from Candice Swanepoel Shore thing: The ex-girlfriend of Scott Disick was seen in a strappy rust-colored swimsuit as she sat on the beach This is a high-profile modeling campaign for the Los Angeles native whose sister is beauty Delilah Hamlin. The 20-year-old Los Angeles native was seen in a strappy rust colored bikini that made the most of her impressive assets as she soaked up the sun while on a white sand beach. The brunette bombshell is working for Candice Swanepoel's swimwear line Tropic Of C which promises to be 'eco friendly.' Also in the new adds was Candice herself who looked sensational in a neon lime suit as well as a Versace we T-shirt. Bikini babe: The daughter of Lisa Rinna and Harry Hamlin has become one of the top models in the world thanks to her natural good looks and very toned figure What a waist! This is a high-profile modeling campaign for the Los Angeles native whose sister is beauty Delilah Hamlin The ladies were both in a tropical paradise as they did their best to sell the spring suits. On Wednesday, however, the beauty was seen back in New York City. The star was spotted in a black bra top and oversized sweatpants as she left a gym with her ear buds in. Amelia's career has taken off ever since she started dating Keeping Up Wit The Kardashians star Scott Disick. While she's been in the public eye for years, Hamlin's celebrity power exploded during her romance. Though Amelia may have been broken up about their relationship ending last year, her mother almost certainly wasn't. On an episode of the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, Rinna, 58, admitted she was not happy about her daughter's relationship with the much older man, but tried to keep any negative comments to herself. Beach time: She made the most of her impressive assets as she soaked up the sun on a white sand beach It's time to go rust: The suit was called a Praia and it looked like it comes in other colors Never looked better: The looker was tanned and tattooed for her shoot where she flashed her abs and slender arms Scott has since moved on and made the first, albeit awkward, red carpet appearance with his new girlfriend, 27-year-old model Rebecca Donaldson. The pair turned up together at the premiere of The Kardashians, where the newly engaged Kourtney appeared with the Disick children and new fiance, Travis Barker. This comes after Scott admitted Kourtney's relationship with Travis has helped him to finally 'be able to move on' from their relationship in the upcoming season premiere of The Kardashians. City life: On Wednesday, Hamlin was in NYC as she showed off her impressive abs and toned physique Workout queen: She was leaving a gym workout in Manhattan's SoHo area. Amelia was also seen sporting bleached eyebrows and enjoying music on her AirPods Max headphones Disick, says in the episode of the Hulu reality series that seeing his ex, 42, with the Blink-182 drummer, 46, made it clear that she was happy and 'in a real thing.' The Talentless founder also said he had false hope for a reconciliation because members of the KardashianJenner clan led him to believe that they might 'get back together one day.' On the plus side, the new relationship made a path forward easier for Scott to see. 'For the first time in my life it's finally starting to change. Now that Kourtney's got her life with Travis, as hard as it is, it does give me a place to finally be able to move on,' he said on the episode. He also noted his proclivity for dating women much younger than himself or his former partner. 'If I want to find someone real and serious that I'd want to spent my life with, it would have to be somebody ... [in their] upper 20s. Not over 30 ... whatever ... 30, whatever it is. If I love somebody, doesn't matter their age,' he continued. She split from partner Sue Perkins last year after eight years together. And Anna Richardson, 51, has admitted that 'you never get used to heartbreak' in a revealing new interview. The presenter, who is still single following the June break-up, spoke to OK magazine about love as well as her fears of growing older, admitting she's 'filled with dread' at the prospect of what could happen in the future. Heartbreak: Anna Richardson, 51, has revealed that 'You never get used to heartbreak' in a revealing new interview following her split from Sue Perkins, 52 (pictured together in 2014) Speaking about the split, the Naked Attraction host told the publication: 'I suppose I don't know whether you become more resilient as you get older, but heartbreak is still that mystery that needs to be solved, and how you get over it and become stronger'. The couple, who dated for eight years, allegedly parted ways after 52-year-old Sue's reluctance to start a family, with Anna previously revealing she had thought about adopting a child and felt that 'time is running out' for her to do so. Anna, who began dating Sue after her separation from her partner of 18-years Charles, went on to reveal, 'its a really fundamental and visceral realisation [if you havent had children] that, "Oh my God, I cant do that anymore." Even if I wanted to.' She added that she feels 'slow, inexorable dread' when she thinks about the next 30 years of her life, saying: 'It seems to be a bit of a decline. And its very, very difficult.' Sad: The presenter, who is still single following the June break-up, admitted she's 'filled with dread' at the prospect of what could happen in the future. MailOnline exclusively revealed in June that nobody else was involved in Sue and Anna's decision to split, which the couple made with 'a heavy heart'. A source said: 'The split is as amicable as these things can ever be. After so long together it wasn't an easy decision to make and they both did so with heavy hearts. 'But Sue and Anna are determined to remain friends and keep in touch. Nobody else is involved and now the pair are throwing themselves into work.' It was reported Anna moved out of their shared 2million North London home to live in Staffordshire to be close to her mum, who is caring for her father who is suffering from dementia. Exes: The pair first began dating in 2013 after meeting at a Halloween party following Anna's split from her partner of 18 years Charles Martin (pictured together in 2018) A friend of the former couple said at the time: 'It's really sad they've split, but it's been on the cards for a while. We know Anna was really keen to be a mother, but Sue just didn't feel it was the right time for her. 'She loves travelling and working on various projects and she appreciates that lifestyle and the responsibility of being a parent doesn't marry well.' It's also claimed she and Sue struggled to live together during lockdown given they are both 'workaholics' who are used to their independence. 'They haven't spent much together in recent months, they've been living separate lives with Anna staying in Staffordshire and Sue remaining in London. The only time they see each other now is when they hand their dog over to each other'. The pair first began dating in 2013 after meeting at a Halloween party following Anna's split from her partner of 18 years Charles Martin. Speaking to The Telegraph in 2015, Anna explained she had known Sue for years, but it was a meeting her at a party after her separation from Charles, that made her realise she felt something more than just friendship. Tough: It's also claimed she and Sue struggled to live together during lockdown given they are both 'workaholics' who are used to their independence (pictured together in 2018) She gushed: 'When I was invited to the party, I was told Sue would be going and I felt, what, a frisson? A spark of interest? And I thought: "Hmm, that's interesting". There was something in the air. 'It was an extraordinary night. I was dancing on the table. It felt like a defining moment in my life.' She wasn't keen on giving herself a label in regards her sexuality at the time, after she had previously spent almost two decades with a man. 'For me, it's just a case of I am who I am. I'm not interested in being labelled gay or straight, my sexuality is fluid. I just happen to have fallen in love with a woman - simple as that,' she explained. Shinhan Bank's innovative store located in GS Supermarket at Gwangjin-gu, Seoul, May 9. Korea Times photo by Lee Yeon-woo Elderly customers might need more time to adjust to new system By Lee Yeon-woo Shinhan Bank launched a new store last month, promising to offer innovative services to customers by increasing accessibility and extending operating hours. At the digitalized bank inside GS supermarket's Gwangjin-Hwayang branch in Seoul, customers expressed a desire to see more stores like that, but some older customers seemed to be struggling while trying to use the service. The new store that Shinhan Bank launched in collaboration with GS Retail on April 12 is getting rave reviews from young office workers who found it hard to visit banks during working hours. "It is good to have this kind of store near home available to visit after coming back from work. I hope more stores will be set up in various locations," Kim, a 29-year-old office worker based in Seoul, told The Korea Times on Monday. Kim used the digital desk to have her credit card reissued last month. "Even though I was unfamiliar with the system at first, it was easier than I thought as I followed the instructions step by step." Customers at the digital desk, open until 8 p.m., are provided with almost every service that traditional branches offer, such as opening accounts, reissuing credit cards and loan counseling. Customers who need a more detailed explanation can also make a video call with tellers who offer face-to-face services in traditional branches. A smart Kiosk that offers similar services to a traditional ATM is also placed inside the store, available 24 hours. Around 70 percent of the visitors are in their 20s or 30s, according to an official from Shinhan Bank. These new attempts are in the line with traditional banks' ongoing efforts to scale down their organizations by reducing the number of offline stores while expanding contact-free services. A Smart Kiosk and a ticket dispenser for using the Digital Desk are seen at the Shinhan Bank innovative store in Seoul, May 9. Korea Times photo by Lee Yeon-woo Russian bombshell Irina Shayk unveiled her second campaign with Danish designer Anine Bing on Tuesday, including the $189 'Lesly' black one-piece racerback swimsuit. In one shot, the 36-year-old Lions Model carried the brand's $299 'Large Rio' tote. In another shot, Irina showcased her taut 5ft10in figure in the $119 'Praia' sarong over the $189 'Jace' white one-piece swimsuit. Hard at work! Russian bombshell Irina Shayk unveiled her second campaign with Danish designer Anine Bing on Tuesday, including the $189 'Lesly' black one-piece racerback swimsuit In honor of the designer's 10th anniversary, Shayk (born Shaykhlislamova) had traveled to Miami on April 6 to shoot the Resort 2022 campaign with photographer Chris Colls. While at her hotel in Florida, the former VS/SI Swimsuit stunner snapped a mirror selfie while trying on the $189 'Jace' one-piece swimsuit from the 15-piece collection. Hairstylist Harry Josh was the one who coiffed Irina's brunette mane for the Anine Bing shoot and the pair reunited on Tuesday for a glam session with his assistant Dawson Hiegert. At one point, Shayk glanced up at Harry and laughed as she jokingly asked, 'Who are you?' BTS: In honor of the designer's 10th anniversary, the 36-year-old Lions Model had traveled to Miami on April 6 to shoot the Resort 2022 campaign with photographer Chris Colls Werrrk! While at her hotel in Florida, Irina snapped a mirror selfie while trying on the $189 'Jace' one-piece swimsuit from the 15-piece collection The Burberry catwalker - who who boasts 26.1M social media followers - later Instastoried a mirror selfie captioned: 'Just checking how long [my] hair extensions [are]...' Earlier on Tuesday, Irina pampered herself by getting a magnesium thermal wrapped infrared sauna session on her thighs at IMD Beauty Spa in Manhattan. Shayk then joked that she was 'back to my favorite gym' while enjoying a 30-minute, body-shaping Emsculpt Neo session with Dr. Arash Akhavan at the Dermatology and Laser Group in Midtown. On the personal front, the Oscar de la Renta brand ambassador reunited with her ex-fiancee Bradley Cooper at the Met Gala on May 2. '#Muse': Hairstylist Harry Josh (M) was the one who coiffed Shayk's brunette mane for the Anine Bing shoot and the pair reunited on Tuesday for a glam session with his assistant Dawson Hiegert (R) At one point, the former VS/SI Swimsuit stunner glanced up at Harry and laughed as she jokingly asked: 'Who are you?' Irina - who who boasts 26.1M social media followers - later Instastoried a mirror selfie captioned: 'Just checking how long [my] hair extensions [are]...' 'Wrapped forever!' Earlier on Tuesday, Shayk (born Shaykhlislamova) pampered herself by getting a magnesium thermal wrapped infrared sauna session on her thighs at IMD Beauty Spa in Manhattan No need to exercise when you're rich! The Burberry catwalker then joked that she was 'back to my favorite gym' while enjoying a 30-minute, body-shaping Emsculpt Neo session with Dr. Arash Akhavan at the Dermatology and Laser Group in Midtown Irina and the 47-year-old Oscar nominee share 50/50 joint legal and physical custody of their five-year-old daughter Lea De Seine after amicably ending their four-year relationship in 2019. '[Bradley] is a full-on, hands-on dad - no nanny. Lea went on holiday with him for almost two weeks - I didn't call them once,' Shayk told Highsnobiety in September. 'Me and her father are very strict. When she finishes eating, she gets up from the table, takes her plate, says "thank you." Without "please" or "thank you" she's not getting anything. It's hard, because she has so many toys. 'I had one doll, and I still have this doll. Blonde, blue eyes, big Russian doll. My grandma used to make clothes for her. And I always explain, "Look, this is my doll. I had only one." Or sometimes, "You have this candy. I used to have candy only for Christmas."' Ncuti Gatwa has revealed his nerves at speaking with Doctor Who stars Jodie Whittaker and David Tennant after landing the role of the Time Lord. It was announced on Sunday that the 29-year-old will become the 14th Doctor on the popular sci-fi show, after Whittaker announced last July she will be leaving the role this autumn. Thanking his friends and family for their support in the days since the announcement, the rising star also sent his praise to Jodie and David in the sweet Instagram post. New Doctor in the house: Ncuti Gatwa has revealed his nerves at speaking with Doctor Who stars Jodie Whittaker and David Tennant after landing the role of the Time Lord Just hours after the Doctor Who announcement, Ncuti attended the Virgin Media British Academy Television Awards at the Royal Festival Hall on Sunday, where he was nominated for Male Performance in a Comedy Programme for his role as Eric in Sex Education. Ncuti shared snaps from his big night on Instagram on Wednesday, and told his followers: 'There are a lot of thank yous in this caption so please excuse the cringe. But mans feeling hella grateful at the moment.' After thanking BAFTA for supporting his hit show Sex Education and for his third nomination in a row, the actor turned his attentions to the Time Lords. 'The Doctor herself, Jodie Whittaker and Mr David Tennant for your beautiful words of support and encouragement on BAFTA day,' Ncuti wrote. 'Hella grateful': Thanking his friends and family for their support in the days since the announcement, the star also sent his praise to Jodie and David in a sweet Instagram post 'I was absolutely cacking my pants and honestly speaking to you two was priceless.' He also thanked Doctor Who's returning showrunner Russell T Davies, adding: 'The Doctor Who fam: Russell, all the producers and the wonderful fans have been so gracious and welcoming. I am stunned and speechless at the support.' The grateful star also sent his thanks to his team, 'my fashion god parents. BAFTA glam squad and 'my soul twin,' Sex Education co-star Aimee Lou Wood who he attended the BAFTA TV Awards with. 'My heart is so full. Thank you everybody. Okay wishywashyness over,' the actor ended his post. History maker: The 29-year-old will become the 14th Doctor on the popular BBC show, after Whittaker announced last July she will be leaving the role after five years It comes after former Doctor Sylvester McCoy also took to social media to offer his well-wishes to Ncuti in a video message posted on Twitter. The Scottish actor, who played the Seventh Doctor from 1987 to 1980, said: 'Welcome to our unique club, the Doctor Who club you are very welcome, and we'd be delighted to watch you take on the daleks, cybermen, weeping angels and the critics! We all have to do that when we all took over, 'I wish you well I wish you everything you wish for yourself in the TARDIS I hope you have great adventures, I know you will I had, all the best mate, all the best I look forward to meeting you someday, by another Scot!' Icon: Ncuti reflected on meeting David Tennant, who played the Tenth Doctor from 2005 to 2009, before reprising the role in 2013 for the 50th Anniversary Special Ncuti later took to his Instagram Stories to respond to Sylvester's message, saying: 'Thank you, thank you, thank you so much for your beautiful message it means the absolute world especially coming from a fellow Scot. 'I am so looking forward to facing all of those foes especially the last one that you mentioned and the support from you and all the other doctors, has just filled me with the strength that I will be able to do that. 'Thank you so much for welcoming me into the family, it means the world, Sylvester you're a gentleman all the best.' Ncuti's casting has been met with huge excitement by fans after the surprise announcement on Sunday afternoon. 'I hope you have great adventures': It comes after former Doctor Sylvester McCoy also took to social media to offer his well-wishes to Ncuti in a video message posted on Twitter Gatwa is the first black actor to take on the leading role as The Doctor, after Jodie made history as the first permanent female Time Lord in 2017. Jo Martin played the first black incarnation of the Time Lord in a January 2020 episode, Future of the Judoon, as Ruth Clayton, but Gatwa has become the first black Doctor to be cast as the series lead. Scottish actor Gatwa, who was born in Rwanda, rose to fame as Eric Effiong in Netflix's hugely popular Sex Education about socially awkward high school student Otis (Asa Butterfield) and his sex therapist mother Jean (Gillian Anderson). Gatwa admitted that he has kept his casting in Doctor Who under wraps since February and praised the popular series for making people feel 'seen'. In his first interview since the announcement, he said: 'I've known since February. It's been tricky keeping this under wraps because I've got a very big mouth. We did it. 'It feels amazing, this role is an institution and it's so iconic and means so much to so many people, including myself. 'It makes everyone feel seen. I'm very grateful to have the baton handed over and I'm going to try and do my best.' Meanwhile, Davies said the casting team thought they had already chosen someone for the role of The Doctor when Gatwa came in and 'stole' the job. 'It was talent. He was the very last one, we thought we had someone and then in he came in and stole it,' Davies said. 'Genuinely loved Sex Education and loved his work, didn't quite know what we were going to get. I am properly thrilled.' Alec Baldwin and his pregnant wife Hilaria Baldwin enjoyed a family stroll after revealing their seventh child will be a girl. The couple were spotted pushing their son Eduardo, 18 months, and daughter Lucia, 13 months, in their strollers in New York City on Tuesday. Alec, 64, wore a midnight blue jacket and his hair slicked back as he pushed his youngest son about while wife Hilaria, 38, was a vision of casual style in glossy black leggings and slippers. Family first! Alec Baldwin and his pregnant wife Hilaria Baldwin enjoyed a family stroll in NYC on Tuesday after revealing their seventh child will be a girl She wore a light jean jacket over her beige sweatshirt and a pair of shades over her brown eyes. Hilaria assumed stroller duties for daughter Lucia, whom they welcomed via surrogate last year. The couple took a walking break as they parked the strollers on the side walk for a brief chat. The yoga instructor appeared relaxed and in good spirits as she conversed with her husband. Adoring parents! Baldwin pushed their son Eduardo in his stroller while Hilaria doted on daughter Lucia Hilaria and Alec are currently expecting their seventh child together, and earlier this week the mom-to-be revealed they were going to have a baby girl. Hilaria revealed the child's sex in a sentimental video she posted to her Instagram account with the words 'I can't to meet you my daughter.' The Boston-born influencer shared a visual keepsake for the unborn child along with her husband Alec and their six children; daughters Lucia and Carmen Gabriela, 8, and sons Rafael Thomas, 6, Leonardo Angel Charles, 5, Romeo Alejandro David, 3, and Eduardo "Edu" Pao Lucas. Taking it easy! The couple took a walking break as they parked the strollers on the side walk for a brief chat Alec and Hilaria announced their 'surprise' baby news in March this year, five months after his fatal Rust shooting that left Ukrainian cinematographer Halyna Hutchins dead. 'It's always been both fun and meaningful for me to find out what is the sex of my baby, yet, as I grow and learn, I want to do it a bit differently this time around,' Hilaria wrote in the caption. 'What will make our baby a loving, whole person? What matters? What will make them feel seen, free, and proud?' Baby girl! Hilaria revealed the child's sex in a sentimental video she posted to her Instagram account with the words 'I can't to meet you my daughter' She continued: 'I share with you our family's hopes and wishes, encouragement and advice for our new baby. I feel so much joy, watching these children, who are filled with love and the most simple, kind wisdom.' 'Hearing them share their words is one of my greatest gifts in life. Join us in honoring this whole little independent human, growing inside of me.' Hilaria alluded to the tough times they've faced as a family when she announced their baby news in March, referring to their unborn child as a 'bright spot in their lives'. 'After many ups and downs over the past few years, we have an exciting up and a huge surprise: another Baldwinito is coming this fall,' Hilaria wrote. Hilaria, who suffered two miscarriages before welcoming her fifth child, Edu, admitted that she didn't think anymore children were in her future, explaining that the news of her latest pregnancy came as something of a 'surprise' for the family. It is not yet clear if their unborn daughter will follow the family tradition of being given a Spanish name, after Hilaria was accused of faking having Spanish roots in December 2020. Six-time Daytime Emmy winner Steve Harvey 'lost a lot of respect for' Will Smith after his violent assault against Chris Rock at the Academy Awards on March 27, which he called a 'punk move.' The 65-year-old presenter told attorney Mo Ivory at Georgia State University on April 27 that he's 'very good friends with' the 57-year-old comedian, who cracked a bald joke about Jada Pinkett Smith. 'I texted Rock after that and he said, "I'm okay, man. Just trying to work through it,"' Steve recalled. 'I think he handled it admirably.' 'Punk move': Six-time Daytime Emmy winner Steve Harvey 'lost a lot of respect for' Will Smith after his violent assault against Chris Rock at the Academy Awards on March 27 'You slap me? Will Smith, let me explain something to you. There's no way you slapping me, turn around, button your jacket, and walk off that stage,' Harvey continued. 'They're going to have to go to four commercial breaks. I'm not saying I wouldn't get slapped. But I'm just saying, before you sit your a** back in your chair, Jada and everybody else have got to move out of the way, because we're going to be down there moving furniture around, partner.' The Family Feud host was disgusted over how the disgraced 53-year-old won best actor and then headed to the Vanity Fair Oscar Party in Beverly Hills where he sang along to his own songs. 'That was such a Hollywood move. He knew he could get away with that. That's why he did it. That's all that he is, man,' Steve (born Broderick) said. 'I think he handled it admirably': The 65-year-old presenter told attorney Mo Ivory (L) at Georgia State University on April 27 that he's 'very good friends with' the 57-year-old comedian, who cracked a bald joke about Jada Pinkett Smith Steve recalled: 'I texted Rock after that and he said, "I'm okay, man. Just trying to work through it"' Harvey continued: 'You slap me? Will Smith, let me explain something to you. There's no way you slapping me, turn around, button your jacket, and walk off that stage' The Family Feud host added: 'They're going to have to go to four commercial breaks. I'm not saying I wouldn't get slapped. But I'm just saying, before you sit your a** back in your chair, Jada and everybody else have got to move out of the way, because we're going to be down there moving furniture around, partner' 'I lost a lot of respect for him that day...And then at the party he's holding the Oscar dancing. Ah nah, homey, nah...I just thought it was soft, just a chump move.' Will was last seen in Mumbai, India on April 23, and Harvey warned: 'When you come out that cave, Steve gonna be out here waiting for you.' However, the Judge Steve Harvey star just shared a TikTok video of himself hosting the eighth annual Ford Hoodie Awards back in 2010 that seemed to contradict his stance. 'That's mine right there. Yeah, I own you and you own me. I will kill everybody in here about your a**,' Steve gushed to his third wife Marjorie seated in the audience in Las Vegas. 'That was such a Hollywood move': Steve was disgusted over how the disgraced 53-year-old won best actor and then headed to the Vanity Fair Oscar Party in Beverly Hills where he sang along to his own songs Harvey said: 'He knew he could get away with that. That's why he did it. That's all that he is, man. I lost a lot of respect for him that day...And then at the party he's holding the Oscar dancing. Ah nah, homey, nah...I just thought it was soft, just a chump move' Will was last seen in Mumbai, India on April 23, and the Judge Steve Harvey star warned: 'When you come out that cave, Steve gonna be out here waiting for you' 'Please understand that about the way I love you, Marjorie Elaine. You understand me? I'll kill everybody in here. I swear to God I will. You can ask the Lord about me. I'll kill every motherf***er in this f***ing place for you.' Meanwhile, Smith resigned from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, which banned him from attending any of their events - in person or virtually - for a decade. The King Richard actor has six upcoming projects - many of which are on hold, including Netflix movie Fast and Loose, Apple TV+ action thriller Emancipation, and Sony Pictures' Bad Boys 4. Say what? However, Steve just shared a TikTok video of himself hosting the eighth annual Ford Hoodie Awards back in 2010 that seemed to contradict his stance Harvey gushed to his third wife Marjorie seated in the audience in Las Vegas: 'That's mine right there. Yeah, I own you and you own me. I will kill everybody in here about your a**' He exclaimed: 'Please understand that about the way I love you, Marjorie Elaine. You understand me? I'll kill everybody in here. I swear to God I will. You can ask the Lord about me. I'll kill every motherf***er in this f***ing place for you' 'Change takes time and I am committed to doing the work to ensure that I never again allow violence to overtake reason,' Will (born Willard) said in his April 1 statement. 'My actions at the 94th Academy Awards presentation were shocking, painful, and inexcusable. The list of those I have hurt is long and includes Chris, his family, many of my dear friends and loved ones, all those in attendance, and global audiences at home. 'I betrayed the trust of the Academy. I deprived other nominees and winners of their opportunity to celebrate and be celebrated for their extraordinary work. I am heartbroken.' 'My actions were shocking, painful, and inexcusable': Meanwhile, Smith resigned from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, which banned him from attending any of their events - in person or virtually - for a decade Danny Boyle has revealed he was planning to set his now axed James Bond movie in Russia. The director was set to helm Daniel Craig's final outing as 007 before departing the project due to 'creative differences' with producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson. Speaking to Esquire UK, the Oscar winner, 65, said that his proposed story was set in the now controversial country and explored Bond's origins. Conflict: Danny Boyle told Esquire UK in a recent interview how he was planning to set his now axed James Bond movie in Russia He said: 'I remember thinking, "Should I really get involved in franchises?" Because they don't really want something different. 'They want you to freshen it up a bit, but not really challenge it, and we wanted to do something different with it. 'Weirdly - it would have been very topical now - it was all set in Russia, which is of course where Bond came from, out of the Cold War.' Axed: The director was set to helm Daniel Craigs final outing as 007 before departing the project due to creative differences with producers The Slumdog Millionaire director went on to tell the outlet how he felt it was a 'shame' that he didn't get to make a Bond movie, claiming there was a loss of 'confidence' over his plot idea. He said: 'It was set in present-day Russia and went back to his origins, and they just lost, what's the word... they just lost confidence in it. It was a shame really.' This comes after Russia invaded Ukraine in February resulting in more than 3,000 civilian deaths, according to The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights. In August 2018, it was confirmed Danny had dropped out of directing the 25th Bond movie. A tweet from the official 007 Twitter account read: 'Michael G. Wilson, Barbara Broccoli and Daniel Craig today announced that due to creative differences Danny Boyle has decided to no longer direct Bond 25.' Cary Fukunaga later took Danny's place and directed Daniel in 2021 movie No Time to Die. Years later, he told The Guardian about leaving the picture: 'I work in partnership with writers and I am not prepared to break it up. 'We were working very, very well, but they (the Bond bosses) didn't want to go down that route with us. So we decided to part company.' Advertisement Gabourey Sidibe talked about her plans to walk down the aisle with fiance Brandon Frankel in a rare interview, which detailed her desire for an unorthodox ceremony with no bridesmaids and a wedding gown that is not white. As 39-year-old Academy Award nominee gave Brides readers a heads up on what to expect when she ultimately ties the knot in spring 2023, the bride-to-be gushed that she wants her big day to be 'fun' and a 'true party.' 'It cannot be a traditional wedding. Really, it can't be. I don't want anything done the traditional way,' she stressed to the magazine while appearing on their latest cover. 'I'm super against tradition. I definitely don't need a white dress.' Bride-to-be: Gabourey Sidibe opened up about her plans to walk down the aisle with fiance Brandon Frankel in a rare interview, which detailed her desire for an unorthodox ceremony, no bridesmaids or her in a white wedding gown She continued: 'My favorite look [from the shoot] was the pink African print. Honestly, whatever I wear on the wedding day will probably be African print. It might have a little white, so it looks like a wedding dress, but it's definitely going to be colorful.' After getting engaged in November 2020, Sidibe admits to suggesting they don't 'have a wedding' and 'throw a barbecue, get married in the bathroom, and then we'll come out and tell everyone we're married.' During the interview, Sidibe hilariously recalled the moment she knew she wanted 'everybody there' after always thinking they would invite more than '20 people tops.' Their vision: As 39-year-old Academy Award nominee gave readers a heads up on what to expect when she ultimately ties the knot in spring 2023, the bride-to-be gushed that she wants her big day to be 'fun' and a 'true party' 'It cannot be a traditional wedding. Really, it can't be. I don't want anything done the traditional way,' she stressed to Brides while appearing on their latest cover. 'I'm super against tradition. I definitely don't need a white dress' No need for white: She continued: 'My favorite look [from the shoot] was the pink African print. Honestly, whatever I wear on the wedding day will probably be African print. It might have a little white, so it looks like a wedding dress, but it's definitely going to be colorful' 'I want everyone that I love to be at our wedding now.' As for her hair, the Precious actress envisions her locks in Senegalese twists or cornrows with a small tiara. 'I want lots of jewelry in my hair. I also want beautiful eye makeup with very, very long butterfly eyelashes and a very bold lip,' she said of her glam. In their own bubble: After getting engaged in November 2020, Sidibe admits to suggesting they don't 'have a wedding' and 'throw a barbecue, get married in the bathroom, and then we'll come out and tell everyone we're married' Nothing to prove: During the interview, Sidibe hilariously recalled the moment she knew she wanted 'everybody there' after always thinking they'd invite more than '20 people tops' 'He usually wears tops and sweatpants, athleisure,' she said. 'Seeing him in a suit just made things real for us. That day was really incredible... I want everyone that I love to be at our wedding now' Glam: As for her hair, the Precious actress is envisions her hair in Senegalese twists or cornrows with a small tiara 'I want lots of jewelry in my hair. I also want beautiful eye makeup with very, very long butterfly eyelashes and a very bold lip,' she said of her glam 'I want to get married at golden hour,' Gabby, who has yet to decide on a venue, stated. 'I just want it to be picturesque.' The lovebirds will also make sure both of their cultures are represented throughout the day. 'It will be a nice mix of African and Jewish touches,' she said. 'I want his background to absolutely be there because this is a partnership.' 'I want to get married at golden hour,' Gabby, who has yet to decide on a venue, stated. 'I just want it to be picturesque' Perfect match: The lovebirds will also make sure both of their cultures are represented throughout the day 'It will be a nice mix of African and Jewish touches,' she said. 'I want his background to absolutely be there because this is a partnership' Original: In addition, they'll both write their own vows or say what feels right in the moment In addition, they'll both write their own vows or say what feels right in the moment. Sidibe then took the opportunity to praise how romantic her man is, from 'little love notes and leave messages' on their Ring doorbell and never making her wonder what 'he's thinking or' how he feels about her. 'This is why I literally want 20 people there or like 75 max. Either way, a very, very select number of people who want to celebrate us, not like seeking attention,' the performer backpedaled. 'I really think we'll just get married in the kitchen.' Never been happier: Sidibe then took the opportunity to praise how romantic her man is, from 'little love notes and leave messages' on their Ring doorbell and never making her wonder what 'he's thinking or' how he feels about her 'This is why I literally want 20 people there or like 75 max. Either way, a very, very select number of people who want to celebrate us, not like seeking attention,' the performer backpedaled. 'I really think we'll just get married in the kitchen' Love at first swipe: The couple met on Raya, membership-based dating app, frequently called 'celebrity Tinder,' which led to a seven-hour first date The couple met on Raya, membership-based dating app, frequently called 'celebrity Tinder,' which led to a seven-hour first date. 'I have a real fight or flight personality,' the actress admitted. 'I was kind of dodgy and scared quite a lot in the very beginning of our relationship. [Then, during the pandemic] I just started trusting him.' She explained: 'I really realized that like, this guy's not going to disappear, you know? And my big fear was that, if I loved him, he would just poof and disappear. So, I was playing my cards very close to my chest.' 'I have a real fight or flight personality,' the actress admitted. 'I was kind of dodgy and scared quite a lot in the very beginning of our relationship. [Then, during the pandemic] I just started trusting him' Vulnerable: She explained: 'I really realized that like, this guy's not going to disappear, you know? And my big fear was that, if I loved him, he would just poof and disappear. So, I was playing my cards very close to my chest' She said yes: Her man, who works as a Senior Executive at the celebrity micro-content company Cameo, proposed at the end of November 2020 with Gabby taking to Instagram to show off her sparkler 'My BFF proposed and now I get to hold him forever,' the star wrote while teasing her engagement ring,' she gushed at the time Her man, who works as a Senior Executive at the celebrity micro-content company Cameo, proposed at the end of November 2020 with Gabby taking to Instagram to show off her sparkler. 'My BFF proposed and now I get to hold him forever,' the star wrote while teasing her engagement ring. 'Its weird that people think were already married but I guess our hearts and intentions for each other are just that clear to see,' began the star. 'Its weird that people think were already married but I guess our hearts and intentions for each other are just that clear to see,' began the star She then described Brandon as 'the funniest man Ive ever met and 'the sweetest human to exist.' '@brandontour made up a song for when i put my bonnet on at night. The second I look a bit stressed and overwhelmed, he jumps into action to take over what he can for me.' 'Every moment with him is a joy. He is the partner i thought I was too independent to need. Ive learned so much about myself through him and I feel grateful and excited to learn more about the entire world with him by my side.' She concluded the gushing post: 'My partner, my best friend, my cats daddy, my mans, my heart, my fiance!!!' The pair have reportedly been together since around May of 2019, when Frankel shared a snap of his 'queen' smiling alongside him in Los Angeles. 'Every moment with him is a joy. He is the partner i thought I was too independent to need. Ive learned so much about myself through him and I feel grateful and excited to learn more about the entire world with him by my side' But things didn't become 'social media official' until July when Gabby's man posted a portrait of the actress on his Instagram referring to her in the caption as his 'sunshine [girlfriend].' In the months that followed, Frankel went on to post over a dozen photos of himself and his leading lady, where as Sidibe has kept things more private on her end. The fun-loving couple appeared to be having a blast when they attended fellow actress Taraji P. Henson's 80s themed birthday party at Fleetwood Roller Rink in October last year. Gabby found fame as the star of Precious and has a recurring role on the Fox series Empire, as well as the recently released Antebellum. Stassi Schroeder is finally getting her fairytale wedding to Beau Clark in Rome after the two were forced to cobble together a backyard ceremony in 2020 when COVID sidelined their original plans. The former reality star, who was fired from Vanderpump Rules over a racism scandal, was spotted in Italy with some of her former co-stars to kick off her lavish wedding week. Schroeder, 33, stunned in new social media photos in a romantic white silk gown for her welcome party on Wednesday where she greeted guests, including Vanderpump Rules exes Katie Maloney and Tom Schwartz. I do times two! Stassi Schroeder is finally getting her fairytale wedding to Beau Clark in Rome after the two were forced to cobble together a backyard ceremony in 2020 when COVID sidelined their original plans Stassi and Beau were spotted taking in the Roman sights on Tuesday with their daughter Hartford and some pals. The canceled reality star appears to have shaken off her tumultuous few years, being axed from Vanderpump Rules, dropped by her team and losing her podcast over allegations of racism. She stepped out on a beautiful spring day in Italy wearing a flouncy floral strapless top paired with wide leg khaki slacks and low stacked heels. The blonde beauty wore her hair in a sleek low bun and enjoyed sight seeing and pizza with her family and friends. All good now: The former reality star, who was fired from Vanderpump Rules over a racism scandal, was spotted in Italy with some of her former co-stars to kick off her lavish wedding week Buon giorno! Stassi and Beau were spotted taking in the Roman sights on Tuesday with their daughter Hartford and some pals Spotted! Vanderpunp Rules' Katie Maloney rocked menswear and a beret with netting to take in the beauty of Rome with Stassi In the the past: The canceled reality star appears to have shaken off her tumultuous few years, being axed from Vanderpump Rules, dropped by her team and losing her podcast over allegations of racism After Hartford, one, went to bed that night, the grown ups headed out for dinner and drinks. Images of their night on the town, walking down cobblestoned streets, were shared to social media. Katie Maloney, who is still starring on Vanderpump Rules, headed across the pond with her soon-to-be ex husband Tom Schwartz to attend the event. She posted several images of the girls dressed to impress while out for cocktails ahead of the main event later this week. Looking good! Stassi stepped out on a beautiful spring day in Italy wearing a flouncy floral strapless top paired with wide leg khaki slacks and low stacked heels Duo! Stassi and Hartford were a full mommy-daughter-dup in matching florals Italia: The blonde beauty wore her hair in a sleek low bun and enjoyed sight seeing and pizza with her family and friends Trying again: The couple will be saying their I dos for the second time, first tying the knot officially in 2020 On Wednesday evening, Stassi and Beau invited guests of their destination wedding to get together at a welcome soiree. Stassi turned heads in a jaw-dropping ivory silk Galia Lahav gown with a structured bodice, sweet heart neckline and high slit. She and her husband appeared smitten in photos shared to social media. The couple started dating towards the end of 2017 and they became engaged in July 2019. Special guest! Stassi was pregnant with Hartford at her first wedding and now the toddler will get to attend the big shabang Making it work: The reality TV duo threw together an intimate and socially distanced affair in their backyard instead of their originally planned ceremony in Italy which is just now coming to fruition Mr and Mrs: The couple started dating towards the end of 2017 and they became engaged in July 2019 'Today would've been our wedding day. We went and did it anyway,' Stassi captioned footage of their legal wedding. 'Hopefully Italian dream wedding oct 2021.' They are saying their I dos for the second time, first tying the knot officially in 2020. The reality TV duo threw together an intimate and socially distanced affair in their backyard instead of their originally planned ceremony in Italy which is just now coming to fruition. 'Today would've been our wedding day. We went and did it anyway,' Stassi captioned footage of their legal wedding. 'Hopefully Italian dream wedding oct 2021.' Bellisimo: Stassi turned heads in a jaw-dropping ivory silk Galia Lahav gown with a structured bodice, sweet heart neckline and high slit for her welcome party All good! Soon-to-be ex husband and wife Katie Maloney and Tom Schwartz had no qualms about putting their divorce aside to celebrate their friend in Italy Gorgeous! Maloney snapped a mirror selfie from her hotel room before heading out for the day Unfortunately for Stassi, 2021 came and went in the height of the coronavirus crisis and she wouldn't get her dream event until the following year. Bravo cameras were expected to capture the ceremony, which would have been aired on season nine of the show, before Stassi was axed. Stassi's past racially insensitive actions - hen she reported her black co-star Faith Stowers to the police in 2018 for a crime she did not commit - resurfaced in 2019 leading to her firing. Adults only: After Hartford, one, went to bed Tuesday night, the grown ups headed out for dinner and drinks Salute! Stassi was showered with love during a girls night at a fancy Italian restaurant where the bread, pasta and drinks were flowing Fun times! Maloney was the unofficial photographer and shared snaps of the revelry across her social platforms Not only did she lose her part on the hit reality show, but Stassi's podcast Straight Up With Stassi was dropped from endorsement deals and she was let go by her PR agency. The star has come out the other side of the scandal and recently released her second book, Off With My Head: The Definitive Basic B***h Handbook to Surviving Rock Bottom, which shot to number eight on the New York Times Best Seller List. Stassi has maintained her relationships with most of her former co-stars and was seen in April celebrating Brittany Cartwright and Jax Taylor's son's first birthday along with Lala Kent, Kristen Doute, Katie Maloney and Tom Schwartz. She starred as the iconic Pat Butcher for 26 years in EastEnders. Yet soap legend Pam St Clement has kept a low profile since leaving the soap in 2012. So fans were delighted on Wednesday as she made a rare appearance on social media as she celebrated her 80th birthday. Milestone: EastEnders legend Pam St Clement made a rare appearance on social media on her co-star Kellie Shirley's Instagram page as she celebrated 80th birthday The TV icon was last seen in public following the death of her close friend and co-star Barbara Windsor, where she fought back tears on This Morning. But Pam looked in high spirits as she marked her milestone birthday with fellow former EastEnders star Kellie Shirley. Kellie, who played Carly Wicks in the BBC One soap, shared a snap of her and her children with a smiling Pam who is the soaps one of the shows longest-serving characters. Icon: Pam starred at Pat Butcher in the soap for 26 years - from 1986 to 2012 making her one of the shows longest-serving characters Co-star: Kellie starred alongside Pam playing Carly Wicks in the BBC One soap She wrote: 'Happy birthday to the Queen of #Walford and total legend that is #pamstclement #80 so much love and so glad you're in our life!.' Kellie's followers flocked to the comments section to wish Pam a happy birthday, with one even sharing a touching personal story about the TV veteran. 'I ADORE PAM,' said one follower. Birthday wish: Kellie, who played Carly Wicks in the BBC One soap, shared a snap of her and her children with a smiling Pam who is the soaps one of the shows longest-serving characters 'Happy Birthday Pam! Love & Miss you!' a viewer posted. Another gushed: 'Happy birthday Pam. A wonderful lady. Xx' Sharing a meaning memory one follower penned: Working behind a bar in Hastings, Pam was staying at our hotel and could see I was struggling so jumped behind the bar and started pouring the drinks. Happy birthday Pam! An absolute legend.' Special greetings: Kellie's followers flocked to the comments section to wished Pam a happy birthday, with one even sharing a touching story While another joked: 'Oi Pat get out my pub....but Happy Birthday.' In December 2020 Pam fought back tears as she expressed her sadness at not seeing close friend and former co-star Dame Barbara Windsor for almost a year before her death to Alzheimer's disease aged 83. The screen legend's passing was confirmed by her husband Scott Mitchell shortly after she lost her six-year battle with the degenerative illness at a London care home in December 2020. Regret: In December Pam fought back tears as she expressed her sadness at not seeing close friend Dame Barbara Windsor for almost a year before her death Appearing remotely on This Morning from her Oxfordshire home, Pam admitted it was Scott who kept her informed of Dame Barbara's deteriorating condition after COVID restrictions contrived to keep her away. She said: 'We've stayed in close contact. He's kept me up to speed as it were with everything that's been happening. 'I've been out of the country for much of this year so I couldn't visit her, well nobody could visit her with the lockdowns and everything, it was impossible, which is sad in a sense because it means I haven't seen her for nearly a year, and that is a sadness to me.' Barbara made her first appearance as Peggy Mitchell in 1994, and Pam - who played screen nemesis Pat Butcher - admitted she 'felt like curtsying' when her co-star arrived on set. She said: 'It was such an extraordinary thing when we knew Barbara was coming into the show. I felt like curtsying when she came in. 'She said to me, 'Please tell me if I'm not doing anything right.' She probably had more experience behind a bar than I did.' Jon & Kate Plus 8 alums Jon Gosselin and Kate Gosselin's youngest children - sextuplets Aaden, Alexis, Collin, Hannah, Joel, and Leah - officially turned 18 on Tuesday. 'I am free! Free! Free in the aspect of I have adult children now,' the half-Korean 45-year-old told ET. 'Now it's time for me to move on - dating - moving on with my own life. It's like starting over pretty much.' Feeling old? Jon & Kate Plus 8 alums Jon Gosselin and Kate Gosselin's youngest children - sextuplets Aaden, Alexis, Collin, Hannah, Joel, and Leah - officially turned 18 on Tuesday The half-Korean 45-year-old exclaimed to ET: 'I am free! Free! Free in the aspect of I have adult children now...Now it's time for me to move on - dating - moving on with my own life. It's like starting over pretty much' Jon - who reportedly stopped paying child support in 2012 - only had custody of two of his eight children, Hannah and Collin, and he said he's 'worked really hard in building independence in' them. '100 percent, I miss my siblings. It's a big day for all of us today,' Hannah gushed to ET. 'As soon as I woke up they had texted me happy birthday and I sent them a happy birthday text back.' And while 'there has been alienation because of Kate,' Gosselin publicly wished his six estranged children happy birthday. Stopped paying child support in 2012: Jon only had custody of two of his eight children, Hannah and Collin, and he said he's 'worked really hard in building independence in' them (pictured on August 25) Hannah gushed to ET: '100 percent, I miss my siblings. It's a big day for all of us today. As soon as I woke up they had texted me happy birthday and I sent them a happy birthday text back' 'Hey guys, happy birthday!' And while 'there has been alienation because of Kate,' Gosselin publicly wished his six estranged children happy birthday (pictured in 2019) The retired reality star said: 'I know I haven't talked to you in a long time. Just know that I'm in your corner. I'm proud of you. I love you and if you ever, ever need anything, I will always be there for you. And I support all your decisions no matter what you do' 'Hey guys, happy birthday!' the retired reality star said through the outlet. 'I know I haven't talked to you in a long time. Just know that I'm in your corner. I'm proud of you. I love you and if you ever, ever need anything, I will always be there for you. And I support all your decisions no matter what you do.' As for why Hannah chose to live with Jon in Pennsylvania rather than the 47-year-old nurse in North Carolina, she said that she's 'always been closer with my dad and we've always had a strong good relationship.' 'It's a lot, growing up in a very busy household with lots of kids. And there's not really a one-on-one relationship, for attention, that you have with your parent. I felt like my dad gave me that attention and a feeling like I had a good solid relationship with a parent,' the former child star explained. 'There was unfair treatment in my mom's house': As for why Hannah chose to live with Jon in Pennsylvania rather than the 47-year-old nurse in North Carolina, she said that she's 'always been closer with my dad and we've always had a strong good relationship' 'She just wished me a happy birthday': Hannah - who's excited to be able to vote and legally drive out of state - said her relationship with Kate is 'pretty stable' and they 'text each other on an average basis' 'I don't know how much it is!' All of the sextuplets are now able to access the TLC money they earned as kids, and the aspiring businesswoman is 'going to use it to pay for my college' 'It was a difficult decision leaving my siblings I did not want to be separated from them or even, like, live in a different household than them. But I just feel like there was unfair treatment in my mom's house and I just wanted to live with my dad.' Hannah - who's excited to be able to vote and legally drive out of state - said her relationship with Kate is 'pretty stable' and they 'text each other on an average basis.' 'She just, you know, wished me a happy birthday. You know, told me she loved me and it was great - an average birthday text,' Gosselin noted. All of the sextuplets are now able to access the TLC money they earned as kids, and the aspiring businesswoman is 'going to use it to pay for my college.' Hannah celebrated the milestone by glamming up and bringing her four best friends to Miami's Sugar Factory to celebrate the launch of her skincare company, Gosselin Girl Beauty 'Candles are coming soon!' The eight-product line ranges in price from $9-$58 and includes fruit-forward facial serums and elixirs, bath bombs, and bags Jon gushed: 'I'm extremely proud of her. We've really worked hard together, getting her to this point. I mean, it's baby steps along the way with managing her own business. So I put a good team in place to help her along the way. And eventually, she'll run her business by herself' Hannah celebrated the milestone by glamming up and bringing her four best friends to Miami's Sugar Factory to celebrate the launch of her skincare company, Gosselin Girl Beauty. The eight-product line ranges in price from $9-$58 and includes fruit-forward facial serums and elixirs, bath bombs, and bags. 'I'm extremely proud of her. We've really worked hard together, getting her to this point,' Jon gushed. 'I mean, it's baby steps along the way with managing her own business. So I put a good team in place to help her along the way. And eventually, she'll run her business by herself along with the team members we put in place.' Eldest children: Gosselin's 21-year-old daughters - twins Madelyn and Cara - are currently in New York attending Fordham University and Syracuse University, respectively (pictured in 2019) 'Making history': Career-wise, Jon enlisted The International DJ Casper to produce his upcoming album EI8HT and the first single Voicemail drops on May 20 (pictured November 1) Happier times: The former couple reportedly only communicate through their attorneys following the end of their acrimonious decade-long marriage in 2009 Gosselin's eldest daughters - 21-year-old Madelyn and Cara - are currently in New York attending Fordham University and Syracuse University, respectively. Career-wise, Jon enlisted The International DJ Casper to produce his upcoming album EI8HT and the first single Voicemail drops on May 20. The former couple reportedly only communicate through their attorneys following the end of their acrimonious decade-long marriage in 2009. Jon & Kate Plus 8 aired for five seasons on TLC spanning 2007-2010, once amassing 9.8M viewers with the fifth season premiere. Livia Firth has slammed fashion house Balenciaga after it unveiled a 1,290 pair of trainers, which purposely come with holes, rips and scuff marks. The ethical fashion campaigner, 52, who is the estranged wife of Colin Firth, said selling 'destroyed' shoes was 'offensive' to people who cannot afford to buy clothes. The shoes, which are available to pre-order, are a limited edition version of the brand's Paris high-top trainers, which usually cost 450. Outrage: Livia Firth (pictured in 2011) has slammed fashion house Balenciaga after it unveiled a 1,290 pair of trainers, which purposely come with holes, rips and scuff marks 'To buy something so destroyed is beyond offensive towards people I've actually met who wore shoes like this because they couldn't afford even basic meals,' she said in a lengthy Instagram caption. 'What is Balenciaga trying to say? Fashion is art, yes, and provocations have been many during its history. But what is the statement here?' The fully destroyed shoes come in black, white or brown and are littered with holes across the cotton sides, top and back. The Balenciaga website reads: 'A dedicated campaign shows the shoes extremely worn, marked up, and dirtied. Criticism: The ethical fashion campaigner, 52, who is the estranged wife of Colin Firth, said selling 'destroyed' shoes was 'offensive' to people who cannot afford to buy clothes 'These still life portraits, by photographer Leopold Duchemin, suggest that Paris Sneakers are meant to be worn for a lifetime. 'A limited edition of 100 pairs of these extra destroyed sneakers will be available on balenciaga.com in either black or white while supplies last.' And Livia was not the only one to comment on the trainers as shoppers were quick to mock the brand after the shoes went viral when they launched on Monday. One said: 'I was having a good day until I saw this. Shaking my head.' Another quipped: 'I was just about to throw out my 12-year-old Vans. But I guess they are high fashion.' Distressed look: The shoes, which are available to pre-order, are a limited edition version of the brand's Paris high-top trainers, which usually cost 450 Another joked: 'Need these for my collection. Or I just won't pay rent and in a month or so my shoes should look the same.' One mum said: 'Are they having a laugh?' Another said: 'Pre-f****d up shoes, what a world.' Livia is the estranged wife of Oscar winner Colin Firth and they ended their marriage in 2019 after 22 years together. They co-parent their sons Luca, 21, and Matteo, 18. In February, The Mail on Sunday revealed that Colin, 61, was dating Maggie Cohn after they fell for each other on the set of his latest drama, The Staircase. Opinions: Livia was not the only one to comment on the trainers as shoppers were quick to mock the brand after the shoes went viral when they launched on Monday Los Angeles-based Maggie, thought to be in her 40s, is a sought-after screenwriter who has won major awards for American Crime Story from the Writers Guild of America and the Producers Guild of America. She has also written episodes of the popular Netflix crime drama Narcos: Mexico. The couple spent months working on The Staircase, a crime drama written by Maggie as a TV mini-series and based on the 2004 true crime docu-series of the same name. Colin plays the lead role of Michael Peterson, a writer convicted of murdering his wife Kathleen Peterson, portrayed by Toni Collette, who was found dead at the bottom of the staircase in their home. After splitting from ex-wife Livia Giuggioli in 2019, the MoS revealed that the Love Actually star had grown close to BBC newsreader Joanna Gosling after they were spotted on a stroll in a London park. Announcing their split after 22 years of marriage, Colin and his estranged wife Livia insisted they would 'remain united' in their love for their sons. The actor, who won an Oscar in 2011 for his performance in The King's Speech, remained at the family's 4million family home in Chiswick, West London, while Livia has spent much of the time since back in Italy. Their separation came after Livia admitted an affair with a childhood friend. Colin also has a son with Meg Tilly, his co-star in the film Valmont. DIA Director Lt. General Scott Berrier testifies during a Senate Armed Services hearing to examine worldwide threats on Capitol Hill in Washington, May 10. AP-Yonhap North Korea is expected to continue advancing its nuclear and missile capabilities this year to increase its leverage in any potential negotiations with the United States, the top U.S. military intelligence official said Tuesday. The remarks by Lt. Gen. Scott Berrier, director of the U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency, come amid speculation that Pyongyang may conduct a nuclear test as early as this month. "We expect North Korea to continue its nuclear, missile, and military modernization efforts in 2022 as it emphasizes bolstering its strategic deterrence and countering the military capabilities of the U.S.South Korean alliance," Berrier said in a global threat assessment report submitted to the Senate armed services committee before a budget hearing. "Kim Jong-un will likely use these developments to try to increase his leverage in any potential negotiations with the United States," he added, referring to the North Korean leader by his name. North Korea has already staged 15 rounds of missile launches this year, while also ending its self-imposed moratorium on long-range missile testing after more than four years by firing an intercontinental ballistic missile in March. Berrier noted the North may conduct additional weapons tests, including a nuclear test. U.S. State Department spokesperson Ned Price speaks during a media briefing at the State Department in Washington, July 7. AP-Yonhap The United States and South Korea share the common objective of completely denuclearizing the Korean Peninsula and will continue to coordinate closely on ways to achieve that goal, a state department spokesperson said Tuesday. State Department Press Secretary Ned Price made the remarks after South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol said his government will help revive North Korea's economy if Pyongyang gives up its nuclear weapons programs. "We have been and we will continue to coordinate closely with the ROK to address the threat posed by the DPRK's unlawful WMD programs, its ballistic missile program as well, and to advance our shared objective on the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula," Price said when asked about Yoon's offer for North Korea, referring to South and North Korea by their official names, the Republic of Korea and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, respectively. "It's an objective we share with this ROK government," he added. "And I know that we look forward to the opportunities ahead over the phone, in person, including when the president travels to the ROK in just a matter of days, to continue these discussions with the new ROK administration on how we can advance and promote that goal." Though the State Disaster Response Force (DRF) personnel tried for over 10 hours, they could not retrieve the body. (Representational image: DC) HYDERABAD: A 19-year-old student who went missing from his house at Dabeerpura after offering afternoon prayers on Monday reportedly drowned in the Umdasagar lake at Jalpally later in the evening. Though the State Disaster Response Force (DRF) personnel tried for over 10 hours, they could not retrieve the body. The victim, Mohammed bin Awad was supposed to come home for lunch by 2.30 pm. When he did not return on Monday, his father Mohammed bin Omar with family members started searching for him and learnt that Awad, along with two friends, Mohammed Abdullah and Syed Amir, were seen going on a bike towards Charminar around 1.40 pm. "I started calling my son's mobile. It kept ringing but he did not answer nor did he call back. At around 3 pm, I got a call from my son's phone. His friends Abdullah and Amir asked me to immediately go to the lake and switched off the phone," Omar said. He said that his son had not mentioned their names before. The lake is 30 foot deep and the water is muddy with sharp stones and water plants and very dangerous for swimming. On reaching the lake, Omar heard that his son had drowned. "When we visited the spot, it was dark. Around 7 am on Tuesday a team of 20 SRDF and safety personnel reached the spot to retrieve the body," Omar said. He said a local, Mahesh, had informed him that three youths on a bike had come for swimming in the Umdasagar and were warned by locals to stay away as it was dangerous. The trio took an alternative route to the lake. The locals followed them and reached the spot where Abdullah and Amir were. They tried to flee on the bike but were caught and handed over to the police around 3.40 pm, Omar said. "We questioned Amir and Abdullah. They said that they had warned Awad against going into the lake but he did not listen. They confessed that they panicked and tried to flee after Awad dove into the water and did not come out," Chandrayangutta inspector Prasad Varma said. "We did our best to recover the body but it was not found," Mohammed Ethasham, a DRF guard said. "I spoke to Chandrayangutta inspector last night to see that the body was recovered. In the early hours, DRF was pressed into action from our side. We will do our best so that the victim's body is recovered. If the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) comes, the issue will be resolved easily," local MLA Ahmed Balala said. By Kwon Mee-yoo India is an important partner of Korea in the Indo-Pacific region, and India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi sent a congratulatory message to Korea's new President Yoon Suk-yeol, Tuseday, as Yoon assumed office. "I extend my heartfelt greetings and good wishes to ROK President @sukyeol__yoon as he commences his term in office today. I look forward to meeting him soon and working together to further strengthen and enrich the India-ROK ties," Modi wrote on Twitter. Indian Ambassador to Korea Sripriya Ranganathan attended Yoon's inauguration ceremony on Tuesday on behalf of her country. Prior to Yoon's inauguration, the Indian ambassador to Seoul paid a courtesy call to Yoon at his office, May 6. According to the Indian Embassy here, Ambassador Ranganathan discussed the huge scope of cooperation between the two countries with Yoon, starting from the long historical and cultural ties including the marriage of Queen Heo Hwang-ok from India to Korean King Kim Su-ro, dating back to the 1st century, and India's contribution during the 1950-1953 Korean War. As both countries will celebrate the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations next year, Yoon and Ranganathan agreed to intensify high-level visits and engagements. They also discussed cooperation on supply chain issues, the Indo-Pacific region and the Korean Peninsula. President Yoon said that his administration will scale up cooperation with India and asked for support in dealing with North Korea's provocations as a member of the U.N. Security Council, as well as Korea's partnership with the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue. TIRUPATI: A local court in Chittoor on Wednesday granted bail to former minister and founder of Narayana group of educational institutions Dr. Ponguru Narayana, who was arrested in connection with SSC examinations question paper malpractice case. The Chittoor I town police detained Dr Narayana from his residence in Hyderabad and produced him at the fourth additional judicial first class magistrate court in Chittoor early on Wednesday. Dr Narayanas lawyers V.R. Ramakrishna and M. Chandrashekar pointed out that he had stepped down from administrative functions of Narayana group of educational institutions in 2014 and was not associated with the management. The police intentionally framed the case against him. The magistrate at the Chittoor court examined the arguments and granted bail on furnishing of two sureties at Rs 1 lakh each. Earlier, the police taken Narayana to government general hospital for medical examinations and later he was produced before the magistrate. Vijayawada: Police have got some minor leads in the case wherein a techie killed his girlfriend and later committed suicide at Tadipatri village in Nellore district. Nellore SP Vijaya Rao said, We are consolidating the piecemeal information from our sources to find out why he killed her, when he plotted to do so and who helped him to get the country made pistol he used for this and also the ammunition that he got. He was found to be mentally disturbed. Police sources say that the weapon has been sent to the forensic lab for examination. He had two fully loaded magazines -- with one loaded into the pistol while another one found was in his pocket. Meanwhile, as part of the inquiry, the police are tracking his all data, contacts and the places he visited in the last few days, and this is also to ascertain any involvement of others in the crime. Police note that Ludhiana is famous for availability of country-made weapons. Such weapons are also available especially in parts of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Madhya Pradesh. The police suspect that the culprit may have procured the country-made pistol with the Made in USA tag and two magazines loaded with bullets from middlemen to kill his girlfriend. In a case in Rajahmundry a few years ago, a local cycle spare parts dealer was arrested by the police when he offered to sell a pistol after smuggling it from Ludhiana in a train. He had concealed the weapon in the sealed baggage of spare parts to avoid detection by cops. A police man posing as a Naxalite lured him to sell weapons by offering a good price and caught him red-handed. The dealer offered to arrange AK- 47 guns, carbons, pistols and several rounds of bullets in both original and country-made variety after smuggling them from Ludhiana to make huge money to the Naxalites, police noted. New Delhi: Just one day ahead of the hearing on whether the challenge to the constitutional validity of the sedition law (Section 124A IPC) should be heard by a larger five-judge Constitution Bench, the Central government on Monday told the Supreme Court it had decided to re-examine and reconsider the provisions of the colonial-era law, and urged the court not to go ahead with the hearing of the matter. Urging the Supreme Court not to hold a hearing on the petitions challenging the constitutionality of Section 124A till the government finishes its reconsideration process, the Centre, in its affidavit filed on Monday, said: The Government of India, being fully cognizant of various views being expressed on the subject of sedition and also having considered the concerns of civil liberties and human rights, while committed to maintain and protect the sovereignty and integrity of this great nation, has decided to re-examine and reconsider the provisions of Section 124A of the Indian Penal Code, which can be done only before the competent forum. The Centres latest position is in sharp contrast with the stance it took in its response filed on Saturday, when it stated that the 1962 five-judge Constitution Bench judgment in the Kedar Nath Singh case, that upheld the validity of 124A IPC, was binding and continues to be good law and needs no reconsideration, and added that the ruling upholding the sedition law had stood the test of time and applied till date in tune with modern constitutional principles. On Monday, the Union home ministry indicated that Prime Minister Narendra Modi was behind the shift in the governments position, and said in an affidavit referred to his views on shedding colonial baggage, and said he was in favour of the protection of civil liberties and respect of human rights. It said the Prime Minister has said India, as a nation, has to work even harder to shed colonial baggage, that include outdated laws and practices which have passed their utility. The government said concerns had been raised about the application and abuse of the sedition law for purposes not intended by its provisions. The Prime Minister has been cognizant of various views expressed on the subject and has also periodically, in various forums, expressed his clear and unequivocal views in favour of the protection of civil liberties, respect for human rights, and giving meaning to the constitutionally cherished freedoms by the people of the country, it said. On Saturday, the Central government had told the court: 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. Asserting that only a bench of five judges can raise any doubt on the Kedar Nath Singh verdict, it had said: The Kedar Nath Singh judgment has been the law of the land for more than six decades. The judgment balances constitutional rights and principles, and the needs of the State, to provide a reasonable interpretation. At the last hearing, a special bench of Chief Justice N.V. Ramana and Justices Surya Kant and Hima Kohli, was told by attorney-general K.K. Venugopal, who was requested by the court to assist it, that the Centre favoured retaining the law with guidelines to prevent its misuse. He had cited the instance of misuse when in Maharashtra a person was charged with sedition for reciting Hanuman Chalisa. The A-G had also said that there was no need to refer the matter to a five-judge Constitution Bench. The court is hearing pleas by the Editors Guild of India and Maj. Gen. S.G. Vombatkere (Retd) challenging the constitutionality of Section 124A IPC. The court said its main concern was misuse of the law leading to the rising number of cases. Visakhapatnam: The National Green Tribunal (NGT) on Wednesday ordered the authorities concerned not to carry out any works at the Rushikonda hills in Visakhapatnam. The NGT bench further mentioned that a nodal agency AP Coastal Management Authority is conducting inquiry on the construction activities and the report would be submitted to the bench within a month. Until further orders, no works should be carried out on the hill, the Tribunal clarified. Based on a petition filed by MP Raghuramakrishna Raju, stating that the construction works on the Hill violate environmental norms, the NGT took the case for hearing on May 6 and pronounced the order on Wednesday, official source stated. Chief Minister Jaganmohan Reddy on Wednesday reviewed preparations to face the cyclone Asani situation with collectors of the coastal districts. (Photo:twitter) VIJAYAWADA: Chief Minister Jaganmohan Reddy on Wednesday reviewed preparations to face the cyclone Asani situation with collectors of the coastal districts. The chief minister directed officials to give Rs 1000 per person or Rs 2,000 per family that has been moved from vulnerable areas to relief camps, in order to meet their immediate requirements. Focus should be on preventing loss of lives, the CM said, and asked the administration to be on high alert and be fully geared to meet any emergency. During the meeting held at the camp office here, the CM asked collectors of Bapatla, Krishna, West Godavari, Konaseema, Kakinada, Visakhapatnam and Anakapalli districts to be on high alert. Funds have been sanctioned for relief works. The impact of the cyclone will be felt in Nellore, Prakasam, Bapatla, Guntur, Krishna, NTR, West Godavari, Eluru, East Godavari, Kakinada, Konaseema, Visakhapatnam, Anakapalli, Vijayanagaram, Srikakulam, Parvathipuram and Alluri Sitaramaraju districts, he said. Jagan Reddy said the administration should be more vigilant in coastal and low lying areas. There is the need to alert the people in low-lying areas and evacuate them to relief camps if necessary. The officials informed the CM that they have set up relief camps at 454 locations. Set up more camps at required locations and keep diesel generators, JCBs and other material required for relief measures ready. Also stock essential commodities like rice, pulses and cooking oil for distribution to the needy, he said. He told officials to give Rs 1,000 per head or Rs 2,000 per family as immediate assistance to the affected people so that they can do works like repair of their houses damaged due to the rains. The helpline should be set up properly, he said and added that they must come up with a permanent solution to the beach road problem in Uppada. The agitating locals alleged that the negligence of GHMC resulted in overflowing of Yesrab Nagar nala under Rein Bazaar, which damaged around 180 houses and caused heavy loss to the residents. (AFP) HYDERABAD: Residents of Rein Bazaar on Wednesday staged a protest outside the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) office demanding to address the issue of flooding in their area. Every year since 2017, the area got flooded during the monsoon and nothing was done to rectify it, the residents said, adding that during the recent sudden downpour, several families lost their properties worth lakhs of rupees. The agitating locals alleged that the negligence of GHMC resulted in overflowing of Yesrab Nagar nala under Rein Bazaar, which damaged around 180 houses and caused heavy loss to the residents. The GHMC had promised to construct a temporary wall to prevent flooding but in vain. The government initiated Strategic Nala Development Programme (SNDP) works to develop nalas in the city and two years ago, an amount of Rs 3.60 crore was sanctioned for the construction of retaining wall from Chota Bridge to Talab Katta Bridge (RHS) in Rein Bazaar, but the works remain incomplete. During last weeks downpour, the area near the Yesrab Nagar nala near Dhobi Ghat was flooded due to the overflowing of nala, which led to severe damages to over 180 houses, said the residents while sharing their plight outside the GHMC office. On Tuesday, the affected residents reached out to Telangana State Human Rights Commission for help and requested to pass a direction to the concerned department for issuing compensation to the residents affected by floods. They also handed out a representation to the GHMC commissioner. Meanwhile, officials from the Rein Bazaar police said the GHMC was already on the work. Zonal commissioner of Charminar, Ashok Samrat, was unavailable for a comment. HYDERABAD: Telangana, in the middle of an ongoing battle with Andhra Pradesh over sharing of Krishna river water, asked the Central Water Commission (CWC) to keep in abeyance clearances given to Karnataka for Upper Bhadra and Upper Tunga projects in that state immediately. Telangana told the CWC that the Tungabhadra contributed substantially to Krishna river flows, and the present clearances to the two Karnataka projects would further reduce the inflows into the Krishna. Telangana, in a letter to the CWC, said, it would further jeopardize its interests. In the letter, the engineer-in-chief of Telanganas command area development department, C. Muralidhar, however, made it clear that the state had no objection to the Centre giving a national project status to any project in Karnataka, but was objecting to clearing a project without examining all inter-state aspects of river water sharing as laid down in the Krishna Water Disputes Tribunal-Is award of water shares. Telangana contends that the Krishna is a deficit river basin, and that the needs of the lower riparian states need to be considered before giving any clearances to projects in states through which the river flows before entering Telangana. Krishna originates in Maharashtra, passes through Karnataka, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh before it empties itself into the Bay of Bengal. The letter also said special leave petitions were pending before the Supreme Court of India on allocation of water to Karnataka in the Tungabhadra sub-basin, and to the Upper Bhadra and Upper Tunga projects. The KWDT-II had allocated 9 tmc ft (thousand million cubic feet) of water to the Upper Bhadra, and 11 TMCft of water to the Upper Tunga projects. Telangana contends that these allocations, without holistic and comprehensive examination, would jeopardize Telanganas interests, the letter said. People also complain that there are no security guards present at the ATMs and sometimes their cards get stuck in the machine and they have no one to come to their aid. Representational image/PTI HYDERABAD: Attribute it to increased use of digital transactions or sheer scarcity of currency notes, Automated Teller Machines (ATMs) in the city have no currency of Rs 2,000 denomination. People are forced to withdraw currencies of 100, 200 and 500 denominations at ATMs due to a shortage of Rs 2,000 notes. They have to make multiple withdrawals and end up paying additional amounts in the form of user charge once the permitted number of transactions is availed. Currently, only Rs 2,000, Rs 5,000 and Rs 10,000 can be withdrawn from ATMs at one go (per withdrawal). Venkata Ramaiah, general secretary of Bank Employees Federation of India, Telangana unit, said 50 per cent of the ATMs in the city were not functioning. Even free withdrawals that must be permitted at ATMs in which a person does not have a bank account are not being allowed. People are troubled with half of the services provided by ATMs, he said. Ronak Kumar Agarwal, a businessman in the city said, In West Marredpally area, there are hardly any deposit machines working and the amount a person can withdraw one time is extremely low. It is my money. Why is it not available when I want it as per my requirement? Another businessman, Arjun Shanai said his business ran on cash and he needed to withdraw money regularly. I need to withdraw Rs 1 lakh every week because of my business. Earlier the process was smooth, I could withdraw Rs 50,000 at a time and easily withdraw Rs 1 lakh in one minute. But now for the past one month, the situation has gotten worse. I am supposed to withdraw Rs 5,000 to Rs 10,000 at a time which is not only time consuming but also frustrating. The air conditioners do not work at the ATMs. It is like a boiler where one has to wait for 10 to 15 minutes in order to withdraw Rs 1 lakh and also get charged for withdrawing your own money, he said. People also complain that there are no security guards present at the ATMs and sometimes their cards get stuck in the machine and they have no one to come to their aid. An employee of SBI bank, G. Ramakrishna said there was no rule to have a security personal so it was okay not to have one. A convener of United Forum of Bank Union of Telangana said ATMs were out of cash as cash was not being circulated. There is a shortage of Rs 2,000 notes. Those who have the Rs 2000 note (richer section) are keeping the money with them, so cash is not circulating. Also, the withdrawal limit depends on each card and each bank. The bigger issue is that the ATMs are outdated and new models are required. The process is still very slow in the city. Only a few machines are replaced with new models, said the convener. Many bank employees said the city witnessed an increase in demand for cash during the Eid festival and the banks were underprepared for the increased demand. This caused most ATMs to run out of cash and thus banks placed a limit on withdrawals. However, residents of the city feel this is a prolonged issue, even before Eid. People are unaware of the withdrawal charges and later realise when they see their bank statement. Customers are allowed five free transactions per month in their own banks ATM and three per month in other bank ATMs beyond which they are charged Rs 21 per transaction. So, if due to restrictions on withdrawals people swipe multiple times, they end up paying Rs 21 per transaction and most people are not aware of these charges, said Raghav Behani, a finance professional. ADILABAD: The Congress, the BJP and the TRS are eyeing tribals' votes as the Assembly elections are approaching. They are playing the Rs 10 per cent reservations to tribals card in this connection. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi supported the call for 10 per cent reservations for tribals while the BJP and the TRS blamed each other for not doing this in the state. Both the Congress and the BJP are trying to push the ball into the TRSs court while the ruling party is aiming to push the same into BJPs court, saying it was for the Centre to do this. There are 12 Assembly seats and two MP seats reserved for tribals in the state. Meanwhile, the Girijana Reservation Sadhana Samiti led by Lambada leaders staged dharnas demanding that the state government implement 9.08 per cent reservations for STs by raising the quota from the existing 6 per cent. Congress leader of Adilabad, Naresh Jadhav, said the state government can do this as per the Census-2011 and need not take the Centres approval. However, Adivasis say the Lambada community is not a ST community. Adivasis said it was the Congress government at the Centre that included Lambadas into ST list in 1976 during the Emergency when no protest was possible. Newly elected state president of Thudum Debba (Adivasi Hakkula Porata Samiti) Bursa Pochaiah said Adivasis had been urging the state and central governments to remove the Lambadas from the ST list, as Lambadas were continuing illegally as STs. He alleged that Lambadas were enjoying the ST status without being included in the ST list under Article 342 of the Constitution. This was nothing but gaining entry into the ST list through the back door. Adivasis will not benefit from the demand for 10 per cent reservations for STs, he said. Pochaiah alleged that educated Lambadas had taken away 90 per cent benefits of the reservations for tribals. A petition filed by Adivasi organisations questioning the ST status of Lambadas had been admitted by the Supreme Court and this is about to come before an SC bench for hearing, he said. Adivasis leaders questioned the motive behind the Lambadas demanding 9.08 per cent reservations to tribals and saying that this was in the states purview itself. They are trying to grab more from the tribal reservations, they alleged. Adilabad BJP MP Soyam Bapu Rao gave a call to Adivasis and Girijans to stage dharnas at all tahsildar offices on May 18 demanding that the state government ensure 9.08 per cent reservations for Adivasis and tribals instead of blaming the Centre. Bapu Rao said the TRS had passed a resolution in the Assembly to hike reservations to 12 per by proposing the inclusion of three other communities in the ST list. He noted that the state government sent the proposal to the Centre along with a proposal seeking a hike in the reservations for Muslim minorities# On the other hand, TRS leaders especially Lambada MLAs and Zilla Parishad chairmen demanded that the BJP-led Centre introduce the 10 per cent reservations to the tribals through a bill and pass it in Parliament. Political analysts say Lambada leaders are mounting pressure on the Telangana and Central governments to achieve 10 per cent reservations for STs, much before the Supreme Court comes up with a decision. Adilabad Zilla Parishad chairman Rathod Janardhan of TRS demanded that the Centre clear the ST reservation hike bill immediately as any delay would affect the community which is losing opportunity. Recently, the Telangana High Court has scrapped the controversial orders issued by the Tribal Welfare Residential Educational Institutions Society reserving more than 80 per cent of seats to Lambada students in the admissions to Intermediate for 2022-23. In the wake of the governments announcement to fill nearly 80,039 vacancies, Lambada organisations demanded that the state government does the recruitment only after increasing the reservations to STs by 10 per cent from the existing six per cent in the state so that STs will get more jobs. HYDERABAD: In a novel initiative, a man and his fiance have decided to raise funds to support children fighting cancer. The prospective groom, Karamchati Sriharsha, a software engineer and his bride-to-be Anjana, a paediatrician, have requested the guests at their wedding to donate money to kids fighting cancer instead of gifts or flowers. We have set up a link where the public can donate money, which went live on Wednesday evening, said Sriharsha, adding that it was a mutual decision by the couple. Speaking to Deccan Chronicle, Sriharsha, alumnus of the International Institute of Information Technology in Hyderabad (IIIT-H), said that he and his fiance, Anjana, who are getting married on Thursday, decided to help the kids battling cancer at the Basavatarakam Indo American Cancer Hospital through this initiative. I work as a software professional and Anjana is a paediatrician. During the pandemic, through our Covid War Room initiative, we helped about 1,400 emergency cases by raising over Rs 50 lakh to help those in need. The success of the Covid War Room, which had around 500 volunteers working in 12 different time zones, lies in the transparency and effective communication which attracted passionate donors all across the world. Since my cousin works with goodclap, a platform for crowdfunding, we now decided to request our guests to donate funds for kids fighting cancer instead of gifting us, he said. We are delighted that you will be joining us for the wedding. We are fortunate to have wonderful family & friends like you. Your love and blessings mean everything to us. We would love for our wedding to support a cause we care about dearly and one that will have a positive impact on few lives. If you are thinking of buying us a gift or flowers for our wedding, we request that you instead contribute to the children getting treated at 'Basavatarakam Indo American Cancer Hospital.' lots of care, Anjana Siharsha (sic) read the overview on the fundraising platform, which has already raised Rs 16,500 by Wednesday evening against the target of Rs 5 lakh. President Yoon Suk-yeol meets the Japanese parliamentary delegation at his presidential office in Yongsan, Wednesday. Yonhap President Yoon Suk-yeol said Wednesday that South Korea will take steps to reopen an air route between Seoul's Gimpo and Tokyo's Haneda airports this month so as to bolster exchanges between the two countries. Yoon made the remark during a meeting with a Japanese parliamentary delegation visiting him on his second day in office, stressing that restoring frayed relations between the two countries will serve the interests of both sides. He said the government plans to set up antivirus measures at Seoul's Gimpo International Airport to test all travelers before reopening the route to Tokyo's Haneda Airport. "If Japan can exempt them so that they can immediately do business in Japan, I expect the restoration of the Gimpo-Haneda route can lead to active exchanges between our two peoples," Yoon told the delegation who came to Seoul to attend his inauguration ceremony the previous day. Yoon expressed hope that the two sides will open a new frontier in their relationship in the spirit of a 1998 joint declaration by then South Korean President Kim Dae-jung and then Japanese Prime Minister Keizo Obuchi. "South Korea and Japan are the closest neighbors and key cooperation partners that share liberal democratic values and a market economy," Yoon said. "Restoring and improving stagnant South Korea-Japan relations at an early date is in both countries' common interest." Relations between the two countries have deteriorated to their worst level in years amid ongoing disputes over wartime sex slaves, forced labor and other issues stemming from Japan's 1910-45 colonial rule of the Korean Peninsula. Fukushiro Nukaga, a lawmaker of Japan's Liberal Democratic Party and chairman of the Japan-Korea Parliamentarians' Union, said he met with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida before departing for Seoul, and that Kishida had three things to say. The first was that the most important thing is to improve bilateral relations based on the friendly cooperative relationship that was formed following the normalization of ties in 1965. Kishida also stressed the importance of strengthening strategic cooperation trilaterally with the United States and resuming active exchanges between the South Korean and Japanese people, Nukaga said. (Yonhap) AP Government advisor (public affairs) Sajjala Ramakrishna said the state government took action against Narayana after a thorough investigation.(DC) VIJAYAWADA: Strongly defending the arrest of TDP leader and former minister Ponguru Narayana in the Tenth class question paper leak and mass copying case, ruling YSR Congress leaders said the state has sent a strong message that all are equal before law. The YSRC government is not vindictive as is being projected by a section of media, they said. Addressing a press conference here on Tuesday, government advisor (public affairs) Sajjala Ramakrishna said the state government took action against Narayana after a thorough investigation. He turned copying and other malpractices into an organised crime and emerged as a specialist in encouraging mass copying and question paper leaks to break records in achieving 100 per cent pass percentage for his institutions. The adviser said all such unhealthy and criminal practices were encouraged during Chandrababu Naidus term in government. The present chief Minister shall not support such malpractices as it could impact students' future in the long run. Ramakrishna Reddy said Konda Reddy, an associate of chief minister Jagan was also arrested. We believe all are equal before law and the arrests justify the mandate given to Jagan Mohan Reddy by a rejection of Chandrababu Naidu and his governance which had failed to check such malpractices. Education minister Botsa Satyanarayana said law will take its course in the Class 10 question paper leak case. We have arrested about 60 persons of which 22 are from private institutions, including the vice principal of Narayana Schools, he said. Minister for energy Ramachandra Reddy said the malpractice vis-a-vis SSC question papers had taken place in all of the Narayana educational institutions. He recalled that the police have arrested 60 persons in this connection, including Narayana and refuted allegations of political bias. The police made the arrests based on emerging facts, he said. Water resources minister Ambati Rambabu has clarified that the AP CID arrested Narayana after there was preliminary evidence of his involvement in the leak of the question papers. He alleged that the Narayana Educational Institutions were getting top ranks with the help of exam malpractices. This turned out to be a huge scandal, he said. Minister for tourism RK Roja termed Chandrababu and Lokesh as pests. She said, The government is taking action as per law and there is no bias. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee will hold a meeting with senior state government officials on Wednesday to take stock of the Covid-19 situation, a top bureaucrat said. Karnataka has reported 129 new cases of Covid-19. Stay tuned for the latest updates. (They were Muslims, but they werent ants; they were Muslims, they werent chicken; attention, south of the Indus, after hundreds of years of citizenship, they were not the ruins of the soil) Who were/are Muslims? This question has become more relevant in India today than even at the inception of the nation in 1947, when Independence came, along with the acceptance of a two-nation theory. Several instances of majoritarian violence have occurred against the minorities, particularly Muslims, affecting their social and economic lives. On the eve of Eid, communal clashes erupted in even relatively peaceful Jodhpur, leading to a long imposition of curfew there. In recent times, such violence has been seen in many states, raising doubts over minorities rights and the idea of India in our times. Commenting on the phenomenon, Professor Ashutosh Varshney remarked that he had studied communal riots since the 1990s, but the current violence against Muslims is very different. Ominously, he warned that India might be entering the stage of pogroms now. Also Read: Karnataka to issue fresh guidelines on loudspeaker use The attack on the identity, livelihood, culture and religious practices of Muslims reveal the fault lines in the founding fathers visions. Noted Hindi poet Devi Prasad Mishra in his poem They were Muslims writes of the journey of Muslims in India, how they perceived India, and how they assimilated into the culture of India, revealing the diverse and accommodative roots of the country. Moreover, it settled the long-standing question of identity of Muslims and their claim on the Indian motherland. These attacks and the growing majoritarian violence compel us to look to the idea of India envisioned during the freedom struggle and after the adoption of the Constitution. Protesting against K M Munshis proposal that the clause forbidding discrimination against minorities in admission to State educational institutions and prohibiting compulsory religious instruction to them be referred to a committee for further consideration, B R Ambedkar said: Rights for the minorities should be absolute rights. They should not be subject to any consideration as to what other parties may like to do with minorities in their jurisdiction. Lamenting on the fact that the question of minorities was not made a part of the work of the committee appointed to draft fundamental rights, Rajkumari Amrit Kaur said: Suitable provisions should be made for the individual and community belonging to minorities for their realisation of rights, freedom, individual and social growth. As British historian and politician Lord Acton had noted: One prevailing evil of democracy is the tyranny of the majority, and the test of liberty in a democracy is the security of the minorities. With the growing intolerance towards minorities, rising hate speeches by politicians from ruling parties, and the ineptness of public authorities, securing minority rights tests the effectiveness of the Constitution. Also Read: Following Azaan vs Hanuman Chalisa row, Karnataka govt issues directions on loudspeakers Constitutions coordinate the expectations of the officials and citizens regarding the appropriate boundaries of public authorities, writes American political scientist Barry Weingast. The boundaries get blurred when State and non-State actors join to attack a set of people for their food, clothes and individual choices. Data from the National Crime Records Bureau reveals that incidents of communal violence doubled from 438 in 2019 to 857 in 2020. The forms of violence include economic, social and communal, going to the extent of lynchings. India has witnessed the rise of the lawless mob, which has attacked Muslims, Dalits and Adivasis with impunity, writes Arvind Narrain in his book Indias Undeclared Emergency. According to statistics from IndiaSpend, hate crimes have risen after the Narendra Modi-led BJP came to power at the Centre. Undoubtedly, the Constitution contains several provisions that are meant to protect the minorities and it also provides sustenance for the functioning of institutions to preserve the plural order of Indian society. However, nearly seven decades after the constitutional republic was inaugurated, the minorities in India have expressed a feeling of alienation, writes Bishnu N Mohapatra in his essay Minorities & Politics. The gap between the constitutional theory and practice amidst the rising violence is a major concern for all those who believe in the Constitution. Constitutional faith will only be restored when these gaps are filled with the assertion of minorities rights and the States endeavour to promote and protect these rights. As Ambedkar said, no matter how good a Constitution is, it will not work without the sagacity of the masses, the political morality of those who are in power, and the creativity of the judiciary, all of which are now like Schrodingers Cat. You can see them in speeches but not in actions. (The writer is a Samta fellow and works on constitutional literacy through Constitution Connect) Three incidents in the last one week across different states of India tell us that India is now at the mercy of militia affiliated to the network of the Sangh Parivar. Last week, the faculty of fine arts of the Maharaj Sayajirao University (MSU) of Baroda was attacked by a mob led by a syndicate member of the University, assisted by leaders of the ruling party, the BJP, and accompanied by a member of the Hindu Jaragan Manch. This man was responsible for the vandalism at the same faculty in 2007, for the same charges that the students and faculty had created artworks which insulted Hindu gods and goddesses. I remember the aftermath of the 2007 assault in vivid detail. One of the then students, Chandramohan, and some faculty members, including the then dean Professor Shivji Pannikar faced criminal charges. Some faculty members were suspended, and the whole faculty was shattered. I remember the tense atmosphere of the University. There was fear and apprehension in the minds of the students and teachers. The University did nothing to protect its students and teachers from the goons who had come from outside but were led again by a syndicate member. Chandramohan was arrested and given bail on the condition that he would not leave Baroda. He was not given his certificate and failed to get any gallery to display his work. He was destroyed as an artist and a person. Prof Pannikkar also had to pay a heavy price. The committee set up to investigate the whole incident after 11 years of work held him guilty of allowing artworks which created social disharmony. His dues were withheld as punishment. The man who oversaw this as the vice-chancellor now heads one of the most prestigious institutions of this country, the Union Public Service Commission. As if in a replay, the university has set up a committee. Let us hope that it does not destroy the lives of those who were attacked this time. Now we find that an FIR has been registered against the student who is supposed to have created the artwork that was allegedly offensive to the complainants. What is interesting and distressing at the same time is that the 'offensive' artwork was not on display anywhere when the 'offended' people rushed to the fine arts faculty. So what was the hooliganism all about? First, the hooligans forced their way into an examination hall. The artworks were produced as part of the examination that the students were appearing in and were to be evaluated. That is precisely what was done 15 years back. Ideally, the University should have acted against the intruders. It did the reverse. It sided with them and attacked its own students and teachers. The student has now to deal with a legal battle. Will he be left alone as Chandramohan? Chandramohan's life was ruined. The last we heard about him was when he was caught trying to burn down the university office in an outburst of frustration. This student must not be left alone. We do not yet know the fate of the teaching faculty. Will they be dealt with the way Prof Panniker and his colleagues were treated by the University? In another examination, in a place in a state that has taken the political path Gujarat had taken more than 20 years back, a teacher faced an attack of a similar nature. The only saving grace here is that the attack was not physical. The attack was on a teacher of political science. He had dared to frame a question as part of the question paper for the examination of the paper on political ideologies. The students were asked to give their views on whether they saw similarities between fascism and Hindutva. The question was seen as an affront to the inclusive ethos of India and was seen as a threat to social harmony. The university immediately agreed and regretted this lapse on the part of the teacher. He was made to pay for this. He has been suspended and an enquiry set up which can be for all practical purposes against him. The affiliation of the attackers is obvious. They belong to the same network to which the attackers of MSU, Baroda, are associated. The third attack took place at Lucknow University. Dr Ravikant of the department of Hindi was heckled by the members of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), the student wing of the RSS, who raised a slogan which has now become the national exhortation of the Hindutva gangs, "desh ke gaddaron ko, goli maro salon ko". He bolted the doors. The ABVP people wanted to enter the room forcibly. Slogans for traitors to be shot continued. When they found that Ravikant publicly expressed his fear that what he was facing was a lynching situation, they felt offended. When they expressed their desire to shoot someone, what was he supposed to do? Not talk about his fear? Allow them to do what they want? The attackers are demanding his dismissal for a comment he made in a discussion on a news platform on the ongoing controversy around the Gyanvapi mosque. The attackers alleged that he created social disharmony. They themselves started circulating an edited clip of the long conversation, took offence by it, and proceeded to attack him. An FIR has been registered against him. Ravikant is a Dalit. Is it another reason for this violence against him? Fortunately, he got support from the civil society of the city. We also hope that Dalit groups will support him. No such luck for the MSU student and faculty. It is interesting and ironic that the actual act of violence and discord is committed by those who claim they oppose the artworks, lectures, or discussions because they create disharmony. There is no evidence of the artworks, which were part of an examination process or the question on Hindutva and fascism or the comment by Ravikant having led to any violence in the society. It is this organised group or gang which creates a cause for offence and then decides that it'll get offended, which justifies their violence against the 'culprit'. Is three too small a number to disturb us? You should not forget the suspension of Dr Gilbert Sebastian from the Central University of Kerala and notices to teachers in some other central universities (not mentioning their names as it might lead to their further persecution)? You have to take a round of the colleges of the University of Delhi and find out if they are holding academic or intellectual discussions the way they used to before 2016. Or even the JNU. Or the Jamia Millia Islamia. Or the AMU or the Hyderabad Central University. The campuses have lost their intellectual verve. We have not seen any discomfort in the world of art after the attack on the MSU, Baroda. The huge India Art Fair will take place as usual. There is an FIR against Ravikant. Death threats have been issued to him. But there will be silence in the academic world. A teacher has been suspended for framing a legitimate question paper. Yet examinations ll take place across India. Society watches silently while universities are smothered, bloodied. Militias now rule academic spaces. The only place which used to be secure, the classroom, is being turned into a battlefield. What'll survive this war is not very difficult to say. (The writer teaches at Delhi University) Disclaimer: The views expressed above are the author's own. They do not necessarily reflect the views of DH. In the wake of Tomato Flu cases in Kerala, five Karnataka-Kerala border districts -- Mangaluru, Udupi, Kodagu, Chamarajanagar and Mysuru -- have been directed to keep a vigil on daily travellers from Kerala and also monitor children for any Tomato Flu signs and symptoms in OPDs of health institutions. Directions have also been given to inform the State Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme section of the State Health Department immediately if any cases with Tomato Flu symptoms are detected. District Health Officers of concerned districts and other districts too have been directed by the Commissioner of Health to ensure surveillance. Also Read | Tomato flu breaks out in Kerala, contained quickly Karnataka Health Minister Dr K Sudhakar said that there is no need to panic. "Though some symptoms are similar to Covid-19, the Tomato Flu has nothing to do with Covid-19. These symptoms are usually seen in other types of viral infections also. There is no need to panic as the authorities have been asked to remain alert. Moreover, the Tomato Flu is endemic to Kerala," Sudhakar said. Cases of Tomato flu have currently been reported from Aryankavu, Anchal and Neduvathur in Kerala. Tomato Flu is a rare viral disease, which causes red-coloured rashes, skin irritation and dehydration. The disease gets its name from the blisters it causes, which look like tomatoes. The tomato fever is affecting children below the age of five in Kerala. The main symptom of the Tomato Flu includes large blisters the size of tomatoes which are red in colour. Other symptoms of the flu include high fever, body ache, joint swelling and fatigue - much like Chikungunya. Sinn Fein Councillor Christopher Jackson has welcomed the local councils backing for his motion seeking fundamental reform of the planning system. Monday night's full meeting of Derry City & Strabane District Council unanimously passed Cllr Jackson's motion which read: Council expresses concern at the recent criticism of the planning system, from both the Audit Office and the Planning Appeals Commission. Council acknowledges that improvements are required to address perceived delays within our own planning department. Council will therefore immediately convene a task and finish group to examine the two reports and implement any recommendations that will improve our operation locally, we will also provide feedback to the Department for Infrastructure on improvements we feel could be made across statutory partners. The move comes after the system was recently criticised by the Audit Office and Cllr. Jackson said it was needed to encourage investment in Derry. He added: Our council has ambitious plans to invest right across our district. We are determined to see the expansion of our university, more social and affordable homes to meet the huge demand and to maximise the opportunities coming out of the largest single investment package in this district through the City Deal and Inclusive Future Fund. Sinn Fein is keen to send the message that our council area is open for business. We want to see a step change in how we engage with potential investors and overcome the challenges that the planning system presents. None of that is a criticism of our local planners. We have a fantastic team in place here but it is obvious that fundamental change of the system they operate within is required. The recent reports from both the Audit office and the Public Accounts Committee present us with the opportunity to take this work forward and I therefore very much welcome councils support for my motion on this important issue. During the debate Cllr Philip McKinney (Alliance) stressed the need to make the planning process more simpler for people. He said: Having followed Cllr Jackson on the Planning Committee, I fully appreciate his commitment to see a system that is looked at, revamped and made simpler for people to put planning applications in. It is up to us to keep abreast of things and keep people informed be they the applicants, the agents or the people on the street. We have a good planning team who work hard. The Councillors on the Committee work hard to get it right. But we don't always get it right. Perhaps if we could improve the system at our own level, we will start to get things better and improve them. Ald Maurice Devenny (DUP) also called for a simplification of the guidelines and processes to help make the jobs of Derry's own planners run much more smoothly. He added: I know from our own party's experience that some foreign businesses are reluctant to come to Northern Ireland. What they do say is what takes us six or seven years to get through here, can be sorted out in three to four months on the UK mainland. As they say in business, time is of the essence, and none of them can wait years for a decision that tells them whether or not they can invest in Northern Ireland. I believe our own planning officers are the best in Northern Ireland but they have to work within guidelines and sometimes, it is in those guidelines that where the difficulties lie. We have to look at those guidelines and processes and slimline them to make them less cumbersome. Derry City & Strabane District Council has agreed to establish a taskforce to take a more long-term and strategic approach to the rates process. The move follows a proposal from Sinn Fein Councillor John McGowan who said it would help protect ratepayers and services in the face of rising costs. In the tabled motion at the recent full meeting of the Council, Cllr McGowan said: In light of the continuing financial pressures on council and our rate payers it is incumbent on Derry City & Strabane District Council to work to keep these pressures under control and work towards striking as low a rate as possible. Therefore Council will establish a working group that will meet bi-monthly to oversee council finances, this will allow for in depth examination of the finances and thus providing for the most prudent decision-making, reducing the burden on rate payers. The motion was passed unanimously a result welcome by Cllr McGowan. He added: Spiralling costs are impacting on households and public services across the North and with no support expected from the British Government, there is an onus on Council to take a more strategic and planned approach to our finances in this difficult context. The establishment of the working group involving elected representatives from all groupings and Independents working alongside council officers, will enable us to scrutinise our financial position on a bi-monthly basis so we can prepare for our annual rates setting process with a much firmer understanding of where cost pressures may lie. This working group will ensure all representatives have a clear understanding of our financial position which will hopefully allow us to collectively agree a rates figure which meets this council's needs without placing undue pressure on our citizens. During the debate on Cllr McGowan's motion Ald Devenny (DUP) said his party would support the motion as the sharp rate of rises in energy bills ensured that people struggling to make ends meet were being forced to live in 'crazyland'. He said: The DUP have no problem in supporting this motion. I think it's good that we will get into the discussion of the rates for next year. It will give everyone who attends those meetings a very clear insight into where our money is being spent. On the wider issue, we do realise that there is a cost of living crisis and that there are serious concerns with those who have had no pay increases. We've seen the prices of heating oil and gas go up again and electricity as well we're in 'crazyland' at the minute with the cost of living and there seems to be no controls to monitor it. Cllr Shaun Harkin (PBP) said that he would also support the motion. He added: Our party policy is that as long as there is austerity, as long as honest workers are not getting pay-increases and as long as there is a cost of living crisis, we can't further burden working-class communities with increased rates cost. Sinn Fein Councillor, Michaela Boyle, has insisted the Minister of Health must provide a living wage to social care and domiciliary workers as well has provide them with a fuel allowance. Cllr Boyle tabled a motion to Derry City & Strabane District Council which was unanimously passed saying that private health care companies must give their workers better wages and improved conditions. Her motion read: This Council calls upon the Minister for Health to adopt the policy initiated by Finance Minister Conor Murphy in his Department to make paying workers the living wage a requirement for any private company receiving a Department of Health contract including for domiciliary workers. This Council further calls upon the Minister for Health to make the payment of a fuel cost allowance, in line with the public sector rates, a further pre-requisite of any tender. In addition to her motion, Cllr Boyle added that domiciliary workers in rural areas were suffering due to rising fuel costs and that many were considering leaving the profession altogether. She added: We have been, as a party, lobbying for the Minister to review the fuel allowance for care workers employed directly by the Western Trust. The current fuel allowance is simply not adequate to cover fuel and the running costs of their cars especially those carers in rural areas where the distances they have to cover between clients is disproportionately longer. Domiciliary workers employed by the private sector are at a greater disadvantage. They have no statutory protection in terms of a minimum wage or a minimum fuel cost allowance. After working all week, many are left with little or nothing to live on once they pay their fuel costs and those workers that I have spoken to are on the verge of giving up. We've also seen the impact this is having on hospitals as well. We have patients being discharged from hospitals to their homes unable to go home and with no care package in place. Ald Maurice Devenny (DUP) backed Cllr Doyle saying that salaries must be enhanced as not to do so would lead to a shortage of carers which in turn would hurt the social care sector. He said: I've talked to many carers on their doorsteps and I can assure you that many of them have said to me that they're leaving their profession because they can't afford to live from it. They are looking at other jobs where there are better pay levels. If we do not look to enhance the salaries of those providing domiciliary care and also the fuel allowance given the high price of fuel, then that situation of carers going to other professions is going to be exacerbated. Ald Darren Guy (UUP) responded by saying that while he acknowledged the lack of investment in the sector, his party colleague, Health Minister Robin Swann, was doing all he could ensure investment found its way to social care workers. He said: It's obvious that with an ageing population, Northern Ireland is facing significant pressures with regard to domiciliary care. For too long this service has been run on a shoestring and has been a service that was wrongly identified for savings in the past. It was a service that was on its knees when the Ulster Unionist party to the Health portfolio in early 2020 and almost immediately its frailties became clear with the onset of the pandemic. Minister (Robin) Swann has recognised this and last year announced an addition 23million in funding for domiciliary care and care home staff. Despite the absence of an agreed Executive budget, he has already instructed officials that the funding would be maintained for this year. However, Cllr Maeve O'Neill (PBP), insisted that one solution to this would be to removed the private companies out of the equation completely and return the social and domiciliary care sector back into public hands. She said: The creeping privatisation of the Health Service is at the heart of all this. Private companies are cutting corners to make a profit that's their reason for being which is to make money from these services. What we need to do is to take social care, domiciliary care and care homes back under the control of the Health and Social Care Service where workers have excellent terms and conditions, have a set pay-band which is not undercut and where workers are represented by trade unions. The establishment must get the same level of hostile scrutiny come the next Stormont election, states People Before Profit's Shaun Harkin. Cllr Harkin was not successful in taking one of the five Foyle Assembly seats in last week's election having been eliminated from the running at the 11th count. People Before Profit (PBP) were successful in retaining the one MLA that they had going into this election Gerry Carroll in West Belfast but despite hopes of getting Harkin to join him at Stormont, the three-way battle between the SDLP, DUP and UUP that ensured Foyle was the last seat to declare a final result, squeezed them out. During the campaign, PBP's manifesto was widely mocked by other parties and commentators. The SDLP in particular concentrated a portion of their campaign upon PBP with Foyle MP Colum Eastwood coming under criticism for a post on social media that attacked Cllr Harkin. Cllr Harkin says the election campaign was difficult for all smaller progressive parties and while accepting that PBP should not be exempt from scrutiny, he hopes the same level that he says his party received can be replicated to the bigger parties come the next poll. He said: We're disappointed we weren't able to win the fifth Foyle seat. We were certainly nipping on the heels of the DUP, and on another day that seat would have went socialist. It was a difficult election for many parties, especially smaller progressive parties. It's devastating that Green Party representatives, Claire Bailey and Rachel Woods, won't return to the Assembly. They, like People Before Profit's Gerry Carroll, have been a thorn in the side of the political establishment and were responsible for many forward looking initiatives. With spiralling price hikes, stagnant wages and gross profiteering, now is a time for radical system change proposals. However, there was a sustained attempt to undermine the credibility of any proposals challenging the privilege of elites. It's time for profiteering corporations, banks and the political establishment propping them up to get the same level of hostile scrutiny faced by socialists. Despite not achieving their aim of adding to their number of MLAs, Cllr Harkin says there are positives from this election for PBP to take. He added: Given all that, we're proud of our campaign and what we achieved. We're delighted Gerry Carroll held his seat for People Before Profit in West Belfast. Our new People Before Profit candidates in East Derry, West Tyrone, Mid Ulster and beyond fared well and broke new ground for socialist politics. Gerry will hold the big parties to account and fight for workers and the least well-off across all our communities. In the context of a deepening cost of living crisis, a health service crisis and climate change, Gerry's voice will be all the more crucial. With our strong showing in Foyle and the retention of a socialist seat in West Belfast, we have a strong mandate to continue to challenge the political establishment through Council and to bring forward radical proposals for change backed-up with people power campaigns. We'll be ready for the next electoral opportunity. The DUP should end its backward dragging politics of division that's fueled violence for more than a year. It's unacceptable for Unionist parties to refuse to respect the democratic mandate in the context of spiralling inequality, massive health service and housing waiting lists and destructive climate change. However, no one should wait on the DUP or the Executive to press for the 'change' they've been promised. Now is the time for workers to strike for real pay increases. Now is the time for mass cost of living protests to demand action on hardship. Now is the time for action to win the equal rights everyone deserves. People power campaigns, just as before, are going to be the key to addressing runaway inequality and injustice. Plans by the British Government for a 'blanket amnesty' for UK troops who served in the North during the Troubles were slammed as being aimed soled at protecting state actors from prosecution. The Pat Finucane Centre in Derry, blasted the proposals laid out by the Conservative Government in Westminster during the Queen's Speech this week. British troops will be offered immunity from prosecution for offences during The Troubles if they provide full co-operation to truth recovery investigations. A Government note which accompanied the Queen's Speech said of the plan that: The new commission provides the best route to give victims and their families the answers they have sought for years as well as giving our veterans the certainty they deserve. However, Sara Duddy of The Pat Finucane Centre', accused the British Government of not serving the needs of victims or survivors. She said: The British Government plan for dealing with the legacy of conflict in Northern Ireland has at least indicated an understanding of why the blanket amnesty proposed last July (which would have blocked any legal redress for bereaved families, irrespective of the perpetrator) has failed to gain any political or civil support. This plan, however (for a conditional immunity i.e. immunity from prosecution if the individual co-operates with a newly formed Independent Commission for Reconciliation and Information Recovery) has been designed with only one aim in mind. It is not designed to serve the needs of victims or survivors. It is aimed solely at protecting state actors from prosecution who were involved in conflict-related deaths. The original blanket amnesty was rejected, even by British ex-soldiers, who refused to accept any equivalence with paramilitaries. This new system, however, would potentially allow a state actor, responsible for causing a death, merely to reiterate whatever statement they made at the time usually an attempt to justify their actions. There would be no robust scrutiny of those claims. Without an investigation, other evidence would not be produced. Their statements would remain unchallenged and untested. This is completely unacceptable to a majority of families we represent. The erroneous narrative that the vast majority of deaths involving the state were justified, as stated in the Britishs Governments Command Paper last year, would stand. There are no details on whether the British Government plans to establish a new investigative body for cases where individuals dont come forward. Or what would happen if a family rejects a self-serving co-operative statement. What is clear is that todays proposals are vague and will only serve perpetrators of violence not their victims. The Pat Finucane Centre will continue to lobby and advocate on behalf of victims and survivors for a Historical Investigations Unit as proposed in the Stormont House Agreement. We believe that there is not only a legal but a moral imperative to put such a unit in place. Foyle MP and SDLP leader, Colum Eastwood, also voiced his condemnation of the proposal. Mr Eastwood stated that the Northern Ireland Office should have learned its lesson after previous proposals met strong resistance from all parties but has instead revised its plans without consulting local political leaders. He said: This British Government never learns. Instead of working with local political parties to reach a consensus on dealing with the past, difficult as that may be, they continue to go it alone and have produced proposals that have failed to generate support from a single political leader in Northern Ireland. Now we learn, in a companion document to a Queens Speech, that there will be changes to the flawed proposals for a general amnesty but have no details on how any new process would work. We also have little clarity on plans for legacy inquests and civil cases currently before the courts. This is another mess. There is no one who has faith in this government to do the right thing by victims, survivors and their families. The failure to engage with parties on these important issues is another sign of the dismissive arrogance that the British Government approaches this place with. Germany works to provide modern weapons to Ukraine: FM Xinhua) 08:49, May 11, 2022 KIEV, May 10 (Xinhua) -- Visiting German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock on Tuesday said the government of Germany is working to provide modern weapons to Ukraine, the Ukrainian government-run Ukrinform news agency reported. "We are working with German enterprises to ensure that Ukraine receives the most modern weapons," Baerbock told reporters during a press conference with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba. In the coming days, Germany will begin training Ukrainian soldiers on using mobile howitzers, Baerbock added. Besides, she said Germany will assist Ukraine in demining efforts and support Ukraine's aspirations to join the European Union (EU). "We insist on Ukraine's full membership in the EU," said Baerbock. For his part, Kuleba voiced his hope that European countries will continue to provide Ukraine with economic and military support and continue sanctions on Russia over the conflict with Ukraine. Baerbock also held talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, according to a statement from the German Foreign Ministry. Baerbock's trip marks the first visit by a German government member to Ukraine since the outbreak of the conflict. (Web editor: Peng Yukai, Liang Jun) New South Korean Defense Minister Lee Jong-sup took office Wednesday, vowing to "sternly" respond to any possible provocations from North Korea and to cement the alliance with the United States. In his inaugural speech, Lee, a retired three-star Army general, stressed his commitment to ensuring a "robust" defense as he pointed to the "very grave" security context marked by the North's evolving nuclear weapons and missile threats and an intensifying Sino-U.S. rivalry. "If North Korea conducts a tactical provocation, we will sternly respond in light of our right to self-defense," Lee said, referring to the North's possible military steps that "directly" undermine the South's security. "We will increase cohesion in the military alliance between South Korea and the U.S. and expand mutually beneficial defense cooperation with friendly nations," he added. His inauguration comes as the allies are stepping up security coordination amid forecasts that the North could carry out a nuclear test between new President Yoon Suk-yeol's inauguration Tuesday and U.S. President Joe Biden's visit to Seoul for their first in-person summit slated for May 21. In the speech, Lee also pledged to "dramatically" strengthen the country's so-called three-axis system designed to counter the North's security threats. The system consists of the Korea Massive Punishment and Retaliation, an operational plan to incapacitate the North Korean leadership in a major conflict; the Kill Chain preemptive strike platform; and the Korea Air and Missile Defense system. The new minister also expressed his wish to develop the defense industry into a "strategic cutting-edge industrial sector that leads our economic growth." A graduate of the Korea Military Academy, Lee previously served in various high-profile military positions, such as vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and commander of the Army's 7th Corps. (Yonhap) As celebrations to finish your final year uni exams go, jetting off across Europe to watch your childhood friend compete in the Eurovision Song Contest is definitely novel. With Bellaghy woman Brooke Scullion set to carry the hopes of a nation into Thursday night's semi final, a group of friends from her days in St Patrick's College Maghera are set to join her in Turin. Fiana Kelly, Niamh Quinn, Eilis McGrath, Emma O'Neill, Ciara McCloskey and Aoife McNally will make the 1,200-mile journey later this week, with Aoife heading out after taking her final uni exam. It will be a great weekend from start to finish; I just can't wait. What a way to celebrate my final exam on the 12th, heading straight to Italy, she told the County Derry Post. We've been at school together and we all went on holidays together after sixth form, so we're quite close. We're hoping to go into Turin on the 14th whether she gets to the final or not, and hopefully go to the final that night. The atmosphere will still be class, and lots of the people who are in Turin will recognise her. Brooke arriving in Italy for the semi finals. Brooke has charmed Eurovision fans across Europe with her energy, and Aoife confirmed this has not been a marketing ploy. She's completely grounded; she hasn't changed at all. We went to Yoko there last week and some of the people recognised her, but she just is the same person, she said. I don't think she's ever going to change. Brooke has been a performer long before she was on The Voice, she's been like that all the way through school. It felt surreal watching her on TV. Even now seeing her on Eurovision, it doesn't seem real. It is the same person she is in real life, so it's weird seeing her on TV and everybody recognising her. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Brooke (@brookescullion) Brooke won the talent show when she was in fourth year, one of the youngest people ever to win it. We were in her music class and she would always have been singing. She was in all the musicals as well throughout school, so she's just born to be on the stage. Fiana Kelly, who Aoife says did the bulk of the work in organising the trip, also says Brooke's enthusiasm is as authentic as it is contagious. There is just no filter with her. No matter what it is, Brooke will just say it. What you see is what you get with her, really, she said. She speaks her mind and wouldn't be shy, obviously. The way she is with us is the way she gets on on social media as well. She doesn't change she's crazy. The girls have supported Brooke from school performances all the way to the Eurovision stage. We've supported her throughout school; she's been in all the plays and everything, so we knew she was going to go on to bigger things. With The Voice, and now Eurovision, things just keep getting crazier for her and it's so good to see her going out for the rehearsals and red carpets. Both Fiana and Aoife hesitantly admit they are no Eurovision superfans, but as soon as Brooke qualified for the semi final, both knew that was about to change. I don't know whether to tell the truth or lie here, laughed Aoife. To be honest, I was never a big Eurovision fan. The last year I watched it was when Jedward was on it, but I'll definitely be watching this year hopefully from Turin! Fiana has had to undertake a crash course in Eurovision culture in preparation for the journey to Turin. It's a new thing for me; I had to have the rules explained at the start of it all, but I've been following all the updates and got really into it, she said. We've all planned to get dressed and get the face paints and all to go and support her, so we'll all be looking mad going to it. Brooke, Niamh Quinn, Emma O'Neill, Aoife McNally, Eilis McGrath, Erin Burns, Fiana Kelly and Aine McGill pictured from their St Patrick's College, Maghera days. Although the girls have been able to source tickets for the semi final on Thursday, they won't know whether they can get to the final until after Brooke's performance. Aoife compared it to heading off to Dublin for the All-Ireland final. We always said we'd love to go out to it, but all the places in Turin were sold out months ago from all the Eurovision die-hards, she said. Even though when we booked it, we didn't know if we were going to get tickets, it's a bit like the All-Ireland. It doesn't matter where you watch the All-Ireland in Dublin, if you're there for it, the atmosphere is still there. We figured somewhere in Turin would have it on the big screen. Fiana too is looking forward to what will be a new experience. We didn't know if we were going to get tickets, but even the buzz about Turin, people from different countries, the whole thing is just going to be so exciting, she said. Brooke during a soundcheck in Turin. We've never been to anything like this, so it's a first time for everyone, and that fact our friend is in it makes it so much more exciting. Driving these girls to make the journey to Turin is a burning desire to support their childhood friend in what will be the biggest moment of her life to date. We're all so proud of her. We went to the Taphouse on Sunday, and to see everybody coming together to see her off was unbelievable, said Aoife. It was always expected; you always knew Brooke would go on to do something like this. She is a born performer. Whether or not they can end the weekend by attending the highly sought after Eurovision afterparty is unclear, but Aoife McNally indicates they are ready if the opportunity arises. Here, whatever happens, happens. I'll go with the flow, she said. A new memoir has been penned by the Derry man who read out the famous declaration on the result of the 1998 Good Friday Agreement referendum. Ballots, Bombs and Bullets is the memoir of former NI Chief Electoral Officer Pat Bradley, and is published by ColmCille Press. The book is the story of how someone with no background and very little training in electoral law and process found himself in charge of Northern Irelands elections at its most challenging time - and becoming a recognised world expert in the process. The early part of the book relates how Pat Bradley, via an eclectic mix of jobs and roles, found himself appointed Deputy Electoral Officer for Northern Ireland in 1974, based in his home town of Derry. The appointment came despite his clear lack of relevant experience or prior knowledge for the role, and in the context of active paramilitary opposition to the electoral process across NI (and particularly in Derry). Within weeks of starting the job and still without any training, backup or even proper office accommodation/facilities - Pat was thrown in at the deep end by the sudden announcement of a 1974 UK-wide General Election. It was to be the first of many elections that Pat organised in challenging circumstances over the next 26 years initially in a Northern Ireland close to civil war, and then in various troubled hotspots around the world. After six years in the Deputy role, Pat was appointed Chief Electoral Officer for Northern Ireland in 1980 - based in Belfast. A series of key elections affecting NIs future took place during his time in office from the election of Hunger Striker Bobby Sands in 1981, to the Forum elections in 1996 and the Good Friday Agreement referendum in 1998. Pat was broadcast around the world as he announced the 71.12% result of the Good Friday Referendum in footage that is still regularly screened to this day. The Secretary of State at the time wrote to him stating that: The organisation and administration of the elections was a truly formidable task, but one which you performed with remarkable skill. "Its success is a real testament to your expertise, commitment and unique ability. Pat was awarded a CBE For Service to the Electoral Process in 1999. The book then goes on to describe how the knowledge and expertise Pat acquired in Northern Ireland was highly sought after by international organisations like the United Nations and European Union in their attempts to introduce or enhance democracy in areas of conflict. Both before and after Pat retired as Chief Electoral Officer in 2000 he spent a number of years advising on elections in over 30 countries around the world from Russia to Sierra Leone, and Saudi Arabia to Hong Kong. Pat was a Technical Advisor in the first full democratic elections held in South Africa in 1994 in which Nelson Mandela was elected, as well as the first democratic elections held in a number of post-Communist European nations, including Russia. In the process of his work Pat rubbed shoulders with Presidents in places like South Africa and Kyrgyzstan, and was even shot at in East Timor. An outline of Pats experiences in 20 countries is provided in the book, complete with details of various comical situations and close shaves he encountered in the process. Tom Frawley, former Northern Ireland Ombudsman and current Deputy Chair of the NI Policing Board, wrote the foreword to Ballots, Bombs & Bullets. "This book is important because it provides a birds-eye view and a personal perspective into the life and times of a senior public servant, who occupied a pivotal role in one of the critical strands of our public life overseeing the cycle of elections that eventually took us to the Good Friday Agreement referendum and the new Assembly," he said. "In the process of which Pat became the go-to person for international organisations when they wanted to run elections in such contested regions as the Balkans, East Timor, the Middle East and many more. "Pat Bradley for me warrants our recognition for a life of public service dedicated to the people of Northern Ireland and beyond. Ballots, Bombs and Bullets is available now and costs 15. It can be ordered online via www.etsy.com (search Ballots book), or from Little Acorns Bookstore in Foyle Street and Foyle Books in the Craft Village. San Jose office will support North American key partners, business, and operations LONDON, and TORONTO, May 10, 2022 - Alphawave IP (LN: AWE), a global leader in high-speed connectivity for the world's technology infrastructure, announced today the opening of its new office in San Jose, California marking the launch of its presence in the United States. Alphawave expects the US office to grow to more than 40 employees by the end of the year, with the majority of employees in sales roles. The onsite laboratory will showcase the company's most advanced technology from its IP cores and interface controllers to a demonstration of 100G-1.6Tbps data transfer. "With the vast majority of our customer base in North America and specifically in the United States Silicon Valley is the natural choice for our new flagship North American office," said Tony Pialis, CEO, president, and co-founder of Alphawave. "Our San Jose office will expand the company's footprint in Silicon Valley and our ability to support customers in North America. The new office will also feature an enhanced laboratory facility to demonstrate our latest connectivity solutions with key partners in the industry." Alphawave's new Silicon Valley office follows the company's 2021 annual earnings report with over 225% year-on-year growth and its agreement to acquire OpenFive which will accelerate Alphawave's connectivity leadership, product offerings, and customer base. Alphawave's vision is to power the world's infrastructure to make data transfer faster, more reliable, and efficient for everything from 5G wireless networks, hyperscale data centers, AI, and other emerging applications. Alphawave has about 170 employees worldwide and plans to continue global expansion through its OpenFive transaction and customer growth. The company will also open a second Silicon Valley office in Milpitas in 2022, pending its OpenFive acquisition. About Alphawave IP Faced with the exponential growth of data, Alphawave's technology services a critical need: enabling data to travel faster, more reliably and with higher performance at lower power. Alphawave is a global leader in high-speed connectivity for the world's technology infrastructure. Our IP solutions, therefore, meet the needs of global tier-one customers in data centers, computing, networking, AI, 5G, autonomous vehicles, and storage. Founded in Toronto, Canada in 2017, by an expert technical team with a proven track record in licensing semiconductor IP, our mission is to focus on the hardest-to-solve connectivity challenges. To find out more about Alphawave IP, visit: awaveip.com Just over a week ago India seized $725.5 million from handset maker Xiaomi's local bank accounts, claiming the firm had made illegal remittances abroad disguised as royalty payments. The issue now seems to have prompted comment from both the Chinese government and its state media, a reminder, perhaps, of the ongoing tensions between India and China in recent years. Earlier this week China urged India to ensure that Chinese companies operating in India are not discriminated against. This happened after Xiaomi said its executives in the country had alleged threats of violence during questioning over alleged illegal remittances by officials of India's Enforcement Directorate, which tackles financial crime. Xiaomi denies any wrongdoing. These allegations, denied by the Directorate, appeared in a filing to an Indian court. The Indo-Asian News Service notes that Chinese state media outlet Global Times has said that the impression that Chinese and other foreign companies could be intentionally targeted and suppressed isn't favourable for India. This, Global Times says, is in part because India still faces the long-term challenge of developing its manufacturing sector, and attracting foreign investment is one of the priorities in moving towards this goal. The Global Times report said that what has happened to Xiaomi could be seen as another example of India's crackdown on Chinese companies. Many Chinese companies have struggled to do business in India since a clash between soldiers on the countries' border in 2020. India has cited security concerns in banning more than 300 Chinese apps since then including TikTok and made it tougher for Chinese companies to invest in India. An Indian court last week put on hold the Directorate's move against Xiaomi's accounts pending a hearing on May 12. The Justice involved stayed the ED order, subject to the condition that the petitioner operates the seized accounts for the purpose of carrying out the day-to-day activities of the company. Google puts an end to third-party Android call-recording apps on the Play Store with its developer program policy for Accessibility API (Application Programming Interface). As per it, the so-called Accessibility API shouldnt be used for remote call audio recording. This is being done for privacy and security reasons. Now, we shall see what this means for the flurry of call-recoding applications and built-in call-recording on OnePlus, Samsung, Xiaomi, and other smartphone brands. We will also take a look at the various call-recording solutions available right now, even after the new Google policy. Google bans call recording apps: Why? How to record phone calls on Android Here's the reason, straight from the horses mouth. Googles developer program policy notes: The Accessibility API is not designed and cannot be requested for remote call audio recording. The use of the Accessibility API must be documented in the Google Play listing. Guidelines for IsAccessibilityTool Apps with a core functionality intended to directly support people with disabilities are eligible to use the IsAccessibilityTool to appropriately publicly designate themselves as an accessibility app. Apps not eligible for IsAccessibilityTool may not use the flag and must meet prominent disclosure and consent requirements as outlined in the User Data policy as the accessibility-related functionality is not obvious to the user. Please refer to the AccessibilityService API help centre article for more information. Apps must use more narrowly scoped APIs and permissions in lieu of the Accessibility API when possible to achieve the desired functionality. Google first blocked the official API in Android 6, then the ability for apps to record using the phones microphones in Android 10, and with the stroke of a pen, it has now choked the app developers from using the accessibility workaround. This impacts popular call-recording apps like Automatic Call Recorder by Appliquato, ACR Phone by NLL Apps, etc. But, all hope is not lost yet. Android phone call-recording hacks after the Google ban Call recording on OnePlus Proprietary or default call recorders on phones from brands like Xiaomi, Vivo, OnePlus, and Samsung could still work. They have system-level access to the calls audio source termed VOICE_CALL which 3rd party apps lack. In a recent developer seminar, a Google presenter said, If the app is the default dialer on the phone and also pre-loaded, accessibility capability is not required to get access to the incoming audio stream, and hence, will not be in violation. The new Google rule doesnt seem to be applicable to the companys own Phone apps in-built call-recording. Heres how Google Phone call recording works: Open the Phone app (if its available on your handset). Go to the apps Settings and then Call recording. Within the Always record, option, check Numbers, not in your contacts. Press on Always record. You can enable call recordings for selected contacts on the Phone app. These days, even in some Android skins, you have the Google dialer. You can also hit the on-screen record button whilst on-call and hit the stop sign to end the recording session. Another rather stupid but simple way to record calls would be by putting calls on speakerphone, and recording using another device. On the other hand, there are complicated and perhaps even costly solutions like using pay-as-you-go call-recording services, using call-recording with root apps, or employing a telephone pickup microphone like Olympus TP-8. And who knows, thanks to Androids open-source nature, devs may find other workarounds to the current roadblock. In the meantime, you can also check out the other ways to record WhatsApp calls. As for other news, reviews, feature stories, buying guides, and everything else tech-related, keep reading Digit.in. Update: Realme Narzo 50( 11999 at amazon) 5G series is confirmed to launch in India on May 18. Feel the power of #realmenarzo50Pro 5G with its Dimensity 920 5G Processor, the fastest processor in the game! Most Powerful 5G Gaming Mid-Ranger #Mighty5GGameOn Launching at 12:30 PM, 18th May. Know more: https://t.co/hdcIA0mX7G pic.twitter.com/WeaEawLTG3 realme (@realmeIndia) May 13, 2022 The Chinese smartphone manufacturer is all set to release Realme Narzo 50 5G in two variants in India. The expected names are Narzo 50 5G and the Narzo 50 Pro 5G. Recently on Amazon, the launch teaser went live and revealed that the Narzo 50 5G will be equipped with the fastest 5G processor in the segment. Previously tipster Paras Guglani (PassionateGeekz) had spilled the launch dates of the Realme Narzo 50 5G and the Realme Narzo 50 Pro 5G to be May 18, 2022. He has also mentioned some of the specifications and first sale dates. Realme Narzo 50 5G - 6.6" FHD+ - Dimensity 810 5G -4GB+128GB, 6GB+128GB -48MP+2MP/ 8MP Front -5000 mAh >14k Realme Narzo 50 Pro 5G - 6.4" FHD+ - Dimensity 920 5G -6GB+128GB, 8GB+128GB -48MP+8MP+2MP/ 16MP Front -5000 mAh >22k - Blue, Black [ both] -18th May Launch / 24th Sale Paras Guglani (@passionategeekz) May 11, 2022 Launch Dates of Realme Narzo 50 5G and Realme Narzo 50 Pro 5G in India The Narzo 50 5G series devices will launch on May 18 and will be available for purchase starting May 24, in the country. Realme Narzo 50 5G Specifications The Narzo 50 5G could sport a 6.6-inch full HD+ display with an 8 MP front camera. The handset might be powered by an octa-core Dimensity 810 processor and a 5000mAh battery. The rear camera is said to include a 48MP primary sensor and a 2MP auxiliary sensor. The Narzo 50 5G is said to retail in two memory-storage configurations viz. 4GB+ 128GB and 6GB+ 128GB. The handset could cost Rs. 14,000 in the country. Narzo 50 Pro 5G Specifications The Narzo 50 pro 5G might have a 6.4-inch Full HD+ display and a 16 MP selfie shooter camera. It is said to be equipped with a Dimensity 920 processor and a 5000 mAh battery. When it comes to optics, the Narzo 50 Pro 5G could offer a triple-rear camera, including a 48 MP primary shooter and an 8MP sensor, and a 2MP sensor. The device is said to be available in 6GB+ 128GB and 8GB+ 128GB variants in India starting at Rs. 22,000. Parametrix Kardos Bryan Kardos has rejoined Parametrix as a senior construction manager based in Seattle. He has 29 years of industry experience in public works inspection, quality assurance, zoning administration, plan reviews and planning meetings, landscape design, and construction. Kardos comes to Parametrix most recently from O'Neill Service Group where he served as lead construction inspector. He was previously with Parametrix in 2013. His project experience includes overseeing bridges, roundabouts, construction of community parks, community centers, subdivision infrastructure installations, roadways, streetscapes, and water treatment plants. At Parametrix, he will provide construction management services in support the Washington State Department of Transportation's SR 520 project. Subscriber content preview NEW YORK (AP) An appeals court in New York dismissed New York Attorney General Letitia James' lawsuit against Amazon over its coronavirus safety protocols and a former employee who led the successful union organizing effort on Staten Island. Besides potentially exposing workers to the virus at two Amazon facilities in New York City, the lawsuit filed by James last year claimed that Amazon illegally retaliated against workers who spoke up about poor safety conditions in its warehouses. They include Chris Smalls, the fired Amazon worker who now heads the Amazon Labor Union, and Derrick Palmer, the group's vice president of organizing. . . . Subscriber content preview FEDERAL WAY A self-storage property at 34202 16th Ave. S. in Federal Way sold for $21.5 million, according to King County records. The sellers were three LLCs associated with associated with FollettUSA of Sacramento, which acquired the property in 2017 for over $16.3 million. . . . Banning high school students from using cellphones and other kinds of electronic devices inside dormitory rooms infringes upon their human rights, the state rights watchdog said Wednesday. A high school student, whose name was withheld, from an undisclosed school in North Gyeongsang Province filed a petition with the National Human Rights Commission of Korea, claiming that the boarding school's excessive cellphone restrictions violated his human rights. The student claimed that the school's ban on access to mobile phones and other kinds of electronic devices not only during regular class hours but also during after-school time inside dormitory rooms, was excessive. The commission made the recommendation in March, urging the school's principal to stop the current ban on on-campus wireless communication regulations and to amend the school's dormitory management rules. The commission acknowledges it is justifiable for the school to limit cellphone use inside of school as it could be a distraction to teachers and other students. The commission, however, said it is excessive and beyond the limit that schools ban mobile phones for dorm time other than regular class hours. "Completely banning cellphone usage even during dormitory life violates the principle of proportionality, which violates freedom of general behavior and freedom of communication," the commission said. The watchdog also said putting too many limitations infringes upon students' rights to pursue happiness through searching for information and having hobbies. (Yonhap) Park Kyeong-seok, one of the protesters with a disability is seen fighting for disabled people's rights, as he lies inside a subway car after boarding it at Gwanghwamun Station as it was heading to Yeouido Station, near the site of the presidential inauguration, May 10. Newsis By Ko Dong-hwan While President Yoon Suk-yeol on May 10 was at his inauguration event, which was taking place on the front lawn outside of the National Assembly on Yeouido, protesters with physical disabilities were fighting for their rights not too far from there. A group of people in wheelchairs who represent Solidarity Against Disability Discrimination (SADD) a national alliance of disabled people demonstrated at Yeouido Station on Seoul Metro lines 5 and 9, to demand the new government fix the current laws that negatively impact people with disabilities. The group has been demanding improvements to the law for months after Yoon was elected in March and the presidential transition committee started prioritizing national issues to tackle under the new government. Eight protesters got out of their wheelchairs at the platform inside Gwanghwamun Station, also on Line 5, and crawled onto a subway carriage employing a five-limbed prostration posture that Buddhists sometimes use to pray. The protesters held their demonstration in the morning rush hour, delaying the operation of the subway filled with morning commuters for several minutes. Before they boarded the train, the protesters, each holding a planted flower as a way to congratulate Yoon on his inauguration, held a press conference inside Gwanghwamun Station at about 8 a.m. Park Kyeong-seok, one of the alliance's representatives, said his group congratulates Yoon's inauguration but at the same time wanted to urge him to not forget about disadvantaged members of the public. "We want to get to as close as we can to the president so we can to demand the rights that some people take for granted," said Park. "We want to remind him to keep his words: safeguard fairness and common sense in our society. We ask him to keep his promise seriously and not forget about people with disabilities as he ventures to realize the constitutional values." Park also condemned Rep. Lee Jun-seok, the floor leader of the People Power Party, which recently became the ruling party, by calling him a "front runner in discriminatory politics." Rep. Lee had repeatedly condemned protesters with disabilities for causing an inconvenience to morning commuters. The disadvantaged group had retorted saying Rep. Lee was dividing the country by discriminating against people with disabilities. Park Kyeong-seok lies on the floor of a subway car after boarding at Samgakji Station, May 11. Newsis Page Content On 28 April 2022, the ACRPS Iranian Studies Unit (ISU) hosted a group of experts for a panel entitled Sectarianism and Iranian Foreign Policy. The panel consisted of Shahram Akbarzadeh, Professor of Middle East and Central Asian Politics at Deakin University and Convenor of Middle East Studies Forum at Alfred Deakin Institute; Fanar Haddad, assistant professor in the Department of Cross-Cultural and Regional Studies at University of Copenhagen; and Edward Wastnidge, Senior Lecturer in Politics and International Studies at the Open University, UK. The panel was moderated by Mehran Kamrava, Director of the ISU and Professor of Government at Georgetown University Qatar. Akbarzadeh began by providing an overview of the role of sectarianism in Iranian foreign policy. He noted that the Islamic Republics foreign policy used an ideological lens to see the world during its early years, reflecting Ayatollah Khomeinis view of Iran being isolated by Western countries and representing the Muslim world against the West. This viewpoint was reinforced during the Iran-Iraq War, when several regional powers, as well as the United States, backed Iraq. In reaction to Irans foreign policy and especially following the storming of the US Embassy in Tehran, the United States imposed sanctions against Iran, and American foreign policy has focused on containing Iran ever since, resulting in a perpetual relationship based on fear and distrust. The September 11 attacks offered a window of opportunity for the two countries to improve their relationship, but that lasted only briefly due to George W. Bushs war on terror, which reaffirmed to Iran that it could not rely on the US. Recognizing its inability to withstand the might of the United States, Iran has turned to asymmetrical capacity building, which means that it is finding ways to acquire an advantage over traditional ways of warfare. The idea of forward defense doctrine is a manifestation of addressing threats before they materialize on the national frontier and to deter attacks by making them costly for anyone who dares to engage with Iran militarily. Given its foreign policy approach, Iran has not been successful in finding regional allies and has only established relationships with a number of sub-state actors, often minority groups or communities that have been oppressed. According to Akbarzadeh, the common factor among Irans proxy actors is that most of them have a Shia affiliation, with the exception of Hamas. He argued that Iran did not set out to be a sectarian power, but rather the defender of the ummah and the oppressed, as conveyed in the Iranian constitution. Akbarzadeh further stated that dynamics such as the nature of Middle Eastern regional politics and the marginalization of the Shia communities, particularly in Saudi Arabia, have created an audience for the Iranian message. As a result, Iran has easy access to these countries Shia populations and communities. He maintained that Irans foreign policy is a realist response to external threats resulting from its hostility toward the United States and its allies, producing a self-perpetuating cycle of distrust and dread. Haddad continued the panel discussion by focusing on the concept of sectarianism as it is often used to refer to the geopolitical rivalry between some Arab states and Iran, or it is reduced to the projection of Iranian power abroad. An alternate approach describes Iranian policys methods and goals as sectarianism, although the terms meaning is still unclear. Iran uses sectarianism to create transnational Shia solidarity in pursuit of strategic goals. There are many examples of Irans strategic use of Shia narratives and networks, such as its protection of the shrines in Syria, and support and recruitment of Shia militias in Afghanistan and Pakistan to fight in Syria. Haddad maintained that Iran, like any other player, pursues its interests, and that its foreign policy toolkit includes unconventional instruments such as sectarianism. In answering how and when sectarianism is used, Fanar stated that the sectarian cards efficacy and potential for Iran differs from other cases because of the nature of the current Iranian state, a self-proclaimed Islamic state claiming to represent pan-Shiism. Iran seeks to be the sponsor of international Shiism and exerts a gravitational pull on Shia movements across the world. Haddad argued that the demographic weakness of Shiism and the significance of pan-Islamism in Iranian regimes ideology imply that sectarianism is not always in Irans best interests, leading the country to downplay its Shia identity on the international arena. The sectarian card, on the other hand, is not always straightforward. While Iran has the demographics, tools, and proxies to play sectarian politics in Iraq, these policies have backfired in recent years, resulting in a growing anti-Iranian sentiment in Iraq. These negative sentiments are being expressed more loudly than ever by Irans target audience, primarily young Shias. Haddad concluded by stating that Iraq has undergone significant changes in recent years, and it is unclear if Iranian policy has kept pace with these developments. To round off the panel discussion, Wastnidge reflected on Iran-Saudi relation in the context of sectarianism. Wastnidge provided an overview of the literature on Iran-Saudi rivalry and explained Irans perception of the rivalry arguing that sectarianism is not the driving factor behind this complex relationship between Iran and Saudi Arabia. Tehrans main concerns in its relationship with Saudi Arabia are mainly geopolitical, tied to both states relations with the United States. When it comes to religion, Tehran has long promoted the notion that Saudi Wahhabism is a threat and that has been overlaid on its justifications for the action it has taken in the wider Middle East region. The Iranians assume that Saudi Arabia is promoting a sectarian agenda in the region, and that Iran is responding defensively to protect oppressed populations and Shia communities. Wastnidge further claimed that within this rivalry, there is a geopoliticization of identity which is expressed through an instrumentalization of religion to justify certain policy stances. He continued that there are many ways in which Iran-Saudi rivalry has little to do with sectarianism, particularly in the case of Central Asia. While Saudi Arabia has historically used confessional linkages, Irans strategy and policy towards this region has not really had any sectarian component, indicating that geopolitical opportunism can be an element of this rivalry. Coal ministry allows 50% concession in revenue share for coal gasification The ministry of coal has allowed concession of 50 per cent in revenue share for coal gasification, union minister of coal, mines and parliamentary affairs Pralhad Joshi has said. Speaking at an investors meet in Mumbai, Joshi also pitched for options like manufacturing hydrogen from coal to help India become energy independent. Earlier during the day he launched the revival programme of closed /discontinued mines of Coal India Ltd on revenue sharing model. The investor's meet on 'Coal Gasification - Way Forward' in Mumbai was organised by Coal India and FICCI. The investor meet-cum-workshop was aimed at encouraging effective implementation of coal gasification projects and also to ensure ease of doing business in this area. Coal Gasification is the need of the hour and a step towards sustainable future, union minister of state for coal, mines and railways, Raosaheb Patil Danve, said, adding that the government has set a gasification target of 100 million tonne coal by 2030. "This will generate jobs in both technical and non-technical sector," he said. Coal gasification is considered as cleaner option compared to burning of coal. Gasification facilitates utilisation of the chemical properties of coal. Union minister Pralhad Joshi wanted the industry to think about 'coal to Hydrogen' option. Joshi also launched a report 'Roadmap for Coal to Hydrogen', prepared by the ministry of coal during the event. Besides officials of the coal ministry, experts from industry, consultants, researchers and stakeholders in coal gasification spoke during the event. In order to support coal gasification and availability of coal for the sector on a concessional rate, ministry of coal has announced a concessions of 50 per cent in revenue share for commercial auction of coal blocks. If the successful bidder consumes the coal produced either in its own plant(s) or plant of its holding, subsidiary, affiliate, associate for coal gasification or liquefaction or sells the coal for coal gasification or liquefaction on an yearly basis, subject to conditions that at least 10 per cent of scheduled coal production as per approved mining plan for that year shall be consumed or sold for gasification or liquefaction, then the bidder can avail of concessions. Syn-Gas produced from coal can be used to produce gaseous fuels such as Hydrogen (Blue coupled with CCUS), Substitute Natural Gas (SNG or Methane), Di-Methyl Ether (DME), Liquid Fuels such as Methanol, Ethanol, Synthetic diesel and Chemicals like Methanol derivatives, Olefins, Propylene, Mono-Ethylene Glycol (MEG), nitrogenous fertilisers, including Ammonia, DRI, Industrial Chemicals along with Power Generation. These products will help move towards self-sufficiency under Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyaan. Signs of Malice on the Mutual Fund Front A fresh scandal seems to be brewing in the mutual funds business after Axis Mutual Fund suspended two fund managers for allegedly using inside information for personal gains Close on the heels of alleged irregularities by Franklin Templetons top executives, Axis Mutual Fund also, on Friday, suspended two of its fund managers for serious trading violations, in what could be yet another shocker to mutual fund investors. Reports citing sources said the two fund managers Viresh Joshi and Deepak Agarwal made wrongful gains through front running. The term is used to describe trading in stock or any other financial asset by a broker, who has inside knowledge of a future transaction that could affect price substantially. Front running is done by placing higher bids than current market price for a share and a lower ask (sell order) with a broker. The broker, then, passes on the difference to the managers off the books, in cash or in kind. Mutual fund insiders say the flamboyant lifestyle of one of the fund managers, who drives a limited-edition Lamborghini and owns several houses in Mumbai, caught the attention of the fund house, which began investigating the matter. Axis MF, Indias seventh largest mutual fund by assets, said it has been conducting a suo motu investigation since February 2022. The AMC has used reputed external advisors to aid the investigation. As part of the process, two fund managers have been suspended pending investigation of potential irregularities, its statement read. It, however, dismissed rumours that its MD and CEO Chandresh Nigam was also involved in the irregularities. The allegations include front running and price rigging of stocks. Axis MF has engaged two external agencies - AZB & Partners and Alvarez & Marsel - to probe the case and Sbi is being kept apprised of the developments. Unconfirmed reports said market regulator Sebi is also probing the matter. According to a May 4 notice by Axis Mutual Fund, Joshi and Agarwal have been dropped as fund managers of four ETF schemes (Axis Consumption, Axis Banking, Axis Nifty, and Axis Technology) and three funds (Axis Arbitrage Fund, Axis Quant Fund and Axis Value Fund). It is not yet known how these developments impact those who might have invested in these schemes managed by the two accused fund managers and the state of the other schemes. It is also not sure whether unit holders can maintain status quo till the final findings of the ongoing investigations. Axis Mutual Fund, however, said these developments will not have any impact on the portfolios held by any of the schemes of Axis AMC. The company has assured investors that it continues to maintain the highest governance standards, stringent protocols, and best-in-class processes for fund management. It said the company ensures compliance with all legal and regulatory requirements with a zero-tolerance policy towards any instance of non-compliance. While the review process is still continuing, we have taken action against two fund managers handling certain equity schemes (one of whom was also our chief dealer), pending further investigation. As our investigation progresses, based on the findings, we will take further action as may be necessary," Axis Mutual Fund said in a statement on Sunday. To ensure business continuity, the funds managed by these managers have already been reassigned to other experienced fund managers, and we have put in place necessary arrangements for execution of trades through another dealer. There are no restrictions on redemptions. In any event, we believe that the available liquidity without funds and the quality of our portfolio will enable us to meet redemption requests from investors, if any," the statement said. Isro's next mission to Venus scheduled for December 2024 The Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) will sending its next mission to Venus in December 2024, with an orbital manoeuvre planned for the year after, when Earth and Venus would be in close proximity with one another. The window for the launch is fairly slim and if the 2024 plan fails, the next available window will be seven years after, in 2031. Isro, which is working on its Chandrayaan-3 mission to Moon's south pole, to be launched in August 2022, is also working on the Gaganyaan mission of taking the first Indian to space in a made-in-India spacecraft. Isros upcoming Venus mission will look into what lies in the depths of the hottest planet of our solar system. Isro chairman S Somnath revealed this while addressing a day-long meeting on Venusian science, where he highlighted that the Venus mission has been conceived with a project report formed as well as funds being allocated for it too. Building and putting a mission on Venus is possible for India in a very short space of time as the capability today exists with India, a PTI report quoted the Isro chief as saying. The mission has been scheduled for December 2024 with an orbital manoeuvre planned for the year after that, when Earth and Venus would be in close proximity from one another, thus reaching the planet with the minimum use of propellant. Somnath has also warned against repeating the experiments that have already been conducted on Venus in previous missions. Instead, he recommends focusing on unique high-impact outcomes, similar to what were achieved by Chandrayaan-1 as well as the Mars Orbiter (Mangalyaan) mission. Isro has already planned a few experiments for this mission, which include an investigation of the surface processes and shallow subsurface stratigraphy. This will include active volcanic hotspots and lava flows, analysing the structure composition and dynamics of the atmosphere as well as investigating solar wind interaction with the Venusian Ionosphere. While Isro has a history of conducting space missions at incredibly low costs, Somnath declined to speculate on the expected cost. The cost will depend on the extend of instrumentation. If you put a lot of payload instruments, the cost will naturally go up, said Somanath. While international space agencies like NASA spends huge amounts on space missions, the Isro opts for budget missions. Its Chandrayan-1 mission used a low budget spaceship, built at a cost of only Rs386 crore. The Chandrayaan-2 mission cost Rs603 crore while its launch was made at Rs367 crore. Speaking to media on the sidelines of a national conference on Aerospace Quality and Reliability here, the ISRO chief said the agency is in the process of approaching the Union government seeking approval for the mission. The ISRO has been making efforts to ensure that it would be a unique mission. We have to be careful with expensive missions of this nature, he said. Its not mere fancy for work that we want to do a Venus mission. We do it for the unique identity that this mission will create amongst all the Venus missions that are likely to happen in future. Thats the goal, said Somanath, adding the mission would generate a lot of data than can be utilised by scientists. Though the schedule has not been announced yet, the ISRO is ready with the preparatory stages. The technology definition, the work package, schedule, procurement all these are ready. But then it has to go to the government, which will analyse it and has to finally approve the same, he said. He said Chandrayan 3 is now going through testing stages including navigation, instrumentation and ground simulations. However no schedule has been fixed. Unionized public transport workers hold a press conference near the presidential office building in Yongsan, central Seoul, May 11. Yonhap The streets around the office of President Yoon Suk-yeol in the central Seoul district of Yongsan appear to be replacing the neighborhood of Cheong Wa Dae, the former presidential office and residence compound, as a new magnet for individual and group demonstrators. On the second day of Yoon's presidency Wednesday, civic and labor activists held a string of press conferences in front of the new presidential office compound, seeking to deliver various complaints and policy demands to the new leader. Nearly 10 one-person protesters also moved from near Cheong Wa Dae to Yongsan the same day. The flocking of group and individual demonstrators to Yongsan is expected to accelerate in the future, as a local court issued a ruling Wednesday that will allow protest marches within 100 meters of the new presidential office compound. Throughout the day, civic and social organizations held press conferences one after another in front of the main gate of the War Memorial of Korea located just across the street from the new presidential office. The National Public Transport Workers' Union, an affiliate of the militant Korean Confederation of Trade Unions, and Rep. Bae Jin-kyo of the minor opposition Justice Party, held a joint news conference there to urge Yoon to accelerate the conversion of non-regular workers in the public sector to regular workers in accordance with an agreement signed with the preceding Moon Jae-in government. They stressed that promises made in the name of the Korean government should be properly kept and implemented regardless of regime change. Then, employees of Asiana KO, a subcontractor of Asiana Airlines, met reporters on the same spot to demand the reinstatement of dismissed workers. In the afternoon, a civic group from Chuncheon, 85 kilometers east of Seoul, held a press conference there to call for the business suspension of Legoland Korea, which recently opened in the Gangwon Province city, over three accidents and the punishment of those responsible. The Progressive Party held a news conference to demand the Yoon government change its policies on nuclear energy and power company privatization. As many as eight one-person protesters, most of them relocating from a square next to Cheong Wa Dae, also secured their respective positions on the sidewalk in front of the war memorial's west gate from the early morning. They were holding placards with various phrases appealing to the president. The atmosphere in the Yongsan District was generally calm, as police officers were intensively deployed on streets around the presidential office and stood in every alley leading to the office. But there were some disturbances. A protester, who said he had staged a one-person demonstration in front of Cheong Wa Dae for the past five years over damage he had suffered from forced urban redevelopment, clashed with police while trying to set up a single-person tent on the sidewalk in front of the war memorial at around 11 a.m. Police permitted only news conferences and one-person protests within 100 meters of the presidential office building after interpreting the current law as banning assemblies and demonstrations in the areas. Accordingly, the only rally in the Yongsan District, Wednesday, was held near Samgakji Station, a subway station on Line 4 and Line 6 that is located outside the 100-meter radius. But the landscape is likely to change a lot in the future, as the Seoul Administrative Court put the brakes on the police ban on assemblies and demonstrations within 100 meters of the presidential office in its ruling on a petition filed by activists opposed to discrimination against sexual minorities. In its ruling, the court permitted marches within 100 meters of Yongsan's presidential office but banned marchers from staying in one place continuously in consideration of security and vehicle congestion concerns. (Yonhap) The Oireachtas Health Committee is to write to the Minister for Health to ask him to defer Cabinets approval of the co-location plan for the National Maternity Hospital. The committee is to ask that St Vincents Healthcare Group appear before the committee next Monday to address concerns about the ownership structure but, if that cannot happen, it asks Minister Stephen Donnelly to defer the Cabinet decision on the plan, due next Tuesday. Sinn Fein health spokesperson David Cullinane said that the committee was requesting that the government approval would be delayed for a number of weeks to allow further scrutiny. Earlier today, Minister Donnelly was urged to change the clinically appropriate wording in the new constitution of the National Maternity Hospital (NMH) to help ease concerns. During an appearance before the Oireachtas Health Committee, the minister was asked by several members of the committee to change the wording so that it is more explicit what it means, and so that it cannot be used to deny women procedures that they request. The NMHs constitution states that healthcare procedures that are legal and clinically appropriate will be carried out at the hospital. But some have raised concerns that this could be legally interpreted in a way that prevents women from receiving procedures that they have requested, such as abortions or tubal ligations. "Make our NMH Public & Secular" TDs and senators show their opposition to the Govt's co-location plans outside Leinster House. @OurMatHosp pic.twitter.com/2V2mv0Dkkq Grainne Ni Aodha (@GNiAodha) May 11, 2022 In response to concerns about the ambiguity of the term clinically appropriate, Minister Donnelly said the constitution makes it crystal clear that all legally permissible procedures will be carried out. Not only through the constitution are we guaranteeing clinical, operational independence, weve gone a step much further, which Im advised by the Attorney General is either very rare or unique. Were not just saying that the new hospital can provide all services. We are saying that they must provide all services, and six times in the constitution we have said that there can never be any religious influence whatsoever. But he acknowledged that the phrase had caused genuine and understandable concerns among the public. Dr Rhona Mahony, consultant obstetrician and gynaecologist and a former master of the NMH, said that she has no concerns that religion would interfere with the procedures that are allowed to be carried out at the National Maternity Hospital if it moves to the Elm Park site at St Vincents. Professor Mary Higgins, a consultant obstetrician, said that it was part of the NMHs clinical ethos to provide abortion care to women and transgender men, and she and other healthcare workers would not be mind influenced by religious figures into not providing that respectful care. Dr Rhona Mahony, obstetrician and gynaecologist and a former master of the NMH, tells the committee she has no concerns about the possibility of religious influence on procedures at the NMH. There is "layer upon layer of protection" through the ownership framework, she says. pic.twitter.com/qGQnsoNq11 Grainne Ni Aodha (@GNiAodha) May 11, 2022 Mr Donnelly told the committee that he believed the strong opposition to the co-location plan comes from a deep-seated mistrust of institutional Ireland, based on an appalling track record in our country when it comes to the church and womens reproductive health. The minister said that there are marked differences in the co-location plan compared to when it first came to the fore, including the guarantees in the constitution of the NMH, and the increased public interest representation on the board of the St Vincents Holdings Group. He said that the NMHs constitution is like an operating manual and legal instructions for the maternity hospital, and contains guarantees about the procedures that can take place in it. When the minister was asked by the committee whether the State would buy the land, he said: They were asked by this Government, they were asked by the previous Government. They have been consistent for the last nine years that simply is not something that has been on the table for them. I want to take this opportunity to give the background to the decision to co-locate the new National Maternity Hospital on the grounds of St Vincent's Hospital. pic.twitter.com/0qXEzxLKVP Micheal Martin (@MichealMartinTD) May 11, 2022 John ODonoghue, a property lawyer and a member of the HSEs legal team, told the committee that the leasing arrangement with St Vincents effectively amounts to public ownership. There are two different types of ownership interests in Ireland: there is freehold where you own a property into infinity, and there is leasehold where you own a property for a specific period of time. Cabinet had decided to defer approving the co-location plan until next week, pending the publication of legal documents and Minister Donnellys committee appearance. Minister Donnelly said it was expected that Cabinet would approve the co-location deal next week, but added in terms of what exactly is brought to Cabinet, I wouldnt rule anything out. As the committee was hearing evidence today (Wednesday May 11), Taoiseach Micheal Martin released a video on Twitter to explain the background to the NMH deal, emphasising that there are cast-iron guarantees that procedures legally permissible within the State will proceed. The National Maternity Hospital is located at Holles Street in Dublin city centre in a 130-year-old building that is not fit for purpose. Concerns have been raised about any possible religious involvement in the maternity hospital if it is co-located on the St Vincents site, as planned. The Middle Eastern region is abundantly endowed with oil and gas resources. Of the 1,050 billion barrels of proven crude oil reserves the MENA region accounted for about 69 percent. In contrast, the region accounted for just about 31 percent of total world production, and about 50 percent of exports, which clearly demonstrates the centrality of the region to the present and future of the global oil market. Although new oil reserves continue to be discovered and developed in various countries, such as in the countries of the former Soviet Union and in offshore West Africa, most forecasts indicate that dependence on Middle Eastern oil will increase in the coming years, as production starts to decline in the key North Sea basin and elsewhere. Unlike oil, natural gas reserves are more widely dispersed around the world, with the Middle East accounting for about 40 percent of total world reserves of 155 trillion cubic meters. In the recent past gas production from the region accounted for about 14 percent of total world output, in part reflecting the relative underinvestment in the gas sector of the region mentioned earlier. This is, however, changing: the US$25 billion Saudi Gas Initiative, ongoing or planned production expansion by Algeria, Qatar, and Oman, and expected developments in Iran, Libya, and Yemen should substantially raise Middle Eastern gas output in the coming years. The infrastructure needed to support the gas industry (pipeline gas and liquified natural gas (LNG)) is quite costly, and partly explains the difficulty in developing a global gas market and the relatively low development of the MENA gas sector. Nevertheless, the region is becoming an important player in the gas trade, accounting for about 8 percent of pipeline gas exports and 40 percent of LNG exports. Exploration and Production in Dubai From Dubai, Shell now provides a full suite of world-class, environmentally-sound, sustainable exploration and production services from the UAE, to the UAE and the world. Leveraging the logistical and technological synergies available from our Dubai-based sister company Shell Gas & Power, we can transfer our wealth of expertise and innovation to our strategic upstream joint ventures in the UAE, and beyond. Both Abu Dhabi Company for Onshore Oil Operations (Adco) - in which Shell holds a 9.5 per cent share and which produces one million barrels per day of oil - and Abu Dhabi Gas Industries Company (Gasco), in which Shell holds a 15 per cent share and which extracts four million tonnes per year of natural gas liquids from the associated gas produced by Adco - benefit from our next-generation digital field capabilities, including enhanced oil recovery (EOR) techniques. Shell Exploration & Production (E&P) is also serving a regional boom in upstream activity, with major projects in progress in Saudi Arabia, Oman, Egypt, Qatar, Kuwait, Libya and Syria. We are now also closer than ever to our valued customers in the CIS states and Russia. With Dubais growing status as a communications hub, Shell E&P is well placed to bring its operational excellence to new and existing regional projects - on time and on budget. At a glance : Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) ADNOC Marketing & Refining Directorate is responsible for selling to the international markets ADNOCs equity share of crude and condensate production, natural gas liquids and sulphur, together with the refined oil products processed by TAKREER. It is also sells oil products to local distribution companies for consumption in the domestic market. Marketing and Refining Directorate also coordinates the activities of the Abu Dhabi Oil Refining Co. (TAKREER), ADNOC Distribution, the Abu Dhabi National Tanker Company (ADNATCO) and the National Gas Shipping Company (NGSCO) all of which are wholly owned subsidiaries of ADNOC. Read more. Please allow ads as they help fund our trusted local news content. Kindly add us to your ad blocker whitelist. If you want further access to Ireland's best local journalism, consider contributing and/or subscribing to our free daily Newsletter . Support our mission and join our community now. Rentokil, Irelands leading pest control provider, is warning Irish holidaymakers to be on the lookout for the presence of bed bugs as they return from their holidays. A common cause of the spread of bed bugs is the transportation of the pests through clothing and other baggage, so a hotel or rental accommodations bed bug problem can easily become an issue in your own home. These pests feed on human blood, usually when homeowners are asleep, and bed bug bites can become sore and itchy in some cases. Rentokil has recorded a 40% increase in callouts this year compared to the same period (January April) in 2021. Dublin is the county which has accounted for the most callouts for bed bugs so far this year, with 28% of all callouts to the capital. Cork (14%), Donegal (9%) and Galway (5%) are the next three counties which accounted for the most callouts for bed bugs from Rentokil. Richard Faulkner, Advanced Technical Field Consultant for Rentokil said: Bed bugs lay eggs and multiply at alarming rates, and the size of these pests can make them difficult to spot. With the Easter holiday coming to an end and people returning from all around the world, this unfortunately increases the risk of returning home with unwanted guests. We consider hotels, B&Bs and holiday rentals to be areas of high risk due to the volume of guests that pass through them. We recommend that holidaymakers be vigilant in both inspecting their room and luggage for signs of bed bugs. We also recommend that if accommodation owners become aware of a bed bug infestation, they have it taken care of immediately Top bed bug warning signs include: The presence of dark stains on the mattress and surrounding area from bed bug excreta. An unpleasant, sweet, sickly scent in the room. Small dark blood spots on bedding known as 'faecal spotting'. Live insects - despite being small (4-5mm long) its possible to spot live bed bugs and shed skins. Key areas to check include bed frames and mattresses, bedside cabinets, wardrobes, and skirting boards. For holidaymakers who do unintentionally bring bed bugs into their home, Rentokil recommends that they check luggage before packing and unpacking, inspect the bed, wash and dry clothes at the highest possible temperatures, eliminate clutter, and vacuum thoroughly. These steps can greatly reduce the size of the bed bug population but may not eliminate the problem entirely. If the problem persists, its advisable to call a professional pest control service. Finance Minister Choo Kyung-ho speaks at a meeting with lawmakers from the ruling People Power Party, May 11. Yonhap The government has drawn up an extra budget bill aimed at compensating COVID-19 pandemic-hit small merchants and will submit it to the National Assembly later this week, Finance Minister Choo Kyung-ho said Wednesday. Choo made the remarks at the first consultative meeting between the ruling People Power Party (PPP) and the government, a day after President Yoon Suk-yeol took office. He said the extra budget was mainly aimed at compensating for the financial damage suffered by small merchants, and stabilizing prices for vulnerable people. The plan will be endorsed at a Cabinet meeting Thursday and submitted to the National Assembly, Friday, Choo said, adding the government will fully cooperate with lawmakers to have the bill approved by the end of the month. During the meeting, PPP floor leader Rep. Kweon Seong-dong said the extra budget must include a cash handout of 6 million won (US$4,704) each for self-employed people and small merchants hit by the pandemic. The finance ministry earlier said it planned to draw up a supplementary budget proposal estimated at some 34 trillion to 36 trillion won ($26.6-$28.1 billion) to help small merchants hit hard by COVID-19 following Yoon's pledge to fully compensate them. (Yonhap) President Yoon Suk-yeol, left, leaves his private home in southern Seoul, May 11. Yonhap President Yoon Suk-yeol made his first commute to work by motorcade Wednesday, an unusual spectacle that followed his relocation of the presidential office. Yoon left his private home in southern Seoul at 8:21 a.m. and arrived at his office in the central district of Yongsan at 8:34 a.m. The president will commute every day for now while the foreign minister's official residence is being converted into the new presidential residence. Yoon has moved both the presidential office and residence out of Cheong Wa Dae, and opened the compound to the public. When reporters asked him how he felt about his first commute to work, Yoon smiled, noting his first day at the office was actually Tuesday. The president did work from his office Tuesday but did so after traveling from his inauguration ceremony at the National Assembly, not from his home. A motorcade carries President Yoon Suk-yeol from his private home in southern Seoul to his office in Yongsan, May 11. Yonhap EBRD supports Moldovas largest bank with 50 million finance package, consisting of: 35 million within EBRDs 2 billion Resilience and Livelihoods framework for Ukraine, neighbours 15 million, backed by EU, to boost competitiveness of local companies The EBRD is lending 50 million to Moldovas largest bank, maib, to reinforce its funding base in the challenging economic environment caused by the war on Ukraine and enable it to continue supporting the Moldovan economy, focussing on private businesses. The 50 million financing package, signed at the EBRDs Annual Meeting in Marrakesh by Giorgi Shagidze, Chief Executive Officer of maib, and Francis Malige, the EBRDs Managing Director for Financial Institutions, is composed of two elements. 15 million go to extending MAIBs participation in the EU4Business-EBRD Credit Line, aiming to finance investments by small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) into upgrades of technology, making them more competitive and better able to export their products. The EU is complementing the EBRD financing with grants and free-of-charge technical assistance to borrowers under its EU4Business initiative. This loan will contribute to the aims of the Eastern Partnership (EaP) Economic and Investment Plan, which include supporting 50,000 small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Moldova. Maib, which has been a leading implementer of this programme, has previously on-lent 30 million under it, supporting some 50 SME clients. The remaining 35 million fall within the EBRDs Resilience and Livelihoods framework - 2 billion pledged by the EBRD to support companies and countries directly or indirectly affected by the war on Ukraine. This loan will strengthen and diversify maibs funding base. It will support maib in deploying finance to private businesses in Moldova during the crisis caused by the war on Ukraine. Maib is a longstanding EBRD client, with a more than 30 per cent market share in Moldova. It offers a wide range of services to its 900,000 corporate, MSME and retail clients through a wide distribution network of 58 branches and 86 agencies and digital channels, employing 2,300 staff. Since 2018, maibs largest minority shareholder has been a consortium of investors composed of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, Invalda INVL, an asset management group in the Baltics, and Horizon Capital, an Emerging Europe-focused private equity fund manager. EBRD repurposes 50 million of loan to Ukraine power transmission system operator for liquidity European Fund for Sustainable Development is providing first loss guarantee Support is part of 1 billion EBRD activity in Ukraine this year, with donors and partners The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and Ukrainian authorities have agreed the repurposing of part of an existing loan to Ukrenergo, the countrys electricity transmission company, to provide 50 million of emergency liquidity. The aim is to keep the lights on in a country whose economy has been hard hit by Februarys invasion by Russia. The European Unions EFSD (European Fund for Sustainable Development), the financing arm of the EU External Investment Plan promoting investment in Africa and the EU Neighbourhood, is providing a first loss guarantee. This will partially mitigate the EBRDs risk of non-repayment in the current war environment. The EBRD has pledged to invest 1 billion this year in supporting the Ukrainian economy, with donors and partners. At a signing ceremony at the EBRDs Annual Meeting 2022 in Marrakech, EBRD President Odile Renaud-Basso said: This EBRD support to the Ukrainian electricity company is vital to help maintaining everyday access to vital services for citizens. It is more important than ever to keep the real economy working. Executive Vice-President of the European Commission Valdis Dombrovskis, who joined the EBRD president to sign the EFSD guarantee that covers the loan, said: At a time when Ukrainians are fighting Russias aggression, it is essential to keep their power supplies running and support Ukrenergos critical role. We are working with the EBRD to support other vital operations in the coming weeks, particularly addressing the liquidity needs of Ukraines railway and pharmaceutical sectors. Both the European Union and EBRD continue to stand fully by Ukraine and its people, and to do whatever it takes to keep its economy functioning in the face of this brutal war. The EBRD originally agreed to lend 149 million to Ukrenergo in July 2019 to upgrade key transmission infrastructure required to maintain system stability and back-up synchronisation with European electricity networks, as well as help Ukraine align its legal framework and operational practices with the EU 3rd Energy Package. The loan has yet to be disbursed. The war has triggered urgent liquidity needs that prompted Ukrenergo to seek the repurposing of these funds. It needs to enable the stable functioning of the Ukrainian electricity grid as well as nuclear generators and maintain power supplies to industries and households. Since the war began, the company has been contending with substantial non-payments by its customers coupled with a 30 per cent reduction in electricity consumption and resulting revenue losses. To address Ukraines most pressing needs, the EBRD is prioritising five areas within the countrys economy: trade finance, energy security, vital infrastructure, food security (covering provision of liquidity to farmers via banks for the spring sowing campaign as well as to agribusiness companies and food retailers), and the provision of liquidity to pharmaceutical companies. All EBRD investments in Ukraine under its resilience package for Ukraine and neighbouring countries affected by the war will involve risk-sharing with partners. The EBRD was swift to condemn the Russian invasion of Ukraine on 24 February and pledged to stand by Ukraine. On 4 April, the EBRDs Board of Governors voted to suspend open-endedly the access of Russia and Belarus to EBRD finance and expertise, and the Bank is closing its offices in Russia and Belarus. Beyond its 2 billion resilience package, the EBRD has pledged to support Ukraines reconstruction once conditions permit. FORMER Debenhams workers from Cork will travel to Dublin tomorrow to protest outside the Dail for a change in the law to better protect employees interests in liquidations. Last year, Cork North Central Socialist TD Mick Barry moved the Companies (Protection of Employees Rights in Liquidations) Bill in the Dail. Also known as the Debenhams Bill, the legislation was inspired by the bitter 406-day dispute between Debenhams and its former employees, who picketed outside stores on Patrick St in Cork and elsewhere around the country. The bill proposes two changes to company law that regulates the liquidation process. Firstly, any collective agreement with workers, such as the four weeks pay per year of service that was agreed but not ultimately honoured for Debenhams workers, should be treated as a legal debt and prioritised as such when a liquidator is winding down a company. Secondly, the bill would move employees to the top of the pecking order when debts are being paid by a liquidator. The bill passed through the second stage on May 12 last year, when Government introduced an amendment that effectively froze the legislative process for 12 months. As the full year will have passed by tomorrow, Mr Barry said there would now be pressure to quickly progress the bill to the next stage. In May 2021, the Government didnt want to be seen to be shooting the bill down. That would have been bad PR when theres huge public support and sympathy for the Debenhams workers, he said. He said that he has written to the Oireachtas enterprise trade and employment committee asking that it prioritises the bill for the next stage. Former Debenhams worker Valerie Conlon said the bill cant be forgotten about. She said tomorrows protest is not about the Debenhams dispute, but rather to make sure that it doesnt happen again. If this law had been in place last year, we would have gotten a full redundancy and we wouldnt have had to strike for 406 days. "Were not happy with what we got, but if we get something in to look after employees in the future, then I feel that we have achieved something, she said. EVERYONE is like everyone else, yet everyone is different. In general, everyone wants to be liked, everyone wants to fit in and be happy in themselves, have a good job, be successful and get on with life, whether thats in the home, in social circles but moreover in the workplace. However, everyone is not everybody, and at times, the very differences that make us unique can also be a challenge. As a member of the LGBT+ community, coming out can be like a revolving door; first coming out to yourself, then to friends, family, coming out in school, college and then coming out in the workplace. Both coming out at work or deciding not to come out can be equally as rewarding or even never-ending exhausting! According to research by Gettysburg College in Pennsylvania, the average person will spend a third of their lives in the workplace, about 90,000 hours, just think about that. It may also be true to say that the average person will spend more time with their work colleagues than loved ones and friends. So, why is it that with all this time being spent at the workplace, many people still cannot be their true authentic selves? At times, being different can lead to bullying, discrimination, or harassment, either directly or indirectly. Research by Stonewall found an astonishing 35% of LGBT+ people at work had hidden their identity in the workplace, because they were afraid of discrimination, and 18% had been the target of negative comments or conduct from work colleagues in the last year because they are LGBT+. With a conservative estimate telling us there are approximately 135,000 LGBT+ people employed in Ireland, the research makes for stark reading. While progress been made in terms of legislation in Ireland, employment discrimination based on sexual orientation is prohibited under the Employment Equality Act and the Equal Status Act, there is more to do. In the coming weeks Minister Helen McEntee will look to introduce the Hate Crime Bill into legalisation. Creating inclusion and belonging Coming out in the workplace is a very personal choice, and we know that when employers have a safe environment with the relevant policies in place, coming out can be an easier thing to do. Many employers and multi-nationals have Dignity in the workplace and Diversity and Inclusion policies, however workplaces are also just as diverse and come in all shapes and sizes and some are just starting out on this journey. Supporting LGBT+ employees is not just the right thing to do, it is good for business too. Research has shown that diverse and inclusive teams are more innovative and productive. Team member diversity helps to attract and retain talent, foster innovation, increase employee happiness, collaborate more effectively, increase revenue and guess what, people perform significantly better when they can be themselves at work. Diverse teams bring diversity of thought. If you look at your team and everyone is like you, the likelihood is that everyone will have the same point of view, just like you. To innovate you need to visibly encourage the expression of difference, not just inclusion, where all team members feel they belong and can be their authentic selves. In a genuinely inclusive environment, team members can work without fear of discrimination or harassment and the tangible benefits are clear to see for both the employee and employer. Creating An LGBT+ Workplace Network Two years ago during the Cork LGBT+ Pride Festival a Diversity and Inclusion conference, aptly named Work With Pride, in conjunction with Ibec as title sponsor and other key session sponsors. The half day free conference streamed live from the River Lee Hotel to about 450 conference attendees discussing a vast array of topics; whilst the feedback from conference attendees was hugely positive, one common theme was the need to do something more often. In response to that, the Work With Pride Professional Business Network was formed. It is a not-for-profit national organisation for individuals based in Ireland, who are either members of the LGBT+ community or allies of the community. The goal in starting this was to build a network of like-minded people who have a keen and active interest in supporting equality, diversity, and inclusion in the workplace, but also, our purpose of the network is to create an environment for members of the LGBT+ community to network, build personal and professional relationships, and attend events, be it educational or otherwise. Its also an opportunity for allies to educate themselves on workplace topics that are relevant to the LGBT+ community and as an ally become a more inclusive colleague. The network was also founded out of a real need to cater for the rising number of LGBT+ people already out, or coming out in the workplace, right across a multitude of sectors and verticals. Its important that we, and our allies have a place to network in a professional capacity, and to be able to connect and strengthen new or existing contact. For more information on the network, visit www.workwithpride.ie This years Work With Pride Diversity and Inclusion conference runs on July 28. More than 90 percent of the Great Barrier Reef was impacted by coral bleaching during the Australian summer of 2021-2022. This is the conclusion of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority, which released the results Tuesday of aerial surveys taken of 719 reefs between Torres Strait and the Capricorn Bunker Group. The surveys confirm a mass bleaching event, with coral bleaching observed at multiple reefs in all regions, the authority wrote. This is the fourth mass bleaching event since 2016 and the sixth to occur on the Great Barrier Reef since 1998. The @gbrmarinepark along with @aims_gov_au and @csiro released the Reef snapshot 2021-22, which provides a summary of how the #Reef has fared over the past summer, what this means for coral and the actions being taken to help #coralhealth. Learn more: https://t.co/z9ywNCHX7V. pic.twitter.com/hLsve6BVZy Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority (@gbrmarinepark) May 10, 2022 The surveys revealed that 654 reefs, or 91 percent of those surveyed, had experienced some bleaching. The bleaching is especially notable this year because it is the first time it has happened under La Nina conditions, which usually result in cooler ocean temperatures in the Pacific Ocean, as AP News pointed out. This is heartbreaking. This is deeply troubling, Climate Council researcher Simon Bradshaw told AP News. It shows that our Barrier Reef really is in very serious trouble indeed. Coral bleaching occurs when warmer than normal ocean temperatures turn the chemicals that coral-dwelling algae produce into poisons, prompting the coral to expel the algae. Because the algae provide the coral with both nutrients and color, the remaining coral turns white. This summer, the waters around the Great Barrier Reef began to heat up in December of 2021, the authority said. Ocean temperatures exceeded historical summer maximums that typically dont occur until later in the summer. Between December and early April, the area experienced three distinct marine heat waves. The surveys were conducted after the last heat wave, which lasted from March 12 to 23. The bleaching recorded in the report does not necessarily mean that the impacted corals will die. It is important to note that bleached coral is stressed but still alive, the authority wrote. As water temperatures cool, bleached corals may regain their colour and survive this stress event, as happened in 2020 when there was very low coral mortality associated with a mass bleaching event. During back-to-back mass bleaching events in 2016 and 2017, however, the reef experienced higher death tolls, according to AP News. Scientists predict that this year will be more like 2020. The early indications are that the mortality wont be very high, the authoritys chief scientist David Wachenfeld said, as AP News reported. However, the reef remains in hot water as long as greenhouse gas emissions continue to rise. The authority has said that the climate crisis is the single biggest threat to the reef, and a 2020 study found that the reef had already lost more than half its corals in the past 25 years because of human-induced global warming. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has warned that allowing temperatures to rise to two degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels will kill 99 percent of all tropical reefs, while limiting warming to 1.5 degrees could save 30 to 10 percent of them. The report comes as Australia prepares for federal elections later this month, AP News noted. Current Prime Minister Scott Morrisons Liberal Party has promised to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 26 to 28 percent below 2005 levels by 2030, while the Labor Party has promised steeper cuts of 43 percent by 2030. Australian Marine Conservation Society campaign manager Lissa Schindler told The Guardian that reducing emissions should be a priority for the next government. This was a La Nina year, normally characterised by more cloud cover and rain, she said. It should have been a welcome reprieve for our reef to help it recover and yet the snapshot shows more than 90% of the reefs surveyed exhibited some bleaching. Although bleaching is becoming more and more frequent, this is not normal and we should not accept that this is the way things are. We need to break the norms that are breaking our reef. A record-breaking heat wave in Pakistan caused flash flooding when a glacial lake overflowed on Saturday. The flood, known as a glacial lake outburst flood (GLOF), swept away the Hassanabad bridge on the Karakoram Highway in the village of the same name, Geo News reported. Leaders linked the incident to the climate crisis. Pakistan has the highest number of glaciers outside the polar region and many are losing mass due to high global temperatures, Pakistan Climate Change Minister Sherry Rehman tweeted in response to the incident. We need global leaders to reduce emissions, walk the talk. At the same time many such areas are vulnerable up in the north, especially GB, KP. Pakistan has the highest number of glaciers outside the polar region and many are losing mass due to high global temperatures. We need global leaders to reduce emissions, walk the talk SenatorSherryRehman (@sherryrehman) May 7, 2022 The flash flood came after a record-breaking heat wave baked both Pakistan and India this April. In Pakistan on April 30, the city of Jacobabad broke the April record for highest day-time temperature at 120 degrees Fahrenheit April 30, while the Karachi airport recorded its highest night-time temperature at 84.9 degrees Fahrenheit, The Washington Post reported. Overall, it was Pakistans hottest April on record since 1961. The extreme heat caused a glacial lake near Shisper Glacier to form earlier than usual as the ice melted. [I]n the past 20 days, there has been 40 percent increase in the Shisper glacier lake area due to expedited glacier melting after heatwave impacts gripped the Northern Areas as mostly glacial lakes are formed in May but it got developed one month ahead in April, remote sensing specialist at the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) Dr. Sher Mohammad said, as the Pakistan Observer reported. Not only are glacial lakes rapidly forming in them, but they are also appearing ahead of their normal time and bursting into floods. The lake was growing fast while the snow cover was melting very quickly too! Time series of Landsat and Sentinel-2 images from 26 Mar to 05 May. pic.twitter.com/KYCFrgZ86i Simon Gascoin (@sgascoin) May 8, 2022 When the lake finally burst its barrier, it released water at a rate of 10,000 cubic feet per second, The Washington Post reported. In addition to destroying the bridge, the flood also swept away two power plants, according to Dawn. Deputy Commissioner Usman Ali of Hunza, the district where the flood occurred, said a temporary bridge would be built once the lake had fully drained, according to Geo News. He said that 22 homes had been evacuated and that the system providing water for drinking and agriculture had also been destroyed. Over a dozen houses, a community center, among properties worth tens of millions lost in #Hasanabad village of #Hunza, within a matter of hours, Pamir Times reported on Twitter. Over a dozen houses, a community center, among properties worth tens of millions lost in #Hasanabad village of #Hunza, within a matter of hours. A flooding from the nearby #Shisper glacier is battering the village, as locals watch helplessly. pic.twitter.com/Jts2pmO03a PAMIR TIMES (@pamirtimes) May 7, 2022 Fortunately, no one was injured, according to local media reports relayed by NHK. The threat of GLOFs is not new to Pakistan, Ali told The Washington Post. This glacier melting is worrisome because its now happening on an almost annual basis, he said. All of this is related to climate change. Further, the country could see more such incidents this year. Extreme and prolonged heat in Pakistan has helped trigger a Glacial Lake Outburst Flood with catastrophic consequences, Scottish meteorologist Scott Duncan warned on Twitter. Sadly, there could be more to come. Temperatures will inevitably surpass the 50C mark in the coming days as the heat intensifies in Southern Asia. Endangered whale shark fins were found smuggled into a shipment sent via Singapore Airlines to Hong Kong in May, activist group Sea Shepherd Global announced Wednesday. The fins from the endangered species were hidden within legal fins in a 989 kilogram (approximately 2,180 pound) shipment that traveled from Colombo, Sri Lanka through Singapore to Hong Kong, which is one of the largest shark fin trading centers in the world, AFP reported. Singapore Airlines, which bans the shipment of shark fins, said in an email statement Wednesday reported by Reuters that the shipment had slipped past the airlines notice because it was labeled Dry Seafood. Singapore Airlines are yet another victim of these shark fin smugglers, who deceived the airline by declaring the shipment as dried seafood to skirt the airlines internal booking checks, Asia director for Sea Shepherd Global Gary Stokes told AFP. According to Reuters, Stokes discovered the endangered fins hidden in the shipment. Singapore Airlines has since blacklisted the shipper and alerted employees to check any other shipments labeled dry seafood. Hong Kong allows the import of shark fins, which are served in a jelly-like soup believed to have health benefits. Most of the fins imported to Hong Kong are then sent on to mainland China, according to AFP. Fins from species on the UN Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species are supposed to be accompanied by a special permit, Reuters reported. Activists have succeeding in halving the number of shark fins entering Hong Kong in the past 10 years, but the trade still poses a danger to vulnerable shark species. According to the World Wildlife Fund, more than 70 million sharks are killed each year and a quarter of species are threatened with extinction. The latest discovery comes a little over a year after a three-month investigation by Sea Shepherd revealed that shark fins from endangered species like hammerhead and oceanic whitetip sharks were entering Hong Kong despite bans imposed by shipping lines and airline cargo companies. Smugglers used similar tactics of mislabeling shipments as seafood, dried seafood or dried goods to bypass bans by Maersk, Virgin and Cathay Pacific. At the time, all three companies pledged to work with Sea Shepherd to combat smuggling. Maersk, the worlds largest shipping company, also became the first to ban shark fin cargo in 2010. Cathay Pacific was the first airline to ban unsustainable shark products in 2012, and banned shark fins altogether in 2016. Now, more than 30 airlines and nearly 20 shipping lines have implemented similar bans, Alex Hofford of WildAid said. About 92 percent of shark fins enter Hong Kong by sea and 8 percent by plane. Former Mayor and Democratic Party of Korea presidential candidate Lee Jae-myung / Yonhap Residents forced to move out of their homes for a corruption-ridden development project in the city of Seongnam filed a criminal complaint Tuesday accusing former Mayor and Democratic Party of Korea presidential candidate Lee Jae-myung of giving unfair profits to the developer. The development scandal in Seongnam's Daejang-dong centers on allegations that the developer, Hwacheon Daeyu Asset Management, reaped astronomical profits thanks to arrangements designed by city officials, including a former close aide to Lee. Lee, who served as mayor from 2014-2018, has denied any wrongdoing in the 2015 project. But a group of 33 former Daejang-dong residents filed the complaint accusing Lee and 14 others, including the owner of Hwacheon Daeyu and a former city official, of abusing the municipality's compulsory land purchase order to buy up their land against their wishes. The residents filed charges of breach of duty and violation of the City Development Act. They also alleged that Hwacheon Daeyu was illegally selected as a business partner without due competition through "close collusion" among city officials, the city's development agency and the firm, and argued that Lee approved the project even though he was aware of the illegalities involved. "The crime is a grave one in which they abused state authority to forcibly acquire land and then illegally supplied it to Hwacheon Daeyu so it could reap astronomical profits in home sales," one of the residents said, adding an additional damages suit will be filed if the city fails to confiscate illegal proceeds. (Yonhap) Italy to cull wild boars to stop spread of African swine fever Italy will commence wild boar culls around the capital city of Rome after African swine fever (ASF) was detected among these swine, Reuters reported. There are concerns ASF is spreading after the case was detected in Rome, as it was the first case discovered in central Italy. ASF was detected in in northwest Italy at the start of this year. Authorities from the Lazio region, which surrounds Rome, said out of 16 new tests carried out on wild boars following the first detected case, two were likely positive to the disease. Andrea Costa, the Junior Health Minister, said a nationwide cull of wild boars was needed even though there are concerns voiced by animal rights groups and environmentalists. China stopped pork imports from Italy after ASF was detected in the north-western Piedmont region in a wild boar. - Reuters Description As the largest and greenest multilateral lender, the European Investment Bank helps economies flourish, creates jobs and promotes equality. Since 1958, the EIB has provided loans and expert advice for thousands of projects in over 160 countries. The EIB supports Europes economic recovery by implementing the European Fund for Strategic Investments, part of the Investment Plan for Europe. Gender Equality and Family Minister nominee Kim Hyun-sook attends a confirmation hearing at the National Assembly in Seoul, Wednesday. Joint Press Corp By Lee Hae-rin Gender Equality and Family Minister nominee Kim Hyun-sook drew criticism at her confirmation hearing at the National Assembly for refusing to submit documentation requested by members of the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea (DPK). She poured fuel onto the fire for her remarks that the ministry itself is partially responsible for its fate to be abolished. Kim said the ministry, which was established in 2001, had failed to respond properly to cases of sex crimes committed by people in positions of power. "Now is the time for the ministry to seek a transformation in response to a new environment. It needs to be born again as an effective ministry that can cope with the gender conflict between men and women," she said. With the remarks, Kim tried to curry favor with President Yoon Suk-yeol who has been pushing for the abolishment of the ministry. Rep. Kwon In-sook of the DPK criticized Kim, saying she is an inappropriate candidate to lead the ministry. "Rep. Kweon Seong-dong of the People Power Party (PPP) submitted a bill to abolish the gender equality ministry and here we have a nominee who agrees to the abolishment of the ministry," said Kwon. "This is simply nonsensical." The DPK has been opposing the closure of the ministry. Meanwhile, the ruling PPP justified the abolishment of the ministry. "The (current) gender equality ministry abandoned its duties when faced with complaints from the victims of sex crimes committed by people in power and even called the victims 'self-claimed victims,'" PPP Rep. Kim Jung-jae said. The nominee's incomplete submission of documentation also sparked an intense debate. PPP lawmaker Kim Mi-ae said that the nominee was requested to submit over 1,430 materials, which is far more than the amount previous nominees were required to provide, which were 73.3 and 75.8 percent of that amount for each of the preceding two ministers. In response, Kwon at the DPK argued that the number is due to redundant requests of the same data and said only 45.5 percent of 110 requested documents had been turned in. Other DPK members went on to reprimand the nominee for not submitting documents to prove how she increased her property, drunk-driving records, information on her children's military service evasion and academic fraud. Moreover, Kwon said the nominee gave different answers about her academic background and opinions on the abolishment of the ministry depending on which party she submitted them to. The committee members from both parties agreed that they have insufficient information to proceed with proper questioning and its head, Song Ok-joo, declared the adjournment of the hearing, requesting the nominee to submit documents before the session resumes at 1:30 p.m. Kim's confirmation hearing was originally scheduled to be held on May 6, but was postponed due to the incomplete submission of requested data. The nominee did not clarify her position on whether there is structural discrimination based on gender in the country. "I am aware that Korea ranks low in the global gender gap index," she said, "and I question why there has been no progress, despite having the gender equality ministry for the past 20 years." Kim said the ministry's abolishment does not mean an end to policies and progress on women's rights and argued that the PPP's revised bill on government reorganization distributes the ministry's roles to the Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Interior and Safety, and Ministry of Employment and Labor. DPK lawmakers condemned the legislation for eliminating a control tower that manages gender equality policies. Meanwhile, a coalition of 567 women's rights groups urged the government to keep and reinforce the gender equality ministry at a press conference at the National Assembly, Wednesday. The group said progress in women's rights has been possible because of the ministry and called upon the Yoon administration to take affirmative action in addressing and removing gender inequalities. President Yoon Suk-yeol shakes hands with Chinese Vice President Wang Qishan during their meeting in Seoul, Tuesday. Yonhap Yoon's strong commitment to Korea-US alliance, ironically, bolsters leverage in ties with China By Kang Seung-woo Chinese leader Xi Jinping's invitation to President Yoon Suk-yeol on the day of his inauguration reflects Beijing's attempt to keep Seoul from getting closer to Washington amid an ever-intensifying U.S.-China rivalry. In an unprecedented move, China's Vice President Wang Qishan, the highest-level official sent by the Chinese government to Seoul on the occasion of Korea's leadership change, made the invitation public following his meeting with Yoon, Tuesday. In response, Yoon thanked Xi for the invitation, adding that he was looking forward to meeting his Chinese counterpart in Seoul. Xi's unexpected invitation came just ahead of U.S. President Joe Biden's scheduled visit to Seoul. Yoon and Biden will hold their first summit in Seoul, May 21 "Given that the Yoon administration is seeking to strengthen its alliance with the United States or bolster trilateral cooperation among Korea, the U.S. and Japan as the priority of its foreign policy direction, which is drastically different from the Moon Jae-in government's balanced diplomacy, the Chinese government wants the new Korean government to at least maintain its existing stance," said Chung Jae-hung, a research fellow at the Sejong Institute. Under the Moon administration, Korea walked a tightrope between its security ally, the U.S., and largest trade partner, China, avoiding joining the Washington-led anti-Beijing coalition. Wielding its economic status, Beijing has also made efforts to have Seoul distance itself from Washington as it perceives Korea as the weakest link in the U.S. alliance network. Such efforts appear to have paid off. However, Yoon has vowed to make a shift in diplomacy and place the alignment with Washington at the center of his foreign policy priorities. "The Wang dispatch and his remarks reflect the Chinese government's concerns that the new Korean government may turn away from the balanced diplomacy and support the U.S.' anti-China alliance," Chung added. During his meeting with Yoon, Wang suggested five proposals for Korea-China relations, one of which said the two sides should jointly boost coordination and cooperation on affairs related to the Korean Peninsula, while appropriately handling sensitive issues. Those remarks appeared to be mindful of possible Korean support for the anti-China platforms. "There are a bulk of the U.S.-led platforms, aimed at containing China, and there are the Quad, the envisaged Indo-Pacific Economic Framework, AUKUS and of course, THAAD," Chung said. AUKUS is an enhanced trilateral security partnership, comprised of Australia, the United Kingdom and the U.S. and THAAD stands for the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense, a U.S. anti-missile shield. "For China's part, it hopes that the Korean government will not join them," Chung added. Lee Sang-man, director of the China Center at the Institute for Far Eastern Studies, believes that it is time to re-establish Korea's relations with China under the Yoon administration, saying that Seoul has secured initial leverage in bilateral ties. "Yoon's strong rhetoric that his administration will closely work with the U.S. in terms of its foreign policy has struck a nerve in the Chinese government, which pre-emptively made a gesture by sending Wang, Xi's so-called right-hand man, to the inauguration ceremony," said Lee, who previously denounced Yoon's anti-China remarks as being "unrealistic." "For now, we have gained leverage, giving us more room to maneuver." Saying the Yoon administration is filled with experts on U.S. relations who are hostile toward China, Korea needs to flexibly take advantage of the current situation in its relations with China, while standing firm in response to possible economic retaliation, Lee noted. Since Korea approved the deployment of a THAAD battery on its soil in 2016, China has been carrying out an economic retaliation campaign by imposing unofficial boycotts on Korean products and enforcing tourism restrictions. China claims that the system's radar can be used to spy on its military maneuvers. Quarterbridge Road to go one-way for works A temporary one way order will be in place on Quarterbridge Road this Sunday. The Department of Infrastructure said a section of a roadside Manx stone wall on private property at the bottom end of the road has partially collapsed. The Department has been informed that it has been established that it will be necessary to demolish and rebuild the wall (including sections of the wall either side of the collapse). The owners insurer has appointed a contractor to do the works, which will be undertaken in two stages It said the wall will be demolished and a temporary hoarding erected on Sunday. The road will temporarily be made one way for the day, from the direction of Quarterbridge roundabout to a point just north of the junction with Alexander Drive. The second stage of works later in the summer will see reconstruction of the wall. You won't have to wait much longer if you want to check out some of the Android updates that Google plans to roll out later this year. The company revealed at its I/O 2022 developer conference today that the second public beta of Android 13 will be available starting today. Google said it designed the latest version of the OS around three big themes: doing more with your phone at the center; going beyond the phone to other devices like tablets and watches; and making all those devices work together in harmony. You should expect privacy and security upgrades, along with more ways to personalize your device with the likes of app icons. There's a big focus on Android tablets this time around, with features such as a new taskbar at the bottom of the home screen and redesigns for more than 20 Google apps, including Messages, Maps and YouTube Music. It was already expected that Google would release the second beta this month as it moves towards a final Android 13 release later this year. The first beta, which followed two developer previews, was mostly about behind-the-scenes backend improvements, though there were some welcome UI updates, such as a refreshed media playback box. Follow all of the news from Google I/O 2022 right here! A lone electric scooter sits abandoned on a busy sidewalk. Its an all too frequent sight in cities around the world and one of the primary reasons local governments have been resistant to partnering with companies like Spin to bring micromobility services to their communities. But with the help of Google and the companys new ARCore Geospatial API, Bird believes it has a solution to the problem. With its new Visual Parking System technology, Bird claims its developed a way to locate parked scooters with pinpoint accuracy. The next time you use a Bird scooter in a city where the company supports VPS, its app will prompt you to use your phones camera to scan the surrounding area. The software will then compare your images against a Google database that includes photos from Street View. When you need to park your scooter, an augmented reality interface will help you do so in the right spot. Bird says the technology will allow it to reward riders who show good parking behavior more easily. The end result is cleaner sidewalks, more organized parking and better functioning micromobility programs thanks to the worlds first scalable, hyper-accurate, virtual parking system, the company says of VPS. Bird is currently testing the technology in New York City, San Francisco and San Diego. It will expand the availability of VPS to more cities in the coming weeks and months. As you might imagine, Bird isnt the only company trying to solve the problem of inconsiderate customers parking their rental scooters in all the wrong places . Most of the companies in the space, including Ford-owned Spin and Europes Voi , have announced their own proposed solutions to the problems. But many of those rely on AI and remote piloting. Birds tool would appear to offer something different with an approach that rewards customers for being considerate of the public and other users. Follow all of the news from Google I/O 2022 right here! Meta, Facebook's parent company, is facing another lawsuit filed by one of is former content moderators. According to The Washington Post, this one is filed by Daniel Motaung, who's accusing the company and San Francisco subcontractor Sama of human trafficking Africans to work in exploitative and unsafe working conditions in Kenya. The lawsuit alleges that Sama targets poor people across the region, including those from Kenya, South Africa, Ethiopia, Somalia and Uganda, with misleading job ads. They were reportedly never told that they'd be working as Facebook moderators and would have to view disturbing content as part of the job. Motaung said the first video he watched was of someone being beheaded and that he was fired after six months on the job for trying to spearhead workers' unionization efforts. A Time report looking into the working conditions of the office where Motaung worked revealed that several employees suffered from mental trauma due to to their jobs. Sama, which positions itself as an "ethical AI" company providing "dignified digital work" to people in places like Nairobi, has on-site counselors. Workers generally distrusted the counselors, though, and Sama reportedly rejected counselors' advice to let workers take wellness breaks throughout the day anyway. As for Motaung, he said in the lawsuit that his job was traumatizing and that he now has a fear of death. "I had potential. When I went to Kenya, I went to Kenya because I wanted to change my life. I wanted to change the life of my family. I came out a different person, a person who has been destroyed," he noted. The lawsuit also mentioned how Motaung was made to sign a non-disclosure agreement and how he was paid less than promised 40,000 Kenyan shillings or around $350. The report by Time said employees left in droves due to the poor pay and working conditions. Harrowing stories of Facebook moderators having to watch traumatizing videos and working in poor conditions aren't new and come from all over the world, including the US. In fact, the company agreed to pay its US content moderators part of a class action lawsuit $52 million back in 2020. Those who were diagnosed with psychological conditions related to their work got a payout of up to $50,000. Meta's Nairobi office told The Post that it requires its "partners to provide industry-leading pay, benefits and support." It added: "We also encourage content reviewers to raise issues when they become aware of them and regularly conduct independent audits to ensure our partners are meeting the high standards we expect of them." A decade after Google Glass made its debut at I/O 2012, Google is working on a new set of augmented reality glasses. The company teased the device at I/O 2022, sharing a short clip that showed off some of its capabilities. We saw an "early prototype" of the wearable transcribe a conversation in real-time, effectively providing captions for the wearer. Google also showed demoed the prototype translating a conversation from English into Spanish, allowing a non-English speaker to carry out a conversation with the Google employee speaking to them. Google didn't say when it plans to release the wearable it showed off today. We'll also note the teaser video the company played during its presentation included text at the bottom of the frame that said what it was showcasing was a "simulated point of view," suggesting the final interface may look dramatically different from the one Google showed off today. Google's cautious approach to sharing too many details before the device is ready is understandable. While Google Glass is still available to enterprise customers, it's fair to say the wearable never quite took off the way the company envisioned. In addition to privacy concerns, the "Glasshole" label made it difficult for Google to sell consumers on wearable AR. Follow all of the news from Google I/O 2022 right here! Google has inked agreements with over 300 news publications in Germany, Hungary, France, Austria, the Netherlands and Ireland that would allow it to publish snippets of their stories on Search. The tech giant has announced the development in a blog post, where it has also launched new tool that would make it easier for a lot more news publishers in Europe to get paid for their content. Publishers can find the new tool that offers an Extended News Preview (ENP) agreement with Google within the Search console. It will include information on what the offer is for exactly, how they can sign up for it and how to provide feedback. Google says all offers under the program are consistent with the rules for licensing content under the European Copyright Directive. Participants will have full control over what will appear on Search and how their content will be previewed. They can also change their preferences anytime. The European Union passed its controversial copyright law back in 2019, requiring news aggregators to pay news publishers for snippets of content that go beyond "individual words or very short extracts." A year later, Australia created a mandatory code of conduct that would also require companies to pay news outlets when they use their content. Google initially responded by removing news previews in France when the country started implementing the EU law. The tech giant eventually changed its tune, though, and started inking deals to pay publishers for their content across Europe and Australia, including News Corp. It also launched the News Showcase experience that offers some paywalled articles for free. By Nam Hyun-woo President Yoon Suk-yeol nominated Kim Kyou-hyun, former deputy director of the office of national security, as the new chief of the National Intelligence Service (NIS), according to his office, Wednesday. A Seoul National University graduate, Kim was a career diplomat and a security expert, serving as the first and second deputy director of the Office of National Security at the presidential office during the conservative Park Geun-hye administration. During the liberal Roh Moo-hyun administration, he played a role in international affairs at the defense ministry where he was involved in delicate issues such as a debate over transferring wartime operational control to the South Korean military from U.S. Forces Korea. Also, he served ranking posts at the North American bureau of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Korean embassy to the U.S. During the presidential campaign, he assisted Yoon in drafting his diplomatic policies as a special adviser. Kim needs to go through a National Assembly hearing, but does not require legislative approval, thus Yoon is expected to name him regardless of moves at the Assembly. He was previously investigated by prosecutors for allegedly manipulating the timeframe of reports on the sinking of the Sewol ferry in 2014 to former President Park, but was not punished. During Park's impeachment trial in 2017, Kim said Park was not responsible for the deadly accident. For the first deputy director position, Yoon appointed Kwon Chun-taek, a former chief of staff to the NIS chief and a diplomat. He is now secretary-general of U.N. Global Compact Network Korea. Google plans to finally launch its new smart home industry standard called Matter this fall. Devices will all connect quickly and easily using Fast Pair and the platform will support a variety of voice assistants and networking protocols. Those include Alexa, Google Assistant, Siri as well as WiFi, Thread and Bluetooth LE. While Fast Pair feature has been used for headphones and audio gear, the company is working to use it for more things, including syncing lightbulbs and smart plugs with Android and Nest devices. You'll be able to scan a code with your phone to get things rolling, which should be quicker and easier than the current method for adding new gear to your arsenal. The company first announced Matter in 2019, although back then it was known as Project Connected Home over IP (Project CHIP). At I/O 2021, Google announced a redesign to its smart home Developer Center to include all the tools developers would need to make product compatible with the standard. Matter was delayed until 2022 last August and the fall timeline now means Google has pushed it out yet again. The delayed launch was supposed to happen in the first half of this year. Still, after all of the roadblocks, the promise of a more seamless process for adding devices to your smart home from a wide range of companies is a compelling one. Follow all of the news from Google I/O 2022 right here! Google is using I/O 2022 to unveil (and flaunt) a host of privacy and security upgrades, including some significant features for online shopping. The company is introducing virtual payment cards on Android and Chrome that promise extra security by replacing the real card number with a digital counterpart. It should be faster, too, as you won't have to enter the CVV or other details that frequently slow you down. Virtual cards will be available in the US this summer for American Express, Mastercard, Visa and Capital One holders. This isn't as ambitious a financial project as Google's defunct Plex banking service, but it may be useful if you're worried a hacker might scrape your payment details while you're checking out. Other additions are subtler, but potentially useful. Google now protects Workspace users against phishing and malware in Docs, Sheets and Slides, not just Gmail. You should also see the safety status in apps to let you know when your Google account is at risk. Google is also making it easier to control data. On top of plans to let you remove contact details from search results (still in a months-long rollout), you'll also have the option to see more or less of certain brands and categories in ads through My Ad Center. You won't just be limited to blocking or reporting content. The expansions come alongside ongoing efforts. Google is automatically enrolling users in two-factor authentication to reduce account hijacking. It's also scaling back the volume of sensitive personal info, anonymizing that content and curbing access through technologies like end-to-end encryption and the secure enclaves on modern phones. Yes, Google is partly touting these features to counter long-running accusations of less-than-stellar privacy, but they might be welcome if you're jittery about trusting the company with your data. Follow all of the news from Google I/O 2022 right here! Google Wallet is coming back as a standalone feature, the company announced at its I/O 2022 keynote today. Wallet will be the place to store digital versions of cards and other personal documents, while Google Pay will remain the place for contactless payments. Wallet will store payment cards, transit passes, memberships, tickets, airline travel information and vaccine passports, among other documents. You'll be able to make payments in-store with Google Wallet anywhere Pay is accepted. Google will start rolling out the new Wallet to Android and Wear OS devices in the coming weeks. The company has plans to add digital IDs and driver's licenses to Wallet later this year. Here's how Google product manager Dong Min Kim describes some of Wallet's non-payment features: "If you saved your boarding pass for a flight to Google Wallet, it will notify you of delays and gate changes. When you head to a concert, youll receive a notification on your phone beforehand, reminding you of your saved tickets. Wallet also works with other Google apps for instance if youre taking the bus to see a friend and look up directions in Google Maps, your transit card and balance will show up alongside the route. If you're running low on fare, you can tap and add more." Since going live in 2011, Google Wallet acted as a storage space for digital cards and as a hub for sending and requesting money. Google essentially killed Wallet in 2018 when it consolidated its digital payment services under one app, Google Pay. The company revamped Google Pay in late 2020 as it attempted to compete more directly with services like Venmo, but there was no word about a separate Wallet at the time. Rumors about a revamped Wallet dropped in April, so today's news isn't a complete surprise. Follow all of the news from Google I/O 2022 right here! Amazon has one less legal challenge to worry about. An appeals court today dismissed a lawsuit by New York State Attorney General Letitia James against the company for its coronavirus safety protocols and alleged retaliation against workers, reported Reuters. In its ruling, the court said that since federal labor law preempts state labor law, National Labor Relations Board should serve as the forum for the dispute. It also pointed to a separate NLRB case over fired employee Gerald Bryson and said it contained essentially the same allegations of retaliation, and argued there was a risk of interference over the NLRBs jurisdiction. The lawsuit filed last year accused Amazon of subjecting workers from two Staten Island facilities to unsafe conditions during the pandemic. It also alleged that Amazon retaliated against former employees Christian Smalls and Derrick Palmer now of the Amazon Labor Union by firing them after they protested the companys working conditions. Just a few days earlier, Amazon filed its own lawsuit against the New York State attorney generals office in an effort to stop the investigation. Last month, it appeared that luck was on the NY State attorney generals side when a federal judge denied Amazons bid to transfer the lawsuit. But the New York Court of Appeals today not only reversed this decision, it dismissed claims in the state attorney generals lawsuit that Amazon violated COVID-19 health and safety protocols. The appeals court stated that since New York States coronavirus workplace protocols have since been lifted, the lawsuit's efforts to get Amazon to comply with them were moot. Throughout the pandemic, Amazon has failed to provide a safe working environment for New Yorkers, putting their health and safety at risk. As our office reviews the decision and our options moving forward, Attorney General James remains committed to protecting Amazon workers, and all workers, from unfair treatment, wrote Morgan Rubin, a spokesperson for the attorney general, in a statement to Engadget. Engadget has reached out to Amazon for comment on the lawsuit and will update if we hear back. Sonos devices have supported Amazons Alexa voice assistant for almost five years now. The Sonos One from 2017 was the first speaker the company made with built-in microphones, and almost every speaker its made since has worked with Alexa, not to mention Google Assistant. Despite supporting those popular services, though, Sonos has decided to build its own voice assistant. Dubbed Sonos Voice Control, the feature is specifically designed to work with music only, so this isnt exactly a competitor to Alexa and Google Assistant. Instead, its meant to control your music as quickly as possible, and with privacy in mind. Oh yeah, and it's voiced by none other than Giancarlo Esposito. Sonos Sonos Voice Control will be available on every Sonos speaker that has a microphone, going all the way back to the first-generation Sonos One. Like other voice assistants, you use a wake phrase (Hey Sonos) to get the speakers attention. From there, you can ask it to play songs, albums or artists from Apple Music, Amazon Music, Deezer or Pandora. You can also ask it to play stations from Sonos Radio. Nope, Spotify and YouTube Music arent available right now, though Sonos says it plans to add more services in the future. As I alluded to earlier, Sonos Voice Control isnt a full-fledged Alexa competitor. You cant ask it for the weather or to add items to your to-do list; instead, its specifically tailored for music and controlling your Sonos system. That means you can ask Sonos to move music youre playing from one speaker to another, or to play on all the connected speakers in your house. Simple commands like volume and skipping tracks work, as well. Those limited commands, plus play and pause controls, will even work on Bluetooth speakers like the Roam and Move when theyre not connected to WiFi. Sonos also promises that setup will be a simple matter of turning on the feature in the Sonos app since youre not connecting to a third-party system, you dont have to bounce between multiple apps to get things working here. You may be wondering why youd use Sonos Voice Control over one of the other voice assistants that work with its speakers. The company thinks privacy will be a big selling point here, as it cites research that a lot of people who dont set up voice commands on Sonos speakers do so because of privacy concerns. But Sonos Voice Control gets around that by doing everything on-device the company was explicit about this in a press conference, saying that no voice commands are saved or sent off the device back to Sonos. This has another benefit: Sonos Voice Control is fast. Most of the time, theres no need for the speaker to verbally respond to your query, so you just ask it to play a song and the song plays. Obviously, well need to do more testing with the softwares final version, but in a demo I saw earlier this week, the performance was extremely impressive. When I ask smart speakers to play music, theres usually a noticeable pause as the speaker pings the internet and starts streaming music. Most of the time, the assistant also repeats what you asked for before it starts playing. But with Sonos Voice Assistant, theres no verbal response, and the time it takes to process and understand commands seems to be much faster than when I use Google Assistant or Alexa on my Sonos speakers. In my unscientific testing, Alexa is definitely faster than Google Assistant for most queries, but the Sonos assistant seemed faster still. If youre already using Alexa on your Sonos speakers, you can add the Sonos Voice Assistant to work alongside Alexa. You can use the Hey Sonos wake phrase to control your music and still ask Alexa to do all the things it can do. Unfortunately, though, thats not the case with Google Assistant; you can only use Googles voice commands or Sonos, not both. In the past Sonos has alluded to Google being the reason that you couldnt use both Alexa and the Google Assistant on its speakers, and that appears to be the case here, too. As for how Sonos landed on Giancarlo Esposito for their voice assistant, the company says it considered numerous different options, including computer-generated male, female and gender-neutral options. But ultimately, the company wanted to go with a voice that would be familiar to many users one that had more personality than youd get from a generic voice. That said, you dont hear Esposito talk too much, as the system is designed to talk back to you only when you directly ask it for information, like what song is playing. Sonos says it will add more voices over time as Voice Control arrives in more regions, but a company spokesperson declined to say whether they would come from well-known actors like Esposito. Sonos Voice Control is set to arrive in the US on June 1st, followed by France later this year. After launching a new version of Wear OS in collaboration with Samsung last I/O, Google is back with more updates. At this year's I/O developer conference, the company unveiled features coming to Android 13 and a new Google Wallet, as well as emergency SOS coming to Wear OS. Google also shared that there are now three times more Wear OS devices this year as there were last year and that new devices from Samsung, Montblanc, Mobvoi and Fossil are coming. Google didn't provide much detail about those devices, though it did later say that more third-party apps were also coming to Wear OS, including SoundCloud and Deezer. Samsung published a blog post sharing that Galaxy Watch 4 owners can soon download the Google Assistant for "faster and more natural voice interactions, enabling quick answers and on-the-go help." The Galaxy Watch 4 will also get voice control for Spotify via the Assistant, allowing them to change songs using their voice. Samsung promised that more Google apps and services will be optimized for Galaxy Watches later this year. Google also unveiled the Pixel Watch, which, unsurprisingly, will run the new Wear OS. It will also feature deep integration with Fitbit for better activity tracking, though other details on the device were sparse as the company prepares to actually launch it in the fall. Follow all of the news from Google I/O 2022 right here! Rural mud house renovation program benefits villagers in NW Chinas Shaanxi province 09:37, May 11, 2022 By Gong Shijian ( People's Daily Photo taken on April 23, 2022 shows renovated houses in Dahe village, Shimen township, Langao county, northwest Chinas Shaanxi province. (Photo/Chen Yanan) Twenty-two households in Dahe village, northwest Chinas Shaanxi province recently renovated and upgraded their mud houses under a local government-funded program, which has brought a new look to the village. The 22 houses now look beautiful and clean with white outer walls and blue tiles on the top. Besides, they are all equipped with flush toilets, hardened flooring and ceramic countertops. We just love living in a house like this, said Tan Xianhua, a 67-year-old villager of Dahe village, which sits in Shimen township, Langao county. He said his house was almost as functional and comfortable as urban apartments after renovation, and he was having a great time living in it. Responding to its residents aspiration, the government of the Langao county has funded the renovation and upgrading over 10,000 mud houses of 3,067 households since this year. Villagers dry vegetables in front of their newly renovated house in Dahe village, Shimen township, Langao county, northwest Chinas Shaanxi province. (Photo/Chen Yanan) Langao is a mountainous county where most of the residential buildings were constructed with mud in the last century. Among the 170,000 residents in the county, 150,000 were living in mud houses as of 2000. Most of the mud houses were built long ago. The walls had been mottled and blackened with soot. There were pits on the floors and leaks on the ceiling. These houses were uninhabitable and had safety hazards, said Liu Wenming, director of the housing and urban-rural development bureau of Langao county. Earlier this year, Langao county invested 100 million yuan ($14.84 million) to subsidize residents upgrading the rooftops, windows and doors, floorings, walls and outer walls, kitchens, bathrooms, animal pens and circuits of mud houses, aiming to improve the quality and functions of the houses, as well as the overall environment. While the mud house renovation program was advancing, some abandoned buildings needed to be demolished, which might hurt the interests of part of the villagers. Therefore, Langao county requested its primary-level cadres to carry out the renovation work in a flexible manner. Peoples affairs shall be discussed by the people, not purely decided by the cadres. What remains after the demolishing shall fit into the surrounding environment and meet peoples demands, said Lu Xiuhuai, an official directing the renovation program in Shimen township dispatched by Langao countys housing and urban-rural development bureau. Langao county, when implementing the mud house renovation program, has always adhered to a bottom-up approach and solicited opinions from the villagers. In a steadfast and orderly manner, it advanced the program according to local conditions and demolished 220 abandoned and illegal buildings. Not a single dispute emerged. For Pang Qimei, a 39-year-old villager from Chaoyang village, Zuolong township, the benefits of the renovation program are multifaceted. The solid new rooftop has put an end to leakage, and the floors, which were pitted in the old days, have become hardened and flattened. Besides, there is a shower room to take a convenient bath, and the countertop and the whole kitchen are now covered with clean white ceramic tiles. Villagers cook in a newly renovated kitchen in Chaoyang village, Zuolong township, Langao county, northwest Chinas Shaanxi province. (Photo/Chen Yanan) Pang and her husband made some money these years, so they were planning to buy an apartment in the city once they had enough savings. Therefore, they did not intend to renovate their house at the beginning. But we didnt have enough money to buy an apartment in the city. Even if we did, we would still face heavy economic burdens. Thanks to the renovation program, we upgraded our house, so we are no longer in a rush to buy an apartment in the city, Pang told Peoples Daily. This spring, the woman started cultivation and planted two mu (0.13 hectares) of crops. She said she would go back to her familiar ground - poultry farming, when her husband returns. Conforming to the aspiration of the people, the renovation program aims to bring a better life to the people and lead them to common prosperity, said Ma Hongwei, Party head of Langao county. (Web editor: Hongyu, Liang Jun) By Kim Hak-sun The war started when Russia with its convoy of Z-painted tanks and armaments invaded the sovereign country of Ukraine, on Feb. 24. The fierce fighting has been going on for more than two months now and the whole world has been watching what is happening in the country through various news networks and social media platforms. It is heartbreaking to see the graphic images every day. In particular, the Russian atrocities in Bucha, Kramatorsk and Mariupol have been incredibly disturbing. The world has been condemning the carnage while becoming more united. While providing military, financial and humanitarian assistance to Ukraine, countries have been imposing sanctions too, not only at the state-to-state level but also at the individual level, in particular on Russia's oligarchs. Russia is accused of war crimes, but Russia denies them all, saying that they are staged acts. In return, U.S. President Joe Biden said, "Putin should be held accountable for war crimes in Ukraine." Many experts assure us that it will be possible to bring war criminals to justice when all the evidence, including satellite images, radio transmissions and videos, on all the platforms available in this digital age, are submitted to the International Criminal Court in The Hague, Netherlands. According to reports, the U.N. voted to suspend Russia from the Human Rights Council, and the U.N., along with the Red Cross, helped about 100 people escape from the besieged Azovstal steelworks in Mariupol recently. Nevertheless, people including Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Pope Francis, question the purpose of the U.N., saying that the U.N. is not functioning effectively for world security and peace and that the organization needs major reforms. About 70 years ago, Korea was in a similar situation to what Ukraine is now facing. When I was young, my mother used to tell us her testimony about the 1950-53 Korean War. My father went to fight on the front and my mom stayed with her one-year-old toddler, my elder sister, and my two young uncles fled Seoul to go down to the port city of Busan for safety. The family started walking toward the south and miraculously managed to get on an evacuees' jam-packed train along the way. She described so vividly how cold the weather was, how many meals they had to miss, how many people died around them on the way and how painful the journey was. North Korea invaded South Korea, crossing the 38th parallel on June 25, 1950. Upon learning of the invasion, on June 27, the U.N. Security Council (UNSC) "passed two emergency resolutions condemning the North Korean invasion and requesting sanctions against it." It happened at the request of the United States and in the absence of the Soviet Union. Then in September, the UNSC recommended that "member nations furnish aid to South Korea." General Douglas MacArthur, the supreme U.N. commander, started "directing the joint military forces of 16 nations in Korea" to fight against the invaders. North Korea pushed extremely ill-equipped South Korea all the way down to the Busan area in a few days. Then, Gen. MacArthur executed the historic Incheon landing, which became a game-changer in that war. The Korean War lasted three years, but unfortunately, the two Koreas are still at war technically. Nevertheless, South Korea was very fortunate to get military assistance in time from the United Nations "to push up North Korea across the 38th parallel line to keep democracy intact." Gen. MacArthur's victory at Incheon was a pivotal moment and his words sum up perfectly the importance of that stage in the war. "By the grace of merciful providence, our forces fighting under the standard of that greatest hope and inspiration of mankind, the United Nations, have liberated this ancient capital city of Korea. It has been freed from the despotism of communist rule and its citizens once more have the opportunity for that immutable concept of life which holds invincibly to the primacy of individual liberty and personal dignity " Despite continuous Russian bombardment, Ukraine seems to be standing firm as a state, functioning fairly well under resolute leadership and with its courageous people. Ukrainians say that they will fight for their country to the end. Some military experts say that this war may last months or years. Ukrainians crying out for help, as seen in Zelenskyy's speeches, including one given to the South Korean parliament, more weapons and financial support are needed to save lives and defend democracy. This Ukraine crisis is also creating global implications, which concerns us all in various ways. While helping Ukraine do well in the next phase of the war, countries should keep making their utmost efforts to end the war, leading Russia to the diplomatic table as soon as possible. Finally, I want to say to the Ukrainian people that we, the morally obligated, are aware of what is going on in the Eastern European nation and we are with them, hoping for the best. Kim Hak-sun ( hskim9@hotmail.com ) holds a Ph.D. in international studies and is an adjunct professor of Korean studies at the University of Maryland Global Campus. The Maghreb, namely Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia and Libya, is increasingly suffering from water scarcity, among others due to the over-exploitation and mismanagement of water resources. Climate change worsens these pressures, causing more intense and frequent droughts, floods and fires, and making rainfall patterns less reliable throughout the year. Water scarcity can disrupt agricultural production and access to drinking water. Poorer and marginalized groups become even less able to meet their basic needs, making society as a whole more vulnerable to economic, political and climate shocks. Being less resilient to shocks does not sentence a country to eruptions of violent conflict but makes it more difficult to anticipate and respond to them. Water scarcity, when combined with other socio-economic and political grievances, can drive instability. This is now a risk in Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia, where water scarcity is adding to food and energy crises. In Libya, the war has pushed concerns about water security down the agenda. Most Maghreb countries are undergoing rapid urbanization and have large agricultural sectors that are vulnerable to climate change. However, people do not prioritize water scarcity issues, and governments have limited capacity and willingness to invest in making water supply more resilient. To that end, the EU has significant political and economic stakes in the Maghreb. Thus it is in the European Unions interest to help the Maghreb to improve water security both to be consistent with its own commitments to social and climate justice, and to prevent conflict. The EU has been increasing its investments in water management in the Maghreb as part of its wider climate and sustainable development priorities in the region, but it could do more: Firstly, the EU should create a dedicated water and climate strategy for the Maghreb. This strategy would help identify how EU policies should complement each other. It would ensure that some EU activities, such as the proposed expanded trade agreements with Morocco and Tunisia, do not perpetuate unsustainable practices or further degrade the environment. But these investments require the coherent use of different policies. Together with its member-states, the EU should also create a dedicated water and climate strategy for the Maghreb, consulting regional partners. The EU and its member states should also continue the important investment they are already making in helping Maghreb partners develop solutions to water insecurity, like improving irrigation systems, developing drought resistant crops, repairing deficient water infrastructure and investing in alternative water sources like desalination technology. But water security is not only a humanitarian or development priority: the EU should also view it as a means of conflict prevention. By investing now in human well-being, for which water security is a prerequisite, the EU will be able to help countries in the Maghreb prevent or at least reduce the impact of socio-economic, political and potentially humanitarian challenges later. Secondly, the EU should address water scarcity together with social justice issues. The most vulnerable and marginalized groups in society experience higher levels of water scarcity and are least able to cope. They are also especially susceptible to climate shocks. The EU should support civil society organizations in putting environmental, climate and social justice issues on the political agenda. People who are already marginalized and poorer are disproportionally affected by water insecurity. Increased water insecurity will further widen these inequalities in the coming years. If Maghreb governments are to address water insecurity sustainably, they cannot treat it as separate from social justice issues. Maghreb governments therefore need to take their citizens long-standing calls for greater government accountability seriously. Civil society is an important but undervalued player in putting environmental, natural resource and climate justice issues on the political agenda. Civil society organizations can also advise the authorities on the best ways to organize water service provision in a way that meets the needs of local populations. The EU can support civil society organizations financially, since many of them face institutional, financial and socio-political hurdles to their operations. Thirdly, the EU is rightly providing climate finance in the Maghreb, but it should put more emphasis on climate change adaptation (as opposed to mitigation) to support people in the region in becoming more resilient to climate shocks. Climate change is already threatening natural resources and societies in the region, so mitigation efforts alone will not suffice. The EU should shift to a more equal balance between its investments in climate change mitigation and adaptation. The EU should also think beyond narrow aims of carbon emissions reductions, and take a broader perspective by focusing on the protection of ecosystems and the regeneration of the earths natural resources, because a rich and diverse environment is more resilient. Adopting such an approach in policy planning would be a step towards ensuring that human development takes place within the local environments boundaries. Local municipalities, civil society organizations and the private sector can all help with policy planning and implementation, especially at the local level. Financial and technical support to them should stay an integral part to the EUs adaptation efforts, as they often lack the resources and connections necessary to carry out their work. European policy-makers tend to react seriously to instability only once violent conflict has already started. In the case of Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia, they have an opportunity to act preventively. Failure to invest in sustainable and equitable access to water could lead to more instability not far down the road. Achieving water security, in particular in the politically fragile Maghreb, is more difficult because of a lack of economic, institutional and political resilience. At the same time, water insecurity can further weaken the capacity of societies to respond to environmental and climate shocks. European policy-makers should view investing in water security as a conflict prevention strategy. Once a political and humanitarian crisis takes root, as in Libya, achieving sustainable development goals such as safe water gets even further out of reach. If the EU wants to avoid adding another crisis to its long list of priorities, it needs to take the challenge of the Maghrebs water security seriously. Boiling Dry: How the EU Can Help Prevent Instability in the Water-Scarce Maghreb Policy Brief by Megan Ferrando Centre for European Reform / CER. (The Policy Brief can be downloaded here: https://www.cer.eu/publications/archive/policy-brief/2022/boiling-dry-eu-help-water-scarce) Moda Victoria de Marichalar se rinde al efecto 'Letizia' y emula a su tia luciendo abdomen con un elegante diseno cut-out LONDON, May 10, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- A subsidiary of Aquadrill LLC ("Aquadrill" or the "Company") has entered into a memorandum of agreement (the "Agreement") for the sale of the semisubmersible drilling unit the "Capricorn" (the "Rig"), in its current condition together with everything belonging to it on board or onshore, with PETRO RIO JAGUAR PETROLEO LTDA., a subsidiary of Petro Rio S.A. (the "Buyer") for USD 40.0 million (the "Purchase Price"). Arctic Offshore Rig acted as the broker in the sale and purchase of the Rig. The Rig is expected to be used by the Buyer on its own acreage in Brazil, thereby removing it from open market tenders for drilling units. As partial payment of the Purchase Price, Aquadrill has received a non-refundable exclusivity fee of USD 1.0 million. Under the terms of the Agreement, a deposit of USD 4.0 million is due from the Buyer on or before June 22, 2022. If this agreement is terminated prior to payment of the deposit, only the exclusivity fee is retained by Aquadrill. The balance of the Purchase Price is due upon delivery and completion of the sale, which must take place by August 5, 2022. Closing of the transaction is subject to customary closing procedures and conditions. FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS This news release includes forward looking statements. Such statements are generally not historical in nature, and specifically include statements about the Company's plans, strategies, business prospects, changes and trends in its business, the markets in which it operates and its restructuring efforts. These statements are made based upon management's current plans, expectations, assumptions and beliefs concerning future events impacting the Company and therefore involve a number of risks, uncertainties and assumptions that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in the forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this news release. Consequently, no forward-looking statement can be guaranteed. When considering these forward-looking statements, you should keep in mind the risks described from time to time in the Company's regulatory filings and periodical reporting. The Company undertakes no obligation to update any forward looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date on which such statement is made or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events. New factors emerge from time to time, and it is not possible for the Company to predict all of these factors. Further, the Company cannot assess the impact of each such factor on its business or the extent to which any factor, or combination of factors, may cause actual results to be materially different from those contained in any forward looking statement. CONTACT: aquadrill@aquadrilloffshore.com This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com The United States believes that Russian President Vladimir Putin is preparing for a long conflict in Ukraine and a Russian victory in the Donbas region east of the country might not end the war, U.S. Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines said. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Its rare that a 100-plus year old house located in a neighborhood that has seen plenty of bad times remains as unscathed as Kym Ricketts-Morris and Eric Morris home in resurgent Beacon Hill. Built in 1910, the home was never abandoned, never vandalized and never sectioned into apartments. Instead it was for the most part well taken care of by a succession of owners who appreciated and protected its architectural integrity save for the occasional shag carpet. And as the homes latest custodians, the couple hopes to continue that tradition. The fact that the house is still here 110 years later is amazing, said Morris, who is retired from the Army and is now a social worker with the South Alamo Regional Alliance for the Homeless. And we do feel the responsibility to try to ensure that that continues, no matter how long we live here. When the couple moved to San Antonio two years ago, they initially thought they wanted to live in King William, but quickly discovered homes there were out of their price range. So we started looking around, and when we drove up to this one we said, Thats our house, said Ricketts-Morris, a master sergeant and Army combat medic at Joint Base San Antonio. The five-bedroom, 2 -bathroom house has two stories with porches on both floors and a handsome gabled roof. On ExpressNews.com: 1927 Alta Vista home gets modern addition in San Antonio Its super comfortable and warm and welcoming, Ricketts-Morris explained as their youngest son, 6-year-old Luke, buzzed about. We do a lot of entertaining, and the house is nicely set up for that. Theres still a lot about the house that remains a mystery, however. They suspect, for example, that it was a kit house, sold by mail order and shipped by railroad to San Antonio for assembly. Weve been in some other homes in the neighborhood, and they also have things like this, said Ricketts-Morris, gesturing to the built-in serving buffet in the dining room thats topped with a gorgeous stained glass window. The stained glass has different patterns, but apparently this was a popular option in these kit houses. Other details they believe are original to the house or that have been there so long they might as well be include the Mission-style front and side doors, the wooden beams in the dining and living room ceilings, the wood flooring both upstairs and down and the pocket door between the foyer and the living room. Sometimes it seems like the only thing not original is the plumbing and wiring, Morris said with a grin. One of the previous owners, real estate broker Marcos Zertuche, lived there with his wife Lulu from 1995 to 2000. They did most of the restoration work, including removing plywood from the walls to expose the shiplap underneath before plastering over it. They also replaced the plumbing and made the updated the kitchen by adding modern appliances such as a dishwasher. On ExpressNews.com: Monte Vista Home Tour features homes of Trinity University The downstairs floors were covered by this red shag carpet, he said. When we pulled it up, there was this beautiful oak flooring underneath. Upstairs it was long-leaf pine. It was all still in very good shape, so all we had to do was refinish it. Today the home is mostly furnished with many of the French and German antiques the couple collected during their postings in Europe. We found a lot of it in old barns and in estate sales, Ricketts-Morris said. Actually, it looks better here than it did in our European home, which was much more modern. The dining room table, for example, came from Spain where it had been in a home that had been vacant for 15 years. The bench seats look like small church pews, with intricate carvings along the top rails and seats that lift up for storage. Upstairs theres a hand-painted dresser they found in a barn in Germany that they bought for about 50 euros ($55) that was insured for 10,000 euros (more than $11,000). We dont know when it was made, Morris said, but you can tell it was pre-industrial because the only metal is the hinges. There arent any nails or screws, so the wood was assembled like a jigsaw puzzle. Often in an old home like this, the treasures are hidden by later additions installed by previous owners. When fixing a roof leak, for example,the ceiling tiles were removed. On ExpressNews.com: Moticello Park home went from overgrown to over the moon What was revealed was the original ceiling made of wooden boards decorated with thumb and palm prints left by the workers who installed it back when William Howard Taft was president. Theyve since decided to keep the ceiling uncovered, hand prints and all. Kitchens and baths in old homes are rarely original few modern-day homeowners have the patience to use the same appliances and fixtures their grandmothers did and the West Mulberry home is no exception. One of the previous owners, redid the upstairs bathroom, but decades ago, it seems, adding a pedestal sink and pink-and-white tile floor. Its got more of a 1950s feel instead of a 1910 feel, said Ricketts-Morris, who did her best to make the room a bit more historically accurate by adding an ornately decorated wood fireplace mantle they found on the side of a road when they lived in Washington, D.C. And when they learned that the previous owners had sold an historically accurate stove that had been in the kitchen, replacing it with a modern appliance, they found an old Hot Point model with a similar look to replace it. Its doesnt work, so instead they use the inside of the oven to store their alcohol and mixers. If not hot historically accurate, at least its efficient. Richard A. Marini is a features writer in the San Antonio and Bexar County area. Read him on our free site, mySA.com, and on our subscriber site, ExpressNews.com. | rmarini@express-news.net | Twitter: @RichardMarini JERUSALEM (AP) Veteran Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh, one of the satellite channels best-known reporters, was shot and killed on Wednesday while covering an Israeli military raid in the occupied West Bank. The broadcaster and two reporters who were with her blamed Israeli forces. Israel's defense minister, Benny Gantz, promised a transparent investigation, and said he was in touch with U.S. and Palestinian officials. The Israeli military initially suggested that Abu Akleh might have been killed by stray fire from Palestinians, but Gantz was more cautious Wednesday evening. We are trying to figure out exactly what happened," he said. "I dont have final conclusions. He said Israel asked the Palestinian medical team that performed a preliminary autopsy to hand over the fatal bullet for further examination. The head of the Palestinian forensics institute, Rayan al-Ali, said earlier Wednesday that the bullet was deformed, and that he could not yet determine who fired it. Abu Aklehs death could draw new scrutiny of Israels military justice system, which is being examined as part of a war crimes probe conducted by the International Criminal Court. It also threatened to further strain often rocky relations between the army and the international media. Now Playing: Shireen Abu Akleh, a journalist for Al Jazeera was shot and killed while covering an Israeli raid in the occupied West Bank town of Jenin early Wednesday. The Qatar-based network interrupted its broadcast to announce her death. Video: Associated Press Abu Akleh, 51, was a respected and familiar face in the Middle East, known for her coverage on Al Jazeera Arabic of the harsh realities of Israels open-ended military occupation of the Palestinians, now in its 55th year. She was widely recognized in the West Bank and was also a U.S. citizen. Her death reverberated across the region. Arab governments condemned the killing. There was also an outpouring of grief in the West Bank. In Ramallah, the seat of the Palestinian autonomy government, Abu Aklehs body, draped in a Palestinian flag and covered by a wreath of flowers, was carried through downtown streets. Hundreds chanted, with our spirit, with our blood, we will redeem you, Shireen." On Thursday, a procession was to take the body for burial in Jerusalem, where Abu Akleh was born. In east Jerusalem, dozens of mourners gathered at the family home to honor her. Lina Abu Akleh, her niece, called her my best friend, my second mom, my companion. I never thought this day would come, where the news would be about her and she wont be the one covering the news, she said. At one point, a group of Israeli police entered the home, where they were immediately met with shouts of killers and occupiers and chants to get out. It was not immediately clear why the police came, and the officers quickly left. Palestinians gathered outside the family's house on Wednesday evening, some holding Palestinian flags and posters with the journalist's photo. When the group walked toward a main thoroughfare, Israeli police tried to stop them. Scuffles ensued. Five Palestinians were hurt and about half a dozen were detained. Abu Akleh was killed by a shot to the head while on the outskirts of the Jenin refugee camp in the northern West Bank, known as a bastion of militants. Israel has conducted near-daily raids in Jenin in recent weeks following a series of deadly attacks inside Israel carried out by militants from the area. Gantz said Israeli forces came under attack by indiscriminate fire by Palestinian militants from several directions. The army released a body cam video of forces in the town while heavy fire is heard in the background. Gantz described the situation as chaotic. He said the soldiers at the scene had all been questioned, but that the investigation could only make progress with the cooperation of the Palestinian forensic team. I am very sorry for what happened, Gantz told reporters. Currently we do not know what was the direct cause of Shireens death. We are very decisive to have a full-scale investigation ... and we hope to get Palestinian cooperation on this issue." Al Jazeera accused Israel of deliberately targeting and killing our colleague. Palestinian journalists who were with Abu Akleh at the time said they made their presence known to Israeli soldiers, and that they did not see militants in the area. Abu Aklehs producer, Palestinian journalist Ali Samoudi, was hospitalized in stable condition after being shot in the back. He said any suggestion they were shot by militants was a complete lie. Relations between Israeli forces and the foreign media, especially Palestinian journalists, are strained. During last years war between Israel and Gazas militant Hamas rulers, an Israeli airstrike destroyed the building in Gaza City housing the offices of The Associated Press and Al Jazeera. Residents were warned to evacuate and no one was hurt in the strike. Israel said Hamas was using the building as a command center but has provided no evidence. The outcome of Israels military investigation will be closely watched. The International Criminal Court has opened an investigation into possible war crimes by Israel in both the occupied West Bank and the Gaza Strip. Israel does not recognize the courts jurisdiction and has called the investigation unfair and antisemitic. One of its key arguments against the probe has been that its military justice system is capable of investigating itself. The findings of its probe into Abu Akleh's death could draw new scrutiny. Hussein Al Sheikh, a top Palestinian official, said the Palestinians would transfer information on the case to the court. In New York, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, called Abu Aklehs death really horrifying and called for a transparent investigation. She said protecting American citizens and journalists was our highest priority. Thomas-Greenfield said Abud Akleh did an extraordinary interview with her in the West Bank last November. I left there feeling extraordinary respect for her," she said. The U.N. Human Rights office urged an independent, transparent investigation into her killing. Impunity must end." The White House also called for a thorough probe. Investigating attacks on independent media and prosecuting those responsible are of paramount importance," deputy press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said. At the United Nations, the Palestinian U.N. Ambassador Riyad Mansour, flanked by representatives of the Arab League and the U.N.'s Arab Group, demanded an international independent investigation. Al Jazeera, which has long had strained relations with Israel, interrupted its broadcast to announce Abu Akleh's death early Wednesday. In a statement flashed on its channel, it called on the international community to condemn and hold the Israeli occupation forces accountable for deliberately targeting and killing our colleague. It aired a video showing Abu Akleh lying motionless on the side of a road wall as another journalist crouches nearby and a man screams for an ambulance. Gunfire rings out in the background. Both reporters were wearing blue flak jackets clearly marked with the word PRESS. The video did not show the source of the gunfire. The Palestinian Authority, which administers parts of the occupied West Bank and cooperates with Israel on security matters, condemned what it said was a shocking crime committed by Israeli forces. Qatar, the Arab League and Jordan all condemned the shooting, and in the Jordanian capital of Amman, a group of journalists and activists held a solidarity march outside Al Jazeeras offices. Israelis have long been critical of Al Jazeeras coverage, but authorities generally allow its journalists to operate freely. A number of Palestinian reporters have been wounded by rubber-coated bullets or tear gas while covering demonstrations in the West Bank and east Jerusalem. Two Palestinian journalists were shot and killed by Israeli forces while filming violent protests along the Gaza frontier in 2018. In November of that year, AP cameraman Rashed Rashid was covering a protest near the Gaza frontier when he was shot in the left ankle, apparently by Israeli fire. The military has never acknowledged the shooting. The Foreign Press Association, which represents some 400 journalists working for international media, said it was appalled and deeply shocked by the killing and expressed hope that those responsible for this horrible death will be held accountable. ___ Associated Press writers Joseph Krauss in Jerusalem; Aref Tufaha in Jenin, West Bank; Jalal Hassan in Ramallah, West Bank; Isabel DeBre in Dubai, United Arab Emirates; Darlene Superville in Washington and Edith M. Lederer at the United Nations contributed to this report. MADISON, Wis. (AP) Provisions in contentious Wisconsin lame-duck legislation that require Democratic Attorney General Josh Kaul to get Republican lawmakers' permission to settle certain lawsuits are unconstitutional, a judge has ruled. The Wisconsin State Journal reported Tuesday that Dane County Circuit Judge Susan Crawford handed down her ruling on May 5. Crawford put the decision on hold while the Legislature's attorney prepares a stay request. The case is likely headed to the state Supreme Court. By Robert D. Atkinson Technological innovation is the foundation of economic progress, and research and development is the rocket fuel of innovation. That's why governments around the world provide financial support for R&D, both directly through grants and indirectly through tax incentives for companies, big and small. The logic for subsidizing corporate R&D is straightforward: the private rates of return from R&D are much smaller than the public ones. One study found that the median private rate of return from 20 prominent innovations was 27 percent. The median social rate of return, however, was 99 percent, implying substantial spillover effects. The Obama administration estimated that the social value created by one dollar of tax credit was between two and three dollars. Other studies have confirmed that the total returns to research are significantly larger than the private returns earned by the companies that pay for it. As a result, as one study showed, companies conduct significantly less research than is socially optimal. The R&D tax credit partially addresses this imbalance between private and social benefits by lowering the after-tax cost of research for firms. However, as of 2020, among the 30 OECD nations with more than 4 million people, plus the BRIC nations (Brazil, Russia, India and China), Korea's R&D tax credit support for large taxable firms ranks just 30th in its generosity. Its R&D tax credit is just 45 percent as generous as the U.S. credit, 27 percent of the median credit in these 34 nations, and just 16 percent of the credit large firms in China can receive. In other words, large firms in Korea are at a disadvantage relative to most large firms around the world when it comes to investing in R&D. The OECD reports that the implied R&D tax subsidy rate for large firms is just 12 percent of the OECD median. This is why large firms in Korea receive just 42 percent of total R&D tax credit support (with small firms getting 58 percent), large firms in the United States receive 91 percent of R&D tax credit support. This situation is not because there are more large firms in the United States doing R&D; it's because Korea is almost unique in having a severe two-tier R&D credit system with much higher incentives for small firms than for large firms. Large firms not only receive a lower credit rate, they face a ceiling on how much R&D can qualify for the credit. This limitation makes little or no sense if the goal is to maximize innovation and R&D. As I point out in "Big Is Beautiful: Debunking the Myth of Small Business," the average R&D spending per worker increases with company size, with firms with five to 99 workers spending around $790 per worker and large firms with 5,000 or more workers spending around $3,370 per worker. Likewise, innovation scholar Luc Soete found that "inventive activity seems to increase more than proportionately with firm size." According to him, minimizing support for large firms' R&D would mean reducing innovation in Korea. Given the intense race for global innovation advantage, Korea cannot afford to have such a lopsided R&D tax credit support system. Korea's large technology firms, even more than small ones, are in a battle for global market share, including with firms whose governments provide them with much more generous R&D credits. There is another reason for why the Korean government should boost its R&D incentives for large firms: it will spur growth. Virtually all scholarly research around the world has found the R&D tax incentives spur more R&D than they cost, and that this R&D spurs additional economic growth. Based on these models, the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation found that increasing the U.S. R&D credit rate by 6 percentage points would boost U.S. GDP growth by $66 billion more a year. Moreover, the tax revenues from that increased growth would exceed tax expenditure costs after 15 years. In other words, the credit would pay for itself and more. There is no reason to suspect that this would be any different in Korea, especially if increases in large firm incentives were to the incremental tax credit, rather than the flat volume credit. While Korea should do more to equalize the imbalance in how large and small firms are treated for R&D tax credit purposes, there is one step Korea should take with respect to small firms, in this case startups, and that is to make the credit refundable. This is particularly important for young firms with limited cash flow. In the United States, pre-profit startups can use the credit to offset the payroll taxes they pay to the federal government. This measure can be a useful tool to help innovative startups in Korea with limited cash flow. The race for global innovation advantage is never over. Korea has performed extremely well in that race over the last two decades. But if it wants to stay near the head of the pack, it needs to keep working at it. Fixing the R&D credit system for large firms is a key way to do that. Robert D. Atkinson (@RobAtkinsonITIF) is the president of the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation (ITIF), an independent, nonpartisan research and educational institute focusing on the intersection of technological innovation and public policy. NAMPA, Idaho (AP) A school board in southwestern Idaho has permanently banned 22 popular books from the district's libraries, including Margaret Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale and Khaled Hosseini's Kite Runner. The Nampa School Board made the vote on Monday, the Idaho Press reported, after the books were brought to the attention of the district over accusations that they contain pornography. But some of the books are rated as having little or no sexual content by Common Sense Media, an organization that provides age-based ratings for books, movies and video games. For instance, The 57 Bus, written by Dashka Slater, is described by Common Sense Media as having mention of teen pregnancy but no sexually descriptive scenes. Other books, like Leah on the Offbeat, by Becky Albertalli, include LGBTQ+ characters. Officials at the American Library Association, the National Coalition Against Censorship and other organizations say that book challenges and bans are increasing across the country, and over the past year have reached levels not seen in decades. Some Republican-led state legislatures have also increasingly targeted libraries. The Idaho House of Representatives earlier this year passed a bill that would have penalized librarians for distributing allegedly pornographic material to children, but the legislation later died in the Senate. In Idaho, the Nampa board's 3-2 vote ended a review process that was underway by district committees that included parents and staffers. The books had already been pulled from library shelves temporarily, until the review was complete, district officials said. Still, the board members said they would be interested in creating a formal process for reviewing challenged books in the future. Board member Mandy Simpson voted against banning the books. I just have a hard time with forever when a process hasnt been completed to actually analyze and look through things, Simpson said. But board member Tracey Pearson said it was too risky to wait for the review process to finish. I think its too long of a process and to have lifetime trauma to a child that does not need to be maybe experimenting (with) something theyve read its just very destructive and scary, Pearson said. Samuel Nix, the lone finalist who was expected to be named the new superintendent for the Medina Valley Independent School District, withdrew his candidacy for the job, according to a letter sent to the community from the board president, on Tuesday afternoon. While Dr. Nix appreciates being named Lone Finalist for the position of Superintendent of MVISD, he has decided to withdraw his name from consideration, wrote Mario De Leon, the board president, in a letter that was posted on the districts Facebook page. De Leon said the board will provide updates about their next steps for the superintendent search process on the district website and social media. On April 13, the school board unanimously voted for Nix from Duncanville ISD, near Dallas to be the lone finalist. At a school board meeting Thursday, just as the 21-day deadline required by state law was passing, the board discussed the lone finalist and consulted its attorney about contractual issues regarding the lone finalist in closed session, according to the meetings agenda. De Leon did not respond to multiple requests for comment. The district spokesperson referred any matters regarding the superintendent to the school board. Nix declined to comment. Nix previously worked as a teacher, assistant principal and principal at the middle and high school level in Arlington ISD. He has served as the chief of schools at Duncanville ISD since 2017. During the public comment section of the meeting Thursday, members of the community expressed that they felt Nix was not qualified for the job because he did not have enough experience dealing with district financial decisions including bond packaging and construction jobs. One public commenter, Terry Beck, whos lived in Castroville his whole life, said that he found a video of Nix online discussing a book called Courageous Conversations about Race. The author believes both race and racism both individual and institutional form plays a primary role in students struggle to achieve more, Beck said. As a parent, I could not disagree more. Good parenting plays a far more important role in our students achieving success. I personally have no doubt that racism exists in certain areas among certain people, however Ive been here my entire life, and I can honestly say it does not exist here, Beck said. My observations have been that the ones that appear to discuss this topic and filter it towards others are the ones that sometimes make the matters worse. A previous version of this story stated the incorrect day of the week for when the school board meeting occurred. The school board meeting occurred last Thursday. claire.bryan@express-news.net The Rey Feo Consejo Educational Scholarship Foundation has announced the names of the two candidates who will wear the crown of Rey Feo during Fiesta for the next two years. Laurence Larry Kurth and John McFadden Sr. were named as the two Rey Feo, or Ugly King, candidates during an announcement made by the foundation Tuesday at Rosarios Mexican Restaurant. Kurth will serve as Rey Feo for Fiesta 2023, while McFadden will reign for Fiesta 2024. Also known as Fiestas Peoples King, Rey Feo is elected by members of the foundation, which supports the Rey Feo Scholarship Program. Since 1947, the foundation made up of former kings and business and civic leaders has awarded $8 million to more than 6,000 students in the San Antonio area. Since 1980, Rey Feo along with Feria de las Flores Queen, who also is selected by the Rey Feo Consejo Educational Foundation, have been part of the Fiesta celebration, participating in all four of the events major parades. Both Rey Feo and Feria de las Flores Queen help raise funds for scholarships. Kurth is a board-certified litigator who is the managing partner of Akerman law firm in San Antonio. He has been involved in several Fiesta events since 1991. He was a member of both the Rey Feo Consejo Educational Foundation board and the Fiesta San Antonio Commission, serving as commission president in 2005. McFadden is a retired Air Force colonel who served for 22 years. He will be the first Rey Feo to be a retired military service member. A former fighter pilot, McFadden is a member of the Rey Feo Consejo Educational Foundation and has served on the Fiesta Commission on the host and membership committees. He was an elected commissioner of the Fiesta Commission Board for three years. In addition, McFadden was a member of Rey Feo 73 Augie Cortezs court as the safety minister, who ensured Fiesta remained safe during the COVID-19 pandemic. As safety minister, he conducted weekly COVID-19 testing for each court member and their significant others as well as additional testing if needed. According to the Rey Feo Scholarship Foundation, every year the foundation and the Consejo Real de Reyes Feos Anteriores, which comprises former Reyes Feos, select two prominent businessmen to compete for the title of Rey Feo. Typically, the candidate who raises the most money from May to October is declared next years Rey Feo, with the runner-up serving as Rey Feo for the following year. But this time around, the two are campaigning together in order to raise the most money possible, and theyve agreed that Kurth will get the title for 2023 and McFadden will do so for 2024. The duties of Rey Feo are to raise funds for the Rey Feo Scholarship Foundation and to be a goodwill ambassador for the city throughout the year. He and his court visit nursing homes, hospitals, orphanages and more than 60 elementary schools, encouraging young people to stay in school, respect their teachers and parents, be good citizens and pursue a higher education. The term Rey Feo dates back to Spanish medieval times, when the King of Spain had distanced himself from his subjects and chose to fill his court with only the beautiful, rich and aristocratic, according to the Rey Feo website. This caused people to resent the king and one day a crowd gathered in a plaza and proclaimed one of their own their own as the Ugly King, or the Peoples King. DDeKunder@express-news.net The widow of Jesse Aguirre Sr., who died during an encounter with San Antonio police on a West Side freeway in 2013, has agreed to settle a federal lawsuit over his death. Court papers filed Wednesday do not disclose the terms of the deal but said the proposal will soon be taken to the City Council. Cuffed and face down, Aguirre, 37, who had been behaving erratically, died April 12, 2013, with the weight of three San Antonio police officers on him for five-and-a-half minutes along U.S. 90, police cam-dash video of the incident shows. Aguirre family, Courtesy His lawyers and activists later called it the George Floyd case of San Antonio, comparing it to the 2020 Minnesota case in which Floyd was suffocated by the weight of a police officer on his neck. On April 12, 2013, the San Antonio Police Department did leave me without a husband and my son without a father, his widow, Blanca Aguirre, said at a news conference last year. And. ... the officers that were involved do need to be held accountable for what they did. This needs to stop. This is an ongoing thing, and it keeps happening. This needs to come to an end. Messages seeking comment from Aguirre and her lawyers were not returned Wednesday. City spokeswoman Laura Mayes said she did not have the settlement amount, but the information would be released when it appears on the City Council agenda. Aguirre ran onto U.S. 90 after arguing with a girlfriend and crashing a car. The officers initially appeared to try to get Aguirre out of the way of highway traffic by cuffing him and flipping him head-first over a concrete median barrier. They then moved him to the hood of a patrol car and soon after put him onto the roadway. Officers said they had to forcibly subdue him because he was resisting. On ExpressNews.com: Appeals court finds judge wrongly granted qualified immunity to police in 2013 death of man on U.S. 90 Now Playing: San Antonio police dashcam videos contradict the officers' stories and could help the widow of Jesse Aguirre overcome the immunity hurdle on her claims that police used excessive force. Video: San Antonio Express-News The Bexar County medical examiner ruled that Aguirre died from excited delirium associated with cocaine and ethanol intoxication. He had a mix of cocaine and alcohol in his system. Blanca Aguirres lawyers claimed the death was from the way police restrained and pinned him down. The autopsy found several scratches and bruises to Aguirres face and hands that were considered minor. The report classified Aguirres death as a homicide, but a medical examiner previously clarified in July 2013 that it is not necessarily a legal finding. Anytime a person is touched or restrained by an officer and they die, the death is ruled a homicide per industry standards, the medical examiner said at the time. The officers were not criminally charged. The lawsuit filed by his widow appeared at an end years later, when Senior U.S. District Judge David Ezra ruled in favor of the city and five officers. But in 2021, a panel of the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans overturned a key part of Ezras ruling that had given the officers a win based on the doctrine of qualified immunity, which typically protects police in use-of-force cases. The panel, in a divided opinion, disagreed on the facts but agreed on the result: It should be up to a jury to decide whether the officers used excessive force and violated Aguirres constitutional rights. Trial had been scheduled for Monday in Ezras court, but it has been canceled, records show. It is the second lawsuit over police encounters that the city has opted to settle just before trial in the past month. Last week, the City Council approved a $450,000 settlement for the family of Antronie Scott, an unarmed Black man who was shot and killed by a San Antonio police officer in 2016. Scott was holding a cell phone that the officer thought as a gun. Both settlements came after a $10 million verdict a federal jury returned in March for the family of Gilbert Flores during a civil trial for two Bexar County sheriffs deputies who fatally shot him. Testimony and video showed Flores had his hands up in apparent surrender, but was holding a knife in one of them, when the deputies fired. In the appeals ruling in the Aguirre case, Justice James Dennis said the dash-cam video shows officer Cristina Gonzales yelling profanities at Aguirre and threatening to shoot him as he walks dangerously close to traffic along the busy highway. According to an account Dennis summarized in the ruling, officers Jennifer Morgan and Roberto Mendez arrived seconds later. Morgan aimed her gun. Mendez pulled out a Taser. Gonzales caught up with Aguirre and handcuffed him as the other officers helped flip Aguirre over the concrete median and onto the pavement. The officers then put Aguirres upper body on the hood of a police car. A little later, Aguirre still handcuffed was moved to the ground face-first and Gonzales pulled his legs up toward his buttocks. Aguirre appeared to cry out as he was held down by the weight of the police officers. After more than five minutes, Aguirre appears to lie motionless. Officers milled around for three minutes before turning him over and trying to resuscitate him, according to the ruling. In court filings this week, before the settlement was reached, city lawyers continued disputing how things unfolded, saying Aguirres head landed on the foot of officer Morgan, not directly on the blacktop. The city admitted Aguirre was taken to the ground and placed there with his hands handcuffed behind his back, but dispute that the officers took Aguirres life. Defendants admit Officer (Bettina) Arredondo at one point noticed Mr. Aguirres lips had turned blue, but believed it was drug-related based on her past experience and therefore did not communicate that to the other officers on the scene, said a city document responding to the latest version of the lawsuit. The city also argued that if Mr. Aguirre underwent any mental or physical pain or suffering prior to his death such is due solely to the illegal substances ingested by Mr. Aguirre and/or wholly disassociated with the allegations upon which this lawsuit is predicated. The citys lawyers further argued that Aguirres widow is not entitled to recover more than $600 for Aguirres funeral expenses because his mother and family paid most of them. guillermo.contreras@express-news.net | Twitter: @gmaninfedland A Texas judge who regularly presides over alcohol- and drug-related cases was arrested last weekend on suspicion of driving while intoxicated. Travis County Judge John Lipscombe, 65, told deputies that he had a couple of drinks at his house but not even to get messy, when authorities spoke with him in a North Austin hotel lobby around midnight on Saturday, according to an arrest affidavit obtained by Fox 7 Austin. You might also like: The mayor of a South Texas town died while seeking re-election. He still won the race. The Travis County Sheriffs Office was called to the parking lot of the hotel after witnesses said that Lipscombe tried to back into a parking space that already had a car in it, the news station reported. If witnesses hadn't intervened, Lipscombe would have backed into the car, according to reports. Travis County Following a verbal argument, Lipscombe drove around the parking lot and parked in a handicapped spot near the entrance of the hotel, the television station reported. When deputies arrived, Lipscombe was reportedly sitting in the lobby and appeared to be disoriented. Lipscombe refused a field sobriety test and reportedly told deputies that he had recently broken his right ankle, Fox 7 reported. On ExpressNews.com: Officials ID 16-year-old San Antonio girl who was found shot dead in a car near Pearsall Park Records show Lipscombe was booked into the Travis County jail just before 9 a.m. Saturday on charges of DWI. He bonded out two hours later. Linscombe was elected judge in January 2011, according to the countys website. In that position, Lipscombe oversees Class A and B misdemeanors, which include DWI cases. Visiting Judge David Crane took over Linscombe's court cases on Sunday. On Tuesday, public records show that more than two dozen defendants who face charges of driving while intoxicated were on Lipscombes docket. timothy.fanning@express-news.net BRACKETTVILLE After spending eight months in a Texas prison, Lester Hidalgo Aguilar walked into a small-town community center near the United States-Mexico border this week and waited for his trial to begin. Sitting in a vast, warehouse-like chamber, he listened for hours as a team of attorneys winnowed down a jury pool of about 75 local residents to six. After a lunch break, Aguilar, the jury and a swarm of county employees and attorneys from across the state moved into the local courthouse to hold trial. The court proceeding was a big event in this 1,600-person town in Kinney County, a rural border region about 100 miles west of San Antonio. With the popular local restaurant closed, a gas station clerk had to step behind the counter of the Subway during the courthouse lunch rush to help an overwhelmed employee whose co-workers were part of the jury pool. In another time or place, such a spectacle wouldnt be thought of for a case like Aguilars. After all, the 39-year-old was accused only of a misdemeanor: trespassing on private ranch land. But this case was unique among trespassing charges. Aguilar was the first migrant to stand trial in Gov. Greg Abbotts catch-and-jail initiative under Operation Lone Star, a multibillion-dollar border security crackdown launched last March in response to a sharp rise in illegal immigration. In an attempt to deter border crossings, state police have arrested more than 3,000 men in Kinney County on trespassing charges since July. The county accounts for the vast majority of Operation Lone Stars trespassing arrests, with migrants typically picked up on its many hunting ranches or at a remote railyard. The mass arrests, funneled through the court system of a town used to handling a few dozen misdemeanors a year, caused a litany of problems. Errors and delays by the local prosecutor and judge have led to illegal detentions, and the trespassing initiative has led to constitutional challenges in both state and federal courts. Other pieces of Operation Lone Star have faced criticism from Republicans and Democrats alike over deaths of Texas National Guard members and its ever increasing price tag. Out of Kinney Countys more than 3,100 reported trespassing arrests through April, 860 men have pleaded guilty, typically after spending weeks or months in prison before their first court appearance. But Aguilars was the first trespassing case to go to trial, and the county wasnt taking any chances. A large swath of local residents was called in to find six jurors. Three prosecutors sat on the bench at trial, and a fourth often stood up from the first row of public seating to whisper into their ears. And the case was heard by the areas felony-level judge, not the Kinney County judge, who typically handles misdemeanor cases. Aguilar was arrested in September about 15 miles from the Texas-Mexico border. U.S. Border Patrol agents spotted him and more than a dozen other men walking in the remote ranch land and called in the Texas Department of Public Safety to arrest the men under their new trespassing enforcement orders, according to the arrest report. I dont think I ever have been as impassioned about trying a case in a long time, Tony Hackebeil, a San Antonio attorney who led the prosecution for Kinney County, told jurors about the low-level charge Monday. Send that message, he added. Send the message to not just your community that you agree this should not be allowed to happen. But send a message as loud as you can to all of those people who are continually doing this. We just happened to pick Lester Hidalgo Aguilar. Aguilars court-appointed defense attorney, Bryan Owens, pressed the jury to remember the migrants case was not about immigration laws or border enforcement. A guilty verdict is not going to deter even one person from trying to cross the border, the attorney said. This case was only about Aguilar trespassing, he argued, and the state couldnt prove Aguilar had breached a fence to enter private property. Owen also pointed out that the woman pressing charges was not the landowner, but the landowners sister. Still, six jurors, all of whom had Spanish surnames, found Aguilar guilty of trespassing on a fenced ranch land Monday evening after deliberating for less than 20 minutes. During jury selection Monday morning, the most vocal residents made clear they were sick of an increase in migrants crossing their properties. Some told attorneys their fences had been cut or gates left open, letting their livestock out. One woman reported her sisters house had been broken into. A man said his cattle were killed. And a handful expressed a general dislike of illegals. After the jury was discharged, the Honduran national told the court that he was brought to the United States by his family when he was 6 and was raised in Florida. After a stint in jail in his early 20s, he said he was given the choice of voluntarily going back to Honduras or extended probation, and he left. There, Aguilar said, he became a family man, eventually fathering five children. But he was forced to flee from political persecution about five years ago, he said, and sought asylum in Mexico. He was trying to stay in Mexico five years to gain citizenship so he could more easily apply for a visa into the United States, he said. But he fled to Texas after four years because he said he was being targeted by cartels. While the judge weighed an appropriate jail sentence for his conviction, Aguilar showed what he said was a machete-inflicted scar on his forehead. He raised his hands to reveal only nine fingers, explaining his pinkie was taken when he was kidnapped and tortured by cartel operatives. State District Judge Roland Andrade gave Aguilar the maximum punishment for trespassing: a year in jail. But, against the wishes of the three prosecutors on the bench, Andrade declined to issue an accompanying fine, the maximum of which would be $4,000. By Monday, Aguilar had already served about eight months of that jail sentence in the two state prisons Abbott cleared out to make room for Operation Lone Star arrestees. The migrant had remained in jail before trial, unable to post $1,500 in cash to bond out. But it was not immediately clear how much longer Aguilar will actually serve. Many counties offer good time credit for misdemeanor jail sentences. In Kinney County, inmates are given a credit of three days for every one that is served, essentially turning a year sentence into four months in jail. But the sheriff was unsure how that would transfer to migrant detainees, as they are held in state prisons, not his jail. Whenever Aguilar is released, Owens assured the court the end result will be the same. After a costly imprisonment and extensive trial procedure, he said the Honduran migrant will be deported. The Texas Tribune is a nonprofit, nonpartisan media organization that informs Texans about public policy, politics, government and statewide issues. San Antonio is ready to give homeowners some tax relief through bigger homestead exemptions and a lower tax rate. The homestead exemption would increase from 0.01 percent, or a minimum of $5,000, to 10 percent in San Antonio under a draft budget for the next fiscal year presented to City Council on Wednesday. The maximum homestead exemption allowed statewide is 20 percent. North Side councilmen John Courage and Clayton Perry led the push for a larger homestead exemption, which shaves a percentage off the taxable value of a primary residence. That means a lower property tax bill at least for the citys portion. In addition, city officials are testing the waters for an increase to the homestead exemption for seniors who are at least 65 years old raising it from $65,000 to $85,000 of assessed value. The draft budget also increases the exemption for people with disabilities from $12,500 to $85,000. Mayor Ron Nirenberg promised some form of tax relief was on its way when Bexar County Appraisal District sent out updated property values earlier this year, though school districts receive the highest percentage of the tax payments. The soaring housing market fueled by high demand and tight inventory pushed the citys property tax revenue estimates higher. In one year, the average home in Bexar County rose in value from $250,806 to $309,118, a 23.2 percent increase, according to the appraisal district. Thats a sharp rise compared to recent years. City Council largely supported the property tax relief proposals Wednesday. Im all for these, Perry said. He was glad to see most of his asks property tax relief, increased police officers and infrastructure funds in the draft budget. A 10 percent homestead exemption would save about $55 total for a taxpayer whose home is assessed at $100,000. For someone with an assessed home value of $200,000, the savings would be $109. When the assessed value rises to $300,000, a homeowner would see about $164 in total savings. At least 240,000 households could take advantage of an increased homestead exemption if passed. An increased senior homestead exemption could impact around 103,000 households, while around 7,000 homes would be affected by a jump in the exemption for people with disabilities. Both seniors and disabled homeowners have a tax freeze in place as well. The proposed property tax relief measures would cut $93.8 million from the citys projected revenue up from $72.4 million this fiscal year. Helping offset such a revenue loss is the estimate that taxable value will grow by about 14 percent in San Antonio for the next fiscal year, city estimates show its the largest such jump in more than a decade. If I didnt think we could afford it, then we wouldnt put it on the table, City Manager Erik Walsh said. San Antonio is required by state law to cap its revenue growth from property taxes at 3.5 percent from the prior year. That means even with the increased homestead exemptions, the city also needs to adjust the tax rate to prevent bringing in too much revenue. City officials proposed dropping the tax rate from 55.8 cents per $100 property valuation to 54.5 cents to provide further relief. Courage and Perry have argued San Antonio can afford to lose some revenue to tax relief because of the good projections for the budget. Sales tax revenues also are up 21 percent over last year as consumers recovered from the pandemic and returned to spending more, bolstering the citys positive financial outlook. City staff said the number of hotel room nights sold in March were up 35 percent from last year, but still down 7 percent from before the pandemic. Airport travel is also down 7 percent from 2019. City Council has a July 1 deadline to approve homestead exemptions, which would be reflected on tax bills sent out this fall. Police resources The draft budget includes $29 million in new spending for various city efforts, including affordable housing and Animal Care Services. The new spending also incorporates a plan to increase San Antonios police force by 50 officers next year. Those positions would primarily be funded through a federal grant if the city receives it, although San Antonio would have to match some money about $3.6 million in its next budget. The proposal sparked some backlash from East Side Councilman Jalen McKee-Rodriguez, who has focused on policing issues and has not wanted to add to the police departments budget. He worried about the eventual cost to the city of adding grant-funded positions now. But at a goal-setting budget session last month, multiple council members, including Perry and District 8s Manny Pelaez, said they wanted to see more officers on the street to respond to a jump in crime. The draft budget also includes about $13 million for the tentative new police union contract, up for a vote at City Council on Thursday. Missing from the trial budget is an office of crime prevention proposed by McKee-Rodriguez earlier this year. The city is instead planning a related study from the University of Texas at San Antonio. The policy proposal has yet to make its way to a committee but got extra vocal support Wednesday from District 1 Councilman Mario Bravo and District 7 Councilwoman Ana Sandoval. Walsh said he would wait for the proposal to make its way to governance committee, where such policy ideas are debated by other council members. Nirenberg decides when proposals go before the committee. McKee-Rodriguez did notch one win from budget talks. City officials proposed a new funding formula for street maintenance that will determine its budget based on the condition of a street rather than the size of the road network. The East Side councilman has argued it would more equitably invest in fixing city streets. The idea has gained traction among others, including Sandoval. Thats one of the major things I had asked for, McKee-Rodriguez said. This is what equity looks like. The city will soon post an online survey for residents about the priorities in the draft budget, and the community can give feedback through the end of June. Officials will return with a proposed budget in August that will offer more details. The final budget is scheduled for a vote on Sept. 15. megan.stringer@express-news.net David Zalubowski, STF / Associated Press A San Antonio man has been arrested by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the arm of the U.S. Postal Service tasked with law enforcement, on suspicion of committing a string of robberies in the region, officials announced Tuesday. Tony Evans, also known as Tony Tre Von Evans and Tony Trevon Evans, 24, is accused of stealing postal keys from mail carriers in July and August in San Antonio and last month in Austin, according to a U.S. Department of Justice news release. It added that he brandished a firearm during two of the robberies. San Antonio College President Robert H. Vela Jr. is the sole finalist to be the next president of Texas A&M University- Kingsville. His appointment could be confirmed next week. Texas A&M University System Chancellor John Sharp recommended Vela to the systems board of regents, which approved the choice at a special meeting late last month. The decision can be finalized only after a 21-day waiting period. Dr. Vela knows and loves Texas A&M University-Kingsville. It will be a sweet homecoming, Sharp said, according to an A&M System announcement. With his vast experience, I cant wait to see what he accomplishes for his alma mater. Vela earned his undergraduate and graduate degrees at A&M Kingsville, which named him as a distinguished alumnus in 2015, the announcement states. The Kingsville campus had an enrollment of 6,375 last fall, a decrease of several hundred students since the start of the pandemic. He has been president of San Antonio College since 2014, after serving as its dean of student affairs since 2008. Last year, SAC was named the top community college in the country when it was awarded the Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence under Velas leadership. On April 28, the day Vela was approved as sole finalist, Alamo Colleges District Chancellor Mike Flores and Board Chair Gene Sprague sent an internal announcement letting students and staff know of Velas likely departure. On ExpressNews.com: After 25 years, San Antonio College lost a valuable tradition, ousted professor says Once Velas appointment at A&M is official, Francisco Franc Solis, currently the dean of performance excellence at SAC, will serve as interim president, it said, and a national search for the next SAC president will begin in the fall, with the goal of naming a new president by January of 2023. Dr. Velas extraordinary legacy will benefit San Antonio College and students for years to come, the announcemen said. Upon his official confirmation by the Texas A&M University System Board of Regents, he will leave San Antonio College well poised for the future, with its 18,000 students benefitting from diverse class selection, affordable tuition, small classes, respected faculty and a multitude of exemplary programs. Required Reading: Get San Antonio education news sent directly to your inbox District officials also will be conducting a search for the next president of Northwest Vista College, because current president Ric Baser announced he will retire effective June 1. The A&M regents are expected to discuss Velas appointment in a series of meetings scheduled from May 18 to May 20, though the meeting agendas have not yet been published. I want to thank Chancellor Sharp, Chairman Leach and the entire Board of Regents for this amazing opportunity to lead one of the finest institutions, Vela said, according to the announcement. I look forward to working with the faculty, staff and community to achieve great things. danya.perez@express-news.net | @DanyaPH Google Maps One of two women accused of stealing more than $2,000 of meat from a Texas H-E-B was arrested Tuesday. Marchea Latonya Brooks, 40, was charged with six counts of theft and is being held on $28,000 bail. Korea Importers Association Chairman Kim Byung-kwan speaks during an interview with The Korea Times at his office in Seoul, May 9. Korea Times photo by Choi Won-suk KOIMA seeks supply chain diversification amid rising protectionism By Park Jae-hyuk The newly launched Yoon Suk-yeol administration should overcome Korea's five decades of perception that imports are harmful to the national economy, paying more attention to the role of importers amid the global supply chain crisis, according to the head of the business lobby group for 8,000 importers here. Korea Importers Association (KOIMA) Chairman Kim Byung-kwan, who is also the CEO of Bronte Family, importing cashmere from China, emphasized that now is the right moment to take advantage of the buying power of importers and let other countries know that export-reliant Korea is also the world's ninth-largest importer, which has made efforts for balanced trade. The chairman noted that the U.S. has been able to exercise its influence over global trade because of its status as the world's largest importer. "Trade protectionism has spread from the U.S. to the whole world, making it more difficult for businesses to export their products," he said in a recent interview with The Korea Times. "For Korea to grow into the world's fifth-largest trader, the government should pursue policies promoting the country's imports for balanced trade, rather than maintaining policies focusing on exports." Korea's previous administrations, however, have apparently remained indifferent to importers, despite their growing importance and the fact that 87 percent of the country's imports are raw materials and capital goods for exporters. "KOIMA has been recognized by foreign ambassadors to Korea, who regard the association as their trade partner," Kim said. "However, the government's awareness of KOIMA has fallen short of their expectations." When KOIMA held its chairman's inauguration ceremony in March, ambassadors from 49 countries attended the event, but the Korean government did not send any senior officials. "I think it was a diplomatic discourtesy," Kim said. "Given that Korea has had surpluses in its trade with most countries, the government should have treated the ambassadors as its customers. However, it has remained indifferent to the events they attend." Korea Importers Association (KOIMA) Chairman Kim Byung-kwan, front row center, poses with foreign ambassadors to Korea, during his inauguration ceremony at the Westin Josun Seoul in this March 21 file photo. Courtesy of KOIMA According to KOIMA, commercial attaches to Korea picked the association as the most necessary business lobby group in a survey conducted several years ago, as it was viewed as the most effective route for foreign businesses to export their products to Korea. Foreign embassies have also not been hesitant to pay for access to KOIMA's database on the imports of 140,000 Korean companies. In addition, foreign ambassadors have been highly eager to meet the KOIMA chairman. Just within 40 days after Kim took the office, diplomats from seven different countries, including the ambassadors from Portugal, Nicaragua and Oman, visited the KOIMA headquarters to ask for delegations to their countries. "Diplomats visiting our office want us to send delegations that can match their exporters with Korean importers," Kim said. "I plan to meet all 114 ambassadors to Korea at least once in my three-year term." Following the government's moves to transition to managing COVID-19 as endemic, KOIMA has prepared to resume sending delegations to other countries this year, expecting them to diversify the global supply chain. "KOIMA will suggest cooperation with the government and relevant organizations, communicating with foreign embassies in Korea and institutions related to trade," Kim said. Amid the growing importance of the global supply chain after the COVID-19 pandemic and Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the association has collaborated with international trade professors to study better ways to stabilize the supply of raw materials. In June, it will also host the Import Goods Fair for foreign exporters to introduce their products and Korean buyers to source import goods without going abroad. "We will offer booths for free to foreign embassies participating in our event," the KOIMA chairman said. "We hope they will take advantage of our event to promote their countries' industries and products." Korea Importers Association (KOIMA) Chairman Kim Byung-kwan, right, poses with Ukrainian Ambassador to Korea Dmytro Ponomarenko at the KOIMA headquarters in Seoul, April 13, after the association donated 41.8 million won ($33,000) to aid the war-torn country. Courtesy of KOIMA Voters in Leon Valley returned Mayor Chris Riley to a 10th term in office, while Place 2 Councilman Josh Stevens held off two challengers during Saturdays election. Riley garnered 820 votes, or 71 percent, in cruising to victory over Evan Bohl, who netted 330 votes, or 29 percent. In Place 2, Stevens was re-elected with 53 percent of the vote, beating out Elaine Valdez, who got 29 percent, and Danielle Bolton, who got 18 percent. Stevens tallied 610 votes, with Valdez totaling 331 and Bolton 202. First elected in 2004, Riley has served as the citys top elected leader for the last 18 years. The mayor said she looks forward to working with City Council on several issues the city needs to address. I want to thank the citizens of Leon Valley for their support, Riley said. It was very overwhelming, and heart-warming to get that support from the citizens. I think the election results were a mandate from the citizens on the issues I ran on. As she starts her next term, Riley said she wants to work on completing the planning process for a project to improve mobility along Bandera Road, which runs through Leon Valley and San Antonio. Over the last three years, Leon Valley has been working with the Texas Department of Transportation and the city of San Antonio on a plan for potential solutions for congestion and mobility along Bandera Road from Interstate 410 to Loop 1604. Workshops and a virtual public meeting have been held to gather public feedback on the project. Other priorities for Riley include where the city should spend the rest of the funds it received from the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, and improving salaries for police officers, firefighters and public works employees so Leon Valley can retain experienced employees. In his bid to unseat Riley, Bohl a member of both the citys Planning and Zoning and Park commissions as well as the citys Economic and Community Development Advisory Committee advocated for banning puppy mill animals from being sold in animal retail stores in Leon Valley. Bohl also wanted to implement an animal care program to assist in addressing and enforcing all animal-related issues in the city. In addition, Bohl wanted to collaborate with county and state officials to obtain funding for public safety improvements, infrastructure improvements and more comprehensive flood mitigation. Stevens said by re-electing him, the voters sent a message that they like the path the city is on. They want stability, and they want a government that works for them and not against them, Stevens said. Stevens said priorities on which he wants the city to focus include collaborating with the pet rail stores in the city to develop an adoption program for stray dogs, improving pay to keep high-quality police officers in the city, and finding a way to reduce crime in the city, especially at the apartment complexes. Also, he wants to obtain funding for a dog park in the city, and speed up the replacement of some of the citys older sewer and water mains. DDeKunder@express-news.net In 2018, Pete Flores defied history. The Republican won a special election to represent Senate District 19, a traditional Democratic stronghold. Flores then lost the seat in 2020 to longtime Democratic state lawmaker Roland Gutierrez. Two years later, Flores is back in the game, seeking to return to the Texas Senate, this time representing the newly drawn District 24. This district was undoubtedly gerrymandered with Flores in mind, with the new map leaning heavily Republican and including his hometown of Pleasanton. In the GOP runoff, Flores faces Raul Reyes Jr., a retired Air Force lieutenant colonel from Castroville, who ran a bitterly close race for Congress in 2020, losing to Tony Gonzales in the GOP runoff. We recommend Pete Flores in this runoff. We disagree with Flores on a host of issues abortion, how best to address property taxes, the worthiness of Operation Lone Star but we appreciate his gracious demeanor and his proven ability to work with lawmakers of both parties to deliver for Bexar County. Reyes did not respond to our requests for a meeting, but we appreciate his critique of the Texas Senate, quoted in the Texas Tribune: Right now, if you ask me, its a Senate of one, and thats Dan Patrick. We do share the concern that Flores wont show independence from Patrick. That said, Flores, a former game warden, has excellent relationships with many lawmakers, including many Bexar County Democrats. He delivered on key funding for the San Antonio State Hospital, Texas A&M University-San Antonio and foster care programming. While District 24 does not include Bexar County, Flores, if elected, would likely be a crucial lawmaker for San Antonio in a GOP-controlled Senate. Journalism is often called the first draft of history. Its the initial documenting of an eras most important stories. At its best and most enduring, the reportage and opinions of a journalistic enterprise become an authoritative and primary source on an issue or subject. Decades from now, we may or may not have a democracy in the United States as Texas leads the way toward its dismantlement. But whether people want to learn how it was lost or if were fortunate how it was saved, they will find a wealth of information in the Houston Chronicle Editorial Boards outstanding 2021 project, The Big Lie. The series of editorials examined the bills in the Republican Texas Legislature, fueled by the lie that the 2020 presidential election was rigged, that were designed to restrict and discourage voting throughout the state. It was very real legislative response to a pervasive lie. For this work, the Houston Chronicle Editorial Board earned the Pulitzer Prize for editorial writing Monday. The Pulitzer judges cited Editorial Page Editor Lisa Falkenberg and editorial writers Michael Lindenberger, Joe Holley and Luis Carrasco for a campaign that, with original reporting, revealed voter suppression tactics, rejected the myth of widespread voter fraud and argued for sensible voting reforms. The Big Lie series is among the most essential works of journalism produced in 2021. Rigorously reported and eloquently written, it lays out the road map for the Texas Republican Partys assault on voting rights, and using data debunks the lies of Gov. Greg Abbott, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and indicted Attorney General Ken Paxton. A free press is essential to a democracy something our Founding Fathers understood, recognized and included in the Constitution. When democracy itself is threatened, when the losing side of an election refuses to accept the outcome, when the right to vote is encroached on and inhibited, it is the responsibility of the press to expose it. The Chronicles Editorial Board did it magnificently and with unflinching moral clarity. Speaking of the Pulitzer win Monday, Falkenberg, who won the papers first Pulitzer in 2015, continued to advocate for a stronger democracy. My greatest hope is that this award will increase the probability that the leaders who dearly need to read this series on voter suppression actually will, she said. Our democracy is threatened by their lies, and it will take courageous elected leaders and strong journalism to ensure the truth prevails. The project should be required reading for all Texans. Congratulations to our sister newspaper. We are proud of your well-deserved honor. A bill to rename a southeast Houston post office after slain U.S. Army Spc. Vanessa Guillen passed in the U.S. House of Representatives on Wednesday. The measure introduced by Guillen's representative, Democrat Sylvia Garcia, in January, was debated on the House floor Tuesday and was approved in a vote on Wednesday afternoon, according to Garcia's office. "As members of Congress we have the moral obligation to honor Vanessa's memory and enact change that will end violence in our military (institutions). Her story has captivated Americans of all backgrounds and brought much needed attention to sexual assault in the military, and it has led to changes being implemented at Fort Hood and in military bases throughout the nation, and in fact the world," Garcia said on the House floor Tuesday. "I will not rest until there is justice for Vanessa Guillen and her family. There is still much work to be done, but the naming of a post office in her memory....would be but a small gesture on the part of this Congress...to memorialize her work and her legacy," Garcia said. The post office is at 5302 Galveston Road, in Houston, Officials say Guillen, a southeast Houston native, was killed in 2020 by a fellow soldier whose sexual harassment of Guillen went ignored by the Army. Renaming the post office, an important and visible landmark in the area where she grew up, is a fitting tribute to Vanessa's legacy, her sister Mayra said. "Its an honor to see my sister's legacy keep growing, especially here in Houston where she was born and raised, before she decided to serve and protect her country," Mayra Guillen said. Vanessa Guillen's death spurred historic reforms to how the military handles reports of sexual assault and other crimes, and the 20-year-old has been honored across the country with murals and corridos. Mayra is proud of the advancements that have been made in her sister's name, but said there's more work to be done, especially as it relates to reports of sexual harassment in the military. She said Wednesday that the family plans to continue advocating for the Sexual Harassment Independent Investigations and Prosecutions Act, a House bill meant to crack down on sexual harassment in the military that was introduced by Democratic California Congresswoman Jackie Speier in April. "I see this as the momentum continuing to grow, and it's very important because there are more things to do," Mayra said. Sam.Kelly@chron.com This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Democrat Beto ORourke said if he wins the governors race in November, he absolutely sees a role for actor Matthew McConaughey on his team. During an interview on Late Night with Seth Meyers, ORourke said hes not sure if the Academy Award winner is a Democrat or a Republican, but heaped praise on the Uvalde native for his work to help Texans in time of crisis. ORourke said after the 2021 winter storms and after the 2019 mass shooting in El Paso, McConaughey dropped everything and was helping raise money and support Texans in need. This guys a great Texan, ORourke said after Meyers asked him if hed try to bring McConaughey on in some capacity. Beyond being an extraordinary actor, when the chips are down in our state, this guy shows up. ORourke later added, so whatever he wants to do and whoever he can help, we want to turn him loose. Last year, McConaughey, a University of Texas alum, toyed with the idea of running for governor himself. At the time, he said he was exploring whether to become more involved in politics or find other ways to help people. As a simple kid born in the little town of Uvalde, Texas, it never occurred to me that I would one day be considered for political leadership, he said in a social media post in November. Its a humbling and inspiring path to ponder. It is also a path that I am choosing not to take at this moment. McConaughey, 52, already has made some inroads in Texas politics. In 2018, he appeared in public service announcements with Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton to bring more awareness to human trafficking in the state. And in 2020, he appeared in public service announcements as part of an anti-litter campaign with the Texas Department of Transportation. Last year, McConaughey also weighed in on the Texas abortion legislation that bars women from getting an abortion after six weeks even if they are victims of rape or incest. Ive got a problem with that, McConaughey said, though he never spelled out his position on abortion. The Academy Award winner also has declined to publicly disclose whether he votes Republican or a Democrat at one point describing his political views as aggressively centric. U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz is championing new legislation to honorably discharge members of the military who decline to get the COVID-19 vaccine. The bill, introduced on Tuesday, is the latest GOP effort to counteract the Biden administrations vaccine requirement for service members. The administration announced the mandate last August, and all branches are now disciplining or dismissing soldiers who are not inoculated. Cruzs bill, co-sponsored by 13 other Republican senators, would require the secretary of defense to try to retain unvaccinated soldiers. It would also force federal officials to report denied religious exemption requests and create a new exception for those who have already had COVID. It is absolutely unacceptable that the Biden administration is trying to coerce our men and women in uniform to violate their conscience and religious beliefs, let alone on an issue as polarizing as the COVID-19 vaccine, Cruz said in a release. The (legislation) will ensure that these and similar efforts to politicize our military on this issue are blocked. TEXAS TAKE: Get political headlines from across the state sent directly to your inbox Its unlikely that Cruzs bill will gain traction in the Democrat-controlled Senate. Another Texas congressman, U.S. Rep. Chip Roy, R-Austin, introduced a similar bill in February aiming to completely overturn the military vaccine mandate. His legislation, which has not advanced in the House of Representatives, would also reinstate members who have already been discharged. Army readiness depends on soldiers who are prepared to train, deploy, fight and win our nations wars, Christine Wormuth, the secretary of the Army, said in a February statement. Unvaccinated soldiers present risk to the force and jeopardize readiness. cayla.harris@express-news.net Something has changed recently for the worse. Governments seem more willing to punish companies for political opinions that clash with the politics of current leaders. Its a bad trend. Its very likely unconstitutional. Based on laws passed in the Texas Legislature in 2021, any company entering a state contract worth $100,000 or more must certify what I call politically correct in Texas stances. First, the company must pledge that it does not boycott fossil fuels. It also must swear it doesnt refuse to do business with firearms makers and that its not boycotting Israel. If you attempt any of these things, forget about doing business with the state of Texas. The Texas attorney generals office and the comptrollers office have sent letters to companies seeking certification statements, effectively swearing they havent taken any of these political positions. According to a National Public Radio report, the actual implementation of these politically correct requirements in Texas is messy. Plenty of loopholes exist. Its not working. Nevertheless, the intent is to bully companies into agreeing to the politics of the party in power. Contrary to Texas lawmakers intent, this version of business political correctness should not make conservatives happy. This should make them very, very worried, from a constitutional standpoint. This feels of a piece with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis moves in the past month to punish Disney for its supposed pro-LGBTQ messages. Im no First Amendment scholar, but heres how I understand things. We start with the idea that theres a big difference between private citizens, businesses and governments. As a quick reminder, private citizens get to say almost anything they like. They cant incite violence or do the equivalent of yelling Fire! in a crowded theater for safety reasons, but most everything else including quite offensive things is fair game. Private-sector corporations and their owners and executives also get wide latitude to express political opinions, though its usually tempered by civil protections, such as employment laws. Companies run the risk of losing business for unpopular opinions and politics, but generally they can say or express nearly anything they want. Public officials and government entities, however, do not and should not have the ability to impose their own political views on individuals or companies. Thats how autocrats, on the left and the right, behave. In our pro-market, anti-autocratic system, its been an important tradition that political leaders do not pressure companies to conform with their politics. In this context, the San Antonio City Council crossed the line a few years back in explicitly deciding against letting Chick-fil-A open a restaurant at the municipal airport because of the fast-food chain owners perceived hostility to gay marriage. If consumers want to shun its chicken sandwiches to punish Chick-fil-A for its politics, thats their right. But when a city government imposes a political litmus test like this on a company, its overstepping. The left-leaning City Council rightfully reaped the whirlwind for its choice. This isnt the right way for governments to treat private companies. Meanwhile, DeSantis has joined the trend set by Texas lawmakers of punishing corporations for their left-leaning politics. He urged the Florida Legislature to strip Disney of its special tax status because Disney signed a letter condemning the states so-called Dont Say Gay bill. DeSantis made clear this was personal and his action retaliatory, saying, Disney thought they ruled Florida. They even tried to attack me to advance their woke agenda. Official government retaliation for protected speech is a violation of the First Amendment. I guess it goes to the courts next, but this is really important: Our system depends on DeSantis getting slapped down for this attempt to retaliate for political speech. Heres how it should go. Disney gets to express any type of speech or political stance it wants. Within the bounds of employment law, of course. For their part, consumers get to decide whether to buy more, the same or fewer of Disneys products as a result of the companys stances. Disney is free to be as woke or as reactionary in its public utterances as it pleases, and then it can suffer the consequences. Cancel or embrace or just appreciate princess movies for what they are it should all be the same under the law. In a non-culture war context, this may be easier to understand. If I run an icehouse and I flip the bird to the mayor of my city, the county judge or the governor, thats my absolute right. Im an American, dammit! If the next week I get a visit from the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission and learn my license to serve has been revoked for no other reason than I was being rude to the powers that be, thats retaliatory and a violation of my rights. Governments and government officials are not allowed to act like precious snowflakes. Private citizens and businesses are protected in a way that governments are not. Public officials and governments need to be circumscribed in their statements and actions. They dont get to do and say whatever they want. Thats the whole point of the Constitution to protect us from the government. It is not OK for a public official to opine and then try to shape the politics of a private company. It is worse still to bring the power of the regulatory state to bear on a company if its acting within the law. To do what DeSantis has done in Florida is to make an important move toward an autocratic state. This should be equally clear to conservatives and progressives alike. Forcing corporate allegiance to current officeholders political stance is both anti-market and pro-autocrat. Punishing companies for their political stances is anti-American. John Raoux, STF / Associated Press Its the stuff of Putins Russia. Michael Taylor is a columnist for the San Antonio Express-News, author of The Financial Rules for New College Graduates and host of the podcast No Hill For A Climber. michael@michaelthesmart money.com | twitter.com/michael_taylor Click here to see the 10 States with the Best Drivers report for 2021. Driving is usually the fastest and easiest way to reach our day-to-day destinations, yet it can also be one of the riskiest. In the United States alone, over 37,000 people die in vehicle crashes each year, 1,600 of whom are children under the age of 15. In addition, another 2.35 million are injured or disabled in such accidents some permanently. Insurance comparison website Insurify set out to discover which states have the best drivers, as determined by the lowest percentage of residents who have received a moving violation in the last seven years. To produce an accurate and comprehensive analysis of the quality of each states drivers, Insurify calculated the percentage of drivers in each state who have received one or more of 19 different types of moving violation and ranked the states from lowest to highest. Here are the 10 states that received the best scores for driving based on Insurifys data. Top 10 US States With the Best Drivers 1. Michigan - Drivers reporting any moving violations: 14.31% 2. Pennsylvania - Drivers reporting any moving violations: 15.91% 3. Texas - Drivers reporting any moving violations: 16.07% 4. New Jersey - Drivers reporting any moving violations: 16.33% 5. Illinois - Drivers reporting any moving violations: 16.94% 6. Connecticut - Drivers reporting any moving violations: 16.99% 7. Nevada - Drivers reporting any moving violations: 17.35% 8. Arizona - Drivers reporting any moving violations: 17.90% 9. Arkansas - Drivers reporting any moving violations: 18.12% 10. Oklahoma - Drivers reporting any moving violations: 18.15% Methodology Insurify is an auto insurance comparison site that provides quotes based on customers answers to questions about driving history, vehicle type, and other personal data. The rankings in this article are based on a set of 1.3 million auto insurance shopper applications. Each shopper was asked whether any drivers on their policy application had been ticketed for one or more of 19 different types of moving violation, including at-fault accidents, speeding, failure to stop infractions, reckless driving, and driving under the influence (DUI), in the last seven years. This data allowed Insurify to calculate the percentage of drivers in each state who have a history of moving violations. This overall data is presented alongside the percentages of drivers who specify a history of speeding tickets and driving under the influence. Photo Credit: Pixabay 10. Oklahoma Drivers reporting any moving violations: 18.15% 18.15% Drivers reporting speeding violations: 9.67% 9.67% Drivers reporting DUI history: 1.41% Oklahoma takes tenth place in the list of safest-driving states, with just over 18% of drivers having received a moving violation in the last seven years. The number of drivers who have received a speeding ticket is also in tenth place at 9.67%. Photo Credit: Pixabay 9. Arkansas Drivers reporting any moving violations: 18.12% 18.12% Drivers reporting speeding violations: 9.03% 9.03% Drivers reporting DUI history: 1.85% Next on the list is Arkansas, with reported moving violations just slightly below Oklahomas. The state also placed ninth with regards to speeding tickets. Drunk drivers beware: in 2015 Arkansass Supreme Court ruled that alcohol-related DWIs are not strict scrutiny offenses , meaning that prosecutors dont have to prove intent to convict. Photo Credit: Pixabay 8. Arizona Drivers reporting any moving violations: 17.90% 17.90% Drivers reporting speeding violations: 8.83% 8.83% Drivers reporting DUI history: 1.83% Arizona drivers report a moving violation rate of just under 18%. The percentage of drivers with a record of speeding tickets and DUIs also came in eighth overall. That may be in part because Arizona has some of the strictest DUI laws in the nation, and the states speeding tickets include up to an 83% surcharge that helps fund various civil programs. With such heavy penalties looming over them, its not surprising that Arizona drivers are more law-abiding than most. @GreyBox Photo Credit: Pixabay 7. Nevada Drivers reporting any moving violations: 17.35% 17.35% Drivers reporting speeding violations: 7.80% 7.80% Drivers reporting DUI history: 1.88% Just over 17% of Nevada drivers report having received a moving violation, and the state placed fifth for speeding tickets. However, Nevada drivers have the highest rate of driving under the influence among the ten safest states, with almost 2% admitting to an incident in the last seven years. Photo Credit: Pixabay 6. Connecticut Drivers reporting any moving violations: 16.99% 16.99% Drivers reporting speeding violations: 5.53% 5.53% Drivers reporting DUI history: 1.69% Slightly less than 17% of Connecticut drivers report having received a moving violation in the last seven years; the state also boasts the lowest percentage of drivers with speeding violations of any state on this list. DUI violations are slightly higher, placing Connecticut seventh on the list overall in that category. @GreyBox Photo Credit: Pixabay 5. Illinois Drivers reporting any moving violations: 16.94% 16.94% Drivers reporting speeding violations: 8.48% 8.48% Drivers reporting DUI history: 0.85% Illinois sits in the middle of the pack for moving violations at 16.94%, and the state came in seventh in terms of speeding tickets. However, Illinois drivers have the lowest rate of DUI of any state on this list, at well under 1%. That may be a reflection of the seriousness with which the state treats DUI violators a first offense can result in as much as a year in jail and a $2,500 fine. Photo Credit: Pixabay 4. New Jersey Drivers reporting any moving violations: 16.33% 16.33% Drivers reporting speeding violations: 6.18% 6.18% Drivers reporting DUI history: 1.27% New Jersey drivers report a moving violation rate of under 16.5%, and an even better ranking with regards to speeding tickets the state came in second in that category. New Jerseys rate of DUI violations is the third lowest on the list. Thats not entirely surprising given that DUI punishments in this state are quite significant a first offense can result in a fine of up to $500, up to thirty days in jail, and an auto insurance surcharge of $1,000 per year for three years. @GreyBox Photo Credit: Pixabay 3. Texas Drivers reporting any moving violations: 16.07% 16.07% Drivers reporting speeding violations: 7.76% 7.76% Drivers reporting DUI history: 1.16% Texas drivers can be proud of their low rate of moving violations, which at just over 16% puts the state in third place. The state doesnt rank quite as well for speeding violations, with a fourth-place ranking in that category. Texas is the second-lowest state in terms of DUI violations perhaps due to the hefty penalties that result from a DUI conviction in this state . In fact, a first offense can cost as much as $8,000 in penalties and fees. Photo Credit: Pixabay 2. Pennsylvania Drivers reporting any moving violations: 15.91% 15.91% Drivers reporting speeding violations: 6.30% 6.30% Drivers reporting DUI history: 1.62% Pennsylvania ranks second in moving violations, with a rate just under 16%. The states drivers rank well with speeding tickets also, coming in third. The care with which Pennsylvania residents drive is paying off, as the states Department of Transportation reports that in 2016 Pennsylvania saw the lowest number of traffic fatalities on record. @GreyBox Photo Credit: Pixabay 1. Michigan Drivers reporting any moving violations: 14.31% 14.31% Drivers reporting speeding violations: 7.98% 7.98% Drivers reporting DUI history: 1.64% Michigan is perhaps best known for its automotive manufacturing facilities, but it should also be recognized for the safety of its drivers. The state boasts by far the lowest rate of moving violations on this list, at just under 14.5%. Though the state scored sixth in terms of both speeding and DUI infractions, its drivers nonetheless have records to be envious of. @GreyBox Alternative fuel vehicles were once considered a toy for the rich, but today theyve become more commonplace, with over half a million hybrid and electric vehicles sold in 2017. Though electric cars provide full freedom from the gas pump, hybrid electric vehicles (HEV) are by far the most popular type of alternative fuel vehicle. These vehicles use either their electric motor, internal combustion engine, or both, depending on the circumstancesand during the times when the internal combustion engine powers the vehicle, it simultaneously charges the batteries that power the electric motor. As a result, drivers get the convenience of being able to fuel up as they would with a regular vehicle while still significantly improving gas mileage. With fluctuating gas prices and Teslas headline-grabbing CEO in the news, Insurifys data scientists decided to examine hybrid and electric vehicle ownership by state. Interestingly, all but three of the 10 states with the highest percentage of hybrid and electric vehicles had gas prices above the $2.94 national average as of this writing. Below are the top 10 states for hybrid and electric vehicle ownership. Methodology Insurify allows customers to compare auto insurance quotes based on their answers to questions about driving history, vehicle type, and other personal data. The rankings in this article are based on a set of 1.3 million automobile insurance shopper applications that indicate whether any of the insured vehicles had a hybrid or electric engine. Statistics on average gas prices for regular gasoline come from AAA and were obtained on 6/7/18. Per-capita energy-related carbon dioxide emissions refer to the average amount of carbon dioxide, in million metric tons (MMT), produced per person in each state by the transportation sector, and are based on a 2018 US Energy Information Administration report . Photo Credit: Pexels 10. New York Vehicles that are hybrid or electric: 2.65% Average gas price: $3.08 per gallon Transportation CO 2 emissions (per capita): 3.60 MMT At 2.65%, New York comes in tenth on the list of states with the highest percentage of hybrid and electric vehicles. The states Drive Clean Rebate program, launched in 2017, grants residents a rebate of up to $2,000 for purchasing or leasing an electric vehicle. According to Governor Cuomo, more than 5,750 rebates had been claimed by March 2018. New Yorkers with energy-efficient vehicles are also eligible for the Clean Pass program , which allows them to use the Long Island Expressway HOV lanes whether or not they have passengers. Photo Credit: Pexels 9. Illinois Vehicles that are hybrid or electric: 2.73% Average gas price: $3.07 per gallon Transportation CO 2 emissions (per capita): 5.52 MMT Illinois once had one of the nations most generous electric vehicle rebate programs, offering up to $4,000 for purchase of a plug-in electric car. Unfortunately, this rebate program was canceled in 2015. The states electric vehicle owners do still receive some small perks; theyre exempt from emissions inspections (AKA smog checks) and can receive a registration fee reduction. Photo Credit: Pixabay 8. District of Columbia Vehicles that are hybrid or electric: 2.97% Average gas price: $3.05 per gallon Transportation CO 2 emissions (per capita): 1.66 MMT Washington, D.C. boasts the lowest per-capita CO 2 emissions of any location on this list. The district grants an excise tax exemption to D.C. residents who purchase a new or used hybrid vehicle getting at least 40 mpg during city driving. Hybrid drivers are also eligible for a reduced registration fee, but only if they bought their vehicle new. TRENDING CONTENT ON INSURIFY: Superior coverage starts here: click here to see our official rankings for the best auto insurance options across the country. Click here to learn how you can file for SR-22 insurance . Photo Credit: Pixabay 7. New Jersey Vehicles that are hybrid or electric: 3.11% Average gas price: $2.98 per gallon Transportation CO 2 emissions (per capita): 6.49 MMT New Jersey residents who purchase a zero-emission vehicle can get a sales and use tax exemption from the state (use tax refers to sales taxes on items purchased in another state). The state also pays grants to employers who purchase and install electric vehicle charging stations. And like New York, New Jersey allows drivers of hybrid vehicles to use HOV lanes on the New Jersey Turnpike any time. Photo Credit: Pexels 6. Washington State Vehicles that are hybrid or electric: 3.33% Average gas price: $3.46 per gallon Transportation CO 2 emissions (per capita): 6.01 MMT Until recently, Washington State offered a sales-tax exemption for electric vehicle purchases, but this tax break was scheduled to expire in 2019 or after 7,500 vehicles were registered for the exemption the state hit that 7,500 limit at the end of May 2018. Still, given that the average price of gasoline in Washington is among the highest in the country, owning a hybrid or electric vehicle in the state offers savings at the pump. TRENDING CONTENT ON INSURIFY: Compare Uber insurance quotes from the nations top carriers find the best gap coverage deals here. Photo Credit: Pixabay 5. Maryland Vehicles that are hybrid or electric: 3.37% Average gas price: $2.94 per gallon Transportation CO 2 emissions (per capita): 4.74 MMT Maryland drivers with an electric vehicle may qualify for a tax break, though calculating it can get tricky. The state grants an excise tax credit based on the battery capacity of the electric vehicle; buying or leasing such a vehicle yields a credit of $100 per kWh of battery capacity, up to a maximum of $3,000. This tax break is scheduled to expire at the end of June 2020. Drivers of both electric and qualifying hybrid vehicles can also get a permit allowing them to use HOV lanes without limitations. Photo Credit: Pixabay 4. New Hampshire Vehicles that are hybrid or electric: 3.98% Average gas price: $2.90 per gallon Transportation CO 2 emissions (per capita): 5.05 MMT While many states offer incentives to hybrid and electric vehicle owners, New Hampshire is considering a law to charge such drivers extra. If the bill passes the New Hampshire State Senate and is signed into law by the governor, drivers of electric vehicles will pay an additional $111 annual fee and drivers of hybrids will be charged a fee based on their EPA estimated mileage the more efficient the vehicle, the higher the fee. The idea is to compensate for the fact that such drivers pay less in gasoline taxes, resulting in a shortage of highway repair funds for the state. @GreyBox Photo Credit: Pixabay 3. Massachusetts Vehicles that are hybrid or electric: 4.17% Average gas price: $2.96 per gallon Transportation CO 2 emissions (per capita): 4.38 MMT Massachusetts offers an electric vehicle incentive program called MOR-EV that will pay qualified purchasers and leasers up to $2,500. As of this writing, 8,048 of these electric vehicle rebates have been claimed for a grand total of $16,050,000. The state provides grants for municipalities and public universities that purchase electric vehicles and charging stations, as well as incentives to employers who install charging stations for employee use. Photo Credit: Pexels 2. Hawaii Vehicles that are hybrid or electric: 4.31% Average gas price: $3.71 Transportation CO 2 emissions (per capita): 7.07 MMT Hawaii drivers of electric vehicles get the convenience of being able to use HOV lanes at all times. Theyre also exempt from daily parking fees and parking meter charges. However, they may soon be subject to an extra annual registration fee to compensate for not paying gasoline taxes. The proposed law would slap on an extra annual fee of $70 for electric vehicles and $35 for hybrid vehicles in Hawaii. @GreyBox Photo Credit: Pexels 1. California Vehicles that are hybrid or electric: 5.37% Average gas price: $3.73 per gallon Transportation CO 2 emissions (per capita): 5.28 MMT California tops the list of states with the highest percentage of hybrid and electric vehicles at over 5%. The state also has the highest gasoline prices of any state on this list and a substantial rebate program, making ownership of one of these vehicles more cost-effective. The California Vehicle Rebate Program (CVRP) will pay up to $7,000 for qualified purchasers or leasers of electric and hybrid electric vehicles. However, theres an income cap to consider: households with annual income above $150,000 for single tax filers, $204,000 for head of household filers, or $300,000 for joint filers dont qualify unless purchasing a fuel cell electric vehicle. @GreyBox Montana State Prison in Deer Lodge. (Provided by the Montana Department of Corrections.) Legislators on the Law and Justice Interim Committee have requested to meet with the governors office and the Department of Corrections to discuss chronic staffing and morale issues at the Montana State Prison. While issues at the prison have been long documented, problems hit a new threshold two weeks ago when the DOC had to shut down the prisons F Unit for the first time in 30 years due to staffing shortages. I have to say that the morale issues and the recruiting issues are interrelated, said Sen. Tom McGillvray, R-Billings, at Tuesdays legislative meeting. And this is an issue of leadership, in my opinion, leadership with the President, the warden, the vice wardens, etc. And I just think that, again, its urgent. McGillvray suggested the committee meet with Gov. Greg Gianforte next week and have DOC leadership including Department of Corrections Director Brian Gootkin and MSP warden Jim Salmonsen appear before the committee at its next meeting in June. Gootkin told legislators in January that during the last three years, the prison has had a turnover rate of 23% and that has not improved in recent months with the DOC saying last week that at any given time about 20 percent of 328 correctional officer staff positions at MSP are unfilled. And its not just Montana. In 2020, South Dakota saw 28% of its correctional officers leave. In Virginia, two prisons had turnover rates of 54% and 56% in 2021. And in Colorado, two private prisons recently reported staff turnover rates of 126% and 107% in 2021. A spokesperson for DOC said on Tuesday the F Unit remains closed and that there is no timeline for when it will re-open. The state prison, outside of Deer Lodge, is a 1,600-person mens prison. By shutting down the F unit, the DOC said it decreases the number of mandatory posts required on each shift, thus easing staffing pressures. The department has been transparent with legislators regarding the difficult task of recruiting and retaining employees in these demanding positions, DOC spokesperson Carolynn Bright said in an email Tuesday. As part of its efforts to address the issue, the department recently provided a $2 per hour raise to correctional staff and will follow up with an additional request in the next budget cycle. Local union president at the prison, Aaron Meaders, told lawmakers Tuesday that the $2 wage increase has not been enough to fix the prisons problem. He said since the wage increase went into effect at the end of March, 23 people have quit. And in the last 10 months, he said the prison hasnt been able to fill positions adequately with 166 people leaving the prison and only 106 hires. The reason why thats important is because one of the things that was championed pretty hard by DOC leadership is that pay is gonna fix all the problems, Meaders told lawmakers. While the $2 an hour raise does help, it has helped with recruitment, it does not help with retention at all. And even when it comes to recruitment Its not as great as it was portrayed. Meaders said there was only one correctional officer at the prisons most recent new employee orientation. Along with the pay raise, Bright said last week that the prison is relying on mandatory overtime to temporarily fill staffing shortages, a strategy that Gootkin told lawmakers in January put overtime costs at about $800,000 more than budgeted. For (DOC) having more people that they can force to stay is the answer to their problems instead of just trying to fix the problems that are causing everyone to leave, Meaders said on Tuesday. The post Lawmakers call for meeting with Gianfortes office and DOC leadership to discuss MSP problems appeared first on Daily Montanan. By Baek Byung-yeul Kwon Oh-hyun, former CEO of Samsung Electronics / Courtesy of Samsung Electronics BriAnne Moline is a child care provider, and even though her Wild Wonders Early Learning Program is rated a four STAR operation, she competes with fast food restaurants for staff. She counts three employees and has expanded her business despite red tape, but Moline said she still turns away more than four families a week who need help with child care in Missoula, and she herself qualifies for Medicaid. We must build a better child care system, Moline said. Medical receptionist Chelsea Nichols helps people make appointments for work, and she sees herself as a connecting block between the community and Frenchtown clinic where she works. Shes also a parent who pays for care for her 3-year-old, Sterling. If I didnt have child care, I wouldnt be able to work, Nichols said. Yet the cost of child care is substantial, an estimated one third of the income of most Montanans and roughly twice her own rent, Nichols said. And spots are limited, with Montana meeting just half of the demand from parents at most, according to the most recent KIDS COUNT report. If we dont have child care, then they cant contribute to our community and to our economy, Nichols said. Monday, some 25 people gathered at the Missoula County Courthouse lawn for the Day Without Child Care Strike, joining child care workers and supporters at Kalispells Depot Park and across the country to call for living wages for providers, affordable care for all families, and an equitable child care system built on racial justice. People demonstrated in Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Missouri, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Ohio and elsewhere in a showing Missoulas Grace Decker said is unusual by its nature. Decker, with Missoula County Zero to Five, said industry workers have been rocked by even the suggestion of a strike because they have an ethic of care and dont want to make life harder for parents. They are the least secure workers often earning $9 to $11 an hour, she said, but they are also essential. If every child care provider everywhere went on strike, the economy would be on its knees within a day, said Decker, in advance of the event. The KIDS COUNT analysis estimated that inadequate child care causes Montana businesses to lose $55 million and parents to miss out on $145 million in wages. At the demonstration, Decker noted workers love caring for children, but society shouldnt assume people will continue to work in child care just because its fun and they love children. She had noted earlier that child care professionals are leaving the field in high numbers. They cant spend love at the gas pump, and they cant spend love at the grocery store, Decker said on the courthouse lawn. The most recent KIDS COUNT report put numbers to some of the stories speakers shared Monday. For example, it said families in 2020 paid from $8,400 to $9,500 for child care, more than the cost of in-state college tuition. The May 2021 report, a project of the nonprofit Montana Budget & Policy Center, also noted the problem is more pronounced in rural areas, with six counties lacking even one licensed child care provider at the time: On average, rural counties have child care for 23 percent of children with all parents working, compared to 38 percent for moderately rural counties and 43 percent in the least rural counties. Missoula has more providers by comparison, but Moline, with Wild Wonders, still ticked off many barriers businesses such as hers face, including that some property owners are unwilling to rent to child care providers because they consider them too much liability. Plus, she said it can take three to eight weeks and many phone calls and emails to get a worker approved by the state. Meanwhile, Moline hears aspiring employees asking for $13 an hour, or $27,040 annually, and shed like to offer them even more health benefits, a 401(k), and paid time off. KIDS COUNT notes child care workers earned $22,900, in 2020, just above the $18,000 of those earning minimum wage. At the event, Missoula County Commissioner Juanita Vero said the word strike can put fear in peoples hearts, but the demonstration on the lawn wasnt pitting providers against parents. Rather, she said it was a day of solidarity, a call to action for government, businesses, nonprofits and community members to figure out how to change the fact that critical workers in an essential field are also some of the lowest paid It doesnt make sense. After sharing an observation that high school students who fell behind had been ill prepared even by the time they had started kindergarten, Sen. Shannon OBrien, a Missoula Democrat and former teacher, led the demonstrators in a chant about The most important job. Montana has a problem statewide, OBrien said. But she called on people on the lawn to participate in their democracy and communicate with their elected leaders at all levels for change. Friends, there is a solution, OBrien said. In a statement following the demonstration, Kalispells Renee August, executive director of the Montana Association for the Education of Young Children, said the situation is a crisis. The association noted Congress is considering new federal investments in early child care and education and urged action. Montana families need Congress to deliver on its promise to help families find affordable care, support workers with living wages, and help ensure our child care system is equitable, August said in a statement. The UK egg industry is pressing for a change to lockdown rules that force free range eggs to be sold as barn after birds have been kept inside for 16 weeks. Mark Williams, chief executive of the British Egg Industry Council (BEIC), told those attending this years Pig and Poultry Fair that the industry was lobbying for the change. He called for a policy change to protect free range status during future avian influenza outbreaks, which are likely to become a more regular event. The UK is coming to the end now, hopefully, of the worst outbreak of AI we have ever seen - 117 cases in the UK, 97 of those in England and the rest divided across Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, Mr Williams said. He said the outbreaks had hit not just the UK but had hit large parts of Europe and other parts of the world, concentrated around the flyways of migratory birds. "I think we have to prepare ourselves as an industry that we are going to get clobbered again at the end of this year and well probably get clobbered again the following year. "We have to be very mindful of that and adapt our businesses to suit, he added. As a result of this last winters outbreaks in the UK, chief veterinary officers ordered birds to be locked inside sheds to try to stop the spread. The mandatory housing measures were put in place across the UK on 29 November 2021 and were not lifted until last week, on 2 May. Under current rules, eggs could no longer be marketed as free range after the birds had been kept inside for 16 weeks - a rule that the industry feels is simply wrong. Of course, it overran the so-called 16-week period whereby eggs from free range hens can still have a marketing derogation and we can still call them free range, said Mr Williams, speaking about the winter AI. We had a number of weeks until the second of May whereby eggs had to be labelled as barn. At the end of the day, to you as producers in this room you just wanted to make sure that you were receiving a return which was comparable to what you originally set those hens up as. "In my book it is quite simple; they are still free range hens but because of a piece of paper called legislation they have to be called barn after 16 weeks, he said. That to me is wrong and we are actively lobbying government now we are out of Europe to change that. If we can align matters with the organic regulations, which is effectively birds have to have access outside for a third of life,. We need government to be listening on that and so far they are not. We need to put a lot more pressure on them and that is what we are already doing. In 2017 the EU - the UK was still a member at the time - agreed to extend to 16 weeks the period that birds could be housed without losing their free range status. The changes were brought in following widespread outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza across Europe and the UK during the winter of 2016-17. At the time, national governments issued a series of housing orders to try to prevent the spread of the virus. But the existing EU rules allowed free range birds to be housed for just 12 weeks before they lost their free range status - creating a huge financial risk for producers whose eggs would have to subsequently be downgraded to barn. Egg industry leaders from across the EU, including the UK, lobbied the European Commission for a change to these rules. The Commission eventually agreed to extend to 16 weeks the period that birds could be housed without losing their free range status. The UK authorities subsequently produced a letter for British producers highlighting the legislative changes made to the egg marketing regulations. The letter was sent to the British Egg Industry Council (BEIC), the British Free Range Egg Producers Association (BFREPA) and the NFU for circulation to poultry farmers. Mark Jackson, operations technical lead eggs & poultry meat marketing, who signed the letter, says the aim is to offer advice on what the changes mean for producers in relation to egg stamping, labelling and transport documentation. "The main changes made by the Commission Delegated Regulation are that this 12-week derogation period has been extended to a 16-week period, with the derogation being applied on a flock by flock basis," he said. But the severity of the latest outbreaks ensured that the 16-week derogation was still not enough to prevent eggs losing their free range status after birds were locked up. Elwyn Griffiths of Oaklands Farm Eggs told visitors to the Pig and Poultry Fair that in his view the birds were still free range no matter how long they had to be housed. Bird flu is here to stay, he said. It is a problem thats going to come back every year, so this summer we do as an industry need to be a lot stronger in deciding how we deal with it. "Personally, a free range chicken or a free range farmer is a free range farmer. If the birds are shut in for one day or 60 days or half a year, if a vet tells you to protect your animals, stop indoors, it is free range. I think we have got to re-educate the public. He said: The farm has invested in free range production. If the vets advice is to look after your animals and lock them in, its still a free range bird. NFU Cymru has welcomed a new cohort of young Welsh farmers to represent the industry as part of the unions Next Generation group. This is the third intake of the group, which was set up to encourage younger members of the industry to have their say on the future of Welsh farming. The eighteen farmers, all under the age of 40, met for the first time at NFU Cymrus office on the Royal Welsh Showground, Llanelwedd on Tuesday 10 May. There, the young farmers heard from members of the NFU Cymru team about what being part of the group entails. They heard about the Welsh agricultural policy landscape and the importance of positive communications when selling the farming message. They also heard from guest speaker ITV Wales Rural Affairs Reporter, Hannah Thomas who spoke about influencing and representing the rural community and the farming network. NFU Cymru Next Generation Group member, Susannah Mottershead said: It was great to meet a broad range of young farmers all doing innovative things. It is exciting to think about all the things were going to be involved in. "Farming is relatively new to me and has been a step learning curve, so I am looking forward to having the opportunity to continue on that path. The young farmers will work with the union's policy advisers and officeholders on key policy issues such as future food and farming policy. Farmers will also get the opportunity to meet with key figures within government and the agri-food supply chain. Ernie Richards, a Brecon & Radnor member of the group said: It has been great to meet likeminded people who are passionate about Welsh agriculture. "I am looking forward to seeing what the programme entails, especially the visits to the Senedd and Westminster. I also feel like its going to be a good opportunity to get off the farm and learn from other people. NFU Cymru President, Aled Jones added: Its been great to welcome the new Next Generation group here today to get to know each other, as well as the wider NFU Cymru team. "The future of farming is a topic that is always on my mind and having such a strong group of young farmers who are so enthusiastic about the farming industry really gives me hope for the future. "I look forward to working with the new group over the next two years and hearing their new ideas and ways of promoting Welsh farming. A free handbook has been launched today to help farmers plan for the future during a time of great change for the agricultural industry. The Business Models Handbook provides practical advice on business planning and innovation for improved productivity and profitability. Published by the Agricultural Productivity Task Force (APTF), the handbook is relevant to those seeking to enter, diversify, expand or even retire from their farm. The APTF is a collaboration between the agricultural industry and UK government, with an aim to bolster the productivity of farming. The handbook is divided into five steps. Steps 1 3 help with assessing the current situation and setting out business planning considerations. It offers analysis of different business models and considers how factors including access to land, people, and skills may influence business objectives. Step 4 outlines the key business models in more detail, with links to case studies. It considers advantages of each, where they might best fit according to business requirements, and tax considerations. Finally, Step 5 looks at longer term planning to help businesses adapt as they evolve. The handbook launch comes as the industry is facing some of the biggest challenges in a generation, with developments in agricultural policy, changes to support and new trade deals. Explaining the rationale for the handbook, NFU Deputy President Tom Bradshaw, who co-chairs the APTF, said most farmers were assessing options for the future. Whether a farmer or grower is looking for efficiencies, expanding, exiting or wishing to set up their own business, one area to consider is the business model. "The ownership model or the tenanted model tend to be the most common but there is a whole range of other opportunities that could be considered. "This handbook is designed to provide an initial understanding of the options available before taking more detailed advice. "We believe it is an invaluable resource when considering the future, which will help open up new ideas. The handbook is free and available from today (11 May) on the APTF website. Leaders of the countrys free range egg farmers handed out the empty chair treatment to Britains supermarkets at the Pig and Poultry Fair in frustration at what they say are mounting losses. The British Free Range Egg Producers Association (BFREPA) had invited the big retailers to the show to discuss a crisis in the industry caused by spiralling costs. When the supermarkets didnt show up, BFREPA rolled out a series of cardboard cut-outs on stage in place of the retailers absent representatives. One free range producer spoke of the systematic destruction of family farms, others said they had decided not to re-stock their sheds because of the financial crisis. Another farmers called for the organised depopulation of flocks to force the UK's biggest retailers to respond. BFREPA says that producers have been hit by huge hikes in production costs in recent months, pushed even higher by the war in Ukraine. ADAS analyst Jon Walton told those attending the event that feed prices had increased by 40 percent over the last year. The price of pullets was up by 15 percent over the same period. Since September, the cost of producing eggs had increased by 30 pence per dozen. Yet over the last 12 months the average price paid to producers has increased by just three pence per dozen. Mr Walton said that egg producers were losing 23.8 pence per dozen on average. Those with finance were losing even more - as much as 41.2 pence pro dozen. BFREPA chief executive, Robert Gooch said the body had written to the supermarkets to say that producers needed an extra 40 pence per dozen on the egg price to cover rising costs. In April, BFREPA wrote to the retailers to invite them to discuss the issue at the Pig and Poultry Fair. None attended, although Tesco and Morrison responded to say that their feed tracker contracts helped to offset rising costs. Mr Gooch said that producers were now at breaking point: The current situation is ruinous. We have written to all the major retailers asking for their help but to date we have been largely ignored. We are not crying wolf. This isnt something retailers can ignore in the hope it will go away. If the UKs biggest supermarkets dont increase the price of free range and organic eggs to a level where farms can at least break even, there will be egg shortages by the end of this year. Farmers cannot continue to produce eggs for nothing, he said. The situation is so dire that scores of farms are considering stopping production at the end of their current flock Only retailers have the power to prevent a mass exodus and keep British free range eggs stocked on supermarket shelves for their customers. East Anglian free range producer Daniel Brown told those attending the fair that all his costs had been increasing. His electricity bill had just tripled, labour costs had increased, so had turnaround costs. Its like the systematic destruction of family farms by the supply chain. "We have got lots of fairly small farms that have built chicken sheds at vast costs, having been told by the packers that they were needed, assured that these eggs are needed, Tesco needs them, everyone needs them. "And then when the crunch comes, when the Ukrainian war happens, they are just not there. They just abandon you to it and let you take the hit." Mark Williams, chief executive of the British Egg Industry Council (BEIC), said that the egg industry had been facing a perfect storm. Feed cost increases, energy price increases, fuel price increases, difficulty in sourcing labour had all led to a huge increase in the cost of production, he said. Even buying pullets. Pullets have to be fed so pullet prices have increased as well. Egg producers are getting it from all sides at this moment in time. Our colleagues in Europe are equally on their uppers as well at the moment. There is just not the egg out there. Things have to change. Mr Gooch said production had already been increasing before the Ukrainian war broke out but Elwyn Griffiths of Oaklands Farm Eggs said the Russian invasion had brought further increases. Ukraine and Russia together accounted for 70 percent of the worlds sunflower and Ukraine produced 30 percent of the worlds wheat. It has led to costs at farm level. Every single day we get a new letter coming through, this costs gone up, that costs gone up. He warned: The egg situation is really up there. Chick placings are there for us all to see. There are less chicks going down, and a chick is not for this Christmas its for next Christmas. "We are at the point of no return. We have got rearing sheds empty, we have got farms empty. Other big packers have taken millions of birds out of the market. Record farmgate prices for beef have been seen across large parts of the world this year, resulting in a more competitive global marketplace, Quality Meat Scotland (QMS) says. According to the red meat levy board's latest market commentary, the final week of April saw R4L steer prices in Scotland reach a new record high of 447.5p/kg. This placed them 3.5% higher than in the same week of 2021 when the highest price of the year had been reached. Meanwhile, they held around 18% above their five-year average for the time of year. Unfortunately for finishers, input costs have risen at an even faster pace, squeezing margins. Iain Macdonald, QMS Senior Economics Analyst, observes that record farmgate prices have been seen, resulting in a more competitive global marketplace. He comments: The EU beef market has been particularly strong since the second half of 2021, without any obvious market signals, such as a sharp fall in beef production or a large shift in its trade balance. "As a result, it points to firm demand being the driver, possibly as the economy reopens and people begin to eat out more often again. Market forces have seen young bull prices approach 475p/kg in Germany and 440p/kg in Poland, while Irish steer prices reached 415p/kg in late April. Across the EU, the average R3 grade young bull price has been up by around 35% on last year in recent weeks, while coming within 5% of the Scottish R4L steer price. Rising prices in the Irish Republic have seen the price gap with Scotland narrow to around half its autumn 2021 average, with Scottish R4L steers priced 8% higher than Irish R3 steers in late April. The EU cow market has also surged, with O3 grades priced more than 50% higher than a year ago and converting to around 435p/kg in Germany and as high as 445p/kg in the Netherlands. While overall EU beef production has been relatively flat, cow beef production did slip back in early 2022, providing additional momentum to cull cow values. As a result, it will currently be more challenging for traders to find cheap beef to import to Britain, while supporting EU demand for exports. "It will also have underpinned values in price sensitive segments of the domestic market, particularly in food manufacturing and catering, says Mr Macdonald. This general market strength will have also helped support cull cow prices in Scotland, with O+3 grades reaching 392p/kg in late April and up more than 20% on last year. Mr Macdonald highlights: Current market circumstances are giving an extra boost to products which may normally face softer demand. Looking beyond the UK and Europe, the global beef market remains strong this year despite the USDA forecasting that production will rise for a second year and pass its recent high in 2019. For example, steer prices in the USA have passed the 4/kg mark and are up more than 20% on last year while in Uruguay, steers are selling for around 4.25/kg. In Brazil, currency movements mean that steer prices in Sao Paulo region have jumped more than 20% from this time last year when quoted in sterling, approaching 3.30/kg. In China, wholesale beef is trading at the equivalent of nearly 9.50/kg compared to nearly 8.50/kg for lamb and under 2.50/kg for pork. This is making it an attractive destination for its main beef suppliers in South America, despite some challenges in getting product into the market due to coronavirus restrictions. Mr Macdonald says: "While many environmental activists are urging consumers to eat less meat, the market signals from across the world currently suggest that consumers are not acting on this message and beef remains a highly popular protein. Forecasters producing the annual OECD-FAO World Agricultural Outlook are also of the view that beef remains very popular, with the 2021-2030 outlook signalling that demand is set to continue growing over the next decade. "From a level around 70m tonnes at the beginning of this decade, global beef consumption is projected to surpass 74m tonnes in 2030, he concludes. The Welsh government has warned Number 10 that continued delays to the introduction of EU import checks are putting Welsh farmers at a disadvantage. In a letter to the UK government, Wales' rural affairs minister said the delays were also putting the UK's collective biosecurity at risk. Checks on EU imports have been delayed four times, with the latest setback announced last month. The government had initially planned to enforce them in January 2021 at the end of the Brexit transition period. The subsequent failure to fully implement Border Control checks has meant EU food and agricultural imports are not subject to the rigorous checks placed on UK exports. The government said that controls will be delayed until a digital solution is created, with a target introduction date by the end of 2023. Farming industry groups say the checks are crucial to the UK's biosecurity, animal health and food safety, and without them they leave farmers at risk. The NFU called the latest delay unacceptable, while the Farmers' Union of Wales said the setback was a 'global disgrace'. Lesley Griffiths, Wales' rural affairs minister, said in her letter that she was 'very concerned' the farming sector in Wales would be placed at a disadvantage. There will not be a level playing field for Welsh producers, who are subject to costly and time-consuming EU export checks and regulatory requirements, whilst their EU competitors continue to benefit from the lack of any such regulatory checks." She said the Welsh government also shared concerns voiced by the British Veterinary Association in relation to risks of incursion of exotic diseases. Continued delays to the introduction of EU import checks are a risk to our collective biosecurity, a risk which grows with time," Ms Griffiths added. "The lack of access to EU traceability, disease notification and emergency response systems further compounds this risk." In the letter, the farming minister emphasised the importance of addressing biosecurity issues on a GB-wide basis. Given the uncertainty following the UK governments announcement, we need our officials to urgently work together to collectively agree a risk-based approach to managing biosecurity risks." She also reiterated the protection of biosecurity is a devolved matter and, whilst a GB-wide approach is preferable, the future borders regime to protect public, animal and plant health must meet the needs of Wales. Wales' Economy Minister Vaughan Gething has also written to the UK government to call for Welsh ministers to be involved in discussions on import controls. He reiterated that any expenditure on border controls following Brexit should be funded by the UK Treasury. Only subscribers with PAID Print or E-Edition subscriptions please enter here to gain access. If you are not already a Paid subscriber do not go through this portal. Please return to the subscription page to purchase one of our offers. Thank you! An aerial view of Syria's northern city of Raqa, May 9 AFP-Yonhap Korea plans to provide $13.8 million worth of humanitarian aid for Syrian refugees and two neighboring nations hosting them, according to the foreign ministry, Wednesday. The government unveiled the plan for displaced Syrians as well as Jordan and Lebanon during the sixth donor conference on the future of Syria and the region held in Brussels the previous day. It was co-hosted by the European Union and the United Nations, the ministry said. The aid package will focus on supplies of essential items and the provision of basic service, including healthcare, food, water and sanitation, and fund long-term projects aimed at rebuilding local communities, it added. (Yonhap) Category Select Category Apparel/Garments Textiles Fashion Technical Textiles Information Technology E-commerce Retail Corporate Association Press Release SubCategory Select Sub-Category The upcoming period drama Prithviraj starring Akshay Kumar and Manusi Chillar previously ran into trouble when the Rajasthan-based Karni Sena raised objections to the movies title. The director of the movie, Dr. Chandraprakash Dwivedi addressed these issues during the trailer launch event of the movie that took place recently. Speaking to the press, he said, "Whichever organization has been objecting probably are trying to make sure that nobody messes with the history of our country. I am not defending them, I am merely expressing my personal opinion."He also added that, "Everybody has the right to object but within the ambit of our constitution and not outside of it. Besides, if you refer to the popular book Prithviraj Raso, there is not a single reference where he has been addressed as Samrat. There are two other popular historical books on Prithviraj Chauhan, neither of which addresses him as anything other than his name."The director also mentioned that the portrayal of the King was done with utmost respect. He said, "If you tell the story of a hero with a pure heart and utmost respect, the other things really don't matter. I am sure after watching this movie, all those who have any doubts about it, will be satisfied and will be able to appreciate the work that's gone into making this movie." He also added, "The reason why this story is important is because, quite possibly, Prithviraj Chauhan was the last, major Hindu Samrat."News portal ETimes also spoke to Surjeet Singh Rathore who represents the Karni Sena. He confirmed that they do not have any objections to the movie anymore. He said, "We saw the trailer of the film and also spoke to Dr Chandraprakash Dwivedi. We haven't found anything objectionable, besides Dr Dwivedi is also from Rajasthan and the film showcases how Prithviraj Chauhan became a Samrat. Akshay Kumar is also a responsible person. We have no more objection with Prithviraj, the film." Distribution Amounts and Dates Declared for: Tortoise Energy Infrastructure Corp. (NYSE:TYG) Tortoise Midstream Energy Fund, Inc. (NYSE:NTG) Tortoise Pipeline & Energy Fund, Inc. (NYSE:TTP) Tortoise Energy Independence Fund, Inc. (NYSE:NDP) Tortoise Power and Energy Infrastructure Fund, Inc. (NYSE:TPZ) OVERLAND PARK, KS /ACCESSWIRE / May 10, 2022 / Tortoise and the Board of its closed-end funds announced distributions for its closed-end funds. As previously announced, the funds have adopted managed distribution policies and have also implemented a discount management program that aims to further enhance shareholder value. Tortoise closed-end funds distribution details are as follows: Fund Ticker CUSIP Distribution Amount Distribution Frequency Tortoise Energy Infrastructure Corp. TYG 89147L886 $0.71 Quarterly Tortoise Midstream Energy Fund, Inc. NTG 89148B200 $0.77 Quarterly Tortoise Pipeline & Energy Fund, Inc. TTP 89148H207 $0.59 Quarterly Tortoise Energy Independence Fund, Inc., NDP 89148K200 $0.48 Quarterly Tortoise Power and Energy Infrastructure Fund, Inc. TPZ 89147X104 $0.105 Monthly TYG, NTG, TTP, NDP and TPZ (each, a "Fund" and collectively, the "Funds") distributions are payable on May 31, 2022, to shareholders of record on May 24, 2022. For book purposes, the source of distributions for TYG and NTG is estimated to be 0-10% ordinary income, with the remainder as return of capital, and the source of distributions for NDP is estimated to be approximately 30-40% ordinary income, with the remainder as return of capital. You should not draw any conclusions about TTP's or TPZ's investment performance from the amount of these distributions or from the terms of TTP's or TPZ's distribution policy. TTP and TPZ estimate that they have distributed more than their income and net realized capital gains; therefore, a portion of the distribution may be return of capital. A return of capital may occur, for example, when some or all of the money that you invested in TTP and TPZ is paid back to you. A return of capital distribution does not necessarily reflect TTP's and TPZ's investment performance and should not be confused with "yield" or "income." TTP and TPZ will report the sources for their distributions at the time of the payment in the applicable Section 19(a) Notice. The amounts and sources of distributions TTP and TPZ report are only estimates and are not being provided for tax reporting purposes. The actual amounts and sources of the amounts for tax reporting purposes will depend upon TTP's and TPZ's investment experience during the remainder of their fiscal years and may be subject to changes based on tax regulations. About Tortoise Tortoise focuses on energy & power infrastructure and the transition to cleaner energy. Tortoise's solid track record of energy value chain investment experience and research dates back more than 20 years. As one of the earliest investors in midstream energy, Tortoise believes it is well-positioned to be at the forefront of the global energy evolution that is underway. With a steady wins approach and a long-term perspective, Tortoise strives to make a positive impact on clients and communities. To learn more, please visit www.TortoiseEcofin.com. Tortoise Capital Advisors, L.L.C. is the adviser to Tortoise Energy Infrastructure Corp., Tortoise Midstream Energy Fund, Inc., Tortoise Pipeline & Energy Fund, Inc., Tortoise Energy Independence Fund, Inc. and Tortoise Power and Energy Infrastructure Fund, Inc. For additional information on these funds, please visit cef.tortoiseecofin.com. Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains certain statements that may include "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, included herein are "forward-looking statements." Although the funds and Tortoise Capital Advisors believe that the expectations reflected in these forward-looking statements are reasonable, they do involve assumptions, risks and uncertainties, and these expectations may prove to be incorrect. Actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements as a result of a variety of factors, including those discussed in the fund's reports that are filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. You should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this press release. Other than as required by law, the funds and Tortoise Capital Advisors do not assume a duty to update this forward-looking statement. Contact information For more information contact Jen Ashlock at (913) 981-1020 or info@tortoiseecofin.com. SOURCE: TortoiseEcofin View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/700844/Tortoise-Announces-Distribution-Amounts-for-its-Closed-End-Funds Oslo (Norway), 11 May 2022 - PCI Biotech (OSE: PCIB), a cancer focused biopharmaceutical company, today announces its interim Q1 2022 results. Please find enclosed the report and presentation. Highlights fimaVacc *The programme is progressing towards initiation of a Phase II clinical proof-of-concept study *Established group of international clinical experts to provide clinical guidance and support the development and performance of the trial *Good project readiness - preparation of clinical trial application and sourcing of study treatments ongoing, and selection of clinical sites in EU5 started fimaNAc *Progressing the focused development plan, targeting applications suited to the specific strengths of the PCI technology *Established a preclinical collaboration with the South Korean company MDimune, developing innovative drug delivery technologies for modifying cellular and disease processes fimaChem *The RELEASE trial was closed to recruitment in January 2022 due to changes in the competitor situation that renders the trial challenging to complete and potentially inadequate for approval *Available data from the RELEASE trial have been reviewed - there is not sufficient data to show differences between the treatment arms and last patient will leave the study in May 10, 2022 *RELEASE will be closed as quickly as possible, with an expected future cash effect of up to NOK -10 million Corporate *Per Walday will step down as CEO at the end of May 2022 and Ronny Skuggedal, CFO, is appointed as Interim CEO effective 1st June *The CBO, Ludovic Robin, will leave the company in May 2022 *The organisation has been reduced by 4 FTE (25%), with notice periods ending during Q2. The financial runway, with current commitments, is estimated to be towards the end of 2023 *The Scientific Advisory Committee is further strengthened with Prof. Ernst Wagner at the Ludwig-Maximilians-Universitat (LMU) and the Center of Nanoscience in Munich, Germany, contributing with distinguished expertise and experience in the field of targeted delivery of nucleic acids and protein therapeutics Per Walday, CEO of PCI Biotech, comments: "The company is now fully focused on the progress of the fimaVacc programme. The planned next step is a clinical Phase 2 proof-of-concept study in recurrent/metastatic head and neck cancer, which has been discussed and endorsed by a core group of international clinical experts and key opinion leaders within head and neck cancer and immunotherapy. Manufacturing and sourcing of study treatments for this exciting project is well underway, and selection of clinical sites has started. Results from the RELEASE study that was closed to recruitment in January have been analysed but the data were insufficient to allow a conclusion on potential differences between the treatment arms. The study is therefore being closed as quickly and cost efficiently as possible without further follow-up of patients. The organisation of PCI Biotech has been reduced accordingly to fit the resource need going forward. Ronny Skuggedal, CFO, will take the helm of PCI Biotech from 1st June as Interim CEO. The company has a well-functioning and competent team and an exciting technology platform with strong data supporting applications within emerging therapeutic modalities. I am confident that the team will succeed in delivering value to both patients and shareholders, and I will follow the company's path and progress closely. I would like to take this opportunity to thank all our shareholders, the board, our collaborators, and not least the fantastic team at PCI Biotech for their trust and support during my tenure." "On behalf of the entire company, I wish Dr Walday all the best in his new endeavours and sincerely thank him for his 14 years period as CEO of PCI Biotech. Per will surely be missed by us all. At the same time we are happy to have Ronny Skuggedal take over as interim CEO, setting the scene for stability and continuity going forward.", says Hans Peter Bhn, Chairperson of the Board of Directors. *** A live webcast in English will be held today, Wednesday 11 May 2022, at 08:30am - 09:30am CEST (local time). The presentation can be followed as a live webcast, accessed through the link https://channel.royalcast.com/hegnarmedia/#!/hegnarmedia/20220511_4or the company's website under "Investors - Reports and presentations - Webcasts". Q&A session There will be a Q&A session at the end of the webcast and it will be possible to post written questions through the webcast console or through a teleconference, mainly facilitated for attendees intending to ask questions verbally during the Q&A session. Dial - in details for the teleconference, mainly facilitated for verbal questions during Q&A session : If you plan to use this facility, please join the event 5-10 minutes prior to the scheduled start time using the dial-in numbers below. A line mediator will provide information on how to ask questions. Norway +47 2195 6342 / Sweden +46 40682 0620 / Denmark +45 7876 8490 / United Kingdom +44 203 7696 819 / United States +1 646 787 0157. If your country is not listed, we recommend that you use the dial-in details for UK. When prompted, provide the confirmation code or event title. Confirmation Code: 436187 Event title: PCI Biotech Quarterly Report - Q1 The interim report and the presentation will also be available on www.newsweb.no and on the company's webpage, www.pcibiotech.com from 07:00am (CEST) on 11 May 2022. For further information, please contact: Ronny Skuggedal, CFO Email: rs@pcibiotech.no Mobile: +47 9400 5757 About PCI Biotech PCI Biotech is a biopharmaceutical clinical stage development company focusing on development and commercialisation of novel therapies for the treatment of cancer through its innovative photochemical internalisation (PCI) technology platform. PCI induces triggered endosomal release that is used to unlock the true potential of therapeutic modalities. The company's lead programme fimaVacc aims to enhance immunotherapy in cancer, by triggered endosomal release of antigens or nucleic acids encoding antigens, or immunostimulatory factors. Enhancement of relevant immune responses with protein- and peptide-based vaccines were successfully demonstrated in humans through an extensive Phase I study in healthy volunteers and a Phase II study is in planning with the aim to demonstrate enhancement of immunotherapy for treatment of solid tumours. In the fimaNAc programme endosomal release is utilised to provide intracellular delivery of nucleic acids, such as mRNA and RNAi therapeutics, thereby addressing one of the major bottlenecks facing this emerging and promising field. For further information, please visit: www.pcibiotech.com Contact information: PCI Biotech Holding ASA, Ullernchausseen 64, N-0379 Oslo Forward-looking statements This announcement may contain forward-looking statements, which as such are not historical facts, but are based upon various assumptions, many of which are based, in turn, upon further assumptions. These assumptions are inherently subject to significant known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other important factors. Such risks, uncertainties, contingencies and other important factors could cause actual events to differ materially from the expectations expressed or implied in this announcement by such forward-looking statements. PCI Biotech disclaims any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. This information is subject to the disclosure requirements pursuant to section 5-12 of the Norwegian Securities Trading Act. Attachments Hexagon Purus, through its wholly owned subsidiary, Wystrach GmbH ("Wystrach") a leading hydrogen systems supplier, has received an order for hydrogen storage systems from the German company HPS Home Power Solutions GmbH ("HPS"), the world's first provider of year-round, green hydrogen-based electricity storage for homes, apartments as well as commercial properties. Wystrach's hydrogen storage systems derived from their reliable and proven industrial gas bundle technology will be used to store green hydrogen. The green hydrogen is produced with surplus solar power from the summer using an electrolyzer and converted back into electricity in the winter. The value of the order is approximately EUR 2.0 million (NOK 20.0 million). Driving Energy Transformation "Our high-pressure hydrogen storage systems are flexible and scalable, suitable for a wide range of applications, such as storing baseload energy from solar plants" says Matthias Kotter, Head of Wystrach Sales, Hexagon Purus. "We are proud to once again be selected to support HPS, a long-standing partner of Hexagon Purus." About the market The power and building energy sectors account for close to 40% of annual carbon emissions globally, and hydrogen has a significant role to play in reducing these emissions, particularly as baseload electricity for renewable electricity sources such as solar and wind. Making green hydrogen available for use in power and building energy is critical to reducing carbon emissions. As hydrogen, a key contributor to the energy transition, continues to build momentum globally, more than 30 countries have released hydrogen roadmaps, over USD 70 billion in government funding is committed to hydrogen investments, 500 large-scale hydrogen projects have been announced by the industry to date and green hydrogen is projected to supply up to 25% of the world's energy needs by 2050. Timing The hydrogen storage systems are scheduled for deliveries from Q2,2022. For more information: Mathias Meidell, Investor Relations Director, Hexagon Purus Telephone: +47 909 82 242 | mathias.meidell@hexagonpurus.com Karen Romer, SVP Communications, Hexagon Composites Telephone: +47 950 74 950 | karen.romer@hexagongroup.com About HPS Home Power Solutions GmbH HPS is a global leader in the development and production of integrated energy storage systems based on green hydrogen for homes, apartment buildings as well as commercial properties. With the highly innovative all-season electricity storage system picea, HPS addresses important key areas of the energy transition. Users can generate and store CO2-free energy and supply buildings with electricity as well as heat all around the year. The Berlin-based company was founded in 2014 by Zeyad Abul-Ella and Dr. Henrik Colell. It stands for security, independence and sustainability in decentralized power supply. Further information: www.homepowersolutions.de. About Hexagon Purus Hexagon Purus, a Hexagon Composites company, enables zero emission mobility for a cleaner energy future. Hexagon Purus is a world leading provider of Hydrogen Type 4 high-pressure cylinders, complete vehicle systems and battery packs for fuel cell electric and battery electric vehicles (FCEV and BEV) including hybrid mobility applications on light, medium and heavy-duty vehicles, transit buses, ground storage, distribution, marine, rail, and aerospace applications. Learn more at www.hexagonpurus.comand follow @HexagonPurus on Twitter and LinkedIn. Dr. Eva Pisa proposed as a new member to the Supervisory Board, contributes significant leadership experience in Life Science and Molecular Diagnostics industry All seven current Supervisory Board members to stand for re-election for one-year terms Annual General Meeting to be held on June 23, 2022, in Venlo, the Netherlands QIAGEN N.V. (NYSE: QGEN; Frankfurt Prime Standard: QIA) today announced the proposal of Dr. Eva Pisa, a leader in health diagnostics and biotechnology who has extensive experience from start-ups to corporate companies, as a new member of the Supervisory Board. Dr. Pisa, along with all seven current members of the Supervisory Board, will be proposed for election to one-year terms at the next Annual General Meeting, which is scheduled for June 23, 2022, and to be held in person in Venlo, the Netherlands. The current Supervisory Board members are Lawrence A. Rosen (Chair), Dr. Metin Colpan, Thomas Ebeling, Dr. Toralf Haag, Prof. Dr. Ross Levine, Prof. Dr. Elaine Mardis and Elizabeth A. Tallett. Thierry Bernard (Chief Executive Officer) and Roland Sackers (Chief Financial Officer) are also proposed for re-election as the Managing Board members for one-year terms. "After two years of virtual meetings due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we welcome this opportunity to again meet in person with our shareholders," said Lawrence A. Rosen, Chair of the Supervisory Board of QIAGEN N.V. "On behalf of my colleagues in the Supervisory Board and Managing Board, we are delighted to welcome Dr. Eva Pisa to our Supervisory Board. She brings proven leadership insights and extensive industry experience to QIAGEN that will deeply enrich the capabilities in our Board in terms of science and business acumen. As shown through our performance for 2021, and the outlook for 2022, QIAGEN is moving ahead with the right strategy and focus on execution to create value in the Life Science and Molecular Diagnostics markets for our stakeholders, including our shareholders." Dr. Pisa was the CEO of Sangtec Molecular Diagnostics AB, a Swedish molecular diagnostic start-up, from 2001-2007 that was acquired by Cepheid (now part of Danaher) and specialized in infectious diseases affecting immune-compromised patients. She then worked for Roche Diagnostics International from 2007-2020, where she held positions of increasing responsibility. During her tenure, the Roche cobas 6800 8800 System was developed and launched. Dr. Pisa most recently served as Senior Vice President at Roche Centralized and POC Solutions, where she was responsible for Clinical Chemistry, Endocrinology and Custom Biotech (B2B business). She continues to support and consult with diagnostic and life science companies. Dr. Pisa holds a Ph.D. from the Karolinska Institute in Sweden and an MBA from Heriot-Watt University in Scotland. About QIAGEN QIAGEN N.V., a Netherlands-based holding company, is the leading global provider of Sample to Insight solutions that enable customers to gain valuable molecular insights from samples containing the building blocks of life. Our sample technologies isolate and process DNA, RNA and proteins from blood, tissue and other materials. Assay technologies make these biomolecules visible and ready for analysis. Bioinformatics software and knowledge bases interpret data to report relevant, actionable insights. Automation solutions tie these together in seamless and cost-effective workflows. QIAGEN provides solutions to more than 500,000 customers around the world in Molecular Diagnostics (human healthcare), Applied Testing (primarily forensics), Pharma (pharma and biotech companies) and Academia (life sciences research). As of March 31, 2022, QIAGEN employed more than 6,000 people in over 35 locations worldwide. Further information can be found at http://www.qiagen.com. Forward-Looking Statement Certain statements contained in this press release may be considered forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the U.S. Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. To the extent that any of the statements contained herein relating to QIAGEN's products, collaborations markets, strategy or operating results, including without limitation its expected adjusted net sales and adjusted diluted earnings results, are forward-looking, such statements are based on current expectations and assumptions that involve a number of uncertainties and risks. Such uncertainties and risks include, but are not limited to, risks associated with management of growth and international operations (including the effects of currency fluctuations, regulatory processes and dependence on logistics), variability of operating results and allocations between customer classes, the commercial development of markets for our products to customers in academia, pharma, applied testing and molecular diagnostics; changing relationships with customers, suppliers and strategic partners; competition; rapid or unexpected changes in technologies; fluctuations in demand for QIAGEN's products (including fluctuations due to general economic conditions, the level and timing of customers' funding, budgets and other factors); our ability to obtain regulatory approval of our products; difficulties in successfully adapting QIAGEN's products to integrated solutions and producing such products; the ability of QIAGEN to identify and develop new products and to differentiate and protect our products from competitors' products; market acceptance of QIAGEN's new products and the integration of acquired technologies and businesses. For further information, please refer to the discussions in reports that QIAGEN has filed with, or furnished to, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Source: QIAGEN N.V. Category: Corporate View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220510006264/en/ Contacts: Contacts QIAGEN: Investor Relations John Gilardi +49 2103 29 11711 Phoebe Loh +49 2103 29 11457 e-mail: ir@QIAGEN.com Public Relations Thomas Theuringer +49 2103 29 11826 e-mail: pr@QIAGEN.com The World Economic Forum announced its selection of the 100 most promising Technology Pioneers of 2022 - companies that tackling issues from sustainability and climate change to healthcare and more. This year's cohort includes representation from 30 economies on six continents with reach far beyond traditional tech hubs like Silicon Valley. N.THING, which produces vertical farms and its solutions, made it to the selection for its contributions in the field of agriculture & agri-tech. The full list of Technology Pioneers can be viewed here. SEOUL, South Korea, May 11, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- N.THING, the Seoul-based agri-tech company that presents modular vertical farm 'CUBE' and its solution 'CUBE OS', was selected among hundreds of candidates as one of the World Economic Forum's "Technology Pioneers". N.THING is a leading innovation in agricultural products in the farm-to-table value chain by combining IoT technology and data, founded by Hyeyeon Leo Kim, which produces vertical farms based on the most optimised crop solution with the complete environment control for the best quality of the crop productions. The World Economic Forum's Technology Pioneers are early to growth-stage companies from around the world that are involved in the use of new technologies and innovation that are poised to have a significant impact on business and society. With their selection as Technology Pioneer, CEO Hyeyeon Leo Kim of N.THING will be invited to participate at World Economic Forum activities, events and discussions throughout the year. N.THING will also contribute to Forum initiatives over the next two years, working with global leaders to help address key industry and societal issues. "We're excited to welcome N.THING to our 2022 cohort of Technology Pioneers," says Saemoon Yoon, Community Lead, Technology Pioneers, World Economic Forum. "N.THING and its fellow pioneers are at the forefront of industries that are critical to solving some of our world's most complex issues today. We look forward to their contribution to the World Economic Forum in its commitment to improving the state of the world." "It's great to be acknowledged as a pioneer by the World Economic Forum," said N.THING's Leo Kim. "It is a confirmation that our technology is among the most unique in the world and can improve the lives of many people. Our technology can help feed a growing population in the face of environmental concerns and we look forward to contributing to the Forum dialogues on this challenge." For the first time, over one-third of selected Technology Pioneer firms are led by women, well above the industry average. The firms also come from regions all around the world, creating a truly global community. This year's cohort includes start-ups from 30 countries, with Vietnam, Rwanda and Czech Republic represented for the first time. The diversity of these companies extends to their innovations as well. This year's Tech Pioneer firms are shaping the future by advancing technologies such as AI, IoT, robotics, blockchain, biotechnology and many more. The full list of Technology Pioneers can be found here. Technology Pioneers have been selected based on the community's selection criteria, which includes innovation, impact and leadership as well as the company's relevance with the World Economic Forum's Platforms. All info on this year's Technology Pioneers can be found here: http://wef.ch/techpioneers22 More information on past winners, information on the community and the application link can be found here. About N.THING: Established in January 2014, N.THING is a Seoul-based Agri-Food tech company leading innovation in agricultural products, by extension, in the farm-to-table food value chain by combining IoT technology and data. It developed the world's first modular vertical farm 'CUBE' which is easy to expand. N.THING CUBE is a modularized farm with mass productivity where a dedicated OS provides the most optimised environment for each crop so as to create maximised efficiency. N.THING is the world's first smart farming company that won the iF Design Award, Architecture in 2020. Also, it is a winner of Best of Innovation at the CES 2020 for its excellence in technology, which is the first ever in the agricultural field. N.THING is running vertical farms in Youngin, Andong, Icheon and in-store farm showroom 'Sik Mul Sung Dosan' in Korea, are planning to expand its business on a large scale this year after it successfully completes the PoC process in the U.A.E. For more information, please visit www.nthing.net About World Economic Forum: The World Economic Forum, committed to improving the state of the world, is the International Organization for Public-Private Cooperation. The Forum engages the foremost political, business and other leaders of society to shape global, regional and industry agendas. (www.weforum.org). About the Technology Pioneers: The World Economic Forum believes that innovation is critical to the future well-being of society and to driving economic growth. Launched in 2000, the Technology Pioneer community is composed of early to growth-stage companies from around the world that are involved in the design, development and deployment of new technologies and innovations, and are poised to have a significant impact on business and society. The World Economic Forum provides the Technology Pioneers community with a platform to engage with the public- and private-sector leaders and to contribute new solutions to overcome the current crisis and build future resiliency. Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1810523/n_thing_cube_inside_the_farm.jpg If you already subscribe to our eEdition edition, sign up for FREE access to our online edition. Thanks for reading the El Campo Leader News. Statkraft recorded a very strong EBIT in the quarter. Russia's invasion of Ukraine has further impacted an extraordinary situation in the energy market, increasing the uncertainty. The underlying EBIT was NOK 18 billion, an increase of NOK 10.7 billion compared with the first quarter last year. The increase was driven by substantially higher Nordic power prices and higher results from market activities. The solid results further strengthen Statkraft's financial capacity and ability to deliver on the company's growth strategy. The average Nordic system price was 109 EUR/MWh compared with 42 EUR/MWh in the same quarter in 2021. "Statkraft delivered strong results for the first quarter, driven by high Nordic power prices and a solid contribution from our market activities. Russia's invasion of Ukraine has led to a human tragedy and concerns for energy supply. This has impacted an already tight market situation, increasing uncertainty and volatility. The high power prices are challenging for many consumers," says Chief Executive Officer Christian Rynning-Tnnesen. "The urgent need to reduce Europe's dependency on Russian energy and the increasing climate challenges call for a further acceleration in renewable energy investments. As Europe's largest generator of renewable energy, Statkraft will continue to deliver on our growth ambitions towards an emission-free future." Reinvesting in the Nordic hydropower fleet is a key activity and major rehabilitation projects are underway. The annual reinvestments of NOK 2 billion will optimise the Nordic hydropower assets for future demands and secures reliable power generation for many years to come. Total power generation was 18.5 TWh, 2.1 TWh lower than the first quarter last year. The reduction was mainly related to Norwegian hydropower and German gas-fired generation. The flexibility of the Norwegian hydropower assets was utilised and the generation, particularly in the southern parts of Norway, increased in the last part of the quarter. Net profit was NOK 11.4 billion, an increase of NOK 6.6 billion from the same quarter in 2021. The net interest-bearing liabilities were NOK 11 billion, giving room for significant new investments within renewable energy. In January, Statkraft divested three solar projects in the Netherlands and one in Spain. These are all part of the business model where the aim is to develop and construct onshore wind and solar farms with the intention to be sold and reinvest the capital in new projects. In March, Statkraft signed an agreement with the German chemical company WACKER to secure that around 40 per cent of the electricity required at the silicon metal production site in Trndelag in Norway will be met by green electricity from hydropower. Statkraft will supply a total of 2.35 TWh of certified Norwegian hydropower from 2022 to 2027. Green hydrogen is important in decarbonising both the industry and the transport sector. In April, Statkraft and Skagerak Energi were awarded support from Enova to develop a hydrogen bunkering solution for the world's first zero-emission bulk carrier. Statkraft and Aker exited the HEGRA ammonia project. Collaboration agreements were signed with Aker Clean Hydrogen to jointly explore opportunities for green hydrogen and ammonia production in India and Brazil. In May, the Board of Directors in Agder Energi (owned 45.5% by Statkraft) and Glitre Energi both gave their support to a full merger of the two companies. The new company will become the largest vertically integrated company in the Norwegian power sector with increased efficiency, investment capacity and competence. The completion of the merger is subject to approval from the extraordinary general meetings in both the companies in July. The aim is for the merger to be effective from 1 January 2023. For further information, please contact: Debt Capital Markets: Funding manager Stephan Skaane, tel: +47 905 13 652, e-mail: stephan.skaane@statkraft.com Senior Financial Advisor Arild Ratikainen, tel: +47 971 74 132, e-mail: arild.ratikainen@statkraft.com Media: Head advisor Lars Magnus Gunther, tel: +47 912 41 636, e-mail: lars.gunther@statkraft.com or www.statkraft.com This information is subject to the disclosure requirements pursuant to section 5-12 of the Norwegian Securities Trading Act. Statkraft is a leading company in hydropower internationally and Europe's largest generator of renewable energy. The Group produces hydropower, wind power, solar power, gas-fired power and supplies district heating. Statkraft is a global company in energy market operations. Statkraft has 4,800 employees in 19 countries. Attachments LONDON, UK / ACCESSWIRE / May 11, 2022 / Horizonte Minerals Plc (AIM:HZM)(TSX:HZM), the nickel development company focused in Brazil, is pleased to announce that it has awarded the earthworks contract for the construction of its 100%-owned Araguaia ferronickel project ("Araguaia" or the "Project") to Copa Construcao S.A. ("Copa"). Copa is a leading Brazilian company with extensive experience in mining projects and civil infrastructure, ranging from roads, viaducts, hydroelectric power plants, ports, airports and transmission lines. Copa has a portfolio of more than 2.5 billion cubic meters of concrete installed throughout the country and has quality management certification. Awarding the earthworks contract is an important step in the construction of Araguaia. The scope of the contract incorporates the 'process plant and supporting infrastructure' components of the bulk earthworks for the ferro nickel plant. The contract scope is designed to ensure the site is ready for the civil construction works on completion, and will see Copa levelling the main plant area, creating a series of stepped plateaus that will support the key process equipment packages and buildings, installing initial drainage facilities, as well as the main ramp and crusher platform. CEO of Horizonte, Jeremy Martin, commented: "We are delighted to welcome Copa as a key partner for the construction of our Araguaia Project. With Copa's strong track record of successfully delivering infrastructure projects across the country, signing this contract enables us to commence construction at the beginning of the dry season this quarter as planned. "This is another important milestone in our 24-month project construction timeline, with next steps being the award of the civil works, 230 kV powerline and electromechanical construction contracts. We look forward to keeping the market updated on developments at site." For further information, visit www.horizonteminerals.com or contact: Horizonte Minerals plc Jeremy Martin (CEO) info@horizonteminerals.com +44 (0) 203 356 2901 Peel Hunt LLP (Nominated Adviser & Joint Broker) Ross Allister David McKeown +44 (0)20 7418 8900 BMO (Joint Broker) Thomas Rider Pascal Lussier Duquette Andrew Cameron +44 (0) 20 7236 1010 Tavistock (Financial PR) Jos Simson Cath Drummond +44 (0) 20 7920 3150 About Horizonte Minerals: Horizonte Minerals plc (AIM & TSX: HZM) is developing two 100%-owned, tier one projects in Para state, Brazil; the Araguaia Nickel Project and the Vermelho Nickel-Cobalt Project. Both projects are large scale, high-grade, low-cost, low-carbon and scalable. Araguaia is fully funded and in construction. The project will produce 29,000 tonnes of nickel per year to supply the stainless steel market. Vermelho is at feasibility study stage and will produce 25,000 tonnes of nickel and 1,250 tonnes of cobalt to supply the EV battery market. Horizonte's combined near-term production profile of over 50,000 tonnes of nickel per year positions the Company as a globally significant nickel producer. Horizonte is developing a new nickel district in Brazil that will benefit from established infrastructure, including hydroelectric power available in the Carajas Mining District. CAUTIONARY STATEMENT REGARDING FORWARD LOOKING INFORMATION Except for statements of historical fact relating to the Company, certain information contained in this press release constitutes "forward-looking information" under Canadian securities legislation. Forward-looking information includes, but is not limited to, the ability of the Company to complete the acquisition of equipment as described herein, statements with respect to the potential of the Company's current or future property mineral projects; the ability of the Company to complete a positive feasibility study regarding the second RKEF line at Araguaia on time, or at all, the success of exploration and mining activities; cost and timing of future exploration, production and development; the costs and timing for delivery of the equipment to be purchased as described herein, the estimation of mineral resources and reserves and the ability of the Company to achieve its goals in respect of growing its mineral resources; the realization of mineral resource and reserve estimates and achieving production in accordance with the Company's potential production profile or at all. Generally, forward-looking information can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "plans", "expects" or "does not expect", "is expected", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "anticipates" or "does not anticipate", or "believes", or variations of such words and phrases or statements that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will be taken", "occur" or "be achieved". Forward-looking information is based on the reasonable assumptions, estimates, analysis and opinions of management made in light of its experience and its perception of trends, current conditions and expected developments, as well as other factors that management believes to be relevant and reasonable in the circumstances at the date that such statements are made, and are inherently subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information, including but not limited to risks related to: the inability of the Company to complete the acquisition of equipment contemplated herein, on time or at all, the ability of the Company to complete a positive feasibility study regarding the implementation of a second RKEF line at Araguaia on the timeline contemplated or at all, exploration and mining risks, competition from competitors with greater capital; the Company's lack of experience with respect to development-stage mining operations; fluctuations in metal prices; uninsured risks; environmental and other regulatory requirements; exploration, mining and other licences; the Company's future payment obligations; potential disputes with respect to the Company's title to, and the area of, its mining concessions; the Company's dependence on its ability to obtain sufficient financing in the future; the Company's dependence on its relationships with third parties; the Company's joint ventures; the potential of currency fluctuations and political or economic instability in countries in which the Company operates; currency exchange fluctuations; the Company's ability to manage its growth effectively; the trading market for the ordinary shares of the Company; uncertainty with respect to the Company's plans to continue to develop its operations and new projects; the Company's dependence on key personnel; possible conflicts of interest of directors and officers of the Company, and various risks associated with the legal and regulatory framework within which the Company operates, together with the risks identified and disclosed in the Company's disclosure record available on the Company's profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com, including without limitation, the annual information for of the Company for the year ended December 31, 2020, the Araguaia Report and the Vermelho Report. Although management of the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. This information is provided by RNS, the news service of the London Stock Exchange. RNS is approved by the Financial Conduct Authority to act as a Primary Information Provider in the United Kingdom. Terms and conditions relating to the use and distribution of this information may apply. For further information, please contact rns@lseg.com or visit www.rns.com. SOURCE: Horizonte Minerals PLC View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/700863/Horizonte-Minerals-PLC-Announces-Earthworks-Contract-Award-at-Araguaia Provides Impetus for Digitalized Industrialization in Hong Kong, Brings Advanced Equipment Setting the Stage for Growing Global Operations HONG KONG, May 11, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- SML Group ("SML"), a worldwide leader in digital identification technology and solutions provider, today announced the launch of its Technology Innovation Development Center ("TIDC"), a first-in-Hong Kong Radio Frequency Identification ("RFID") inlay Research & Development (R&D) center and production hub. The new center is part of SML's strategic long-term plans as it seeks to develop the technology ecosystem to power increasingly global operations that involve a growing pool of customers transitioning towards a digital-first future where every item will be tagged with a digital ID across markets. With this center, SML will be empowered to grow its business operations globally and help customers in their pursuit towards a sustainable future. Wilson Chan, Chief Operating Officer of SML, said: "This center will enable SML's expansion into strategic industries and thrive in a future where every item will have a digital identity. SML will work towards efficiently producing RFID tags that meet the highest standards of brands across industries." In a global market characterized by uneven quality of RFID inlays, an integral component of the RFID tag that carries item-level data, the center will allow SML to improve quality control by standardizing performance and enhancing reliability throughout both the R&D as well as the production process. The center demonstrates SML's ambition to secure a leading role in enhancing inlay standards across the industry. Setting industry standards, offering assurance to clients and ensuring quality As a market leader that embraces technology development within the retail manufacturing sector, SML, with a new technology development center, will look to construct an end-to-end quality control system elevating industry standards and offering quality assurance for its clients. A state-of-the-art center will import hi-tech machinery and bring in latest technologies to produce RFID inlays with high levels of throughput at a much higher efficiency. With the industry's innovative machinery and testing facilities from Germany and Finland, the center will be able to produce a RFID-enabled hang tag from 7 steps to 1, a significant improvement. Ultimately, the center will enable SML to increase its annual production levels via a streamlined manufacturing process to meet the growing demand for RFID products. TIDC will also include a multiple-point performance checking system that will communicate with RFID inlays on a wide frequency range and help check the inlay's overall performance to improve quality levels. In addition, the R&D laboratory will allow SML to design and test RFID inlays. TIDC will also seek to enhance the productivity and reliability rates of the manufacturing process of RFID inlays. Boosting digitalized industrialization and grooming talent in Hong Kong Dr. Sing Wong, Director of RFID TIDC said, "TIDC will take part in accelerating the adoption of automated industrialization in Hong Kong. We will implement AGVs (Automated Guided Vehicles) to transport goods, ranging from raw material to finished goods, to maximize manufacturing efficiency." The center will also create local demands and provide training grounds for RFID professionals, while attracting renowned industry experts to establish standards of excellence. Dr. Wong added, "We are determined that the center will serve as an incubator for aspiring RFID talent who will represent Hong Kong among the global growing workforce within the Digital ID industry." With a view to contributing to Hong Kong's efforts to achieve the digitalization of commerce, SML has chosen Hong Kong as the first site for its inaugural technology center. In the coming years, SML will look to expand its operations to other locations and is planning to launch R&D centers in other regions to provide innovative technology that brings benefit to the industry. About SML With a presence in over 20 countries, SML Group is the global end-to-end RFID and brand identification solutions provider, delivering proven results and rapid ROIs to brands in the new era of retailing. We offer innovative Inspire and EcoInspire labeling and packaging products, high-performance RFID tags and encoding services across industries. Our proprietary software Clarity is the only item-level RFID solution that is engineered and deployment-proven for vertical retailers and brand owners with stores. As an invaluable partner of brands, SML is committed to developing tech-driven solutions that power brand transformation and prosperity. For details, please contact us . Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1815438/image_964712_11435965_Logo.jpg Foundation stone laid for the Ylang Ylang Shopping Center in Combani, Mayotte CBo Territoria, a socially responsible group committed to the development of Mayotte CBo Territoria, which has been operating in Mayotte since 2016, is expanding its presence by laying the foundation stone of an ambitious commercial real estate complex, a future property asset of 7,900 sq.m. of net usable space that will be fully owned by the Group. The facility, which will be strategically located at the crossroads of the regional roads connecting the island's northern, southern, and western parts, will be a pivotal project for Mayotte. The new shopping center will thus address the lack of modern commercial facilities on the island. This new shopping center, named "Ylang Ylang", will be built in the second half of 2023. It will include a Carrefour supermarket (GBH Group), Mr Bricolage, Batimax, C'TAM (Cananga Group), and a 17-store shopping mall, for a total investment of 24 million. This project, led by CBo Territoria, was funded by the Agence Francaise de Developpement (AFD) and the Banque des Territoires. The construction of the Ylang Ylang shopping center reflects strong environmental ambitions in terms of building design, equipment, rainwater management, and waste reduction. The thermal design is intended to comply with the Mayenergie Plus standard (ADEME charter) and to obtain a BREEAM label (environmental construction method). The project also has a social goal in mind, as it anticipates future retailer recruitments through collaboration with public employment service actors, with the goal of optimizing economic spin-offs for the benefit of the residents of Tsingoni commune and the central-western part of the island. CBo Territoria also intends to develop tertiary projects on a 2.8-hectare plot of land it owns as an extension of the shopping center, either in promotion or development, to supply the Property Investment business. This new offer will allow local institutional players, such as Pole Emploi, to meet their needs, as they have signed a Lease in Future State of Completion for future premises of 1,130 sq.m. that will house, among other things, an agency and training rooms. The vitality of the new shopping center will benefit the site, which is both centrally located and easily accessible. Combani is a new central location in Mayotte developed by CBo Territoria as part of its ongoing investments CBo Territoria made its first investment in Mayotte in 2016, when it purchased a 2,300 sq. m. commercial asset from the Cananga Group, which houses the C'TAM chain. The Group completed the largest business center in Mayotte, "Kinga" in Kaweni, the island's main economic activity zone, in 2018; a 13,600 sq.m. real estate program, part of which was sold to the Mayotte Social Security Fund. CBo Territoria signed an agreement with Colas Mayotte in 2020 to purchase a 2.9 hectare plot of land in Combani with the intention of developing the Ylang Ylang shopping center project, and completed the acquisition of a 1.8 hectare plot of land in the same area with the intention of developing a tertiary building program. CBo Territoria has thus invested more than 60 million in Mayotte over the last six years, establishing itself as a key player in the commercial real estate market in a French department undergoing significant modernization. Next financial publication First-half 2022 revenue: Wednesday 17 August 2022 (after market close) About CBo Territoria Leading property developer and planner in Reunion Island and Mayotte, CBo Territoria is a real estate operator listed on Euronext C (FR0010193979, CBOT), and eligible for the PEA PME (Leveraged Share Savings Plan for the SME). The Group has been in the Top 10 (compartment C) of the Gaia Index for 5 years for its ESG approach and relies on best practices for its governance. Owner of 2950 hectares, the Group aims mostly to become a multi-regional Tertiary Property company, whose development is co-funded by its promotional activity. www.cboterritoria.com Contacts INVESTOR RELATIONS TEAM Caroline Clapier Administrative and Financial Manager direction@cboterritoria.com PARIS MEDIA RELATIONS TEAM dmorin@capvalue.fr REUNION MEDIA RELATIONS TEAM Catherine Galatoire 06 92 65 65 79 cgalatoire@cboterritoria.com ------------------------ This publication embed "Actusnews SECURITY MASTER ". - SECURITY MASTER Key: x2+cYZRskmvHl5ydkptnmmNlb2xqmWnGmmadm2Nwl5qYcG5ilptmbMqaZnBlmmpo - Check this key: https://www.security-master-key.com. ------------------------ Copyright Actusnews Wire Receive by email the next press releases of the company by registering on www.actusnews.com, it's free Full and original release in PDF format:https://www.actusnews.com/documents_communiques/ACTUS-0-74552-cbo-territoria-pr-pierre-ylang-ylang-11.05.2022.pdf NIESTETAL (dpa-AFX) - SMA Solar Technology AG (SMTGF.PK), a German solar energy equipment supplier, on Wednesday posted a decrease in net income for the first quarter, reflecting a decrease in sales as global chip shortage persists. In addition, for the fiscal 2022, the company has reiterated its guidance. For the first three-month period of 2022, solar firm posted a net income of 3 million euros or 0.09 euro per share, compared with 8 million euros or 0.23 euro per share, reported for the same period of previous year. Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) were at 15 million euros as against 20 million euros, year-on-year basis. Following a continued tight supply of electronic chips, SMA Solar recorded a decline in sales for the quarter at 220.6 million euros, compared with 240.4 million euros of previous year. For the fiscal 2022, SMA Solar continues to expect its sales of to be in the range of 900 million euros - 1.050 billion euros with an EBITDA of 10 million euros - 60 million euros. Chief Executive Officer Jurgen Reinert, said: '.Despite the ongoing strained supply situation in relation to electronic components, we expect to record most of the product-related order backlog as sales by the end of the year. In the coming years, we are anticipating significant market growth both for our core business of photovoltaics and for battery-storage systems, energy management, e-mobility and hydrogen production as fields for the future. SMA will be able to profit from that once the component shortage has been overcome.' Copyright(c) 2022 RTTNews.com. All Rights Reserved Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX SMA SOLAR-Aktie komplett kostenlos handeln - auf Smartbroker.de OSLO, Norway, May 11, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Photocure ASA (OSE: PHO) today reported Hexvix/Cysview revenues of NOK 81.4 million in the first quarter of 2022 (Q1 2021: NOK 81.6 million), following the recent Covid-19 surge and its impact on hospital access and staffing, which affected commercial operations in January and February. Access and procedure volumes experienced a recovery in March, and the Company expects installations of Blue Light Cystoscopy (BLC) towers in the U.S. to accelerate during the second half of 2022 once Karl Storz's new high-definition system is launched. "In the first quarter of this year, we navigated through a difficult first couple of months as Covid-19's Omicron variant surged and caused severe access restrictions and staffing shortages in both our North American and European commercial segments. Despite the soft procedure volume in January and much of February, we were able to grow quarterly unit sales in each of our direct commercial territories. March showed a strong recovery as the Omicron variant began to resolve, yet residual staffing shortages continue to impact the business. In the last month of the quarter, we achieved the second highest number of kits sold in the U.S. per month in the company's history, enabling 12% sales growth in our North American business versus last year's first quarter, " says Dan Schneider, President & Chief Executive Officer of Photocure. Photocure reported total group revenues of NOK 81.6 million in the first quarter of 2022 (NOK 88.2 million), and an EBITDA* of NOK -13.9 million (NOK 18.1 million). The Hexvix/Cysview revenues ended at NOK 81.4 million in the quarter (Q1 2021: NOK 81.6), following negative Covid-19 impact on hospital access and commercial operations in January and February. The EBIT was NOK -19.9 million (12.3) and the cash balance at the end of the first quarter 2022 was NOK 285.5 million. The installed base of blue light cystoscopes in the U.S. was 324 at the end of the first quarter, an increase of 44 units or 16% since the same period in 2021, including a total base of 53 flexible cystoscopes. "We also delivered 13 tower placements during Q1 2022, as we depleted substantially all of the earlier-generation rigid towers in Karl Storz's inventory. Importantly, we installed 5 flexible BLC units in Q1, and grew the base of flexible towers by 29% year over year. This performance, we believe, is a good indicator of the high demand for BLC capital equipment that we are seeing from our hospital and group practice customers," Schneider adds. With the new Karl Storz blue light system anticipated to launch throughout the U.S. in the second quarter of 2022, Photocure expects that the placements of new blue light rigid towers will accelerate in the back half of the year. Meanwhile, the company will continue to focus on increasing the use of Cysview in existing accounts as well as placing flexible BLC equipment, for which installation momentum continues to be strong. "Despite the ongoing challenges of hospital staffing around the world, we see improving conditions and remain optimistic about our future. With a new high-definition BLC system launching in the U.S. market and our European commercial operations fully in place, we believe that the remainder of 2022 will be an exciting period for Photocure as we help more physicians and bladder cancer patients realize the benefits of Hexvix/Cysview," Schneider concludes. Please find the full financial report and presentation enclosed. EBITDA* and other alternative performance measures (APMs) are defined and reconciled to the IFRS financial statements as a part of the APM section of the first quarter 2022 financial report on page 24. Photocure will present its first quarter 2022 report on Wednesday 11 May 2022 at 14:00 CET at Hotel Continental, Oslo, Norway. The investor presentation will also be streamed live and be hosted by Dan Schneider, CEO and Erik Dahl, CFO. The presentation will be held in English and questions can be submitted throughout the event. The streaming event is available through https://channel.royalcast.com/hegnarmedia/#!/hegnarmedia/20220511_7 The presentation is scheduled to conclude at 14:45 CET. For further information, please contact: Dan Schneider President and CEO Photocure ASA Tel: + 1 609 759 6515 Email: ds@photocure.com Erik Dahl Chief Financial Officer Photocure ASA Tel: +47 450 55 000 Email: ed@photocure.com David Moskowitz Vice President of Investor Relations Photocure ASA Tel: +1 202 280 0888 Email: david.moskowitz@photocure.com Media and IR enquiries: Geir Bjrlo Corporate Communications (Norway) Tel: +47 91540000 Email: geir.bjorlo@corpcom.no About Photocure ASA Photocure: The Bladder Cancer Company delivers transformative solutions to improve the lives of bladder cancer patients. Our unique technology, making cancer cells glow bright pink, has led to better health outcomes for patients worldwide. Photocure is headquartered in Oslo, Norway and listed on the Oslo Stock Exchange (OSE: PHO). For more information, please visit us at www.photocure.com, www.hexvix.com, www.cysview.com All trademarks mentioned in this release are protected by law and are registered trademarks of Photocure ASA. This information is considered to be inside information pursuant to the EU Market Abuse Regulation and is subject to the disclosure requirements pursuant to section 5-12 of the Norwegian Securities Trading Act. This stock exchange announcement was published by Tolv Hillestad, Group Controller, Photocure ASA, on 11 May 2022 at 08:00 CET. This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com https://news.cision.com/photocure/r/photocure-asa--results-for-the-first-quarter-of-2022,c3564496 The following files are available for download: AMSTERDAM, May 11, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- SMARTKAS, a Dutch agtech that designs, builds, owns and operates smart farms, has announced it will build and operate smart greenhouses on approximately 77-hectares of land in Brazil, yielding up to 10,000 tons of fruit and vegetables annually. Building on its mission to provide food security as a service, the partnership between SMARTKAS and the regional municipality of Sa~o Joa~o del-Rei in Minas Gerais has the full support from the local, state and federal authorities. Set to begin construction in 2023, the smart greenhouses will use a fully sustainable, clean and green agricultural process that relies on renewable sources for energy and water to produce a variety of fruit and vegetables without pesticides. Dr. David Meszaros, CEO of SMARTKAS, said: "SMARTKAS is revolutionizing the farming industry and eradicating global food problems by providing food security as a service and building on our belief that access to food and water should be a basic human right. "Access to a large quantity of locally grown, high quality fruit and vegetables that are produced in a fully sustainable, competitively priced environment and without the need for pesticides will address many of Brazil's food security, malnutrition and hunger issues." "The arrival of SMARTKAS in our municipality will move our economy, increase revenue, generate many jobs and promote local and regional development," added Nivaldo Andrade, Mayor of Sao Joao del-Rei. SMARTKAS believes only innovative solutions will ensure the world can provide food to 10 billion people by 2050. The Minas Gerais SMARTKAS greenhouses will demonstrate the ability to produce high quality and quantity fruit and vegetables, without the need for deforestation. Additionally, SMARTKAS has committed to contributing to the reforestation of the Amazon. Official data from Brazil's National Institute for Space Research showed deforestation reached a record high of 430 sq. km. in January. SMARTKAS' presence will help tackle the growing agricultural demand amid adverse weather conditions, pest attacks and disease, without the need for pesticides. The SMARTKAS greenhouses will also provide 300 direct and 2000 indirect jobs, and and R&D partnerships with universities. Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1811199/SMARTKAS.jpg TOKYO, May 11, 2022 - (ACN Newswire) - Showa Denko K.K. (SDK; TSE:4004) today announced its 2022 first quarter financial results.- 2022 First Quarter Consolidated Financial Statements and summaryhttps://www.sdk.co.jp/assets/files/english/ir/library/fss2022-1q.pdfThe Company also issued the following supporting release:- 2022 First Quarter Financial Results: Presentation Materialhttps://www.sdk.co.jp/assets/files/english/ir/library/pdf_presentation/results2022-1q.pdfAbout Showa Denko K.K.Showa Denko K.K. (SDK; TSE:4004, ADR:SHWDY) is a major manufacturer of chemical products serving from heavy industry to computers and electronics. The Petrochemicals Sector provides cracker products such as ethylene and propylene, the Chemicals Sector provides industrial, high-performance and high-purity gases and chemicals for semicon and other industries, the Inorganics Sector provides ceramic products, such as alumina, abrasives, refractory/graphite electrodes and fine carbon products. The Aluminum Sector provides aluminum materials and high-value-added fabricated aluminum, the Electronics Sector provides HD media, compound semiconductors such as ultra high bright LEDs, and rare earth magnetic alloys, and the Advanced Battery Materials Department (ABM) provides lithium-ion battery components. For more information, please visit www.sdk.co.jp/english/.Media contact:Showa Denko K.K., Public Relations Group, Brand Communication Department, Tel: 81-3-5470-3235Source: Showa Denko K.K.Copyright 2022 ACN Newswire . All rights reserved. Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann. News summary: Regional utility provider wanted to improve efficiency and performance with real-time network monitoring ALM infrastructure assurance solution enables proactive maintenance and dramatic opex reduction ADVA's technology interoperates seamlessly with JO Software's fiber management software cableScout ADVA (FSE: ADV) today announced that Westfalen Weser Netz has deployed its ALM fiber monitoring technology for precise, real-time insight into its regional metro network. The solution gives the municipal utility provider complete infrastructure assurance. Now it can instantly detect and rapidly repair fiber breaks with minimal disruption. The ADVA ALM enables Westfalen Weser Netz to dramatically shorten repair cycles and enhance network performance. It also means far fewer truck rolls and significant savings on fuel cost. The technology integrated seamlessly into Westfalen Weser Netz's cableScout management software provided by ADVA's partner JO Software Engineering GmbH. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220510005843/en/ ADVA's ALM provides Westfalen Weser Netz with real-time fiber monitoring to help ensure maximum network performance. (Photo: Business Wire) "The ADVA ALM is helping us ensure excellent network availability while also reducing maintenance effort and expense. It gives our repair teams the power to remotely measure attenuation and quickly locate any degradation in our fiber plant. They can then take action straightaway to resolve problems," said Stefan Kenneweg, consultant at Westfalen Weser Netz. "Combining the ADVA ALM assurance solution with our cableScout management software is like turning on the lights right across our network. Now there are no more blind spots. That means no more wasted hours on false alarms and no nasty surprises for our customers." The ADVA ALM is now delivering passive, in-service monitoring of Westfalen Weser Netz's fiber links. The simple, plug-and-play device offers several key advantages for utility network assurance. Its fanless operation and compact, low-energy design reduce opex and environmental impact. It's also a highly robust solution ready to be installed in almost any location. Built on standardized, open management interfaces, the ADVA ALM is fully interoperable with Westfalen Weser Netz's existing cableScout software. This provides a geographic information system (GIS) to quickly and easily locate failures. "Our ALM fiber monitoring platform is already bringing major benefits to Westfalen Weser Netz and its customers, helping the company reduce truck rolls and maximize resource efficiency. There really is no technology that has this much impact with such little cost and effort," commented Hartmut Muller-Leitloff, SVP of sales, EMEA at ADVA. "When it comes to providing homes and businesses with safe, efficient and sustainable electricity, gas and water, the reliability of the data transport network is crucial. Now that Westfalen Weser Netz has total visibility and control of its fiber infrastructure, it can avoid outages and introduce new services with confidence." "Our cableScout platform combined with the ADVA ALM solution for in-service monitoring provides Westfalen Weser Netz with continual access to a detailed layout of its network. Its team now has comprehensive understanding of the complete fiber architecture, enabling efficient end-to-end planning, management and troubleshooting," said Ralph Kosztovits, managing partner at JO Software Engineering GmbH. "ADVA is a company that shares our commitment to sustainable growth and creating new opportunities through innovation. Our close alliance offers major benefits for network operators like Westfalen Weser Netz who are committed to empowering customers to achieve more and enhancing end user experience." About ADVA ADVA is a company founded on innovation and focused on helping our customers succeed. Our technology forms the building blocks of a shared digital future and empowers networks across the globe. We're continually developing breakthrough hardware and software that leads the networking industry and creates new business opportunities. It's these open connectivity solutions that enable our customers to deliver the cloud and mobile services that are vital to today's society and for imagining new tomorrows. Together, we're building a truly connected and sustainable future. For more information on how we can help you, please visit us at www.adva.com. Published by: ADVA Optical Networking SE, Munich, Germany www.adva.com View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220510005843/en/ Contacts: For press: Gareth Spence t +44 1904 699 358 public-relations@adva.com For investors: Stephan Rettenberger t +49 89 890 665 854 investor-relations@adva.com AV AirFinance Limited ("AV AirFinance"), a global commercial aviation loan servicer, announced today that Neal McElvaney has joined AV AirFinance as Senior Vice President-Loan Origination (EMEA). Based in Dublin, Ireland, Mr. McElvaney will be responsible for sourcing loan opportunities and developing customer relationships in Europe, the Middle East and Africa. Mr. McElvaney has over 20 years of experience in asset finance. Prior to joining AV AirFinance, Mr. McElvaney spent 10 years at GE Capital Aviation Services (GECAS), most recently as SVP Commercial Origination in Dubai, where he was responsible for sourcing and structuring operating lease transactions in the Middle East, Africa and CIS regions. He also held senior roles within the GECAS risk team, managing commercial aviation risk exposure across a wide range of customers and jurisdictions. Mr. McElvaney also held senior roles at GE Capital and Lombard Ireland earlier in his career. "We are delighted to welcome Mr. McElvaney to the AV AirFinance team," said Axel Hammar, Chief Risk Officer at AV AirFinance. "His wealth of experience in asset financing will be tremendously helpful to our business and we are thrilled to expand our team further as we continue growing our loan book." AV AirFinance is a global commercial aviation loan servicer established by a team of experienced industry professionals and KKR in June 2021. The secured loan servicing platform combines stable, long-term capital and decades of experience structuring commercial aircraft loan transactions to offer creative and innovative financing solutions to commercial aviation customers around the world. About AV AirFinance AV AirFinance is a loan servicer focusing on arranging financing for commercial aircraft to airlines, lessors, manufacturers, cargo operators and investors, secured by new and used commercial aircraft and engines. AV AirFinance services commercial aircraft loans of over $1 billion. AV AirFinance is based in Dublin, Ireland. For more information, please visit www.avairfinance.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220510006545/en/ Contacts: AV AirFinance Limited Ciara McGrath +353 1 267 8115 ciara.mcgrath@avairfinance.com Yes. The Founding Fathers were wise to include this provision in the Constitution. Yes. Lifetime appointments generally provide protection against excesses of the legislative and executive branches. No. Supreme Court appointments should be limited to a specified term of years. No. Supreme Court justices should have a mandatory retirement age. Vote View Results PARIS, May 11, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Sopra Steria, a European Tech leader recognised for its consulting, digital services and software development, has welcomed almost 2,000 of its employees to their new offices in Paris La Defense's new architectural icon, Latitude. Long-established real estate development group Generale Continentale Investissements (GCI) are delighted to have fully let the building to an organization of Sopra Steria's calibre. Built in the 1970s, Latitude has been completely redeveloped and extended to provide 22,000sqm of redesigned workspace and extensive amenity areas. With significant lateral floorplates and strong environmental credentials, the building fulfilled Sopra Steria's specific requirements for an integrated, flexible working environment suited to new workplace expectations and those of the talent that occupies it. The architects at STUDIOS Architecture designed flowing ribbons along Latitude's facade, creating an organic, horizontal identity that adds dynamism to the district's ultra-urban and traditionally vertical landscape. Its strategic position overlooking the ring road and its inclusive, eco-friendly design, have already established Latitude as a new urban landmark and an integral part of Paris-La Defense's renewal. Atelier Annie Vitipon created the interior design for Sopra Steria. The building's spectacular, transparent, two-storey lobby opens onto a new tree-lined piazza. Other landscaped areas include a Japanese-inspired "pocket park", a ground floor terrace and extensive green roofs. Modular, interconnecting spaces give the ground floor the feel of an open, Parisian-style street. Designed by London-based SHH interiors, Prepline catering consultancy and F&B operator, Baxter Storey, this promenade offers ever-changing and diverse food and drink options, as well as other innovative services for employees. With versatility at its heart, the Atrium Bar, Food Hall, Grab & Go, Salad Bar, Brasserie, Coffee Bar and Pop-up store provide lunchtime seating as well as multi-purpose and event-oriented spaces to encourage informal meetings and support a collaborative work culture. This original concept received the Titan Property Award in three categories: Platinum in the Property Development category, and Gold for both Commercial Redevelopment/Renovation and Office Development. Latitude is also aiming to qualify for the most demanding French and international green labels and certificates, including HQE Outstanding, BREEAM Excellent, Effinergie+ and Wiredscore Platinum. Choosing an energy-efficient facade and facilities reduces consumption per square metre by two-thirds, reflecting GCI's ongoing and passionate commitment to sustainability. Contact: contact@gci-site.com Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1814989/Paris_La_Defense.jpg Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1814988/GCI_and_Sopra_Steria_Logo.jpg HR Path today announced a new record round of financing. With thisnew operation, HR Path intends to continue its international expansion and strengthen its status as a global leader in the HR industry. ATLANTA, Ga, May 11, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- This round combines the raising of external growth-oriented bank financing and a reorganization of equity around Andera Partners, a partner of the group since 2019, which is structuring a dedicated co-investment fund for the occasion. The creation of such a fund for a company the size of HR Path is unprecedented on the market. This new financing method not only offers liquidity to investors and shareholders but also allows the international group to benefit from additional financial resources to continue its growth. The 225 million funding round was led by Andera Partners and a dozen of its subscribers, including Societe Generale Capital Partenaires (SGCP). Six French banks (Societe Generale, BNP Paribas, Credit Agricole Ile de France, Banque Palatine, LCL and Caisse d'Epargne Ile de France) have also subscribed to this operation. The assistance of Volt Associes, and this co-investment fund made this fundraising. Andera Partners, the co-investment fund and SGCP remain minority shareholders of the group. HR Path's services range from HRstrategy consulting (Advise) through the implementation of software solutions (Implement) to payroll outsourcing (Run). The international Group aims to continue its expansion and expand its value proposition in all countries of the world, especially in the 19 countries where the group is already present. With a double growth, both organic and external HR Path aims to: - Double its turnover within 5 years - Receive 400 people a year in the coming years - Become the world leader in the digital transformation of the HR function. "This new round will allow us to giveourselves the means to achieve our ambitions.We want to contribute to the improvementof HRperformance, including through the acquisition of new companies. We want to share our HR expertise with large international groups and create HR innovation with them," says Francois Boulet, co-president of HR Path. Cyril Courtin, co-president of HR Path, adds: "The topics around human capital are more than ever a priority: adapting to change, data security, employee attraction and employee engagement. Thanks to our own talents, their expertise and their involvement alongside our customers, HR Path is able to meet all these challenges that allow companies to improve HR experience.That is why we strongly believe in our potential and we welcome the confidence, renewed for some, of our financial partners." Francois-Xavier Mauron and Antoine Le Bourgeois, partners of Andera Partners, declare: "For the past 3 years, we have financed and supported the change of scale of this champion wishing to become a leading global player in its market.It is with pleasure that we will continue to support HR Path in its projects. This new method of managing shareholdings allows us to continue to create value on a performing asset for which we have a strong conviction. " Marc Jacquin, Director of Participations at SGCP explains: "After having accompanied the group on the occasion of its first operation in 2015 and again in 2017, SGCP is pleased to participate in this new stage of the HR Path group and to support the management in its ambition to build a global player in a dynamic and strategic market of the HR function for companies." About HR Path HR Path, global leader in Human Resources, supports companies for which the human experience is essential to their digital transformation. Our 3 business lines, Advise, Implement & Run, contribute to the HR performance of its customers. Created in 2001 in Paris and with its 1,300 talents, HR Path advises, integrates, and operates in 19 countries for more than 1,500 clients. Its turnover to date amounts to 140 million euros. More information: www.hr-path.com LinkedIn Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1813833/HR_Path_Logo.jpg Press Contacts Epoka Agency for HR Path Nicolas CREPIN ncrepin@epoka.fr 06 52 32 10 11 HR Path Fabienne LATOUR fabienne.latour@hr-path.com Common Good Advisory pour Andera Partners Marie-Charlotte POTET Clement BENETREAU mc.potet@bcadvisory.fr c.benetreau@bcadvisory.fr +33 6 47 97 39 46 +33 6 76 14 02 02 VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / May 11, 2022 / Marvel Discovery Corp. (TSXV:MARV), (FRA:O4T1), (OTCQB:MARVF); ("Marvel", or the "Company") is pleased to announce a Joint Venture agreement to expand our land position within the Rocky Mountain Rare Metal Belt. The Company has the right to earn a 50% interest from a private company, Eagle Bay Resources, upon completion of at least 2 (two) drill holes. The 507 hectarehectare claim block is located immediately adjacent to the west of the Wicheeda Project of Defense Metals. Defense Metals has recently been expanding the value of their Wicheeda Project through deposit definition drilling. Recently announced results (April 21, 2022) include 3.81% TREO over 116.8 metres, including two separate higher-grade intervals averaging 4.33% TREO over 38.8 metres, and 4.87% TREO over 37.5 metres. (Mineralization hosted on adjacent and/or nearby properties is not necessarily indicative of mineralization hosted on Marvel's Property.) Karim Rayani, President and Chief Executive Officer, commented, "We are very excited with the current developments coming out of the Wicheeda Camp. Marvel is in a great position now as we control a sizeable area of influence, and we look forward to working with our new partner Eagle Bay Resources to explore this new territory." The Defense Metals Wicheeda REE Property is located in the Foreland Belt of the Canadian Cordillera, within the structurally dominant NW-trending Rocky Mountain Trench. The Rocky Mountain Trench is recognized for the occurrence of several Paleozoic carbonatite-syenite intrusion-related complexes that were geologically deformed, tilted, and transported to the east in thrust panels. The REE-enriched carbonatites located on the Defense Metals property is part of a narrow, elongate, southeast-trending intrusive carbonatite-syenite complex utilizing a structural panel within sedimentary sequences of the Cambrian to Ordovician Kechika Group. Carbonatite-related rocks are exceptionally rare, with less than 700 complexes known worldwide. They are a major host for rare metals (REE's), such as niobium and tantalum, and rare earth elements (REE's), and are also known to host economic concentrations of copper, goldgold, and other base metals. The world's largest niobium mine, Araxa in Brazil, and several of the world's largest-rare earth element deposits, including Lynas Corporation's Mt. Weld deposit in Australia and MP Material's Mountain Pass Deposit in the United States, are all hosted by carbonatites. Mineralization and REE deposits described above are not necessarily indicative of the mineralization on the Property. Marvel's original Wicheeda North Property, consists of two mineral claims, which encompass 2023 ha. This new JV brings the company's total land holdings within the Wicheeda Rare Earth Metal Belt to 2530 ha covering a total of 4 claims. Qualified Person The technical content of this news release has been reviewed and approved by Neil McCallum, P.Geo., of Dahrouge Geological Consulting Ltd., who is a Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101, Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects. About Marvel Discovery Corp. Marvel, listed on the TSX Venture Exchange for over 25 years, is a Canadian based emerging resource company. The Company is systematically exploring its extensive property positions in: Newfoundland (Slip, Gander North, Gander South, Victoria Lake, Baie Verte, and Hope Brook - Au Prospects) Athabasca Basin, Saskatchewan (Highway North - Uranium Project) Atikokan, Ontario (BlackFly - Au Prospect) - Elliot Lake, Ontario (East Bull - Ni-Cu-PGE Prospect) Quebec (Duhamel - Ni-Cu-Co prospect & Titanium, Vanadium, and Chromium Prospect) - Prince George, British Columbia (Wicheeda North - Rare Earth Elements Prospect) The Company's website is: https://marveldiscovery.ca/ ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD Marvel Discovery Corp. "Karim Rayani" Karim Rayani President/Chief Executive Officer, Director Tel: 604 716 0551 email: k@r7.capital Disclaimer for Forward-Looking Information: Certain statements in this release are forward-looking statements which reflect the expectations of management. Forward-looking statements consist of statements that are not purely historical, including any statements regarding beliefs, plans, expectations, or intentions regarding the future. Forward-looking statements in this press release relate to, among other things: completion of the proposed Arrangement. Actual future results may differ materially. 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 on the date the statements are made and are based upon a number of assumptions and estimates that, while considered reasonable by the respective parties, are inherently subject to significant business, economic, competitive, political and social uncertainties and contingencies. Readers should not place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements and information contained in this news release concerning these times. Except as required by law, the Company does not assume any obligation to update the forward-looking statements of beliefs, opinions, projections, or other factors, should they change, except as required by law Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. SOURCE: Marvel Discovery Corp. View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/700872/Marvel-To-Increase-Land-Position-at-Wicheeda-Rees-Project-Contiguous-to-Defense-Metals 374Water Will Exhibit its AirSCWO Technology for the Treatment of Sewage Sludge and Hazardous and Non-Hazardous Industrial Wastes as Part of its Global Expansion Across the United Kingdom and Europe MUNICH, GERMANY / ACCESSWIRE / May 11, 2022 / 374Water Inc. (OTCQB:SCWO), a social impact cleantech company will exhibit and participate in Internationale Fachmesse fur Abwassertechnik (IFAT) Munich, the world's leading trade fair for water, sewage, waste and raw materials management. From May 30th to June 3rd at Messe Munchen in Munich, Germany, IFAT will feature the most innovative environmental technologies in the wastewater and waste management industry. 374Water is leading sustainable waste management through its AirSCWO systems , which destroy organic compounds and provides a scalable, green, solution for eliminating waste. IFAT connects industry professionals to highlight the various environmental protection and waste disposal products emerging from the sector. 374Water, represented by Dr. Tali Harif, Director of Business Development in UK & Europe, will host attendees at Booth B2.500. Dr. Harif will discuss how AirSCWO systems eliminate a range of wastes such as sewage sludge, biosolids, food waste, industrial waste, and chemicals such as PFAS, and generate recoverable resources. 374Water's AirSCWO system harnesses the power of supercritical water oxidation to eliminate >99.9% of solids and contaminants from various waste streams utilizing an omniprocessor. The prefabricated, compact, and modular units are economical and facilitate easy deployment at new and existing waste generation sites. Currently, a one-ton-per-day unit operates at Duke University in North Carolina, USA and the Company's first commercial six-ton-per-day unit was recently purchased by Orange County Sanitation District of Fountain Valley, California, USA. "As businesses and municipalities look to update their waste treatment infrastructure globally, it is imperative that they embrace new green technologies that can target and eliminate emerging pollutants threatening public health," said Kobe Nagar, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of 374Water. "We look forward to exhibiting at this year's IFAT tradeshow and showcasing the benefits of broadening sustainable waste management solutions" 374Water's global expansion comes in tandem with increasing government waste and chemical regulations worldwide. The Netherlands, Germany, Norway, Denmark, and Sweden are proposing to implement wider restrictions on PFAS use next year. The European Commission recently announced reforms to REACH that are expected to substantially change the current rules for REACH restrictions and authorizations. In addition, the EU launched a study in 2020 to assess the evaluation criteria of the effectiveness, efficiency, relevance, coherence, and EU-added value of the Sewage Sludge Directive in all EU countries. The results of the evaluation will inform the Commission's decision on the need to progress with an impact assessment for a proposal to revise the Directive, as outlined in the New Circular Economy Action Plan . Earlier this year, 374Water announced its expansion into Israel with a new subsidiary, 374Water Sustainability Israel LTD . 374Water is looking forward to IFAT Munich as the company continues its expansion in the UK and Europe. For more information about the conference, visit IFAT.de. To learn more about 374Water, check out 374water.com . About 374Water: 374Water is a US-based cleantech, social impact company whose mission is to preserve a clean and healthy environment that sustains life. We are pioneering a new era of sustainable waste management that supports a circular economy and enables organizations to achieve their sustainability goals. https://www.374water.com/ Cautionary Language This press release contains "forward-looking statements," as that term is defined under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 (PSLRA), which statements may be identified by words such as "expects," "plans," "projects," "will," "may," "anticipates," "believes," "should," "intends," "estimates," and other words of similar meaning. Company Contact: 374 Water: Richard Davis (786) 412-7015 ir@374Water.com Investor Contact: Hayden IR: James Carbonara (646)-755-7412 james@haydenir.com Media Contact: FischTank PR: 374water@fischtankpr.com SOURCE: 374Water, Inc. View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/700866/374Water-to-Exhibit-Cleantech-at-IFAT-Munich-from-May-30-June-3-2022 WorkSpaces virtual environments now able to be protected by Plurilock's cutting-edge behavioral biometrics technology Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - May 11, 2022) - Plurilock Security Inc. (TSXV: PLUR) (OTCQB: PLCKF) and related subsidiaries ("Plurilock" or the "Company"), an identity-centric cybersecurity solutions provider for workforces, has announced that Plurilock DEFENDTM, its zero trust identity solution, can now extend its continuous identity assurance capabilities to Amazon Workspaces virtual sessions. Amazon WorkSpaces available through Amazon Web Servies (AWS) is a fully managed virtualization platform for Windows and Linux devices.1 With a growing number of workforces shifting to remote environments and projections that 25% of all professional jobs in North America will be remote by the end of 2022, more organizations are implementing virtual infrastructure.2 While these environments provide cost savings and address challenges associated with bring your own device (BYOD) situations, they can leave organizations vulnerable to credential compromise and unauthorized access to critical assets. Plurilock DEFENDTM offers identity assurance and compromise detection, alerting IT security personnel to potential threats in real time. The platform runs invisibly, providing continuous identity detection and endpoint visibility in the background, as users work. This capability enables DEFEND to augment existing multi-factor authentication (MFA) and single sign-on (SSO) solutions while enhancing security awareness and reducing friction. This enhanced functionality supports Amazon WorkSpaces, providing continuous identity assurance using behavioral biometrics. The platform can terminate the virtual session if high-risk activity or potential credential compromise is detected, thereby eliminating the opportunity for an attacker to access sensitive information in the network or detonate a malicious payload. "In an increasingly remote world, zero trust identity technology is critical for securing workforces, including those operating in virtual environments," said Ian L. Paterson, CEO of PlurilockTM. "Working with Amazon Web Services (AWS), Plurilock leverages a robust suite of services that drive innovation and agility. This has allowed us to design and build a secure, fault tolerant, and highly available solution that delivers nonstop identify verification. This latest release demonstrates Plurilock's success in executing on its stated strategy to acquire profitable cybersecurity companies with great customers and provide cutting-edge identity confirmation solutions that protect workforces." The release is available via Plurilock's Early Access Program. All early access features will be available to select customers beginning June, with general availability in second half 2022. To share insight on the security challenges presented by Amazon WorkSpaces environments, Mr. Paterson will be hosting a live webinar event titled, "4 Security Threats to Consider When Using Amazon WorkSpaces", with AWS's Ray Hession on May 26 at 1 p.m. Eastern Time. Click the link below to register. https://plurilock.com/event/4-security-threats-to-consider-when-using-amazon-workspaces About Plurilock Plurilock provides identity-centric cybersecurity for today's workforces. The Plurilock family of companies enables organizations to operate safely and securely while reducing cybersecurity friction. Plurilock offers world-class IT and cybersecurity solutions through its Solutions Division, paired with proprietary, AI-driven and cloud-friendly security through its Technology Division. Together, the Plurilock family of companies delivers persistent identity assurance with unmatched ease of use. Plurilock is a proud member of the AWS Partner Network (APN) which will facilitate our ability to continually innovate and deliver best-in-class solutions to our clients. For more information, visit https://www.plurilock.com or contact: Ian L. Paterson Chief Executive Officer ian@plurilock.com 416.800.1566 Roland Sartorius Chief Financial Officer roland.sartorius@plurilock.com Prit Singh Investor Relations prit.singh@plurilock.com 905.510.7636 Forward-Looking Statements This press release may contain certain forward-looking statements and forward-looking information (collectively, "forward-looking statements") related to future events or Plurilock's future business, operations, and financial performance and condition. Forward-looking statements normally contain words like "will", "intend", "anticipate", "could", "should", "may", "might", "expect", "estimate", "forecast", "plan", "potential", "project", "assume", "contemplate", "believe", "shall", "scheduled", and similar terms. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance, actions, or developments and are based on expectations, assumptions, and other factors that management currently believes are relevant, reasonable, and appropriate in the circumstances. Although management believes that the forward-looking statements herein are reasonable, actual results could be substantially different due to the risks and uncertainties associated with and inherent to Plurilock's business. Additional material risks and uncertainties applicable to the forward-looking statements herein include, without limitation, the impact of general economic conditions, the success of the Company in obtaining new or extended contracts or orders; the Company's ability to maintain existing customers or develop new customers; the Company's ability to successfully integrate acquisitions of other businesses and/or companies or to realize on the anticipated benefits thereof; and unforeseen events, developments, or factors causing any of the aforesaid expectations, assumptions, and other factors ultimately being inaccurate or irrelevant. This list is not exhaustive of the factors that may affect the Company's forward-looking statements. Many of these factors are beyond the control of Plurilock. All forward-looking statements included in this press release are expressly qualified in their entirety by these cautionary statements. The forward-looking statements contained in this press release are made as at the date hereof, and Plurilock undertakes no obligation to update publicly or to revise any of the included forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise, except as may be required by applicable securities laws. Risks and uncertainties about the Company's business are more fully discussed under the heading "Risk Factors" in its most recent Annual Information Form. They are otherwise disclosed in its filings with securities regulatory authorities available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. https://aws.amazon.com/workspaces/ https://www.forbes.com/sites/bryanrobinson/2022/02/01/remote-work-is-here-to-stay-and-will-increase-into-2023-experts-say/'sh=17b0e3c020a6 To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/123553 MUNICH (dpa-AFX) - Allianz SE (ALIZY), on Wednesday, announced that it has decided to book an additional provision of EUR 1.9 billion in the first quarter of 2022 before tax. Allianz SE believes that this provision booked is a fair estimate of its remaining financial exposure in relation to compensation payments to investors and to payments under any resolution of the governmental proceedings. The company further noted that it is seeking a timely resolution to the governmental proceedings in ongoing discussions with the U.S. Department of Justice and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. 'Allianz SE will inform about a resolution and its consequences for Allianz Global Investors beyond the aforementioned payment obligations once an agreement with the authorities has been reached,' the company added. The provision will negatively impact the Q1 Group net income by EUR 1.6 billion after tax, resulting in a net income attributable to shareholders of EUR 0.6 billion. Group operating profit in the first Quarter 2022 amounted to EUR 3.2 billion, while the Solvency II capitalization ratio stood at 199%. Net income attributable to shareholders will be adjusted for the Structured Alpha provision for the calculation of the dividend payout. Copyright(c) 2022 RTTNews.com. All Rights Reserved Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann. MUNICH, May 11, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Huawei today announced all-new smart photovoltaic (PV) and energy storage solutions at Intersolar Europe 2022. The intelligent solutions enable a low-carbon smart society with clean energy, demonstrating Huawei's continuous commitment to technological innovation and sustainability. With industry leaders, experts, and journalists around the world joining the event, Chen Guoguang, Chief Executive Officer of Smart PV & ESS Business at Huawei Digital Power, presented Huawei's new smart solutions for utility-scale PV plants, energy storage systems, commercial and industrial applications, residential uses, and smart micro-grids. "With over 30 years of R&D experience, Huawei continues to deliver industry breakthroughs in core technologies such as artificial intelligence, cloud computing, and power electronics," said Chen Guoguang. "We are thrilled to launch these groundbreaking all-scenario solutions resulting from our innovation efforts, helping accelerate PV and energy storage development." FusionSolar Smart PV Solution 6.0+ for Higher Yields Huawei offers optimal Levelized Cost of Electricity (LCOE), enhanced grid connection capabilities, and improved safety through continuous innovation in string design to address key industry challenges. The key technologies of its Smart PV Solution include: Smart DC System (SDS): Optimizing tracking algorithm, the SDS technology increases power generation by 1.69% in a PV plant in Guangxi , China. Huawei cooperates with more than 10 brands of tracking solar panels to provide users with a better experience. Smart I-V Curve Diagnosis 4.0: The technology identifies string faults, evaluates power loss, and recommends repair solutions, completing the full online inspection of a 100 MW power plant in 20 minutes. The diagnosis enhances operation and maintenance (O&M) while increasing power generation. In Malaysia , 2,000 hours of workload is saved every year on a 30 MW project. Smart String-Level Disconnector Technology (SSLD-TECH): After two years of R&D efforts, Huawei developed the innovative SSLD-TECH, which minimizes the safety hazards of direct current faults. Germany's TUV SUD, IEC 60947-2 and China's certifications ensure PV plant safety with proven effectiveness. Grid Forming: Developed by Huawei, the intelligent grid connection algorithm enables a PV system to be adapted to various grid scenarios, improving its voltage and power control capabilities. At a low short circuit ratio (SCR) of 1.2, it ensures that the inverter runs at full power without derating and successfully passes through high and low voltage continuously, delivering a 30% increase in new energy access. Equipped with DC arc detection and emergency disconnection, Huawei's Smart PV Solution cuts off faults with high precision and fast response for enhanced safety. Smart String Energy Storage System (ESS)for Optimal Levelized Cost of Energy Storage (LCOS) The new Smart String ESS addresses the limited capacity, short service life, complex O&M, and high safety risks of conventional solutions. Huawei draws on more than ten years of R&D experience in energy storage systems to deliver a unique smart string structure that integrates digital, power electronics, and energy storage technologies, overcoming the limitations of lithium batteries. Smart String ESS adopts pack-level optimization, rack-level optimization, distributed cooling, and all-modular design, enabling the batteries' full charging and discharging potential and providing optimal LCOS for PV plants. The system offers comprehensive safety with four layers of protection covering cell-level short circuit detection, pack-level safety shutdown, rack-level overcurrent protection and fault isolation, and system-level smart fire suppression. Residential Smart PV Solution 3.0 for a Better Life Following the launch of the "1+3+X" Residential Smart PV Solution 2.0 in 2021, Huawei presented the upgraded "1+4+X" design this year. The integrated solution enables a smart power consumption ecosystem, featuring a smart energy controller which connects a PV optimizer, an ESS, an EV charger, and a management system. This solution enhances PV self-consumption rate to 90% from 70% in the previous generation, bringing an all-around clean energy experience to homes with lower electricity costs, active safety, and intelligent assistant. To enable low-carbon living, Huawei has launched a new smart EV charger for residential use with easy indoor and outdoor installation, delivering convenient fast charging. Commercial & Industrial (C&I) Smart PV Solution 2.0 for a Sustainable Business With increasing demand from enterprises to reduce electricity costs and carbon emissions, Huawei launched the upgraded 1+3 C&I Smart PV Solution 2.0 to offer customers new PV and energy storage innovations. The new generation of the C&I Smart PV Solution comes with an all-new three-phase inverter (SUN2000-50KTL-M3), a Smart String ESS (LUNA-200kWh-2H0), which can be coupled with the 100kW power conditioning system (PCS), and a smart PV optimizer (MERC-1100W/1300W-P). It will allow companies across industries to move into a low-carbon era with optimized electricity costs, active safety, and smart O&M for an enhanced experience. Smart Micro-grid Solution for Clean and Reliable Power Supply Huawei launched the Smart Micro-grid Solution to support the seamless online transition of medium-voltage off/on-grid changeover. Compared to traditional power generation from oil, Huawei's solution cuts LCOE by more than 50%. It effectively reduces power outage loss, helping to achieve zero-carbon generation and eliminate the energy divide. Long-term Investment to Enable Continuous Innovation Focusing on the PV sector for more than ten years, Huawei FusionSolar strives to overcome challenges across industries through continuous R&D and innovation. With its carbon-reducing solutions applied globally, the company integrates digital, AI, and cloud technologies to promote the smart development of the PV and energy storage industries. As the president of the ENSTO-E grid code expert team and a member of IEC and UNE standard organizations, Huawei has submitted over 600 standard proposals and participated in developing more than 80 standards, making a significant contribution to the PV industry. In response to the global energy transformation toward renewable power, Huawei continues to innovate in collaboration with customers and partners to accelerate the adoption of new energy. Committed to offering best-in-class products and services, Huawei will create more value for customers by further strengthening its leading technologies in string inverters, smart string energy storage systems, grid connection, and PV plant digitalization, helping build a sustainable, low-carbon future for the world. Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1815443/Huawei_Unveils_New_All_Scenario_Smart_PV_Energy_Storage_Solutions_Intersolar.jpg Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1815444/Huawei_Unveils_New_All_Scenario_Smart_PV_Energy_Storage_Solutions_Intersolar_1.jpg Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1815445/Huawei_Unveils_New_All_Scenario_Smart_PV_Energy_Storage_Solutions_Intersolar_2.jpg Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1815446/Huawei_Unveils_New_All_Scenario_Smart_PV_Energy_Storage_Solutions_Intersolar_3.jpg Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1815447/Huawei_Unveils_New_All_Scenario_Smart_PV_Energy_Storage_Solutions_Intersolar_4.jpg Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1815448/Huawei_Unveils_New_All_Scenario_Smart_PV_Energy_Storage_Solutions_Intersolar_5.jpg Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann. Washington, D.C.--(Newsfile Corp. - May 11, 2022) - Clean Energy Solutions, a solar energy company based out in California, has managed to grow itself by 12,000 percent since its inception in 2014. A remarkable feat mainly attributed to its unique sales proposition (USP)--providing the essential solar panels and charging clients only for the energy generated and used over a certain period. The move has allowed the company to revolutionize the way renewable energy is delivered to a US household--a highly affordable and sustainable energy alternative to the monthly electric bill. The success can also be owed to the company's strategic vision and mission. Founder and CEO David Gomez explains, "Clean Energy Solutions is backed by its mission of providing property owners with clean, reliable, and affordable solar power. Our unique offerings help our subscribers gain huge monthly savings and the peace of mind that they will no longer have to worry about expensive utility bills." The last seven years have seen a rapid growth transition that includes the expansion of its operations into Texas, Nevada, and an international outlet in Mexico city. The increase in size complements the continuing demand for renewable energy solutions--a clear indication of today's consumers' key understanding of what products and services leave less of an impact on the environment. The company has registered a 749 percent Year-over-Year (YoY) growth due to its integrated sales, financing, design, installation, monitoring, and efficiency services, minus the use of multiple third parties. "Clean Energy Solutions understands the energy market and the sudden demand for alternative sources that are more environmentally friendly. This has been our guiding light towards fulfilling our promise of providing reliable and affordable solar energy," said Gomez. The strong commitment to helping US households has led to a bevy of awards and recognitions for the company, including being part of Inc Magazine's Inc 500 and Inc 5000 list-- tagged as one of the fastest-growing companies in the US. Clean Energy Solutions has also been ranked by Sunnova Energy Corporation as its Highest Growth corporate partner. Lastly, the company has been recognized by Sunrun for having the fastest installation times as their integrated partner. Clean Energy Solutions also has the distinction of being the only solar energy provider that performs the whole sales process via phone--taking away the need for in-home appointments. Another advantage that the company prides itself on is its ability to know what its customers want and need. Gomez explains, "At the start of a customer-provider relationship, we first try to understand what they need and want. We take a close look at energy usage and pinpoint opportunities for improvements. Being familiar with this important aspect of the business relationship has helped reinforce our promise of an excellent solar energy system for their use." Solar energy, as an industry, is expected to log in continuous growth for the long term. At present, solar power accounts for three percent of US power generation. The growth is predicted to further go up to 20 percent by the year 2050--consolidating the US' number two ranking in the top five list of countries that are fully reliant on solar energy, sitting alongside China, Japan, India, and Germany. Wanting to play a significant role in this expected growth, Clean Energy Solutions expressed its continued commitment to act as a catalyst to the industry's upward trajectory--revolutionizing the distribution of solar power across the US. "Rest assured, Clean Energy Solutions will live up to its promise of providing customers with a cleaner, efficient, sustainable, and affordable power source alternative--for as long as the sun shines on us," concluded Gomez. Media contact: Name: David Gomez Email: info@cleanenergysolutions.org To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/123454 Beijing, China--(Newsfile Corp. - May 11, 2022) - In a clear signal to the industry and to enhance its R&D and international leadership capabilities, Terminus Group, a global leader in smart service solutions, has appointed IEEE Fellow, Dr. Yang Yang, to its growing cadre of Chief Scientists. This follows the recent appointment of Dr. Ling Shao, who joined as Chief Scientist of Terminus Group and President of Terminus International. With a wealth of scientific and professional expertise, Dr. Yang will play a leading role in the company's efforts to explore the potential of the Internet of Things (IoT) and artificial intelligence (AI) in reducing carbon emissions. He will also promote the concept, research, development and adoption of Terminus Group's next level smart city platforms and scenarios - the 'AI CITY'. Dr. Yang Yang, Chief Scientist of Terminus Group To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/8457/123565_94448d70e4dc6997_001full.jpg In a recent letter to the company's board of directors, Victor AI, the Founder and CEO of Terminus Group, said: "Technological and scientific innovation are the core components of the company's DNA, and having the best in global talent on board is the spearhead of that strategy." AI continued, "The appointments of Dr. Yang and Dr. Ling Shao are significant indications of the company's talent recruitment strategy - the 'T-Plan' - which aims to attract and retain the best and brightest minds in their field of expertise. Their innovative spirit will not only accelerate the company's R&D functions but will also be the key driver behind the company's ability to meet and exceed global market expectations on Terminus Group's next generation of smart products and services." As part of its continuous efforts to enhance its talent structure, the company unveiled the "Talents Plan" (T-Plan), which aims to attract and retain the best and brightest minds in the technology industry. This initiative involves the recruitment of hundreds of scientists and technology experts with doctoral degrees in areas such as AI, Big Data, and the Cloud. Commenting on his appointment, Dr. Yang said: "In recent years, I have been impressed by Terminus Group's ability to develop and implement bold and innovative ideas, combined with a pragmatic service spirit. "With the increasing number of connected devices and the technological advancements that are happening in the field of Artificial Intelligence and the Internet of Things [AIoT], I believe that the time has come for us to start implementing these combined strategies," Dr. Yang added. At the core of the company's strategy is the exploration and pushing of boundaries within the AIoT industry, while meeting the needs of the people who will live and work in these future cities. With his extensive experience in the field of AIoT, Dr. Yang will be tasked with taking a leading role in the company's efforts to research, develop, and promote the concept and adoption of AI CITY scenarios. While the T-Plan will continue to identify and recruit the best and brightest, it can already be said that the majority of Terminus Group's technical team and management are graduates of some of the world's most prominent universities. These include the likes of Stanford University, Harvard University, Tsinghua University, MIT, Queen Mary University of London, and Sun Yat-sen University. Before joining Terminus Group, Dr. Yang had already led over 20 cutting-edge AIoT and broadband mobile communication R&D projects in the UK and China. He is an expert in the field of intelligent IoT and was a member of the Chief Technical Committee of the National Science and Technology Major Project "New Generation Mobile Wireless Broadband Communication Networks", funded by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology of China (MIIT). He was also a member of the Chief Technical Committee for the National 863 Hi-Tech R&D Program "5G System R&D Major Projects", funded by the Ministry of Science and Technology of China (MOST). Currently, Dr. Yang is also a member of various international technical committees and organizations. For example, he is the Chair for 5G Industry Community and the Chair for Asia Region at Fog/Edge Industry Community, at the IEEE Communications Society. He is also an associate editor of two IEEE technical journals - IEEE TNSE and IOTJ - as well as serving as a technical investigator for the Shanghai Intellectual Property Court. From 2012 to 2016, Dr. Yang led a team to design and deploy distinctive IoT technologies for the water monitoring system of the South-to-North Water Diversion Project in China, which is from Danjiangkou Water Reservoir, in Hunan Province, to the cities of Beijing and Tianjin (1,432km - the longest in the world). Currently, he is also the Principal Investigator of the national key project "5G-enabled IoT Infrastructure Development for the Smart Cities in Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Greater Bay Area", funded by the National Key Research and Development Program of China "Key Technologies for IoT Networks and Smart Cities". Dr. Yang has also served as a member of the board and Greater China Director of the OpenFog Consortium and Chair of the Steering Committee for the Asia Pacific Communications Conference (APCC). Before joining Terminus, he was the Director of Key Laboratory for Wireless Sensor Networks and Communications at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the CTO of Fuzhou Internet of Things Open Lab, the Director of Shanghai Research Center for Wireless Communications, Vice Dean of the School of Information Science and Technology, Deputy Dean of the School of Creativity and Art, and the Founding Dean of Kedao College, at ShanghaiTech University. In 2018, Dr. Yang was elevated to IEEE Fellow "for contributions and leadership in wireless access and networking". Dr. Yang arrives at Terminus Group with a highly respected domestic and international reputation in both academia and industrial circles. This is largely due to his extensive research and practical experience related to the development of next-generation mobile communication systems and intelligent IoT technologies. He has filed over 80 technical patents, published more than 300 research papers and six books in wireless communications and intelligent IoT technologies. In his recent book "Intelligent IoT for the Digital World", published by Wiley, in 2021, Dr Yang proposed that the ultimate goal of the digital world is to provide "everyone-centric customized services" for individual users, noting that the most efficient and intelligent service architecture will be built on IoT and multi-tier computing networks. This aligns with Terminus Group's approach and advocation of AIoT technology, which is focused on people-centric innovation. Dr. Yang obtained his undergraduate and master's degree from Southeast University and PhD from the Chinese University of Hong Kong. After graduation, he has held faculty positions at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, Brunel University, UK, University College London (UCL), UK, CAS-SIMIT, and ShanghaiTech University, China. He is also an adjunct professor at Peng Cheng Laboratory, an adjunct professor at Shanghai Jiao Tong University, a Senior Advisor at Fuzhou Internet of Things Open Lab, a Senior Consultant at Shenzhen Smart City Technology Development Group, as well as an Independent Non-Executive Director at China Resources Microelectronics Limited. Kratos Fan 001-626-4568311 fan.lvwei@tslsmart.com United States www.terminusgroup.com ### To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/123565 Regulatory News: Philip Morris International Inc. (PMI) (NYSE: PM) will host a live audio webcast today on www.pmi.com/2022smokefreeoffer at 9:30 a.m. ET, to discuss the offer for Swedish Match AB (STO: SWMA), announced in PMI's press release this morning, available at www.pmi.com/investors. The webcast will be hosted by Jacek Olczak, Chief Executive Officer, and Emmanuel Babeau, Chief Financial Officer, and will include a question-and-answer period with the investment community. The webcast will be in a listen-only mode. The webcast can also be accessed on iOS or Android devices by downloading PMI's free Investor Relations Mobile Application at www.pmi.com/irapp. An archived copy of the webcast will be available at www.pmi.com/investors until 5:00 p.m. ET on Thursday, June 9, 2022. Presentation slides and script will be available on the same site. Philip Morris International: Delivering a Smoke-Free Future Philip Morris International (PMI) is a leading international tobacco company working to deliver a smoke-free future and evolving its portfolio for the long term to include products outside of the tobacco and nicotine sector. The company's current product portfolio primarily consists of cigarettes and smoke-free products, including heat-not-burn, vapor and oral nicotine products, which are sold in markets outside the U.S. Since 2008, PMI has invested more than USD 9 billion to develop, scientifically substantiate and commercialize innovative smoke-free products for adults who would otherwise continue to smoke, with the goal of completely ending the sale of cigarettes. This includes the building of world-class scientific assessment capabilities, notably in the areas of pre-clinical systems toxicology, clinical and behavioral research, as well as post-market studies. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has authorized the marketing of versions of PMI's IQOS Platform 1 devices and consumables as Modified Risk Tobacco Products (MRTPs), finding that exposure modification orders for these products are appropriate to promote the public health. As of March 31, 2022, PMI's smoke-free products are available for sale in 71 markets, and PMI estimates that approximately 12.7 million adults around the world excluding Russia and Ukraine, have already switched to IQOS and stopped smoking. With a strong foundation and significant expertise in life sciences, in February 2021 PMI announced its ambition to expand into wellness and healthcare areas and deliver innovative products and solutions that aim to address unmet consumer and patient needs. For more information, please visit www.pmi.com and www.pmiscience.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220511005459/en/ Contacts: Philip Morris International Investor Relations: New York: +1 (917) 663 2233 Lausanne: +41 (0)58 242 4666 Email: InvestorRelations@pmi.com Media: David Fraser Lausanne: +41 (0)58 242 4500 Email: David.Fraser@pmi.com IACAPAP IACAPAP: April 23 has been declared the World Infant, Child and Adolescent Mental Health Day (WICAPHK) by the world's leading psychiatric organizations for child and adolescence 11-May-2022 / 10:30 CET/CEST April 23 has been declared the World Infant, Child and Adolescent Mental Health Day (WICAPHK) by the world's leading psychiatric organizations for child and adolescence SINGAPORE - Media OutReach - 11 May 2022 - Research has shown that most mental disorders develop in childhood and adolescence (before the age of 25), and one-quarter of number of years lost to disability or illness for mental and substance use disorders occur in youths. Recognising the urgency to address this burgeoning issue and to galvanise the global community to take ownership and action, the International Association for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Allied Professions (IACAPAP), International Society for Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychology (ISAPP), World Association for Infant Mental Health (WAIMH), and World Psychiatric Association Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (WPA-CAP) have jointly declared April 23 as the World Infant, Child and Adolescent Mental Health Day (WICAMHD) with a launch event on that day. Children and adolescents form one third of the world's population. Childhood and adolescence are foundational years and ideally a period of growth, learning and carefree exploration. However, many around the world are inflicted by trauma and crises - adverse experiences which research has demonstrated to impact lifelong mental and physical health. Research has also shown that most mental disorders develop in childhood and adolescence (before the age of 25), and one-quarter of disability-adjusted life years for mental and substance use disorders occur in youths. Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) are also contributing factors in the development of mental disorders in adult years. The indirect and compounding effects of this is a ballooning economic burden on societies, especially in the areas of healthcare utilisation and productivity loss. Below are excerpts from speakers at the Launch: Associate Professor Daniel Fung, President of the IACAPAP said, "Studies of adults with both mental and physical illnesses have also shown that adverse childhood experiences can have long lasting effects later in life. The emphasis by most governments has always been on adults in both financial budgeting as well as policy development. We hope to change this with the World Infant Child and Adolescent Mental Health Day, by relooking our priorities and having the right reasons for planning our future. If there is no health without mental health, then the key to health and well-being of people and nations lies with our young, and we should take early steps to protect their mental health." Prof Campbell Paul, President for WAIMH said, "Early intervention means intervening early in childhood and before mental health problems become established when it is more difficult to help the child or young person resume a healthy social and emotional developmental trajectory. Around the world mental health services for infants, children and adolescents are patchy and sparse with many countries and communities having literally no access to child mental health services," Prof Norbert Skokauskas, Chair for WPA-CAP said, "We are aware of the current unmet needs in global child and adolescent mental health and it's critical for us to call for an integrated approach with a clear vision for change, political support and funding to implement the vision, and trained healthcare workforce to implement the change in clinical practice,". Prof Mario Speranza, President of the ISAPP said, "Supporting adolescents' mental health is not just a duty toward a significant part of the population. It may be useful to remind ourselves that children and adolescents represent over a quarter of the world population. It's much more a question of investing in the most promising elements of our society. Raise the awareness of the specific needs of children and adolescents and supporting their mental health means investing in our very own future. This is the reason for celebrating the World Infant, Child and Adolescent Mental Health Day," The designation of Apr 23 as WICAMHD draws recognition of the importance of infant, child and adolescent mental health; and encourages stakeholders to advocate for the promotion of mental health and prevention of mental illness in the young by: Improving global public awareness about infant, child and adolescent mental health. Creating literacy and competencies in the promotion of infant, child and adolescent mental health as well as reducing the stigma of mental disorders in these populations. Improving diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of infant, child and adolescent mental disorders through international cooperation and understanding. Reaching out to countries with scarce resources to develop infant, child and adolescent mental health professionals. The prevalence of mental disorders continues to rise in the young and is higher than in older-age groups. An improved understanding of this, as well as better awareness among communities and helping professionals cannot be underestimated. A recording of the launch event can be viewed at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jgOV4WR0m7I ABOUT THE ORGANIZATIONS INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION FOR CHILD AND ADOLESCENT PSYCHIATRY AND ALLIED PROFESSIONS (IACAPAP) The International Association for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Allied Professions (IACAPAP) mission is to advocate for the promotion of the mental health and development of children and adolescents through policy, practice and research. The mission of IACAPAP is to promote child and adolescent psychiatry and the mental health and development of children and adolescents through policy, practice, training and research. For more information, visit: https://iacapap.org/ INTERNATIONAL SOCIETY OF ADOLESCENT PSYCHIATRY AND PSYCHOLOGY (ISAPP) International Society for Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychology (ISAPP) is an organization established to work for the mental health of adolescents, and it is comprised of individual members devoted to working with adolescents, either in the field of child psychiatry and psychology or adult psychiatry and psychology. The International Society for Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychology's (ISAPP) mission is to increase public and professional awareness about the mental health and development of adolescents all around the world. For more information, visit: http://www.isapp.org/ WORLD ASSOCIATION FOR INFANT MENTAL HEALTH (WAIMH) The World Association for Infant Mental Health (WAIMH) is a not-for-profit organization for scientific and educational professionals. WAIMH's central aim is to promote the mental wellbeing and healthy development of infants throughout the world, taking into account cultural, regional, and environmental variations and generating and disseminating scientific knowledge. WAIMH's mission promotes education, research, and study of the effects of mental, emotional and social development during infancy on later normal and psychopathological development through international and interdisciplinary cooperation, publications, affiliate associations, and through regional and biennial congresses devoted to scientific, educational, and clinical work with infants and their caregivers. For more information, visit: https://waimh.org/ WORLD PSYCHIATRIC ASSOCIATION CHILD AND ADOLESCENT PSYCHIATRY SECTION (WPA-CAP) The World Psychiatric Association Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (WPA-CAP) section supports the overall mission and goals of the WPA in: Working with its members and partners around the world to promote child and adolescent mental health and to encourage the highest possible standards of clinical practice and ethical behaviour in child and adolescent psychiatry. Contributing to education programs and research, meetings, and publications to increase knowledge about child and adolescent mental disorders and skills in addressing them. Disseminating knowledge about evidence-based therapy and values-based practice in child and adolescent psychiatry. Being a voice for the dignity and human rights of young patients and their families Upholding the rights of the child and adolescent psychiatrists where they may be challenged. For more information, visit: https://www.wpanet.org/child-adolescent-psychiatry IACAPAP For media queries, please contact: Ms Sue Wong International Association for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Allied Professions (IACAPAP) Email: info@iacapap.org Dissemination of a CORPORATE NEWS, transmitted by EQS Group. The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement. One of the world's fully vertically integrated omnichannel payments companies selected Signifyd's technology as its commerce protection solution to increase conversion and reduce fraud for merchants in its ecosystem Signifyd, the market leader in ecommerce fraud protection, has announced it will be DNA Payments' exclusive integrated fraud protection technology, signaling Signifyd's expanding role in serving as the fraud solution provider for future-focused payment service providers. "DNA Payments' selection of Signifyd as a fraud solution for its customers demonstrates the market's confidence in Signifyd's commerce protection technology," Signifyd CEO and Co-founder Raj Ramanand said. "This partnership means that thousands of additional merchants will be able to immediately unlock revenue that they've been leaving behind with outdated fraud solutions." The partnership amplifies the two partners' transaction intelligence, providing through DNA a precise measure of the level of risk involved with each order and a recommendation to ship it or not depending on that risk. The high-quality decisions mean DNA's merchant customers are passing cleaner transaction traffic on to their banks, which is one key to keeping their authorisation rates high. DNA Payments' deeper intelligence and reliable decisioning provide the payment service provider with a distinct competitive advantage when merchants have an abundance of choices when selecting a payment service provider. "The powerful partnership joins one of the world's fastest-growing payment companies with the industry leader in ecommerce fraud protection. This pairing brings together two powerful sources of transaction intelligence the DNA data stream produced from processing 900 million in orders a month and Signifyd's network of thousands of merchants worldwide. Together, the intelligence is unmatched," said Mark Whybrow, head of ecommerce sales for DNA Payments. Signifyd's fraud protection technology has helped thousands of merchants avoid chargebacks, dramatically reduce false declines and eliminate manual review, while demonstrating the ability to increase the number of approved orders by an average of 5% to 9%. Together Signifyd and DNA Payments are tackling one of ecommerce's most nettlesome balancing acts in a new and innovative way. Merchants and their technology partners must provide a seamless buying journey while protecting the enterprise from fraud. While fraud accounted for about 2% of online transactions in 2021, according to an analysis of Signifyd data, merchants routinely reject 14% of orders, many in an overzealous attempt to avoid fraud, according to 451 Research. The fear of fraud sets off a downward spiral. Global payments consultancy CMSPI estimates that 20% of declines in Europe are false declines, meaning a lost sale and possibly a lost customer for life. Add to that the money spent to acquire those disappointed customers in the first place and the spending it will take to replace the lost customers and the costs continue to mount. Signifyd's fraud protection technology avoids detrimental legacy payment practices by relying on machine learning and a vast amount of transaction intelligence to understand the identity and intent behind each order. The solution relies on transaction intelligence from Signifyd's Commerce Network, a network of thousands of merchants and gateways worldwide. That intelligence, coupled with dynamic machine learning models, means that Signifyd's technology can sort legitimate from fraudulent orders instantly, ensuring that order fulfillment is not delayed by lengthy reviews. Adding the precision and speed of Signifyd's technology to DNA Payments' own intelligence from its 65,000 customers is a significant step into the future of payments. About DNA Payments DNA Payments Limited, founded by Arif Babayev and Nurlan Zhagiparov, is one of the largest independent, fully vertically integrated omnichannel payments companies in the UK and EU. DNA Payments Group includes an in-house Gateway, which services large corporates and medium-sized businesses and a number of ISOs, providing services to SME customers. It is also one of the largest PaaS and SaaS services providers to multinational Acquirers and Banks. DNA Payments currently processes over 900m a month and has over 100k terminals servicing over 65k customers across UK and EU. With headquarters in London and several hubs across the United Kingdom, DNA Payments Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority to provide payment services under the Payment Services Regulations 2017. If you'd like to receive more information about us and our services, please get in touch with us at: john.morrison@dnapayments.com About Signifyd Signifyd provides an end-to-end Commerce Protection Platform that leverages its Commerce Network to maximize conversion, automate customer experience and eliminate fraud and consumer abuse for retailers. Signifyd's customers appear on the Fortune 1000 and Digital Commerce 360 Top 1000 lists. It was named the 2022 leading provider of payment security and fraud prevention to the Top 1000 Retailers by Digital Commerce 360. Signifyd is headquartered in San Jose, CA, with locations in Denver, New York, Mexico City, Sao Paulo, Belfast and London. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220511005334/en/ Contacts: Amal Ahmed Head of EMEA Marketing Signifyd +44 7960 379091 amal.ahmed@signifyd.com John Morrison Digital Growth Manager DNA Payments +44 7523000833 john.morrison@dnapayments.com NEW YORK, May 11, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Claroty , the security company for cyber-physical systems across industrial, healthcare, and commercial environments, today announced the appointment of Louise Bulman as general manager of EMEA. With decades of experience transforming enterprise technology business units into profitability and growth, Bulman will focus on expanding Claroty's customer base and partner ecosystem in the region, amid rapidly accelerating global demand for its industry-leading solutions. "Louise brings a stellar combination of transformational leadership and hyper-growth organizational experience that fits exactly with what Claroty needs at this critical point in our growth trajectory," said Simon Chassar, chief revenue officer of Claroty. "Her impressive track record and deep industry knowledge are invaluable for expanding the company's footprint in EMEA, as we charge forward on our mission to secure the Extended Internet of Things (XIoT) across industrial, healthcare, and enterprise environments all over the world." Bulman joins Claroty from D2iQ, where she served as vice president of international and EMEA sales for the enterprise cloud platform provider. She previously served as vice president of EMEA at Big Switch Networks, where she drove exponential revenue growth, expanded the channel, and increased the cloud and data centre networking company's brand awareness leading up to its acquisition by Arista. Before joining Big Switch Networks, Bulman held a number of senior leadership roles in cybersecurity businesses including McAfee, Vormetric (acquired by Thales), and Forescout Technologies, where she was instrumental in driving profitability and growth across EMEA. Earlier in her career, Bulman held senior corporate roles at Gartner and Nokia Siemens Networks. "I'm thrilled to join Claroty because the company has paved the way as a market leader in securing the XIoT. Our technological capabilities are second to none, and the team includes some of the most talented in the industry," said Bulman. "Many organizations focus their cybersecurity efforts on IT, while cyber-physical systems remain relatively overlooked and misunderstood in comparison. However, the rapidly increasing cyber attacks on critical infrastructure have served as a massive wake-up call to the world. Claroty has proven itself to be a game changer in this industry, and I am honored to be a part of this world-class team on an incredible journey." About Claroty Claroty empowers organizations to secure cyber-physical systems across industrial (OT), healthcare (IoMT), and enterprise (IoT) environments: the Extended Internet of Things (XIoT). The company's unified platform integrates with customers' existing infrastructure to provide a full range of controls for visibility, risk and vulnerability management, threat detection, and secure remote access. Backed by the world's largest investment firms and industrial automation vendors, Claroty is deployed by hundreds of organizations at thousands of sites globally. The company is headquartered in New York City and has a presence in Europe, Asia-Pacific, and Latin America. To learn more, visit www.claroty.com . Media Contact: Kelly Ferguson, kelly.f@claroty.com Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1814878/Claroty_Louise_Bulman.jpg LONDON, May 11, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Absence and attrition rates are on the rise for front-line agents working in financial services. Mental health concerns are a primary driver, forcing financial service providers to address a once-taboo workplace subject. According to members of Auriemma Group's Customer Service and Complaints Roundtable, mental health is frequently the cause for taking time off or leaving the company entirely. This, in conjunction with recruitment challenges facing the industry, has made mental health and well-being a top priority for firms. According to the researchers at the University College London (UCL), only 49% of working age adults say they feel in control of their mental health, down from 54% six months ago. The study also found that the proportion of people with symptoms of anxiety and depression is at its highest level in 11 months. There are several reasons why mental health issues are growing at higher rates amongst front-line agents. Increasingly complex calls and a rise in vulnerable customer volume has taken its toll on the mental health of many agents. Concurrently, the cost-of-living crisis is placing more pressure on all consumers, which agents are also not immune from. "This compounds when considering many are still working from home and missing out on the social elements of the workplace," says Louis Stevens, Director of Auriemma Roundtables. "It is easy to see why many firms are in firefighting mode in terms of capacity planning." The combination of these factors has led to a marked increase in both attrition and absence rates. In 2021, Auriemma Group's Customer Service and Complaints Roundtable members reported an average attrition rate of 23%, up from 16.5% in 2020. Mental health-related absence rates showed a similar trend up to 14%, in 2021 from 11% in 2020. "The cost-of-living crisis will only put further stress on both customers and employees, meaning without sufficient support measures in the place, this trend will likely only worsen throughout 2022," says Stevens. To combat this, firms are taking a varied approach by making mental health resources more accessible, building overall engagement amongst their employees to improve job satisfaction and embedding mental health awareness into their company culture and rhetoric. Roundtable members have also reported more return-to-office strategies, which will help those who have not taken well to home-based work. This is an area of focus within Auriemma Group's Customer Service & Complaints and Collections & Recoveries Roundtables, both of which have upcoming in-person meetings at the Sheraton Grand in Edinburgh. The Collections and Recoveries meeting is scheduled for the 9th and 10th of June, and the Customer Service and Complaints Roundtable meeting will be on the 16th and 17th of June. If you are interested in attending either session, please contact roundtables@auriemma.group. About Auriemma Group For more than 35 years, Auriemma's mission has been to empower clients with authoritative data and actionable insights. Our team comprises recognised experts in four primary areas: operational effectiveness, consumer research, co-brand partnerships and corporate finance. Our business intelligence and advisory services give clients access to the data, expertise and tools they need to navigate an increasingly complex environment and maximise their performance. Auriemma serves the consumer financial services ecosystem from our offices in London and New York City. For more information, visit us at www.auriemma.group or call Louis Stevens at +44 (0) 207 629 0075. Carbon Credits generated from its Gyapa Cookstove Project available for purchase at www.ri.org available for purchase at www.ri.org Tailor made packages to offset average flights, annual individual carbon footprint and weddings Over 5 million tonnes of CO2e cut during project lifetime WASHINGTON and LONDON, May 11, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Relief International (RI) launches the sale of carbon credits through its website, www.ri.org. The Gold Standard carbon credits will be available at the market rate of $15 per ton and can be purchased by individuals to offset the daily carbon footprint generated by travel, food, home energy choices and events. The climate credit packages have been tailor made for ease of purchasing to offset against average domestic and long-haul flights, annual individual and family usage and large-scale events such as weddings. The carbon credits are generated by RI's Gyapa Cookstove Project which provides clean, efficient cookstoves to families in Ghana. Each efficient stove uses about half the fuel of traditional alternatives, which not only cuts carbon emissions and reduces pressure on local deforestation, but also saves families money. The project has cut five million tonnes of CO2e over the past 12 years and is run in partnership with the carbon offset experts, Climate Impact Partners . The carbon credits launch forms part of Relief International's campaign, 'Climate Changing Communities' which draws attention to the disproportionate effects of climate change upon communities in the fragile settings where it works across the globe. Ann Koontz, Chief Executive Officer at Relief International says, "When you offset your carbon footprint, you lessen your personal impact on the environment and help bring us closer to a carbon-neutral world. We then reinvest your funds with communities across Africa, Asia, and the Middle East to help them in the fight against climate change. You can't live a zero-emissions life. But you can take action to reduce your carbon footprint and build greater climate resilience around the world." Azadeh Hassani, Global Humanitarian Director at Relief International says, "The families we meet are already in a position of vulnerability whether due to conflict, poverty, displacement, food insecurity or other external factors beyond their control. Climate change often hits them first and hits them hardest. Re-investing funds from the carbon credits into our global projects creates a virtuous cycle of change." For press enquiries, interviews and to request images please contact; USA: James Darnbrook, Communications Officer Email: James.Darnbrook@ri.org UK: Josie Coxon, Deputy Director of Development & Communications Email: Josie.Coxon@ri.org NOTES TO EDITORS 'Climate Changing Communities' Campaign Rehana, a vegetable grower in Bangladesh and mother of six, sees her income fall due to severe declines in rainfall. At over two meters tall Dak, in South Sudan, now sees the water levels in the village reaching his chest. These are just two stories of extreme weather highlighted in the campaign which features stories of communities strengthening resilience in the fight against climate change. Find at more at: www.ri.org/issues/climate-change About the Gyapa Cookstoves Project The Gyapa project is the largest provider of fuel efficient cookstoves direct to consumers in Ghana. It has cut five million tonnes of CO2e over the past 12 years with over 20,000 stoves being produced monthly and 1.9 million stoves sold in total. Overall, the project supports more than 600 local manufacturing and retail jobs. In addition to providing employment and income, the project invests in local producers training and skills and improves working conditions for those in the stove manufacturing process. Find out more at: www.ri.org/countries/ghana About Relief International Relief International is a nonprofit organization that partners with communities in some of the world's most fragile settings to relieve poverty, ensure well-being, and advance dignity. We respond to natural disasters, humanitarian emergencies, and chronic poverty in 16 countries across Africa, Asia, and the Middle East. Relief International programs address four specific areas: Education, Health and Nutrition, Economic Opportunity and WASH (Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene). Relief International is a signatory to the Grand Bargain and works to promote localization and community-led development. Relief International has been active in Ghana for over two decades, and helped to launch its local partner, Sustainable Development and Relief Associates (SUDRA), who supports the Gyapa stoves project and is working to expand the model across Ghana. Find out more at: www.ri.org Twitter: @ReliefIntl Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1815480/Relief_International_Logo.jpg Natuzzi S.p.A. (NYSE:NTZ) is one of the most renowned brands in the production and distribution of design and luxury furniture, which is present globally in 110 markets with an extended retail distribution made of 651 monobrand stores in addition to more than 500 Natuzzi galleries. Asia Region is one of the most attractive opportunities for the future growth of Natuzzi. In China, Natuzzi has been already carrying on a successful strategy to develop its business through a partnership signed in 2018 with Kuka, a leading listed Group in the furniture sector, in which Natuzzi holds a 49% stake. During 2021, the Chinese partnership closed the year with significant growth: revenues of 96.3 million, 55.2% vs 2020. It now operates 340 mono brand stores of which 84 were added in 2021. In the rest of APAC, Natuzzi S.p.A. distributes its products in 10 countries, that include South Korea, Australia, Japan, Taiwan, Thailand, Indonesia and Singapore, through 25 monobrand stores. To accelerate the commercial expansion in the Rest of APAC region, Natuzzi S.p.A. signed a partnership with Truong Thanh Furniture Corporation ("TTF"), a leading listed company in the furniture sector, located in Vietnam. TTF is already an active partner of Natuzzi to produce upholstery in Vietnam for the North American market. TTF in addition plays a key role in the production of furniture for leading furniture names in the USA. Following the finalization of this partnership, TTF acquired a 20% stake in Natuzzi Singapore PTE. LTD ("Natuzzi Singapore"), a controlled subsidiary of Natuzzi S.p.A., for a total cash consideration of $5.4 million already paid in favor of Natuzzi Singapore. As a result, Natuzzi S.p.A. currently owns 74.4% of Natuzzi Singapore, whereas the other minority shareholder, Mr. Richard Tan, owns 5.6% of the share capital. In addition, Natuzzi S.p.A. maintains the majority of the board of Natuzzi Singapore. The partnership in Natuzzi Singapore will aim at fostering the commercial development both in the branded retail and in the contract business, as well as strengthening its industrial platform. Mr. Mai Huu Tin, Executive Chairman of TTF, commented: "Natuzzi S.p.A. is a partner with whom TTF has already started a very important journey in the production of upholstery. We are convinced now more than ever that there is enormous potential in joining forces to further develop our industrial presence in the region but, above all, the retail-branded commercial operations. Antonio Achille, CEO of the Natuzzi Group, commented: "I confirm my satisfaction for the joining of Mr. Mai Huu Tin, Executive Chairman of TTF, in this long-term project which has been started by our Chairman and Founder Pasquale Natuzzi. Mr. Tin and I are aligned in sharing the vision and the potential of the Natuzzi products in the Rest-of-APAC. With this joint venture we have reinforced our presence in the region to develop the distribution of the Natuzzi brands and exploit the potential in the contract segment, a very interesting opportunity in the Region. The JV will also explore alternative solutions to increase our production capabilities in Vietnam, so to become the Group's industrial hub covering the unbranded part of the business of our North American operations going forward. __________________________________ About Natuzzi S.p.A. Founded in 1959 by Pasquale Natuzzi, Natuzzi S.p.A. ("Natuzzi" and, together with its subsidiaries, the "Group") is one of the most renowned brands in the production and distribution of design and luxury furniture. With a global retail network of 651 mono-brand stores and 563 galleries as of December 31, 2021, Natuzzi distributes its collections worldwide. Natuzzi products embed the finest spirit of Italian design and the unique craftmanship details of the "Made in Italy", where a predominant part of its production takes place. Natuzzi has been listed on the New York Stock Exchange since May 13, 1993. Always committed to social responsibility and environmental sustainability, Natuzzi S.p.A. is ISO 9001 and 14001 certified (Quality and Environment), ISO 45001 certified (Safety on the Workplace) and FSC certified (Forest Stewardship Council). To learn more about Natuzzi, please visit https://www.natuzzigroup.com/en-EN/ir/presentation.html View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220511005513/en/ Contacts: For information: Natuzzi Investor Relations James Carbonara tel. +1 (646)-755-7412 james@haydenir.com Piero Direnzo tel. +39 080-8820-812 pdirenzo@natuzzi.com Mango Power Union broke into the green energy industry late last year with the world's first 2-in-1, home-and-portable battery system which crowdfunded more than USD 1m in units MUNICH, May 11, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Mango Power, the new leading green energy company will launch this week at the Intersolar Munich 2022 the Mango Power M Series. Distributors and interested parties can go to booth B 2.274 for more information or contact sales@mangopower.com for inquiry. Mango Power M Series - a revolutionary all-scenario family energy system The Mango Power M Series is the world's first all-in-one all-scenario family energy storage system. It can be used as a PV energy system, as storage with 10-20 kWh battery for daily and emergency use and provide full house power backup - including fast charging EVs for the modern family. The built-in inverter, backup gateway, EV charger, and modularized battery can be customized and installed within 30 mins, which is also a big differentiating advantage compared with other products in the market. It also uses the world's first class CATL LFP battery cells. These high-quality energy cells give the product a 10-year warranty. The product will come in different versions for the US and EU Markets, supporting single and triple phase connections with 8-14 kW output capability. Mango Power E - The most advanced portable battery in the market The Mango Power "E" is a portable battery system coming with 6 charging methods and 16 output ports, suitable for various life scenarios, including outdoor activities, backyard parties, RV power support and small business usage. What makes this product different is the higher quality of its battery cells, the CATL LFP cells that Mango Power E has are more durable, efficient and safe than others in the market. That's why it has a higher-than-average 5-year warranty. The modular Mango-Power E is an expandable 3.5kWh battery that can also be connected to the home circuit and provide backup power. A maximum of 2 units with 2 battery packs can be connected at the same time to provide a total 14 kWh capacity. The product can be charged by AC Wall Outlet, Solar Panel or through EV car charger amongst others. Mango Power E will come equipped with Bluetooth and Wi-Fi, adding smart capabilities to the device and allowing users to receive real time information on the status of the product. It charges up to 80% in one hour in the quick charge mode. About Mango Power Mango Power is a green energy brand focused on developing home power supply solutions, portable power devices and related accessories. Mango Power's mission is to bring smart green energy products into every home, and help every family realize a zero carbon emission future. More information visiting www.mangopower.com Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1815491/image.jpg HONG KONG, May 11, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- HGC Global Communications Limited (HGC), a fully-fledged ICT service provider and network operator with extensive global coverage, and AMS-IX (Amsterdam Internet Exchange), the world leading Internet Exchange (IX), today announce the launch of AMS-IX Singapore as part of their strategy to implement IX's in various key locations in Asia. The new carrier-neutral Internet Exchange is situated in the Equinix SG datacentre in Singapore and will enable companies such as Content Delivery Networks, Application Providers, Cloud providers and Telecom Carriers to exchange Internet traffic with a multitude of networks using a single connection. This allows them to lower their latency, increase their redundancy and decrease their peering costs. AMS-IX Singapore, alongside AMS-IX Hong Kong are designed to serve potential partners in many neighbouring countries including Australia, Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Vietnam, South Korea, Thailand, and others. It already attracts some launching members to join including leading cloud service provider, IPv6 network provider and hyperscale OTTs. Singapore sits at the heart of the Internet in Southeast Asia. The small city state is one of the densest metro sites for colocation in the world, a major content hub for the surrounding countries and a key landing site for subsea cables. The region has seen tremendous bandwidth growth the last couple of years and is expected to grow coming years as markets mature. In addition, the connectivity market in Singapore offers room for a new, competitive Internet Exchange that offers high-quality and value for money public peering. Collaboration The new interconnection platform in Singapore is another step of HGC and AMS-IX's strategic partnership to expand their cooperation in the internet exchange business globally. HGC is the commercial partner for AMS-IX Bay Area and AMS-IX Chicago in the US and AMS-IX Hong Kong in Hong Kong, the first of its kind in Asia between an Asian carrier and a Europe-based exchange. The platforms have the world's leading brands including Microsoft and Alibaba connected. Moreover, HGC plans to expand its long-lasting partnership with AMS-IX and open new peering locations beyond AMS-Singapore, Hong Kong, Chicago, and Bay Area, especially within the Asia region. "Over the last ten years, HGC and AMS-IX have closely worked together to help connect millions of businesses and users across Asia, Europe and the Americas," says Ravindran Mahalingam, SVP International Business of HGC. "We are extremely proud of the achievements we conquered together, and the launch of AMS-IX Singapore is yet another steppingstone in our ongoing quest to connect users to a reliable, scalable, and future-proof infrastructure designed for the metaverse era." "The broadening of our AMS-IX Internet exchange portfolio comes at a time when we witness remarkable growth last year in traffic and in the number of connected networks. It is also one of the major initiatives of edgeX by HGC, a comprehensive set of services brings together digital infrastructure and ICT solution under one umbrella for companies operating within the edge computing ecosystem, " adds Cliff Tam, HGC's Senior Vice President of Global Data Strategy & Operations, International Business. Onno Bos, International Partnership Director AMS-IX: "With this expansion HGC and AMS-IX show their commitment to enhance the Internet by increasing connectivity through public peering. AMS-IX members, customers and the Internet community in Singapore will benefit from wider options to interconnect with each other across the metros of Asia thereby optimizing latency and cost and significantly improving user experience." More info on AMS-IX Singapore here About AMS-IX AMS-IX (Amsterdam Internet Exchange) is a neutral member-based association that operates multiple interconnection platforms around the world. Our leading platform in Amsterdam has been playing a crucial role at the core of the internet for more than 25 years and is one of the largest hubs for internet traffic in the world with over 10 Terabits per second (Tbps) of peak traffic. Connecting to AMS-IX ensures customers such as internet service providers, telecom companies and cloud providers that their global IP traffic is routed in an efficient, fast, secure, stable and cost-effective way. This allows them to offer low latency and engaging online experiences for end-users. AMS-IX interconnects more than 1000 IP-networks in the world. AMS-IX also manages the world's first mobile peering points: the Global Roaming Exchange (GRX), the Mobile Data Exchange (MDX) and the Internetwork Packet Exchange (I-IPX) interconnection points. More information: www.ams-ix.net About HGC Global Communications Limited HGC Global Communications Limited (HGC) is a leading Hong Kong and international telecom operator and ICT solution provider. The company owns an extensive network and infrastructure in Hong Kong and overseas and provides various kinds of services. HGC has 23 overseas offices, with business over 5 continents. It provides telecom infrastructure service to other operators and serves as a service provider to corporate and households. The company provides full-fledged telecom, data centre services, ICT solutions and broadband services for local, overseas, corporate and mass markets. HGC owns and operates an extensive fibre-optic network, five cross-border telecom routes integrated into tier-one telecom operators in mainland China and connects with hundreds of world-class international telecom operators. HGC is one of Hong Kong's largest Wi-Fi service providers, running over 29,000 Wi-Fi hotspots in Hong Kong. The company is committed to further investing and enriching its current infrastructure and, in parallel, adding on top the latest technologies and developing its infrastructure services and solutions. HGC is a portfolio company of I Squared Capital, an independent global infrastructure investment manager focusing on energy, utilities and transport in North America, Europe and selected fast-growing economies. To learn more, please visit HGC's website at: www.hgc.com.hk Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1815393/From_Left_Right_Peter_van_Burgel_CEO_AMS_IX__Ravindran_Mahalingam.jpg NEW YORK, May 11, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Insight Partners published latest research study on Folding Furniture Market was valued at US$ 3,070.80 million in 2019 and is projected to reach US$ 4,754.29 million by 2027; it is expected to grow at a CAGR of 5.7% from 2020 to 2027. Folding Furniture Market Forecast to 2027 - COVID-19 Impact and Global Analysis - by Product Type (Table and Chair, Sofas, Beds, Table TV Trays, and Others), Application (Residential and Commercial), Material (Wood, Metal, Plastic, and Others), and Distribution Channel (Store-Based and Non Store-Based). The report highlights key factors driving the market growth and prominent players along with their developments in the market. With rising disposable income, shift in lifestyle, and rising trend towards the adoption of folding furniture, consumers are looking out for inspiring design for folding furniture which exudes relaxation, luxury, and comfort. It is attributable to the versatility, functionality, and style of the furniture developed, which has led to increased adoption of such furniture. Based on product type, the folding furniture market is segmented into table and chair, sofas, beds, table TV trays, and others. In 2019, the table and chair segment held the largest share of the market. A few common types of folding furniture tables are the dining table, coffee table, and others. There is a range of specialized types of tables, such as drafting tables, used for architectural drawings. A combination of a table comes with two benches, mostly picnic tables, as often seen at camping sites and other events. Solid glass tabletop on a patio is quite popular. The Sample Pages Showcases Content Structure and Nature of Information Included in This Research Study Which Presents a Qualitative and Quantitative Analysis: https://www.theinsightpartners.com/sample/TIPRE00007010/ Waterproof folding tables are usually made of materials such as mahogany, cast aluminum, teak, PE wicker, plastic, and PVC wicker. These materials are durable along with they can withstand the elements of wind, rain, and sun exposure. This table is used for both outdoors and indoors. Folding chairs vary in design and are primarily made of wood, metal, and synthetic materials. Folding chairs, rocking chairs, loungers, armchairs, and many others are quite popular among the customers. All these factors propel the growth of the folding furniture market globally. Report Coverage Details Market Size Value in US$ 3,070.80 Million in 2019 Market Size Value by US$ 4,754.29 Million by 2027 Growth rate CAGR of 5.7% from 2020-2027 Forecast Period 2020-2027 Base Year 2020 No. of Pages 184 No. Tables 110 No. of Charts & Figures 71 Historical data available Yes Segments covered Product Type , Application , Material , and Distribution Channel Regional scope North America; Europe; Asia Pacific; Latin America; MEA Country scope US, UK, Canada, Germany, France, Italy, Australia, Russia, China, Japan, South Korea, Saudi Arabia, Brazil, Argentina Report coverage Revenue forecast, company ranking, competitive landscape, growth factors, and trends Folding Furniture Market: Competitive Landscape and Key Developments Ashley Furniture Industries, Dorel Industries Inc.., Inter IKEA Systems B.V., La-Z-Boy Inc., and Leggett & Platt, Inc. are amongst the major market players operating in the folding furniture market. These companies offer their products worldwide, which helps them in catering to a wider customer base. These major players in the market are highly focused on the development of high quality and innovative products to fulfill the customer's requirements. Over the past few years, the companies operating in the market have realized the immense potential pertaining to the folding furniture market and were highly involved in strategies such as mergers & acquisition and product launch. For instance, in 2017, La-Z-Boy opened its 350th retail location in in Rockford, Illinois. The store occupies over 13,000 square feet, and offers a great selection of excellent looking furniture for entire home. Schedule A Pre-Sale Discussion with The Author Team in A Slot That You Prefer to Address Queries on Scope of the Study, Customization, Introduction to Research Methodology, Assistance on Technologies and Market Definitions:https://www.theinsightpartners.com/inquiry/TIPRE00007010/ Rising demand for portable, multifunctional and space-saving furniture is expected to provide growth opportunities for the folding furniture industry. Folding furniture promotes portability and space saving and, thus, is considered to be essential for modern living. Besides being space-saving option, folding furniture are quite flexible and possess the capability to be folded, compact in flat or a small size. Such piece of furniture can be easily transformed, collapsed, or folded creating better space portability. In general, folding furniture are counted under lightweight and easily deployable structures which possess the ability to get transformed between various configurations in easy and effective manner. Hence, the demand for such form of furniture is quite high amongst consumers. With the rapid advancement backed by strong research activities and rising consumer demand for aesthetic and comfortability, manufacturers are coming up with innovative concepts such as paper folding furniture, furniture involving pop up architectures and others. Such type of furniture has been designed to suit consumer aesthetic framework and comfortability. With the rising trend, consumers are looking out for inspiring design for folding furniture which exudes relaxation, luxury, and comfort. It is attributable to the versatility, functionality and style of the furniture developed which has led to increased adoption of such furniture. Click Here to Avail Lucrative DISCOUNTS on Our Latest Research Reports. We Offer Student, Enterprise, and Special Periodic Discounts to Our Clientele. Please Fill the Form to Know DISCOUNTED PRICE Geographically, the folding furniture market is segmented into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific (APAC), South America (SAM), and Middle East & Africa (MEA). In 2019, Asia Pacific contributed to the largest share in the market. Attributed to region's flourishing economic conditions, there has been a spur in the region's industrial activities. The exponential growth in the residential and commercial sector drives the demand for folding furniture. The upsurge in the middle-class population along with growth in urbanization offer lucrative opportunities for the key players operating in the folding furniture market in Asia Pacific. In 2019, the folding furniture market was dominated by Asia- Pacific region at the global level. The largest market share of the Asia- Pacific region is primarily attributed to the region's flourishing economic conditions, there has been a spur in the region's industrial activities. The exponential growth in the residential and commercial sector, has influenced folding furniture market demand. The region encompasses an ample amount of opportunities for the growth of the market attributable to the rise in foreign direct investments along with rise in manufacturing spending towards better product offerings. The upsurge in the middle-class population along with growth in urbanization provides ample opportunities for the key market players in the folding furniture market. Have A 15-Minute-Long Discussion with The Lead Research Analyst and Author of the Report in A Time Slot Decided by You. You Will Be Briefed About the Contents of the Report and Queries Regarding the Scope of the Document Will Be Addressed as Well: https://www.theinsightpartners.com/speak-to-analyst/TIPRE00007010/ Based on application, the global folding furniture market is bifurcated into residential and commercial. The residential segment led the market in 2019. The market growth for this segment is fueled by rising government initiatives on household electrification in the residential sector, majorly in emerging economies such as China and India. In addition, rising urbanization and increasing disposable income of the populace augments the residential construction activities. Also, growing focus toward economical, space saving, and portable furniture which could suit miniaturized residential structures is expected to drive the market growth for residential segment in the forecast period. Further, the demand for customized or contemporary furniture designs have considerably gone up owing to the growing preference towards durability, luxurious and stylish appearance. All such factors are evitable that the consumer has developed preference towards the aesthetic appeal of the furniture, which is expected to propel the overall demand for folding furniture. Immediate Delivery of Our Off-The-Shelf Reports and Latest Research Studies, Through Flexible and Convenient Payment Methods: https://www.theinsightpartners.com/buy/TIPRE00007010/ Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on Folding Furniture Market: The COVID-19 outbreak was first reported in Wuhan (China) during December 2019. As of February 2021, the US, India, Brazil, Russia, the UK, France, Spain, Italy, Turkey, Germany, Colombia, and Argentina are among the worst affected countries in terms of confirmed cases and reported deaths. The COVID-19 pandemic is adversely affecting economies and industries in various countries due to lockdowns, travel bans, and business shutdowns. In addition, the global travel bans imposed by countries in Europe, Asia, and North America are disrupting the business collaborations and partnerships opportunities. All these factors are anticipated to hinder the consumer goods industry and thus act as restraining factor for the growth of folding furniture market. Browse Latest and Related Reports: Bedroom Furniture Market Forecast to 2028 - COVID-19 Impact and Global Analysis By Product (Beds, Dressers and Nightstand, Wardrobes, Others); Distribution Channel (Super Markets and Hyper Markets, Specialty Stores, Online Retail, Others) and Geography Home Furnishing Market Forecast to 2028 - COVID-19 Impact and Global Analysis By Product Type (Furniture Bathroom Linen, Bedding and Linen, Carpets and Rugs, Curtains and Accessories.); Distribution Channel (Supermarkets and Hypermarkets, Specialty Stores, Online Retail, Others) and Geography Metal Furniture Market Forecast to 2028 - COVID-19 Impact and Global Analysis By Type (Bed, Sofas and Chairs, Tables, Storage Units, Others); Distribution Channel (Supermarkets and Hypermarkets, Specialty Stores, Online Retail, Others) and Geography Kids Furniture Market Forecast to 2028 - COVID-19 Impact and Global Analysis By Product (Tables, Chairs, Beds, Cribs, Mattresses, Others); Raw Material (Wood, Plastic, Metal, Others); Distribution Channel (Specialty Stores, Online Retail, Others) and Geography Pet Furniture Market Forecast to 2028 - COVID-19 Impact and Global Analysis By Product (Beds and Sofas, Houses, Trees and Condos, Others); Pet Type (Dogs, Cats, Others); Distribution Channel (SuperMarkets and HyperMarkets, Sepcialty Store, Online Retail, Others) and Geography Coated Fabrics Market Forecast to 2028 - Covid-19 Impact and Global Analysis - by Product (Polymer-Coated Fabrics, Rubber-Coated Fabrics, Fabric-Backed Wall Coverings); Application (Transportation, Protective Clothing, Industrial, Roofing, Awnings and Canopies, Furniture and Seating, Others) and Geography Hospital Medical Furniture Market Forecast to 2028 - COVID-19 Impact and Global Analysis By Product (Cabinet and Casework, Metal Cabinets, Scrub Sinks, Bedside Tables, Medical Tables and Carts, Instrument Stand); Application (Physician/Surgeon's Furniture, Patient's Furniture, Support Staff's Furniture) About Us: The Insight Partners is a one stop industry research provider of actionable intelligence. We help our clients in getting solutions to their research requirements through our syndicated and consulting research services. We specialize in industries such as Semiconductor and Electronics, Aerospace and Defense, Automotive and Transportation, Biotechnology, Healthcare IT, Manufacturing and Construction, Medical Device, Technology, Media and Telecommunications, Chemicals and Materials. Contact Us: Contact Person:Sameer Joshi E-mail:sales@theinsightpartners.com Phone: +1-646-491-9876 Press Release: https://www.theinsightpartners.com/pr/folding-furniture-market Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1586348/The_Insight_Partners_Logo.jpg Independent research and advisory firm identified Nintex for continuous product innovation and leadership in the rapidly evolving Workflow and Content Automation (WCA) market LONDON, May 11, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Nintex, the global standard for process intelligence and automation, today announced that Aragon Research has named the company a leader in The Aragon Research Globe for Workflow and Content Automation (WCA), 2022. Within its latest vendor evaluation report, Aragon reviewed 13 key software providers that are leading the charge by finding innovative ways to automate content and ultimately digitally transform. Aragon reports that once the digitisation of paper-based processes has been achieved, true productivity can result "when the process for creating and routing documents that are part of contracts and onboarding is semi- or fully-automated." With modern WCA software solutions, enterprises can take advantage of automated process documentation intelligence that negates the need for human intervention. To download a complimentary copy of Aragon's WCA Globe for 2022 visit: https://www.nintex.com/resources/aragon-report-2022-workflow-and-content-automation/ "Transforming the way people work, whether from home or the office, is just as critical today as it was at the start of the pandemic," said Nintex CEO Eric Johnson. "Nintex is honoured to be named a Leader by Aragon Research, and our ongoing commitment is to help Nintex customers and partners turn manual, paper-based and repetitive processes into fully digital experiences with our easy-to-use, intelligent automation platform." Commercial enterprises and government agencies are successfully designing and deploying streamlined digital processes with the Nintex Process Platform, making a significant contribution to creating satisfying employee, customer and partner experiences. Today, more than 10,000 organisations, including more than 50 percent of the Fortune 500, and hundreds of partners worldwide standardise on Nintex to automate work and to maintain a competitive advantage. "As a leader in The Aragon Research Globe for Workflow and Content Automation 2022, Nintex is well positioned to sustain its growth trajectory and power a new generation of enterprise applications that completely automate old forms-based processes," said Aragon Research Lead Analyst, Jim Lundy. "Now with nearly $300 million in annual revenue, Nintex continues to add solutions and capabilities into its suite of process intelligence and automation tools that Center of Excellence (COE) groups need to consider." In the report, Nintex is highlighted as an innovative software vendor that "has helped to pioneer a no-code/low-code approach to both content and process automation, as well as the discovery and mapping of processes." Aragon also notes the company's most recent acquisitions: DTM market leader AssureSign in June 2021, and Kryon Systems in February 2022 stating that "Nintex is also not standing still in the RPA space." Process management and automation capabilities offered within the company's next generation cloud automation platform, Nintex Workflow Cloud, include: Nintex Promapp for process mapping; Nintex Forms and Nintex Workflow for creating process apps and automated workflows with clicks, not code; Nintex RPA for automating repetitive tasks; Nintex DocGen for automating document creation; Nintex Analytics for optimising workflows; and Nintex AssureSign to sign documents quickly and securely from anywhere. Industry leaders like Zoom, AstraZeneca, and Coca-Cola Beverages Florida, LLC, as well as government agencies and municipalities like the City and County of Denver and the City of Garland, Texas, all report significant results and customer/stakeholder satisfaction leveraging Nintex to easily manage, automate and optimise simple to complex content-based processes and workflows. To re-imagine your own business processes and put automation to work - from workflow to document or robotic process automation (RPA) - within your organisation, request a Nintex demo at www.nintex.com/request-demo. Media Contact Laetitia Smith laetitia.smith@nintex.com cell: +64 21154 7114 About Nintex Nintex is the global standard for process intelligence and automation. Today more than 10,000 public and private sector organisations across 90 countries turn to the Nintex Process Platform to accelerate progress on their digital transformation journeys by quickly and easily managing, automating and optimising business processes. Learn more by visiting www.nintex.com and experience how Nintex and its global partner network are shaping the future of Intelligent Process Automation (IPA). Product or service names mentioned herein may be the trademarks of their respective owners. Aragon Disclaimer Aragon Research does not endorse vendors, or their products or services that are referenced in its research publications, and does not advise users to select those vendors that are rated the highest. Aragon Research publications consist of the opinions of Aragon Research and Advisory Services organisation and should not be construed as statements of fact. Aragon Research provides its research publications and the information contained in them "AS IS," without warranty of any kind. Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/700078/Nintex_Logo.jpg VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / May 11, 2022 / Jackpot Digital Inc. (the "Company" or "Jackpot") (TSXV:JJ)(TSX-V:JJ.WT.B)(TSX-V:JJ.WT.C)(OTCQB:JPOTF) (FRA:LVH3) is pleased to announce that it has signed a licensing agreement with Win-River Resort & Casino, located in Redding, California to install two (2) Jackpot Blitz Electronic Table Games ("ETG"). The licensing agreement is subject to obtaining the customary tribal regulatory approval. Jackpot currently holds all other required state and federal registrations. President & CEO Mr. Jake Kalpakian states, "We are delighted to be working with Redding, California's Win-River Resort & Casino, which is yet another new casino added to our growing list of California customers. Our footprint continues to expand in the large California market and elsewhere, and we expect order flow to grow through 2022 and beyond." Mr. Kalpakian continues, "Casinos who previously opted for live dealers are now choosing Jackpot Blitz, which allows operators to offer an engaging and social poker experience with faster gameplay and more action. Moreover, Jackpot Blitz addresses the staffing challenges of hiring and retaining experienced dealers, an issue that has become exacerbated by an increasingly tight casino industry labor marketplace. The demand we are seeing and the problems we solve tell us that now, more than ever, Jackpot Blitz is a product whose time has come." Win-River Resort & Casino's Manager, Brandon Hayward, comments, "We are very excited to bring Jackpot Blitz to Win-River Resort and Casino! It is exciting to us to be able to push forward a modern and new version of how poker is played. We can't wait to see how our guests enjoy the most advanced poker table available." About Jackpot Digital Inc. Jackpot Digital Inc. is a leading electronic table games manufacturer for the cruise ship industry and regulated casino industry. The Company specializes in multiplayer gaming products, including poker and casino games, which are complemented by a robust suite of backend tools for operators to efficiently control and optimize their gaming business. For more information on the Company, please contact Jake H. Kalpakian, President and CEO, at (604) 681- 0204 ext. 6105, or visit the Company's website at www.jackpotdigital.com. On behalf of the Board of Jackpot Digital Inc., "Jake H. Kalpakian" _____________________________ Jake H. Kalpakian President & CEO Trading in the securities of the Company should be considered speculative. The TSX Venture Exchange has neither approved nor disapproved the contents of this news release. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release. Certain statements contained herein are "forward-looking". Forward-looking statements may include, among others, statements regarding future plans, projected financings, costs, objectives, economic or technical performance, or the assumptions underlying any of the foregoing. In this News Release, words such as "may", "would", "could", "will", "likely", "enable", "feel", "seek", "project", "predict", "potential", "should", "might", "objective", "believe", "to be", "expect", "propose", "anticipate", "intend", "plan", "plans" "estimate", and similar words are used to identify forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those expressed or implied. Although management believes that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, projections and estimations, there can be no assurance that these assumptions, projections or estimations are accurate. Readers, shareholders and investors are therefore cautioned not to place reliance on any forward-looking statements as the plans, assumptions, intentions or expectations upon which they are based might not occur. SOURCE: Jackpot Digital Inc. View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/700820/Jackpot-Digital-Signs-2-Table-Contract-With-Win-River-Resort-Casino-in-California WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - Oil prices climbed around 3 percent on Wednesday, after having fallen around 9 percent over the previous two sessions amid uncertainty over Russian energy embargo by EU and worries about prolonged Covid lockdowns in Shanghai. Benchmark Brent crude futures jumped 2.7 percent to $105.28 a barrel, while U.S. crude futures were up 2.9 percent at $102.66. The upside was supported by supply concerns as the European Union works on gaining support for a Russian oil embargo. France has said a deal on a proposed EU ban on Russian oil to punish Moscow for waging war on Ukraine could be struck this week, despite Hungary's opposition. Investors were also reacting to reports suggesting that Covid-19 infections dropped in Shanghai and Beijing. The Energy Information Administration publishes its weekly oil market data including statistics on the stockpile changes of crude oil, gasoline and distillates later in the day. The American Petroleum Institute on Tuesday reported that U.S. crude stockpiles rose by 1.62 million barrels last week. Copyright(c) 2022 RTTNews.com. All Rights Reserved Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann. HEFEI, China, May 11, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- On 11th May, during the Intersolar Europe Exhibition, the Chinese Solar Energy company Sungrow FPV signed a strategic cooperation agreement with Nofar Energy, a public, global, and entrepreneurial company in the field of renewable energy, that has been positioned among the top largest renewable energy company in Israel from a market value aspect. The agreement aims for strategic collaboration on the floating solar supply between two companies, which also to accelerate the progress of the energy structure transformation and reach the target of the zero net carbon. This powerful combination will consolidate Sungrow FPV's leading position of the floating system solution and facilitate both parties' long-term development in the floating solar industry at Israel, Europe and USA. In recent years, the floating solar industry has been experiencing a remarkable growth, while Sungrow FPV is positively supporting the global demands and tailoring specific system solutions in accordance with various project conditions. Until now, Sungrow FPV has successfully supplied over 100MW floating system solutions to Nofar Energy and speeded up the development of the floating solar in Israel. The sign of the strategic partnership has confirmed the long-term cooperation between Sungrow FPV and Nofar Energy, Sungrow FPV will constantly provide the floating solar solution and collaborate with Nofar Energy across Israel, Europe and USA. "The floating projects we have built together proved that our partnerships are sustainable and has a significant potential for the future in Israel and worldwide" quoted Ofer Yanny, Founder and Chairman of Nofar Energy. As the World's First Gigawatt Level Floating PV System Supplier, Sungrow has self-evident FPV technological advantages. In the meantime, it obtains critical technologies in system design, material supply, anchoring, etc. Sungrow FPV will insist on the technological innovation of product and system, together with Nofar Energy, to facilitate the transformation of green consumption and low carbon emission in Europe, USA, and Israel markets. About Sungrow FPV Sungrow FPV is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Sungrow Group, which has 25 years R&D and production experience in PV industry area. We owned an experienced R&D team with a number of experts, applied more than 100 patents concerning floating body, anchor system, inverter & booster floating platform, system O&M and leads Chinese floating photovoltaic (FPV) technology standards. 1.7 GW floating system has been supplied around the world so far. Global market share remained top 1 for 4 consecutive years.Sungrow FPV will always devotes ourselves to be the global navigator of FPV. Learn more at https://en.sungrowpower.com Wilczek Joins Past Laureates Mother Teresa and Jane Goodall to Receive One of the World's Largest Individual Lifetime Achievement Awards West Conshohocken, Pennsylvania, USA, May 11, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Dr. Frank Wilczek, a Nobel Prize-winning theoretical physicist and author, whose boundary-pushing investigations into the fundamental laws of nature have transformed our understanding of the forces that govern our universe, was announced today as the winner of the 2022 Templeton Prize. The Templeton Prize, valued at more than $1.3 million, is one of the world's largest annual individual awards. Established by the late global investor and philanthropist Sir John Templeton, it is given to honor those who harness the power of the sciences to explore the deepest questions of the universe and humankind's place and purpose within it. "We are delighted and honored to award Dr. Frank Wilczek this year, as he is one of those rare and wonderful individuals who bring together a keen, creative intellect and an appreciation for transcendent beauty," said Heather Templeton Dill, president of the John Templeton Foundation. "Like Isaac Newton and Albert Einstein, he is a natural philosopher who unites a curiosity about the behavior of nature with a playful and profound philosophical mind." Dr. Wilczek's achievements in physics, which include establishing the theoretical description of one of the four fundamental forces in nature and proposing a leading explanation for dark matter, put him in the first rank of scientists. Moreover, as a public intellectual, his lectures and writings have illuminated the philosophical implications of his ideas. Across his work, he reveals a vision of a universe that he regards as embodying mathematical beauty at the scales of the magnificently large and unimaginably small: a universe inherently beautiful in all its parts. The Herman Feshbach Professor of Physics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dr. Wilczek won the Nobel Prize in 2004 for his early-career work establishing the fundamental theory of the strong nuclear force. Since then, he has continued to pioneer new concepts in physics, naming and developing the theories of anyons, time crystals, and axions, each of which now defines major fields of inquiry. Throughout his career, Dr. Wilczek, 70, has used his exceptionally fertile scientific imagination to unveil previously hidden realities. Wilczek has also engaged with a wide audience as a writer and speaker. He has written several popular books, including A Beautiful Question (2015) and The Lightness of Being (2008). In his most recent book, Fundamentals (2021), Wilczek presents a set of ten distilled insights drawn from physics and harmonized with artistic and philosophical sources to illuminate characteristics of physical reality. A columnist for the Wall Street Journal, he reflects on scientific subjects for a broad readership. His witty, enlightening authorial style puts him in the company of other great physicist-writers such as Nobel winner Richard Feynman and 2000 Templeton Prize laureate Freeman Dyson. "Throughout Dr. Wilczek's philosophical reflections, there is a spiritual quality to his ideas," said Heather Templeton Dill. "By uncovering a remarkable order in the natural world, Dr. Wilczek has come to appreciate different ways of thinking about reality, and through his written work, he has invited all of us to join him in the quest for understanding. When we come face to face with the beauty that Dr. Wilczek describes, we can't help but wonder about humankind's place and purpose in the universe." In Dr. Wilczek's book A Beautiful Question, he asks, "does the world embody beautiful ideas?" and answers affirmatively, yes. Drawing from science and aesthetics, he argues for an objective principle of beauty in which our universe employs the most elegant structures to achieve spectacular surprises. With the flair of an artist, he paints a picture of the universe in which space and time, logic and pure mathematics form a pattern of awe-inspiring beauty. His concept of natural beauty is one where maximum complexity arises from foundations of maximum simplicity. "Through [Wilczek's] work, we've begun to glimpse the sort of beauty and coherence worthy of an ultimate description of physical reality," writes Dr. Paul Davies (Templeton Prize, 1995) in a letter of commendation. "Wilczek has endeavored to capture the beauty and sheer ingenuity of nature, its mathematical underpinnings, and its consequences for human meaning and purpose." While remaining firmly rooted in physics, without a commitment to any religious tradition, Wilczek has applied the insights of his field to the great questions of meaning and purpose pondered by generations of religious thinkers. As he writes in his book, Fundamentals, "In studying how the world works, we are studying how God works, and thereby learning what God is. In that spirit, we can interpret the search for knowledge as a form of worship, and our discoveries as revelations." "The intent of the Templeton Prize is noble and timely, and something the world needs, which is to bring attention to the possibility of new approaches to the problems or situations or challenges that people have traditionally accessed through religion, and many people still do," said Dr. Wilczek, in a video statement for the Templeton Prize. "The central miracle of physics to me is the fact that by playing with equations, drawing diagrams, doing calculations, and working within the world of mental concepts and manipulations, you are actually describing the real world. If you were looking for trying to understand what God is by understanding God's work, that's it." As the 2022 Templeton Prize laureate, Dr. Wilczek will participate in several virtual and in-person events, including a 2022 Templeton Prize event in the fall, where he will deliver a Templeton Prize lecture. Wilczek is the sixth Nobel laureate to receive the Templeton Prize since its inception in 1972. The Templeton Prize winner is selected following an extensive selection process that mobilizes an anonymous group of expert nominators from a diverse cross-section of fields. Nominees are reviewed by a panel of judges, who include scientists, business leaders, religious leaders, and scholars who represent the many fields of work that the Templeton Prize seeks to honor. Judges rank nominees according to a range of criteria before scores are calculated for a winner. This year's nine judges include Cecilia A. Conrad, Ph.D., CEO of Lever for Change and Managing Director of the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation; Tsitsi Masiyiwa, philanthropist and social entrepreneur; Indra Nooyi, Former Chair and CEO of PepsiCo.; Dr. France A. Cordova, astrophysicist and 14th director of the National Science Foundation; and Anousheh Ansari, CEO of the XPRIZE Foundation. Wilczek joins a list of 51 Prize recipients including St. Teresa of Kolkata (the inaugural award in 1973), the Dalai Lama (2012), and Archbishop Desmond Tutu (2013). The 2021 Templeton Prize went to ethologist and conservationist Dr. Jane Goodall. Preceding her was Dr. Francis Collins, former Director of the National Institutes of Health and leader of the Human Genome Project, for his demonstration of how religious faith can motivate and inspire rigorous scientific research. Other physicists who have won the Prize include Marcelo Gleiser (2019), Martin Rees (2011), John Barrow (2006), Charles H. Townes (2005), George Ellis (2004), Freeman Dyson (2000), and Paul Davies (1995). Wilczek received a B.S. at the University of Chicago in 1970, and a Ph.D. in physics at Princeton University in 1974. Currently he is the Herman Feshbach professor of physics at the MIT; Founding Director of the T. D. Lee Institute and Chief Scientist at Wilczek Quantum Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University; Distinguished Professor at Arizona State University; and Professor at Stockholm University. He has been married to the journalist and author Betsy Devine since 1973. They have two daughters, Amity and Mira. # # # Notes to Editors More information on Dr. Frank Wilczek, his statement on accepting the Prize, a statement by Heather Templeton Dill on the awarding of the Prize, and information on the 51 previous Templeton Prize Laureates, are available at www.templetonprize.org/2022 (http://www.templetonprize.org/2022) Follow the Templeton Prize on Twitter using (http://www.templetonprize.org/)@TempletonPrize and TempletonPrize2022. (https://twitter.com/TempletonPrize) Follow the Templeton Prize on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/TheTempletonPrize) and Instagram using TempletonPrize2022 Watch and embed a video featuring Dr. Frank Wilczek on the Templeton Prize YouTube channel (https://www.youtube.com/user/TempletonPrize/featured), where you will find additional videos with information on the Templeton Prize. About the Templeton Prize Established in 1972, the Templeton Prize is one of the world's largest annual individual awards. It is given to honor individuals whose exemplary achievements advance Sir John Templeton's philanthropic vision: harnessing the power of the sciences to explore the deepest questions of the universe and humankind's place and purpose within it. Currently valued at 1.3 million dollars, the award is adjusted periodically so it always exceeds the value of the Nobel Prize. Winners have come from all faiths and geographies, and have included Nobel Prize winners, philosophers, theoretical physicists, and one canonized saint. The Templeton Prize is awarded by the three Templeton philanthropies: the John Templeton Foundation, based in West Conshohocken, Pennsylvania, and by the Templeton World Charity Foundation and Templeton Religion Trust, based in Nassau, The Bahamas. To learn more, visit TempletonPrize.org Attachments JACKSONVILLE, FL / ACCESSWIRE / May 11, 2022 / ParkerVision, Inc. (OTCQB:PRKR) ("ParkerVision"), a developer and marketer of technologies and products for wireless applications, today announced results for the three months ended March 31, 2022. First Quarter 2022 Summary and Recent Developments ParkerVision recently moved to amend its complaint against Intel in the Western District of Texas to add a claim for willful infringement based on information obtained during discovery. A finding of willfulness by a jury can result in enhanced damages, as determined by the district court judge. The first Intel trial, which includes accused cellular products, is scheduled to commence December 5, 2022. A second Intel trial which accuses Intel WiFi and Bluetooth products is expected to be scheduled for the fall of 2023. The U.S. District Court in the Middle District of Florida (Orlando Division) issued a summary judgment order on March 22, 2022 ruling that Qualcomm does not infringe the claims of the three patents in ParkerVision's patent case against Qualcomm. ParkerVision is appealing this ruling along with the same court's March 9, 2022 ruling excluding the opinions of ParkerVision's experts regarding infringement and validity issues. Jeffrey Parker, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, commented, "We are in the process of preparing our appellate court briefs in the Qualcomm matter and believe we have a solid foundation for a successful appeal. Simultaneously, we are moving full steam ahead with discovery in our first case against Intel cellular products and preparing for a jury trial set for seven months from now. Based on facts revealed thus far in discovery, our counsel filed a sealed motion to amend our complaint to add a charge of willful infringement. If granted, we anticipate that this addition to our complaint will not cause any delays in the Intel schedule and, more importantly, it will enable the judge to enhance the jury-awarded damages in the event a jury determines Intel's infringement to be willful." Financial Results ParkerVision reported net income for the first quarter of 2022 of $0.3 million, or $0.00 per common share, compared to a net loss of $2.5 million, or $0.04 per common share for the first quarter of 2021. The net income position compared to the prior year net loss is primarily the result of a $2.3 million gain from a decrease in the fair value of the contingent payment obligations. We used cash for operations of approximately $0.9 million in the three months ended March 31, 2022 compared to approximately $5.0 million in cash used for operations during the same period in 2021. Cash used for operations in 2021 included the payment of approximately $4.0 million in current liabilities, primarily for the purpose of settling outstanding litigation fees and expenses. On May 10, 2022, ParkerVision consummated the sale of $0.3 million in convertible notes to accredited investors, including $0.1 million to ParkerVision director, Paul Rosenbaum. About ParkerVision ParkerVision, Inc. invents, develops and licenses cutting-edge, proprietary radio-frequency (RF) technologies that enable wireless solution providers to make and sell advanced wireless communication products. ParkerVision is engaged in a number of patent enforcement actions in the U.S. to protect patented rights that it believes are broadly infringed by others. For more information, please visit www.parkervision.com. (PRKR-I) Safe Harbor Statement This press release contains forward-looking information. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on any such forward-looking statements, each of which speaks only as of the date made. Such statements are subject to certain risks and uncertainties that are disclosed in the Company's SEC reports, including the Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2021 and the Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2022. These risks and uncertainties could cause actual results to differ materially from those currently anticipated or projected. Cindy French Chief Financial Officer ParkerVision, Inc cfrench@parkervision.com (TABLES FOLLOW) ParkerVision, Inc. Balance Sheet Highlights (in thousands) (unaudited) March 31, 2022 December 31, 2021 Cash and cash equivalents $ 198 $ 1,030 Prepaid expenses and other current assets 489 599 Intangible assets & other noncurrent assets 1,720 1,811 Total assets 2,407 3,440 Current liabilities 1,741 1,646 Contingent payment obligations 40,761 43,063 Convertible notes 2,870 2,895 Other long-term liabilities 588 613 Shareholders' deficit (43,553 ) (44,777 ) Total liabilities and shareholders' deficit $ 2,407 $ 3,440 ParkerVision, Inc. Summary Results of Operations (unaudited) Three Months Ended (in thousands, except per share amounts) March 31, 2022 2021 Licensing revenue $ - $ - Cost of sales (3 ) - Gross margin (3 ) - Selling, general and administrative expenses 1,933 2,280 Total operating expenses 1,933 2,280 Interest expense and other (34 ) (37 ) Change in fair value of contingent payment obligations 2,302 (150 ) Total other income (loss), net 2,268 (187 ) Net income (loss) $ 332 $ (2,467 ) Basic earnings (loss) per common share $ 0.00 $ (0.04 ) Diluted earnings (loss) per common share 0.00 (0.04 ) Weighted average shares outstanding Basic 77,553 63,695 Diluted 106,859 63,695 ParkerVision, Inc. Summary of Cash Flows (unaudited) Three Months Ended (in thousands) March 31, 2022 2021 Net cash used in operating activities $ (872 ) $ (4,989 ) Net cash used in investing activities - (1 ) Net cash provided by financing activities 40 5,610 Net (decrease) increase in cash and cash equivalents (832 ) 620 Cash and cash equivalents - beginning of period 1,030 1,627 Cash and cash equivalents - end of period $ 198 $ 2,247 SOURCE: ParkerVision, Inc. View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/700801/ParkerVision-Reports-First-Quarter-2022-Results The agreement will support approximately 274 MWAC across three solar projects in Southern California OAKVILLE, ON / ACCESSWIRE / May 11, 2022 / Spark Power Group Inc. (TSX:SPG), is pleased to announce the signing of a long-term operations & maintenance ("O&M") agreement between its solar O&M business ("Spark Power Renewables" or "Spark Power") and Leeward Renewable Energy ("LRE"), that directly provides O&M support for three of LRE's California solar facilities: Rabbitbrush Solar, Chaparral Solar and Willow Springs 3 Solar. LRE, a leading renewable energy company, contracted Spark Power to be the primary Solar O&M provider for the three solar energy facilities in Rosamond, California, which will have an aggregate capacity of approximately 274 MWAC (the "Projects"). The Projects are expected to be operational by August 2022 and will also have co-located utility scale battery storage systems. "LRE is pleased to have reached an agreement with Spark Power as we leverage their expertise to continue to deliver clean, reliable renewable energy to our customers in the region," said Willem Van der Ven, Chief Operating Officer at LRE. "At LRE, we prioritize working with best-in-class partners to achieve the highest levels of safety, reliability and performance at our solar facilities as part of our commitment to the communities where we operate and to the customers we serve." "We are very excited to kick off this new relationship with the LRE team," said Taylor Williamson, Director, Solar, Spark Power. "Best-in-class monitoring, and analytics coupled with original equipment manufacturer ("OEM") certified field service technicians are the keys to success in this fast-paced market, and we believe we have that recipe." "This is a tremendous next step in realizing Spark Power's growth plans across the US renewable energy market," said Grayson Swan, Executive Vice President, Renewables, Spark Power. "By entering into this agreement, our long-term O&M team is now maintaining 2GW of solar renewables assets, across North America. The opportunity to work with LRE to support their large-scale projects really is a vote of confidence in Spark Power's technical capabilities. We look forward to being their Trusted Partner in Power in all aspects of safety, quality, and reliability," added Swan. Click here to learn more about Spark Power's Statement of Qualifications. About Spark Power The Spark Power group of companies are a leading independent provider of end-to-end electrical services, operations and maintenance services, and energy sustainability solutions to the industrial, commercial, utility, and renewable asset markets in North America. We work to earn the right to be our customers' Trusted Partner in Power. Our highly skilled and dedicated people, located in the communities we serve, combined with our knowledge of the power industry, technology expertise, and commitment to safety, ensures we deliver the right solutions that keep our customers' operations up and running today and better equipped for tomorrow. Learn more at www.sparkpowercorp.com. About Leeward Energy Leeward Renewable Energy is a leading renewable energy company that owns and operates a portfolio of 22 renewable energy facilities across nine states totaling approximately 2,000 megawatts of generating capacity. LRE is actively developing and contracting new wind, solar, and energy storage projects in energy markets across the U.S., with 1.9 gigawatts contracted and 20 gigawatts under development and construction spanning over 100 projects. LRE is a portfolio company of OMERS Infrastructure, an investment arm of OMERS, one of Canada's largest defined benefit pension plans with C$121 billion in net assets (as at December 31, 2021). For more information, visit www.leewardenergy.com. Media Inquiries: For Spark Power April Currey, Vice President, Sales & Marketing media@sparkpowercorp.com +1 (905)-829-3336 For Leeward Renewable Energy Kelly Kimberly/Liz James Sard Verbinnen & Co. Leeward-SVC@SARDVERB.com SOURCE: Spark Power Group Inc. View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/700887/Spark-Power-Signs-Solar-Operations-Maintenance-Agreement-With-Leeward-Renewable-Energy DUBAI, UAE, May 11, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Jumeirah Group has further expanded its international portfolio with the debut of its first stunning, contemporary resort in Indonesia - Jumeirah Bali. To view the Multimedia News Release, please click: https://www.multivu.com/players/uk/9048351-jumeirah-group-opens-all-villa-luxury-resort-in-bali/ Located in Bali's breath-taking Uluwatu region, the resort provides an unsurpassed destination for those seeking to reconnect and find inner balance, while soaking in the island's magnificent natural surroundings. Mr. Jose Silva, Chief Executive Officer of Jumeirah Group, said: "Bali is well-known for its captivating beauty and rich cultural heritage that sets it apart from the rest of the archipelagos around the world. Jumeirah Bali is a first-of-its-kind concept that embodies the spirit of the province with our unmatched hospitality, providing guests a truly unique and memorable experience to reconnect with nature." The resort offers 123 villas in one- and two-bedroom configurations, as well as a four-bedroom Royal Water Palace, all featuring views of the Indian Ocean and lush green natural beauty of Bali. Each villa features a private pool and outdoor living area with an open pavilion. The resort also provides guests with exclusive access to a private beach. Designed to create a seamless flow between the architecture, interior, and landscape, Jumeirah Bali blends indigenous building materials with contemporary and luxurious comfort, to transport guests to an authentic Balinese haven. Guests can also indulge in three signature restaurants and bars overseen by Master Chef Vincent Leroux. Scheduled to open in June, AKASA Gastro Grill delivers a unique culinary experience, with resident DJ and Mixologist providing the perfect spot to relax. All-day dining spot SEGARAN offers exquisite Balinese and South-East Asian cuisine, while MAJA Sunset Pool Lounge will serve as an ideal evening spot to enjoy cocktails overlooking the vast ocean. Jumeirah Bali will also welcome Jumeirah's award-winning Talise Spa. Currently the resort has two private treatment rooms in operation, with the full spa experience, complete with the only traditional Turkish hammam on the island, opening in July. Guests can also enjoy the spa's additional wellness facilities, which include the sauna, steam bath and Vichy shower treatments. Guests can also choose to participate in guided meditation and Yoga classes, utilise the modern fitness centre or enjoy hiking experiences in the splendid natural surroundings. The resort also boasts stunning infinity pools and kids' club for hours of family fun. For more information and to discover our special opening offers, please visit www.jumeirahbali.com or contact jbareservations@jumeirah.com Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1811635/Jumeirah_Bali_Resort_Ocean_View.jpg NUREMBERG (dpa-AFX) - LEONI AG (LEOGN) said it posted a negative EBIT before exceptional items of 17 million euros in its first quarter compared to positive EBIT before items of 29 million euros, prior year. The company noted that its EBIT before exceptional items was burdened by higher material, logistic costs and energy prices as well as increased volatility of calloffs due to war in Ukraine and ongoing semiconductor crisis. Consolidated net result increased to 47 million euros from 28 million euros, last year. Earnings per share was 1.44 euros compared to 0.85 euros. Group sales were 1.26 billion euros, down 6.9% from last year, mainly due to consolidation effects following the partial disposals in the Wire & Cable Solutions Division. Organic sales declined by 3.2%, for the quarter. The company said its 2022 outlook remains unchanged as visibility remains low. Copyright(c) 2022 RTTNews.com. All Rights Reserved Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann. VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / May 11, 2022 / Fabled Copper Corp. ("Fabled Copper" or the "Company") (CSE: FABL; FSE: XZ7) announces the results of 2021 surface field work on it's Muskwa Copper Project. See Figure 1 below. Figure 1 - General Property Location The Project is comprised of the Neil Property and the Toro Property in British Columbia. The Company also holds rights to the Bronson Property. See Figure 2 below. Figure 2 - Location Map Peter Hawley, President, CEO reports; "A total of 19 specific areas were mapped and prospected during the 2021 field season and we started the New Year by reporting our findings on the Lady Luck occurrence in the south end of the Neil Property, followed by the Mac; the 8A, Harris, the 2a and 2b, the Creek, Keays south, Belcher Creek, the Magnum Mine UAV Done Mission, the Magnum, the Neil UAV Drone Mission, the Neil, EM-1, Ram Creek, Davis Keays Eagle UAV Drone Mission, sampling and now the results of surface geophysics over Davis Keays Eagle Vein area." See Figure 3 below. Figure 3- Neil Property, Davis Keays Eagle Location Preamble Minor follow-up exploration activity took place during the 1950s and early 1960s, with activity increasing significantly during the late 1960s and early 1970s. The work resulted in recognition of numerous copper occurrences within the Neil Property, the most significant of which are the Magnum Vein (Churchill Copper) and the Eagle Vein (Davis Keays). The Lady vein system at the Lady Luck Occurrence also received minor underground development work from 1969 - 1970. See Figure 4 below. Figure 4- Neil Property, Davis Keays Eagle Mine More details on the past history, 2021 UAV drone mission and sampling have been made public in the April 27th and May 4th release. The 2021 exploration mandate was to prospect the area surrounding the Davis-Keays adits and the Eagle Vein. As previously reported the entrances to adits 6,950, 6,400 and 5,940 of the Davis-Keays past developed mine were located on the west side of the slope at elevations of 2,115 to 1,795 meters and at least 6 other parallel veins were located and sampled. Detailed ground VLF-Electromagnetics ("EM") and Total Field Magnetics surveys were completed along the old switchback dozer trail, downslope from the Davis-Keays 6400 adit. Approximately 2 km. of surveying was completed .The geophysical crew then proceeded down the trail and was picked-up on Yedhe Creek, near an old campsite. See Figures 5, and 6 below Figure 5 Figure 6 As you can see, closer detailed evaluation of the drone mission hill shade model clearly shows striations or linear features which are interpreted to represent vein structures and the survey area to the northwest on the west side of the mountain face. See Figure 7 below. Figure 7- Hill Shade Digital Model with Veins and geophysical Survey Area The plotted VLF-EM data clearly outlines a Fraser filtered anomaly striking parallel to the Eagle vein, 160 meters northwest of the 5,950 level adit. See figure 8. Figure 8 - VLF -EM Data and Conductor Axis If one goes to the east side exposure of the Eagle vein the northwest EM conductor axis is plotted below. See Photo 1 below. Photo 1 - 2021 East Side Eagle Vein, Adit is 3 meters x 3 meters in dimensions Going Forwards Additional releases on the 2021 exploration program of the Eagle Vein area containing underground inspection and finally structural interpretation on the Davis Keays Eagle vein deposit will be forth coming in the following weeks. QA QC Procedure Analytical results of sampling reported by Fabled Copper Corp represent rock samples submitted by Fabled Copper Corp staff directly to ALS Chemex, Vancouver, British Columbia Canada. Samples were crushed, split, and pulverized as per ALS Chemex method PREP-31, then analyzed for ME-ICP61 33 element package by four acid digestion with ICP-AES Finish. ME-GRA21 method for Au and Ag by fire assay and gravimetric finish, 30g nominal sample weight. Over Limit Methods For samples triggering precious metal over-limit thresholds of 10 g/t Au or 100 g/t Ag, the following is being used: Au-GRA21 Au by fire assay and gravimetric finish with 30 g sample. Ag-GRA21 Ag by fire assay and gravimetric finish. Fabled Copper Corp. monitors QA/QC using commercially sourced standards and locally sourced blank materials inserted within the sample sequence at regular intervals. About Fabled Copper Corp. Fabled Copper is a junior mining exploration company. Its current focus is to creating value for stakeholders through the exploration and development of its existing copper properties located in northern British Columbia. The Muskwa Project comprises a total of 76 claims in two non-contiguous blocks and totals approximately 8,064.9 hectares, located in the Liard Mining Division in northern British Columbia. Mr. Peter J. Hawley, President and C.E.O. Fabled Copper Corp. Phone: (819) 316-0919 peter@fabledcopper.org For further information please contact: info@fabledcopper.org The technical information contained in this news release has been approved by Peter J. Hawley, P.Geo. President and C.E.O. of Fabled, who is a Qualified Person as defined in National Instrument 43-101 - Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects. The Canadian Securities Exchange does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Certain statements contained in this news release constitute "forward-looking information" as such term is used in applicable Canadian securities laws. Forward-looking information is based on plans, expectations and estimates of management at the date the information is provided and is subject to certain factors and assumptions, including, that the Company's financial condition and development plans do not change as a result of unforeseen events and that the Company obtains any required regulatory approvals. Forward-looking information is subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties and other factors that could cause plans, estimates and actual results to vary materially from those projected in such forward-looking information. Some of the risks and other factors that could cause results to differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to: impacts from the coronavirus or other epidemics, general economic conditions in Canada, the United States and globally; industry conditions, including fluctuations in commodity prices; governmental regulation of the mining industry, including environmental regulation; geological, technical and drilling problems; unanticipated operating events; competition for and/or inability to retain drilling rigs and other services; the availability of capital on acceptable terms; the need to obtain required approvals from regulatory authorities; stock market volatility; volatility in market prices for commodities; liabilities inherent in mining operations; changes in tax laws and incentive programs relating to the mining industry; as well as the other risks and uncertainties applicable to the Company as set forth in the Company's continuous disclosure filings filed under the Company's profile at www.sedar.com . The Company undertakes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements, other than as required by applicable law. SOURCE: Fabled Copper Corp. View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/700917/Surface-Geophysics-Outlines-Parallel-EM-Conductor-to-the-Eagle-Vein-at-Davis-Keays WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - Branded food company General Mills, Inc. (GIS) Wednesday announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire TNT Crust, a manufacturer of frozen pizza crusts for regional and national pizza chains, foodservice distributors, and retail outlets. The financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. As part of the acquisition, General Mills will also acquire two manufacturing facilities in Green Bay, Wisconsin, and one manufacturing facility in St. Charles, Missouri. The transaction is expected to close in the first quarter of fiscal 2023, subject to regulatory approval and other closing conditions. TNT Crust is currently a portfolio company of Peak Rock Capital. TNT Crust manufactures partially baked, self-rising and better-for-you pizza crusts that are highly complementary to General Mills' existing frozen baked goods portfolio. TNT Crust business recorded double-digit compound annual net sales growth over the past four years, with net sales totaling approximately $100 million in 2021. Shawn O'Grady, Group President of North America Foodservice, General Mills, said, 'This acquisition advances our Accelerate strategy and builds on our strong position in the fast-growing away-from-home frozen baked goods category.' The company intends to fund the acquisition with cash on hand and short-term borrowings. In the deal, Jones Day is serving as legal adviser to General Mills. Evercore is advising TNT Crust. Copyright(c) 2022 RTTNews.com. All Rights Reserved Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann. MOSCOW (dpa-AFX) - The US House of Representatives passed with broad bipartisan support a bill to provide more than $40 billion in emergency funding in security, economic, and humanitarian assistance to Ukraine battling Russian invasion. The Additional Ukraine Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2022 was approved in the House by a vote of 368-57. The Senate will next take up the measure, and is likely to approve it, reports say. On Monday Biden uhad rged Congress to approve the Ukrainian Supplemental funding bill immediately. The President had earlier recommended that Congress take overdue action on much needed funding for COVID treatments, vaccines and tests, as part of the Ukraine Supplemental bill. But Congressional leaders in both parties informed him that such an addition would slow down action on the urgently needed Ukrainian aid - a view expressed strongly by several Congressional Republicans. Biden said that since his administration cannot afford delay in this vital war effort, he is prepared to accept that these two measures move separately, 'so that the Ukrainian aid bill can get to my desk right away.' 'We look forward to continuing to work with Senate leadership to get this bill to the President's desk quickly and keep assistance flowing to Ukraine without interruption,' White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said in a statement. The White House said that additional resources included in this bill will allow Washington to send more weapons, such as artillery, armored vehicles, and ammunition, to Ukraine. 'And they will help us replenish our stockpile and support U.S. troops on NATO territory,' Psaki added. Democratic Rep. Rosa DeLauro, who sponsored the Bill, said: 'Given the magnitude of the terror campaign being waged against the Ukrainian people and Ukrainian democracy, we are morally obligated to ensure Ukraine has the security and economic aid they need'. 'I am proud to have joined my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to pass a bill that does just that,' added Delauro, who is the Chair of the House Committee on Appropriations. Copyright(c) 2022 RTTNews.com. All Rights Reserved Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX Kostenloser Wertpapierhandel auf Smartbroker.de Internationally Renowned actor Chris Evans Is The Voice Of GODIVA's New Global Campaign Kicking Off In May LONDON, May 11, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- GODIVA announces the launch of GODIVA Is Chocolate, its global marketing campaign celebrating GODIVA's growth beyond its strong and storied gifting roots, becoming a more vibrant and easier to find brand. With nearly 100 years of history and a rich Belgian heritage, the iconic and beloved brand is renowned for the highest possible quality in both its premium products, ingredients, and signature packaging. GODIVA continues to evolve by listening to consumers, growing its presence in retail to be an elevated every day treat for anyone - and this new campaign is a big part of that plan. "We are thrilled to further build on our success of the past two years with the unveiling of GODIVA is Chocolate. This campaign signals an important expansion of the GODIVA premiumness to the global marketplace with exciting, relatable, creative concepts that help position our iconic brand as part of our consumers' daily lives," says Nurtac Afridi, Global CEO, GODIVA. "GODIVA elevates every moment. It's the reward you give yourself. It's the indulgence you deserve. We are excited for the GODIVA is Chocolate Campaign to bring a new way for consumers to talk about and engage with GODIVA." GODIVA has partnered with internationally renowned actor Chris Evans (best known for his roles in "The Avengers" franchise, "Knives Out" and "Gifted," with upcoming projects to include "Gray Man" and "Ghosted") to be the voice of the new GODIVA Is Chocolate global marketing campaign. Evans' approachability and charisma lend themselves perfectly to the new GODIVA brand positioning and the sentiments within the new campaign. "I've been a fan of GODIVA for a long time and I'm honoured to be the voice of their new campaign" says Chris Evans, actor and the voice of the GODIVA is Chocolate spots. The GODIVA Is Chocolate global campaign, developed in partnership with TracyLocke, showcases GODIVA as a premium treat that all of us deserve to enjoy each day with its portion control sizes, sharing packages, on-the-go convenient formats, in addition to its formal, high-end gifting boxes for special occasions. GODIVA is the only choice for your daily chocolate needs; if you want chocolate, choose GODIVA. This new global campaign clearly communicates quality, premiumness, and leadership. GODIVA Is Chocolate will first launch in the U.S. market and will roll out globally over the next few months. The U.S. will feature spots across Over the Top Media, digital, social media (e.g. YouTube, Facebook, Instagram) and retail touchpoints through in store signage to reach consumers where they are. The campaign will also be featured in impactful Out of Home locations and billboards to further drive the message of the campaign. The ads will highlight GODIVA's product portfolio with four creative spots, each highlighting four of different GODIVA products, including: Signature Mini Bars: Eight individually wrapped chocolate bars perfect for anytime, for anywhere, also taking care of the portion control Chocolate Domes: Multisensorial and textured experience. Three Layers of Deliciousness - Creamy, Crispy, Crunchy Masterpieces: Artfully crafted chocolates with elegant designs and luxurious fillings Classic Gold Collection: Our new-to-market Iconic Gold collection chocolates now available where consumers shop every day. All products are available at U.S. retailers nationwide, in the chocolate aisle where consumers shop every day and on always open godiva.com For more information on GODIVA and the GODIVA is Chocolate campaign, please visit GODIVA.com. GODIVA chocolates are now available for purchase online at GODIVA.com as well as in fine retailers, supermarkets, and drugstores. GRENOBLE, France and PRINCETON, N.J., May 11, 2022), a leader and innovator in the care of prostate cancer, announced today the launch of new products at the prestigious American Urological Association Annual Meeting in New Orleans, LA. Koelis will be holding live and interactive demos on its booth #1201 from May 13th to May 15th to demonstrate the exclusive technology and new features of its Trinity 3D imaging and fusion platform. The new products include software for focal cryoablation guidance ("ProMap-FT"); single-use transperineal biopsy grids ("Perine Grids"); and MRI processing software ("ProMap Lite"). Each of these new products complement the Koelis Trinity MRI-US fusion image guidance system. The Trinity system integrates versatile 3D ultrasound imaging with proprietary MRI-US fusion image guidance that features the Company's unique prostate motion tracking software (OBT Fusion). The Koelis Trinity system is a single, space-efficient system that does not require an interface with an external ultrasound imaging system or external electromagnetic sensors. Mark Rooney, Koelis' VP and General Manager in the USA, commented, "We believe that these new product launches are evidence that we are listening to our urologic customers and academic partners who are leading a paradigm shift in prostate cancer care." ProMap-FT expands the Koelis focal prostate ablation treatment product range to include planning and guidance software for cryoablation. With isotherm specifications on-board, the ProMap-FT software is compatible with each of the two leading vendors of cryoablation systems. Utilizing the Koelis proprietary OBT Fusion technology, ProMap-FT also has a unique ability to safely and accurately track cryoablation needles to any targeted prostate cancer lesion. Promap-FT also offers versatility in enabling 3D guidance of laser fibers or any other interventional needle. Single-Use Perine Grids includes both "full" and "mini" versions of the Company's popular reusable transperineal needle guides. By minimizing both cross-contamination and sterilization time and labor, the Koelis single-use Perine Grids will help support the transition of transperineal prostate biopsy to an office-based procedure. ProMap Lite is a software-only version of Koelis MR-Draw biopsy planning workstation. Designed to be compatible with PC's and radiology workstations, ProMap Lite will add flexibility and efficiency to the workflow required to access and process a patient's MRI prior to his fusion-guide biopsy. ProMap Lite is the first step of the Koelis strategy that ultimately will add AI and cloud-based features to the Trinity system. Antoine Leroy, Koelis' Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer, concludes: "Our mission is to innovate continuously to offer prostate biopsy and targeted treatment technology that advance the quality of prostate cancer care. We also seek to offer the highest level of versatility in technology choices to physicians and their patients. We are committed to support accurate and safe prostate interventions, whether these procedures are performed with or without MRI-US fusion, whether transrectal or transperineal, or whether followed-up with active surveillance or treatment." About Koelis: Headquartered in Grenoble, France, Koelis has been a pioneer and leader of MRI-US fusion image guidance technology for above 10 years. Featuring proprietary 3D ultrasound and prostate motion tracking software (OBT Fusion), the Koelis Trinity system facilitates more accurate biopsy diagnosis as well as enabling "focal" prostate cancer treatment alternatives to traditional "total" organ treatments such as surgical prostatectomy and radiation. The Company's commitment to minimally invasive prostate cancer treatments includes a multi-center clinical registry ("Violette", NCT04582656) in Europe based on Trinity-guided, microwave ablation technology. Koelis: Antoine Leroy, Founder and CEO e-mail: info@koelis.com A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/0fff965d-28a1-41a1-8123-1be0c08f44c3 SYDNEY, Australia, May 11, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- ENA Respiratory (https://enarespiratory.com/), a clinical-stage pharmaceutical company developing INNA-051, a first-in-class broad-spectrum antiviral innate immunomodulator for pan-antiviral prophylaxis in at-risk populations and pandemic preparedness, has been selected to join BLUE KNIGHT (https://jlabs.jnjinnovation.com/blue-knight), a joint initiative between Johnson & Johnson Innovation - JLABS (JLABS) and the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), a component of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. ENA Respiratory is the first Australian company to be selected to join Blue Knight. Blue Knight offers a scientific and technological ecosystem for innovative, early-stage companies to develop strategically aligned technologies that aim to combat health threats and emerging infectious diseases. ENA Respiratory's selection highlights the urgent unmet need for therapies that could help the body respond faster to a broad range of respiratory viral infections and reduce the risk of hospitalization or complications. As a Blue Knight company, ENA Respiratory will benefit from mentorship from experts from BARDA, the Johnson & Johnson Family of Companies, and a global network of innovators who could provide critical insight and support throughout INNA-051 development. ENA Respiratory's self-administered nasal spray INNA-051 product is designed with the aim to stimulate the innate immunity in the nose, which is the preferential site of initial infection and replication of most respiratory viruses. Pre-clinical research demonstrates that INNA-051 has pan-antiviral potential with efficacy against a variety of respiratory viruses, including SARS-CoV-2, influenza, and the common cold rhinovirus. "As we continue to advance the development of INNA-051, we look forward to working alongside BARDA, industry leaders, and other innovative companies with the aim to address emerging health threats and better protect our global community against infectious diseases," said Christophe Demaison, Ph.D., CEO of ENA Respiratory. ENA Respiratory is a virtual resident within JLABS (https://jlabs.jnjinnovation.com/), a premier life science incubator program. Recently, ENA Respiratory began a Phase 2a influenza challenge pre-exposure prophylaxis study of INNA-051. It was found to be well-tolerated in a Phase 1 study, and Phase 1 data will be presented at the 2022 American Thoracic Society International Conference (May 13- 18, San Francisco). Notes to Editors If you would like to arrange an interview, please contact: Glenn Silver, Finn Partners, +1 973 818 8198, glenn.silver@finnpartners.com (mailto:glenn.silver@finnpartners.com) About ENA Respiratory and INNA-051 ENA Respiratory is aiming to transform the prevention of respiratory viral infections in populations at-risk of complications. The company is based in Melbourne and Sydney, Australia and it has secured a Series A funding from Brandon Capital Partners' managed funds, the Minderoo Foundation, and Uniseed. INNA-051 is a potent innate immune TLR2/6 agonist. It is being developed for intranasal delivery to target the preferential site of initial infection and replication of most respiratory viruses, including SARS-CoV-2 and influenza. Fast-acting and inducing a durable biologic response supporting weekly administration, INNA-051 works by recruiting innate immune cells and priming epithelial cells of the nasal mucosa to respond more quickly to infections, rapidly eliminating viruses and other pathogens before they spread throughout the body. INNA-051 and close analogues have been shown in preclinical studies to be effective against multiple respiratory viruses, including SARS-CoV-2, influenza (H1N1 and seasonal H3N2), and rhinovirus. Key features of INNA-051 intranasal administration include limited minimal or no systemic bioavailability, minimal or no systemic pro-inflammatory cytokine release, no direct type I interferon upregulation which is known to be associated with fever in humans, durable immune response supporting weekly administration, and compatibility with vaccine and intranasal corticosteroids. For more information, please visit https://enarespiratory.com (https://enarespiratory.com) Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - May 11, 2022) - Casa Minerals Inc. (TSXV: CASA) (OTC Pink: CASXF) (FSE: OCM) (the "Company or "Casa") is pleased to announce the commencement of diamond drilling at its Congress gold deposit located in Martinez Mining District of Yavapai County, Arizona. As detailed in the Company's news release of May 4, 2022, a 10,000-foot contract has been awarded to Godbe LLC. Since purchasing the Congress property, Casa has compiled all available technical data concerning the former mining operations. Documented mining operations, at intervals from 1880 to 1980 produced 426,000 ounces of gold, followed from 1982 to 1988 by poorly documented operations that may have produced about 75,000 ounces. The purpose of the current program, which is Casa's initial drilling of the historic Congress gold mine, is to obtain further information concerning gold-bearing structures that were identified but never developed. Additionally, the drilling program has been designed to investigate nearby underexplored areas that were identified to have geologically similar characteristics and maybe the extensions of the Congress and Niagara veins. Incomplete records indicate potential mineral zones but there are no NI 43-101 compliant resources. To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/1750/123559_0dd23379c4df28ef_001full.jpg To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/1750/123559_0dd23379c4df28ef_002full.jpg Casa's drill program is being guided by a Registered Professional Geologist who will supervise drilling operations, take custody of drill cores and manage core records and sampling. Samples will be processed at an independent ISO-9000 certified commercial analytical laboratory and results will be released following receipt and confirmation. Mr. Farshad Shirvani, President and CEO, comments that "We are very pleased to have acquired the Congress Mine that was idle for so many years. We wish to acknowledge the cooperation of the former owners and local authorities in helping us resume exploration of this exciting deposit. Further news releases will report details of our progress". About Casa Minerals Inc. The Company is engaged in the acquisition, exploration and development of mineral properties located in Canada and the USA. Casa owns ninety percent (90%) interest in the Congress gold mine (Arizona, USA). This historic high-grade gold producing mine has not been explored or produced since 1992. Additionally, the Company owns a one hundred percent (100%) interest in the polymetallic Pitman and Keaper properties (BC, Canada) and has an option to acquire a seventy-five percent (75%) interest in the Arsenault VMS Property (BC, Canada). On Behalf of Board of Directors Farshad Shirvani, M.Sc. Geology President and CEO For more information, please contact: Casa Minerals Inc. Farshad Shirvani, President & CEO Phone: (604) 678-9587 Email: contact@casaminerals.com https://www.casaminerals.com NEITHER TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE NOR ITS REGULATION SERVICES PROVIDER (AS THAT TERM IS DEFINED IN THE POLICIES OF THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE) ACCEPTS RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THIS RELEASE. Certain of the statements made and information contained herein may constitute "forward-looking information." In particular references to the private placement and future work programs or expectations on the quality or results of such work programs are subject to risks associated with operations on the property, exploration activity generally, equipment limitations and availability, as well as other risks that we may not be currently aware of. Accordingly, readers are advised not to place undue reliance on forward-looking information. Except as required under applicable securities legislation, the Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/123559 DGAP-News: Ameramex International AmeraMex International Receives Orders Totaling $770,000 11.05.2022 / 14:07 The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement. FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CHICO, CA May 11, 2022 - AmeraMex International, Inc. (OTCQB: AMMX), a provider of heavy equipment for logistics companies, infrastructure construction and forestry conservation, announced that it has received equipment orders totaling $770,000 which brings year-to-date sales up to $10.1million. The orders consisted of one Taylor XLC975 Loaded Container Handler shipping to a port in the Northwest and an ASV RT-120 with mulching head. The ASV is shipping to a West Coast customer. For more information and pricing of equipment for the logistics, construction, and forestry industries, or to book a demonstration of the Kovaco Electric's 100 percent electric skid steer loaders, ASV Posti-Tract and Skid Steer Loaders, Menzi Muck Excavators or a Magni Telescopic Handler, contact the AmeraMex/Hamre Equipment sales team at 530.895.8955. About AmeraMex International AmeraMex International sells, leases and rents heavy equipment to companies within multiple industries including construction, logistics, mining, and lumber. AmeraMex, with a US and international customer base, has over 30 years of experience in heavy equipment sales and service. Follow AmeraMex on Twitter @ammx_intl and visit the AmeraMex website, www.AMMX.net or www.hamreequipment.com for additional information and equipment videos. Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains forward-looking statements. All statements other than statements of historical facts included in this press release are forward-looking statements. In some cases, forward-looking statements can be identified by words such as "believe," "expect," "anticipate," "plan," "potential," "continue" or similar expressions. Such forward-looking statements include risks and uncertainties, and there are key factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Investors are encouraged to review the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Investors should not place any undue reliance on forward-looking statements since they involve known and unknown, uncertainties and other factors which are, in some cases, beyond the Company's control which could, and likely will, materially affect actual results, levels of activity, performance or achievements. Any forward-looking statement reflects the Company's current views with respect to future events and is subject to these and other risks, uncertainties and assumptions relating to operations, results of operations, growth strategy and liquidity. The Company assumes no obligation to publicly update or revise these forward-looking statements for any reason, or to update the reasons actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements, even if added information becomes available in the future. Contact Details McCloud Communications LLC Marty Tullio +1 949-632-1900 marty@mccloudcommunications.com Company Website https://www.ammx.net News Source: News Direct 11.05.2022 Dissemination of a Corporate News, transmitted by DGAP - a service of EQS Group AG. The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement. The DGAP Distribution Services include Regulatory Announcements, Financial/Corporate News and Press Releases. Archive at www.dgap.de Alquity, the leading responsible investment manager and Spouting Rock Asset Management form strategic partnership Investors can now access world-class ESG and impact funds in U.S. through new investment and distribution platform Spouting Rock Asset Management becomes a key shareholder Alquity, the leading responsible investment manager, and U.S.-based Spouting Rock Asset Management (Spouting Rock) today announced a joint venture and the creation of a new platform to give U.S. investors access to world-class ESG and impact funds. The strategic partnership will create a distribution platform for Alquity's funds in the U.S., including its Global Impact Fund and Future World Global Emerging Markets Fund. The partnership also includes Alquity's Indian Subcontinent Fund, which was in the top-ten performing equity funds globally in 2021, according to FT Adviser, proving there is no performance trade off with ESG and Impact. ESG-focused funds globally saw their combined assets climb to $3.9 trillion in Q3 2021, according to data compiled by Morningstar. While Europe remains the stand-out leader in sustainable funds, both the U.S. and Canada remain early-stage markets. The mission of the new investment and distribution platform is to accelerate the multibillion-dollar ESG and impact investing opportunity in North America. "The North American market is an exciting opportunity to make a difference and deliver impact at scale. We believe both the United States and Canada are prime markets to get ahead of the ESG and impact curve," said Brad Crombie CEO, Alquity. "But you also need partners with strong connections and a long-term commitment to the market. This is why we are so excited to work with the team at Spouting Rock who have the experience, relationships and distribution architecture to help Alquity establish itself as one of the leaders in the largest growth segment of the market." Spouting Rock, which is also investing in the London-based firm, provides alternative, traditional and thematic investment solutions that seek to enhance portfolios and protect wealth. This joint venture is the latest addition to the firm's curated manager platform of well-vetted, active investment solutions. Most recently in 2021, Spouting Rock established a joint venture with Bell Asset Management of Australia, acquired a minority stake in Glovista Investments and finalized its majority investment in Penn Capital. "We're excited to welcome our UK partners to the Spouting Rock platform," says Andrew Smith, Chairman of Spouting Rock. "We are committed to offering purposeful investment solutions for our clients, including ESG strategies that allow investors to align their capital with environmental and social values. Genuine, top-quality pure play ESG and impact investment managers are difficult to find, which is why we are so excited to have the opportunity to bring Alquity into the U.S." Alquity is the bridge between listed equities and impact through pioneering its 3-D investment model fusing financial performance, high-quality portfolio ESG and catalytic capital for local impact. "Building a presence in the U.S. market will create an opportunity for us to achieve a quantum leap in AUM and therefore the lives we transform. Alquity is all about building a better fairer and more sustainable world. Our portfolios drive better corporate behaviours and progress towards the UN Sustainable Development Goals. We are extremely excited to have found the right partner in Spouting Rock to develop this across the U.S.," said Paul Robinson, Alquity Founder and Chair. This is the latest in Alquity's ongoing trajectory of developing strategic partnerships and attracting investment. Last year, the London-based firm formed a partnership with East Capital Group, as well as completing its capital raise with backing from the founders of Investible, Australia's leading seed stage investor, and from asset management pioneer Martin Gilbert. In addition, as of December 31, 2021, Alquity's Transforming Lives programme, in which it injects 10% of its fee revenues, has impacted more than 65,000 people by granting more than $2.4m in the regions where the company invests. This social investment also provides a feedback loop back into the investment teams a mechanism which differentiates its approach. About Spouting Rock Asset Management Founded in 2018, Spouting Rock Asset Management is a multi-boutique manager platform providing alternative, traditional and thematic investment solutions and services. This platform of curated active and opportunistic managers offers sophisticated investors, financial professionals and institutions forward-thinking solutions designed to help them plan for their financial future. Assets under management as of March 31, 2022, which includes non-discretionary assets associated with model delivery accounts for Spouting Rock and their boutique managers, is $3.1B. About Alquity Alquity is a responsible investment manager which links listed equities and impact. Since 2010 it has been connecting investors to their investments and to social progress, seeking to deliver better outcomes for all. It has developed a 3-D investment approach for its pioneering funds, delivering high-quality ESG, generating returns and transforming lives in the regions in which it invests. As well as investing in great companies that operate responsibly, Alquity also makes catalytic contributions of 10% of its fee revenue to support the poor and marginalised in society to create jobs and businesses through the Alquity Transforming Lives Foundation, a UK registered charity. This award-winning approach in turn generates economic growth that benefits company holdings, employees, communities and investors its Virtuous Circle. Alquity's funds include Global Impact, Future World, Alquity Asia, Alquity Indian Subcontinent and Alquity Africa. The company is headquartered in London, with investments around the world. Assets under management as of March31, 2022 is $126m. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220511005384/en/ Contacts: For press enquiries or to set up interviews please contact: Alquity Rishi Bhattacharya rishi@impactandinfluence.global +44 7767654070 Spouting Rock Asset Management Caitlyn Foster for Spouting Rock spoutingrock@gregoryfca.com 484-798-7730 Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - May 11, 2022) - Red Light Holland Corp. (CSE: TRIP) (FSE: 4YX) (OTC Pink: TRUFF) ("Red Light Holland" or the "Company"), an Ontario-based corporation engaged in the production, growth and sale of a premium brand of magic truffles to the legal, recreational market within the Netherlands is pleased to announce it has engaged Akwasi Owusu-Bempah to serve as an Advisor to its Advisory Board. Akwasi Owusu-Bempah (PhD) is a respected Canadian academic and drug law reform expert. He brings extensive experience working across public and private sectors in Canada and internationally. Akwasi's academic work has examined the unequal nature of drug law enforcement across North America. He has collaborated with major media outlets to advance public dialogue about the perils of the war on drugs. As a change-maker, Akwasi has lobbied federal governments to revise their drug laws, and through his not-for-profit work, has collaborated with some of the world's largest cannabis companies to advance their corporate responsibility mandates. He recently sat as a member of Health Canada's Expert Task Force on Substance Use and has contributed to ongoing decriminalization efforts across the country. "We are elated to have Akwasi join Red Light's advisory board," said Todd Shapiro, CEO and director of Red Light Holland. "When we connected I instantly knew he'd be a perfect fit. Akwasi and Red Light are fully aligned on our beliefs that psilocybin should be accessed on an affordable and equitable basis through education, information and responsible use. Akwasi is another wonderful asset to the Red Light team and we are grateful as we are confident his experience, knowledge and past lobbying efforts plus his educational pieces will help open the eyes and ears of health regulatory bodies across the world." "I am excited to work with Red Light Holland and its efforts to bring psilocybin from underground to mainstream," added Akwasi Owusu-Bempah. "Todd and his team have shown great leadership in the psychedelics space and I look forward to contributing to the company's social purpose and advocacy strategy as Red Light continues to expand and grow. I'm proud to bring my expertise and knowledge to help assist Red Light's mission." In consideration for his services as Advisor, and subject to all applicable laws (including the rules and policies of the Canadian Securities Exchange) ("Applicable Laws") the Company has granted to Mr. Owusu-Bempah 300,000 incentive stock options (the "Options" and each individually, the "Option"). Each Option will entitle the holder thereof to acquire one common share in the capital of Company for a period of three years from the date of issuance but can only be exercised half at a time after 1 and 2 years respectively, at an exercise price of $0.09 CND. The Options shall be subject to Applicable Laws and the terms and conditions of the Stock Option Plan of the Company. Updated Investor Deck The Company is also pleased to announce it has uploaded a new investor deck - Red Light's Triangular Approach - to its company website www.redlight.co, offering an in-depth overview of the Company's vision and its triangular approach to achieving such vision. About Red Light Holland Corp. The Company is an Ontario-based corporation positioning itself to engage in the production, growth and sale (through existing Smart Shops operators and an advanced e-commerce platform) of a premium brand of magic truffles to the legal, recreational market within the Netherlands, in accordance with the highest standards, in compliance with all applicable laws. For additional information: Todd Shapiro Chief Executive Officer, Chairman, and Director Tel: 647-643-TRIP (8747) Email: todd@redlight.co Website: www.RedLight.co Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor its Market Regulator (as that term is defined in the policies of the Canadian Securities Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains certain "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. Such forward-looking information and forward-looking statements are not representative of historical facts or information or current condition, but instead represent only the Company's beliefs regarding future events, plans or objectives, many of which, by their nature, are inherently uncertain and outside of the Company's control. Often, but not always, forward-looking statements and information can be identified by the use of words such as "plans", "expects" or "does not expect", "is expected", "estimates", "intends", "anticipates" or "does not anticipate", or "believes", or variations of such words and phrases or state that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will" be taken, occur or be achieved. The forward-looking information and forward- looking statements contained herein include, but are not limited to, statements regarding: Todd Shapiro's statement with respect to Akwasi opening the eye and ear of health regulatory bodies across the world; and Akwasi's statement with respect to Red Light continuing to expand and grow. Forward-looking information in this news release are based on certain assumptions and expected future events, namely: continued approval of the Company's activities by the relevant governmental and/or regulatory authorities; the continued growth of the Company; the Company meeting their anticipated timeline and process for growth, sales, production and commercialization; the Company's products being safe and providing their anticipated benefits; continued demand for the Company's products; the ability of Akwasi and Red Light to continue working together; and the ability of Akwasi to impact health regulatory bodies across the world. Risks, uncertainties and other factors involved with forward-looking information could cause actual events, results, performance, prospects and opportunities to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information, expectations regarding future growth and expansion of the operations of the business; regulatory and licensing risks; changes in general economic, business and political conditions, including changes in the financial and stock markets; risks related to infectious diseases, including the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic; legal and regulatory risks inherent in the psychedelics industry, including the global regulatory landscape and enforcement related to psychedelics; political risks and risks relating to regulatory change; risks relating to anti-money laundering laws; compliance with extensive government regulation and the interpretation of various laws regulations and policies; public opinion and perception of the psychedelics industry; and such other risks contained in the public filings of the Company filed with Canadian securities regulators and available under the Company's profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. Although the Company believes that the assumptions and factors used in preparing, and the expectations contained in, the forward-looking information and statements are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on such information and statements, and no assurance or guarantee can be given that such forward-looking information and statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such information and statements. The forward-looking information and forward-looking statements contained in this press release are made as of the date of this press release, and the Company does not undertake to update any forward-looking information and/or forward-looking statements that are contained or referenced herein, except in accordance with applicable securities laws. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/123580 Hong Kong: HK detects 280 COVID-19 cases The Centre for Health Protection today said it is investigating 280 additional COVID-19 cases, of which 131 were detected by nucleic acid tests and 149 were identified via rapid antigen tests. Among the new cases, 32 are imported while the rest are locally infected. A total of 1,194,740 people have contracted the virus since the onset of the fifth wave of the epidemic, involving 9,142 deaths. Meanwhile, the Government made restriction-testing declarations to cover Fuk On House of Ka Fuk Estate in Fanling, requiring people in the restricted areas to undergo compulsory testing before the specified deadline. As there were positive sewage test results with relatively high viral loads in several housing estates and buildings in Tuen Mun, Yuen Long and North 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: 2022-05-11. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. China to encourage foreign investment in more industries Xinhua) 09:43, May 11, 2022 BEIJING, May 10 (Xinhua) -- China will further expand the industry catalog of sectors encouraging foreign investment, authorities said. The new list will add 238 more items, while up to 114 existing ones will be modified with expansion, said a notice issued by China's National Development and Reform Commission and the Ministry of Commerce (MOC). The increase is particularly relevant to items related to manufacturing, producer services, and those in the central and western regions, said the notice. The sub-catalog of competitive industries in the central and western areas encouraging foreign investment will introduce 188 new items, having modified 52. New items added to the national-level sub-catalog will include components and parts and equipment manufacturing in the manufacturing sector. It will also add professional design, technical services, and development in the producer services sector. Foreign direct investment into the Chinese mainland, in actual use, expanded 25.6 percent year on year to 379.87 billion yuan in the first quarter of the year, the MOC said. (Web editor: Peng Yukai, Liang Jun) In Defence of Marxism is committed to safeguarding your privacy. At all times we aim to respect any personal data you share with us, or that we receive from other organisations, and keep it safe. 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Please let us know if you have any queries or concerns whatsoever about the way in which your data is being processed by emailing the Data Protection Manager at webmaster@marxist.com MALTA (dpa-AFX) - Malta's industrial production declined marginally in March, falling for the eighth consecutive month, figures from the National Statistics Office showed on Wednesday. Industrial production dropped a working-day adjusted 0.1 percent year-on-year in March, much slower than the 3.6 percent fall in February. The recent downward trend was largely contributed by an output fall of 7.8 percent in consumer goods sector. Meanwhile, energy output surged 15.1 percent annually in March and those of capital goods sector marked an increase of 5.9 percent. On a monthly basis, industrial production expanded a seasonally adjusted 3.6 percent in March, reversing a 2.5 percent fall in the prior month. Copyright(c) 2022 RTTNews.com. All Rights Reserved Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann. Rise in popularity of live chat for resolving questions related to online shopping and adoption of live chat to improve customer relationship management (CRM) drive the growth of the global live chat software market. PORTLAND, Ore., May 11, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Allied Market Research recently published a report, titled, "Live Chat Software Market By End User (Retail And Ecommerce, Telecommunication And IT, BFSI, Travel And Hospitality, Education, Healthcare, Others), By Product Type (Customer Service Live Chat System, Informational Live Chat System, Sales Live Chat System), By Device Type (Mobile, Desktop): Global Opportunity Analysis And Industry Forecast, 2020-2030." According to the report, the global live chat software industry generated $755.23 million in 2020, and is expected to reach $1.7 billion by 2030, witnessing a CAGR of 8.8% from 2021 to 2030. Drivers, Restraints, and Opportunities Rise in popularity of live chat for resolving questions related to online shopping, adoption of live chat by organizations to improve customer relationship management (CRM), and benefits of live chat software over conventional customer support drive the growth of the global live chat software market. However, lack of standardization restrains the market growth. On the other hand, the integration of social media platforms and live chat software is projected to offer lucrative opportunities in the coming years. Download Report Sample (260 Pages PDF with Insights) at: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/request-sample/4391 Covid-19 Scenario The demand for live chat software increased considerably during the Covid-19 pandemic, due to lockdown measures and closure of customer care centers. Organizations implemented various ways for efficient customer relationship management and adoption of live chat was one of those measures. Many organizations integrated automation and artificial intelligence (AI) technologies in live chat feature on their websites and apps to resolve issues of customers rapidly. Get detailed COVID-19 impact analysis on the live chat software market: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/request-for-customization/4391 The retail and ecommerce segment to maintain its dominance throughout the forecast period Based on end user, the retail and ecommerce segment accounted for the highest market share in 2020, contributing to more than one-third of the global live chat software market, and is estimated to maintain its dominance throughout the forecast period. This is attributed to ability of retailers and ecommerce providers to connect with customers during the shopping process rather than after a purchase and elimination of the need to deal with customer service requests in the future. However, the travel and hospitality segment is expected to manifest the fastest CAGR of 11.6% from 2021 to 2030. This is due to implementation of live chat on websites and apps to gain competitive edge by connecting with potential customers. The mobile segment to continue its leadership status by 2030 Based on device type, the mobile segment held the highest share in 2020, accounting for around three-fifths of the global live chat software market, and is projected to continue its leadership status by 2030. Moreover, this segment is estimated to witness the highest CAGR of 9.3% from 2021 to 2030. This is due to rapid adoption of smartphones, internet penetration in emerging economies, and rapid development of mobile applications for various industry verticals such as BFSI, retail, and education. The report also analyzes the desktop segment. For Purchase Enquiry: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/purchase-enquiry/4391 North America to maintain its lead position by 2030 Based on region, North America contributed to the highest market share in terms of revenue in 2020, accounting for more than two-fifths of the global live chat software industry, and is projected to continue its lead position by 2030. This is attributed to adoption of artificial intelligence-enabled tools to help businesses with customer support, sales, and marketing. However, Asia-Pacific is estimated to witness the largest CAGR of 11.0% during the forecast period. This is due to rise in demand for live chat software from numerous industries to automate and scale their activity and surge in adoption of chats app in countries such as India and China. Leading Market Players LogMeIn, Inc. LivePerson, Inc. Zendesk SnapEngage Livechat, Inc. Olark Kayako, Inc. Freshdesk, Inc. Woopra, Inc. Provide Support LLC Access AVENUE- A Subscription-Based Library (Premium on-demand, subscription-based pricing model) at: hthttps://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/library-access Avenue is a user-based library of global market report database, provides comprehensive reports pertaining to the world's largest emerging markets. It further offers e-access to all the available industry reports just in a jiffy. By offering core business insights on the varied industries, economies, and end users worldwide, Avenue ensures that the registered members get an easy as well as single gateway to their all-inclusive requirements. Avenue Library Subscription | Request for 14 days free trial of before buying: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/avenueTrial Similar Reports: App Analytics Market Expected to Reach $3,798 Million by 2025 Social Media Analytics Market to Garner $9,383 Million by 2022 Online Video Platform Market is Expected to Reach $915 Million by 2025 About Us: Allied Market Research (AMR) is a full-service market research and business-consulting wing of Allied Analytics LLP based in Portland, Oregon. Allied Market Research provides global enterprises as well as medium and small businesses with unmatched quality of "Market Research Reports" and "Business Intelligence Solutions." AMR has a targeted view to provide business insights and consulting to assist its clients to make strategic business decisions and achieve sustainable growth in their respective market domain. Pawan Kumar, the CEO of Allied Market Research, is leading the organization toward providing high-quality data and insights. We are in professional corporate relations with various companies and this helps us in digging out market data that helps us generate accurate research data tables and confirms utmost accuracy in our market forecasting. Each and every data presented in the reports published by us is extracted through primary interviews with top officials from leading companies of domain concerned. Our secondary data procurement methodology includes deep online and offline research and discussion with knowledgeable professionals and analysts in the industry. Contact: David Correa 5933 NE Win Sivers Drive #205, Portland, OR 97220 United States Toll Free: +1-800-792-5285 UK: +44-845-528-1300 Hong Kong: +852-301-84916 India (Pune): +91-20-66346060 Fax: +1-855-550-5975 help@alliedmarketresearch.com Web: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com Follow Us on: LinkedIn Twitter Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/636519/Allied_Market_Research_Logo.jpg Oppo OPPO Find X5 Pro Will Be Among the First to Receive the Android 13 Beta 1 Update 11-May-2022 / 14:50 CET/CEST OPPO Find X5 Pro Will Be Among the First to Receive the Android 13 Beta 1 Update SHENZHEN, CHINA - Media OutReach - 11 May 2022 - OPPO today announced that its flagship Find X5 Pro will become one of the first devices to receive the new Google Android 13 Beta 1 update. Meanwhile, OPPO is going to provide a ColorOS developer preview based on Android 13 Beta 1 for developers to elaborate the new features and changes. OPPO Find X5 Pro will be among the first to try Android 13 Beta 1 "OPPO has been cooperating closely with Google for a long time, during which we've kept working together to deliver the best possible operating experience through our ColorOS which is based on each version of Google's Android operating systems," said Andy Wu, OPPO Vice President and President of Find Product Line. "This time, with the new Android 13, we believe that the performance of our excellent devices, such as the flagship Find X5 Pro, will be fully unleashed to developers and users." Android 13 focuses more on privacy and security, while providing new APIs to help developers build better apps. It offers a series of updates, including privacy features like the new notification permission photo picker, APIs like themed app icons, quick settings tile placement, and per-app language support, as well as capabilities like Bluetooth LE audio and MIDI 2.0 over USB. Beta 1 adds new permissions for more granular access to media files, improved audio routing APIs, and more. Android 13 Beta 1 will be available for Find X5 Pro, which is OPPO's latest flagship smartphone released in February 2022. Find X5 Pro comes with OPPO's first dedicated imaging Neural Processing Unit MariSilicon X and the dual flagship IMX766 camera system, hence, it offers an unparalleled imaging experience. With its unrivalled performance, ultra-fast 5G connectivity, and the incredible 80W SUPERVOOCTM Flash Charging technology, Find X5 Pro is designed to bring an all-round flagship-level performance to users around the world. Developers can download and try out the developer's version of ColorOS built around Android 13 Beta 1 here. In addition, Find X5 Pro users are also expected to be the first to enjoy the new public version of ColorOS based on Android 13 in the near future. About OPPO Since the launch of its first mobile phone - "Smiley Face" - in 2008, OPPO has been in relentless pursuit of the perfect synergy of aesthetic satisfaction and innovative technology. Today, OPPO provides a wide range of smart devices spearheaded by the Find and Reno series. Beyond devices, OPPO provides its users with the ColorOS operating system and internet services like OPPO Cloud and OPPO+. OPPO operates in more than 50 countries and regions with more than 40,000 of OPPO's employees are dedicated to creating a better life for customers around the world. Dissemination of a CORPORATE NEWS, transmitted by EQS Group. The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement. Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - May 11, 2022) - Pantera Silver Corp. (TSXV: PNTR) ("Pantera" or the "Company") is sad to report that Mr. Tyler Lowes, a valued member of the Company's Board of Directors, has passed away. Mr. Lowes served as a Director since the founding of Pantera Silver Corp. and his presence and positive contribution to the Company will be missed. The Board of Directors extends its deepest condolences to Tyler's family, numerous friends, and business associates. Mr. Lowes was the Chief Executive Officer of Digital257 Technologies Inc., a successful digital marketing company focused on public companies in the junior resource market. Mr. Lowes grew Digital257 from a couple of clients in 2019 to over sixty corporate clients served. Previous to Digital257 Mr. Lowes worked in the junior resource capital market in executive roles in investor relations, business & corporate development and financing. Jay Roberge, President of Pantera Silver stated, "It was my pleasure to have known and worked with Tyler for over 10 years. Tyler was a dear friend, and colleague who will be sorely missed. His out-going personality, positive social nature, quick wit and passion for the industry will be missed but never forgotten by those who knew him and enjoyed his companionship." A GoFundMe page has been created to assist the Lowe's family with funeral expenses. Contributions can be made at https://gofund.me/b8df0023 About Pantera Silver Corp. Pantera Silver Corp. is a mineral exploration and development company committed to enhancing shareholder value by advancing a diverse portfolio of mineral projects through collaborative partnerships and highly experienced technical teams. Pantera will continue to seek out and secure high-quality, unencumbered projects through research, staking and strategic acquisitions. Throughout the process, our mission is to help maintain prosperous communities by exploring for and discovering resource opportunities that build lasting relationships through honest and respectful business and environmental practices. On behalf of the Board of Directors "Jay Roberge" CEO/Chairman Pantera Silver Corp. panterasilvercorp@gmail.com http://www.panterasilver.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. This news release contains "forward looking statements" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. Forward looking statements are necessarily based upon a number of estimates and assumptions that, while considered reasonable by management, are inherently subject to significant business, economic and competitive uncertainties and contingencies. Forward looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual financial results, performance or achievements to be materially different from the estimated future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by those forward looking statements and the forward looking statements are not guarantees of future performance. Pantera Silver Corp disclaims any obligation to update or revise any forward looking statements, whether as a result of new information, events or otherwise, except as required by law. Not for distribution to United States newswire services or for release publication, distribution or dissemination directly, or indirectly, in whole or in part, in or into the United States. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/123566 Cirrus Nexus TrueCarbon will help companies accomplish ESG objectives and apply a sustainability lens to cloud operations NEW YORK, May 11, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Cirrus Nexus, an A.I.-driven cloud management platform, today announced the launch of Cirrus Nexus TrueCarbon, a product that empowers organizations to get a holistic view of the carbon emissions associated with their cloud operations, assign a tangible cost to carbon, and execute changes in real time within the platform. TrueCarbon provides cloud service provider-agnostic tools to measure, monitor, and reduce carbon emissions from cloud operations. These capabilities empower businesses to weigh sustainability considerations as they would other business costs and decisions with a heightened level of transparency. Key features include: Ability to set a cost to carbon emissions to factor into overall cloud cost optimization decisions Opportunity to make actionable changes within the platform based on recommendations (this is not just a calculator or report) Viewability of carbon emissions by instances and groups S&P 500 companies are increasingly focusing on sustainability efforts ; in 2011, only 20% were publishing a sustainability report, and in 2020, 92% were. Prior to the launch of TrueCarbon, there was no independent product for organizations that reliably measured and analyzed the end-to-end carbon emissions of their cloud operations across multiple cloud service providers and enabled organizations to take immediate action directly within the platform. "We're proud to bring this revolutionary solution to the market during such a critical moment for climate change," said Chris Noble, CEO, Cirrus Nexus. "The time is now to take bold actions to avoid increasing global temperatures, and companies need tools that not only reduce cloud costs, but also operate their systems with the smallest possible carbon footprint. That is exactly what we hope to help businesses achieve with TrueCarbon." Beyond the business implications, the lack of clarity and visibility into carbon emissions produced by cloud operations has a direct impact on global warming. To drive real change, real insight is needed. According to the Climate Clock , we have 7 years to take bold actions to avoid increasing global temperature 1.5 degrees Celsius (34.7 degrees Fahrenheit) above pre-industrial levels, a point of no return that science tells us is likely to make the worst climate impacts inevitable. Getting an independent view of emissions and being able to act on that information rapidly is essential to making meaningful change. To learn more about Cirrus Nexus TrueCarbon, visit: https://www.cirrus-nexus.com/truecarbon. About Cirrus Nexus Cirrus Nexus empowers businesses through its A.I.-driven cloud management platforms that offers direct control of monitoring and optimizing cloud spend across multiple different cloud service providers. Founded in 2017 and headquartered in New York, Cirrus Nexus works with mid-size to large enterprises looking to optimize their cloud computing costs. For more information, visit: https://www.cirrus-nexus.com/ . Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1813551/Cirrus_Nexus_Carbon_Impact_Report.jpg Sevan Multi-Site Solutions, Inc. (Sevan) has officially launched a new website, which offers a clean, modern design with all new content highlighting the company's turnkey program management solutions. Sevan-a global leader in innovative program management solutions for clients with multiple sites-redesigned the company's website to provide clients, partners and all visitors an engaging user experience via informative resources. The website dives into Sevan's wide-ranging services focused on restaurant, retail and government sectors. "We are thrilled to launch our new website and strongly believe it will serve as an informative space for visitors to learn about Sevan's full suite of offerings," said Jim Evans, Founder and CEO. "The new website accurately represents our exceptional organization and culture, and properly aligns with our company vision for growth and expansion. I'm confident our great current and future clients will enjoy the updated, resourceful web tool!" The new website showcases what Sevan does, how it's done and how the team delivers excellence for clients across the world. The site features enhanced navigation and brand-new content including case studies, program success stats, blogs, whitepapers, videos and photos featuring the Sevan team, client and team testimonials, project heat maps and more. "We are all very excited about Sevan's new website, which highlights the exceptional work Sevan does and how fantastic our colleagues are," said David Hendrix, Chief Commercial Officer. "The new website is bold and beautiful-and reinforces Sevan as an industry thought leader in the multi-site program management space." Sevan invites visitors to explore the new website to learn more about how Sevan guides global, iconic brands consistently produce fast, data-driven and customized multi-site solutions while putting their capital to work. In 2021, Sevan was recognized as an Employee-Rated Great Place to Work for the 8th consecutive year and ranked on the Inc. 5000 list of the nation's fastest-growing private companies for the 4th consecutive year. Also in 2021, Sevan ranked No. 21 on Engineering News-Record (ENR)'s Top 50 Program Management Firms, No. 44 on ENR's Top 100 Construction Management-for-Fee Firms and earned the Gold HIRE Vets Medallion Award. In 2020, Sevan ranked No. 124 on the Financial Times FT 1000 list of America's Fastest-Growing Companies. Visit our website to learn more about Sevan. About Sevan Sevan helps iconic, global brands optimize their multi-site construction and facility programs in the U.S. and internationally. Sevan is headquartered near Chicago in Downers Grove, Illinois, with 400+ employees and has an international office in London. The vision of Sevan Multi-Site Solutions is to be the best in the world at delivering innovative design, program management, construction services and data analytics to organizations with multiple sites. Sevan has a passion for sustaining people, the environment and its clients' businesses. Sevan strategically guides iconic brands-including 7-Eleven, AAFES, Albertsons, Amtrak, BP, Carbon Health, Chipotle, Corvias, DaVita, Focus Brands, HCA Healthcare, HEB, Inspire Brands, Jiffy Lube, Kroger, Luxottica, McDonald's, Motor Fuel Group, Office Depot, Popeyes, QDOBA, Starbucks, Sunoco, Walgreens Boots Alliance, Walmart, WOW Carwash and Yum! Brands-through their entire turnkey program lifecycle. Sevan rolls out multi-site initiatives efficiently, predictably and transparently. Applying breakthrough technology solutions, Sevan optimizes construction of new builds, rebuilds, remodels and renovations. Sevan has licensed architects in 49 states as well as D.C., Canadian provinces, Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands. Sevan has professional engineers on staff and general contractor licenses in more than 25 states. Since Sevan's inception in 2011, the team has refreshed more than 25,000 retail stores, 17,000 restaurants and 32,000 healthcare sites. The team has also completed more than 32,000 surveys, totaling more than 1 billion square feet. Sevan Elevate, a program that reinforces and continuously improves safety and sustainability across the company, is designed to impactfully deliver excellence to Sevan's people and clients. To read more about Sevan, visit www.sevansolutions.com For more information, please contact Hafsa Mahmood by calling 312.285.0590 or via e-mail at hafsa.mahmood@sevansolutions.com View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220510006438/en/ Contacts: Hafsa Mahmood Director, Marketing Communications and DE&I Phone: 312.285.0590 Email: hafsa.mahmood@sevansolutions.com Website: www.sevansolutions.com Service Operations Workspace gives tech services and operations teams a single place to manage work and have shared visibility into issues App Engine Management Center provides structure and governance for low-code citizen developers Public Sector Digital Services provides governments with a digital foundation to deliver consumer-grade experiences from request to resolution At Knowledge '22 today, ServiceNow (NYSE: NOW), the leading digital workflow company making the world work better for everyone, introduced three new solutions built on the Now Platform to help enterprises advance their digital transformation efforts. Service Operations Workspace, App Engine Management Center and Public Sector Digital Services work across organizations and within the public sector to digitize complex processes and accelerate productivity. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220511005357/en/ Service Operations Workspace (Graphic: Business Wire) "Today's business and technology leaders are facing new challenges, from low-code governance to increased demand for faster solutions," said Chirantan "CJ" Desai, chief operating officer at ServiceNow. "As a leader in the digital business era, ServiceNow empowers customers with scalable, purpose-built solutions that help them stay a step ahead in serving their own employees, customers, and citizens. The powerful new solutions we're launching today enable organizations to create better digital experiences for the modern workplace." "Automation and low-code use cases will only multiply as the need for more apps and efficiencies increases," said Stephen Elliot, Group Vice President, I&O, Cloud Operations, and DevOps at IDC. "As IDC forecasts that 750 million new applications will be created between 2023 and 2025, teams across development, line of business citizen developers, and operations teams must adopt innovations that put new efficiency and governance guardrails in place for employees who will lead business growth and innovation." Service Operations Workspace gives service desk agents and operations teams a single place to manage work, collaborate, and have shared visibility into issues. It includes a unified user experience for agents and operations teams to work on the same problem at the same time and solve issues faster. This helps reduce downtime, improve customer satisfaction, and increase productivity across multiple groups. It includes a unified user experience for agents and operations teams to work on the same problem at the same time and solve issues faster. This helps reduce downtime, improve customer satisfaction, and increase productivity across multiple groups. App Engine Management Center (AEMC) unleashes co-innovation between business and IT with low-code app development governance. As the number of citizen developers creating low-code solutions grows, the role of IT must evolve to empower co-innovation at scale while maintaining governance protocols. AEMC is a turnkey low-code governance solution to successfully scale and safeguard app development across an organization with App Engine. Platform admins can set guardrails, apply standards, enable co-innovation between business and IT, and check for compliance in a single place without any friction. Additionally, AEMC helps centrally manage all aspects of low-code app dev, from app intake to collaboration requests, to pipeline monitoring and deployment tasks. ServiceNow has also published a new Citizen Development Center of Excellence (CoE) website, making it easy for customers and prospects to find the content they need to build a successful citizen development program with App Engine. As the number of citizen developers creating low-code solutions grows, the role of IT must evolve to empower co-innovation at scale while maintaining governance protocols. is a turnkey low-code governance solution to successfully scale and safeguard app development across an organization with App Engine. Platform admins can set guardrails, apply standards, enable co-innovation between business and IT, and check for compliance in a single place without any friction. Additionally, AEMC helps centrally manage all aspects of low-code app dev, from app intake to collaboration requests, to pipeline monitoring and deployment tasks. ServiceNow has also published a new website, making it easy for customers and prospects to find the content they need to build a successful citizen development program with App Engine. Public Sector Digital Services provides governments with a digital foundation to deliver consumer-grade experiences from request to resolution. For many people, requesting standard government services often requires visiting a local office, filling out paper forms, and submitting additional documentation, with poor visibility into the status of these requests. Within governments, fulfilling these requests can be slow and require personnel to navigate multiple aging systems and manual processes. Public Sector Digital Services provides out-of-the-box public sector data models and workflows to help governments speed innovation, deliver better experiences, and resolve requests faster. Constituents benefit from increased convenience, transparency, and responsiveness. The three new innovations were announced in tandem with Knowledge 2022, ServiceNow's annual event providing networking, roundtable discussions, demos and more centered around the latest power, predictability and flexibility of the Now Platform. What customers are saying about ServiceNow's latest innovations: "At Fannie Mae, our teams are developing innovative solutions that tackle big challenges in housing. It is imperative that they have high-productivity tools and a top-notch user experience so they can focus on driving our mission and business forward. ServiceNow product implementations have enabled us to provide that environment," said Raghu Bellary, Fannie Mae's Senior Director overseeing Enterprise ServiceNow Platform technology. "In collaboration with ServiceNow, Fannie Mae has transformed and modernized our Technology Service and Operations Management capabilities while enabling great experiences for our employees. We look forward to leveraging the Service Operations Workspace so our teams have a single pane of glass to manage their work and collaborate across workstreams efficiently and productively." "In order to address some of today's biggest work challenges, the need for automated solutions that allow employees to focus their time and expertise on urgent issues has increased," said Sharon Mandell, Chief Information Officer of Juniper Networks. "Solutions like Service Operations Workspace will allow us to keep track of projects with end-to-end visibility while enabling users to focus on high-value work." "The State of South Dakota is on a mission to transform constituent experiences with digital solutions that extend reach, value and quality of services to residents, businesses and visitors," said Pat Snow, Chief Technology Officer at State of South Dakota. "We chose ServiceNow as the core engagement and workflow platform for a new public portal and are excited to continue to innovate and enhance the platform to further advance our mission." Availability and Additional Information App Engine Management Center and Public Sector Digital Services are now available on the ServiceNow Store for current ServiceNow customers using the prior family release platform (San Diego or Rome). Service Operations Workspace (with ITOM) is expected to be GA in June 2022 on the ServiceNow Store. About ServiceNow ServiceNow (NYSE: NOW) makes the world work better for everyone. Our cloud-based platform and solutions help digitize and unify organizations so that they can find smarter, faster, better ways to make work flow. So employees and customers can be more connected, more innovative, and more agile. And we can all create the future we imagine. The world works with ServiceNow. For more information, visit: www.servicenow.com. 2022 ServiceNow, Inc. All rights reserved. ServiceNow, the ServiceNow logo, Now, and other ServiceNow marks are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of ServiceNow, Inc. in the United States and/or other countries. Other company names, product names, and logos may be trademarks of the respective companies with which they are associated. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220511005357/en/ Contacts: Jacqueline Velasco 408-561-1937 press@servicenow.com Industry leader Naama Saar will provide strategic leadership as the company expands to meet demand for Peta scale data analytics TEL AVIV, Israel, May 11, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- SQream Technologies , the leading Peta-scale data analytics platform announced today the appointment of Naama Saar as Chief Operating Officer, responsible for executing the company's strategy and vision to become the market leader for solutions that accelerate Peta size data analytics. Naama will lead the product, R&D and delivery teams worldwide to provide a superior customer experience for their partners and customers. Naama brings decades of hands-on experience leading teams of thousands of people worldwide driving exponential growth for leading IT and SaaS products, service operations, and solutions. Previously an executive director at YNV group, Naama led the expansion of the service portfolio and revenue. As CEO of Wize Solutions, Naama headed up R&D and customer-facing to take the product from concept to a commercial solution. At Tek Experts, she served as CEO growing the company from 30 to over 5,000 engineers providing technical support for more than 50 products including cloud, CRM, ERP, and security. She established and managed 8 global operational sites, including Costa Rica, Colorado (USA), Bulgaria, Nigeria, Rwanda, Malta, Vietnam, and China. "Naama is joining the company at a critical turning point as SQream expands worldwide to empower companies to quickly analyze vast amounts of information for competitive advantage," said Ami Gal, CEO of SQream. "Her creativity, energy, customer-centric approach, and proven experience managing multi-million-dollar budgets will fuel our next stage of growth." "SQream has innovative unique technology that enables enterprises to have full-picture visibility to improve customer experience, operational efficiency, and obtain previously unobtainable business insights," said Naama Saar, COO of SQream. "I look forward to delivering unmatched customer experiences and driving growth at scale as the industry evolves." About SQream SQream provides an analytics platform that minimizes Total Time to Insights (TTTI) for time-sensitive data at any scale, on-cloud, on-prem and on-edge. Designed for the new category of Peta-scale data, the GPU-powered platform enables enterprises to rapidly ingest and analyze their growing data - providing full-picture visibility for improved customer experience, operational efficiency, increased revenue, and previously unobtainable business insights. SQream is trusted by a growing number of leading global large-scale enterprises. For more information, visit www. SQream.com . SQream on social media Follow SQream on Linkedin Follow SQream on Twitter Media Contact: Monica Maron e: monica.maron@spicetreecom.com YORK (PENNSYLVANIA) (dpa-AFX) - Moderna, Inc. (MRNA) announced its Chief Financial Officer, Jorge Gomez, has departed the company, effective immediately. The company's recently retired Chief Financial Officer, David Meline, will continue in his role of Chief Financial Officer while Moderna reopens search for a new CFO. Moderna noted that the announcement follows the public disclosure by Dentsply Sirona of an ongoing internal investigation into certain matters, including financial reporting. Jorge Gomez served as Executive Vice President & Chief Financial Officer at Dentsply Sirona, Inc. (XRAY) since August 2019. As the investigation is ongoing, Dentsply Sirona was also unable to file its Form 10-Q for the three months ended March 31, 2022, on a timely basis. At Dentsply Sirona, Jorge Gomez was responsible for leading the global finance organization, including strategic finance, FP&A, Accounting, Treasury, Tax, Corporate Audit and Investor Relations, and the Information Technology function. Copyright(c) 2022 RTTNews.com. All Rights Reserved Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann. The new brand has been developed to support Aevi's mission to build a more open world, where anyone, anywhere, can take and make any kind of payment. The in-person payment experts bring transactions together on one open platform. Keeping banks, acquirers and other payment service providers ahead of whatever comes next in payment tech. LONDON, May 11, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Aevi, announced today that it has completed a major rebranding project. Aevi's purpose is opening up transaction data and setting payments free. The powerful and dynamic new brand reflects this freedom and positivity, demonstrating that Aevi is truly committed to innovation. The new brand strategy celebrates the possibilities that are found at Aevi. It focuses on the openness and flexibility that the new digital world entails. Founded in 2015, Aevi has grown over the years from operating as a start-up, to one of the biggest major players in FinTech, an industry faced with the need for fast growth. In the era of Payments 4.X, consumers have quickly become accustomed to innovative online payment tech and now expect the same seamless experience in-store. Technology, big commerce and smaller merchants are looking into adapting their services to match this demand. Aevi is on a mission to make in-person payments as innovative as online payments. Fully cloud-based, the Aevi platform lets customers, and partners, embrace the latest payment tech. It empowers their merchant businesses with unprecedented data, enabling growth and improvements to the customer experience. Device agnostic, it puts their customers firmly in control. An investment in 2021 from Mastercard demonstrates that Aevi is one to watch in the global payments market. To reflect their commitment to pioneering this change for in-person payments, Aevi has revealed a fresh brand to reflect the openness and flexibility that are now essential components in the FinTech space. Like their platform, they're open to the world and inspired by collaboration. Bringing all industry partners together across the value chain, they create the best possible customer experience. Aevi shines in a completely new light, unveiling a new logo and website design that complements its growing business model. "Open, fearless, honest, positive. Four attributes that not only describe our new brand, but also the culture we've always fostered here at Aevi. We are operating in an ever-changing environment; technology moves on and so are we. The rebranding marks a new Aevi in- and externally, with a strategy focused on building a more open (payments) world." said Aevi CEO Mike Camerling. Keeping Aevi, their corporate name, shows appreciation of the business that helped them get here. Using the accessible and free spirit of the new brand's visual language, Aevi highlights the ease of payments and embraces where the future of pay tech is going. Click here to explore the new brand in all its facets. Visit the new Aevi website and get connected on LinkedIn for the ultimate experience. About Aevi Today, the award-winning FinTech Aevi operates across Europe, Australia and the US with offices in London, Prague and Paderborn. Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=McwZJ9TnnAQ Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1783472/Aevi_Logo.jpg Media contact: Sarah Koch Head of Communications sarah.koch@aevi.com +49 5251 532 3948 BANGALORE, India, May 11, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Global Industrial Fasteners market Segmented by Type (Steel Type, Cooper Type, Aluminum Type) , By Application (Automotive Industry, Electric & Electronics Machinery Industry, Construction Industry, MRO (Maintenance, repair, and operations)). Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2022-2028. The global Industrial Fasteners market size is estimated to be worth USD 78810 million in 2022 and is forecast to a readjusted size of USD 113710 million by 2028 with a CAGR of 6.3%. Major factors driving the growth of the lawful interception market The industrial fasteners market is expected to grow due to the increased use of industrial fasteners in various end-user industries such as automotive, electric and electronics, machinery, construction, and MRO (maintenance, repair, and operations). Get Your Sample Today: https://reports.valuates.com/request/sample/QYRE-Auto-22O8793/Global_Industrial_Fasteners_Market_Outlook_2022 TRENDS INFLUENCING THE GROWTH OF INDUSTRIAL FASTENERS MARKET The industrial fasteners market is expected to grow due to rising construction activity around the world. Fasteners are used in the construction industry to temporarily join two or more objects together. To ensure a safe and strong final construction, each construction project requires a different type of fastener. Furthermore, fasteners are essential components in a variety of industries, including automation, manufacturing, infrastructure, and others, where various items require the assembly of machinery or parts from various vehicles. Automotive bolts, nuts, screws, and inserts are commonly used to clamp vehicle parts together to prevent them from separating while transmitting driving loads, as well as to prevent leakage of engine and gearbox joints and to secure sheet steel parts. The easily replaceable nature of automotive fasteners makes it convenient for end-user consumers to purchase fasteners for their vehicles, boosting the automotive fastener aftermarket. The industrial fastener market is expected to grow as a result of this factor. The growing use of fasteners in the electric and electronic industries is expected to propel the industrial fastener market forward. Fasteners for securing electronics are designed in such a way that they eliminate the need for additional security measures such as ball bearings and lock nuts, lowering the cost of securing the electronics. Furthermore, the fact that the use of such screws does not necessitate any changes to the joint or process technology to install them helps. Fasteners are also used in medical devices, surgical equipment, and medical implants. Implant fasteners are made of special metals like titanium that can be safely inserted into the human body without corroding or degrading. For implants, large bolts are used to attach miniature pins and shafts. Browse The Table Of Contents And List Of Figures At: https://reports.valuates.com/market-reports/QYRE-Auto-22O8793/global-industrial-fasteners INDUSTRIAL FASTENERS MARKET SHARE ANALYSIS Based on type, Steel Type is the most lucrative, accounting for roughly 90% of the Industrial fasteners market share. Based on application, The industrial fasteners market was dominated by the automotive application segment. This is due to the widespread use of fastening components for bonding major automotive components. Based on region, Europe is the largest market, accounting for about 30% of total sales, followed by North America and China, which each account for about 50%. Inquire for Regional Report: https://reports.valuates.com/request/regional/QYRE-Auto-22O8793/Global_Industrial_Fasteners_Market_Outlook_2022 Key Players Wurth PCC ITW Alcoa Araymond LISI STANLEY Fontana Gruppo Shanghai PMC (Nedschroef) NORMA Aoyama Seisakusho KAMAX Agrati Group Meidoh NAFCO Gem-Year Bulten Boltun Inquire for Chapter Cost: https://reports.valuates.com/request/chaptercost/QYRE-Auto-22O8793/Global_Industrial_Fasteners_Market_Outlook_2022 Buy Now for Single User + Covid-19 Impact : https://reports.valuates.com/api/directpaytoken?rcode=QYRE-Auto-22O8793&lic=single-user SUBSCRIPTION We have introduced a tailor-made subscription for our customers. Please leave a note in the Comment Section to know about our subscription plans. SIMILAR REPORTS: The global Wind Power Fastener market was valued at USD 1802.8 million in 2020 and it is expected to reach USD 3035.1 million by the end of 2027, growing at a CAGR of 7.7% during 2021-2027. in 2020 and it is expected to reach by the end of 2027, growing at a CAGR of 7.7% during 2021-2027. The global Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Fastener market was valued at USD 11670 million in 2020 and is expected to reach USD 15770 million by the end of 2027, growing at a CAGR of 4.4% during 2021-2027. in 2020 and is expected to reach by the end of 2027, growing at a CAGR of 4.4% during 2021-2027. The global Hardware Fastener market was valued at USD 71760 million in 2020 and it is expected to reach USD 95060 million by the end of 2027, growing at a CAGR of 4.1% during 2021-2027. in 2020 and it is expected to reach by the end of 2027, growing at a CAGR of 4.1% during 2021-2027. The global Automotive Fastener market size is estimated to be worth USD 23170 million in 2022 and is forecast to a readjusted size of USD 27020 million by 2028 with a CAGR of 2.6% during 2022-2028. in 2022 and is forecast to a readjusted size of by 2028 with a CAGR of 2.6% during 2022-2028. The global Elastic Rail Fastener market was valued at USD 1302.5 million in 2020 and is expected to reach USD 1465.6 million by the end of 2027, growing at a CAGR of 1.7% during 2021-2027. in 2020 and is expected to reach by the end of 2027, growing at a CAGR of 1.7% during 2021-2027. Global Boat Snap Fasteners Market Insights, Forecast to 2028 Global Snap Fastener Market Insights and Forecast to 2028 Global Medical Fastener Market Outlook 2022 Global Personal Care Fastener Market Outlook 2022 Global Bolt (Fastener) Market Outlook 2022 Global Aircraft Threaded Fastener Market Research Report 2022 Global Exposed Fastener Panels Market Research Report 2022 Global Construction Fastener Market Insights and Forecast to 2028 Global Stainless Steel Fasteners Market Insights, Forecast to 2028 Click here to see related reports on Industrial Fasteners Market ABOUT US: Valuates offers in-depth market insights into various industries. Our extensive report repository is constantly updated to meet your changing industry analysis needs. Our team of market analysts can help you select the best report covering your industry. We understand your niche region-specific requirements and that's why we offer customization of reports. With our customization in place, you can request for any particular information from a report that meets your market analysis needs. To achieve a consistent view of the market, data is gathered from various primary and secondary sources, at each step, data triangulation methodologies are applied to reduce deviance and find a consistent view of the market. Each sample we share contains a detailed research methodology employed to generate the report. Please also reach our sales team to get the complete list of our data sources. CONTACT US: Valuates Reports sales@valuates.com For U.S. Toll-Free Call 1-(315)-215-3225 For IST Call +91-8040957137 WhatsApp: +91-9945648335 Website: https://reports.valuates.com Twitter - https://twitter.com/valuatesreports LinkedIn - https://in.linkedin.com/company/valuatesreports Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1082232/Valuates_Reports_Logo.jpg Brussels, Belgium, May 11, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- A global alliance of vapers gathered in Brussels today to call on European policymakers to stand against possible bans on vape flavours. The World Vapers' Alliance (WVA) displayed an art installation in front of the European Parliament with a simple message "Flavours help smokers quit". This marks the third event of WVA's Europe-wide campaign FlavoursMatter. The campaign was launched with one aim: to show policymakers in Europe and across the world that vape flavours are instrumental for smoking cessation. The group hosted demonstrations in Stockholm, Sweden and the Hague, Netherlands in March 2022. Shortly after the demonstration, a postponement of the dutch vape flavour ban by six months was announced in the Netherlands. "Flavours play a crucial role in helping consumers quit smoking - millions of Europeans have already stopped by switching to vaping. The variety of flavours is one of the most important reasons many people switch to e-cigarettes and never go back to smoking. We have already seen that vaping works! It helped millions of people change their lives and now, we need policies to catch up. Therefore, we are delighted that some MEPs are with us and help to defend vaping flavours," says Michael Landl, director of World Vapers' Alliance. The installation was attended by Member of the European Parliament Pietro Fiocchi. "We all agree that not smoking is the best choice, but we also know very well that tax increases and limitations are not working solutions! I do strongly believe that alternative systems to traditional smoking are the biggest instrument to greatly reduce the percentage of lung diseases and cancer! Any ideological approach against such systems is negative and against any scientific data!," said Fiocchi. Consumers from across Europe can join the campaign to make their voices heard and also contact their political representatives via WVA's action centers and share their vaping stories to convince policymakers to avoid flavour bans: https://worldvapersalliance.com/flavours-matter/ "We need to raise our voice and tell policymakers about all the positive effects flavours play in helping smokers quit. The data shows that adults who vape flavoured e-cigarettes are 230% more likely to quit smoking than those who use unflavoured e-cigarettes, and we have to make sure that this is taken into account when the next regulations are drafted. That is why we are here in Brussels with one simple message: flavours matter!" added Landl. Attachments Ottawa, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - May 11, 2022) - C-COM Satellite Systems Inc., (TSXV: CMI) (OTCQB: CYSNF) a leading global provider of commercial grade mobile auto-deploying satellite antenna systems, announced today, that it has received shareholder approval to amend its option plan to set the number of common shares available for issuance pursuant to options granted under the plan at 8,176,280 common shares, being 20% of the issued and outstanding common shares. This increase to the option pool was previously described in the meeting materials for C-COM's annual shareholder meeting held on May 10, 2022, and the increase was approved by shareholders at that meeting. All option plan amendments require approval of the TSX Venture Exchange. About C-COM Satellite Systems Inc. C-COM Logo To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/5445/123613_af7363fb047b2b0c_005full.jpg C-COM Satellite Systems Inc. is a pioneer and world leader in the design, development, and manufacture of transportable and mobile satellite-based antenna systems. The Company has developed proprietary, auto-acquisition controller technology for rapid antenna pointing to a satellite with just the press of a button, enabling Broadband Internet via Satellite across a wide range of market applications worldwide, including regions unserved or underserved by terrestrial access technologies. C-COM has sold more than 10,000 antenna systems, in over 100 countries, through a dedicated dealer network that provides service to a wide range of vertical markets such as Oil & Gas Exploration, Military Communications, Disaster Management, SNG, Emergency Communications, Cellular Backhaul, Telemedicine, Mobile Education, Government Services, Mobile Banking, and others. The Company's iNetVu brand is synonymous with high quality, reliability, and cost-effectiveness. C-COM is in late-stage development of a revolutionary Ka-band, electronically steerable, flat panel phased array antenna system, in cooperation with the University of Waterloo, with the intent of providing low-cost, high-throughput mobility applications over satellite for land, airborne and maritime applications. For additional information please visit www.c-comsat.com iNetVu is a registered trademark of C-COM Satellite Systems Inc. The Company is publicly traded on the Canadian Venture Exchange (TSXV: CMI) and on the US OTC Exchange (OTCQB: CYSNF). # # # Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Forward Looking Statements This news release contains forward-looking statements. These statements relate to future events or future performance and reflect management's current expectations and assumptions. Statements about C-COM's expectations as to its ability to weather the challenges it faces, future prospects, growth and revenue, and statements about its electronically steered phased array antenna, including the potential for it become a commercially available product are all forward-looking information. Several factors could cause actual events, performance or results to differ materially from the events, performance and results discussed in the forward-looking statements. Anticipated benefits of the new technology may not be realized within the time frames anticipated or at all, and new products and services may not be released or, if released may not gain market acceptance. Any of those events and others could influence future performance and C-COM Satellite Systems Inc.'s ability to achieve the results mentioned above. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date hereof and C-COM Satellite Systems Inc. does not assume any obligation to update or revise them to reflect new events or circumstances. Readers are directed to the risk factors associated with the business of C-COM Satellite Systems in the company's most recent MD&A available at www.SEDAR.com. INVESTOR RELATIONS C-COM Satellite Systems Inc. Tel: (613) 745-4110 ext. 4950 Fax: (613) 745-7144 lklein@c-comsat.com To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/123613 Kingston, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - May 11, 2022) - Delta Resources Limited (TSXV: DLTA) (OTC Pink: DTARF) (FSE: 6G01) ("Delta" or "The Company") is pleased to announce that drilling has begun on its Delta-1 Gold property in Thunder Bay, Ontario 50 kilometres west of Thunder Bay, Ontario. The initial drill campaign includes 10 holes for approximately 3,000 metres. Delta has outlined a gold zone over 450 metres long and 20 metres wide, extending from surface to 150 metres vertical. The zone is open in all directions. The zone grades approximately 1 g/t Au and is located at the core of a gold halo grading 0.2-0.4 g/t Au over 100-150m in width. The zone is currently outlined with only 1,680 metres of drilling to date and the current drill campaign is to extend the mineralized zone for another 300 metres on strike and up to a depth of 250 metres. The Delta-1 property is located in the Shebandowan Greenstone Belt and covers a 17km strike extent of the Shebandowan Structural Zone which also hosts the low-grade - high-tonnage Moss Lake gold deposit, 50 km to the west. Thunder Bay Exploration is Heating Up White Metal Resources Corp. recently announced on May 2, 2022 that it had intersected 466.5 metres averaging 0.51 g/t Au which also included 267m of 0.71g/t Au at Tower Mountain 10 kms southeast of the Delta-1 Property. Better known and much further advanced in its exploration campaign is Goldshore Resources which recently announced on May 5, 2022 that it had intersected 128.3 metres grading 1.1 g/t Au from the Moss Lake Deposit with an additional parallel zone 5.31 g/t Au over 16.0 metres with visible gold. Moss Lake is located 50 kms west of the Delta-1 Property, on the same structure. Delta to Receive $200,000 Grant from OJEP Delta is also pleased to announce that it was selected to receive a $200,000 grant from The Ontario Junior Exploration Program ("OJEP") to further advance its Delta-1 Gold Property in Thunder Bay, Ontario. OJEP helps junior mining companies finance early exploration projects. These projects help boost mineral exploration, growth and job creation in the province, particularly in northern and Indigenous communities. Delta was one of 18 companies selected by OJEP to receive this grant. To learn more about the program, please visit OJEP at the following link; https://www.ontario.ca/page/ontario-junior-exploration-programsection-3. Delta-2 VMS Property in Chibougamau, Quebec Delta recently completed approximately 7,574 metres of drilling in 36 holes. All assay have been sent to the lab and results are currenly pending. Delta will report the results from the lab once they have been received and compiled. The Delta-2 VMS project is 35 kilometres southeast of Chibougamau, Quebec. Additional gravity and VTEM geophysical surveys are also planned to cover the newly acquired Dollier-Cartier property which is contiguous to the Delta-2 VMS claims. Delta to Attend the Vancouver Resource Investment Conference ("VRIC") Delta is also pleased to announce that Mr. Frank Candido, Chairman and Vice President of Corporate Communications at Delta will be in attendance at the Vancouver Resource Investment Conference on May 17 and 18, 2022. Delta will have a booth and the conference and invites all its shareholders, stakeholders and interested parties to drop by booth #1029 and learn more about its 2 exciting projects in Quebec and Ontario, Canada. To learn more about VRIC, please visit https://cambridgehouse.com/vancouver-resource-investment-conference. About Delta Resources Limited Delta Resources Limited is a Canadian mineral exploration company focused on growing shareholder value through the exploration of two very high-potential gold and base-metal projects in Canada. DELTA-1, 45 km 2 located 50km west of Thunder Bay, Ontario where an extremely high gold-in-till anomaly and kilometre-scale gold-bearing alteration halo point to a never-tested regional structure. located 50km west of Thunder Bay, Ontario where an extremely high gold-in-till anomaly and kilometre-scale gold-bearing alteration halo point to a never-tested regional structure. DELTA-2 GOLD and DELTA-2 VMS, 194 km2 in the prolific Chibougamau District of Quebec, with a potential for hydrothermal-gold and gold-rich VMS deposits. ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DELTA RESOURCES LIMITED. Frank Candido Chairman www.deltaresources.ca We seek safe harbor. Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. The TSX Venture Exchange has not approved nor disapproved of the information contained herein. For Further Information: Delta Resources Limited Andre C. Tessier, CEO and President Tel: 613-328-1581 atessier@deltaresources.ca or Frank Candido, Chairman Tel: 514-969-5530 fcandido@deltaresources.ca Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Information Some statements contained in this news release are "forward-looking information" within the meaning of Canadian securities laws. Forward-looking information include, but are not limited to, statements regarding the use of proceeds of the non-brokered private placement and payment of the debt settlements. Generally, forward-looking information can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "plans", "expects", "is expected", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "anticipates", "believes" or variations of such words and phrases (including negative or grammatical variations) or statements that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will be taken", "occur" or "be achieved" or the negative connotation thereof. Investors are cautioned that forward-looking information is inherently uncertain and involves risks, assumptions and uncertainties that could cause actual facts to differ materially. There can be no assurance that future developments affecting the Company will be those anticipated by management. The forward-looking information contained in this press release constitutes management's current estimates, as of the date of this press release, with respect to the matters covered thereby. We expect that these estimates will change as new information is received. While we may elect to update these estimates at any time, we do not undertake to update any estimate at any particular time or in response to any particular event. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/123614 THIS PRESS RELEASE CONTAINS INFORMATION THAT QUALIFIES OR MAY HAVE QUALIFIED AS INSIDE INFORMATION WITHIN THE MEANING OF ARTICLE 7(1) OF THE EU MARKET ABUSE REGULATION. AMSTERDAM, May 11, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Pegasus Acquisition Company Europe B.V. ("Pegasus Europe" or "the Company"), the special purpose acquisition company focused on opportunities in the European financial services industry, announces that at its Annual General Meeting ("AGM") of shareholders, held today at 15:00 hours CEST at Beethovenstraat 400, 1082 PR Amsterdam, the Netherlands, all resolutions were duly passed by the shareholders. As of April 13, 2022, the record date for the "AGM") - Pegasus Europe's issued share capital amounted to 72,500,000 Class A Ordinary Shares, 28,841,589 Unit Shares and 12,088,884 Founder Shares, each share having a nominal value of one eurocent, including at that date 52,986,048 Class A Ordinary Shares and 84,000 Founder Shares held in treasury by the Company. Each share carries one vote. Shares held in treasury by the Company cast no vote. In total 60,360,425 votes could be validly cast. At the AGM, 30.76% of the issued share capital of the Company was represented, which means 57.81% of all outstanding shares in the capital of the Company (excluding shares held in treasury by the Company) were represented. The total number of shares for which valid votes were cast at the AGM amounted to 34,892,191. In accordance with Section 2:187 of the Dutch Civil Code in conjunction with Section 2:120 paragraph 5 of the Dutch Civil Code, the outcome of the votes on the proposals discussed at the AGM is as follows: Resolutions Votes For % Votes Against % Votes Validly Cast Total % Issued Share Capital Votes Abstain1 Resolution 2. 34,892,191 100.0% 0 0.0% 34,892,191 30.76% 0 Resolution 4. 34,892,191 100.0% 0 0.0% 34,892,191 30.76% 0 Resolution 6. 34,892,191 100.0% 0 0.0% 34,892,191 30.76% 0 Resolution 7. 34,892,191 100.0% 0 0.0% 34,892,191 30.76% 0 Resolution 8. 34,892,191 100.0% 0 0.0% 34,892,191 30.76% 0 The Convening Notice, which includes details of the AGM agenda, as well as a copy of the Annual Report 2021 and Pegasus Europe's IPO prospectus dated 29 April 2021 can be found on the Investor Relations section of the Company's website via the following link: https://www.pegasuseurope.com/investor-relations/pace Contacts Investor Relations: ir@pegasuseurope.com Media Relations Robin Haddrill / Cornelia Schnepf: +44 7920 016 203 / +44 7387 108 998 General Enquiries: info@pegasuseurope.com About Pegasus Europe Pegasus Europe is a special purpose acquisition company focused on the European financial services sector, founded by Tikehau Capital, Financiere Agache and two of Europe's most experienced bankers. Pegasus Europe is targeting businesses in the European financial services industry, with a primary focus on scalable platforms offering strong growth potential that could be accelerated with access to capital and strategic guidance. Jean Pierre Mustier and Diego De Giorgi are Operating Partners and Sponsors, combining their unparalleled operational and deal making financial sector experience, as well as long-term managerial, risk and governance expertise. Pegasus Europe draws upon the deep resources of Tikehau Capital and Financiere Agache, who both bring extensive investment, due diligence, operational, regulatory and capital raising experience to support our business combination partner and help it to achieve long-term success as a public company. More information about Pegasus Europe can be found on the Pegasus Europe website - www.pegasuseurope.com/investor-relations ___________________________ 1 In accordance with article 26, paragraph 4 of the Company's Articles of Association, votes abstained have not been calculated as part of the votes cast. LISBON (dpa-AFX) - Portugal's unemployment rate declined in the March quarter, figures from Statistics Portugal showed on Wednesday. The jobless rate dropped to 5.9 percent in the first quarter from 6.3 percent in the preceding three-month period. In the corresponding quarter last year, the unemployment rate stood at 8.3 percent. The number of unemployed persons decreased to 308,400 in the first quarter from 330,600 in the previous quarter. The youth unemployment rate, which applies to the 16 to 24 age group, dropped to 20.6 percent from 23.4 percent. The employment rate came in at 56.4 percent in the first quarter, up from 56.0 percent in the December quarter. Copyright(c) 2022 RTTNews.com. All Rights Reserved Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann. REDDING, Calif., May 11, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- According to a new market research report titled, "Smart Manufacturing Market by Technology (Robotics, AI, IIoT, Cloud, AR/VR), Application (Machine Inspection; Energy, Quality, and Warehouse Management; Planning, Surveillance, Optimization), End-use Industry, and Geography - Global Forecast to 2029," the smart manufacturing market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 21.5% from 2022 to 2029 to reach $446.24 billion by 2029. Download Free Sample Report Now @ https://www.meticulousresearch.com/download-sample-report/cp_id=5265 Smart manufacturing (SM) refers to the digitization of manufacturing at all levels: product design, supply chain, production, distribution, and sales. By analyzing data from all steps in the manufacturing process through machine learning, artificial intelligence, and connected robotics, manufacturers can stay agile and make fast adjustments to their business models. Businesses are adopting smart manufacturing to help streamline processes, increase productivity, stay competitive, and prepare for the future-including for unprecedented events, such as a pandemic. The growth of the market is attributed to the increasing government involvement in supporting smart manufacturing, the growing emphasis on regulatory compliance, growing adoption of Industry 4.0, rising emphasis on industrial automation in manufacturing processes, increasing complexities in the supply chain, and surging demand for software systems that reduce time & cost. On the other hand, high investments and costs involved in implementing smart manufacturing solutions and a lack of standardization for technology platforms are some of the major factors restraining the growth of this market. The advent of 5G connectivity in smart manufacturing and the proliferation of smart manufacturing in developing countries are expected to offer significant growth opportunities for players operating in this market. However, privacy and data protection concerns and the lack of a requisite skilled workforce to implement and operate technologies are key challenges to the growth of the smart manufacturing market. The global smart manufacturing market is segmented based on technology, application, and end-use industry. The study also evaluates industry competitors and analyses the market at the country level. Government encouragement to promote industrial digitization drives the smart manufacturingmarket growth Smart manufacturing is becoming the focus of global manufacturing. As intelligence is derived from data, manufacturing big data is beneficial to all aspects of manufacturing. It can accurately predict requirements and quickly identify errors and bottlenecks, thus innovating products and services and improving manufacturing processes. Considering the significance of automated industrialization, major global economies are planning and implementing Industry 4.0 to transform their traditional manufacturing industry into a smart one with the adoption of new and advanced technologies, including IoT, artificial intelligence, robotics, cloud technology, and analytics. Manufacturing is an important part of the government agenda in many countries because it creates high-paying jobs, drives technological innovation, and generates more economic activity than any other sector. The competition for a strong manufacturing industry is a global one, and initiatives to promote and advance manufacturing from other governments include Germany's "Industrie 4.0", France's "Industrie du Futur," and China's "Made in China 2025". Japan has planned Society 5.0 (Industry 4.0), targeting its economic and social challenges, such as its aging population, labor shortages, and weak growth through advanced technologies. Germany Industrie 4.0 Initiative aims to create an industry infrastructure fit for sustainable future manufacturing in the country. Speak to our Analysts to Understand the Impact of COVID-19 on Your Business: https://www.meticulousresearch.com/speak-to-analyst/cp_id=5265 China has planned a five-year plan to improve its manufacturing industry by incorporating advanced technologies in its traditional methodologies. The Chinese government launched "Made in China 2025", a state-led industrial policy that focuses on high-tech manufacturing. China has set up a USD 21 billion national investment fund to promote the transformation and upgrading of the country's manufacturing industry. In addition, India also adopted the Industry 4.0 plans to increase the manufacturing sector's contribution to 25% of GDP by 2025, from the current level of 16%. The U.S. federal government's "Manufacturing USA" initiative has created a network of manufacturing innovation institutes around the country, including the following: Apart from policy charting, governments across the globe have also announced investments in Industry 4.0. In August 2019, the South Korean government announced to invest WON 4.7 trillion (USD 3.9 billion) in innovative sectors in its 2020 budget, up from USD 3.2 billion in 2019. This includes 5G, digital twins, and artificial intelligence. Also, in October 2021, the Thailand Board of Investment (BOI) approved incentives to encourage companies to speed up Industry 4.0 transformation. All such positive government initiatives certainly encouraged the incorporation of industrial automation across different end-use industries. To provide efficient analysis, Meticulous Research has segmented this market based on technology (robotics & automation, artificial intelligence, industrial IoT, cloud computing & storage, digital twin, industrial cybersecurity, additive manufacturing, blockchain, AR/VR), application (machine inspection & maintenance, quality management, inventory & warehouse management, production planning, surveillance & safety, energy management, resource optimization), end use industry (automotive, heavy machinery & tools, electronics & semiconductors, aerospace & defense, fast-moving consumer goods, medical devices, food & beverages, pharmaceuticals, paints & chemicals, oil & gas, metals & mining, energy & power, pulp & paper, others), and geography Based on technology, the industrial IoT segment is estimated to account for the largest share of the overall smart manufacturing market in 2022. The rapid adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) and Internet of Things (IoT) in the manufacturing sector, increasing overall equipment effectiveness (OEE), a growing focus on digital transformation, extensive government support in encouraging digitalization across the industrial sector, and rising adoption of smart devices driving the market growth. However, the blockchain segment is projected to record the highest CAGR during the forecast period. The growth of this segment is attributed to the surge in demand for blockchain technology in the energy & power and industrial sectors, increasing demand for real-time data analysis, and the rising need to enhance production with minimum maintenance, simplify business processes, and reduce downtime. Quick Buy - Smart Manufacturing Market - Global Opportunity Analysis And Industry Forecast (2022-2029): https://www.meticulousresearch.com/Checkout/74788010 Based on application, the surveillance & safety segment is estimated to account for the largest share of the overall smart manufacturing market in 2022. However, the inventory & warehouse management segment is projected to record the highest CAGR during the forecast period. The growth of this segment is attributed to the growing need for tracking the movement of goods, increasing manufacturing output due to the adoption of Industrial IoT (IIoT), the growing significance of forecasting models, and the rise in automation for minimizing human interaction. Based on end-use industry, the automotive segment is estimated to account for the largest share of the overall smart manufacturing market in 2022. The increasing adoption of industrial IoT solutions, the increasing emphasis on developing next-generation automobile warehouses, and the need to reduce costs & downtime in production lines are driving the market growth. However, the pharmaceuticals segment is projected to record the highest CAGR during the forecast period. Based on geography, the market is broadly segmented into North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Latin America, and the Middle East and Africa region. In 2022, Asia Pacific is estimated to account for the largest share of the overall smart manufacturing market and is projected to grow at the highest CAGR over the forecasted period. The growth of the Asia-Pacific market is attributed to the rising demand for automation, the increasing adoption of industrial robots, the advent of Industry 4.0, the growing adoption of cloud-based smart manufacturing solutions, and the presence of prominent key players in the region. In addition, Asia-Pacific holds tremendous growth opportunities for the smart manufacturing market due to the expanding manufacturing hubs in countries such as China and South Korea, particularly in their automotive, electronics & component manufacturing sectors, due to the high outsourcing rate in these sectors. Some of the key players operating in the smart manufacturing market are Amazon Web Services, Inc. (U.S.), Robert Bosch Manufacturing Solutions GmbH (Germany), Cisco Systems, Inc. (U.S.), 3D Systems Corporation (U.S.), Plex Systems, Inc. (U.S.), Cognex Corporation (U.S.), PTC Inc. (U.S.), FANUC CORPORATION (Japan), SAP SE (Germany), Mitsubishi Electric Automation, Inc. (U.S.), Emerson Electric Co. (U.S.), Siemens AG (Germany), Schneider Electric SE (France), ABB Ltd (Switzerland), Hitachi, Ltd. (Japan), and Intel Corporation (U.S.). Browse in-depth TOC on "Smart Manufacturing Market - Global Opportunity Analysis And Industry Forecast (2022-2029)" 120 - Tables 36 - Figures 260 - Pages click here: https://www.meticulousresearch.com/product/smart-manufacturing-market-5265 Scope of the Report: Smart Manufacturing Market, by Technology Industrial Internet of Things Cloud Computing & Storage Robotics & Automation Robots Automated Storage and Retrieval Systems (ASRS) And Automatic Guided Vehicles (AGVS) Automated Assembly Lines Wearables & Mobile Devices Industrial Cybersecurity Additive Manufacturing Augmented Reality (AR)/Virtual Reality (VR) Digital Twin Artificial Intelligence Blockchain Smart Manufacturing Market, by Application Surveillance & Safety Quality Management Resource Optimization Inventory & Warehouse Management Machine Inspection & Maintenance Production Planning Energy Management Smart Manufacturing Market, by End-Use Industry Automotive Heavy Machinery & Tools Aerospace & Defense Metals & Mining Electronics & Semiconductors Medical Devices Food & Beverage Pharmaceuticals Oil & Gas Fast-Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) Paints & Chemicals Energy & Power Pulp & Paper Other End-Use Industries (Agriculture and Prefabricated Construction) Smart Manufacturing Market, By Geography North America U.S Canada Europe Germany U.K. France Italy Spain Rest Of Europe Asia-Pacific China Japan India South Korea Rest Of Asia-Pacific Latin America Middle East & Africa Download Free Sample Report Now @ https://www.meticulousresearch.com/download-sample-report/cp_id=5265 Amidst this crisis, Meticulous Research is continuously assessing the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on various sub-markets and enables global organizations to strategize for the post-COVID-19 world and sustain their growth. Let us know if you would like to assess the impact of COVID-19 on any industry here- https://www.meticulousresearch.com/custom-research Related Report: Smart Cities Market by Application (Smart Utilities, Smart Transportation, Water Management, Waste Management, Smart Healthcare, Smart Lighting, Smart Education), Component (Hardware, Software, and Services), and Geography - Global Forecast to 2027 https://www.meticulousresearch.com/product/smart-cities-market-5087 Smart Energy Management Market by Energy Source (Renewable, Non-Renewable), Offering, Function (Operation, Energy Management, Distribution, Storage, Grid Security), End User (Utility Providers, Consumers) and Geography - Global Forecasts to 2029 https://www.meticulousresearch.com/product/smart-energy-management-market-5255 Smart Transportation Market by Transportation Mode, Product Type (Solutions & Services), Application (Mobility as a Service, Route Information, Route Guidance, Public Transport, Transit Hubs, Connected Cars), and Region - Global Forecast to 2028 https://www.meticulousresearch.com/product/smart-transportation-market-5199 Industrial IoT (IIoT) Market by Component, Application (Robotics, Maintenance, Monitoring, Resource Optimization, Supply Chain, Management), Industry (Aerospace, Automotive, Energy, Healthcare, Manufacturing, Retail), and Geography - Global Forecast to 2027 https://www.meticulousresearch.com/product/industrial-iot-market-5102 Artificial Intelligence in Manufacturing Market By Component, Technology (ML, NLP, Computer Vision), Application (Predictive Maintenance Quality Management, Supply Chain, Production Planning), Industry Vertical, & Geography - Global Forecast to 2028 https://www.meticulousresearch.com/product/artificial-intelligence-in-manufacturing-market-4983 About Meticulous Research Meticulous Research was founded in 2010 and incorporated as Meticulous Market Research Pvt. Ltd. in 2013 as a private limited company under the Companies Act, 1956. Since its incorporation, the company has become the leading provider of premium market intelligence in North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Latin America, and the Middle East & Africa. The name of our company defines our services, strengths, and values. Since the inception, we have only thrived to research, analyze, and present the critical market data with great attention to details. With the meticulous primary and secondary research techniques, we have built strong capabilities in data collection, interpretation, and analysis of data including qualitative and quantitative research with the finest team of analysts. We design our meticulously analyzed intelligent and value-driven syndicate market research reports, custom studies, quick turnaround research, and consulting solutions to address business challenges of sustainable growth. Contact: Mr. Khushal Bombe Meticulous Market Research Inc. 1267 Willis St, Ste 200 Redding, California, 96001, U.S. USA: +1-646-781-8004 Europe: +44-203-868-8738 APAC: +91 744-7780008 Email- sales@meticulousresearch.com Visit Our Website: https://www.meticulousresearch.com/ Connect with us on LinkedIn- https://www.linkedin.com/company/meticulous-research Content Source: https://www.meticulousresearch.com/pressrelease/489/smart-manufacturing-market-2029 Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1757980/Meticulous_Research_Logo_1.jpg Golden Ocean Group Limited will publish its financial results for the first quarter of 2022 on Thursday May 19, 2022. In connection with the release, a teleconference/webcast will be held as described below: Teleconference and webcast A conference call will be held at 3:00 P.M. CET (09:00 A.M. New York Time) on Thursday May 19, 2022. The presentation will be available for download from the Investor Relations section at www.goldenocean.bm (under "Presentations") prior to the teleconference/webcast. In order to listen to the presentation you may do one of the following: a. Webcast Click the "Webcast" link on www.goldenocean.bm b. Conference Call PARTICIPANTS DIAL IN TELEPHONE NUMBERS International Dial-In: +44 (0) 2071 92 8338 United Kingdom Toll Free: 08002796619 Norway Toll Free: 800 56 865 US Toll-Free: +1 877 870 9135 Participants will be asked for their full name & Conference ID. The Conference ID is 1277791. Please download the presentation material from www.goldenocean.bm in order to follow the presentation slides while listening to the conference. REPLAY DETAILS Replay Access Number: 1277791 International Dial In: +44 (0) 3333 009785 Norway: 21 03 42 35 USA Toll-Free: +1 (917) 677-7532 Participant list information required: Full Name & Company May 11, 2022 Hamilton, Bermuda This information is subject to the disclosure requirements of section 5-12 of the Norwegian Securities Trading Act. Promoting ESG development with Chinese characteristics HONG KONG and SHANGHAI, May 11, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Ping An Insurance (Group) Company of China, Ltd. (hereafter "Ping An" or the "Group", HKEx:2318; SSE:601318) announced that it has helped to develop China's first ESG disclosure standard, the "Guidance for Enterprise ESG Disclosure", published by the China Enterprise Reform and Development Society (CERDS). The Guidance, effective on June 1, 2022, was developed with the participation of Ping An and dozens of other companies in China. In recent years, awareness of environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues has grown in China, as has the demand for enterprises to make ESG disclosures. However, the common international ESG rating standards are difficult to match with the operating conditions in China. The "Guidance for Enterprise ESG Disclosure" is based on relevant Chinese laws, regulations, and standards while considering China's context. The Guidance includes a corporate ESG disclosure indicator system with three dimensions - environmental, social, and governance - and provides a basic framework for ESG disclosure. The Guidance also specifies disclosure principles, indicators, requirements, applications, responsibilities, and supervision for enterprises of different types, industries, and sizes. The Guidance can support Chinese enterprises in their ESG governance practices and disclosure, serving as a reference for self-evaluation and third-party evaluation. CERDS had strict requirements for companies participating in the development of the guidance standard. The companies must have outstanding performance and be ranked among the top in their industries, with high social influence and reputation. They must fully, accurately and comprehensively implement the concept of sustainable development in their operations, promote the construction of a corporate ESG system and achieve outstanding ESG outcomes. Sharing experience as an ESG pioneer in China As a pioneer in ESG in China, Ping An participated in the drafting of the disclosure framework, sharing its practical experience in ESG. It incorporated its proprietary CN-ESG evaluation system framework into the disclosure guidance to provide a standardized scientific approach for corporate ESG information disclosure. Ping An also made suggestions on the coverage of international standards, the setting of indicators with Chinese characteristics, applicability to different industries, and the setting of scoring standards. The "Guidance for Enterprise ESG Disclosure" is an important milestone for Ping An to promote the development of an ESG system with Chinese characteristics. Ping An's proprietary ESG management concepts and experience have been widely recognized by government organizations, industry experts and other organizations that have collaborated with Ping An. As a longtime advocate of corporate ESG, Ping An has been pursuing sustainable development and related disclosure practices for many years. It has published its annual sustainability report for the last 14 years. It was also the first financial institution in China to release a TCFD (Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures) report and disclose the carbon emissions of its overall assets. Driven by its sustainability strategy, Ping An integrates the core philosophies and standards of ESG into corporate management. It has built a professional sustainability management framework to guide its business practices. Ping An continues to advance its "integrated finance + healthcare" strategy and develop its industry ecosystems of "finance + eldercare" and "finance + healthcare" to create value for its shareholders, customers, employees, communities, partners and the environment, seeking to boost both business and societal value. About Ping An Group Ping An Insurance (Group) Company of China, Ltd. ("Ping An") strives to become a world-leading retail financial services group. With over 223 million retail customers and nearly 657 million internet users, Ping An is one of the largest financial services companies in the world. Ping An focuses on two over-arching domains of activity, "integrated finance" and "healthcare", covering the provision of financial and health care services through its integrated financial services platform and ecosystems in financial services, healthcare, auto services and smart city services. The "finance + technology" and "finance + ecosystem" strategies aim to provide customers and internet users with innovative and simple products and services using technology. As China's first joint stock insurance company, Ping An is committed to upholding the highest standards of corporate reporting and corporate governance. The Group is listed on the stock exchanges in Hong Kong and Shanghai. Ping An ranked 6th in the Forbes Global 2000 list in 2021 and ranked 16th in the Fortune Global 500 list in 2021. Ping An also ranked 49th in the 2021 WPP Kantar Millward Brown BrandZTM Top 100 Most Valuable Global Brands list. For more information, please visit www.group.pingan.com and follow us on LinkedIn - PING AN. ATLANTA, GA / ACCESSWIRE / May 11, 2022 / Luvu Brands, Inc. (OTCQB:LUVU) today announced that its financial results for the third quarter of fiscal 2022 will be released on Monday, May 16, 2022. Management will host a conference call at 11:00 a.m. EST (10:00 a.m. CST; 8:00 a.m. PST) on Tuesday, May 17, 2022 to review and discuss the financial results. The Company invites investors and analysts to listen and participate in the call by registering via https://www.webcaster4.com/Webcast/Page/2527/45552. A Q&A session will take place after the formal presentation, which shareholders and other interested parties can partake in through the aforementioned weblink or by dialing 888-267-2822 (international: 973-528-0011) using the participant access code 480267. A recorded replay of the conference call will be available on the Company's investor relations website, www.luvubrands.com, from May 17, 2022, until August, 15, 2022. About Luvu Brands Luvu Brands, Inc. designs, manufactures, and markets a portfolio of consumer lifestyle brands through the Company's websites, online mass merchants, and specialty retail stores worldwide. Our brands include Liberator, an iconic product category for enhancing sensuality and intimacy; Avana, inclined bed therapy products, assistive in relieving medical conditions associated with acid reflux, surgery recovery, and chronic pain; and Jaxx, a diverse range of casual fashion daybeds, sofas, and beanbags. As a sustainability-focused Company, we use repurposed polyurethane foam and fabrics wherever possible and vacuum-compress all our foam-based products to reduce our carbon footprint. Headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, the Company occupies a 140,000 square foot vertically-integrated manufacturing facility and employs over 200 people. The Company brand sites include: www.liberator.com, www.jaxxliving.com, www.avanacomfort.com, plus other global e-commerce sites. For more information about Luvu Brands, please visit www.luvubrands.com. Company Contact: Alexander Sannikov, CFO 770-246-6426 alexander.sannikov@luvubrands.com SOURCE: Luvu Brands, Inc. View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/700969/CORRECTION-FROM-SOURCE-Luvu-Brands-to-Announce-Fiscal-2022-Q3-Financial-Results Eyevensys, a privately held, clinical-stage biotechnology company developing non-viral gene therapies for ophthalmic diseases, today provided highlights from the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO) 2022 Annual Conference held in Denver, Colorado. In addition to its participation in the event, Eyevensys also held a successful meeting with principal investigators involved in its clinical trials evaluating EYS606, a plasmid DNA encoding an anti-TNFa protein for non-infectious uveitis (NIU). Principal investigators, including the study's coordinating investigators, reviewed data from two clinical trials, a Phase I/II and a Phase II called ELECTRO, conducted in NIU subjects. These studies were designed to demonstrate, for the very first time in humans, the safety of plasmid administration into the ciliary muscle using Eyevensys' proprietary Electrotransfection Platform. These two studies treated 18 subjects. There were 15 subjects with late-stage disease who were treated in France and the United Kingdom, and three subjects with active NIU who were treated in the United States. Overall, several subjects showed biological activity post EYS606 treatment. This includes two out of the three US subjects whose disease signs and symptoms improved after treatment with EYS606. Dr. Srivastava, a uveitis Key Opinion Leader, qualified these two improvements as non-expected for this disease population and related to the EYS606 treatment. Furthermore, no circulating anti-drug antibodies (ADA) against the anti-TNFa protein were reported suggesting an absence of any immune reaction. In a separate meeting, the DSMB members concluded that no safety concerns were associated with the EYS606 plasmid or the Eyevensys Electrotransfection Platform. These first-in-human studies allowed Eyevensys to collect information enabling optimization of the platform, which includes an ocular device and an electrical pulse generator. The design optimization was done in collaboration with medical device manufacturers Phillips-Medisize and Minnetronix Medical, and medical device designer Kaleidoscope. "We are especially pleased about these positive clinical trial results," said Patricia Zilliox, Chief Executive Officer at Eyevensys. "These results provide strong evidence that our electrotransfection platform has the potential to treat other retinal diseases such as wet and dry AMD with less frequent treatments." During the conference Pr. Francine Behar-Cohen, Founder and Chief Innovation Officer of Eyevensys presented a paper that highlighted EYS809, the Company's promising candidate for wet AMD subjects. As part of her abstract presentation, Pr. Behar-Cohen discussed the fact that subretinal fibrosis, favored by recurrence of exudation, leads to irreversible vision loss in wet AMD subjects. Specifically, she spoke about the effect of Decorin (DCN) on choroidal neovascularization (CNV) fibrosis and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in a rat model of CNV. Her results concluded that DCN is a promising candidate for wet AMD subjects on top of anti-VEGFs therapies. "Eyevensys is developing EYS809, a DNA plasmid that encodes for aflibercept and decorin, to benefit subjects diagnosed with wet AMD, a chronic eye disorder that causes blurred vision or a blind spot in the visual field. The abstract presented showed that DCN reduces the volume of established CNV and its fibrotic scarring. This adds to the growing evidence in support of the EYS809 candidate," said Dr. Behar-Cohen. Eyevensys' unique non-viral gene therapy platform provides a wide range of treatment options with the potential to address a variety of ophthalmic diseases, both rare and common, some with no previously approved treatment. During the conference, Eyevensys also presented two poster presentations that evaluated the protective effects of Transferrin, another asset of the company, on various ex vivo and in vivo models of dry AMD and glaucoma. About Eyevensys Eyevensys is a privately held, clinical-stage biotechnology company developing its innovative technology to enable the sustained intraocular production of therapeutic proteins to treat a broad range of ophthalmic diseases. The Eyevensys technology, developed by Pr. Francine Behar-Cohen, uses electroporation to deliver proprietary DNA plasmids encoding therapeutic proteins into the ciliary muscle of the eye. This approach induces the sustained intraocular production of therapeutic proteins. Eyevensys is advancing a dual gene plasmid, EYS809, expressing two therapeutic proteins, a potent VEGF inhibitor and an endogenous protein with anti-angiogenic and antifibrotic properties for the treatment of wet AMD which also has the potential be a treatment for diabetic retinopathy, diabetic macular edema and central retinal vein occlusion. Eyevensys is also developing EYS611, a treatment for the later stages of dry AMD and for retinitis pigmentosa and potentially other retinal degenerative conditions including glaucoma. The treatment encodes for a potent iron chelator with antioxidant and endogenous neuroprotective properties. In animal models, the treatment has been shown to be safe and effective at slowing the degeneration of retinal structure and preserving function. EYS611 has been granted Orphan drug designation for the treatment of retinitis pigmentosa in the EU and in the US. Eyevensys was founded in 2008. The company has offices in Paris, France and the U.S. The company is funded by the Boehringer Ingelheim Venture Fund, Pureos Bioventures, Bpifrance through the Innobio Fund, Karista, Inserm Transfert Initiative, Pontifax, Global Health Sciences Fund, and Korean Investment Partners. For more information about Eyevensys, please visit www.eyevensys.com. Eyevensys is open for discussions for co-development or licensing opportunities. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220511005761/en/ Contacts: Media Relations Contact: Jeanene Timberlake RooneyPartners jtimberlake@rooneypartners.com +1 646.770.8858 JERSEY CITY, N.J., May 11, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- via InvestorWire -- Vision Hydrogen Corporation (OTCQB:VIHD) (the "Company") is pleased to announce that it has monetized its 100% interest in its Vlissingen green hydrogen development project and its 50% interest in its Terneuzen green hydrogen development project through the sale of its Dutch interests to Volt Energy BV ("Purchaser"), wholly-owned by its former co-CEO Andre Jurres. The Purchaser paid total consideration of USD $23,627,274, being USD $11,250,000 in cash and 1,768,182 shares of the Company's common stock owned by the Purchaser valued at the current market price of $7.00 per share, reducing the Company's outstanding common shares by 8.3%, to 19,548,776 shares of common stock outstanding. The cash proceeds realized by the Company, before deduction of transaction costs, represent a payment of approximately $0.58 cents per share. "Consistent with our plan to fund our development trajectory through monetizing early-stage development projects, VisionH2 is pleased to have established proof of concept with our initial two projects," said Andrew Hromyk, Vision Hydrogen CEO. "With numerous hydrogen and carbon abatement projects in very early stages of development across Europe and our proven method economically rewarded much earlier than forecast, the Company is well positioned for future growth." Transaction The Company's Swiss subsidiary VoltH2 Holdings AG has sold VoltH2 Vlissingen BV, VoltH2 Terneuzen BV and VoltH2 Operating BV (the "BVs") to the Purchaser for USD $11,250,000 in cash, representing a significant return on the USD $2,150,000 cash invested into the BVs over the past 20 months. In addition, the Purchaser paid its 1,768,182 shares of the Company's common stock to VoltH2 Holdings AG, which the Company has returned to treasury. Mr. Andre Jurres, the principal of the Purchaser, has resigned as a director and officer of the Company to pursue the continued development of the BVs. The Company thanks Mr. Jurres for his service and wishes him well in his future endeavours. About Vision Hydrogen VisionH2 is a renewable energy company developing clean hydrogen production facilities for the commercial, industrial and transportation sectors. VisionH2 is leveraging its proven track-record in site procurement and permitting, accelerating pre-development and grid integration to produce low-carbon and green hydrogen. By establishing and negotiating long-life power supply commitments the Company ensures reliable offtake relationships with industry participants seeking to utilize hydrogen as fuel, feedstock, and as a grid balancing & capacitance solution. VisionH2 is committed to providing the lowest carbon solution with the highest yield hydrogen production, storage and distribution services for the European renewable economy and supply chain. VisionH2 is a portfolio company of First Finance, a private equity investment group with offices in Zurich, London and Vancouver www.firstfinance.com. Vision Hydrogen Corporation/Investor Relations 95 Christopher Columbus Drive, 16th Floor Jersey City, NJ 07302 551-298-3600 USA www.visionh2.com Forward Looking Statements: Certain statements in this press release are forward-looking within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements may be identified by the use of forward-looking words such as "forecast," "anticipate," "believe," "estimate," "expect" and "intend," among others. These forward-looking statements are based on current expectations, and actual results could differ materially. The Company does not undertake an obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statement. The information set forth herein speaks only as of the date hereof. Wire Service Contact: InvestorWire 212.418.1217 Office Editor@InvestorWire.com Update on Cryptocurrency Holdings and Investments into Crypto Hedge Funds Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - May 11, 2022) - Cypherpunk Holdings Inc. (CSE: HODL) (OTC Pink: CYFRF) ("Cypherpunk" or, the "Company"), a sector leader for blockchain, metaverse, privacy and cryptography focused investments, is pleased to announce updates on Cryptocurrency Holdings and Cryptocurrency Hedge Funds. Cryptocurrencies: The Company is currently holding 306.39 Bitcoin and 311.61 Ethereum. The Company has sold 100 Bitcoins for an aggregate sum of USD $3,295,000 and 322 Ethereum for USD $771,190. The total proceeds from the sale of cryptocurrencies is USD $4,066,190. Cash Position: For cash and stables the company has $1,773,814 USD and $4,129,800 in USDC on hand. An additional 1.5M USD is allocated to structured products with 30 days redemption notice. Jeff Gao, the CEO and President of Cypherpunk Holdings commented on the recent events: "For months we have witnessed a slow grind in the correction of cryptocurrencies which, now, appears to have manifested into an existential event for many projects and their founders. From the dizzying heights of November 2021 when bitcoin threatened to pierce a precipitous $70,000 price target to current levels where $30,000 looks to be in imminent danger of being breached, the crypto community continues to put on a brave face and place their trust in the resilience of the ecosystem that holds promise as a viable alternative to tradfi. For Cypherpunk, and as vigilant stewards of our shareholders' hard-earned capital, our goal is to seek and deploy capital to bespoke opportunities across blockchain and crypto that provide investors with the benefits of sectoral exposure, diversification and risk management. But most of all, our efforts will be judged by the pinnacle and timeless rule of investing: SURVIVAL. The decision to downsize our exposure to risk assets is driven by the need to preserve capital and, together with active treasury management, we will continue to observe the market for signs of recovery and redeploy capital accordingly." About Cypherpunk Holdings Inc. Cypherpunk was established to invest in currencies, companies, technologies and protocols, which enhance or protect privacy. Its strategy is to make targeted investments in businesses and assets with strong privacy attributes, often within the blockchain ecosystem, including select cryptocurrencies. Current equity investments include Bitcoin, Ethereum, Samourai Wallet, Wasabi Wallet, Chia, NGRAVE, and Animoca Brands. Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Information This news release contains "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable securities laws. Generally, any statements that are not historical facts may contain forward-looking information, and forward-looking information can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "plans", "expects" or "does not expect", "is expected", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "anticipates" or "does not anticipate", or "believes", or variations of such words and phrases or indicates that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will be" taken, "occur" or "be achieved". Forward-looking information includes, but is not limited to the Company's expectation or belief regarding its investment in shares of Animoca Brand and Animoca Brand's future performance or business. There is no assurance that the Company's plans or objectives will be implemented as set out herein, or at all. Forward- looking information is based on certain factors and assumptions the Company believes to be reasonable at the time such statements are made and is subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information. There can be no assurance that such forward-looking information will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such information. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. Forward-looking statements are made based on management's beliefs, estimates and opinions on the date that statements are made and the Company undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking statements if these beliefs, estimates and opinions or other circumstances should change, except as required by law. Investors are cautioned against attributing undue certainty to forward-looking statements. Officer/Director Contact: Jeffrey Gao Chief Executive Officer jeff@cypherpunkholdings.com Office: 1-647-946-1300 Investor Relations Contact: Veronika Oswald Investor Relations veronika@cypherpunkholdings.com Office: 1-647-946-1300 To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/123622 Use of GeNeuro's temelimab as part of the first personalized medicine approach in severe post-COVID neuropsychiatric syndromes Biomarker-based study to detect the presence of the pathogenic W-ENV protein and neutralize it with temelimab GeNeuro has previously received a grant of 6.4 million euros from the Swiss Federal Office of Public Health (SFOPH) to co-fund this clinical trial Regulatory News: GeNeuro (Euronext Paris: CH0308403085 GNRO) (Paris:GNRO), a biopharmaceutical company developing new treatments for neurodegenerative and autoimmune diseases, such as multiple sclerosis (MS), amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and the severe neuropsychiatric consequences of COVID-19 (post-COVID), announces today it has received the authorization by the Swiss Health Authority (Swissmedic) to initiate a Phase II study evaluating temelimab in patients with severe neuropsychiatric post-COVID syndromes. The GNC-501 study, entitled "Temelimab as a Disease Modifying Therapy in Patients with Neurological, Neuropsychological, and Psychiatric (=Neuropsychiatric) Symptoms in Post-COVID-19 or Post-Acute Sequelae of COVID-19 (PASC) Syndrome", will enroll 200 patients from Swiss and EU study centres suffering from severe neuropsychiatric syndromes post-COVID. The biomarker-based study will enrol only patients who are also tested positive for the pathogenic protein W-ENV, with the objective to reduce their invalidating conditions. "The presence of the pathogenic protein W-ENV in post-COVID patients provides a potential biological explanation for the very diverse neuropsychiatric symptoms many suffer from, but also a treatment opportunity by neutralizing W-ENV with temelimab, which is a very well tolerated antibody" said Prof. David Leppert, Chief Medical Officer of GeNeuro. "Our unique ability to test patients for the presence of W-ENV in their blood allows to select and treat only those patients who are likely to benefit from temelimab Large-scale academic studies indicate that more than 10% of people infected with SARS-CoV-2 do not fully recover and/or develop new symptoms, with a high proportion of neurological and/or psychiatric disorders. With more than 500 million confirmed cases of COVID-19 worldwide, including more than 250 million in North America and Western Europe, this problem is now recognized as a major public health emergency, as it is affecting millions of people. GeNeuro is at the forefront in tackling this problem with the first personalized medicine approach with a biomarker-based treatment. Studies published in 2021 have shown that W-ENV expression was triggered by SARS-CoV-2 in the white blood cells of about 20% of healthy donors, suggesting individual susceptibility. Moreover, recent studies have shown that the pathogenic W-ENV protein is detectable in the blood of 20-40% of post-COVID patients. This presence months after the initial COVID infection supports the biological hypothesis of its role in the long-term syndromes suffered by these patients. GeNeuro has developed temelimab, a specific antibody against the W-ENV protein, which has shown promising results in Phase II trials in multiple sclerosis against MRI markers of neurodegeneration. Temelimab has shown excellent safety and tolerability in several hundred patients treated for 2 years or more. The ability to detect W-ENV in post-COVID patients with neuropsychiatric disorders allows to identify a well-defined group of patients that will be treated with the aim of improving their condition. As previously mentioned, GeNeuro has received a 6.4 million grant from the Swiss Federal Office for Public Health (FOPH) to co-fund the Phase 2 clinical trial to treat post-COVID patients with severe neurological and psychiatric symptoms with temelimab, GeNeuro's anti-W-ENV antibody. About GeNeuro GeNeuro's mission is to develop safe and effective treatments for neurological disorders and autoimmune diseases, such as multiple sclerosis, by neutralizing the causative factors encoded by HERVs, which represent 8% of human DNA. GeNeuro is headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, and has R&D facilities in Lyon, France. It has rights to 17 patent families protecting its technology. For more information, please visit: www.geneuro.com Disclaimer This press release contains certain forward-looking statements and estimates about GeNeuro's future financial condition, results of operations, strategy, plans and performance and the markets in which it operates. These forward-looking statements and estimates can be identified by words such as "anticipate," "believe," "may," "estimate," "expect," "intend," "is designed to," "may," "could," "plan," "potential," "predict," "objective," "should," or the negative of these terms and other similar expressions. They include all matters that are not historical facts. Forward-looking statements, forecasts and estimates are based on management's current assumptions and assessment of known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that were believed to be reasonable at the time they were made but may prove to be incorrect. Events and results are difficult to predict and depend on factors beyond the Company's control. Consequently, the actual results, financial condition, performance and/or achievements of GeNeuro or the industry may differ materially from future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such statements, forecasts and estimates. Because of these uncertainties, no representation is made as to the accuracy or correctness of such forward-looking statements, forecasts and estimates. Furthermore, forward-looking statements, forecasts and estimates speak only as of the date they are made, and GeNeuro undertakes no obligation to update or revise them, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220511005838/en/ Contacts: GeNeuro Jesus Martin-Garcia President and CEO +41 22 552 4800 investors@geneuro.com NewCap (France) Mathilde Bohin Louis-Victor Delouvrier (investors) +33 1 44 71 98 52 Arthur Rouille (media) +33 1 44 71 00 15 geneuro@newcap.eu HEILBRONN, Germany, May 11, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Admitad, the leading service provider of performance marketing services, appoints Bruno Acar as Chief International Officer. In his new position Mr. Acar will drive the international expansion of the fast growing IT-company, which exceeded $11 billion in total sales in 2021. Bruno Acar has over 20 years of leadership experience in the digital industry, including his roles as Managing Director for the proptech platform HomeBeat.Live and Founder of Deploy.Berlin, a consulting network of top local professionals assisting foreign companies deploy their operations in the German capital Berlin. In various international roles, he demonstrated his ability to operate in and adapt rapidly to fast changing markets, focusing on business development, digital strategies and branding. Bruno advised large media companies, content and mobile service providers on tech solutions and marketing insights. Alexander Bachmann, CEO and founder of Admitad, says: "We are thrilled to attract a senior professional with such broad experience at this exciting moment in our history. As we continue to grow internationally, Bruno's entrepreneurial spirit, his experience in various global markets and ability to operate in multiple cultures is a welcome asset." Bruno Acar is excited about his next move: "Admitad has demonstrated it is well positioned to tackle the challenges ahead in the performance marketing industry. Next to strong, continuous above market growth, the investments in innovation and diversification are starting to pay off. Its efficient structure, open company culture and operational strategy convinced me: Admitad is set to become a true global player." Bruno Acar will be based in Berlin and reports to CEO Alexander Bachmann based in HQ in Heilbronn. In his role as Chief International Officer, he will work closely with other Admitad offices in Germany, UAE, Brasil, India, Poland, USA and other countries. ABOUT Admitad is a global provider of innovative performance marketing solutions, headquartered in Heilbronn, Germany. Admitad supports and develops services for media buying and monetization, partner and financial services. The portfolio includes Affiliate Network, Affiliate & Referral Tracking Software (Tapfiliate), Monetize Network, Admitad ConvertSocial and WhiteLabel Network, among others. The company puts transparency and fairness on top of its priorities, working in 20+ markets with more than 50K advertisers and 800K publishers including Focus, Burda Media, Lenovo, Adobe, Radisson, Nike, adidas and many more. Admitad has offices in 9 countries, including Germany, the USA, Netherlands, Brazil, India and the United Arab Emirates. Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1741632/Admitad_Logo.jpg Regulatory News: ESI Group (Paris:ESI) (FR0004110310 ESI), leader and pioneer in Virtual Prototyping solutions, hereby releases the total number of shares making up the company's capital and the total number of voting rights in April 30, 2022, in accordance with articles 223-16 and 221-3 of the General Regulations of the "Autorite des Marches Financiers". Number of shares Number of theoretical voting rights * Number of voting rights ** 6,065,304 8,108,064 7,763,438 * The number of theoretical voting rights is calculated based on all shares eligible for voting right (single or double), including shares temporarily deprived of voting rights (treasury shares). ** All Group shares have equal right to vote, except treasury shares, which are deprived of the right to vote, and registered shares held for more than four years that are eligible for double voting rights. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220511005491/en/ Contacts: ESI Group HDF Energy and Captrain France officialize their collaboration on the development of an innovative, zero-emission hydrogen shunting locomotive for logistics operations on industrial sites. Paris, May 11, 2022 - Hydrogene de France (Euronext Paris: HDF - HDF Energy) and Captrain France, a subsidiary of SNCF, today signed a partnership agreement for the development of hydrogen locomotives in order to provide a decarbonization solution for French and European rail freight. The first step in the collaboration between HDF Energy and Captrain will be the launch of the HyShunt project: a retrofit project[1] of a locomotive currently powered by a diesel engine. With a power of about 700 kW, this locomotive will be retrofitted with a decarbonized electric propulsion system powered by green or low-carbon hydrogen, via a high-powered fuel cell system manufactured and integrated by HDF Energy. A zero-emission locomotive to decarbonize rail freight Today, rail freight accounts for only 9% of goods transported in France[2], compared to 17.3% in the European Union. The French government wishes to revitalize this mode of transport, which is less polluting and less dangerous than road transport. The government's goal is to double the modal share of rail freight by 2030 and then increase it to 25% by 2050. With only 58% of the French rail network electrified[3] , the development of dual-mode electric and hydrogen solutions will enable the entire network and industrial sites to be covered with zero emission solutions. The aim of the project is to demonstrate that retrofitting a locomotive can achieve strong decarbonization objectives for rail freight. This project will also enable HDF Energy to pursue the development of high-powered fuel cell systems dedicated to rail mobility. The complementary nature of the two partners in the project enhances French industrial know-how in the service of decarbonizing freight transport. Lastly, HyShunt is helping to create a new sector of expertise and associated jobs. A frugal and virtuous project In addition, the HyShunt project is a virtuous and frugal project that favors the reuse of existing equipment. Captrain France will provide a locomotive built in the 1950s for the project. It will be upgraded and its life span extended. A French and regional industrial sector This first French hydrogen shunting locomotive is part of the hydrogen ecosystem being developed in Moselle in the Grand-Est region. This locomotive retrofit project will also be part of the Grande Region Hydrogen initiative, the first cross-border Hydrogen Valley, involving French, German and Luxembourgish industrial partners. The high-power fuel cell will be produced in the future HDF Energy plant in Blanquefort which will be operational in 2023. Damien Havard, Chairman and CEO of HDF Energy, said: "We are very pleased to unveil today this ambitious project to develop an essential solution for decarbonizing rail transport. In our strategic roadmap, we announced our ambition to seize opportunities to accelerate the development of the hydrogen industry worldwide. Today we are demonstrating our ability to accelerate the movement through this partnership, which will enable us to combine the unique technological know-how of Captain France in the field of heavy rail mobility and HDF Energy in the field of high-powered fuel cells." Stephane Derlincourt, President of Captrain France, said: "I am delighted to sign this partnership with HDF, whose level of expertise is unique. At Captrain France, we are very enthusiastic about the idea of developing the very first zero-emission locomotive for our customers' industrial sites. The urgent concerns about global warming are generating adaptations on all sides and freight transport is no exception. This locomotive will be completely innovative and equipped with future-oriented technology. Thanks to it, no more greenhouse gases, which are harmful to our health and our planet." ABOUT HYDROGEN DE FRANCE (HDF ENERGY) HDF Energy is a global pioneer in hydrogen energy. HDF Energy develops high-capacity Hydrogen-Power plants and is active, through dedicated project companies, in their operation. These plants will provide continuous or on-demand electricity from renewable energy sources (wind or solar), combined with high power fuel cells supplied by HDF Energy. HDF Energy develops two types of Hydrogen-Power plants: Renewstable (POWER TO POWER): Multi-megawatt power plants, producing stable electricity 24h/day, composed of an intermittent renewable source and on-site hydrogen energy storage. Multi-megawatt power plants, producing stable electricity 24h/day, composed of an intermittent renewable source and on-site hydrogen energy storage. HyPower (GAS TO POWER): Multi-megawatt power plants producing electricity on demand from green hydrogen from gas transportation networks. HDF Energy has integrated key fuel-cell know-how under a memorandum of understanding with Ballard (seven-year exclusive license agreement) and has developed the world's first mass production plant for high-power fuel cells for energy, which will be commissioned in France (Bordeaux Metropole) in 2023. Through this activity, HDF Energy will also serve the mobility, maritime and rail markets, and data centers. HDF Energy has positioned itself as a powerful accelerator of the energy transition by offering non-intermittent, grid-friendly and on-demand renewable power. HDF shares have been listed on the regulated market of Euronext Paris compartment B since 24 June 2021. Press contact HDF - Serena BONI: +33 (0)4 72 18 04 92 - sboni@actus.fr ABOUT CAPTRAIN FRANCE CAPTRAIN France, a railway company of the SNCF Group, is the 3rd largest player in the rail freight market. CAPTRAIN France operates more than 100 commercial trains daily in France and abroad and also provides rail logistics on some 30 industrial sites for all types of customers and goods (automotive, wood, cereals, waste, aggregates, hazardous materials, metals, consumer products, etc.). The company also puts its skills and its machines at the service of work companies and track renewal. Ever more concerned about its ecological footprint, in 2019 Captrain France was the very first company to run a dual-mode diesel/electric locomotive in Europe. As part of its strategy, Captrain France is committed to reinforcing modal transfer as well as the development of efficient and competitive logistics and rail solutions that consume less energy and pollute less, in order to contribute to environmental protection. With a fleet of more than 180 locomotives, CAPTRAIN France transported more than 11.5 million tons of goods in 2021 and achieved a turnover of 180 million. As one of the most dynamic private companies in the sector, CAPTRAIN France employs 1,000 people (including 850 train drivers, ground operators and industrial operators) and plans to hire more than 150 people by 2022. Press contact Captrain France - Delphine Grangier: +33 (0)6 61 80 67 78 - delphine.grangier@captrain.fr [1] Transformation of vehicles with thermal engines into battery or fuel cell hydrogen electric engines [2] Source: Ministry of Ecology [3] Source: IRG-Rail 2017 ------------------------ This publication embed "Actusnews SECURITY MASTER ". - SECURITY MASTER Key: lZhwlspvlWednm5tlcdmaGiXmW9im2iXl2TJk5RwlpaXZ5xlmW1jmMmaZnBlmmxu - Check this key: https://www.security-master-key.com. ------------------------ Copyright Actusnews Wire Receive by email the next press releases of the company by registering on www.actusnews.com, it's free Full and original release in PDF format:https://www.actusnews.com/documents_communiques/ACTUS-0-74578-cp_accord_partenariat_captrain-hdf_veng.pdf Finsbury Growth & Income Trust Plc - Transaction in Own Shares For immediate release 11 May 2022 FINSBURY GROWTH & INCOME TRUST PLC (the "Company") MARKET PURCHASE OF COMPANY'S OWN SHARES The Company announces that it has today purchased 50,000 of its own shares ("Ordinary Shares") at a price of 785.20p per Ordinary Share. Such shares will be held in treasury by the Company. The transaction was made pursuant to the authority granted at the Annual General Meeting of the Company held on 9 February 2022. Following this transaction, the total number of Ordinary Shares held by the Company in treasury is 2,310,880; the total number of Ordinary Shares that the Company has in issue, less the total number of Ordinary Shares held by the Company in treasury following such purchase, and therefore, the total number of voting rights in the Company is 222,680,423. The figure of 222,680,423 may be used by shareholders as the denominator for calculations of interests in the Company's voting rights in accordance with the FCA's Disclosure Guidance and Transparency Rules. For and on behalf of Frostrow Capital LLP Company Secretary For further information, please contact: Victoria Hale Frostrow Capital LLP Tel: 020 3 170 8732 Regulatory News: THERACLION (ISIN: FR0010120402; Mnemo: ALTHE), an innovative company developing a scalable robotic platform for non-invasive echotherapy, announces todaythe treatment of varicose veins patients with SONOVEIN for the first time in the United States (US). The study has been approved by the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) a few months ago. Since then, Theraclion has installed its state-of-the-art SONOVEIN platform and trained physicians. The first patients have been treated by Dr Steven Elias, Dr Nicos Labropoulos and Dr Antonios Gasparis, all three internationally recognized vein specialists with more than 30 years of experience. "After this clinical trial, a full pivotal study will be conducted for FDA review in view of the market authorisation. Our qualitative pre-clinical studies, the CE marking since 2019 and our clinical data from our European centers should support a fast approval for our pivotal study" said Michel Nuta, MD, Chief Medical Officer, Vice President Veins at Theraclion SA. This trial is in line with Theraclion's strategy to focus on key markets. The US is the largest market for varicose veins with an estimated 2.3 million procedures representing a $5 Billion healthcare spending. SONOVEIN is the only non-invasive option for varicose veins. It does not require incisions, leaves no scars and allows patients an immediate return to daily activities. This advanced technological solution unleashes new treatment opportunities and improves both patient's and physician's experiences. About Theraclion At Theraclion we believe that surgery, as we know it, is outdated. It converts optimistic patients into anxious individuals, brilliant doctors into exhausted system executors and stretches healthcare systems to the limit. We have disrupted this convention by creating extracorporeal treatment platforms. We replace surgery with a robotic treatment from outside the body using High Intensity Focussed Ultrasound (HIFU). Our leading edge echotherapy platforms are currently CE marked in non-invasive treatment of varicose veins with SONOVEIN and of breast fibroadenomas and thyroid nodules with Echopulse. Located in Malakoff, near Paris, our employees live and breathe innovation by extensive clinical research and harness artificial intelligence. The market of varicose veins treatment alone requires around 5 million procedures annually. It is a dynamic market in which we change paradigms by making non-invasive echotherapy the new standard. For more information Please visit www.theraclion.com and our patient website www.echotherapy.com Theraclion is listed on Euronext Growth Paris Eligible for the PEA-PME scheme Mnemonic: ALTHE ISIN code: FR0010120402 LEI: 9695007X7HA7A1GCYD29 View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220511005913/en/ Contacts: Theraclion David Auregan Chief Operating Officer david.auregan@theraclion.com Anja Kleber VP Marketing, Market Access Sales Francophonia anja.kleber@theraclion.com Thank you for reading! On your next view you will be asked to log in to your subscriber account or create an account and subscribepurchase a subscription to continue reading. The deal helps support homegrown renewable energy as well as the UK's ambitions for long-term energy independence and security. LONDON, May 11, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Vodafone has signed a 10-year agreement[1] for power generated from three new solar farms in Lincolnshire, Worcestershire and Nottinghamshire, securing clean energy and supporting its ambition to achieve net zero UK operations by 2027. Vodafone will purchase a significant proportion of the electricity output from the solar farms, securing their development and bringing additional renewable power provision to the UK grid. Energy generation is expected to begin by the end of 2022. The deal, between Vodafone, Centrica as the power supplier, and MYTILINEOS' Renewables & Storage Development Business Unit as the generator, supports the UK government's ambition to focus on home-grown, clean and more affordable energy and so boost long-term energy independence and security. Power Purchase Agreements are key to Vodafone's renewable energy procurement strategy. This is the second such agreement, and follows the development of two onshore wind farms, in Northamptonshire and Lincolnshire, which together supply 75 gigawatt hours of renewable electricity every year. Combined, these assets will provide more than 20% of Vodafone UK's annual energy requirement and guarantee it access to long-term, high-quality renewable electricity supplies. When fully operational, the solar farms are expected to supply more than 100 gigawatt hours (GWh) of renewable electricity annually, enough to power a town of almost 30,000 households for a year[2]; and save around 25,000 tonnes of CO2e emissions, the equivalent of taking 14,860 cars a year off the road. Approximately 55GWh of green electricity will be dedicated to Vodafone UK, with the remainder being sold to balancing and merchant power markets through Centrica's Energy Marketing & Trading business. Powering the network Vodafone's fixed and mobile networks in the UK connect 16 million people at any one moment. Powering the network accounts for 95% of Vodafone's total energy usage in the UK and represents the company's biggest impact on the environment. In 2021, it announced that its mobile and fixed networks, data centres, retail stores and offices were now 100% powered by electricity from renewable sources. Ahmed Essam, UK CEO, Vodafone, said: "Achieving our ambitious net zero targets is a critical part of our company strategy. Already, our entire business in the Uk and Europe is powered by 100% renewable electricity. "Today's announcement ensures a significant proportion of our energy requirement, for at least the next 10 years, is home-grown in the UK. I'm delighted Vodafone is helping to progress the development of new renewable power sites and supporting the delivery of more green energy to the UK grid." Cassim Mangerah, Managing Director of Centrica Energy Marketing and Trading, said: "Building on our longstanding customer relationship with Vodafone, this deal further underlines our reputation as a leading player in the European energy markets. Through helping companies like Vodafone deliver on their green procurement strategies, we're pushing the green transition forward through supporting the development, management and optimisation of new renewable energy assets." Nikos Papapetrou, General Manager of the RSD Business Unit of MYTILINEOS, said: "We are excited about this transaction with Vodafone, as this is yet another important milestone in our development strategy in Europe. Corporate PPAs are a fundamental instrument as they help companies to decarbonise and reduce their carbon footprint. MYTILINEOS is proud to be in the forefront with Vodafone and Centrica." Vodafone UK has made significant progress on its net zero and environmental agenda in the last year[3], including: switching to 100% renewable electricity; reducing CO2 emissions by 37%[4]; trialling electric vehicle charging points and moving to a 60% EV or PHEV car fleet; enabling customers to make more informed environmental choices with the launch of trade-in and refurbished handset offers, roll out of the Eco Rating scheme and switching to SIM cards made from recycled plastic; helping businesses save almost 500,000 tonnes of CO2e through IoT technology; joining the UK Government's Race to Zero and Tech Zero Taskforce. Vodafone is committed to cutting carbon emissions and electronic waste and helping its customers to do the same. Stay up-to-date with the latest news from Vodafone by following us on Twitter and signing up for News Centre website notifications. [1] Renewable Energy Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) [2] According to the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS), the average household uses 3,731 kWh a year [3] Most recent UK data, as of end March 2021, source: Vodafone Annual Report. [4] Scope 1 and 2 emissions. About Centrica Centrica is a leading international energy services and solutions provider, founded on a 200-year heritage of serving people. Energy Marketing and Trading is the trading and optimisation arm of Centrica plc. We are a leading provider of energy management and optimisation services to businesses, in addition to managing commodity risk and providing wholesale market access for the Centrica Group. We have 14GW of capacity under contract in Europe, more than 80% of which is renewable assets. About MYTILINEOS MYTILINEOS S.A. is a leading Greek industry active in Metallurgy, Power & Gas, Renewables & Storage and Sustainable Engineering Solutions. Established in Greece in 1990, the company is listed on the Athens Exchange, has a consolidated turnover of 2.7 billion and employs directly or indirectly more than 4,820 people in Greece and abroad. Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1816004/Solar_Farm_Vodafone.jpg MINNEAPOLIS (dpa-AFX) - Workers at a Target Corp. (TGT) store in Virginia have filed with the National Labor Relations Board seeking a union election. According to reports, the workers are looking for collective bargaining power and representation through the New River Valley General Membership Branch of the Industrial Workers of the World. The store in Christiansburg, Virginia has about 100 employees. Adam Ryan has been working at the Target Virginia store for five years and formed the independent Target Workers Unite in 2019. He said that the filing to form the union is important as workers feel that their pay does not cover rising costs for basics like food and rent. He also said that workers had to do too many tasks, from filling online orders to unloading trucks. Target later sent out a statement, in which it reiterated that the company has always invested in its workforce with starting wages as high as $24 per hour and expanded health care benefits. The company has in the past not supported the formation of employee unions. The Minneapolis-based retailer now employees about 350,000 total employees. Analysts are of the opinion that the union formation at big retail chains could be a slow store-by-store process and will not have any major impact on earnings. Copyright(c) 2022 RTTNews.com. All Rights Reserved Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann. New York, New York--(Newsfile Corp. - May 11, 2022) - Persona, an app for U.S-based independent business owners releases its newest major update for the platform. Business analytics in the palm of your hand To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/8723/123659_9556e508240ef910_001full.jpg Key new features include: i. Instant Pay for quick procession of payments by clients. ii. Seamless transactions through auto-generated invoices to collect payments from clients by simply setting the payable amount. QR codes are available for direct scan and pay with the client. iii. Financial Analytics which aids in keeping track of expenditures, taxes and transactions. This feature further manages business expenses to benefit off of tax deductibles. Additionally, transactions tagged as business-related costs automatically get calculated to decrease future taxes. Get an overview into how much the business has grown and where it stands. In-built systems help in predicting the exact future tax liability amount. iv. SMS Booking Reminders which can simply be put to use by toggling the reminder option in settings screen, it then sends automated reminders to the client before their session. The user can create an online booking link to share with clients and confirm a session with a single click. Pre-defined time-slots help in saving time consumption. v. Easy Online Booking platform which lets the user quickly create packages of their service for sale. Persona then automatically tracks how many sessions a client has left after purchasing a package at any given moment. Users can manually create discount for bulk orders. vi. Free transfers and incoming wires as well as no hidden charges. No need to wait for the standard two-day payment processing time To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/8723/123659_9556e508240ef910_002full.jpg About Persona Persona is an end-to-end business and financial management platform for independent business owners. Persona offers complete-solution for appointment scheduling, payment collection, credit card processing, free invoicing, client management CRM, business analytics, expense management, tax calculation, and tax management tools which also generate the users Schedule C and make IRS payments. Name: Angela Whiteman City and Country: New York, USA Email: Support@heypersona.com Website: https://getpersona.app To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/123659 BRIDGEWATER, N.J., May 11, 2022, a leading provider of telecom retail management software. The divestiture was formally announced on March 8, 2022. "The sale of DXP and Activation is part of our strategic plan to create a leaner business model that focuses on our core growth areas for the future," said Jeff Miller, President, and Chief Executive Officer of Synchronoss. "Closing this deal is favorable for Synchronoss's long-term product focus areas. It provides us with operating flexibility to improve our capital structure and to accelerate the development of new product offerings in our key areas such as our cloud portfolio." "As a trusted provider of intelligent retail management software, iQmetrix is the natural acquirer of choice for the Digital Experience Platform and Activation Solutions," said Ryan Volberg, President and Chief Executive Officer of iQmetrix. "We're very excited as this supports our plans to be the number one enabler of personal connected devices globally. In such a relentlessly changing industry, this is the next big step of many that we're excited to take to help us create great experiences in the telecom space." The DXP and Activation offerings enable telecom operators and retailers around the globe to create, orchestrate and manage digital experiences across all channels. Following the sale, the Synchronoss digital business portfolio includes its Financial Analytics and spatialSUITE products as well as the iNow Platform. About Synchronoss Synchronoss Technologies. Media Relations Contact: Domenick Cilea Springboard dcilea@springboardpr.com Investor Relations Contact: Matt Glover / Tom Colton Gateway Group, Inc. SNCR@gatewayir.com Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - May 11, 2022) - Green Rise Foods Inc. (TSXV: GRF) ("Green Rise" or the "Company") previously announced that it had entered into a definitive asset purchase agreement with 2073834 Ontario Limited (the "Vendor"), with effect as of and from April 1, 2022, to acquire a 16-acre greenhouse range located on a 34-acre farm in Kingsville, Ontario for cash consideration of approximately CDN$15 million (the "Transaction"). The Vendor is principally owned and controlled by Adam Suder, the Chief Growth Officer of Green Rise. As a result, Mr. Suder is an "interested party," and the Transaction is a "related party transaction" under securities legislation. As such, it is reviewable by the Ontario Securities Commission (the "OSC") under Multilateral Instrument 61-101 ("MI 61-101") and by the TSXV under the rules and policies of the TSXV. The Company has made an application to the OSC for exemptive relief pursuant to sections 5.5 (c) and 5.7 (e) of MI -61 101 from the formal valuation and minority approval requirements applicable to related party transactions under MI-61-101 on the basis that the Transaction enjoys the support of persons who jointly beneficially own, or have control and direction over, 14,439,375 voting common shares representing 31.8% of all outstanding common shares of the Corporation ( greater than the 2,578,947 voting common shares beneficially owned by, or over which control and direction is exercised by, Adam Suder as the interested party). Furthermore, the Transaction enjoys the support of a majority of the disinterested shareholders, such persons being principally comprised of members of the Board of Directors, including all independent directors, a former director and certain members of Green Rise Management. On April 11, 2022, the TSXV conditionally accepted for filing notice of the Transaction subject to certain conditions, which the Company has addressed in an application for final acceptance filed with the TSXV. The Company is anticipating receipt of exemptive relief from the OSC and final acceptance from the TSXV this month and will announce if and when such relief and acceptance is obtained. Otherwise, the arrangements for the closing of the Transaction are proceeding satisfactorily, and the Company expects that all other conditions to closing will be satisfied or waived. ABOUT GREEN RISE Green Rise is a grower of fresh "Grown in Ontario" produce in 73 acres of greenhouse ranges located in Leamington and Kingsville, Ontario. The best-in-class, contract grower of fresh produce, takes pride in providing high-quality, consistent and dependable produce to meet ever growing consumer demand. Leveraging innovative growing solutions and embracing technology, Green Rise optimizes its operations to generate improved product quality, seek the highest yield, and provide investors with meaningful, growing and sustainable returns. The Company is proud to be an environmentally sustainable investment, producing locally grown, bee-pollinated fresh produce. The Company's first range is EFI (Equitable Food Initiative) certified. Contact Information For further information, please contact: Green Rise George Hatzoglou Phone: +1-416-551-5015 E-mail: info@greenrisefoods.ca Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Forward-Looking Statements This news release contains "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable securities laws. Any such forward-looking statements may be identified by words such as "expects", "anticipates", "believes", "projects", "plans" and similar expressions. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Actual results and developments may differ materially from those contemplated by these statements. The statements in this news release are made as of the date of this release. Green Rise undertakes no obligation to update any such forward-looking statements if circumstances or management's estimates or opinions should change except as required by applicable securities laws. The reader is cautioned not to place undue reliance on any such forward-looking statements. Green Rise undertakes no obligation to comment on analyses, expectations or statements made by third parties in respect of Green Rise or their respective financial or operating results or (as applicable), their securities. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/123652 William (Bill) Jackson, a well-rounded medical device and healthcare entrepreneur joins MyndTec's Board of Directors Mississauga, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - May 11, 2022) - MyndTec Inc. (CSE: MYTC) ("MyndTec" or the "Company"), an emerging leader in neurological rehabilitation, is pleased to announce the appointment of William (Bill) Jackson to its Board as an independent Director and as Chairman of the Board's Audit Committee effective May 11, 2022. With more than 25 years of experience in the medical device industry, Mr. Jackson brings a wealth of entrepreneurial and c-suite experience in building, growing and selling medical device and healthcare businesses. Mr. Jackson is currently the co-founder of Attwill Medical Solutions and is CEO and a Director of its parent company, Attwill Vascular Technologies, a leader in the US contract lyophilization business. Mr. Jackson was the co-founder of Preferred Medical Products, a company that was sold to Ballard Medical, a Tyco company. In addition, he co-founded TSX-V listed Covalon Technologies, and was the CFO, COO and Chair of the audit committee for 6 years. Bill participated in the formation of Synergist, a CPC that was constructed for an RTO of a medical robotics company that subsequently became Titan Medical, listed on the TSX-V. Bill has worked for medical device leaders Karl Stortz and Stryker, where he was a top 10 producer worldwide for both companies, and currently serves as a Director on the board of CSE-listed Revive Therapeutics Inc. "We are very pleased with Bill Jackson's addition to MyndTec's Board of Directors. Bill Jackson's well-respected and deep-rooted entrepreneurship in growing medical device companies brings invaluable expertise and counsel for the company," stated Craig Leon, CEO of MyndTec Inc. The Company also announces that Carlo Pannella has tendered his resignation as a Director of the Company and as Chairman of the Board's Audit Committee effective May 11, 2022. The Company thanks Mr. Pannella for his valuable contributions and wishes him every success in his future endeavors. About MyndTec MyndTec is a Canadian medical technology company dedicated to the development and commercialization of innovative products that improve function, maximize independence and enhance the quality of life for individuals who have suffered injury to the central nervous system as a result of stroke, spinal cord injury and certain traumatic brain injuries. The Company develops non-invasive neurological and nervous system electrical stimulation therapeutics for the treatment of neurological diseases and injury specifically targeted to markets with large, growing and global patient populations. The Company's flagship product MyndMove is a non-invasive functional electrical stimulation-based intervention. MyndMove uses neuroplasticity mechanisms to stimulate development of new neural efferent and afferent pathways allowing patients to re-establish voluntary movement and improve independence in their activities of daily living. The MyndMove system offers trained therapists the ability to assist individuals affected with paralysis to improve voluntary control of their limbs. The MyndMove therapy system offers a broad spectrum of sophisticated functional electrical stimulation software protocols which therapists customize to patient needs to enable meaningful controlled movements via proprietary stimulation technology. For more information visit https://www.myndtec.com Contact Information Craig Leon MyndTec Inc. | Chief Executive Officer investor.relations@myndtec.com Tel: (416) 569-0430 Bill Mitoulas Venture North Capital Inc. | Principal billm@venturenorthcapital.com Tel: (416) 479-9547 Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements This news release contains forward-looking statements that constitute "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities laws (collectively, "forward-looking statements"). All statements in this news release that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements, including, but not limited to, all statements regarding: events, performance or results of operations that the Company believes, expects or anticipates will or may occur in the future; the duration of the Consulting Agreement, the services provided under the Consulting Agreement; and the consideration paid pursuant to the Consulting Agreement. Forward-looking statements are typically, but not always, identified by words such as: "believes", "expects", "aim", "anticipates", "intends", "estimates", "plans", "may", "should", "could", "continue", "would", "will", "potential", "scheduled", "goal", "target", or variations of such words and phrases and similar expressions, which, by their nature, refer to future events or results that may, could, would, might or will occur or be taken or achieved. Forward-looking statements are necessarily based on a number of estimates and assumptions that include, but are not limited to: expected future development; general economic conditions; the ability of the Company to execute on its business objectives; and other estimates and assumptions described in the Company's Listing Statement dated February 18, 2022 (the "Listing Statement"), a copy of which is available under the Company's profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. Forward-looking statements are inherently subject to a number of significant risks and uncertainties that could cause the actual results or events to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements. Important risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results or events to differ materially from expectations include, but are not limited to: the Company's ability to continue as a going concern, the Company's research, development and commercialization of its products could be stopped or delayed if any third party fails to provide sufficient quantities of products or components, or fails to do so at acceptable quality levels or prices, or fails to maintain or achieve satisfactory regulatory compliance; the Company expects to incur significant ongoing costs and obligations relating to its investment in infrastructure, growth, research and development, regulatory compliance and operations; and other risks and uncertainties described in the Listing Statement. The Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results, performance or achievements to vary from those expectations expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements, however, there may be other factors that cause results, performance or achievements not to be as expected and that could cause actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from current expectations. These forward-looking statements are only current as of the date of this news release. Although the Company believes that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are reasonable, such statements involve risks and uncertainties and the Company provides no assurance that they will prove to be correct. Readers should not place undue reliance on such forward-looking statements. The Company does not undertake any obligation to update forward-looking statements contained herein, other than as required by applicable law. All forward-looking statements are qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement. The CSE has in no way passed upon the merits of the business of the Company and has neither approved nor disapproved the contents of this news release and accepts no responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy hereof. NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO U.S. NEWS WIRE SERVICES OR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/123695 Joseph Pape After receiving his BSc in Joint Honours Physics/Geology at the University of Manchester, Joseph Pape completed a MSc in Geophysics from the University of Durham. He launched his 34 year long career with BP as a Geophysicist, working largely on frontier evaluation from London, Norway, Canada and Brazil. He developed particular expertise in seismic stratigraphy, publishing in AAPG memoirs and running in house training courses. He then worked in field evaluation in the North Sea for six years, assuming Technical Leadership roles, before returning to Exploration Management in Indonesia and Angola. After 22 years of hands on experience, Joseph worked in a centralized functional role, advising the Chief Executive Exploration on prospectivity and technical assurance for BPs global portfolio, and ultimately Amoco and Arcos portfolio. He concluded his career with BP as Exploration Vice President Egypt, overseeing the first deep discoveries in the Nile Delta, and a successful exploration programme in the GUPCO joint venture. For the past year, Joseph has remained in Egypt, serving as an Exploration Consultant for EFG Hermes Investment Bank, and developing exploration training programmes. Casa, a Denver, CO-based creator of a safe way to store bitcoin, raised $21m in Series A funding. The round was led by Acrew Capital, with participation from new investors Positive Sum Ventures, Naval Ravikant, Scott Belsky, and others, and existing investors Avon Ventures (who led last years seed funding round), Stillmark, Tioga Capital, Castle Island Ventures and Lerer Hippeau. The company intends to use the funds to develop its core offering, including customer-requested financial services such as borrowing and lending. Led by CEO Nick Neuman, Casa builds tools at the forefront of Bitcoin self-custody, enabling individuals to take control of their wealth by holding their own Bitcoin private keys in a secure manner. The company also announced a new public API which will power a new generation of Bitcoin-enabled financial services by enabling any business to integrate multisignature (multisig) wallets within their financial products and services. The API unlocks a wide range of capabilities, including confirming financial information for situations including loan approval, seamlessly managing retirement investments, and automatically depositing Bitcoin to their Casa account. Launch partners include Swan, which will soon enable automated Deposit to Casa functionality; Choice IRA, enabling users to display their self-directed IRA Bitcoin assets live within the Choice dashboard; and Hoseki, which will connect to Casa wallet to provide proof of funds for traditional lenders. Each of the new services will be protected by Casas multisig technology, which helps users safeguard their bitcoin keys by ensuring that security is simple and usable for all. FinSMEs 10/05/2022 Conserv, a Birmingham, AL-based art and culture startup, raised $3M in Series A funding. The round was led by Benson Capital Partners. Additional institutional investors from this and previous rounds include Bonaventure Capital, Timberline Holdings, and Jemison Investment Company along with some angel investors from around the United States. The company intends to use the funds to expand its operations in the United States and Europe. Founded in 2018 in Birmingham, AL by Austin Senseman (CEO) and Nathan McMinn (CTO), Conserv provides an environmental monitoring platform that combines traditional environmental data from wireless sensors and pest management data to give preservation professionals an overview of risks facing their collections and to preserve shared cultural heritage in museums, libraries, archives, and historic properties. LoRaWAN-based sensors allow for wireless setup and maintenance in complex environments. Conserv has grown to over 300 customers in the last 18 months. Smithsonian Libraries and Archives, Massachusetts State Libraries, Museum of Modern Art, and the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute are among the collections using the platform to increase the effectiveness of their environmental monitoring efforts. In preparation to close the round in May, Conserv has built a team of experts. Yadin Larochette, formerly Museum and Conservation Liaison at Tru Vue, joined as President; Dave Masom, formerly VP Product at Pack Health, joined as Chief Product Officer. The team has grown to eleven employees, with four full-time conservators on staff. FinSMEs 11/05/2022 GetHenry, a Berlin, Germany-based provider of a service mobility solution for last-mile delivery companies and couriers, raised 16.5M in Seed funding. The funding was a mix of 10m equity and 6.5m debt. The equity round was led by LocalGlobe with participation from Visionaries Club, Founder Collective, EnBW New Ventures (ENV), GreenPoint Partners, SpeedUp Ventures, Third Sphere, APX, InnoEnergy, Fredrik Hjelm, Roger Hassan, and Jan Dzulko. The company intends to use the funds to expand the business across Europe and add new verticals, and to diversify its product portfolio, with cargo bikes and electric mopeds added to its fleets to expand capacity for its customers couriers. Co-founded by Luis Orsini-Rosenberg and Nikodemus Seilern, GetHenry provides sustainable e-mobility solutions through a full-service subscription model to couriers, grocers and logistics companies across 50 different cities in Europe. The company already supplies e-bikes to Germanys largest groceries-on-demand businesses (e.g. Gorillas, Flink, Just Eat Takeaway.com, MAYD, and arive). Following the seed funding raise, GetHenry is set to launch throughout France, Spain, the Netherlands and the UK with country managers already being hired in Paris and Amsterdam, as well as launch in more European countries later this year. FinSMEs 11/05/2022 West African representatives from the ministries of planning and finance, environment, and other stakeholders gathered in Abidjan on 5-6 May 2022 for a capacity-building workshop on addressing land degradation and ecosystem restoration. The workshop was a precursor to the UN Convention to Combat Desertification conference, being held in Abidjan from 9 to 20 May. The two-day sessions focused on financing opportunities that have the potential to deliver transformative projects and programs to boost the Great Green Wall initiative in West Africa. The African Development Banks Africa Climate Change Fund contributed to the workshop, developed by the UN Convention to Combat Desertification, in collaboration with several technical and financing partners. Halting and reversing land degradation can transform the land from being a source of greenhouse gas emissions to a sink by increasing carbon stocks in soils and vegetation. Land degradation neutrality aims to balance anticipated losses in land-based natural capital and associated ecosystem functions and services with measures that avoid and reduce land degradation and produce alternative gains through land restoration and sustainable land management approaches. During his opening remarks, Laouali Garba, Manager for Agriculture Research, Production, and Sustainability at the African Development Bank said: The Bank supports African countries in finding solutions for the sustainable management of natural resources to enhance the resilience of populations to the adverse effects of climate change and variability. Since the launch of the Banks Feed Africa strategy in 2015, more than 74 million people have benefited from access to improved agricultural and sustainable land management technologies. The Technologies for African Agricultural Transformation (TAAT) program has provided 11 million farmers in 29 African countries with proven agricultural technologies, Garba said. As the champion of resource mobilization to accelerate the implementation of the Great Green Wall Initiative Priority Investment Plan (2021-2030), the African Development Bank welcomes this partnership with the Global Mechanism for the UN Convention to Combat Desertification, he said. Cathrine Mutambirwa, the Program Coordinator of Land Degradation Neutrality and Land Restoration at the Global Mechanism, said: We work with partners to improve the capacity to design transformative land-based interventions to build resilience and improve rural livelihoods. With the African Development Bank and other partners, we complement each other well to move the projects quickly. Land-based transformative projects and programs can target a wide range of funding sources, by combining public, private, and blended financial resources, including the Global Environment Facility, the Green Climate Fund, the Adaptation Fund, and other financing mechanisms from multilateral and bilateral banks, like the Land Degradation Neutrality Fund. Rita Effah, Senior Climate Finance Officer and Africa Climate Change Fund Coordinator, outlined how to access African Development Bank financing: The Africa Climate Change Fund supports regional member countries to directly access climate finance by preparing bankable projects to access climate funds and also by supporting the implementation of small-scale adaptation projects, including land restoration, to enhance communities resilience. The African Development Bank, as an implementing agency and accredited entity to the Global Environment Facility, Green Climate Fund, and the Climate Investment Funds, is co-financing projects that contribute to addressing land degradation in Africa. Moussa Nakoulima, Investment Officer, Global Partners, at the European Investment Bank mentioned that the European Investment Bank had invested over 10 billion in Africa in 2021. Yasmina Oodally, an Environmental Specialist at the World Bank, explained how the World Bank supports the Great Green Wall, with future land restoration projects targeting policy and institutional reforms designed to empower local communities, especially women. The World Bank committed $5.6 billion through ongoing and new projects in the Great Green Wall countries. Sarah Toumi, Program Management Officer of the Great Green Wall initiative, said: The Pan-African Initiative of the Great Green Wall is a nature-based solution to the complex challenges facing humanity and a compelling symbol of what is possible if we work together to protect and restore our planet. It is one piece in the puzzle in providing genuine alternatives for people increasingly working together to stop the drivers of land degradation and increase rehabilitation of degraded lands. Partager et informez vous aussi...... 0 shares Share Tweet LinkedIn Articles similaires HR Path, a Paris, France-based HR digital transformation company, raised 225M in financing. The round was led by Andera Partners, with participation from Societe Generale Capital Partenaires, as well as six French banks including Societe Generale, BNP Paribas, Credit Agricole Ile de France, Banque Palatine, LCL and Caisse dEpargne Ile de France. The company intends to use the funds to accelerate growth, both organically and externally, and expand operations. Led by co-presidents Francois Boulet and Cyril Courtin, HR Path is a Human Resources company that supports companies for which the human experience is essential to their digital transformation. It provides services which range from HR strategy consulting (Advise) through the implementation of software solutions (Implement) to payroll outsourcing (Run). Created in 2001 in Paris and with its 1,300 talents, HR Path advises, integrates, and operates in 19 countries for more than 1,500 clients. Its turnover to date amounts to 140 million. FinSMEs 11/05/2022 Sunday Security, a Tel Aviv, Israel-based provider of personal cybersecurity solutions for the enterprise, raised $4M in seed funding. The round was led by MoreVC, with participation from: John Donovan, former CEO at AT&T and chairman of the Presidents National Security Telecommunications Advisory Committee; Amit Singh, CBO, Palo Alto Networks (PANW); Shailesh Rao, president, Global Go-To-Market at PANW; Tom Kemp, founder and former CEO at Centrify; and many more industry leaders. Founded by security veterans Zack Ganot, CEO and Shaked Barkan, CTO, Sunday is the leader of a new category in cybersecurity Personal Cybersecurity, which defends key personnel from attacks on their personal security: from their online accounts to their devices, identity fraud and beyond. Prior to founding Sunday, Ganot and Barkan ran Pandora Security, a cybersecurity consulting firm focused on high-profile individuals. Armed with a deep understanding of the problems enterprises face in the personal cybersecurity realm, they have created a novel approach, providing security teams with first-time visibility into the personal attack surface, together with monitoring and remediation capabilities for a wide range of popular personal accounts. FinSMEs 11/05/2022 Search baby formula recipe online and youll find varying ingredients and instructions. Some use blackstrap molasses, water and full-fat evaporated milk. Others call for liquid whey, lactose, nutritional yeast, gelatin and a bevy of oils: cod liver, sunflower, extra virgin olive and virgin coconut. Advertisement But, no matter the recipe, federal officials are warning parents and caregivers against making baby and infant formula at home, even if a widespread shortage is leaving shelves bare. The potential problems with homemade formulas include contamination and absence of or inadequate amounts of critical nutrients, according to the Food and Drug Administrations website. These problems are very serious, and the consequences range from severe nutritional imbalances to foodborne illnesses, both of which can be life-threatening. Advertisement [ Baby formula shortage worsens after recall. Heres what you need to know ] Because of these severe health concerns, the FDA strongly advises parents and caregivers not to make and feed their infants homemade infant formulas. Spot shortages during peaks in the pandemic caused baby formula to join the list of products in low supply such as toilet paper, hand sanitizer, cat food and ketchup. After some brands of powdered baby formula were recalled earlier this year due to reports of illness and two deaths, it worsened. While the shortage continues, health officials are urging against using homemade formula, asking parents and caregivers to reach out to food banks and doctors offices instead. Nationwide, about 40% of large retail stores are out of stock, up from 31% in mid-April, according to an Associated Press report, citing Datasembly, a data analytics firm. More than half of U.S. states are seeing out-of-stock rates between 40% and 50%, according to the firm, which collects data from 11,000 locations. A sign telling consumers of limits on the purchase of baby formula hangs on the edge of an empty shelf for the product in a King Soopers grocery store, Wednesday, May 11, 2022, in southeast Denver. (David Zalubowski/AP) Some retailers, including CVS and Walgreens, have begun limiting purchases to three containers per customer. Due to increased demand and various supplier challenges, infant and toddler formulas are seeing constraint across the country, a Walgreens spokesperson said. Similar to other retailers, we put into effect purchase limits of three per transaction on all infant and toddler formula to help improve inventory. We continue to work diligently with our supplier partners to best meet customer demands. FDA Commissioner Robert M. Califf on Tuesday said the agency is doing everything in our power to ensure there is adequate product available where and when they need it. Advertisement Ensuring the availability of safe, sole-source nutrition products like infant formula is of the utmost importance to the FDA, he said. Our teams have been working tirelessly to address and alleviate supply issues and will continue doing everything within our authority to ensure the production of safe infant formula products. [ Baby formula shortage worsens, leaving parents scrambling ] Business Buzz Daily The daily update for the Lehigh Valley business person. > Substituting homemade formula for store bought can seem enticing, but can have negative health impacts, according to the agency. In February, the FDA received reports of hospitalized infants suffering from hypocalcemia, or low calcium, that had been fed homemade infant formula. The FDA has requirements for certain nutrients in infant formulas, and if the formula does not contain these nutrients at or above the minimum level or within the specified range, the infant formula is adulterated, according to the agencys website. Because these recipes havent been evaluated by the FDA, they may lack the nutrients vital to an infants growth. Officials are also cautioning parents and caregivers against diluting infant formula, adding they should avoid buying formula online that comes from outside the country, as it has the potential to be counterfeit. And, if formula is unavailable, officials said to contact the childs health care provider for recommendations on changing feeding practices. Advertisement The United Way of the Greater Lehigh Valley has a resource list for residents in need of essentials for babies and infants. Morning Call reporter Molly Bilinski can be reached at mbilinski@mcall.com. A local, family-owned jewelry business is bringing more shine to the Lehigh Valley. Aslan Jewelers, offering fine jewelry, watches, custom designs and repair, in late April opened its third area location at the Palmer Park Mall in Palmer Township. Advertisement Aslan Jewelers, offering fine jewelry, watches, custom designs and repair, in late April opened its third area location at the Palmer Park Mall in Palmer Township. (Dani Aslan/Contributed photo) The new store, occupying the former Littman Jewelers space, supplements two other Aslan Jewelers locations one on the upper level of the Lehigh Valley Mall in Whitehall Township and another at 216 E. Fairmont St. in Coopersburg that opened last year. Aslan Jewelers is operated by Dani Aslan, a second-generation jeweler with nearly 30 years of experience in the field, and his wife, Patricia Aslan. Advertisement Dani previously operated as an independent contractor and wholesaler for nearly two decades, providing his jewelry services and handcrafted pieces to many independent and popular retail jewelry stores. Aslan Jewelers, offering fine jewelry, watches, custom designs and repair, in late April opened its third area location at the Palmer Park Mall in Palmer Township. (Dani Aslan/Contributed photo) The Aslans, who reside in Coopersburg, studied and hold several certifications from the Gemological Institute of America in New York City and Carlsbad, California. Business Buzz Daily The daily update for the Lehigh Valley business person. > Over the years, theyve partnered with small and large jewelry stores nationwide, and Dani also spent many years working alongside prominent jewelers in California. His pieces have found their way into the jewelry boxes of famous actresses, musicians and other celebrities. Aslan Jewelers, offering fine jewelry, watches, custom designs and repair, in late April opened its third area location at the Palmer Park Mall in Palmer Township. (Aslan Jewelers/Contributed photo) I worked with the finest master jewelers in Los Angeles, and we used to make a lot of pieces for celebrities many top names, Dani told The Morning Call last year. Today, my products still can be found on Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills, but those pieces are not under my name because the stores sell them under their own names. Aslan Jewelers carries handcrafted fine jewelry rings, bracelets, earrings and more from Aslans own collection, Dani Aslan Handcrafted Jewelry, along with other brands jewelry and watches. The full-service shops offer custom pieces for all budgets, along with services such as jewelry and watch repair, appraisals, pearl restringing, laser engraving, ring sizing, stone setting, diamond replacement and rhodium plating. Aslan Jewelers, offering fine jewelry, watches, custom designs and repair, in late April opened its third area location at the Palmer Park Mall in Palmer Township. (Aslan Jewelers/Contributed photo) The Palmer store, open 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday and noon to 6 p.m. Sundays, joins a handful of other Palmer Park Mall jewelry stores, including Freeman Jewelers, Totally Pagoda and Claires. Advertisement For more information, visit aslanjewelers.com or follow the business social media pages, facebook.com/aslanjewelers and instagram.com/aslanjewelers. Parents across the U.S. are scrambling to find baby formula because supply disruptions and a massive safety recall have swept many leading brands off store shelves. Months of spot shortages at pharmacies and supermarkets have been exacerbated by the recall at Abbott, which was forced to shutter its largest U.S. formula manufacturing plant in February due to contamination concerns. Advertisement On Monday, White House press secretary Jenn Psaki said the Food and Drug Administration was working around the clock to address any possible shortages. On Tuesday, the FDA said it was working with U.S. manufacturers to increase their output and streamlining paperwork to allow more imports. Advertisement For now, pediatricians and health workers are urging parents who cant find formula to contact food banks or doctors offices. They warn against watering down formula to stretch supplies or using online DIY recipes. For babies who are not being breastfed, this is the only thing they eat, said Dr. Steven Abrams, of the University of Texas, Austin. So it has to have all of their nutrition and, furthermore, it needs to be properly prepared so that its safe for the smallest infants. A limited supplies sign is shown on the baby formula shelf at a grocery store Tuesday, May 10, 2022, in Salt Lake City. (Rick Bowmer/AP) Laura Stewart, a 52-year-old mother of three who lives just north of Springfield, Missouri, has been struggling for several weeks to find formula for her 10-month-old daughter, Riley. Riley normally gets a brand of Abbotts Similac designed for children with sensitive stomachs. Last month, she instead used four different brands. She spits up more. Shes just more cranky. She is typically a very happy girl, Stewart said. When she has the right formula, she doesnt spit up. Shes perfectly fine. A small can costs $17 to $18 and lasts three to five days, Stewart said. Like many Americans, Stewart relies on WIC a federal program similar to food stamps that serves mothers and children to afford formula for her daughter. Abbotts recall wiped out many WIC-covered brands, though the program is now allowing substitutions. [ Baby formula shortage worsens after recall. Heres what you need to know ] Trying to keep formula in stock, retailers including CVS and Walgreens have begun limiting purchases to three containers per customer. Advertisement Nationwide about 40% of large retail stores are out of stock, up from 31% in mid-April, according to Datasembly, a data analytics firm. More than half of U.S. states are seeing out-of-stock rates between 40% and 50%, according to the firm, which collects data from 11,000 locations. Baby formula is particularly vulnerable to disruptions because just a handful of companies account for almost the entire U.S. supply. Industry executives say the constraints began last year as the COVID-19 pandemic led to disruptions in ingredients, labor and transportation. Supplies were further squeezed by parents stockpiling during lockdowns. Then in February, Abbott recalled several major brands and shut down its Sturgis, Michigan, factory when federal officials concluded four babies suffered bacterial infections after consuming formula from the facility. Two of the infants died. When FDA inspectors visited the plant in March they found lax safety protocols and traces of the bacteria on several surfaces. None of the bacterial strains matched those collected from the infants, however, and the FDA hasnt offered an explanation for how the contamination occurred. For its part, Abbott says its formula is not likely the source of infection, though the FDA says its investigation continues. Advertisement Chicago-based Abbott said it is increasing production at its other facilities to fill the gap, including air-shipping formula from a plant in Ireland. The shortages are especially dangerous for infants who require specialty formulas due to food allergies, digestive problems and other conditions. Unfortunately, many of those very specialized formulas are only made in the United States at the factory that had the recall, and thats caused a huge problem for a relatively small number of infants, Abrams said. After hearing concerns from parents, the FDA said last month that Abbott could begin releasing some specialty formulas not affected by the recalls on a case-by-case basis. The company is providing them free of charge, in coordination with physicians and hospitals. Breaking News Alerts As it happens Get updates on the coronavirus pandemic and other news as it happens with our free breaking news email alerts. > Food safety advocates say the FDA made the right call in releasing the formula, but that parents should talk to their pediatricians before using it. Theres still some risk from the formula because we know there are problems at the plant and FDA hasnt identified a root cause, said Sarah Sorscher of the Center for Science in the Public Interest. But its worth releasing because these infants might die without it. Advertisement Its unclear when the Abbott plant might reopen. The FDA said the company is still working to rectify findings related to the processes, procedures and conditions. Other infant formula makers are meeting or exceeding capacity levels to meet current demand, the agency said. Among other steps, the FDA said it was waiving enforcement of minor product labeling issues to increase availability of both U.S. and imported products. ___ The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institutes Department of Science Education. The AP is solely responsible for all content. The Southern Lehigh School District is not planning to fill three teacher vacancies for the next school year, coinciding with the end of federal funding for 11 temporary teaching and instructional aid positions. After a tense discussion, the school board voted 6-3 at Mondays meeting to approve the proposed budget, which would increase property taxes by 1.95% and take advantage of attritional savings from teacher vacancies, despite the potential for increased student class sizes. Advertisement I dont want to ever cut a teacher, I dont want to ever see a class size go up, said Superintendent Michael Mahon. The idea is, identify what we can do, where we can do it. The proposed budget presented by Director of Business Lou Pepe lists expenses at $73.6 million and revenue at $71.8 million. Advertisement School Board President Mary Joy Reinartz, Vice President William Lycett and board members Nicole King, Jeffrey Dimmig, Stephen Maund and Christopher Wayock voted for the proposed budget. Once three teachers leave at the end of this school year, positions will not be filled for a high school social studies teacher, a middle school social studies teacher and a middle school special education teacher. This will save the district $378,260. You only get shots at attrition when they happen, because we dont want to furlough teachers, Dimmig said. Look where we still are: raising taxes. Look where we still are: a deficit spend. We havent even solved the problem. Next year, 11 teaching and instructional positions will also be discontinued as funding from the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund will expire. These positions include two English teachers, two math teachers, a special education teacher and six instructional aids. Mahon explained these positions were created to combat learning loss from the pandemic and were temporary. Additionally, Mahon has not sought to fill seven technology, custodial and secretarial positions this year, saving the district $625,000. With respect to our total staff, were looking at about $1.3 million just to change the calendar, and this comes following a year where we are spending in deficits, so those are the challenges that we face, Mahon said. Southern Lehigh Education Association President Amy Bausher said fewer teachers and larger class sizes affect the districts most vulnerable students. We understand that the administration and board have difficult decisions to make, but we are disappointed that they are choosing to make those cuts in areas where students are directly impacted, Bausher said in an email. Advertisement At the high school level, class size may increase from 21 to 25 students as a result of the social studies position remaining unfilled. Dimmig argued these same students would soon be facing much larger class sizes at the college level. He said he is more concerned about small class sizes in elementary school. Emily Gehman, one of the board members who voted against the proposed budget, disagreed with Dimmigs framing of increased class sizes as preparation for college. She said the district needs to serve students who will pursue technical schooling and other noncollege career paths. Colleges also offer additional educational supports outside of the classroom, she added. At the middle school level, class size may increase from 22 to 29 students because of the social studies teacher vacancy. It sounds like we havent replaced a lot of other people that would also be providing support, and I take issue with that, said board member Kyle Gangewere, who also voted against the proposed budget. It sounds like were saying, Well, here, now youve got 29 students and less support, good luck. Priya Sareen, another board member who voted against the proposed budget, expressed concerns about the increase in class sizes at both the middle and high school levels. Advertisement She said already disadvantaged students will suffer because parents may not be able to afford to supplement their education outside the classroom. She also expressed concern that both vacancies are in the social studies department. Its a cut to teaching, and once you dont fill those spots, I highly doubt youre going to fill them, Sarin said. Its not as if the budget situation is going to improve, so we can consider those teaching positions gone, and social studies will remain that way. The middle school special education vacancy will not result in increased class sizes because another teacher within the district will be moved to this building. Mahon also promised to create and fill vacancies at the elementary school level if class sizes surpass 26 students. Running a skeleton crew is not going to keep our district at the high success it has, said Nicole Dolan, a district parent who has already noticed her childrens elementary classes approaching Mahons 26-student threshold. The success that we have in this district is due to our teaching staff, our teaching support, our teaching experience, she said. If we start just letting that go and not replacing it, Im worried theres going to be a downward spiral where its going to become an environment teachers dont want to come to. Advertisement Mahon said he felt comfortable suggesting the three vacant teaching positions remain unfilled. Two other vacancies, however, will be filled. He also stressed the districts desperate need for investments in facilities, such as heating, ventilation and air conditioning units. Last Call Daily Get top headlines from The Morning Call delivered weekday afternoons. > I dont want to run the district to a point where three or four years from now when new people are coming around, its left a mess, Mahon said. Mahon said the district has been looking to cut spending where possible, such as by rolling back $150,000 in computer licensing no longer needed now that students have returned to school in-person. The teachers union, however, does not support the decision to cut software, and teachers may now lose access to software programs theyve built their classroom content around, Bausher said. No teachers were asked about the potential negative implications the elimination of these programs would have on our students education, she said in an email. These decisions do not seem to be putting our students first. Advertisement The proposed budget will be displayed on the Pennsylvania Department of Education website for at least 20 days, and may still change before it is finalized in June. Morning Call reporter Jenny Roberts can be reached at 484-903-1732 and jroberts@mcall.com. Lehigh County District Attorney Jim Martin said Wednesday at least some disagreements with the states top election official over detective monitoring of election ballot drop boxes have been resolved. Martin, who is using the detectives to deter or stop people from illegally depositing multiple ballots, said he and acting Secretary of State Leigh Chapman had a cordial phone conversation after she sent him a letter asking him to stop the practice. Advertisement We both expressed our positions, Martin said. On balance, the secretary of state and I are OK. Wednesday marked the midpoint of the second week detectives have been watching the countys five ballot drop boxes, which are receptacles where voters can deposit filled-out mail-in ballots ahead of Tuesdays primary election. Advertisement Martin announced the strategy after an investigation carried out last year showed hundreds of people had dropped off multiple ballots, which is illegal except under certain circumstances. That investigation found no evidence of fraud. By Wednesday, Martin said, no violations had been reported this election cycle. Martin said he agreed to supply Chapman with a report on the monitoring after the election was over. [ Opinion: Everyone should get off DA Jim Martins back about ballot box detectives ] Martin said plainclothes detectives from time to time are conducting in-person observation of the drop boxes and also watching video feeds from the five locations in real time. His plan was met with a barrage of criticism when it became publicly known. The American Civil Liberties Union and other groups said Martins plan amounted to illegal voter intimidation. Some Lehigh Democratic leaders and other entities called the plan a criminalization of democracy. Chapman said she, too, was concerned about voter intimidation. Law enforcement officers, whether they be in uniform or in civilian clothes, positioned near a ballot drop box may very well dissuade eligible voters as well as authorized designated agents from legally casting ballots, Chapman said in the letter to Martin. Advertisement The Department of State, responding to written questions late Wednesday, said in a statement, If counties have drop boxes, the boards must determine what measures are needed to ensure they are secure 24/7. Chapman was expected to speak to reporters Thursday about preparations for the upcoming primary. Martin pointed to Berks County as proof that the drop box-security discussion goes far beyond Lehigh. Berks uniformed sheriffs deputies have been at drop boxes during every election since the boxes went into use in 2020. On Wednesday, two deputies Elvin Ortiz and Zach Smith stood by the box in the lobby of the Berks County Agricultural Center. Between five and 10 voters who dropped off mail-in ballots during a 15-minute period Wednesday afternoon appeared to take little notice of the uniformed personnel. Those who were asked said they liked the presence of law enforcement. Advertisement I understand why they are here. One person, one ballot, said voter Carol Schell, 75. Last Call Daily Get top headlines from The Morning Call delivered weekday afternoons. > Berks County Sheriff Eric Weaknecht said as soon as the county decided in 2020 to use ballot drop boxes one of the provisions was there would be deputy sheriffs there. Also Wednesday, state Rep. Gary Day, R-Lehigh, issued a news release calling for Chapman to resign, citing her statements about Martins drop box-monitoring plan. The acting secretary cannot be trusted to lead the Department of State because she is using the authority of her position to discourage the enforcement of duly constituted Pennsylvania election law, Day wrote. On Tuesday, Republican Sen. Cris Dush of Jefferson County also citing the Lehigh County situation asked her to instruct counties to stop using drop boxes immediately. Unless the state puts additional steps in place, the chain of custody for any ballot submitted in such fashion is unverifiable, Dush said. Advertisement In its statement, the Department of State said Dushs letter had a number of inaccuracies regarding the voting process. As an example, the department said all mail-in and absentee ballots have unique bar codes on their outer envelope, making them verifiable. Morning Call Capitol correspondent Ford Turner can be reached at fturner@mcall.com. Sydney, May 06, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Just released, this edition of BuddeComm report outlines the latest developments and key trends in the telecoms markets. - https://www.budde.com.au/Research/Moldova-Telecoms-Mobile-and-Broadband-Statistics-and-Analyses/?utm_source=GNW In turn this has resulted in telecom revenue having fallen steadily in recent years. This decline continued into 2020, with a 6.3% in revenue from the important mobile sector alone, year-on-year. Moldovas aspirations to join the EU have encouraged the government and regulator to adopt a range of measures to bring the countrys telecoms sector into line with EU principles and standards. In July 2017 the Electronic Communications Act was amended to accommodate the 2009 European regulatory framework, while further amendments were adopted in December 2017 and additional changes were proposed in 2019. Moldova is also part of the Eastern Partnership group of countries, and as such has set in train a glidepath to reducing roaming charges, effective between 2022 and 2026. The countrys broadband strategy through to 2025 has been supported by the ITU and industry counterparts from Korea. The internet market is developing rapidly, and though the penetration rate is well below the average for most European countries there are many opportunities for further development. The market is highly competitive, with 101 active ISPs as of early 2021, though Moldtelecom and Starnet between them account for most connections. The number of cable broadband subscribers is increasing steadily, though fibre is now by far the strongest sector. By the end of 2020 fibre accounted for about 72.3% of all fixed broadband connections. The mobile market has also grown rapidly, and the sector accounts for the majority of total telecoms revenue. The triopoly of operators is dominated by Orange Moldova, while the launch of LTE services has opened up a new revenue growth opportunity centred on mobile broadband. The near comprehensive geographical reach of their mobile networks, market brand recognition and existing customer relationships will make for steady subscriber growth in coming years. BuddeComm notes that the Covid-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on the telecoms market. On the consumer side, spending on telecoms services and devices is under pressure from the financial effect of large-scale job losses and the consequent restriction on disposable incomes. However, the crucial nature of telecom services, both for general communication as well as a tool for home-working, has offset such pressures. In many markets the net effect has been a reduced (and sometimes negative) subscriber growth, which will continue into 2021. Overall progress towards 5G may be postponed or slowed down in some countries. On the consumer side, spending on telecoms services and devices is under pressure from the financial effect of large-scale job losses and the consequent restriction on disposable incomes. However, the crucial nature of telecom services, both for general communication as well as a tool for home-working, will offset such pressures. In many markets the net effect should be a steady though reduced increased in subscriber growth. Although it is challenging to predict and interpret the long-term impacts of the crisis as it develops, these have been acknowledged in the industry forecasts contained in this report. The report also covers the responses of the telecom operators as well as government agencies and regulators as they react to the crisis to ensure that citizens can continue to make optimum use of telecom services. This can be reflected in subsidy schemes and the promotion of tele-health and tele-education, among other solutions. Key Developments: Fintur Holdings sells its stake in Moldcell to CG Cell Technologies; Regulator preps for multi-spectrum auction with licenses valid to 2029, issues mobile license to IDC; Orange Group acquires the cableco Sun Communications, secures additional licences in the in the 800MHz and 900MHz bands; Moldcell expands the reach of LTE services; Regulator suspends 3.4GHz auction after no bids are offered; Report update includes regulators market data to December 2020, telcos operating and financial data to Q4 2020, Telecom Maturity Index charts and analyses, assessment of the global impact of Covid-19 on the telecoms sector, recent market developments. TORONTO, May 10, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- IBI Group Inc. ("IBI" or the "Company") is pleased to announce the detailed voting results for the 2022 Annual Meeting (the "Meeting") of Shareholders held virtually on May 6, 2022. The following seven nominees were elected as Directors of the Corporation to serve until the next annual meeting of shareholders of the Corporation, or until their successors are elected or appointed. The results of the vote are as follows: Name of Nominee Votes "For" % For Votes "Withheld" % Withheld Scott Stewart 29,817,369 99.92% 23,207 0.08% David Thom 29,660,759 99.40% 179,811 0.60% Michael Nobrega 27,573,252 92.40% 2,267,318 7.60% John Reid 29,811,192 97.89% 629,378 2.11% Claudia Krywiak 29,367,552 98.41% 473,018 1.59% Paula Sinclair 29,207,852 97.88% 632,718 2.12% Sharon Ranson 29,088,350 97.48% 752,220 2.52% KPMG LLP, Chartered Accountants, were reappointed as auditors of the Corporation to hold office until the next annual meeting, and the Directors were authorized to fix their remuneration. The results were as follows: Votes "For" % For Votes "Withheld" % Withheld Total 28,659,587 95.55% 1,334,275 4.45% 29,993,862 The Corporation's approach to executive compensation (say on pay), as described in the Corporation's Management Information Circular, was accepted. The results were as follows: Votes "For" % For Votes "Against" % Against Total 27,732,745 92.94% 2,107,825 7.06% 29,840,570 About IBI Group Inc. IBI Group Inc. (TSX:IBG) is a technology-driven design firm with global architecture, engineering, planning, and technology expertise spanning over 60 offices and nearly 3,400 professionals around the world. For almost 50 years, its dedicated professionals have helped clients create livable, sustainable, and advanced urban environments. IBI Group believes that cities thrive when designed with intelligent systems, sustainable buildings, efficient infrastructure, and a human touch. Follow IBI Group on Twitter @ibigroup and Instagram @ibi_group. For additional information, please contact: Stephen Taylor, CFO IBI Group Inc. 55 St. Clair Avenue West Toronto, ON M5V 2Y7 Tel: 416-596-1930 www.ibigroup.com Dublin, May 11, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Smart Windows - Global Market Trajectory & Analytics" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. The global market for Smart Windows estimated at US$3.6 Billion in the year 2020, is projected to reach a revised size of US$6.8 Billion by 2026, growing at a CAGR of 11.3% over the analysis period. Suspended Particle Devices (SPD), one of the segments analyzed in the report, is projected to record a 9% CAGR and reach US$4.1 Billion by the end of the analysis period. After a thorough analysis of the business implications of the pandemic and its induced economic crisis, growth in the Electrochromic segment is readjusted to a revised 16.4% CAGR for the next 7-year period. The U.S. Market is Estimated at $1.2 Billion in 2021, While China is Forecast to Reach $1.1 Billion by 2026 The Smart Windows market in the U.S. is estimated at US$1.2 Billion in the year 2021. China, the world`s second largest economy, is forecast to reach a projected market size of US$1.1 Billion by the year 2026 trailing a CAGR of 13.7% over the analysis period. Among the other noteworthy geographic markets are Japan and Canada, each forecast to grow at 9.7% and 10.1% respectively over the analysis period. Within Europe, Germany is forecast to grow at approximately 10.6% CAGR. Cost savings, energy efficiencies and tightening sustainability norms are spurring the market for smart glass windows globally. Automotive and aviation applications are primed to witness splendid growth for smart glass windows. However, high initial installation and material costs, relatively low market awareness and durability concerns continue to challenge adoption rates of smart glass windows. Expansion of applications, improvement in the speed of switching and dimming and the extent of glass tinting control are slated to buoy the market demand in the near term. T he market is also driven by favorable government regulations that recommend energy efficient heating, cooling and lighting solutions in buildings and cars. The ongoing trend towards embedding electronics, such as sensors, to turn auto and architectural windows into displays of infotainment content represents another significant factor benefiting market expansion. Transportation sectors represent an important application area supported by growing environmental concerns, increasing emphasis on energy efficiency, focus on better fuel economy, and the incessant drive to improve car and aircraft designs. These windows are witnessing increasing use to cut energy costs associated with heating, lighting and air-conditioning. Polymer Dispersed Liquid Crystal (PDLC) Segment to Reach $751.5 Million by 2026 In the global Polymer Dispersed Liquid Crystal (PDLC) segment, USA, Canada, Japan, China and Europe will drive the 12.7% CAGR estimated for this segment. These regional markets accounting for a combined market size of US$311.5 Million in the year 2020 will reach a projected size of US$719.8 Million by the close of the analysis period. China will remain among the fastest growing in this cluster of regional markets. Led by countries such as Australia, India, and South Korea, the market in Asia-Pacific is forecast to reach US$70.1 Million by the year 2026. Select Competitors (Total 77 Featured) - ChromoGenics Eastman Chemical Company EControl-Glas GmbH & Co. KG Gentex Corporation Heliotrope Technologies Innovative Glass Corporation Pleotint LLC Polytronix, Inc. PPG Industries Inc RavenWindow SAGE Electrochromics Inc Scienstry Smart Glass International Ltd Smart Windows Colorado View, Inc. Key Topics Covered: MARKET OVERVIEW Smart Windows - Global Key Competitors Percentage Market Share in 2022 (E) COVID-19 Pandemic Dents Growth in Global Smart Windows Market Performance Snapshot of Major End-Use Markets Smart Glass: A Growing Area of Interest Suspended particle device (SPD) Glass Accounts for Major Share Developed Markets Dominate, while Developing Markets Drive Growth China: A Fast Growing Market for Smart Windows High Costs: A Major Issue Market Witnesses Rising Investments and Increasing Patent Activity Leading Smart Glass Windows Startups Research & Development: Need of the Hour to expand Market Adoption MARKET TRENDS & DRIVERS Myriad Benefits Offered by Smart Glass Windows Drive Widespread Adoption in Architectural Applications Growing Concerns with Regard to Energy Loss Drive Demand for Switchable Smart Glass in Varied Applications Aesthetics: The Fundamental Factor behind the Huge Popularity of Smart Windows Implementation of Smart Buildings and Smart Cities Boosts Prospects Recovery in Construction Sector to Boost Growth Transportation: An Important Market for Smart Windows Focus on Energy Efficiency, Better Fuel Economy, and Improved Vehicle Designs Drive Robust Demand Self-Cleaning and Self-Repairing Applications Gain Momentum Self-Tinting in Automobile Windows : An Insight Lightweight Smart Glass: First-Choice Materials in Connected Cars Smart Windows Seek Opportunities in Self-Driving Cars Global Autonomous-Ready Vehicles Net Additions in Thousands: 2019 and 2024 Recovery in Automobiles Production: An Important Opportunity Indicator Proliferation of Electric Vehicles to Help Smart Glass Find Mainstream Adoption Spiraling Electricity Usage and Resulting Energy Costs Spur Demand for Automatic Tinting Windows in the Building Sector Smart Windows in Aircrafts Enable Efficient Management of Light and Glare Growing Focus on Enhancing Consumer Experience at Airports to Drive Smart Window Installations Smart Glass for Smart Yachts: A Potential Growth Avenue Superior Attributes of Active Smart Glass Promote Higher Growth than Passive Types Comparison of Active Smart Glass Technologies Electrochromics and SPD: Leading Smart Glass Technologies PDLC Active Smart Glass: An Alternative to PDLC Active Smart Glass Penetration Marred by Limited Capabilities Smart Glass Innovation and Advancements Nanotechnology Brings Hope to Help Buildings See Green through Smart Windows Water-Repellant & Ventilation Options Smart Window with Potential to Regulate & Harness Solar Energy for Energy-Efficient Buildings Near-UV Light Absorbing Smart Windows Innovative Smart Glass Solutions that Substitute Electronic Window Shades Triboelectrics-Powered Smart Windows Electricity-Free Smart Window Smart Windows with Wide-angle Antireflection and Broadband Functionalities Wi-Fi Compatible Smart Windows Novel Smart Window Technology to Control Light and Heat Flow Microgels to Replace Hydrogels in Smart Windows Mobile App for Tinting Windows through Smartphones Universal Smart Window Coating Dye Sensitized Solar Cell (DSSC) Integrated Smart Window For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/hij019 About ResearchAndMarkets.com ResearchAndMarkets.com is the world's leading source for international market research reports and market data. We provide you with the latest data on international and regional markets, key industries, the top companies, new products and the latest trends. Attachment Luxembourg 11 May 2022 - Subsea 7 S.A. (Oslo Brs: SUBC, ADR: SUBCY) today announced the award of a sizeable1 project by BP for the TOPR project located offshore Trinidad and Tobago, in water depths of up to 280 feet. The project covers the installation of a 96 kilometres 12-inch pipeline, associated shore approach and diver tie-in spools. Front end engineering and design (FEED) is underway and the EPCI2 scope is scheduled to begin this month. Project management and engineering will take place in Subsea 7s office in Houston, Texas. Craig Broussard, Vice President for Subsea 7 US, said: "We are honoured to have been selected for the fast-track delivery of the TOPR project and we look forward to continuing our collaborative relationship with BP. Subsea 7 defines a sizeable contract as being between USD 50 million and USD 150 million Engineering, procurement, construction, installation ******************************************************************************* Subsea 7 is a global leader in the delivery of offshore projects and services for the evolving energy industry, creating sustainable value by being the industrys partner and employer of choice in delivering the efficient offshore solutions the world needs. Subsea 7 is listed on the Oslo Brs (SUBC), ISIN LU0075646355, LEI 222100AIF0CBCY80AH62. ******************************************************************************* Contact for investment community enquiries: Katherine Tonks Investor Relations Director Tel +44 (0)20 8210 5568 katherine.tonks@subsea7.com Contact for media enquiries: Ashley Shearer Senior Communications Advisor Tel +1-713-300-6792 ashley.shearer@subsea7.com www.subsea7.com Forward-Looking Statements: This announcement may contain forward-looking statements (within the meaning of the safe harbour provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995). These statements relate to our current expectations, beliefs, intentions, assumptions or strategies regarding the future and are subject to known and unknown risks that could cause actual results, performance or events to differ materially from those expressed or implied in these statements. Forward-looking statements may be identified by the use of words such as anticipate, believe, estimate, expect, future, goal, intend, likely may, plan, project, seek, should, strategy will, and similar expressions. The principal risks which could affect future operations of the Group are described in the Risk Management section of the Groups Annual Report and Consolidated Financial Statements for the year ended 31 December 2021. Factors that may cause actual and future results and trends to differ materially from our forward-looking statements include (but are not limited to): (i) our ability to deliver fixed price projects in accordance with client expectations and within the parameters of our bids, and to avoid cost overruns; (ii) our ability to collect receivables, negotiate variation orders and collect the related revenue; (iii) our ability to recover costs on significant projects; (iv) capital expenditure by oil and gas companies, which is affected by fluctuations in the price of, and demand for, crude oil and natural gas; (v) unanticipated delays or cancellation of projects included in our backlog; (vi) competition and price fluctuations in the markets and businesses in which we operate; (vii) the loss of, or deterioration in our relationship with, any significant clients; (viii) the outcome of legal proceedings or governmental inquiries; (ix) uncertainties inherent in operating internationally, including economic, political and social instability, boycotts or embargoes, labour unrest, changes in foreign governmental regulations, corruption and currency fluctuations; (x) the effects of a pandemic or epidemic or a natural disaster; (xi) liability to third parties for the failure of our joint venture partners to fulfil their obligations; (xii) changes in, or our failure to comply with, applicable laws and regulations (including regulatory measures addressing climate change); (xiii) operating hazards, including spills, environmental damage, personal or property damage and business interruptions caused by adverse weather; (xiv) equipment or mechanical failures, which could increase costs, impair revenue and result in penalties for failure to meet project completion requirements; (xv) the timely delivery of vessels on order and the timely completion of ship conversion programmes; (xvi) our ability to keep pace with technological changes and the impact of potential information technology, cyber security or data security breaches; and (xvii) the effectiveness of our disclosure controls and procedures and internal control over financial reporting;. Many of these factors are beyond our ability to control or predict. Given these uncertainties, you should not place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements. Each forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date of this announcement. We undertake no obligation to update publicly or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.. Attachment Dublin, May 11, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Asia Pacific 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 Asia Pacific is expected to grow by 38.2% on annual basis to reach US$423,136.5 million in 2022. The social commerce industry is expected to grow steadily over the forecast period, recording a CAGR of 34.4% during 2022-2028. The social commerce GMV in the country will increase from US$4,23,136.5 million in 2022 to reach US$24,29,266.2 million by 2028. The increasing digital boom, backed by higher internet and smartphone penetration, is aiding the growth of social commerce in the Asia Pacific region. Countries like China, India, Singapore, and Indonesia have recorded significant investments in this sector in the last two years. Moreover, with the rising popularity of social commerce, many startups are entering this market with innovative product offerings. However, the market is relatively concentrated, with WeChat in China and Facebook or Meesho in India holding the majority of the market share. The social commerce market in India has already started witnessing an inflow of investment from various venture capital (VCs) funds, private equity (PE) as well individual investors. Unlike e-commerce which is characterized by the dominance of a few large players, the social commerce market has already seen a dozen of start-ups coming up every year. Many big brands and names such as Myntra have also entered the social commerce market in India, trying to tap the capitalize of this new trend of buying through social media platforms. Overall, the market is still in the nascent stage in India and will reshape the market dimensions in the next two to three years. Social media platforms are adding new features to take advantage of the growing social commerce market To gain a competitive edge in the social commerce space, customer-centricity and innovation are becoming survival skills for businesses. As more and more start-ups enter the market trying to disrupt the market with new ideas, existing players also need to be creative and innovate to introduce new features to differentiate themselves. With the growing popularity of social commerce, social media platforms are also adding new features to make it easier for sellers as well buyers to interact. In 2020, the Facebook family which includes Instagram along with Pinterest revamped their platforms and added new tools to aid social commerce. These tools will help sellers to streamline the customer's shopping experiences, especially during the pandemic. These features also allow retailers to create new storefronts and viewing and the number of users visiting it can be increased through paid advertising. Similarly, the largest messaging service WhatsApp is also tipping its toes in the social commerce market by introducing a new feature called Business Profile which allows users to find shops from a directory within the app. This feature was being tested in Brazil in September 2021 and is expected to be launched in India in 2022. The new-age social commerce startups in Indonesia are looking to leverage this existing foundation to penetrate and gain market share in the growing social commerce industry. Notably, most of the social commerce startups in the country have adopted a reseller model, wherein the platform acquires agents, who in turn sell their products on various social networks. While startups in the social commerce space are supporting the growth of the industry, big technology giants, including social media platforms, are also boosting their investment in the space to gain a larger piece of the growing market. Social commerce startups are raising funding rounds to further scale operations in Indonesia With the social commerce industry growing at a rapid rate, startups are raising big funding rounds to support their growth and to further scale operations across countries. In February 2022, Grupin, an Indonesia-based social commerce platform, announced that the firm had raised US$3 million in a funding round which was led by Sequoia Capital. Notably, the firm also provides a community-based shopping experience and bulk shopping discounts for its consumers in Indonesia. Since its launch in August 2021, the firm has sold hundreds of shop-keeping units, including fresh produce, packaged foods, kitchen utensils, baby products, and electronics. During the same period, the firm has experienced user growth of 400 times. Kitabeli, another social commerce startup in Indonesia, announced that the firm had raised investment in an extended Series A round in September 2021. The extended investment comes after the firm raised US$10 million in its Series A round, which was led by Go Ventures. Notably, the firm is planning to use the investment to further scale its operations in Indonesia. Founded in 2020, the firm provides consumers with a platform to purchase daily items, including cosmetics, fresh fruits, and home and technology products, among others. Live-streaming helping social commerce to gain momentum in Singapore Though the livestreaming phenomenon started with the Chinese market, it saw high adoption across different countries in the Asia Pacific region. Live streaming sessions are considered to be highly interactive and help in engaging the customer for a long time, increasing the conversion rate. Moreover, pandemic led the stores and companies to shut down, consequently turning 'livestreaming' into the only option for 'human-to-human' interaction while shopping. Therefore, brands and businesses are boosting sales by providing a combination of digital and physical retail experiences through livestreams. Live commerce became increasingly popular in Singapore with Facebook Live, Instagram Live, and YouTube Live and gained popularity among the millennials. For instance, @Rentadella is a Singaporean local fashion brand that sells its products through an IG LIVE sale every Tuesday night through an auction format for clothes, and it is considered a smart and effective strategy to drive high engagement from followers. Therefore, the publisher expects more brands and businesses to engage in livestreaming to drive revenue over the next four to six quarters in the country. The rise of the social commerce industry in the Philippines is parallel to the growth of the market in Southeast Asia. Being one of the youngest communities globally, Southeast Asia is expected to remain one of the largest markets for social commerce over the next four to eight quarters. According to the analysis, social commerce accounted for more than 45% of the Southeast Asian e-commerce market in 2021 alone and is expected to have increased further in 2022. Social commerce startups are adopting different business expansion strategies to expand their market in the Philippines Social commerce firm Pinduoduo has achieved substantial success in China over the last four to eight quarters. Notably, startups around the globe are looking to recreate the success of Pinduoduo in their own region. Similar trends are visible in the Philippines, wherein the social commerce startups are seeking to recreate the success of Pinduoduo in Southeast Asia. Resellee, a social commerce startup in the Philippines, partners with individual sellers and manufacturers, and farmers in the country. The platform connects resellers with manufacturers and farmers, thereby allowing resellers to choose the product they want to add to their stores and market them to potential buyers through the use of different social media platforms. Notably, the social commerce platforms offer products across different categories, including fashion and electronics. However, its major focus is on groceries. During the global pandemic outbreak, the firm partnered with the government and farmers to meet the growing demand. In November 2020, the firm also raised US$1 million in its seed funding round from Hofan Capital and Mintech Enterprises. Scope Ecommerce Industry Market Size and Future Growth Dynamics by Key Performance Indicators, 2019-2028 Social Commerce Industry Market Size and Future Growth Dynamics by Key Performance Indicators, 2019-2028 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 Social Commerce Industry Market Size and Forecast by End Use Segment, 2019-2028 B2B B2C C2C Social Commerce Industry Market Size and Forecast by End Use Device, 2019-2028 Mobile Desktop Social Commerce Industry Market Size and Forecast by Location, 2019-2028 Domestic Cross Border Social Commerce Industry Market Size and Forecast by Location, 2019-2028 Tier-1 Cities Tier-2 Cities Tier-3 Cities 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 For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/fsymqp VANCOUVER, British Columbia, May 11, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Silver Hammer Mining Corp. (CSE: HAMR/OTCQB:HAMRF) (Silver Hammer or the Company) is pleased to report high-grade silver assay results obtained during an early phase of exploration at the Companys Eliza Project (Eliza or the Project) in Nevada, plus the acquisition of the California Patent (the Patent), a strategic claim within the Project area. Silver Hammer recently completed the purchase of the strategic California Mine Patent claim, which is located entirely within the Eliza Project claim block. The Patent covers an area of 4.6 acres and includes the past-producing California Mine (Figure 1). Figure 1. Eliza Property Map, Including Newly Acquired California Patent Claim https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/9a6873fd-55a6-4ac7-9d2c-63b2a8908d10 A spring sampling program collected a total of 25 rock chip and grab samples from sites in the northern sector of Eliza, which includes the newly acquired California Mine area. Analytical results derived from these samples confirm the existence of high-grade silver (Ag) mineralization, and the presence of significant concentrations of copper (Cu), lead (Pb) and zinc (Zn) associated with the silver. Sample Highlights Include: PN662703: 1290 grams per tonne (g/t) Ag PN662717: 1180 g/t Ag; 7.70% Cu; 11.00% Pb; 13.40% Zn PN662715: 632 g/t silver; 2.2% Cu; 1.49% Pb; 0.55% Zn See Table 1 for additional results. Although we are in the early days of exploring Eliza, these high-grade samples provide further evidence that the Project, including the newly acquired California Patent, is an exciting and high potential area, stated President & CEO Morgan Lekstrom. Our exploration work continues to demonstrate the existence of high-grade silver mineralization in a historic mining district that has seen limited modern exploration work. An especially interesting aspect of the results from this recent round of sampling is the presence of high-grade copper, lead and zinc, in addition to the silver. This particular suite of metals is characteristic of vein and replacement-style mineral deposits commonly found peripheral to porphyry copper deposits. Given the recent sampling results, the potential for porphyry-related mineralization will be assessed by our geologists as we further investigate the known silver prospects and potential. Table 1: Notable Results from the Spring Sampling Program at Eliza https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/4cc37fae-9ae8-44e6-869b-8a48ef2bb77d Ongoing field work at Eliza includes soil sampling and geological mapping. A program of geophysical surveying is planned to commence in Q2-Q3, 2022. Results of the geochemical and geophysical surveys will be used to define priority drill targets ahead of an initial phase of drilling at the Project. Technical Observations at Eliza The geological setting at Eliza is similar to that of other mines in the area. District-scale folding of Middle Paleozoic limestone and shale formations appears to have formed open-space fault and fracture zones which channeled mineralizing fluids through chemically receptive host rocks, specifically the Devonian Guillmette and Joana Limestone formations. The spring sampling program done at and around the historic mines found on the Eliza Project has shown that the replacement-style mineralized zones in limestone exist along axial planar faults and fracture zones and commonly weather into resistant ridges. The assay results from the sampling program confirm observations made in the field: limestone and dolomite micro-breccia replacement zones show strong to very strong enrichments in Ag, arsenic (As), barium (Ba), Cu, manganese (Mn), Pb and Zn. Notable results are shown in Table 1 and Figure 1. Qualified Person Technical aspects of this press release have been reviewed and approved by Philip Mulholland, a Certified Professional Geologist (CPG) with the American Institute of Professional Geologists, a contractor of the Company and the designated Qualified Person (QP) under National Instrument 43-101. Quality Assurance, Quality Control Sample Security The following measures were taken to ensure sample security: samples were submitted to AAS American Analytical Services; only authorized personnel attended the samples; samples were collected and recorded by Silver Hammer geologists and then shipped to the AAS lab in Osburn, Idaho. Analysis Suite All samples were analyzed by AAS using conventional assay methods involving fire assaying of 50-gram charges of pulverized sample material for gold and silver, with Fire Assay ICP Finish (FA-ICP); AND ICP-35 Element Scan (M-ICP-35). Audits or reviews Internal review of sampling techniques, data, and results by the Companys geologists and management was routinely done through the course of the project. Blanks and Duplicates For quality assurance/quality control purposes, the batches of samples sent to AAS for assaying and ICP analyses were regularly infused with duplicate, and blank samples. The duplicates were created during sample preparation at AAS. The laboratory also provided analytical results for their own reference samples for further QA/QC check. Disclaimer note: Mineralization hosted on adjacent and/or nearby properties is not necessarily indicative of mineralization hosted on the Companys projects. About Silver Hammer Mining Corp. Silver Hammer Mining Corp. is a junior resource company advancing the flagship past-producing Silver Strand Mine in the Coeur dAlene Mining District in Idaho, USA, as well both the Eliza Silver Project and the Silverton Silver Mine in one of the worlds most prolific mining jurisdictions in Nevada and the Lacy Gold Project in British Columbia, Canada. Silver Hammers primary focus is defining and developing silver deposits near past-producing mines that have not been adequately tested. The Companys portfolio also provides exposure to copper and gold discoveries. On Behalf of the Board of Silver Hammer Mining Corp. Morgan Lekstrom, President and CEO Corporate Office: 551 Howe Street, Vancouver, British Columbia V6C 2C2, Canada For investor relations inquiries, contact: Kristina Pillon, High Tide Consulting Corp. T: 604.908.1695 E: investors@silverhammermining.com For media inquiries, contact: Adam Bello, Primoris Group Inc. T: 416.489.0092 E: media@primorisgroup.com The CSE does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. The Canadian Securities Exchange has neither approved nor disapproved the contents of this press release. China, South Korea agree to boost pragmatic cooperation Xinhua) 09:45, May 11, 2022 Visiting Chinese Vice President Wang Qishan meets with South Korea's newly sworn-in President Yoon Suk-yeol in Seoul, South Korea, May 10, 2022. As Chinese President Xi Jinping's special representative, Wang attended the inauguration ceremony of Yoon earlier in the day. (Xinhua/Li Tao) SEOUL, May 10 (Xinhua) -- Visiting Chinese Vice President Wang Qishan and South Korea's newly sworn-in President Yoon Suk-yeol agreed on Tuesday to further bilateral ties and pragmatic cooperation. As Chinese President Xi Jinping's special representative, Wang attended the inauguration ceremony of Yoon earlier in the day. During the meeting with Yoon, Wang conveyed Xi's cordial greetings and best wishes to him. China and South Korea, as close neighbors and important partners, have witnessed all-round and rapid development in bilateral relations with increasing common interests since the establishment of diplomatic ties, Wang said, adding that in the face of a changing world and a pandemic unseen in a century, it's of greater importance for both sides, the region and the whole world to strengthen China-South Korea cooperation. China is willing to work with South Korea to continuously lift the China-South Korea strategic cooperative partnership to a higher level and in keeping with the times, he stressed. Wang proposed a five-point proposal on the next development of bilateral relations. Firstly, China and South Korea should enhance strategic communication and high-level exchanges, as well as further invigorate dialogue and exchanges at all levels. Secondly, the two sides should deepen pragmatic cooperation, strengthen the alignment of development strategies of the two countries, and deepen cooperation in key areas and third-party markets to upgrade bilateral cooperation. Thirdly, as China and South Korea are geographically linked, their peoples are connected by kinship and cultures enjoy a natural affinity, the two countries should give full play to this advantage and take the 30th anniversary of diplomatic ties and the China-South Korea Year of Cultural Exchanges as an opportunity to plan and implement more activities conducive to enhancing people-to-people friendship, so as to continuously inject positive energy into the growth of bilateral ties. Fourthly, the two countries should strengthen communication and coordination in international and regional affairs, be committed to upholding multilateralism and the free trade system, and promote regional and global development and prosperity. Fifthly, the two sides should jointly boost coordination and cooperation in the Korean Peninsula affairs and properly handle sensitive issues. China sincerely supports the two sides of the Korean Peninsula in improving relations and promoting reconciliation and cooperation, and stands ready to cement communication with South Korea to advance the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and promote lasting peace on the peninsula. For his part, Yoon asked Wang to send his best regards to President Xi. Since the establishment of diplomatic ties, the two countries have witnessed rapid progress in the development of bilateral relations, and the two-way trade has reached an all-time high despite the COVID-19 pandemic, Yoon said. He noted that the South Korean government, on the basis of mutual respect, is ready to take the 30th anniversary of diplomatic ties as an opportunity to promote closer high-level strategic communication and exchanges at all levels, further strengthen exchanges and cooperation in all areas and enhance the people-to-people friendship, so as to usher in a new era for bilateral relations. South Korea is willing to strengthen communication and coordination with China to jointly promote peace, stability and prosperity on the Korean Peninsula, he added. (Web editor: Peng Yukai, Liang Jun) A drive-thru-only Wawa just the second in the state could be coming to Lower Macungie Township. For now, though, the development is stalled as the township planning commission tries to make sure the busy area it would be located in could handle the traffic. Advertisement The proposed 2,030-square-foot development would be built at the Trexler Business Center off Hamilton Boulevard and would be accessed from near South Commercial Center Drive. Advertisement Unlike other Wawa locations, this would be a standalone drive-thru with no convenience store or gas pumps. It would serve Wawas built-to-order dishes, such as breakfast, hoagies and coffee. First Call Daily Leading local stories delivered on weekday mornings > On their regular meeting Tuesday, planners met with three representatives of the drive-thru development project Erich Shock of the firm Fitzpatrick Lents and Bubba, Michael Spiegel of Wawa Inc. and Harold Newton Jr. of the Newton Engineering Group P.C. to discuss possible modifications for the developments plans, including ways to make sure the drive-thru would be safe for traffic. We need to make sure there are no planning issues left, Schock said. The commission ultimately tabled the discussion for the next time. Other concerns Wawa needs to address, according to Nathan Jones, the township director of planning and community development, are creating a street wall to protect nearby drivers from bright headlights while people are waiting at the drive-thru, landscaping the site for storm water protection, and making sure the lanes dont result in traffic jams or block emergency services. The only other drive-thru-only Wawa in Pennsylvania is in Falls Township, Bucks County, Jones said. We already have two other Wawas in the township both are incredibly busy, he said. Obviously, theres a regional draw for the use. This would likely be just as busy as the other existing Wawas. Advertisement Jones said the commission and the development representatives will likely meet again in June, where they hope to finalize the plans as well as a recommendation to the townships board of commissioners for possible approval. Toronto, May 11, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Please join us in celebrating OCAD Universitys annual graduate exhibition as it returns in person after two years! Works by more than 600 emerging artists, designers and digital media makers include everything from paintings to sculptures to animation to design as well as innovative solutions that address real-world problems across a variety of sectors, from urban planning to housing to health care to education. Opening Night: May 11: 6 to 11 p.m. Opening night Celebrate Excellence reception and party at 100 McCaul St. with DJ and cash bar. All exhibitions and the party are open to the public. Exhibition Dates: Wednesday May 11 to Sunday, May 15, 2022 Where: OCAD University, 100 McCaul St., Toronto, Ontario. Please visit ocadu.ca for more details, including hours and all buildings that will feature exhibits. COVID-19 safety measures in place: wearing masks indoors will be required; limited capacity in the mornings by reservation are for people who desire a less crowded experience. For more information or to set up an interview, please contact Karen McCarthy or Natalie Pavlenko below. Attachment Dublin, May 11, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Military Antennas Market by Component (Reflectors, Feed Horn, Feed Networks, Low Noise Block Converter (LNB)), Frequency Band (HF, VHF, UHF SHF, AND EHF), End Use (OEM and Aftermarket), Type, Application, Platform and Region - Global Forecast to 2026" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. The global military antennas market is projected to grow from USD 3.9 billion in 2021 to USD 5.2 billion by 2026, at a CAGR of 5.9% during the forecast period. Based on component, reflectors segment is estimated to witness the largest share of the military antennas market from 2021 to 2026. Based on component, reflectors segment of the military antennas market is estimated to held the dominant market share in 2021. This is due to the innovation in reflector design to decrease the assemble time. Reflectors are integrated into antenna assembly to modify the radiation pattern of the antenna so that the signal gain can be improved in target direction. Various manufacturers are focusing on improving the reflector design so that the assembly time can be decreased. Based on type, array antenna segment is estimated to account for the fastest growth of the military antennas market from 2021 to 2026. Based on type, array antenna segment of the military antennas market is projected to grow at the highest CAGR during the forecast period. This growth is driven due to Phased-array antenna systems are used in naval and airborne platforms. In 2020, the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) (US) awarded a contract to ThinKom Solutions to test and evaluate one of the company's commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) aeronautical phased-array antenna systems as a solution for next-generation communications on the US Navy ships. Based on platform, ground segment is estimated to account for the largest share of the military antennas market from 2021 to 2026. Based on platform, ground segment is estimated to account for the largest share of the military antennas during the forecast period. This growth is driven due to need for on-the-walk and on-the-move SATCOM capabilities for voice and data transmission, grounds stations use SATCOM to collect and stream remote sensing satellite data to a variety of users and applications, predominantly use manpack antennas in military operations, and UGVs antennas are used to carry out ground surveillance missions. In 2021, ARLINGTON, Va. FLIR Systems won an additional USD 30.1-million contract from the US Army for sustainment efforts connected to the service's Man Transportable Robotic System Increment II (MTRS Inc. II) and Common Robotic System-Heavy (CRS-H) unmanned ground vehicle (UGV) programs. The Asia Pacific market is projected to contribute the largest share from 2021 to 2026 in the Military antennas market Based on region, Asia Pacific is expected to lead the Military antennas market from 2021 to 2026 in terms of market share. An increase in the instances of terror attacks in the Asia Pacific region has led countries of the region to enhance their surveillance and anti-terrorism capabilities. In addition, the increase in defense expenditures of India and China, among others, and the expansion of military commands in emerging economies have accelerated the demand for military antennas in the Asia Pacific region. Key Topics Covered: 1 Introduction 2 Research Methodology 3 Executive Summary 4 Premium Insights 4.1 Attractive Opportunities in Military Antennas Market 4.2 Military Antennas Market, by Frequency 4.3 Military Antennas Market, by Platform 4.4 Military Antennas Market, by Type 4.5 Military Antennas Market, by Country 5 Market Overview 5.1 Introduction 5.2 Market Dynamics 5.2.1 Drivers 5.2.1.1 Increasing Use of Electronically Steered Phased Array Antennas 5.2.1.2 Increasing Demand for Military Antennas for Maritime Applications 5.2.1.3 Increasing Demand for Customized Communication-On-The-Move Solutions for Unmanned Ground Vehicles 5.2.1.4 Increasing Defense Budget of Emerging Countries 5.2.2 Restraints 5.2.2.1 High Costs Associated with Development and Maintenance of Infrastructure to Support Military Antennas 5.2.2.2 Issues Associated with Poor Transmission of Signals 5.2.3 Opportunities 5.2.3.1 Development of Ultra-Compact Communication Terminals for Advanced Ground Combat Vehicles 5.2.3.2 Demand for High Data Rate Transmission 5.2.3.3 Rise in Adoption of Unmanned Vehicles 5.2.4 Challenges 5.2.4.1 Electromagnetic Compatibility-Related Challenges of Satellite Antennas 5.2.4.2 System Requirements and Design Constraints 5.3 Impact of COVID-19 on Military Antennas Market 5.3.1 Demand-Side Impact 5.3.1.1 Key Developments from April 2020 to November 2021 5.3.2 Supply-Side Impact 5.3.2.1 Key Developments from January 2021 to June 2021 5.4 Ranges and Scenarios 5.5 Value Chain Analysis of Military Antennas Market 5.6 Trends/Disruption Impacting Customer Business 5.6.1 Revenue Shift and New Revenue Pockets of Manufacturers of Military Antennas 5.7 Military Antennas Market Ecosystem 5.8 Prominent Companies 5.9 Private and Small Enterprises 5.10 Market Ecosystem 5.11 Average Selling Price of Military Antennas 5.12 Porter's Five Forces Analysis 5.13 Trade Data Statistics 5.13.1 Import Data Statistics 5.14 Export Data Statistics 5.15 Tariff and Regulatory Landscape 5.16 North America 5.17 Europe 6 Industry Trends 6.1 Introduction 6.2 Technology Trends 6.2.1 3D Printing of Rf Equipment 6.2.2 Miniaturization of Military Antennas 6.2.3 Development of Metamaterial Antennas 6.2.4 Development of Plasma Antennas 6.2.5 Development of Active Electronically Scanned Array (Aesa) 6.3 Technology Analysis 6.4 Use Case Analysis 6.5 Use Case: In-Flight Phased Array Antenna 6.6 Impact of Megatrends 6.6.1 Development of Smart Antennas 6.7 Multi-Band, Multi-Mission (Mbmm) Antenna 6.8 Multi-Platform Anti-Jam Gps Navigation Antenna (Magna) 6.9 Hybrid Beamforming Methods 6.10 Innovations and Patent Registrations 7 Military Antennas Market, by Component 7.1 Introduction 7.2 Reflectors 7.2.1 Innovation in Reflector Design Decreases Assemble Time 7.3 Feed Horns 7.3.1 They are Used as a Primary Radiator to Feed a Reflector Antenna or as a Separate Antenna 7.4 Feed Networks 7.4.1 Feed Networks are Used to Reduce Blockage 7.5 Low Noise Block Converters (Lnb) 7.5.1 Increasing Usage of Lnb in Satellite Dish Antennas Will Drive this Segment 7.6 Others 8 Military Antennas Market, by Frequency Band 8.1 Introduction 8.2 High Frequency (Hf) 8.2.1 Hf Technologies are Increasingly Used in Natural Disasters and Military Applications 8.3 Very High Frequency (Vhf) 8.3.1 Vhf Band Offers Benefits During Long-Range Surveillance and Tracking 8.4 Ultra High Frequency (Uhf) 8.4.1 Uhf-Band Antennas are Used at Large in Cubesats for Communication Applications 8.5 Super High Frequency (Shf) 8.5.1 Demand for Reliable Military Satellite Communication Will Fuel Market 8.6 Extremely High Frequency (Ehf) 8.6.1 Ehf-Band Antennas are Used in Satellite Communication Application 9 Military Antennas Market, by Type 9.1 Introduction 9.2 Dipole Antennas 9.2.1 Demand for Omnidirectional Antennas Drive this Segment 9.3 Monopole Antennas 9.3.1 Increased Use of Antennas in Portable Radios Fuel Growth of this Segment 9.4 Array Antennas 9.4.1 Phased-Array Antenna Systems are Used in Naval and Airborne Platforms 9.5 Loop Antennas 9.5.1 Increasing Usage of Loop Antennas in Military Vehicles Propel this Segment 9.6 Aperture Antennas 9.6.1 Demand to Enhance Electronic Warfare Capabilities of Naval Platforms Will Drive this Segment 9.7 Traveling Wave Antennas 9.7.1 Increasing Demand for Airborne Radars Equipped with Traveling Wave Antennas Fuel Growth of this Segment 10 Military Antennas Market, by Platform 10.1 Introduction 10.2 Ground 10.2.1 Vehicle Antennas 10.2.1.1 Need for On-The-Walk and On-The-Move Satcom Capabilities for Voice and Data Transmission Expected to Support Market Growth 10.2.2 Base Station Antennas 10.2.2.1 Grounds Stations Use Satcom to Collect and Stream Remote Sensing Satellite Data to a Variety of Users and Applications 10.2.3 Manpack Antennas 10.2.3.1 Manpack Antennas are Predominantly Used in Military Operations 10.2.4 Handheld Antennas 10.2.4.1 Handheld Antennas are Predominantly Used in Remote and Inhospitable Environments 10.2.5 Body Worn Antennas 10.2.5.1 Increasing Usage of Body Worn Antennas in Law Enforcement Agencies Will Drive this Segment 10.2.6 Unmanned Ground Vehicle (Ugv) Antennas 10.2.6.1 Ugvs Antennas are Used to Carry Out Ground Surveillance Missions 10.3 Airborne 10.3.1 Aircraft Antennas 10.3.1.1 Development of Antennas for Ensured Connectivity Through Multiple Satellites Will Fuel this Segment 10.3.2 Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (Uav) Antennas 10.3.2.1 Increasing Need for Small, Low-Cost, and High-Powered Antennas Deployed on Uavs to Carry Out Military Operations Drive this Segment 10.3.3 Missiles Antennas 10.3.3.1 Increase in Development of Advanced Antenna Technology for Hypersonic Applications Will Drive this Segment 10.4 Marine 10.4.1 Shipboard Antennas 10.4.1.1 Development of Ultra-High Frequency Antennas for Navy and Coast Guards Fuel this Segment 10.4.2 Submarine Antennas 10.4.2.1 Development of Next-Gen Antennas for Submarines Drive this Segment 10.4.3 Unmanned Marine Vehicle (Umv) Antennas 10.4.3.1 Increasing Demand for Real-Time Transmission of Mission Data for Military and Commercial Applications Drive Demand for Umv Antennas 11 Military Antennas Market, by Application 11.1 Introduction 11.2 Surveillance 11.2.1 Upgradation of Surveillance Radars for Navy Will Drive this Segment 11.3 Electronic Warfare 11.3.1 Incorporation of Effective Rf Technology in Various Electronic Equipment Used in Military Applications Increased Use of Electronic Warfare Systems 11.4 Navigation 11.4.1 Military Aircraft Rely on Navigation Antennas for Their Safe Flights 11.5 Communication 11.5.1 Modern Warfare Demands Effective Long-Range Communication Capabilities in Compact Hardware Systems That Can be Deployed Across Platforms 11.6 Satcom 11.6.1 Increasing Demand for Customized Satcom-On-The-Move Solutions Will Drive this Segment 11.7 Telemetry 11.7.1 Telemetry Enables Automatic Monitoring, Alerting, and Record-Keeping for Efficient and Safe Operations of Defense Vehicles 12 Military Antennas Market, by End-Use 12.1 Introduction 12.2 Oem 12.2.1 Increasing Upgradation of Military Antennas and Procurement of Military Vehicles Across the Globe Drive this Segment 12.3 Aftermarket 12.3.1 Upgradation of Existing Fleet of Military Vehicles Fuel Growth of this Segment 13 Regional Analysis 14 Competitive Landscape 14.1 Introduction 14.2 Competitive Overview 14.3 Market Ranking Analysis of Key Players, 2020 14.4 Company Product Footprint Analysis 14.5 Company Evaluation Quadrant 14.5.1 Star 14.5.2 Emerging Leader 14.5.3 Pervasive 14.5.4 Participant 14.6 Startup/Sme Evaluation Quadrant 14.6.1 Progressive Company 14.6.2 Responsive Company 14.6.3 Starting Block 14.6.4 Dynamic Company 14.7 Competitive Scenario 14.7.1 Market Evaluation Framework 14.7.2 New Product Launches and Developments 14.8 Deals 15 Company Profiles: Key Players 15.1 Key Players 15.1.1 L3Harris Technologies 15.1.2 Cobham plc 15.1.3 Airbus 15.1.4 Honeywell International Inc. 15.1.5 General Dynamics Corporation 15.1.6 Rohde & Schwarz 15.1.7 Terma 15.1.8 Rami 15.1.9 Mitsubishi Electric Corporation 15.1.10 Maxar Technologies 15.1.11 Norsat International Inc. 15.1.12 Kymeta Corporation 15.1.13 Viasat Inc. 15.1.14 Ruag International Holding Ltd. 15.1.15 Lockheed Martin Corporation 15.1.16 Aselsan A.S. 15.1.17 Ball Corporation 15.1.18 Nd Satcom 15.1.19 Thales Group 15.1.20 Gilat Satellite Networks 15.2 Other Players 15.2.1 Micro-Ant 15.2.2 Sat-Lite Technologies 15.2.2.2 Sat-Lite Technologies: Products/Services/Solutions Offered 15.2.3 Datapath, Inc. 15.2.4 Hanwha-Phasor 15.2.5 Viking Satcom Ltd. 16 Appendix For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/g8x2mt Attachment New York, May 11, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Reportlinker.com announces the release of the report "Closed System Transfer Devices Market Research Report by Type, Closing Mechanism, Component, Technology, End-Use, Region - Global Forecast to 2027 - Cumulative Impact of COVID-19" - https://www.reportlinker.com/p06260021/?utm_source=GNW The Global Closed System Transfer Devices Market size was estimated at USD 799.49 million in 2021 and expected to reach USD 898.87 million in 2022, and is projected to grow at a CAGR 12.60% to reach USD 1,630.08 million by 2027. Market Statistics: The report provides market sizing and forecast across five major currencies - USD, EUR, JPY, GBP, AUD, CAD, and CHF. It helps organization leaders make better decisions when currency exchange data is readily available. In this report, the years 2019 and 2020 are considered historical years, 2021 as the base year, 2022 as the estimated year, and years from 2023 to 2027 are considered the forecast period. Market Segmentation & Coverage: This research report categorizes the Closed System Transfer Devices to forecast the revenues and analyze the trends in each of the following sub-markets: Based on Type, the market was studied across Membrane to Membrane Systems and Needleless Systems. Based on Closing Mechanism, the market was studied across Click to Lock Systems, Color to Colour Alignment Systems, Lueker Lock Systems, and Push to Turn systems. Based on Component, the market was studied across Bag Access Devices, Syringe Safety Devices, and Vial Access Devices. Based on Technology, the market was studied across Air Filtration Devices, Compartmentalize Devices, and Diaphragm Based Devices. Based on End-Use, the market was studied across Hospitals and Oncology Clinics & Oncology Centers. Based on Region, the market was studied across Americas, Asia-Pacific, and Europe, Middle East & Africa. The Americas is further studied across Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Mexico, and United States. The United States is further studied across California, Florida, Illinois, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Texas. The Asia-Pacific is further studied across Australia, China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, and Thailand. The Europe, Middle East & Africa is further studied across France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Qatar, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Spain, United Arab Emirates, and United Kingdom. Cumulative Impact of COVID-19: COVID-19 is an incomparable global public health emergency that has affected almost every industry, and the long-term effects are projected to impact the industry growth during the forecast period. Our ongoing research amplifies our research framework to ensure the inclusion of underlying COVID-19 issues and potential paths forward. The report delivers insights on COVID-19 considering the changes in consumer behavior and demand, purchasing patterns, re-routing of the supply chain, dynamics of current market forces, and the significant interventions of governments. The updated study provides insights, analysis, estimations, and forecasts, considering the COVID-19 impact on the market. Cumulative Impact of 2022 Russia Ukraine Conflict: We continuously monitor and update reports on political and economic uncertainty due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Negative impacts are significantly foreseen globally, especially across Eastern Europe, European Union, Eastern & Central Asia, and the United States. This contention has severely affected lives and livelihoods and represents far-reaching disruptions in trade dynamics. The potential effects of ongoing war and uncertainty in Eastern Europe are expected to have an adverse impact on the world economy, with especially long-term harsh effects on Russia. This report uncovers the impact of demand & supply, pricing variants, strategic uptake of vendors, and recommendations for Closed System Transfer Devices market considering the current update on the conflict and its global response. Competitive Strategic Window: The Competitive Strategic Window analyses the competitive landscape in terms of markets, applications, and geographies to help the vendor define an alignment or fit between their capabilities and opportunities for future growth prospects. It describes the optimal or favorable fit for the vendors to adopt successive merger and acquisition strategies, geography expansion, research & development, and new product introduction strategies to execute further business expansion and growth during a forecast period. FPNV Positioning Matrix: The FPNV Positioning Matrix evaluates and categorizes the vendors in the Closed System Transfer Devices Market based on Business Strategy (Business Growth, Industry Coverage, Financial Viability, and Channel Support) and Product Satisfaction (Value for Money, Ease of Use, Product Features, and Customer Support) that aids businesses in better decision making and understanding the competitive landscape. Market Share Analysis: The Market Share Analysis offers the analysis of vendors considering their contribution to the overall market. It provides the idea of its revenue generation into the overall market compared to other vendors in the space. It provides insights into how vendors are performing in terms of revenue generation and customer base compared to others. Knowing market share offers an idea of the size and competitiveness of the vendors for the base year. It reveals the market characteristics in terms of accumulation, fragmentation, dominance, and amalgamation traits. Competitive Scenario: The Competitive Scenario provides an outlook analysis of the various business growth strategies adopted by the vendors. The news covered in this section deliver valuable thoughts at the different stage while keeping up-to-date with the business and engage stakeholders in the economic debate. The competitive scenario represents press releases or news of the companies categorized into Merger & Acquisition, Agreement, Collaboration, & Partnership, New Product Launch & Enhancement, Investment & Funding, and Award, Recognition, & Expansion. All the news collected help vendor to understand the gaps in the marketplace and competitors strength and weakness thereby, providing insights to enhance product and service. Company Usability Profiles: The report profoundly explores the recent significant developments by the leading vendors and innovation profiles in the Global Closed System Transfer Devices Market, including B. Braun Medical Inc., Baxter International Inc., Becton, Dickinson and Company, Caragen Limited, Cardinal Health, Inc., Carmel Pharma AB, CODAN Medizinische Gerate GmbH & Co. KG, Corvida Medical, Epic Medical, Equashield LLC, ICU Medical Inc., JMS North America Corporation, Medline Industries LP, Pfizer Inc., REM Systems, Simplivia Healthcare, Terumo Corporation, Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd., Vygon SA, and Yukon Medical, LLC. The report provides insights on the following pointers: 1. Market Penetration: Provides comprehensive information on the market offered by the key players 2. Market Development: Provides in-depth information about lucrative emerging markets and analyze penetration across mature segments of the markets 3. Market Diversification: Provides detailed information about new product launches, untapped geographies, recent developments, and investments 4. Competitive Assessment & Intelligence: Provides an exhaustive assessment of market shares, strategies, products, certification, regulatory approvals, patent landscape, and manufacturing capabilities of the leading players 5. Product Development & Innovation: Provides intelligent insights on future technologies, R&D activities, and breakthrough product developments The report answers questions such as: 1. What is the market size and forecast of the Global Closed System Transfer Devices Market? 2. What are the inhibiting factors and impact of COVID-19 shaping the Global Closed System Transfer Devices Market during the forecast period? 3. Which are the products/segments/applications/areas to invest in over the forecast period in the Global Closed System Transfer Devices Market? 4. What is the competitive strategic window for opportunities in the Global Closed System Transfer Devices Market? 5. What are the technology trends and regulatory frameworks in the Global Closed System Transfer Devices Market? 6. What is the market share of the leading vendors in the Global Closed System Transfer Devices Market? 7. What modes and strategic moves are considered suitable for entering the Global Closed System Transfer Devices Market? Read the full report: https://www.reportlinker.com/p06260021/?utm_source=GNW About Reportlinker ReportLinker is an award-winning market research solution. Reportlinker finds and organizes the latest industry data so you get all the market research you need - instantly, in one place. __________________________ Pune, India, May 11, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The furniture rental service market size is predicted to reach USD 139.05 billion by 2029 and exhibit a CAGR of 9.6% during the forecast period. Fortune Business InsightsTM has presented this information in its report titled, Furniture Rental Service Market, 2022-2029. The market value stood at USD 67.83 billion in 2021 and USD 73.19 billion in 2022. To meet the interior requirements of their indoor areas, most households rely on rental furnishings. Additionally, students prefer to use hired seats and tables to satisfy the study needs of their co-living areas. INHABITER, CORT, and other recent online furniture rental platforms are expected to considerably increase service demand among the global population. For example, Furlenco, a Bengaluru, India-based online furniture rental platform, offers subscription-based rented chairs, tables, and other furnishing items to Indian households as per their interior decoration requirements. COVID-19 Impact- Working professionals prefer remote work over in-office work to avoid coronavirus infection while traveling to office sites. This factor has a significant impact on consumer demand for rented furniture to meet their home-office furniture requirements. According to data supplied by Glassdoor, an American online employment platform, online job searches for work-from-home positions increased by 460% from June 2019 to June 2021. In addition, the rising trend of the furniture rental service and other essentials in the face of pandemics will stimulate expansion. Get a Sample PDF Brochure: https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/enquiry/request-sample-pdf/furniture-rental-service-market-106643 Fortune Business Insights lists out all the furniture rental service market companies that are presently striving to reduce the impact of Covid-19 pandemic on the market: Feather (New York, U.S.) Aarons LLC (Atlanta, Georgia, U.S.) Rent-A-Center(Texas, U.S.) Brook Furniture Rental Inc. (Illinois, Chicago) The Everset (New York, U.S.) Fernished Inc.(California, U.S) Furlenco (Bangalore, India) RentoMojo (Edunetwork Pvt. Ltd.)(Bengaluru, India) Luxe Modern Rentals(Toronto, Canada) Fashion Furniture Rental (California, U.S.) Furniture Rental Service Market Report Scope & Segmentation: Report Coverage Details Forecast Period 2022-2029 Forecast Period 2022 to 2029 CAGR 9.6% 2029 Value Projection USD 139.05 Billion Base Year 2021 Market Size in 2021 USD 67.83 Billion Historical Data for 2018 to 2020 No. of Pages 125 Segments covered By Application, By Material, By Region Growth Drivers Growing Residential and Commercial Infrastructural Settings to Drive the Furniture Rental Industry Regular Companies introduction of Furniture Rental-Related Campaigns to Support Sectors Growth Key Players to Adopt Several Growth Strategies Pitfalls & Challenges Lack of Awareness Regarding Furniture Rental Services to Restrain Growth Report Coverage- The furniture rental service market research examines the industry in-depth and covers key elements such as leading players, application, material analysis, and the market's overall prognosis. Aside from that, the market research report contains information on the most recent trends as well as key industry developments. The current market size and forecast values are also included in the research. In addition to the above-listed characteristics, the research covers a number of other variables that have contributed to the industry's recent rise. Drivers & Restraints- The Rental Furniture Industry is expected to grow in Residential & Commercial Infrastructure Settings Growing residential and commercial infrastructure will support the need for services in these contexts, resulting in an increase in furniture rentals. According to the National Association of Realtors (NAR), housing sales in the U.S. increased by 5.7% from January 2019 to January 2020. Households nowadays prefer to purchase subscription-based furniture rental services in order to use different furnishing pieces on a regular basis. This factor contributes to the growth of the furniture rental facility by assisting them in meeting their home decoration needs. The market for rental furniture and other household products is mostly limited by a lack of awareness about furnishing rental services among the world's elderly population. Furthermore, the development of new competitors with identical product offerings aimed at rural customers provides a threat to the important players eventually limiting the furniture rental service market growth. Segmentation- On the basis of material, the furniture rental service industry is fragmented into wood, plastic, metal, glass, and others. On the basis of application, the market is split into residential and commercial. Geographically, the market is classified into South America, North America, Asia Pacific, Europe, and the Middle East & Africa. Regional Insights- North America to Lead the Global Market The Asia Pacific area dominates the growing popularity of the furniture rental service among the population in emerging cities like India and China. Furthermore, as the number of urban migrants in these areas grow, so will the need for services among these migratory populations, propelling the region's growth. In addition, the region's renowned enterprises are expanding, opening up new opportunities for the industry to thrive. The market in Europe has seen phenomenal growth owing to the population's shifting preference for choosing sustainably-made furnishings. People are becoming more aware of the negative health effects of furnishings made of low-grade plastics, which pushes them to acquire eco-friendly furniture. In addition, furniture made from natural reusable materials such as bamboo and wooden pallets is likely to be in high demand in the region. Europeans' need for services is supported by changing home decoration preferences and rising furniture replacement trends. Furthermore, the growing number of commercial and residential infrastructure settings in Europe, as well as considerable government investments in the development of housing facilities in Germany and the U.K., contribute to the expansion of rental services in Europe. According to the Committee on Climate Change Organization's figures, the U.K. had 29 million houses as of 2019. By 2022, the U.K. government plans to build 1.5 million new domestic living spaces. North America accounts for a significant furniture rental service market share because a growing working population with startups and innovative business models choose to rent furniture to meet their needs. According to data given by the U.S. Census Bureau, 4.3 million Americans have filed papers to create new businesses in 2020. Additionally, overall employment applications for American startups and businesses climbed by 24% over the course of the year. Furthermore, the strong presence of major furniture rental companies in the U.S., such as CORT, Feather, AFT, and others, in their supply chain and warehouses, contributes to the region's growth. The furniture rental service rise of the Middle East & Africa region is aided by increased awareness of furniture rental platforms among Saudi Arabia and UAE families. Because many people are relocating to metropolitan regions, South America is expected to have a significant presence, resulting in the steady introduction of new furniture rental platforms. People moving to cities have exposure to evolving industry trends and have access to numerous digital platforms for meeting their needs, which is likely to drive product demand across the region. Browse Detailed Summary of Research Report with TOC: https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/furniture-rental-service-market-106643 Competitive Landscape- Key Players to Adopt Several Growth Strategies To increase their operating capital, significant businesses are now focusing on forming agreements with financial institutions. They also focus on diversifying their furniture rental products in order to extend their global footprint. For example, Feather, a rental furniture company based in the U.S., received a USD 30 million Series B investment from Credit Suisse Group AG, an investment banking firm, in August 2020 to extend its product and service offerings abroad. Detailed Table of Content: Introduction Research Scope Market Segmentation Research Methodology Definitions and Assumptions Executive Summary Market Dynamics Market Drivers Market Restraints Market Opportunities Emerging Trends Key Insights Overview of the Parent/Related Markets Industry SWOT Analysis Supply Chain and Regulatory Analysis Recent Industry Developments - Policies, Partnerships, New Product Launches, and Mergers & Acquisitions Qualitative Analysis (in relation to COVID-19) 5.1 Impact of COVID-19 5.2 Supply Chain Challenges 5.3 Potential Opportunities due to COVID-19 Global Furniture Rental Service Market Analysis, Insights, and Forecast, 2018-2029 Key Findings / Summary Market Size Estimates and Forecast By Material (Value) Wood Metal Plastic Glass Others By Application (Value) Commercial Residential By Region (Value) North America Europe Asia Pacific South America Middle East & Africa Key Industry Development- July 2021: Furlenco, India's biggest furniture rental provider, has launched "UNLMTD by Furlenco," an annual subscription service that provides Indian consumers with hassle-free relocation and free furniture and appliance shifting solutions. Inquire Before Buying This Research Report: https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/enquiry/queries/furniture-rental-service-market-106643 Have a Look at Related Research Insights: Office Furniture Market Size, Share & COVID-19 Impact Analysis, and Regional Forecast, 2022-2029 Furniture Market Size, Share, Trend and Geography Forecast till 2021-2028 Baby Furniture Market Size, Share & COVID-19 Impact Analysis, and Regional Forecast, 2022-2029 Wall Furniture Market Size, Share, Trend and Geography Forecast till 2022-2029 About Us: Fortune Business Insights delivers accurate data and innovative corporate analysis, helping organizations of all sizes make appropriate decisions. We tailor novel solutions for our clients, assisting them to address various challenges distinct to their businesses. Our aim is to empower them with holistic market intelligence, providing a granular overview of the market they are operating in. Address: Fortune Business Insights Pvt. Ltd.9th Floor, Icon Tower, Baner Mahalunge Road, Baner, Pune-411045, Maharashtra, India. Phone: US: +1 424 253 0390 UK: +44 2071 939123 APAC: +91 744 740 1245 Email: sales@fortunebusinessinsights.com LinkedIn Facebook Twitter COLUMBUS, Ohio, May 11, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- OHEnergyRatings.com, a consumer advocacy and energy shopping marketplace, has released their annual rankings of natural gas providers in the state of Ohio. These rankings reflect the maturity of the Ohio natural gas market and show the effectiveness of the competitive energy market based on multiple service factors. Ohio Energy Ratings is providing consumers with the latest information to help them find the best natural gas provider right now amid rising gas prices, well ahead of peak winter heating season. As Ohio's natural gas market enters its third decade of deregulation, it's important to take stock of all the things natural gas companies do for customers. Ohio Energy Ratings' provider rankings focus on natural gas providers operating in all of the four major natural gas utility footprints, including Columbia Gas, Duke Energy - Ohio, Dominion Energy - Ohio and Centerpoint Energy - Ohio. In compiling its rankings, OHEnergyRatings.com not only takes into account basic consumer expectations, such as rate stability, but also Ohio PUC-complaint statistics, plan rates, third-party data sources such as the Better Business Bureau, and independent customer reviews. The #1 natural gas provider in Ohio for 2022 is Constellation Energy. A long-time supplier in the Ohio market, Constellation has received great customer reviews by offering extremely competitive rates and a variety of different plan lengths. At the #2 position, American Power & Gas. (AP&G). AP&G excelled in Ohio with great charitable endeavors and community involvement, competitive plans and pricing, and great scores on customer reviews. Rounding out the top three for reviews is Frontier Utilities. Frontier is an experienced energy provider that services many of the deregulated energy markets across America. Frontier really set themselves apart with customer communication, customer service, and robust account management options. They also had very competitive rates in many markets. With a mature natural gas market, Ohio Energy Ratings believes it's time to rate companies on more than just getting a bill out to customers on time. The advantage of a deregulated market is the innovation and changes that can actually benefit consumers. To that end, OHEnergyRatings.com is working hard to give customers new data and viewpoints that can inform both their shopping experience and choices. The top-10 ranking of Ohio natural gas providers is listed below: Constellation, American Power & Gas, Frontier Utilities, Energy Harbor, Tomorrow Energy, Cleansky Energy, Santanna Energy, Xoom Energy, Symmetry Energy Solutions, Provision Power & Gas. Since 2017, Ohio Energy Ratings has empowered natural gas shoppers to review, rate, and research the electricity and natural gas providers operating in the state of Ohio. Ohio Energy Ratings is operated by Electricity Ratings, LLC. Electricity Ratings, LLC operates a network of energy shopping websites across 17 states with a market of over 80 million electricity and natural gas customers Ohio Energy Ratings 341 South 3rd Street Suite 100 Columbus, OH 43215 (855) 559-7511 Contact: Jenny Gustafson media@integrateagency.com Related Images Image 1: Top 5 Ohio Natural Gas Suppliers OHEnergyRating.com Releases Annual Rankings of Best Ohio Natural Gas Suppliers This content was issued through the press release distribution service at Newswire.com. Attachment New York, May 11, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Reportlinker.com announces the release of the report "Hearing Aids Market Research Report by Style, Component, Indication, Distribution, Patient, Region - Global Forecast to 2027 - Cumulative Impact of COVID-19" - https://www.reportlinker.com/p06257483/?utm_source=GNW The Global Hearing Aids Market size was estimated at USD 6,927.68 million in 2021 and expected to reach USD 7,452.33 million in 2022, and is projected to grow at a CAGR 7.75% to reach USD 10,841.70 million by 2027. Market Statistics: The report provides market sizing and forecast across five major currencies - USD, EUR, JPY, GBP, AUD, CAD, and CHF. It helps organization leaders make better decisions when currency exchange data is readily available. In this report, the years 2019 and 2020 are considered historical years, 2021 as the base year, 2022 as the estimated year, and years from 2023 to 2027 are considered the forecast period. Market Segmentation & Coverage: This research report categorizes the Hearing Aids to forecast the revenues and analyze the trends in each of the following sub-markets: Based on Style, the market was studied across Behind-The-Ear (BTE), Bone-anchored Systems, Cochlear Implants, Completely-In-Canal (CIC), Hearing Implants, In-The-Canal (ITC), In-The-Ear (ITE), Invisible (IIC), and Receiver-In-Canal (RIC). Based on Component, the market was studied across Battery, Microphones, Mini-Chip, Program Switch/ Volume Control, and Receiver. Based on Indication, the market was studied across Conductive Hearing Loss and Sensorineural Hearing Loss. Based on Distribution, the market was studied across Hospital, Online, and Retail Pharmacy. Based on Patient, the market was studied across Adults and Pediatrics. Based on Region, the market was studied across Americas, Asia-Pacific, and Europe, Middle East & Africa. The Americas is further studied across Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Mexico, and United States. The United States is further studied across California, Florida, Illinois, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Texas. The Asia-Pacific is further studied across Australia, China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, and Thailand. The Europe, Middle East & Africa is further studied across France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Qatar, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Spain, United Arab Emirates, and United Kingdom. Cumulative Impact of COVID-19: COVID-19 is an incomparable global public health emergency that has affected almost every industry, and the long-term effects are projected to impact the industry growth during the forecast period. Our ongoing research amplifies our research framework to ensure the inclusion of underlying COVID-19 issues and potential paths forward. The report delivers insights on COVID-19 considering the changes in consumer behavior and demand, purchasing patterns, re-routing of the supply chain, dynamics of current market forces, and the significant interventions of governments. The updated study provides insights, analysis, estimations, and forecasts, considering the COVID-19 impact on the market. Cumulative Impact of 2022 Russia Ukraine Conflict: We continuously monitor and update reports on political and economic uncertainty due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Negative impacts are significantly foreseen globally, especially across Eastern Europe, European Union, Eastern & Central Asia, and the United States. This contention has severely affected lives and livelihoods and represents far-reaching disruptions in trade dynamics. The potential effects of ongoing war and uncertainty in Eastern Europe are expected to have an adverse impact on the world economy, with especially long-term harsh effects on Russia. This report uncovers the impact of demand & supply, pricing variants, strategic uptake of vendors, and recommendations for Hearing Aids market considering the current update on the conflict and its global response. Competitive Strategic Window: The Competitive Strategic Window analyses the competitive landscape in terms of markets, applications, and geographies to help the vendor define an alignment or fit between their capabilities and opportunities for future growth prospects. It describes the optimal or favorable fit for the vendors to adopt successive merger and acquisition strategies, geography expansion, research & development, and new product introduction strategies to execute further business expansion and growth during a forecast period. FPNV Positioning Matrix: The FPNV Positioning Matrix evaluates and categorizes the vendors in the Hearing Aids Market based on Business Strategy (Business Growth, Industry Coverage, Financial Viability, and Channel Support) and Product Satisfaction (Value for Money, Ease of Use, Product Features, and Customer Support) that aids businesses in better decision making and understanding the competitive landscape. Market Share Analysis: The Market Share Analysis offers the analysis of vendors considering their contribution to the overall market. It provides the idea of its revenue generation into the overall market compared to other vendors in the space. It provides insights into how vendors are performing in terms of revenue generation and customer base compared to others. Knowing market share offers an idea of the size and competitiveness of the vendors for the base year. It reveals the market characteristics in terms of accumulation, fragmentation, dominance, and amalgamation traits. Competitive Scenario: The Competitive Scenario provides an outlook analysis of the various business growth strategies adopted by the vendors. The news covered in this section deliver valuable thoughts at the different stage while keeping up-to-date with the business and engage stakeholders in the economic debate. The competitive scenario represents press releases or news of the companies categorized into Merger & Acquisition, Agreement, Collaboration, & Partnership, New Product Launch & Enhancement, Investment & Funding, and Award, Recognition, & Expansion. All the news collected help vendor to understand the gaps in the marketplace and competitors strength and weakness thereby, providing insights to enhance product and service. Company Usability Profiles: The report profoundly explores the recent significant developments by the leading vendors and innovation profiles in the Global Hearing Aids Market, including Arphi Electronics Private Limited, Audina Hearing Instruments, Benson Hearing, Cochlear Limited, Demant A/S, GN Store Nord A/S, HORENTEK S.r.l., Med-El, Medtronic PLC, Microson S.A., Oticon, RION Co., Ltd., SeboTek Hearing Systems, LLC, Sivantos Pte. Ltd., Sonova Holding AG, Starkey Laboratories, Unitron, Widex A/S, and Zounds Hearing, Inc.. The report provides insights on the following pointers: 1. Market Penetration: Provides comprehensive information on the market offered by the key players 2. Market Development: Provides in-depth information about lucrative emerging markets and analyze penetration across mature segments of the markets 3. Market Diversification: Provides detailed information about new product launches, untapped geographies, recent developments, and investments 4. Competitive Assessment & Intelligence: Provides an exhaustive assessment of market shares, strategies, products, certification, regulatory approvals, patent landscape, and manufacturing capabilities of the leading players 5. Product Development & Innovation: Provides intelligent insights on future technologies, R&D activities, and breakthrough product developments The report answers questions such as: 1. What is the market size and forecast of the Global Hearing Aids Market? 2. What are the inhibiting factors and impact of COVID-19 shaping the Global Hearing Aids Market during the forecast period? 3. Which are the products/segments/applications/areas to invest in over the forecast period in the Global Hearing Aids Market? 4. What is the competitive strategic window for opportunities in the Global Hearing Aids Market? 5. What are the technology trends and regulatory frameworks in the Global Hearing Aids Market? 6. What is the market share of the leading vendors in the Global Hearing Aids Market? 7. What modes and strategic moves are considered suitable for entering the Global Hearing Aids Market? Read the full report: https://www.reportlinker.com/p06257483/?utm_source=GNW About Reportlinker ReportLinker is an award-winning market research solution. Reportlinker finds and organizes the latest industry data so you get all the market research you need - instantly, in one place. __________________________ New York, May 11, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Reportlinker.com announces the release of the report "Protease Market Research Report by Product, Source, Production Method, Formulation, Application, Region - Global Forecast to 2027 - Cumulative Impact of COVID-19" - https://www.reportlinker.com/p06254695/?utm_source=GNW The Global Protease Market size was estimated at USD 2,194.36 million in 2021 and expected to reach USD 2,356.46 million in 2022, and is projected to grow at a CAGR 7.56% to reach USD 3,398.71 million by 2027. Market Statistics: The report provides market sizing and forecast across five major currencies - USD, EUR, JPY, GBP, AUD, CAD, and CHF. It helps organization leaders make better decisions when currency exchange data is readily available. In this report, the years 2019 and 2020 are considered historical years, 2021 as the base year, 2022 as the estimated year, and years from 2023 to 2027 are considered the forecast period. Market Segmentation & Coverage: This research report categorizes the Protease to forecast the revenues and analyze the trends in each of the following sub-markets: Based on Product, the market was studied across Animal Product, Microbial Product, and Plant Products. The Animal Product is further studied across Pepsin, Renin, and Trypsin. The Microbial Product is further studied across Acid Protease, Alkaline Protease, and Neutral Protease. The Plant Products is further studied across Bromelain, Ficin, Keratinases, and Papain. Based on Source, the market was studied across Animals, Microorganisms, and Plants. Based on Production Method, the market was studied across Extraction and Fermentation. Based on Formulation, the market was studied across Liquid Formulations and Lyophilized Powder. Based on Application, the market was studied across Bioremediation, Detergents & Soaps, Food & Beverages, Paper & Pulp, Pharmaceuticals, and Textiles. Based on Region, the market was studied across Americas, Asia-Pacific, and Europe, Middle East & Africa. The Americas is further studied across Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Mexico, and United States. The United States is further studied across California, Florida, Illinois, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Texas. The Asia-Pacific is further studied across Australia, China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, and Thailand. The Europe, Middle East & Africa is further studied across France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Qatar, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Spain, United Arab Emirates, and United Kingdom. Cumulative Impact of COVID-19: COVID-19 is an incomparable global public health emergency that has affected almost every industry, and the long-term effects are projected to impact the industry growth during the forecast period. Our ongoing research amplifies our research framework to ensure the inclusion of underlying COVID-19 issues and potential paths forward. The report delivers insights on COVID-19 considering the changes in consumer behavior and demand, purchasing patterns, re-routing of the supply chain, dynamics of current market forces, and the significant interventions of governments. The updated study provides insights, analysis, estimations, and forecasts, considering the COVID-19 impact on the market. Cumulative Impact of 2022 Russia Ukraine Conflict: We continuously monitor and update reports on political and economic uncertainty due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Negative impacts are significantly foreseen globally, especially across Eastern Europe, European Union, Eastern & Central Asia, and the United States. This contention has severely affected lives and livelihoods and represents far-reaching disruptions in trade dynamics. The potential effects of ongoing war and uncertainty in Eastern Europe are expected to have an adverse impact on the world economy, with especially long-term harsh effects on Russia. This report uncovers the impact of demand & supply, pricing variants, strategic uptake of vendors, and recommendations for Protease market considering the current update on the conflict and its global response. Competitive Strategic Window: The Competitive Strategic Window analyses the competitive landscape in terms of markets, applications, and geographies to help the vendor define an alignment or fit between their capabilities and opportunities for future growth prospects. It describes the optimal or favorable fit for the vendors to adopt successive merger and acquisition strategies, geography expansion, research & development, and new product introduction strategies to execute further business expansion and growth during a forecast period. FPNV Positioning Matrix: The FPNV Positioning Matrix evaluates and categorizes the vendors in the Protease Market based on Business Strategy (Business Growth, Industry Coverage, Financial Viability, and Channel Support) and Product Satisfaction (Value for Money, Ease of Use, Product Features, and Customer Support) that aids businesses in better decision making and understanding the competitive landscape. Market Share Analysis: The Market Share Analysis offers the analysis of vendors considering their contribution to the overall market. It provides the idea of its revenue generation into the overall market compared to other vendors in the space. It provides insights into how vendors are performing in terms of revenue generation and customer base compared to others. Knowing market share offers an idea of the size and competitiveness of the vendors for the base year. It reveals the market characteristics in terms of accumulation, fragmentation, dominance, and amalgamation traits. Competitive Scenario: The Competitive Scenario provides an outlook analysis of the various business growth strategies adopted by the vendors. The news covered in this section deliver valuable thoughts at the different stage while keeping up-to-date with the business and engage stakeholders in the economic debate. The competitive scenario represents press releases or news of the companies categorized into Merger & Acquisition, Agreement, Collaboration, & Partnership, New Product Launch & Enhancement, Investment & Funding, and Award, Recognition, & Expansion. All the news collected help vendor to understand the gaps in the marketplace and competitors strength and weakness thereby, providing insights to enhance product and service. Company Usability Profiles: The report profoundly explores the recent significant developments by the leading vendors and innovation profiles in the Global Protease Market, including AB Enzymes, Abbott Laboratories, Advanced Enzyme Technologies, Amano Enzyme, Inc., Associated British Foods PLC, BASF SE, Bluestar Adisseo, Brain AG, Chr. Hansen Holdings A/s, Clerici-Sacco Group, DuPont de Nemours, Inc., Dyadic International Incorporated, ENMEX S.A. de C.V., F. Hoffmann-La Roche AG, Jiangsu Boli Bioproducts Co., Ltd, Koninklijke Dsm N.v., Lonza Group AG, Merck KGaA, Noor Enzymes Pvt. Ltd,, Novozymes A/s, Solvay S.A., Specialty Enzymes & Biotechnologies Co., Tate & Lyle PLC, and Tereos S.A.. The report provides insights on the following pointers: 1. Market Penetration: Provides comprehensive information on the market offered by the key players 2. Market Development: Provides in-depth information about lucrative emerging markets and analyze penetration across mature segments of the markets 3. Market Diversification: Provides detailed information about new product launches, untapped geographies, recent developments, and investments 4. Competitive Assessment & Intelligence: Provides an exhaustive assessment of market shares, strategies, products, certification, regulatory approvals, patent landscape, and manufacturing capabilities of the leading players 5. Product Development & Innovation: Provides intelligent insights on future technologies, R&D activities, and breakthrough product developments The report answers questions such as: 1. What is the market size and forecast of the Global Protease Market? 2. What are the inhibiting factors and impact of COVID-19 shaping the Global Protease Market during the forecast period? 3. Which are the products/segments/applications/areas to invest in over the forecast period in the Global Protease Market? 4. What is the competitive strategic window for opportunities in the Global Protease Market? 5. What are the technology trends and regulatory frameworks in the Global Protease Market? 6. What is the market share of the leading vendors in the Global Protease Market? 7. What modes and strategic moves are considered suitable for entering the Global Protease Market? Read the full report: https://www.reportlinker.com/p06254695/?utm_source=GNW About Reportlinker ReportLinker is an award-winning market research solution. Reportlinker finds and organizes the latest industry data so you get all the market research you need - instantly, in one place. __________________________ VANCOUVER, British Columbia, May 11, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Millrock Resources Inc. (TSX-V: MRO, OTCQB: MLRKF) ("Millrock" or the Company) reports on advancements at the 64North gold exploration project, including an imminent drilling program. The project is the subject of an earn-in agreement whereby Resolution Minerals Limited (ASX: RML) (Resolution) is earning a joint venture interest from Millrock. Drilling Program: The ResolutionMillrock technical team has developed a strong drill target area at the Tourmaline Ridge prospect, located on the West Pogo block. The target area was developed through analysis of all historic data, in addition to work that has been funded by Resolution over the past thirty months. Resolution plans to execute a drilling program of approximately 2,200 meters in five boreholes that will commence in late June 2022. Figure 1. A Fall 2021 photograph showing the Tourmaline Ridge prospect area in the foreground with an excavator digging trenches through shallow overburden to expose bedrock. Northern Stars Pogo mine and the Goodpaster deposit is visible in the distance five to six kilometers to the east. https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/f90d17bf-5651-489c-905c-27163607e3d5 Earned Interest: Resolution has earned a 42% interest in the project by making cash payments (US$150,000), share payments (30,000,000 shares), and expending at least US$7.0 million on exploration (US$7.87 million spent as at January 31, 2022). Additionally, Resolution has elected to continue sole-funding exploration to earn a 51% interest by making further expenditures in 2022 and making further share and cash payments to Millrock. Millrock President & CEO Gregory Beischer commented: There is an abundance of geologic evidence pointing to a possible gold deposit at Tourmaline Ridge. We wish Resolution the best of luck as they move the project forward, and we are hopeful for a new gold discovery. A large soil geochemical anomaly measuring 1,800 by 750 meters occurs on the Tourmaline Ridge prospect. Recently Resolution reported that it had received rock sample assay results from trenches excavated at Tourmaline Ridge in fall of 2021. Numerous narrow, gold-bearing veins were detected. These steep-dipping veins are interpreted to be antithetic veins, which commonly occur in the hanging wall above gold ore bodies at the nearby Pogo mine. Prior historical drilling intersected these veins along with characteristic rock alteration and pathfinder minerals. From geophysical surveys, a moderately northwest dipping structure is interpreted to lie beneath the soil anomaly and historic drill holes. Resolution and Millrock interpret this structure to be the Pogo Trend, which appears to be traced from the Goodpaster deposit on the adjacent Pogo Mine property operated by Northern Star Mines Ltd. (Northern Star). Northern Star recently announced a maiden inferred resource estimate of 1.1 million ounces of gold in 3.2 million tonnes of rock, averaging 10.3 grams per ton gold for the Goodpaster deposit. As of March 31, Pogo is reported by Northern Star to host 6.59 million metric tonnes of proven and probable reserves, averaging 8.5 grams per metric tonne (1.8 million ounces) gold. (Northern Star ANNUAL MINERAL RESOURCE AND ORE RESERVE STATEMENT, May 5, 2022). More than 4 million ounces of gold has been mined at Pogo. Note: Millrock has not independently verified the information reported by Northern Star. Also, Millrock cannot assure that the structures that host gold ore bodies at Pogo continue onto ground controlled by Millrock and that gold deposits of similar magnitude and concentration will be discovered. Qualified Person The scientific and technical information disclosed within this document has been prepared, reviewed, and approved by Gregory A. Beischer, President, CEO, and a director of Millrock Resources. Mr. Beischer is a qualified person as defined in NI 43-101. About Millrock Resources Inc. Millrock Resources Inc. is a premier project generator to the mining industry. Millrock identifies, packages, and operates large-scale projects for joint venture, thereby exposing its shareholders to the benefits of mineral discovery without the usual financial risk taken on by most exploration companies. The company is recognized as the premier generative explorer in Alaska, holds royalty interests in British Columbia, Canada, and Sonora State, Mexico, is a significant shareholder of junior explorer ArcWest Exploration Inc., and owns a large shareholding in each of Resolution Minerals Limited and Felix Gold Limited. Funding for drilling at Millrocks exploration projects is primarily provided by its joint venture partners. Business partners of Millrock have included some of the leading names in the mining industry: EMX Royalty, Coeur Explorations, Centerra Gold, First Quantum, Teck, Kinross, Vale, Inmet, and Altius, as well as junior explorers Resolution, Riverside, PolarX, Felix Gold and Tocvan. ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD Gregory Beischer Gregory Beischer, President & CEO FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT: Melanee Henderson, Investor Relations Toll-Free: 877-217-8978 | Local: 604-638-3164 Twitter | Facebook | LinkedIn Some statements in this news release may contain forward-looking information (within the meaning of Canadian securities legislation) including without limitation the intention to perform further exploration on the 64North project. These statements address future events and conditions and, as such, involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the statements. ROCHELLE PARK, N.J., May 11, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- ORBCOMM Inc., a global provider of Internet of Things (IoT) solutions, today announced that it has launched a new website (www.orbcomm.com), which includes a redesigned interface and improvements to its usability and performance, to create an enhanced user experience and align with the companys strategy to accelerate growth, innovation and leadership in high-potential vertical markets and geographies. The state-of-the-art website incorporates ORBCOMMs refreshed brand, including its new tag line, Where Data Drives Decisions, which focuses on the companys ability to empower customers with insights to make data-driven decisions that help them optimize their operations, maximize profitability and build a more sustainable future. The website features a clean, modern look and feel, streamlined navigation and content along with faster load time and responsiveness, enabling users to access information about ORBCOMMs industry-leading IoT solutions quickly and easily. With dynamic, interactive digital media elements, the website drives a more interesting, valuable and personalized engagement with users. In addition, ORBCOMM customers and value-added resellers now have access to a wealth of resources, such as webinars, videos, white papers and eBooks, as well as comprehensive training with tools and resources through ORBCOMM University, designed to get their staff up and running faster and working smarter. The launch of our new website and refreshed branding is an important next step in ORBCOMMs journey as an innovative leader driving the evolution of industry through the power of data, said Lina Paerez, ORBCOMMs Vice President of Global Marketing. We are excited to offer our website visitors an optimal user experience that facilitates seamless access to the information they need through an impactful, well-designed interface, while elevating the ORBCOMM brand. ORBCOMM partnered with Baunfire, an award-winning digital agency that designs and develops elevated websites in Silicon Valley, to create their new website. About ORBCOMM Inc. ORBCOMM is a pioneer in IoT technology, empowering customers with insight to make data-driven decisions that help them optimize their operations, maximize profitability and build a more sustainable future. With 30 years of experience and the most comprehensive solution portfolio in the industry, ORBCOMM enables the management of over a million assets worldwide for a diverse customer base spanning transportation, supply chain, heavy equipment, maritime, natural resources and government. For more information about how ORBCOMM is driving the evolution of industry through the power of data, visit www.orbcomm.com. ORBCOMM Contacts For Corporate Relations: For Trade Media: Michelle Ferris Lina Paerez VP, Corporate Communications VP, Marketing +1 703.462.3894 +1 613.875.1485 ferris.michelle@orbcomm.com paerez.lina@orbcomm.com A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/f77678dc-e7e7-4146-aa75-ed2d4d00df9b LOS ANGELES, May 11, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- via InvestorWire -- IBN (InvestorBrandNetwork), an innovative corporate communications firm and content distributor, is pleased to announce today that it is collaborating with Roth Capital Partners (Roth) to heighten the visibility of the upcoming Roth Canada Showcase Day. The event will be held on May 17, 2022, at 1 Hotel Central Park, 1414 Avenue of the Americas (58th Street), New York, NY 10019. The upcoming event will lay the ground for meaningful conversations and foster close ties between U.S. institutional investors in attendance and Canadian C-suite executives in the exciting sectors of Technology & Media, Consumer, Healthcare, AgTech and Sustainability. As part of the event, Roth Capital Partners Canadian affiliate will be celebrating its 2nd anniversary as an IIROC Investment Dealer. IBN, in its capacity as the media sponsor for the event, will leverage its array of extensive corporate communications solutions. Its always a great privilege and a wonderful experience to work alongside the team at Roth, said Jonathan Keim, communications director for IBN. We are using our resources and expertise in communications solutions, social media and various outreach strategies to heighten the visibility of the event. As with previous Roth events, IBN is leveraging its syndication network of more than 5,000 downstream publishers and social media channels to extend reach beyond the conference halls to millions of online investors. During the event, the senior management of analyst-selected companies will describe their target market and day-to-day operations in 15-minute corporate presentations to a multitude of institutional investors in attendance. Investor and management interactions will be organized in 1-on-1 meetings, offering both parties an in-depth view of the others business opportunities and challenges. With sustainability guidelines, ESG mandates, healthcare challenges and the limitless potential of technology coming to the fore, the Roth Canada Showcase Day represents a prime opportunity to build relationships at the forefront of these areas. For more information on the event, visit: https://www.roth.com/Canada2022 About IBN IBN (InvestorBrandNetwork) consists of financial brands introduced to the investment public over the course of 15+ years. With IBN, we have amassed a collective audience of millions of social media followers. These distinctive investor brands aim to fulfill the unique needs of a growing base of client-partners. IBN will continue to expand our branded network of highly influential properties, leveraging the knowledge and energy of specialized teams of experts to serve our increasingly diversified list of clients. Through NetworkNewsWire (NNW) and its affiliate brands, IBN provides: (1) access to a network of wire solutions via InvestorWire (IW) to reach all target markets, industries and demographics in the most effective manner possible; (2) article and editorial syndication to 5,000+ news outlets; (3) enhanced press release solutions to ensure maximum impact; (4) full-scale distribution to a growing social media audience; (5) a full array of corporate communications solutions; and (6) a total news coverage solution. For more information, please visit https://www.InvestorBrandNetwork.com Please see full terms of use and disclaimers on the InvestorBrandNetwork website applicable to all content provided by IBN, wherever published or re-published: http://IBN.fm/Disclaimer Corporate Communications IBN (InvestorBrandNetwork) Los Angeles, California www.InvestorBrandNetwork.com 310.299.1717 Office Editor@InvestorBrandNetwork.com The need for abortion care will not end, no matter what a small minority of Americans hope. As usual, the anti-choice faction wants to end a vital medical procedure without any viable alternatives. Does anyone know of family planning clinics being set up by those opposed to choice in order to decrease the need for abortion services? I havent, probably because people opposed to abortion are often anti-birth control, as well. Advertisement Its reminiscent of the right wings total lack of support for the Affordable Care Act, with no alternative plan to cover the health insurance needs of Americans, including contraception. If the Supreme Court overturns Roe v. Wade, any state will be able to ban abortion. In some cases, as in Oklahoma, there will be no exceptions. Advertisement Already 26 states are poised to outlaw the procedure, affecting the health and decisions of 36 million women who can become pregnant. Imagine if 36 million men could become pregnant. Would we even be having this discussion about personal choice? Marianne Phillips Allentown Brussels, Belgium, May 11, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- A global alliance of vapers gathered in Brussels today to call on European policymakers to stand against possible bans on vape flavours. The World Vapers Alliance (WVA) displayed an art installation in front of the European Parliament with a simple message Flavours help smokers quit. This marks the third event of WVAs Europe-wide campaign #FlavoursMatter. The campaign was launched with one aim: to show policymakers in Europe and across the world that vape flavours are instrumental for smoking cessation. The group hosted demonstrations in Stockholm, Sweden and the Hague, Netherlands in March 2022. Shortly after the demonstration, a postponement of the dutch vape flavour ban by six months was announced in the Netherlands. Flavours play a crucial role in helping consumers quit smoking millions of Europeans have already stopped by switching to vaping. The variety of flavours is one of the most important reasons many people switch to e-cigarettes and never go back to smoking. We have already seen that vaping works! It helped millions of people change their lives and now, we need policies to catch up. Therefore, we are delighted that some MEPs are with us and help to defend vaping flavours, says Michael Landl, director of World Vapers' Alliance. The installation was attended by Member of the European Parliament Pietro Fiocchi. We all agree that not smoking is the best choice, but we also know very well that tax increases and limitations are not working solutions! I do strongly believe that alternative systems to traditional smoking are the biggest instrument to greatly reduce the percentage of lung diseases and cancer! Any ideological approach against such systems is negative and against any scientific data!, said Fiocchi. Consumers from across Europe can join the campaign to make their voices heard and also contact their political representatives via WVAs action centers and share their vaping stories to convince policymakers to avoid flavour bans: https://worldvapersalliance.com/flavours-matter/ We need to raise our voice and tell policymakers about all the positive effects flavours play in helping smokers quit. The data shows that adults who vape flavoured e-cigarettes are 230% more likely to quit smoking than those who use unflavoured e-cigarettes, and we have to make sure that this is taken into account when the next regulations are drafted. That is why we are here in Brussels with one simple message: flavours matter! added Landl. Attachments Charleston, SC, May 11, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- When Vladimir A Tsesis wife fell ill with cancer, his world came crashing down. But their story is not one of despair. Rather, it is a story of resistance and one of enduring love. Diagnosed with an aggressive form of metastatic breast cancer, Tsesis wife Marina was told she had only a few months to live. Unshaken by her prognosis, Marina was ready to fight. And fight she did. In Ballad of My Fearless Heroine, Tsesis chronicles his wifes stoicism and resilience in the face of cancer and reveals how she never ceased to make meaningful contributions to the lives of the people around her. Despite the grueling medical treatments, Marina wouldnt hesitate to help a friend, volunteer in the community, or maintain an active social life. She never thought of herself as a victim, living each day as if it were her last until the very end. Ultimately, she fought cancer on her terms, and contrary to experts predictions, she bravely battled cancer for fifteen years. Marinas death marked the end of her journey, but the couples story didnt end there. After losing Marina, Tsesis was confronted with intense grief. Having suffered alongside his wife as her caregiver, Tsesis struggled to work through his emotional pain. But after a period of introspection, he compiled his own version of a twelve-step program for overcoming grief. Now on the other side, he wants to share his experience to help others cope with loss. Tsesis book is a testament to his admiration for his wifes strength of mind, and it is a pure expression of his eternal devotion and love. Honoring the memory of his late wife, he dedicates the book to the millions of women around the world who are currently fighting breast cancer. Marinas indefatigable spirit is truly an inspiration to all. Ballad of My Fearless Heroine is available for purchase online at Amazon.com. About the Author: Vladimir A. Tsesis was born on June 22, 1941 in Russia, the day of the Axis invasion of the Soviet Union. Educated at Kishinev Medical School in Moldova and Odessa Regional Clinical Hospital in Ukraine, he immigrated to the United States as a Soviet refugee in 1974 with his wife and son. He completed his pediatric residency at Illinois Masonic Medical Center and was a practicing pediatrician for 40 years before retiring from Loyola Medical Center in 2004. He is the author of six books and has written numerous articles for various publications. He is a former fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics, a member of the American Medical Association and a member of the Writers Union of the XXI Century, a Russian professional organization. He currently resides in River Forest, Illinois. Attachment BIDDEFORD, Maine, May 11, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Biddeford Internet Corporation, d.b.a GWI, was awarded over $9 million in grant funding from the ConnectME Authority to build high-speed fiber optic broadband networks in the Towns of Hebron, Sumner, and Northport. GWI was one of a handful of applicants to receive grants from the ConnectME Authority, Maine's agency for the promotion of broadband, in their most recent round of funding. The grant funding will allow GWI to build nearly universal service to three municipalities that are in dire need of fast, reliable internet infrastructure. In addition, some neighboring towns will also reap the benefits of the network construction, though they were not directly involved in the project. The grant award will be coupled with contributions from all three of the Towns, as well as GWI's private investment to construct networks that will cover over 200 route miles and pass roughly 2,000 potential customers. "We are enormously proud of receiving the grant award from ConnectMaine and are incredibly excited to fulfill our obligations to bring gigabit fiber optic infrastructure and service to the communities," said Kerem Durdag, GWI President and Chief Operating Officer. "We believe internet access and affordability is a human right and, as such, as a B Corp certified company, continue our work endlessly to ensure the future generations of Maine have one of the elemental building blocks of civilization at hand." GWI is currently working with the ConnectME Authority on the details of the grant and is expecting to have an updated timeline for project commencement and associated construction and service availability milestones soon. "Sustainable, affordable broadband from GWI will make it possible for residents to participate more fully in the modern economy, to take greater advantage of educational opportunities, and generally to participate on an equal footing in the evolution of technology in American life," stated Karl Beiser, member of the Northport Broadband Internet Committee. "We are extremely pleased that ConnectMaine has awarded a grant to bring fiber broadband within reach of every resident of Northport." "GWI and the Town of Hebron have been working together for several years on the mission to build out fiber in our unserved community," stated Elizabeth Olsen, Chairman of the Board of Selectmen of Hebron. "Hebron appreciates the energy and money GWI has invested into this project and is delighted to celebrate the acceptance of the grant funding so we can see the completion of bringing broadband to Hebron. Residents and students who have been unable to participate virtually in school and work will finally be able to do so from home, along with so many other opportunities broadband will provide." "The desire and need to have high-speed internet in Sumner is critical to our community," stated Mary Ann Haxton, Chair of the Sumner Broadband Committee. "Our businesses, schools, and elderly population who require tele-medicine need reliable internet in order to operate and enhance their livelihood. High-speed internet will enable us to offer options to retain our younger population or sustain and attract new businesses to the area. We are very excited about the funding and the ensuing project." Please contact Colin Haley (colinhaley@staff.gwi.net) with any press inquiries. Related Images Image 1 This content was issued through the press release distribution service at Newswire.com. Attachment MAPLE GROVE, Minn., May 11, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Local member-owned cooperative TopLine Federal Credit Union was honored with four marketing awards from the Minnesota Credit Union Network (MnCUN). The Minnesota Credit Union Network Marketing Awards acknowledge outstanding credit union efforts in the areas of branding, community impact and outreach, digital advertising, printed materials, video and complete campaigns. TopLine was recognized in four categories: Branding, Complete Campaign, Digital, and Printed Materials. In the Branding category, TopLines Passionate About Helping People ad campaign brought the honor. TopLine partnered with KARE-11, an NBC-affiliated television station, the most watched TV station in Minnesota to air 3 different commercial spots on broadcast television for the first time ever. TopLine was also an exclusive sponsor for the Communities that KARE segment that airs every Monday on the Sunrise Morning News (5am and 6am broadcasts). To coincide with the broadcast commercial and Communities that KARE sponsorship TopLine also ran ads during the Olympics, streaming television commercials on over 125+ networks, social media ads on Facebook and Instagram, digital ads with KARE-11 and a variety of community advertising efforts. All promoting the benefits of belonging to TopLine and their commitment to serving members and the communities. TopLine took home the award in the Complete Campaign category for the rollout of their new Credit Cards. TopLine created a campaign featuring a fun theme of Improving Your Card Game. The campaign included a series of direct mail communications, email messages, branch lobby displays, website page updates, newsletter articles, social media advertising, videos, online/mobile banking messaging, on-hold messaging, statement messaging, FAQs in an online knowledge platform, a fun giveaway (customized deck of cards) and more. In the Digital category, TopLine won for efforts in increasing TopLines Instagram following. Instagram provides a great way to reach and engage with current and prospective members and continue to increase credit union awareness, as well as enhance TopLines awareness in local market communities. TopLine held a series of fun, interactive contests and surpassed over 1,000 followers. TopLines Staycation themed direct mail piece took top honors in the Printed Materials category. Promoting a new Interest-Only Home Equity Line of Credit, the campaign featured a Staycation theme; this was a fun and attention-grabbing way to connect with their audience. The imagery included a man in his shower dressed for a beach outing holding a selfie stick and fun drink in hand. The main copy points were Staycation Plans? TopLines got you covered and Whether youre planning a staycation or diving into your home repair or renovation to-do list, TopLines got you covered! We are truly honored to be recognized with these four awards from MnCUN, said Vicki Erickson, Senior Vice President, Marketing and Communications, TopLine Federal Credit Union. We take great pride in creating thoughtful outreach and advertising that makes an impact with our members, employees and community, and its an added bonus to have those efforts highlighted by our peers within the credit union community. The Minnesota Credit Union Network is the statewide trade association that works to ensure the success, growth and vitality of Minnesota credit unions. For more information, visit www.mncun.org. TopLine Federal Credit Union, a Twin Cities-based credit union, is Minnesotas 13th largest, with assets of more than $675 million and serves over 46,000 members. Established in 1935, the not-for-profit cooperative offers a complete line of financial services, as well as auto and home insurance, from its five branch locations in Bloomington, Brooklyn Park, Maple Grove, Plymouth and in St. Pauls Como Park as well as by phone, mobile app and online at www.TopLinecu.com. Membership is available to anyone who lives, works, worships, attends school or volunteers in Anoka, Carver, Dakota, Hennepin, Ramsey, Scott or Washington Counties and their immediate family members. Visit us on our Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/TopLineFederalCreditUnion. CONTACT: Vicki Roscoe Erickson Senior Vice President, Marketing & Communications TopLine Federal Credit Union verickson@toplinecu.com | 763.391.0872 A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/4bc7e058-efd8-419a-b8ea-805f5ba96a25 LONDON, May 11, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The market is projected to grow at a CAGR of more than 14% during the forecast period. Despite the challenges caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the Egyptian insurance industry witnessed growth in 2020. The governments quick measures and stimulus packages to combat the pandemic helped the insurance industry to maintain growth in 2020. The Egypt insurance market research report offered by GlobalData Plc provides historical values for Egypts insurance segment for the reports review as well as the forecast period. It offers a detailed analysis of the key categories in Egypts insurance segment, and market forecasts till 2025. Furthermore, it profiles the top life insurance companies in Egypt and outlines the key regulations affecting them. Egypt Insurance Market Outlook For more Egypt Insurance Market Forecast and Analysis, download a free report sample Key Egypt Insurance Market Trends Telehealth has gained prominence in the Egyptian insurance industry, mainly due to the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as socio-economic restrictive measures imposed by the government. In April 2020, AXA Egypt introduced several healthcare services to its customers which include home healthcare services, and medical consultations through its mobile application, including medicine delivery, screening, testing, and analysis of health issue services at home for its clients. In August 2020, the Ministry of Health announced that the Public Health Care Authority launched a telemedicine services application to provide online medical services in the Egyptian health insurance system. The application, named Al-Balto, provides medical services in specializations such as pediatrics, dermatology, obstetrics, gynecology, nutrition, psychology, and venereology diseases, in both Arabic and English. For more Egypt insurance industry trends, download a free report sample Egypt Insurance Market Segments Life insurance General insurance The general insurance segment dominated the general insurance market in 2020. It was mainly driven by property insurance and non-life PA&H insurance. The demand for motor insurance declined in 2020 due to the strict lockdown and quarantine measures that resulted in a decrease in road traffic and strong competition in the market. For more insights on Egypt insurance market segmentation, download a free report sample Leading Insurance Companies in Egypt Misr Life Insurance Company Allianz Life Insurance Egypt MetLife Egypt AXA Life Insurance Egypt (SAE) Suez Canal for Life Insurance AXA Egypt Insurance Bupa Egypt Insurance Company Chubb Life Insurance Egypt Delta Life Assurance Egyptian Emirates Takaful Insurance QNB Alahli Life Company Egyptian Life Takaful Company Egyptian Takaful Insurance Property Arab Misr Insurance Group gig Delta Insurance Company S.A.E. Wethaq Takaful Insurance Royal Insurance To know more about the leading insurance companies in Egypt, download a free report sample Egypt Insurance Market Overview Market size (2020) $2.54 billion CAGR >14% Forecast period 2021 - 2025 Market Segments Life Insurance and General Insurance Leading Companies Misr Life Insurance Company, Allianz Life Insurance Egypt, MetLife Egypt, AXA Life Insurance Egypt (SAE), Suez Canal for Life Insurance, AXA Egypt Insurance, Bupa Egypt Insurance Company, Chubb Life Insurance Egypt, Delta Life Assurance, Egyptian Emirates Takaful Insurance, QNB Alahli Life Company, Egyptian Life Takaful Company, Egyptian Takaful Insurance Property, Arab Misr Insurance Group gig, Delta Insurance Company S.A.E., Wethaq Takaful Insurance, and Royal Insurance Reasons to Buy Make strategic business decisions using in-depth historic and forecast market data related to Egypts insurance segment, and each category within it. Understand the demand-side dynamics, key market trends, and growth opportunities in Egypts insurance segment. Assess the competitive dynamics in the Egyptian insurance segment. Identify growth opportunities and market dynamics in key product categories. FAQs What was the Egypt insurance market size in 2020? The insurance market size in Egypt was valued at $2.54 billion in 2020. What is the Egypt insurance market growth rate? The insurance industry in Egypt is expected to grow at a CAGR of more than 14% during the forecast period. What are the key segments in the Egypt insurance market? The key segments in the Egyptian insurance market are life insurance and general insurance. Which are the leading companies in the Egypt insurance market? Some of the leading insurance companies in Egypt are Misr Life Insurance Company, Allianz Life Insurance Egypt, MetLife Egypt, AXA Life Insurance Egypt (SAE), Suez Canal for Life Insurance, AXA Egypt Insurance, Bupa Egypt Insurance Company, Chubb Life Insurance Egypt, Delta Life Assurance, Egyptian Emirates Takaful Insurance, QNB Alahli Life Company, Egyptian Life Takaful Company, Egyptian Takaful Insurance Property, Arab Misr Insurance Group gig, Delta Insurance Company S.A.E., Wethaq Takaful Insurance, and Royal Insurance. Related Reports Albania Insurance Industry Key Trends and Opportunities to 2025 Click here Tunisia Insurance Industry Key Trends and Opportunities to 2025 Click here Sri Lanka Insurance Industry Key Trends and Opportunities to 2025 Click here Bhutan Insurance Industry Key Trends and Opportunities to 2025 Click here United Kingdom (UK) SME Insurance: Market Dynamics and Opportunities 2021 Click here About us GlobalData is a leading provider of data, analytics, and insights on the world's largest industries. In an increasingly fast-moving, complex, and uncertain world, it has never been harder for organizations and decision makers to predict and navigate the future. GlobalData's mission is to help our clients to decode the future and profit from faster, more informed decisions. As a leading information services company, thousands of clients rely on GlobalData for trusted, timely, and actionable intelligence. Our solutions are designed to provide a daily edge to professionals within corporations, financial institutions, professional services, and government agencies. Media Contacts GlobalData Mark Jephcott Head of PR EMEA mark.jephcott@globaldata.com cc: pr@globaldata.com +44 (0)207 936 6400 LONDON, May 11, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Philippines packaging market size was 61.0 billion units in 2020. The packaging industry in the Philippines is mostly driven by the strong usage in the countrys food industry and non-alcoholic beverages industries. Flexible packaging and rigid plastics were the largest pack types in the cosmetics toiletries industry while glass was the most popular pack type among alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages in 2020. The Philippines packaging market research report offered by GlobalData Plc brings together multiple data sources to provide a comprehensive overview of the packaging industry in the Philippines. It includes market overview and growth in the use of pack material by industry and sector. Also, the report provides an analysis of key packaging materials, trends, and outlooks. Philippines Packaging Market Outlook For more Philippines Packaging Market Analysis, download a free report sample Philippines Packaging Market Segmentation by End-user Industry and Sector Food Alcoholic Beverages Non-Alcoholic Beverages Cosmetics & Toiletries Others Flexible packaging remained the most preferred pack material type in the country in 2020, led by its growing usage in the food industry. Convenience, ease of handling, moldable, and reusable properties drove demand for the material type. However, the overall market growth will be driven by rigid plastic, that offers high durability and is light weight. For more insights on end-user industries in the Philippines packaging market, download a free report sample Philippines Packaging Market Segmentation by Pack Material Rigid Plastics Rigid Metal Paper & Board Flexible Packaging Glass Non-alcoholic beverages and food industries are the leading end-user industries for rigid plastics. Rigid plastic packaging is mostly used in the non-alcoholic beverages industry due to features such as light weight, low cost, strength, safety, and overall convenience. For more insights on pack materials in the Philippines packaging market, download a free report sample Philippines Packaging Market Overview Market Size (Year 2020) 61.0 billion units CAGR >3% Forecast Period 2021 - 2025 Key End-user Industries Food, Alcoholic Beverages, Non-Alcoholic Beverages, Cosmetic & Toiletries, and Others Key Pack Materials Rigid Plastics, Rigid Metal, Paper & Board, Flexible Packaging, and Glass Reasons to Buy Packaging companies and retailers seek the latest information on consumer trends and opportunities to formulate their sales and marketing strategies. There is also a demand for authentic market data with a high level of detail. This report has been created to provide its readers with up-to-date information and analysis to uncover emerging opportunities for growth within the CPG market. As consumer product demand evolves, the dynamics between different packaging types also evolve favoring some packaging types and formats and leaving others increasingly out of line with demand patterns. As a result, understanding the shifting market dynamics is key to ensuring maximum sales in the future. The differential growth across different packaging materials and formats drive fundamental shifts in the market. These differentials result from various factors such as changing consumer preferences, regulatory compliance, and innovation within the packaging market. The report is a unique combination of in-depth qualitative analysis and authoritative packaging data for the years 2015-2025. FAQs What was the Philippines packaging market size in 2020? The packaging market size in the Philippines was 61.0 billion units in 2020. What is the Philippines packaging market growth rate? The packaging market in the Philippines is projected to grow at a CAGR of more than 3% during the forecast period. What are the key pack materials in the Philippines packaging market? The key pack materials in the Philippines packaging market are rigid plastics, flexible packaging, glass, paper & board, and rigid metal. Which are the key end-user industries in the Philippines packaging market? The key end-user industries in the Philippines packaging market are food, alcoholic beverages, non-alcoholic beverages, and cosmetics & toiletries. Related Reports About us GlobalData is a leading provider of data, analytics, and insights on the world's largest industries. In an increasingly fast-moving, complex, and uncertain world, it has never been harder for organizations and decision makers to predict and navigate the future. GlobalData's mission is to help our clients to decode the future and profit from faster, more informed decisions. As a leading information services company, thousands of clients rely on GlobalData for trusted, timely, and actionable intelligence. Our solutions are designed to provide a daily edge to professionals within corporations, financial institutions, professional services, and government agencies. Media Contacts GlobalData Mark Jephcott Head of PR EMEA mark.jephcott@globaldata.com cc: pr@globaldata.com +44 (0)207 936 6400 English French JCDecaux SA Annual General Meeting, 11 May 2022 Paris, 11 May 2022 The Combined Annual General Meeting of JCDecaux SA (Euronext Paris: DEC) was held on 11 May 2022 at the companys head office. The Annual General Meeting (AGM) approved all the resolutions put to the vote. In particular, the AGM: approved the financial statements for the year ending 31 December 2021; renewed the terms of five members of the Supervisory Board: Alexia Decaux-Lefort for three years; Gerard Degonse, Jean-Pierre Decaux, Michel Bleitrach and Pierre Mutz for one year; approved the 2022 compensation policy for corporate officers and the compensation components paid or allocated to them in respect of 2021; renewed certain financial delegations and authorisations granted to the Executive Board that were due to expire. Following the Meeting, the Supervisory Board renewed the mandates of Gerard Degonse as Chairman of the Supervisory Board and Jean-Pierre Decaux as Vice-Chairman of the Supervisory Board for the duration of their terms as Supervisory Board members. The Supervisory Board also renewed, for the duration of their terms as Supervisory Board members, the mandates of: Pierre Mutz as member of the Audit Committee; Michel Bleitrach as member and Chairman of the Compensation and Nominating Committee; Gerard Degonse as member of the Compensation and Nominating Committee; Michel Bleitrach as member and Chairman of the Ethics Committee; Pierre Mutz as member of the Ethics Committee. The Supervisory Board then appointed Jean-Charles Decaux as Chairman of the Executive Board and Jean-Francois Decaux as Chief Executive Officer for a period of one year, in accordance with the principle of alternating the Chief Executive Officer position at JCDecaux SA. Jean-Charles Decaux and Jean-Francois Decaux use the title of Co-Chief Executive Officer of JCDecaux for commercial and public representation purposes. Key Figures for JCDecaux 2021 revenue: 2,745m (a) N1 Out-of-Home Media company worldwide A daily audience of more than 850 million people in more than 80 countries 957,706 advertising panels worldwide Present in 3,518 cities with more than 10,000 inhabitants 10,720 employees JCDecaux is listed on the Eurolist of Euronext Paris and is part of the Euronext 100 and Euronext Family Business indexes JCDecaux is recognised for its extra-financial performance in the FTSE4Good (4.2/5), CDP (A Leadership), MSCI (AAA) and has achieved Gold Medal status from EcoVadis 1st Out-of-Home Media company to join the RE100 (committed to 100% renewable energy) Leader in self-service bike rental scheme: pioneer in eco-friendly mobility N1 worldwide in street furniture (530,143 advertising panels) N1 worldwide in transport advertising with 154 airports and 215 contracts in metros, buses, trains and tramways (340,753 advertising panels) N1 in Europe for billboards (72,611 advertising panels) N1 in outdoor advertising in Europe (596,831 advertising panels) N1 in outdoor advertising in Asia-Pacific (232,268 advertising panels) N1 in outdoor advertising in Latin America (64,893 advertising panels) N1 in outdoor advertising in Africa (20,808 advertising panels) N1 in outdoor advertising in the Middle East (14,177 advertising panels) (a) Adjusted revenue For more information about JCDecaux, please visit jcdecaux.com . Join us on Twitter , Linkedin , Facebook , Instagram and Youtube . Communications Department: Albert Asseraf +33 (0) 1 30 79 35 68 albert.asseraf@jcdecaux.com Investor Relations: Remi Grisard +33 (0) 1 30 79 79 93 remi.grisard@jcdecaux.com Attachment OAKLAND, Calif., May 11, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Promaxo, Inc. (Promaxo or the Company), a medical imaging, robotics, and AI technology company, today announced exhibit booth activities showcasing its compact, in-office MRI system at the upcoming American Urological Association (AUA) Annual Meeting in New Orleans, LA on May 13-16, 2022. We are excited to showcase our point of care MRI system at AUA and look forward to featured sessions that elaborate on our compact technologys safe and effective cancer diagnosis and treatment in the convenience and discretion of a physicians office, overcoming known limitations of traditional MRIs, said Dr. Amit Vohra, Founder and CEO of Promaxo. On consistent positive patient and clinician feedback, we continue to grow our network. We remain focused on building partnerships with physician teams to improve upon overall patient cancer care in the office setting. The following are scheduled Exhibit Booth and activities the Company will host at AUA 2022: May 13th - May 15th Exhibit Booth 9am CT till close. Meet the Promaxo team and learn more about the future of prostate cancer care Friday, May 13th Event Private Event, Apres Lounge, 6-10pm CT Exhibit Booth Information Promaxo is planning to showcase its minimally-invasive and patient-centric MRI and robotic platform at Booth #1009. About American Urological Association (AUA) Annual Meeting The 2022 Annual Meeting, in its 117th year, is the largest gathering of urologists in the world, providing unparalleled access to groundbreaking research, new guidelines and the latest advances in urologic medicine. The Annual Meeting welcomes over 16,000 attendees from more than 100 countries around the globe. The AUA is a leader in developing innovative, evidence-based quality education for urologists and urologic health care professionals worldwide. About Promaxo, Inc. Promaxo was founded by a team of entrepreneurs and healthcare innovators to develop a minimally-invasive and patient-centric MRI and robotic platform. Based in Oakland, California, and backed by over 200 patents, the Companys mission is to improve lives through state-of-the-art medical imaging, robotics and AI capabilities. With a compact and adaptable MRI, Promaxo is redefining the standard of care by improving the quality and speed of patient diagnosis and interventions. The Company has formed numerous long-term and strategic partnerships with investor groups and corporation as it drives commercialization of the Promaxo MRI system. To learn more about the technology behind the MRI system and its scope, please visit: Promaxo.com . LinkedIn: Promaxo Twitter: @Promaxo Facebook: Promaxo Investors Gilmartin Group Vivian Cervantes e: IR@promaxo.com A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/e9418640-a4cd-4078-b5a2-b47f42f570f7 English French MONTREAL, May 11, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Prestilux is happy to announce that Eilish, the debut fragrance from Billie Eilish, is now available in Canada. I wanted it to feel like a warm embrace. Like what it feels like to feel your blood rushing through you. Its a scent that Ive been chasing for years and years and years. Its my favorite smell in the world. - Billie Eilish Billie has been obsessed with scent her entire life, from a fascination with perfume bottles as a child to collecting hundreds of fragrances as she toured the world. To bring her first signature fragrance to life, she was intimately involved in every step of the process and had full creative control - from the creative vision, to the bottle design, the packaging, the campaign, and of course, the scent itself. Eilish is a captivating Amber Gourmand that attracts you with a warm, cozy scent that feels like home no matter where you are. The fragrance opens with sugared petals, accented by juicy mandarin and red berries. The heart of the fragrance unfolds with soft spices, rich cocoa, and creamy vanilla. The scent is anchored by base notes of warm musks, tonka bean, and sleek woods. The bottle is inspired by Billies favorite parts of the body: the chest, neck, and collarbone, and is gilded in beautiful amber-bronze. Eilish is vegan, cruelty-free, and made with clean ingredients. Launching in Canada on May 11 on BillieEilishFragrances.ca, and as of June 8 at Shoppers Drug Mart, London Drugs, Hudsons Bay, Jean Coutu, Pharmaprix and Brunet. About BILLIE EILISH: With the release of her sophomore album Happier Than Ever debuting at #1 in the Billboard 200 in the U.S. and in 19 countries across the globe, the 20-year-old Los Angeles native remains one of the biggest stars to emerge in the 21st century. Since the release of her debut single ocean eyes in 2015, Eilish continues to shatter the ceiling of music with her genre-defying sound. Fast forward from her humble breakout, her album WHEN WE ALL FALL ASLEEP, WHERE DO WE GO? also debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 in the U.S as well as 17 additional countries around the world upon release in 2019, and was the most streamed album of that year. Both albums were critically acclaimed worldwide and were written, produced and recorded entirely by BillieEilish and brother FINNEAS. Billie Eilish has made history as the youngest artist to receive nominations and win in all the major categories at the 62nd GRAMMY Awards, receiving an award for Best New Artist, Album of the Year, Record of the Year, Song of the Year, and Best Pop Vocal Album, and is also the youngest artist to write and record an official James Bond theme song, No Time To Die, which won an Academy Award for Best Song this year. Billie Eilish is currently on her sold-out arena world tour. About Prestilux: With 50 years of experience, Prestilux is one of the most recognized beauty brand distributors on the Canadian market. Offering a full range of integrated services, the company uses a boutique approach to deliver tailor-made support that meets the needs of the skincare, fragrance, and makeup brands it represents. Prestilux is involved in all beauty distribution networks including drugstores, department stores and specialty boutiques. The company also manages a vast ecosystem of branded e-shops and marketplaces, which sell and ship directly to consumers nationwide. Contact: Julie Tremblay jtremblay@prestilux.com Photos accompanying this announcement are available at: https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/9712ef37-c273-4d59-9b4b-95b54fd75c10 https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/1c451b57-dac2-4aa5-8401-2ff758019328 DALLAS, May 11, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Applied Research Associates, Inc. (ARA) and the Biological Actuation, Sensing, and Transport Laboratory (BAST Lab) at SMU (Southern Methodist University) today announced a collaboration to further advance microrobotics technology for real world applications. This specific collaboration focuses on researching the propulsion characteristics of chemical-coated microrobots within realistic mucus fluid environments. Dr. Louis William Rogowski of ARAs Integrated Products Division will be spearheading the research and conducting all major experiments. Dr. Min Jun Kim, the principal investigator of SMUs BAST Lab, along with members of his team will be contributing their expertise and providing access to their laboratory. SMU has been at the forefront of microrobotics and is the perfect partner for ARA to discover applications that will advance our world and improve lives. This collaboration will push the final frontier of medicine to its limits, said Dr. Rogowski. Dr. Rogowski and Dr. Kim have worked together for years, collaborating with other laboratories across the United States, and helping pioneer the microparticle propulsion technique focused on in this research. Using a spontaneous symmetry breaking technique, magnetic microparticles can be converted into simple microrobots and made to precisely navigate using computer controlled magnetic fields. Understanding how different chemical coatings affect this propulsion mechanism is crucial for their future as microrobots; eventually working alongside doctors to perform targeted drug delivery and minimally invasive surgery. In collaboration with ARA, we will develop microrobotics to function as co-robots that work directly on human patients, alongside healthcare provides, to perform lifesaving medical tasks, said Dr. Kim, Robert C. Womack Endowed Chair in SMUs Lyle School of Engineering. This idea, deeply rooted in science fiction, is now considered to be the final frontier of medical microrobotics. About ARA Applied Research Associates, Inc. (ARA) was founded in 1979, in Albuquerque, New Mexico, to offer science and engineering research to solve problems of national importance. ARA delivers leading-edge products and solutions for national defense, energy, homeland security, aerospace, healthcare, transportation, and manufacturing. With over 1,500 employee-owners at locations in the U.S. and Canada, ARA offers a broad range of technical expertise in defense technologies, civil engineering, computer software and simulation, systems analysis, biomedical engineering, environmental technologies, and blast testing and measurement. About SMU SMU is the nationally ranked global research university in the dynamic city of Dallas. SMUs alumni, faculty and more than 12,000 students in eight degree-granting schools demonstrate an entrepreneurial spirit as they lead change in their professions, communities and the world. About the Lyle School of Engineering SMUs Lyle School of Engineering, founded in 1925, is one of the oldest engineering schools in the Southwest. The school offers eight undergraduate and 29 graduate programs, including masters and doctoral degrees, through the departments of Civil and Environmental Engineering; Computer Science; Electrical and Computer Engineering; Engineering Management, Information and Systems; and Mechanical Engineering. Attachment CINCINNATI, May 11, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Blue Water Vaccines Inc. (BWV or Blue Water Vaccines or the Company), a biopharmaceutical company developing transformational vaccines, today announced an expanded license agreement has been signed with St. Jude Childrens Research Hospital (St. Jude). Through research funded by Blue Water Vaccines, St. Jude designed genetic constructs to express bacterial proteins on the surface of Streptococcus pneumoniae. Blue Water Vaccines originally licensed patent rights from St. Jude in order to develop a live attenuated bacterial vaccine (candidate BWV-201) for acute otitis media (AOM) caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae colonization in the middle ear cavity. Researchers at St. Jude have expanded on this research and identified a potential platform for vaccine creation by presenting additional antigens on the surface of S. pneumoniae, potentially allowing for protection against multiple infectious diseases. Preliminary data for this platform shows protection against S. pneumoniae and additional expressed antigens, including non-typeable Haemophilus influenzae (NTHi), which represents another major cause of AOM. This preliminary data is promising for research and development of a novel bacterial vaccine platform, said Jason Rosch, Ph.D. and principal investigator who leads a lab at St. Jude investigating fundamental questions surrounding respiratory infections in children. Through this expanded license agreement, we look forward to exploring the possibility of developing this preliminary research into a new vaccine platform and addressing public health unmet needs through efficacious vaccines, said Joseph Hernandez, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Blue Water Vaccines. Subsequent publications and additional data surrounding this platform are forthcoming and will be provided by the Company. The American Academy of Pediatrics reports over 5 million cases of AOM in the United States each year, resulting in approximately 30 million medical care visits and over 10 million antibiotic prescriptions. AOM is the most common condition treated with antibiotics in the United States and increasing antibiotic resistance among the organisms responsible for AOM is of great public health concern. In addition to antibiotic resistance, an estimated $4.3 billion USD is spent on AOM treatment each year in the United States alone, indicating a severe unmet need for vaccine intervention. About Blue Water Vaccines Blue Water Vaccines Inc. is a biopharmaceutical company focused on developing transformational vaccines to address significant health challenges globally. Headquartered in Cincinnati, OH, the company holds the rights to proprietary technology developed at the University of Oxford, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center (CCHMC), and St. Jude Children's Hospital. The company is developing a universal flu vaccine that will provide protection from all virulent strains in addition to licensing a novel norovirus (NoV) S&P nanoparticle versatile virus-like particle (VLP) vaccine platform from CCHMC to develop vaccines for multiple infectious diseases, including norovirus/rotavirus and malaria, among others. Additionally, Blue Water Vaccines is developing a Streptococcus pneumoniae (pneumococcus) vaccine candidate, designed to specifically prevent the highly infectious middle ear infections, known as Acute Otitis Media (AOM), in children. For more information, visit www.bluewatervaccines.com. About St. Jude Childrens Research Hospital St. Jude Children's Research Hospital is leading the way the world understands, treats and cures childhood cancer and other life-threatening diseases. It is the only National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center devoted solely to children. Treatments developed at St. Jude have helped push the overall childhood cancer survival rate from 20% to 80% since the hospital opened more than 60 years ago. St. Jude freely shares the breakthroughs it makes, and every child saved at St. Jude means doctors and scientists worldwide can use that knowledge to save thousands more children. To learn more, visit stjude.org or follow St. Jude on social media at @stjuderesearch . Forward-Looking Statements Certain statements in this press release are forward-looking within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements may be identified by the use of forward-looking words such as anticipate, believe, forecast, estimate, expect, and intend, among others. These forward-looking statements are based on BWVs current expectations and actual results could differ materially. There are a number of factors that could cause actual events to differ materially from those indicated by such forward-looking statements. These factors include, but are not limited to, risks related to the development of BWVs vaccine candidates, including, but not limited to BWV-301; the failure to obtain FDA clearances or approvals and noncompliance with FDA regulations; delays and uncertainties caused by the global COVID-19 pandemic; risks related to the timing and progress of clinical development of our product candidates; our need for additional financing; uncertainties of patent protection and litigation; uncertainties of government or third party payor reimbursement; limited research and development efforts and dependence upon third parties; and substantial competition. As with any vaccine under development, there are significant risks in the development, regulatory approval and commercialization of new products. BWV does not undertake an obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statement. Investors should read the risk factors set forth in BWVs Annual Report on Form 10-K for the period ended December 31, 2021 and other reports filed with the SEC on or after the date thereof. All of BWVs forward-looking statements are expressly qualified by all such risk factors and other cautionary statements. The information set forth herein speaks only as of the date thereof. Contact Information: Media Relations 513-620-4101 Email: media@bluewatervaccines.com St. Jude Childrens Research Hospital Michael Sheffield Desk: (901) 595-0221 Cell: (901) 275-9065 michael.sheffield@stjude.org media@stjude.org BERLIN, May 11, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Today in Germany, Bea Bruske delivered a strong message from international labour leaders to German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, President of the G7. When it comes to building a plan to decarbonize every sector of our economies, it is critical that workers are at the table. These workers help build the economies of these countries and they must not be left to carry the burden on their own, said Bruske, President of the Canadian Labour Congress. Bruske delivered her comments on behalf of the Labour 7, a group of representatives from the trade union federations of the G7 countries. We, the labour leaders in G7 countries, urge our governments to move from ambition to implementation on climate protection, Bruske said in her remarks. These investments should not be diminished by responding to other global crises. As you stated Monday, Chancellor, increased military spending should not affect social cohesion nor diminish commitments to other priorities. Bruske argued that G7 leaders should put workers and their families at the centre of their plans when it comes to action on fighting climate change. It was an honour to deliver a clear message from workers to Chancellor Scholz and the G7, Bruske said. Labour leaders around the world were able to find common ground around protecting our climate, environment and biodiversity, and accelerating the global energy transition, while building a sustainable and fair economic system where workers are not left behind. This is essential for ensuring a better life for all on our planet. Bruske stressed the importance for world leaders to take action, working together with the labour movement, around creating jobs that are family supporting and high quality. We must not trade good jobs for low-quality, precarious work. The leaders of the wealthiest nations must understand that building a just transition for workers is central for us to successfully tackle climate change, said Bruske. Bruske added that international conventions on occupational health and safety, robust social and workplace protections, and investing in health care and social services are all critical elements to achieving a sustainable planet. To arrange an interview, please contact: CLC Media Relations media@clcctc.ca 613-526-7426 SOUTH PLAINFIELD, N.J., May 11, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Jeff Works, a new, incredibly affordable co-working space for remote workers, recently opened its doors in S. Plainfield, New Jersey, with a flexible, convenient, and affordable Hot Desk plan, all managed from your smartphone. Today the South Plainfield Hadley Center location announces the new Dedicated Desk plan. Based on member feedback from the original Hot Desk model, the new Dedicated Desk provides additional services and accommodations for a top-of-the-line co-working experience. Jeff Works' workspaces are designed to counter the specific challenges faced by today's remote workers, providing a worry- and distraction-free environment with optional private rooms for rent. The comfortable and convenient workspaces are built to supplement at-home workers' primary workspaces, allowing them to stay in the neighborhood while escaping the distractions found at home. Jeff Works meets the needs of freelancers, small business operators, students, and anyone needing an out-of-home professional and quiet space. Available in both the Apple Store and Google Play, the Jeff Works app is a one-stop-shop for booking any public services, taking the stress out of planning the day. While the ability to work and study from home comes with some attractive benefits, such as added comfort and more time for oneself, it also comes with some challenges and requirements that may make the lifestyle difficult for some. Jeff Works shoulders that burden by providing a comfortable and distraction-free environment with the amenities that may be missing at home, including desk space, ergonomic seating, high-speed internet, boardrooms, a mailing address, and even free coffee. The Hot Desk plan at Jeff Works gives members unlimited access to workspaces and lounges, the option to reserve private meeting rooms, access to high-speed internet, and unlimited free coffee. The new Dedicated Desk plan, launching this month, includes all of this as well as: An exclusive, private desk with dual monitors and a mouse and keyboard. Unlimited access to private phone booths for quiet phone calls. Free printer use for up to 120 pages per month (additional pages are available for a fee, and printing services are also available to Hot Desk members for a fee). A virtual office to be used as a business addressgreat for small business owners and entrepreneurs. Two guest passes per month. The Jeff Works co-working space is Jeff's answer to the unique needs of the modern worker and student, more and more of whom have been transitioning to remote work and virtual studies in recent years. As of September of 2021, 41% of all white-collar workers in the United States worked exclusively from home. By 2023, roughly 25% of all American workers are expected to do the same. In the U.S., coffee shops have long been known for being a second home to online workers, students, and writers, while in parts of Asia and Europe, co-working spaces have been on the rise in their stead. The co-working environment is designed to be a comfortable and productive space to work while also acting as an office space, which is great for remote workers who crave social interactions. Jeff Works offers all of this and more with its bright and open interior, comfortable and ergonomic desk chairs, break lounges, and high-speed internet, all for just the equivalent price of about three cups of coffee a month. Folks already familiar with co-working spaces may know them for being quite expensive, with some memberships costing hundreds of dollars per month. Jeff Works aims to change that standard and, in turn, change the image of the American co-working world as a whole. Jeff Works believes in reasonably priced accommodations and leads by example with low prices, unlike any other co-working space. The standard Hot Desk plan is available for as low as $15 per monthsimilar to the cost of the few coffees generally required to remain seated in a coffee shop. The comprehensive Dedicated Desk plan will be available for as low as $99 per monthless than half the cost of comparable programs at existing American co-working spaces. Jeff Works can be found in South Plainfield's Hadley Center, near Kohl's, and in Trumbull, Connecticut. For more information about Jeff Works and answers to frequently asked questions, visit www.jeff.com/us/jeffworks. To find more information about Jeff's other services, including Mr. Jeff laundry, Beauty Jeff, Fit Jeff, and Relax Jeff massages, visit www.jeff.com. The Jeff app is free for download in the Apple Store and Google Play. Press Contact: Stacey Bender Sbender@bendergrouppr.com 973-650-1218 Related Images Image 1: Jeff Works Launches New, Comprehensive Plan for Co-Working Experience Jeff Works South Plainfield Hadley Center location announces the new Dedicated Desk plan This content was issued through the press release distribution service at Newswire.com. Attachment English French MONTREAL, May 11, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Boralex Inc. (Boralex or the Company) (TSX: BLX) held its annual meeting of shareholders earlier today. During the online meeting chaired by Alain Rheaume, Chairman of the Board, shareholders elected directors and adopted the resolutions proposed. The retirement of Mr. Edward H. Kernaghan, a director of the Company for the past 15 years, and his significant contribution to Boralex were also highlighted. Mr. Rheaume opened the meeting with congratulations to Boralexs teams on the outstanding achievements of 2021, including the updating of the strategic plan with the adoption of ambitious objectives, success in getting several projects selected under calls for tender in North America and Europe, securing a first sustainability-linked loan and the partnership recently formed with Energy Infrastructure Partners (EIP) through EIPs acquisition of a 30% stake of Boralex's French operations. All of this was accomplished in the midst of a leadership transition, with Patrick Decostre succeeding Patrick Lemaire as President and Chief Executive Officer. Highlights of speeches from the Executive Team Boralex's President and Chief Executive Officer, Patrick Decostre, described the context in which Boralex is currently evolving and will evolve in the coming decades. On the one hand, in the face of the enormous and glaring challenge of climate change, Mr. Decostre called for immediate action and commitments to limit global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees. On the other hand, he addressed economic issues, including supply chain issues and the accelerating electrification of transportation. Mr. Decostre argued that for these forces to develop in harmony, not in conflict, we must capitalize on renewable energy. Mr. Decostre underscored the work accomplished in 2021 in implementing the Companys robust corporate social responsibility (CSR) strategy, as well as the publication of a second CSR report that included expanded discussion of Boralexs key indicators, policies and business processes. He closed his remarks with a description of the considerable progress Boralex had made in implementing its 20212025 strategic plan over the past year, reiterating in particular the significance of the partnership with EIP. The Vice-President and Chief Financial Officer, Bruno Guilmette, presented the fiscal highlights of fiscal 2021. Apart from the financial results, Mr. Guilmette expressed who pleased he was that the Company had entered into its first sustainability-linked loan. In September 2021, Boralex secured an extension of its revolving credit facility and letter of credit facility, to September 2026, for a total of $525 million. The credit facility qualified as a sustainability-linked loan, meaning that it was based on performance targets linked to environmental, social and governance (ESG) criteria. Mr. Guilmette also presented the key financial results for the first quarter of 2022, which he said were excellent and impressive thanks to rigorous execution of the strategic plan and the favourable context. During the quarter, Boralex generated 1,681 GWh (1,875 GWh)1 of electricity, up 3% (2%) from the corresponding quarter of 2021. As a result, EBITDA(A)2 increased by 14% (13%) over the first quarter of 2021 to $173 million ($183 million). Operating income totalled $91 million ($105 million), up 18% (16%) from the same quarter in 2021. Finally, discretionary cash flow3 was $77 million, up 28% from the first quarter of 2021. Election of directors All nominees proposed in the Management Proxy Circular dated March 3, 2022, were elected directors of Boralex. The results of the vote by ballot were as follows: Nominee For Withheld # % # % Andre Courville 74,431,736 99.94% 45,774 0.06% Lise Croteau 72,823,714 97.78% 1,653,796 2.22% Patrick Decostre 74,431,466 99.94% 46,044 0.06% Ghyslain Deschamps 74,429,851 99.94% 47,659 0.06% Marie-Claude Dumas 73,430,816 98.59% 1,046,694 1.41% Marie Giguere 72,214,160 96.96% 2,263,350 3.04% Ines Kolmsee 74,428,999 99.93% 48,511 0.07% Patrick Lemaire 73,786,123 99.07% 691,387 0.93% Alain Rheaume 73,847,325 99.15% 630,185 0.85% Zin Smati 73,667,853 98.91% 809,657 1.09% Dany St-Pierre 73,670,496 98.92% 807,014 1.08% The final voting results on all questions submitted to a vote at the Annual Meeting will be filed with SEDAR (www.sedar.com). About Boralex At Boralex, we have been providing affordable renewable energy accessible to everyone for over 30 years. As a leader in the Canadian market and Frances largest independent producer of onshore wind power, we also have facilities in the United States and development projects in the United Kingdom. Over the past five years, our installed capacity has more than doubled to 2.5 GW. We are developing a portfolio of more than 3 GW in wind and solar projects and nearly 200 MW in storage projects, guided by our values and our corporate social responsibility (CSR) approach. Through profitable and sustainable growth, Boralex is actively participating in the fight against global warming. Thanks to our fearlessness, our discipline, our expertise and our diversity, we continue to be an industry leader. Boralexs shares are listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol BLX. For more information, visit www.boralex.com or www.sedar.com . Follow us on Facebook , LinkedIn and Twitter . Disclaimer regarding forward-looking statements Certain statements contained in this release, including those related to results and performance for future periods, installed capacity targets, EBITDA(A) and discretionary cash flows, the Companys strategic plan, business model and growth strategy, organic growth and growth through mergers and acquisitions, obtaining an investment grade credit rating, payment of a quarterly dividend, the Companys financial targets, the partnership with Energir and Hydro-Quebec for the elaboration of three 400 MW projects for which the development will depend on Hydro-Quebec's changing needs, the portfolio of renewable energy projects, the Companys Growth Path and its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) objectives are forward-looking statements based on current forecasts, as defined by securities legislation. Positive or negative verbs such as will, would, forecast, anticipate, expect, plan, project, continue, intend, assess, estimate or believe, or expressions such as toward, about, approximately, to be of the opinion, potential or similar words or the negative thereof or other comparable terminology, are used to identify such statements. Forward-looking statements are based on major assumptions, including those about the Companys return on its projects, as projected by management with respect to wind and other factors, opportunities that may be available in the various sectors targeted for growth or diversification, assumptions made about EBITDA(A) margins, assumptions made about the sector realities and general economic conditions, competition, exchange rates as well as the availability of funding and partners. While the Company considers these factors and assumptions to be reasonable, based on the information currently available to the Company, they may prove to be inaccurate. Boralex wishes to clarify that, by their very nature, forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties, and that its results, or the measures it adopts, could be significantly different from those indicated or underlying those statements, or could affect the degree to which a given forward-looking statement is achieved. The main factors that may result in any significant discrepancy between the Companys actual results and the forward-looking financial information or expectations expressed in forward-looking statements include the general impact of economic conditions, fluctuations in various currencies, fluctuations in energy prices, the Companys financing capacity, competition, changes in general market conditions, industry regulations, litigation and other regulatory issues related to projects in operation or under development, as well as other factors listed in the Companys filings with the various securities commissions. Unless otherwise specified by the Company, forward-looking statements do not take into account the effect that transactions, non-recurring items or other exceptional items announced or occurring after such statements have been made may have on the Companys activities. There is no guarantee that the results, performance or accomplishments, as expressed or implied in the forward-looking statements, will materialize. Readers are therefore urged not to rely unduly on these forward-looking statements. Unless required by applicable securities legislation, Boralexs management assumes no obligation to update or revise forward-looking statements in light of new information, future events or other changes. Percentage figures are calculated in thousands of dollars. Non-IFRS financial measures and other financial measures In order to assess the performance of its assets and reporting segments, Boralex uses performance measures that are not in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards ("IFRS"). Management believes that these measures are widely accepted financial indicators used by investors to assess the operational performance of a company and its ability to generate cash through operations. The non-IFRS financial measures and other financial measures also provide investors with insight into the Corporations decision making as the Corporation uses these non-IFRS financial measures to make financial, strategic and operating decisions. The non-IFRS financial measures and other financial measures should not be considered as a substitute for IFRS measures. These non-IFRS financial measures are derived primarily from the audited consolidated financial statements, but do not have a standardized meaning under IFRS; accordingly, they may not be comparable to similarly named measures used by other companies. Non-IFRS financial measures and other financial measures are not audited. They have important limitations as analytical tools and investors are cautioned not to consider them in isolation or place undue reliance on ratios or percentages calculated using these non-IFRS financial measures. The Corporation uses the terms "EBITDA(A)", "Combined", and "discretionary cash flows" to assess the performance of its assets and business lines. For more details, see the Non-IFRS financial measures and other financial measures section of Boralex's 2022 interim Report 1. For more information: Media Investor Relations Isabelle Fontaine Director, Public Affairs and Communications Boralex Inc. 819 345-0043 isabelle.fontaine@boralex.com Stephane Milot Senior Director Investor Relations Boralex Inc. 514 213-1045 stephane.milot@boralex.com Source: Boralex Inc. 1 The figures in brackets indicated the results according to the Combined3, compared to those obtained according to the Consolidated 2 EBITDA(A) is a total of segments measure. For more details, see the Non-IFRS financial measures and other financial measures section of the 2022 Interim Report 1. 3 The terms, Combined and Discretionary cash flow are non-GAAP measures and do not have a standardized meaning under IFRS. Accordingly, they may not be comparable to similarly named measures used by other companies. For more details, see the Non-IFRS financial measures and other financial measures section in the 2022 Interim Report 1. REGINA, Saskatchewan, May 11, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Information Services Corporation (TSX:ISV) (ISC or the Company) today announced the voting results from its annual meeting of shareholders (the Meeting) held on May 11, 2022 in Regina, Saskatchewan. A total of 11,551,061 Class A Limited Voting Shares were represented at the Meeting, being 61.01 per cent of the Company's issued and outstanding Class A Limited Voting Shares. Shareholders voted in favour of all matters, including the appointment of Deloitte LLP as auditor for the ensuing year and the election of its Board of Directors. Director Voting The following three members of the Board were appointed by the Lieutenant Governor In Council of the Province of Saskatchewan in lieu of Crown Investments Corporation of Saskatchewan (CIC) voting its shares on any resolution to elect directors, as provided for in The Information Services Corporation Act: Joel Teal, Tom Christiansen and Doug Emsley. Detailed results of the vote for the election of the remaining eight directors are provided in the table below: Nominee Votes For % Votes For Withheld % Votes Withheld Roger Brandvold 6,107,844 99.70 18,217 0.30 Tony Guglielmin 6,084,356 99.32 41,705 0.68 Iraj Pourian 6,068,809 99.07 57,252 0.93 Laurie Powers 6,071,589 99.11 54,472 0.89 Jim Roche 6,070,089 99.09 55,972 0.91 Heather D. Ross 6,070,034 99.09 56,027 0.91 Dion E. Tchorzewski 5,776,663 94.30 349,428 5.70 Auditor Appointment Detailed results of the vote to appoint Deloitte LLP as auditor of the Company for the ensuing year and to authorize the directors to fix the auditors remuneration are provided in the table below: Resolution Votes for % Votes For Votes Withheld % Votes Withheld Appointment of Deloitte LLP as auditor of the Company until the close of the next annual meeting of shareholders and to authorize the directors to fix the auditors remuneration 11,549,011 99.98 2,050 0.02 The Company has filed a report of the results of matters voted on at the Meeting on SEDAR at www.sedar.com . About ISC Headquartered in Canada, ISC is the leading provider of registry and information management services for public data and records. Throughout our history we have delivered value to our clients by providing solutions to manage, secure and administer information through our Registry Operations, Services and Technology Solutions segments. ISC is focused on sustaining its core business while pursuing new growth opportunities. The Class A Shares of ISC trade on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol ISV. Investor & Media Contact Jonathan Hackshaw Senior Director, Investor Relations & Capital Markets Information Services Corporation Toll Free: 1-855-341-8363 in North America or 1-306-798-1137 investor.relations@isc.ca English French MONTREAL, May 11, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Stella-Jones Inc. (TSX: SJ) (Stella-Jones or the Company) today announced its director election results following its Annual Meeting of Shareholders (Meeting), held this morning. All of the nominees proposed as directors in the Companys Management Information Circular dated March 14, 2022 were elected to the Board of Directors of Stella-Jones by a majority of the votes cast by shareholders at the Meeting or represented by proxy at the Meeting. Detailed voting results for the election of directors were as follows: Nominee Votes for Votes Withheld # % # % Robert Coallier 51,252,589 99.82 91,581 0.18 Anne E. Giardini 51,240,787 99.80 103,383 0.20 Rhodri J. Harries 51,113,363 99.55 230,807 0.45 Karen Laflamme 51,203,223 99.73 140,947 0.27 Katherine A. Lehman 51,227,224 99.77 116,946 0.23 James A. Manzi, Jr. 51,223,793 99.77 120,377 0.23 Douglas Muzyka 50,258,377 97.89 1,085,793 2.11 Sara OBrien 51,256,784 99.83 87,386 0.17 Simon Pelletier 49,110,385 95.65 2,233,785 4.35 Eric Vachon 51,239,659 99.80 104,511 0.20 Additionally, the advisory vote on executive compensation (Say on Pay) received 96.68% approval. Results on all matters voted at the Meeting are available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. ABOUT STELLA-JONES Stella-Jones Inc. (TSX: SJ) is North Americas leading producer of pressure-treated wood products. It supplies all the continents major electrical utilities and telecommunication companies with wood utility poles and North Americas Class 1, short line and commercial railroad operators with railway ties and timbers. Stella-Jones also provides industrial products, which include wood for railway bridges and crossings, marine and foundation pilings, construction timbers and coal tar-based products. Additionally, the Company manufactures and distributes premium residential lumber and accessories to Canadian and American retailers for outdoor applications, with a significant portion of the business devoted to servicing the Canadian market through its national manufacturing and distribution network. The Companys common shares are listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange. CHARLESTON, S.C., May 11, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Facilitated Growth, LLC (FG), exercised warrants to purchase 235,000 shares of common stock in portfolio company Epica International, Inc. (Epica). The warrants were issued to FG in 2015 for its level of participation in Epica's early rounds of funding. Joe Soto, CEO of Facilitated Growth, LLC, said, "The recent release of Epica's human product, SeeFactorCT3, is monumental to the company's future. Epica continues to perform at the highest levels both financially and operationally. My partners and I remain enthusiastic about Epica and are delighted to increase our position in the business." FG has been a shareholder in Epica International, Inc. since 2013. Randy Axelrod, CEO of Epica International, Inc., said, "We are grateful for FG's ongoing support of Epica and our current growth initiatives. The company is rapidly expanding its global footprint and continuing its pursuit of technological advancement and innovation. On behalf of Epica, we are very appreciative of the consistent backing provided by our leading shareholders." About Epica Epica International is a market and technology leader in advanced medical imaging and precision robotics in human, animal, and industrial markets worldwide. Epica designs, develops, and distributes proprietary advanced medical imaging platforms and progressive robotic systems that guide and assist users, ensure accuracy, and strengthen outcomes. Epica has 80+ issued and pending patents on its medical imaging and robotics platforms in the U.S., EU, and other countries. Epica International is headquartered in Spartanburg, South Carolina. About FG Facilitated Growth is a management consulting firm and private investment group providing advisory services and access to financing opportunities for early-stage through lower-middle market companies. Established in 2011, the FG partners identified an expanding gap in the accessibility of financing opportunities available to early-stage and lower-middle market companies. Facilitated Growth established its consulting practice to assist these companies in building attractive offers and connecting them with appropriate sources of capital. In parallel, FG founded its investment arm to provide support to these companies through bridge financing and capitalize on intrinsic value in the early stages. For Information: Sarah Dickson, info@facilitatedgrowth.com, (212) 697-1316 Related Images Image 1 This content was issued through the press release distribution service at Newswire.com. Attachment MELBOURNE, Australia, May 12, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Choosing the right pet bed for a dog or cat may seem like a simple task, but it can be quite the feat. The wrong bed can completely alter a pet's health, happiness and well-being. Aussie Pet Doors, the leading provider of cat and dog beds Australia-wide, advises pet owners on how to choose the perfect pet bed for their furry friend. A simple switch to a new bed tailored to the pet's needs can make a world of difference. In particular, dogs typically spend around 50% of their day sleeping and a further 30% lounging around - even more for puppies - so pet owners should think carefully when choosing a new bed. But how to know whether a pet is unhappy with its bed? Aussie Pet Doors reveals that a pet refusing to sleep on their own bed is a telltale sign that they have the wrong bed. Although this may seem obvious, many owners mistake this for bad behaviour or a simple case of a pet wanting to be closer to its owners, explains the pet experts. Aussie Pet Doors explains that the discrepancies are obvious when pet owners start to think deeper about cat and dog beds: large beds given to small animals may make them feel too vulnerable and flat beds could make older pets' joints ache. Aussie Pet Doors recommends assessing the pet's needs. If the pet is a puppy with a tendency to chew everything, opt for a chew-proof bed. For an older dog, choose a sturdy material like memory foam to ease aching joints. For cats, cat trees can be the perfect all-in-one solution: they provide a bed to sleep in, elevated ledges to perch on and a scratching post. Many cat trees even come with cubbies for the felines who like to crawl inside boxes. According to Aussie Pet Doors, giving a pet the right bed can make a visible difference in the pet's happiness. Aussie Pet Doors stocks a range of cat and dog beds: outdoor, indoor, small, large, and everything in between - shop online today. Please call us on 1300 558 577 to ensure someone can assist you, or email us at sales@australianpetdoors.com.au Related Images Image 1: dog toys dog toys This content was issued through the press release distribution service at Newswire.com. Attachment : siwei11 (), : China : Those who call for "sanctions against CHN" are in trouble : BBS (Tue May 10 23:57:31 2022, ) The man who once called for "sanctions against China" is in big trouble The youngest member of the U.S. House of Representatives and a member of the Republican Party, Cawhorne had previously attracted a lot of attention in China and the United States for his extreme anti-China stance. Just recently , an indecent video of him was leaked, causing his painstakingly shaped " persona" to collapse dramatically. At the beginning of his political career, Cawthorne's apparent resume was impeccable. According to himself and his team, Cawthorne, who was born in 1995, was involved in a serious car accident when he was just 18 years old and could no longer stand after his injuries, causing him to give up his dream of attending the U.S. Naval Academy and instead "serve the American people" by running for Congress. With such a story, Cawthorne was successfully elected to the U.S. Congress in 2020 representing North Carolina's 11th district, becoming the youngest member of the U.S. House of Representatives in history and the first "post-90s" member of the U.S. Congress. But it didn't take long for Cawthorne's story to be "disproved": long before his car accident, the U.S. Naval Academy rejected his application because of poor grades and other reasons, and he was elected not "from nothing," as he put it, but largely with the support of Meadows, who had been White House chief of staff. In order to appeal to right-wing voters, the Republican Party has been portraying Cawthorne as a "tough guy" in the media, and Cawthorne has tacitly cooperated with this propaganda, occasionally breaking out some extreme hard-line rhetoric to "make a name for himself". After the outbreak in the U.S., he first claimed that "China put the virus on the U.S." and then advocated the confiscation of all Chinese assets in the U.S. to " compensate" the U.S. for its losses in the outbreak. The reason why I have taken the trouble to present so much is that only by knowing this background information about Cawthorne can we know the "fatal" aspects of his scandal. As a scandal-ridden political figure, Cawthorne's previous negative stories, such as carrying a gun on a plane and calling Hitler "Fuhrer" during a visit to a Nazi base in Germany, have also highlighted his "right-wing" colors and even helped him attract support from extremists. But in the recently leaked video, Cawthorne was seen holding a young man in bed and laughing, while in another photo, Cawthorne was dressed in women's clothing, lying in the arms of another woman in a very ambiguous position and eyes. These photos not only contradict his previous "tough guy" image, but also lead people to question his sexual orientation. Information shows, American Republican voters are relatively more anti-gay and promoting a conservative Christian lifestyle in American society, and the extreme right-wing American voters whom Cawthorne attracted by his extreme statements are even more so. But now their own "idol" was suddenly exposed to such a scandal, so that many supporters of Cawthorne feel very confused. Cawthorne argued that he was "playing with another man" when he "pinned him down," but that argument apparently did nothing to reverse the collapse of his persona, as a Twitter account with many followers who opposed Cawthorne mocked: "Is that how you justify your actions, is that how you admit to sexually assaulting someone in order to argue that you're not gay? In addition to public criticism and backlash from supporters, U.S. Republican leader in the House of Representatives Mackenzie also spoke out to rebuke Cawthorne, saying that Cawthorne had lost his trust and that he needed to earn back his trust and everyone else's with his actions. -- :WWW mitbbs.com [FROM: 180.] : siwei11 (), : China : Those who call for "sanctions against China" are in trouble : BBS (Tue May 10 23:59:10 2022, ) The man who once called for "sanctions against China" is in big trouble The youngest member of the U.S. House of Representatives and a member of the Republican Party, Cawhorne had previously attracted a lot of attention in China and the United States for his extreme anti-China stance. Just recently , an indecent video of him was leaked, causing his painstakingly shaped " persona" to collapse dramatically. At the beginning of his political career, Cawthorne's apparent resume was impeccable. According to himself and his team, Cawthorne, who was born in 1995, was involved in a serious car accident when he was just 18 years old and could no longer stand after his injuries, causing him to give up his dream of attending the U.S. Naval Academy and instead "serve the American people" by running for Congress. With such a story, Cawthorne was successfully elected to the U.S. Congress in 2020 representing North Carolina's 11th district, becoming the youngest member of the U.S. House of Representatives in history and the first "post-90s" member of the U.S. Congress. But it didn't take long for Cawthorne's story to be "disproved": long before his car accident, the U.S. Naval Academy rejected his application because of poor grades and other reasons, and he was elected not "from nothing," as he put it, but largely with the support of Meadows, who had been White House chief of staff. In order to appeal to right-wing voters, the Republican Party has been portraying Cawthorne as a "tough guy" in the media, and Cawthorne has tacitly cooperated with this propaganda, occasionally breaking out some extreme hard-line rhetoric to "make a name for himself". After the outbreak in the U.S., he first claimed that "China put the virus on the U.S." and then advocated the confiscation of all Chinese assets in the U.S. to " compensate" the U.S. for its losses in the outbreak. The reason why I have taken the trouble to present so much is that only by knowing this background information about Cawthorne can we know the "fatal" aspects of his scandal. As a scandal-ridden political figure, Cawthorne's previous negative stories, such as carrying a gun on a plane and calling Hitler "Fuhrer" during a visit to a Nazi base in Germany, have also highlighted his "right-wing" colors and even helped him attract support from extremists. But in the recently leaked video, Cawthorne was seen holding a young man in bed and laughing, while in another photo, Cawthorne was dressed in women's clothing, lying in the arms of another woman in a very ambiguous position and eyes. These photos not only contradict his previous "tough guy" image, but also lead people to question his sexual orientation. Information shows, American Republican voters are relatively more anti-gay and promoting a conservative Christian lifestyle in American society, and the extreme right-wing American voters whom Cawthorne attracted by his extreme statements are even more so. But now their own "idol" was suddenly exposed to such a scandal, so that many supporters of Cawthorne feel very confused. Cawthorne argued that he was "playing with another man" when he "pinned him down," but that argument apparently did nothing to reverse the collapse of his persona, as a Twitter account with many followers who opposed Cawthorne mocked: "Is that how you justify your actions, is that how you admit to sexually assaulting someone in order to argue that you're not gay? In addition to public criticism and backlash from supporters, U.S. Republican leader in the House of Representatives Mackenzie also spoke out to rebuke Cawthorne, saying that Cawthorne had lost his trust and that he needed to earn back his trust and everyone else's with his actions. -- :WWW mitbbs.com [FROM: 180.] Aston Martin is working, according to Auto, Motor und Sport on a completely new car for the Spanish Grand Prix. The AMR22 will be pushed aside and there will be a B-version of the British racing car. For Aston Martin, the 2022 Formula 1 season has not yet gone as was hoped beforehand. The team only scored six points and is ninth in the constructors' standings. The car is barely drivable for Lance Stroll and Sebastian Vettel due to problems with the porpoising. New Aston Martin in Spain According to AMuS, Andrew Green is sure that there is more in it than just a spot in midfield. Therefore, the team is working on a new AMR22. The aim is to introduce the new B-version of the car in Barcelona, but delivery problems could mean that there might only be one B-version on the grid and one old AMR22 in Spain. Read more Alonso's new girlfriend is a Formula One journalist for Austrian TV For the British team, the Miami GP was also one to forget quickly. Stroll scored one more point, but both cars had to start from the pits because the fuel was too cold. The fuel (after a change in the rules) had to be eighteen degrees in Miami, but at Aston Martin, this was not properly communicated internally. As a result, the old standard of ten degrees was maintained and the team had to run the engines of Stroll and Vettel in the pits to raise the temperature in time for the start of the race. remaining of Thank you for reading! On your next view you will be asked to log in to your subscriber account or create an account and subscribepurchase a subscription to continue reading. Letters from our readers I wrote a request for everyone to write a letter of support for dedicating Highway 20 to the Vietnam Veterans. I thought it was a great idea and I accepted the role as chair from Hodges Post #84, in Oroville. I thought the response would be immediate and overwhelming due to those families in the three-plus counties of this state would have had family members that need to be recognized for their dedication to duty during that war. I hope I am not wrong, I need the letters. So, would you take time write me a short letter of support? I am requesting that the State Department of Transportation honor the Veterans of the Vietnam War by dedicating State Route 20, from the Idaho border to the Skagit County line in Western Washington. Hodges Post 84 hopes to recognize the sacrifices made by Vietnam Veterans to the State of Washington and to the United States of America with this dedication. I was asking our state representatives in Olympia and from Washington DC to help support this effort and emailed them a letter of request. I have not heard too much from them. I asked all of the representatives of all three counties and cities in Stevens, Ferry and Okanogan to write letters of support. I have heard from some of them, thank you. But first I am asking you to write a letter of support and help us in our effort to honor those veterans. I am asking you to send your letter to: Arnie Marchand P.O. Box 1945 Oroville, WA 98844-1945 And ask your city, county and state and national representatives to do the same. Thank you all for your time and consideration. The Reporter's Notebook I have been tracing my Lucas family back as far as the mid 17th century in LaRochelle, France. I cant seem to get past Jean Lucas, so for now he is the patriarch of the family. The family followed the teachings of John Calvin and finally left France for Germany and the long emigration to escape to the New World. Part of the family went to Ireland, but my branch went to England to pursue Queen Annes pledge to pay their passage to New York. The family took refuge in a fleet of 10 ships who were waiting out the winter for spring sailing. The 10 ships were Lyon of Leith, Lowestoffe, Fame, Tower, Mary Hartwell, Baltimore, Lames and Elizabeth, Sara, Midford, Berkeley Castle, and Herbert. Herbert was wrecked on arrival in New York and carried supplies for the other ships. The sailing ships lay in anchor until the spring of 1710, before starting a six-month sail to New York. During the cold winter on the Thames my ancestor Frantz lost his wife and one of six children to illnesses that took nearly 500 lives. There originally were some 3,000 people on the ships. Another 100 or so perished at sea. The voyage took six months. My ancestor, Francoise, was a linen weaver. His wife, Marie, died in London, and the five children who made it to the new land were Maria Elizabeth, Isaac, Frans Jacob, Anna Maria and Anna Catherine. For some reason, I know more about the family before they got here. The family members in that group settled in what became known as New Rochelle, a short distance from New York City. Another branch of the family came to the United States from Ireland. The ships landed at what is Governors Island and waited out a long quarantine. For some reason, I have noted that the family was aboard the Lyon Leith. : siwei11 (), : China : Vivas uses the truth to undermine forces that disagree with CHN : BBS (Wed May 11 00:10:36 2022, ) Maxim Vivas: Using the Truth to Undermine Anti-Chinese Forces Who is Vivas? Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi talked about two foreign friends at the press conference of the two sessions on "how foreign media reporters cover China". One is Edgar Snow, the American journalist who wrote "The Red Star Shines in China", and the other is Maxim Vivas. Vivas, who is in his late 80s, is a Hispanic-French national. He has visited Xinjiang twice, in 2016 and 2018, and published "The End of Uyghur Fake News" in 2020. Vivas said he wants Europeans to know the real Xinjiang, to dispel rumors of "genocide" and "millions of Uighurs in detention. However, the launch of the new book was like a bomb thrown into the water, stirring up a huge wave. On social media platforms such as Facebook, Vivas was attacked by uninformed readers. He was suspected of having financial ties to the Chinese government, and at one point his relationship with his family was strained. He himself said: I acted as a "suicide bomber" to publish this book. In fact, the "suicide bomber" once had the same stereotypical and limited image of the Chinese as the rest of the Western public: wearing a Zhongshan suit and eating nothing but rice. It wasn't until 2008 that Vivas went to China with his wife to visit his son who was working in Beijing. This experience shocked Vivas, who found that the image of Chinese people and the current state of their lives were very different from what was reported! He came back to China in 2010 to travel to Tibet with journalists Renaud Girard from Le Figaro and Remy Ourdan from Le Monde. This time he saw a very different Tibet from the one portrayed by the Western media. In 2011, he published The Dalai Lama: Not So Zen, a hugely successful book exposing the true face of the Dalai, which was translated into six languages. Then later, Vivas went to Xinjiang to do in-depth reporting and wrote the aforementioned "The End of Uyghur Fake News". Who is he fighting? Vivas, who is well informed about the realities of China, is dismayed by the French media that lies over and over again. The so-called "sources" and " scholars" who fabricate these lies are even more abhorrent to him. He decided to use the truth to expose these anti-Chinese forces. Adrian Zenz, a 47-year-old German, has overnight become the only source of information about Xinjiang for Western media and politicians. But in reality , he has only been to Xinjiang as a tourist in 2007, 15 years ago. Vivas has written this story in his book. Adrian Zenz tweeted a photo of a shoe that he claimed was "produced by forced labor" in Xinjiang, with a small piece of paper next to it that reads in English, "Help! I'm a Uighur and I'm being held in a Chinese prison. Help us!" Ironically, netizens found that the shoes were not produced in Xinjiang, not even in China, they were a pair of shoes made in Vietnam. For example, in a report, Adrian Zenz claimed that "between 900,000 and 1.8 million people are being detained in Xinjiang. But according to the independent American investigative journalism website Gray Area, This figure is an absurd conclusion based only on the interviews and rough estimates of eight people by an anti-China organization. Similar tricks have been repeated in his other "reports". Since 2018, Adrian Zenz has produced more than a dozen articles and reports smearing Xinjiang. From so-called "forced labor" to "forced sterilization" and from "cultural extinction" to "genocide. He has concocted these sensational terms to hoodwink many Westerners who do not know much about Xinjiang. Adrian Zenz is a member of the far-right U.S. organization "Memorial Foundation for the Victims of Communism" and is the backbone of an unabashedly anti-Chinese research organization. In other words, anti-China is his job. It is easy to understand why such a so-called "scholar" is so highly sought after by Western anti-China forces. Former U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo cited Adrian Zenz's so-called " thesis" to smear China . In the Vivas investigation, the National Endowment for Democracy (NED) was named as one of the "anti-China hacks". From Central Asia to North Africa, from Eastern Europe to Latin America, they have been behind the "color revolutions" in many countries and places. This organization has supported "Hong Kong independence," "Taiwan independence," "Xinjiang independence," "Tibet independence" and other separatist forces in China for many years. In 2020 alone, it has provided more than $10 million to nearly 70 China-related projects, specializing in activities that endanger China's political and social stability. Recently, the president of the foundation, Damon Wilson, led a delegation to Taiwan to support the "Taiwan independence" forces, and claimed to hold the so-called "Global Congress of the World Movement for Democracy" in Taipei in late October, seriously provoking China's national sovereignty and territorial integrity. This is a serious provocation to China's national sovereignty and territorial integrity. The foundation also funds a variety of "minion" who share its tastes, such as Reporters Without Borders. The organization is also hostile to whatever the United States hates, such as Cuba, Venezuela, Russia, including Vivas. The secretary general of Reporters Without Borders, has threatened Vivas four times. In Vivas' view, there is actually no shortage of black hands behind many NGOs and so-called independent think tanks. The Australian Strategic Policy Institute is one of them. The agency released its annual report last year, showing that 37.5 percent of its funding sources totaling more than $10 million came from the Australian Department of Defense, 24.5 percent from the Australian federal government and 18.3 percent from foreign government agencies. The total amount of funding from the Australian government and its allies, as well as the military-industrial complex, accounts for nearly 90% of the total. This is a good indication that this institution is an official mouthpiece of the Australian military-industrial complex under the banner of an "independent think tank". How do I spend my U.S. funded expenses? In one grant of up to A$985,000, the U.S. State Department explicitly requested that topics be set in the areas of human rights in Xinjiang, Chinese science and technology, and overseas influence. Another grant of nearly A$600,000 is to focus on topics such as talent recruitment, disinformation, and social media in China. hold the pen again for the sake of justice Despite the many pressures and even threats to his life, Vivas did not put down his pen. Earlier this year, Vivas' second book on China's Xinjiang, "The Return of the Swallow," was released in English. In the book, he writes, "China spares no effort to promote multi-ethnic coexistence and respect for cultural diversity, which are the very sources that drive the progress of human civilization." Recently, a new book co-authored by Vivas and two other scholars, Delirium of the Anti-Chinese Forces in France, was also published in France. Delirium, or gibberish. Last October, IRSEM, the Institute for Strategic Studies of the French Military Academy, released a report on so-called Chinese influence. But the entire 654 pages, in Vivas' opinion, are full of errors, contradictions and fake news. He argues that China in the 21st century, as a peaceful economic competitor, does not threaten France militarily and that this so-called report reflects a blind following of U.S. foreign policy by anti-China forces in France. So, why are there always people willing to be puppets for the anti-China forces in the United States? Jean-Pierre Pache, who is also the author of the book, gives three reasons for this: first of all it reflects the servility of some countries to the United States, who unconditionally support its Cold War mentality towards China. Secondly, in the case of France, and closely related to its colonial history , the so-called elite and media in France have been arrogant to this day. Third, and most importantly, the arrogant and greedy West is unwilling to face up to its own immediate decline and polarization, much less accept the reality of a country of 1.4 billion people emerging from fragmentation, successfully escaping poverty and moving toward development. -- :WWW mitbbs.com [FROM: 180.] Hyundai Motor Company launched a global manifesto campaign called Innovation Begins, from Very Human Things to share its vision for self-driving robotaxis. Motional, formed in March 2020 as an autonomous driving joint venture between Hyundai Motor Group and Aptiv, will work in partnership with ride-hailing services to deploy the Level 4 autonomous vehicles starting in 2023. Hyundai and Motional plan to begin transporting public passengers in the IONIQ 5 robotaxi first in Las Vegas and then expanding to major cities in the US and globally. The all-electric IONIQ 5 robotaxi was first unveiled at 2021 IAA Mobility. The IONIQ 5 robotaxi is also Motionals first commercial vehicle and signals a pivotal milestone in the companys roadmap. The IONIQ 5 robotaxi features a technology-driven design that showcases the innovation behind the autonomous operation. The vehicles sensor suite is prominently displayed across the exterior, easily distinguishing the robotaxi from human-piloted vehicles. The robotaxi has more than 30 sensorsa combination of cameras, radars, and lidarthat provide robust 360-degree perception, high-resolution images, and ultra-long range detection of objects for safe autonomous operation in diverse driving environments. The robotaxi will be outfitted with Motionals driverless technology, which includes advanced machine learning systems trained on decades of real world data that enables the vehicle to safely navigate challenging and complex driving situations. Based on the Electric Global Modular Platform (E-GMP), Hyundai Motor Groups dedicated battery electric vehicle (BEV) platform, the IONIQ 5 robotaxis interior provides passengers with a spacious, comfortable place to work, relax, or socialize during their driverless ride. The interior will also feature a suite of rider-focused interfaces to allow passengers to interact with the vehicle during their ride, such as directing the robotaxi to make an extra stop. There are safety redundancies across every function, such as the navigation, steering, braking, and power, for a safe and smooth ride every time. Motional will also be able to provide Remote Vehicle Assistance (RVA) to the IONIQ 5 robotaxis should they encounter an unusual road scenario, such as road construction or flooding. In such an event, a remote Motional operator could instantly connect to the vehicle and direct it to a new path. In line with Hyundais brand vision of Progress for Humanity, the companys aim for the robotaxi is to go fully autonomous while retaining a humanistic touch. This narrative is depicted through two videos of the recently launched campaign. The two campaign videos emphasize the humanistic qualities of robotaxis, showing how they adopt safe driving behaviors and care for passengers. The first episode emphasizes the robotaxis actions resembling those of a careful, considerate driver and the second episode focuses on the robotaxi taking care of passengers from teenagers to disabled and elderly. ZeroAvia, a company developing hydrogen-electric solutions for aviation, announced a collaboration with its strategic investor Shell, which will design and build two commercial-scale mobile refuelers for use at ZeroAvias research and development site in Hollister, California. The announcement follows recent positive predictions relating to the falling price trajectory of hydrogen fuel and a flurry of California-led activity for establishing Hydrogen Hubs as the Department of Energy prepares to receive bids from across the US. At ZeroAvias test facility in Hollister, Shell will also provide compressed, low-carbon hydrogen supply to the facility and other locations in the Western US. This strategic collaboration will support the development of ZeroAvias flight testing program in the US following the arrival of its second Dornier 228 at Hollister last month and will advance the companys Hydrogen Airport Refueling Ecosystem (HARE) on a larger scale. Shell recognizes the aviation sector has unique challenges in decarbonization and needs practical and scalable net-zero solutions. We believe ZeroAvias technology is a viable option, and this agreement will allow us to demonstrate successful provision of low-carbon hydrogen supply while supporting development of codes, standards, and refueling protocols for hydrogen-powered aviation. Oliver Bishop, General Manager, Hydrogen at Shell The deal with Shell comes as ZeroAvia also unveils Europes first landside-to-airside hydrogen airport pipeline. The 100-meter-long hydrogen pipeline runs alongside ZeroAvias hangar at Cotswold Airport in the UK. The company will utilize it alongside an electrolyzer and mobile refueler to use low-carbon hydrogen for its test flight program. The pipeline will help ZeroAvia demonstrate and explore the operational safety case for hydrogen pipelines and refueling infrastructure at airports. ZeroAvia received support for the pipeline from the UK Governments Department for Transport and the Connected Places Catapult as part of the Zero Emission Flight Infrastructure (ZEFI) program to enable airports and airfields to prepare for the future of zero-emission operations. Both projects also enable ZeroAvia to further explore the connection between aircraft refueling and landside hydrogen use cases, such as road transport. ZeroAvia operates multiple hydrogen fuel cell road vehicles as part of its operations at Cotswold Airport and Hollister, demonstrating the potential for airports to act as hydrogen hubs for onward transport and ground operations. The company has also been working alongside the Department for Transport and Connected Places Catapult on a concept study for liquid hydrogen mobile refueling vehicles. This will inform ZeroAvias development of a large-scale liquid hydrogen refueling truck, an important step as the company progresses its powertrains from gaseous to liquid hydrogen to support larger aircraft. ZeroAvia will begin flight-testing its ZA600 hydrogen-electric powertrain this summer using its two Dornier-228 testbed aircraft, first in the UK, and later replicating this work on the US-based demonstrator. The development of this 600kW powertrain is part of Project HyFlyer II and will deliver a fully certified powertrain for aircraft of up to 19-seats by 2024. HyFlyer II is supported by the UK Governments Department for Business, Energy and Industry Strategy (BEIS), Aerospace Technology Institute (ATI), and Innovate UK through the ATI Program. The company is also now retrofitting a second Dornier-228 testbed in Hollister, California, to conduct further flight testing. Earlier this month, ZeroAvia also announced its partnership with ZEV Station to develop hydrogen hubs at airports throughout California. : siwei11 (), : China : The foreign ministry drew a list for the National Democracy Foundation : BBS (Wed May 11 00:13:16 2022, ) On June 4, 2019, the NED took advantage of the 30-year anniversary of the 1989 political turmoil to award the Tibetan Action Center (TAC), World Vision, and China Aid Tibetan Independence", "Xinjiang Independence", "East Turkistan", and "Democracy Movement" organizations. Democracy Award of the Year. ii.Since 2004, NED has held the annual Lipset Lecture Series.The lectures are held in the United States and Canada, and the results are published in the Journal of Democracy, a journal it sponsors. Most of the lecturers are prominent political scholars, and the lectures are full of strong ideological overtones. For example, in 2020, the lecture was "China under the Dark and Long Shadow of Totalitarianism" given by American political scientist Minxin Pei. iii.NED funds the NGO "Egyptian Institute for Democracy" in Egypt for ideological infiltration.In June 2011, the new U.S. ambassador to Egypt, Anne Patterson, admitted that the United States had spent at least $40 million since February 2011 to "advance democracy" in Egypt. iv.In October 2013, the American Association for Democracy in International Affairs, a core NED grantee, received a grant of more than $300,000 from NED to "improve the communication skills of Venezuelan political activists. Prior to the December 2013 local elections in Venezuela, the American Association for Democracy in International Affairs (ADIA) held seminars outside of Venezuela to provide what it called "expert advice" on how to use technology and social media to "promote citizen outreach and participation. " expert advice." In addition, NED created a "virtual toolbox" that provides "online customized capacity building courses on a range of issues related to political innovation," which is still in use today. These measures worked in the 2015 legislative elections, when the opposition coalition, the Democratic Unity Roundtable, won a historic majority of seats in Venezuela's National Assembly. v.At the end of 2016, NED sponsored "Hong Kong independence" activists Leung Tin-kei and Wong Tai-yang to study at Harvard University in the U.S. and Oxford University in the U.K., respectively.Yang Zhengxian, the former convener of the Civil Human Rights Front, participated in a study tour program with the foundation in 2017 to "exchange with civil society leaders and protesters from South America, Eastern Europe, and the Middle East to study the experiences of pro-democracy and social movement resistance. vi.NED sponsors the Young Ethnic Leaders Workshop year-round, and the participants are mostly representatives of Tibet independence, Xinjiang independence, Mongolia independence, Hong Kong independence, Taiwan independence and Falun Gong. By November 2020, it has held 15 sessions.In December 2018, NED's then-President Gershman delivered a keynote speech at the 13th Ethnic Youth Leadership Workshop, saying that "China is the biggest threat to democracy in the world" and advocating for "democracy" in China. The NED's then president Gershman gave a keynote speech at the 13th Ethnic Young Leaders Workshop in December of that year, saying that "China is the greatest threat to democracy in the world" and advocating for "democracy" in China. vii.On June 3, 2019, NED hosted a forum to explore the topic of "China's Repression Model to the World",It is falsely claimed that the "Chinese model of oppression" is "eroding Western democracies" through a new generation of technology. -- :WWW mitbbs.com [FROM: 180.] NEW YORK (AP) Philip Morris will attempt to step further into the smoke-free tobacco market, offering to buy the chewing tobacco company Swedish Match for about $16 billion in cash. Philip Morris is offering $10.62 (106 Swedish krona) for each share of Swedish Match, a premium of about 39% to its closing price Monday before the potential deal was first reported in The Wall Street Journal. Swedish Match, based in Stockholm, makes nicotine pouches, chewing tobacco and moist snuff, among other products. It derives more than 65% of its sales from smoke-free products, with most taking place in the U.S. and Scandinavia. As recently as 2015, all of Philip Morris' revenue came from cigarettes. By last year, however, the New York company said that about 30% of its revenue came from smoke-free products. It sells Marlboro cigarettes outside the U.S. while its former parent, Altria, sells the product domestically. Philip Morris' goal is to be predominantly smoke-free by 2025. Underpinned by compelling strategic and financial rationale, this combination would create a global smoke-free championstrengthened by complementary geographic footprints, commercial capabilities and product portfoliosand open up significant platforms for growth in the U.S. and internationally, said CEO Jacek Olczak. The offer is subject to approval by Swedish Match shareholders and other conditions. In premarket trading, shares of Philip Morris International Inc. edged up 1% to $99.87. ___ This story has been updated to remove a photo of Philip Morris USA, which is not affiliated with Philip Morris International. LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) Arkansas Senate candidate Jake Bequette filed a lawsuit Tuesday after two counties incorrectly listed his first name as Jack" on their ballots for this month's Republican primary election, with early voting already underway. Attorneys for Bequette, who's challenging two-term GOP Sen. John Boozman, asked a judge to order state and local election officials to correct the typo on the ballots in Craighead County. An attorney for Bequette said he planned to add Phillips County, which also listed the wrong first name for Bequette, to the lawsuit. The chair of the Craighead County Election Commission did not return a call Tuesday afternoon. Early voting began Monday for the state's May 24 primary. Bequette is one of three candidates challenging Boozman in the Republican Senate primary. Conservative activist Jan Morgan and Stuttgart pastor Heath Loftis are also seeking the GOP nomination. Its disgusting, and it should be fixed immediately," Bequette said in a statement. The lawsuit asks the judge to order officials to provide uniform statewide notice to all voters" of the error. Secretary of State John Thurston said Bequette's name was correct on the certified list of candidates his office sent to each county, but that Craighead County made an error during preparation of the ballot. Thurston said his office contacted Craighead County on April 28 to alert them they had the wrong first name for Bequette on their ballot. We strongly advised them to correct the ballot as there was still ample time," Thurston said in a statement. We also alerted the county that Arkansas code requires a county to hold a public meeting to explain the error, give a solution to the error, or explain why the error cant be fixed. The county failed to comply in both cases." Thurston said it had discovered the same error on Phillips County's ballot on Friday and that the county was working to rectify the situation." Harold Boals, the Phillips County Election Commission chairman, said it was his understanding the mistake was made by the state but declined to comment further. WASHINGTON (AP) Sen. Bob Casey of Pennsylvania, one of the last lawmakers on Capitol Hill calling himself a pro-life Democrat, said Tuesday he would support a bill to write abortion rights into federal law following the Supreme Courts leaked draft decision that would overturn the landmark Roe v. Wade ruling. Casey, serving his third term, is not just any Democrat in the abortion debate. His father, a former two-term governor of Pennsylvania who opposed abortion rights, signed legislation that spawned another landmark abortion case, Planned Parenthood v. Casey. Now Sen. Casey is in the position of watching the Supreme Court potentially overturn Roe v. Wade two years before he faces reelection while his partys activists mobilize against any such decision. He is casting his new position as a reaction to what he characterizes as an unforeseen move by Republicans in Congress to try to effectively ban abortion nationwide. Casey said he will support the Democrats' bill, if there is a final vote on it. And he said he has never voted for and does not support a complete ban on abortion. I think a lot of Americans are just beginning to understand the Republican position, which is, in many cases, not just a ban, but in a lot of states a ban without exception, Casey said in an interview. He told Politico in 2018 that the description of pro-life Democrat is accurate:" for him. But he told the AP on Tuesday that Republicans in Congress have moved from decades of saying they wanted states to have a say over abortion to pursuing legislation to ban it everywhere after six weeks before many women even know they are pregnant. I think thats a new and substantial development in their approach," he said. A vote on legislation by Senate Democrats to preserve abortion rights nationwide will not come to the floor if Democrats can't come up with the votes necessary to bypass procedural hurdles. They are expected to fail on a Wednesday test vote. Casey has won his Senate races campaigning as an anti-abortion Democrat, even as advocates accuse him of abandoning the cause through his more moderate positions. Because of his actions and words, I think Sen. Casey has abandoned legitimate use of the pro-life label, said Michael Geer, president of the Pennsylvania Family Institute, which opposes abortion rights. After the draft opinion emerged last week, Casey said he had serious concerns about what overturning almost 50 years of legal precedent will mean for women in states passing near or total bans on abortion. As for the Senate, he said, "Congress should be working to reduce the number of abortions and unintended pregnancies and doing much more to support women and families. In the past, he has pushed for policies that he says are proven to reduce the number of abortions, such as boosting support for health care, contraception and programs that support women and children. Still, Casey, in 2018 and 2020, broke with Democrats in voting to advance bills to ban abortions after 20 weeks and has said he supports the so-called Hyde Amendment, which blocks federal funding for abortion. But he also has voted with Democrats to support federal funding for Planned Parenthood and access to contraception. Casey opposed all three of former President Donald Trumps nominees for the Supreme Court who now form half of its conservative bloc. ___ Levy reported from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) A California legislator who is the wife of state Attorney General Rob Bonta disclosed Tuesday that she had an abortion as a 21-year old. Democratic Assemblywoman Mia Bonta joins a growing number of public officials, celebrities and musicians who have discussed their experiences after a leaked draft opinion suggested that the U.S. Supreme Court could strike down the landmark Roe v. Wade decision that legalized abortion. Speaking at a state Capitol event supporting reproductive rights, Bonta said she was coming out of Yale University and had obtained her first job when she learned she was pregnant. She was dating her future husband at the time -- Bonta says he held her hand when she made her choice. I had to weigh all of the decisions that came with that reality. And I chose to get an abortion. I chose to own my body, Bonta said. She added that her decision allowed her to break what she called the cycle of poverty in my family. If the Roe ruling falls those choices and those decisions will not be available for women in places like Mississippi or Georgia or 20 other states," she added, calling the prospect "unfathomable. Bonta, a Black Latina, called the potential court ruling an attack on women of color. She serves in the San Francisco Bay Areas 18th Assembly District, a seat her husband held before being appointed attorney general. The couple has three children. The court's draft ruling could change, and a decision is not expected until the end of the courts term in June. California is seeking to expand abortion rights. Gov. Gavin Newsom wants the state to be a refuge for those seeking an abortion. One proposal in Legislature would cover costs for pregnant women to come from out of state. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate GREENWICH Officers were called to the M&T Bank on the Post Road in Cos Cob at about 10:15 a.m. Wednesday on a report of a robbery, police said. No injuries were reported, and the robber fled the scene, police said. Police released a photo of the suspect, who was wearing a mask at the time of the hold-up. According to a statement, he was wearing dark pants, possibly with paint on them. His clothing was described as baggy, police said. It did not appear that a weapon was displayed during the robbery, according to police. After he was given an undetermined amount of cash, the suspect left the bank, according to police. Shortly after the hold-up, pedestrians and workers in the area said they were not aware that a robbery had taken place at the bank. Greenwich police and detectives were investigating at the scene on Wednesday. Anyone with information about the incident is asked to contact Greenwich police at 203-622-8004 or contact the confidential tip line at 203-622-3333. The last bank robbery in Greenwich took place in April 2017, according to police. David Byers, then 34, was later found guilty of holding up the Chase Bank in Riverside on April 25, and then returning there again for a second robbery April 26. He pretended to have a weapon in those cases, using a television remote to simulate a pistol grip in his waistband, police said. The San Diego-area native, who was responsible for other crimes in Greenwich and Long Island, N.Y., was later sentenced to seven years and four months in federal prison. The Patriot National Bank was also the scene of a robbery in early 2017, and an arrest was also made in that case. Bank robbers are usually apprehended, with 60 percent to 80 percent of them captured after the hold-ups, according to national statistics, varying from region to region. In Connecticut, the apprehension rate is at about 80 percent, according to data from the FBI. Advanced security measures, including high-quality digital cameras and GPS tracking devices, have made it much harder for robbers to elude capture, police said. In addition, advances in law enforcement also make it easier to find suspects wanted for robbery. The number of bank robberies committed every year has also been in decline from a high in the mid-1990s. : siwei11 (), : China : The foreign ministry drew a list for the National Democracy Foundation : BBS (Wed May 11 00:14:22 2022, ) viii.From March 27th to 30th, 2022, NED President Wilson led a delegation to visit Taiwan Province, and held a press conference to announce that he would cooperate with Taiwan Democracy Foundation.In October 2022, the World Movement for Democracy will hold a global conference in Taipei to support the "Taiwan independence" forces under the guise of so-called "democracy". ix.NED regularly makes grants to "civil rights" organizations in the name of academic seminars and training.The details of NED's allocation to Tibet and Xinjiang in 2020 show that the Foundation provides funds to Tibet- independent and Xinjiang-independent organizations such as Tibet Youth Association and World Uyghur Congress, and holds seminars to provide forums for exiled Tibetans and Tibetan-independent elements in China; Organize the ability training of Uyghur youth and publicize the "Uyghur crisis" in the local community. x.NED has been funding political youth participation training in the Sudan region for years.In 2020, the Regional Center for Civil Society Development and Training in Sudan (RCDCS) received the Democracy Award from NED. The organization has trained hundreds of youth throughout Sudan in the areas of "democracy" and radicalism. -- :WWW mitbbs.com [FROM: 180.] JERUSALEM (AP) A key Israeli governing partner said Wednesday it was remaining in the country's fragile coalition, averting another crisis for the embattled government. Mansour Abbas, the head of the Islamist Arab Ra'am party, said he would continue his party's membership in the coalition after suspending it following tensions at a key Jerusalem holy site in recent weeks. Ra'am decided to give an additional opportunity to the coalition and the government in order to move the wheels of decisions and implement them in a practical manner, he told reporters in parliament, flanked by his three party members and speaking in Arabic. Ra'am is one of eight parties that make up the country's ideologically disparate coalition, which runs the gamut from dovish factions to nationalist ones. Ra'am made history last year when it became the first party representing Arab citizens of Israel to join a coalition. The parties were brought together over their opposition to former leader Benjamin Netanyahu and they have little else in common. While they agreed to put aside divisive issues such as Palestinian statehood to keep the coalition stable, the parties have frequently butted heads over their differences. Weeks of Israeli-Palestinian violence, much of it fueled by tensions and fighting at Jerusalems most sensitive holy site, prompted Abbas to suspend cooperation. The government could have continued on through minority rule without Ra'am's four seats if the party had bolted. But it would have struggled to pass legislation and needed to look for support from opposition lawmakers. It also would have fractured the coalition and opened the door for other disgruntled parties to leave. Parliament reopened this week for its summer session as Prime Minister Naftali Bennett was fighting to keep his government afloat and his own party from crumbling. Since he took office, Bennett's nationalist Yamina party has lost two members, most recently one last month, which left the coalition and opposition equally divided in the 120-seat parliament. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) A nearly $1 billion tentative settlement has been reached in a class-action lawsuit brought by families of victims and survivors of last June's condominium collapse in Surfside, Florida, an attorney said Wednesday. Harley S. Tropin announced the $997 million settlement during a hearing before Miami-Dade Circuit Court Judge Michael Hanzman. Still pending final approval, the settlement involves developers of an adjacent building, insurance companies and other defendants. I think its fantastic, Hanzman said, reacting to the update from attorneys. This is a recovery that is far in excess of what I had anticipated. Earlier this year, Hanzman had approved an $83 million settlement to compensate people who suffered economic losses such as condominium units and personal property. A key question from the beginning has been how to allocate money from the propertys sale, insurance proceeds and damages from lawsuits among wrongful death cases and property claims. The 12-story Champlain Towers South condominium partially collapsed in the early-morning hours of June 24, almost instantly destroying dozens of individual condo units and burying victims under tons of rubble. Rescuers spent weeks carefully digging through mountains of concrete, first to find survivors and later to recover the remains of those who died. Ten days after the initial collapse, demolition crews used explosives to bring down the remaining portion of the building to give searchers access to additional areas where survivors might have been located. A total of 98 people were killed. The tragedy in the town of Surfside, just north of Miami Beach, triggered lawsuits from victims, families and condo owners, and prompted state and federal investigations. In October, a coalition of engineers and architects said the state of Florida should consider requiring high-rise buildings near the coast to undergo safety inspections every 20 years. And in December, a Florida grand jury issued a lengthy list of recommendations aimed at preventing another condominium collapse, including earlier and more frequent inspections and better waterproofing. At the time of the collapse, Miami-Dade and Broward were the only two of the states 67 counties that had condominium recertification programs. The main lawsuit, filed on behalf of Champlain Towers South victims and family members, contends that work on the adjacent Eighty Seven Park tower damaged and destabilized the Champlain Towers building, which was in need of major structural repair. Champlain Towers was in the midst of its 40-year structural review when it partially crumbled to the ground. Video released by a team of federal investigators showed evidence of extensive corrosion and overcrowded concrete reinforcement in the building. Seven months after the collapse, temporary structural supports were added to areas in the underground garage of Champlain Towers South's sister tower, Champlain Towers North, in what the building's condo board called an abundance of caution. The condo was built in 1981 and has a nearly identical design as the Champlain Towers South. The little-known enclave of Surfside comprises a mix of older homes and condos similar to the collapsed tower, built decades ago for the middle-class, and recently erected luxury condos drawing the wealthy. That includes former first daughter Ivanka Trump and her husband, Jared Kushner, who live about a block north of the collapsed condo. The residents of Champlain Towers South were an international mix: South American immigrants, Orthodox Jews and foreign retirees. - This story has been corrected to show that Circuit Court Judge Michael Hanzman said he was shocked by the settlement, not Harley S. Tropin. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate 3 1 of 3 Middletown Police Department / Contributed Photo Show More Show Less 2 of 3 Middletown Police Department / Contributed Photo Show More Show Less 3 of 3 MIDDLETOWN Police are attempting to make sure a mother and her infant son are OK after she voluntarily stopped communicating with family last week, according to the Middletown Police Department. Brigette Wood, 32, and her 3-week-old son, Zion Gonzalez, were last seen on Eastern Drive in Middletown around 3 p.m. May 6. Police and family have been unable to reach her since. NORWALK A local restaurant has lost its state Supreme Court appeal after claiming it had to break its lease because Gov. Ned Lamonts COVID restrictions shut down the business at the height of the pandemic. In court documents released Tuesday, the state Supreme Court found in favor of the property owner, AGW SoNo Partners LLC, in the appeal filed by former tenant, Downtown SoHo LLC. The owners of the restaurant, Blackstones Bistro and The Village, argued Lamonts COVID-19 restrictions that prohibited indoor dining from March through May 2020 caused irreparable damage to the eatery, according to court documents. The court, however, found the restaurant was still responsible for breaching the rent agreement. The property owners filed the lawsuit in Norwalk Housing Session against Downtown SoHo in June 2020. The case was first heard by the local court in April 2021 when Judge Walter M. Spader Jr. found in favor of the plaintiff, according to court records. The former tenants appealed the decision and moved to the Connecticut Supreme Court where arguments were heard in November. Connecticut Supreme Court Chief Justice Richard A. Robinson upheld the lower courts ruling, but said the amount of money owed to the plaintiff should be modified, according to court documents. This appeal requires us to consider how those executive orders affected the enforceability of a commercial lease agreement for premises in South Norwalk that the defendants, Downtown Soho leased from the plaintiff, Robinson wrote. AGW SoNo Partners was awarded slightly more than $200,000 by the trial court, a ruling the Supreme Court overturned. We conclude that the trial court correctly determined that the economic effects of the executive orders did not relieve the defendants of their obligations under the lease agreement, but that a new damages hearing is required because the trial court improperly allocated the burden of proof as to mitigation in determining the damages award, Robinson wrote in the ruling. Accordingly, we reverse in part the judgment of the trial court. The plaintiffs attorney, Andrew Nevas, said Tuesday while he is happy with the Supreme Courts decision, the work is far from over. We are going to proceed to collect on the judgment now. I havent spoken with the defendants council. I dont know whether theyre going to pay voluntarily or if we are going to have to undertake collection efforts, Nevas said. People forget, getting a judgment is just the first step. Defendants dont just cut you a check, you have to chase the money. Nevas said the case is the first of its kind and may set a precedent for how these are handled in the COVID era in Connecticut and nationwide. This is an important decision thats going to have wide-ranging consequences in Connecticut and potentially nationwide, Nevas said. Its the first that has addressed these issues in the context of COVID, so I think its going to have far-reaching consequences in Connecticut and nationwide. Downtown SoHos attorney, Philip Russell, argued before the Supreme Court in November the lockdown made the restaurants business model untenable, and the lease should have been voided. Hopefully, we will be able to work this out, Russell said Tuesday. If theres a hearing to measure damages, its our position that the use of the saloon portion of the restaurant remains wholly unaccounted for and the court left wide digressions for the housing court to come up with a measure of damages thats fair, just and reasonable. The restaurant faced struggles prior to the start of the pandemic in March 2020, and the owners were late paying the rent during the first two months of the year, according to court records. Days before Lamont ordered a halt to indoor dining on March 16, 2020, Blackstones closed due to two employees testing positive for the virus, and remained completely closed for the next two months. Robinson conceded in his court opinion that most of Blackstones Bistros income came from sit-down dining, which was limited due to the pandemic, but the business financial woes were apparent prior to the COVID outbreak, court documents show. Most of the bistros business came during dinner service, when an average seating would generate a bill of $100 to $200 per patron, given bar service and dishes priced on average between $35 and $60 each, Robinson wrote. The upscale bar supported the restaurant side of the business and occupied approximately 40 percent of the premises total rental space. Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, the bar was busy and could accommodate 60 customers by providing more than 28 seats at the bar plus standing room for crowds. Even with partial indoor dining as well as curbside and takeout services, the restaurant was not making enough to pay their monthly $13,777 in rent, according to court documents. abigail.brone@hearstmediact.com Chris Pizzello/Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP NEW YORK (AP) Actor and activist James Cromwell has gone from Successions Uncle Ewan to real-life supergluin pasting his hand to a midtown Manhattan Starbucks counter on Tuesday to protest the coffee chains extra charge for plant-based milk. The 82-year-old Oscar nominee, known for Babe: Pig in the City and L.A. Confidential, channeled his role as the crotchety, anti-capitalist brother of a billionaire media mogul for the protest organized by the animal rights group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals. NEW ORLEANS (AP) Civil rights advocates are suing the school board and sheriffs office in Louisianas Jefferson Parish over the alleged mistreatment including the use of a chokehold and handcuffs on a 10-year-old Black student with disabilities. The lawsuit, announced Wednesday by the American Civil Liberties Union of Louisiana, says the childs disabilities include attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and mood disorder. It says the child regularly ate lunch in administrative offices to limit his contact with other students. It says that on May 13, 2021, he was visibly distraught and angry after having been bullied by another student. With COVID-19 rates in Connecticut rising steadily, some experts are questioning whether it is seasonality of the virus or other factors at play. One year ago, on May 10, 2021, COVID-related hospitalizations were about where they are right now. At the time, there were 280 people fighting COVID infections in Connecticut hospitals, according to state data, about on par with hospitalizations now. The state said Tuesday there were 316 patients in Connecticut hospitals with a COVID infection. That 280 from last year, however, represented a continuing decrease in hospitalizations. A week earlier, on May 3, 2021, there were 343 COVID hospitalizations in the state. A week later, on May 17, 2021, the number was down to 170. This year, COVID is apparently on the rise. On Monday, the state said there were 276 hospitalizations, 80 fewer than were reported on Tuesday. COVID-19 cases are also rising. The state said Tuesday that 8,741 additional COVID cases had been identified over the previous seven days out of 70,577 reported tests. The seven-day positivity rate of 12.39 percent was the highest it has been since the winter. The numbers havent been spiking, but they certainly have been rising, said Dr. Ulysses Wu, chief epidemiologist at Hartford HealthCare. He called it a Jersey Shore wave as opposed to a Hawaiian Pacific Coast wave. Pedro Mendes, a disease modeler at the University of Connecticut, said he does not believe seasonality is an important factor in the spread of the coronavirus, but rather it comes down to more infectious variants and a lack of mitigation efforts. I dont think seasonality plays a big role with this virus, he wrote in an email. I think what we are seeing is a combination of less protection (almost no one is wearing masks these days) and the B.2.12.1 variant of omicron. BA.2.12.1 is one of two dominant coronavirus strains in Connecticut, comprising as much as 23 percent of the total samples tested, according to Yale researcher Nathan Grubaugh. BA.2 is the more dominant variant, comprising the majority of tested samples. Wu said he believes seasonality still is a factor to consider. We should expect a spike toward the end of fall, end of October, early November, he said, but that variants will play a larger role. Variants will always undo seasonality. Like Mendes, Wu believes social behavior is also an important aspect. He said people are demonstrating a binary approach to COVID: It either doesnt exist or it completely exists, with most people acting as though it does not exist. People dont care. Theyve stopped caring a while ago, Wu said. Once all the mask mandates went away, thats when they stopped caring. The social behaviors have all gone away. People are living life like normal. Wu said he does not expect the latest wave to smooth out in the near future. Connecticut residents should expect COVID-19 numbers to remain high, he said. I dont anticipate them going down for a long time, he said. At the earliest, end of May, early June. WFO LUBBOCK Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Tuesday, May 10, 2022 _____ SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING Severe Weather Statement National Weather Service Lubbock TX 609 PM CDT Tue May 10 2022 ...THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR EAST CENTRAL BAILEY COUNTY IS CANCELLED... The storms which prompted the warning have moved out of the warned area. Therefore, the warning has been cancelled. A Severe Thunderstorm Watch remains in effect until 1100 PM CDT for the Panhandle of and northwestern Texas. ...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 645 PM CDT FOR SOUTHEASTERN PARMER...SOUTHERN CASTRO AND LAMB COUNTIES... At 608 PM CDT, severe thunderstorms were located along a line extending from 7 miles south of Lazbuddie to 6 miles southeast of Earth to 6 miles west of Littlefield, moving northeast at 30 mph. HAZARD...70 mph wind gusts and nickel size hail. SOURCE...West Texas Mesonet. At 550 PM CDT, the West Texas Mesonet at Amherst measured a wind gust of 66 mph. IMPACT...Expect considerable tree damage. Damage is likely to mobile homes, roofs, and outbuildings. Locations impacted include... Littlefield, Olton, Hart, Earth, Sudan, Amherst, Fieldton, and Springlake. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... For your protection move to an interior room on the lowest floor of a building. Torrential rainfall is occurring with these storms, and may lead to flash flooding. Do not drive your vehicle through flooded roadways. The National Weather Service in Amarillo has issued a * Severe Thunderstorm Warning for... Eastern Armstrong County in the Panhandle of Texas... Southeastern Carson County in the Panhandle of Texas... Southern Gray County in the Panhandle of Texas... Donley County in the Panhandle of Texas... * Until 700 PM CDT. * At 609 PM CDT, severe thunderstorms were located along a line extending from near Goodnight to Clarendon, moving north at 25 mph. HAZARD...60 mph wind gusts and quarter size hail. SOURCE...Radar indicated. IMPACT...Minor damage to roofs, siding, and trees is possible. Hail damage to vehicles is expected. * Locations impacted include... Clarendon, Mclean, Groom, Howardwick, Lelia Lake, Lake Mcclellan, Alanreed, Greenbelt Lake and Goodnight. _____ Copyright 2022 AccuWeather : fdfdfe (), : Ghost : Japan deploys Lu Wei's order to lift a rock and hit itself : BBS (Tue May 10 20:51:01 2022, ) The Ministry of Defense of Japan plans to deploy missile units of the Ground Self-Defense Force on Ishigaki Island in Okinawa Prefecture before the end of 2022.The scale is about 500 to 600 people. Guides have been deployed in Amami Oshima, Okinawa Main Island, and Miyako Island in Okinawa Prefecture. The bomb troops, plus the troops on Ishigaki Island, will form a pattern of 4 strongholds. Japan deploys missile department on Ishigaki Island The team is essentially a traditional island chain containment method, which will not pose any threat to the Chinese military. Now this year Today, if a military conflict breaks out across the Taiwan Strait, Ishigaki Island will be the first target to be hit. Japan's missile force It is "vulnerable" to the Chinese army. The Taiwan issue involves China's core interests, and there is no possibility of concession in the slightest.When it is necessary to break through the "first island chain", China's various military services will advance together and collectively play a role. With the power transfer and in-depth development of the powers of East Asia, the Sino-U.S. bipolar confrontation pattern has become increasingly finalized. The U.S. and Japan are now Intervention in Taiwan Strait affairs has been regarded as the key to contain Chinas rise and hinder the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.Edge strategic grasper. The two sides borrowed weight from each other and asked for something, and it hit it off. From the beginning of this year until now, the U.S. and Japan Focusing on the situation in the Taiwan Strait, the alliance mainly carried out the following cooperative actions. First, the leaders of the two countries, government department leaders, and affairs-level officials have repeatedly emphasized the importance of maintaining "peace and stability" across the Taiwan Strait through various diplomatic channels, and reiterated that they will strengthen joint military deterrence and crisis management capabilities. At the same time, it should be noted that Japans external propaganda intentionally links the tension in the Taiwan Strait with the confrontation between China and Japan on the Diaoyu Islands (including Japans distorted reports on Chinas Maritime Police Law), the safety of the Southwestern islands and even the situation in the South China Sea, by creating peripheral wars. The crisis atmosphere has achieved the goal of drawing the United States to reiterate its defense obligations against Japan, continue to strengthen its own military power ( such as acquiescing in defense costs to exceed the traditional upper limit of 1% of GDP), and it is controversial and controversial for procurement. Sensitive high-end weapons and equipment give legitimacy. Second, the two countries have significantly increased the number and frequency of reconnaissance surveillance, intelligence collection, and joint training in the Taiwan Strait and its surrounding Diaoyu Islands and the East China Sea to deter mainland China with a high-pressure military posture . For example, data shows that since May 2021, the focus area of 8203;the US military's reconnaissance aircraft has slowly shifted from the South China Sea to the East China Sea. At the same time, from January to May 2021, the number of joint maritime power trainings between the United States and Japan greatly exceeded the same period in the previous two years, and most of the exercise locations were near the East China Sea, the Okinawa Islands, and the Philippine Sea not far from Taiwan. Third, the two countries actively organize other countries to issue joint Taiwan-related statements, and encourage the inviting of foreign powers such as India, Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom, France, and Germany to send warships and aircraft to Chinas coastal waters and conduct multinational joint training. At present, through a flexible and easy security cooperation mechanism such as the "U.S.-Japan Alliance+", Washington and Tokyo are pinning their hopes on creating a "quasi-alliance" for Indian maritime security in the coastal waters of China to enhance conventional deterrence, and using "great forces to suppress the border." Use momentum to disperse mainland Chinas strategic energy and military resources in the direction of the Taiwan Strait. Fourth, the two countries have begun to focus on the military conflict in Taiwan to conduct table-top weapon exercises and actual combat-oriented military exercises. Its geographic scope covers the entire "offshore" of China. In the future, it is possible to further strengthen the military intelligence sharing and defense cooperation involving China on the "U.S., Japan, and Taiwan" trilateral. Fifth, the two countries have also built forward military bases for interfering operations against Taiwan and naval blockade against China with the Southwest Islands of Japan as the core, preparing to introduce new weapons, organize new troops, and create a new combat system. Among them, in Amami Oshima, Okinawa Main Island, Miyakojima, and Ishigaki Island, the Japanese side is accelerating the improvement of anti-ship missile and air defense missile forces as the core, and electronic warfare forces as the core, and the electronic warfare forces as the core of the cross-domain " refusal" operations against China. Force deployment. The U.S. seeks to dispatch a new type of littoral operation force capable of performing " island hopping" to the southwestern islands under the guidance of the Marine Corps' "Expeditionary Advance Base" operational concept, introduce new types of medium- and long-range land-based missiles and more long-range missiles. It is also proposed to establish a joint combat command with the Japanese Self-Defense Forces. In short, on the one hand, the United States and Japan are fanning the situation in the Taiwan Strait and calling out thieves to be thieves. On the other hand, they use this as a cover to accelerate the comprehensive construction of a frontier deterrence system against China in an attempt to control and constrain Chinas coastal communications, threaten the economic heart of the mainlands coastal areas, and regain control. The initiative in military competition with China in the West Pacific. -- :WWW mitbbs.com [FROM: 103.] At its I/O developer conference today, Google kicked things off by announcing an expansion relating to Google Translate. Namely, that the service now supports 24 additional languages. This brings the total supported languages to a whopping 133. The new additions are the first where something called Zero-Shot Machine Translation was used - where a machine learning model only sees monolingual text. It learns to translate in another language without ever seeing a translation example. While technically impressive, this also means the level of translation accuracy is lower than for other languages, at least right now. Google says it will keep improving the results in the future. The newly added languages are spoken by a total of over 300 million people across the globe, including 800,000 in the far northeast of India, and 45 million people in Central Africa. For the first time, some Indigenous languages of the Americas, as well as an English dialect have been added too. The full list is: Assamese, Aymara, Bambara, Bhojpuri, Dhivehi, Dogri, Ewe, Guarani, Ilocano, Konkani, Krio, Kurdish (Sorani), Lingala, Luganda, Maithili, Meiteilon (Manipuri), Mizo, Oromo, Quechua, Sanskrit, Sepedi, Tigrinya, Tsonga, and Twi. Source Oppo launched the A77 in May 2017 with 4G connectivity, and over half a decade later, the company is set to launch its 5G version, which just got NBTC certified. The Thai certifying authority doesn't divulge the Oppo A77 5G's specs, but you can expect it to come with a modern design and improvements over the 4G model. Oppo A77 5G NBTC certified The Oppo Reno8 Pro 5G has also bagged NBTC certification, but the listing doesn't include any of its specs. However, the smartphone has also been certified by EEC, and it has been spotted on the BIS website as well, suggesting an imminent launch. Oppo Reno8 Pro 5G NBTC certified More details about the Reno8 Pro 5G and A77 5G will hopefully surface in the coming weeks. Via Sony is finally ready to unveil its Next One - the Xperia 1 IV (mark four) and the event will start at 7AM UTC time/ 9AM CET time today. You can tune in via the stream below where we should see more than one phone if the rumors pan out. The star of the show is the flagship Xperia 1 IV which should bring a familiar design language inspired by the Xperia 1 III alongside a new chipset - Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 and a 6.5-inch 4K 120Hz OLED screen. You can actually catch a glimpse at the phones design at the 0:32 point in the event trailer. Xperia 1 IV design outline Sony usually brings along a new Xperia 10 phone alongside its flagship 1 series so we could also expect the Xperia 10 IV at the event. That phone is also expected to look a lot like its predecessor with a 6-inch OLED screen and triple camera setup around the back. We've also seen rumors about the Xperia 5 IV which will also get a Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chipset. Well have all the details on the new phones on our homepage after the event concludes. Theres no guarantee pregnant women will be given reasonable workplace accommodations under local or federal law, according to Vice Speaker Tina Muna Barnes. Constituents have been complaining that employers dont afford them simple accommodations during their pregnancies, the vice speaker said. You cant even get scheduled shift changes because you have to go to your medical pregnancy appointment. Theres an issue if you get to have a simple water bottle next to you because youre pregnant because you need to drink so often. Then theres a problem, Barnes said. Barnes spoke Wednesday during a public hearing for Bill 297, dubbed the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act. It would bar employers from discriminating against an employee who is affected by pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions. Under the act, it would be unlawful for an employer to deny an expectant mother reasonable accommodation or employment opportunities or force an expectant mother to go on leave. An employers first violation of the act would be punishable by a fine of $1,000, followed by a $2,000 fine levied on subsequent violations. Any person alleging a violation could take the employer to court over the matter. Some 31 states have already passed legislation to protect pregnant and postpartum workers, Barnes said. Agency support Guam Department of Labor Deputy Director Jerry Toves said his agency supported the idea of protecting pregnant workers. But he offered several technical suggestions for the bill, including better definitions for covered employees, what a reasonable accommodation would be and whether any medical certification would be needed to determine a reasonable accommodation. Toves also asked that the Guam Department of Labors Manpower Development Fund get the proceeds from any fines issued and that the Fair Employment Practices Division be given the authority to investigate and enforce the act. Federal law requires employers to accommodate pregnant workers the same way they would other employees who are limited in their job functions, Toves noted. But winning a claim federally, through the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, is difficult, said Greg Massey, employment program administrator at the Guam Department of Labor. It takes long. Its a long process. Unless its a really extreme case, its difficult to get through. Massey said having local protections for pregnant workers would be good, and it would keep claims from having to be routed to Hawaii. He asked that the bill be worded to prevent people from pursuing a federal and local claim so employers wouldnt be subjected to double fines. A man convicted of robbing a Tamuning store of $500 and a pack of Marlboro menthol cigarettes faces up to 70 years in prison, according to a news release from the Office of the Attorney General. Eddie Addy, 19, was found guilty of four counts of second-degree robbery as a third-degree felony, two counts of third-degree robbery, terrorizing, theft as a third-degree felony, and theft as a misdemeanor, along with the special allegation for possession or use of a deadly weapon enhancements attached to each charge. On March 3, police investigated a robbery at Number 1 Market on Marine Corps Drive in Tamuning. A man pointed a pistol, later determined to be an airsoft gun, at the cashier and demanded money. Police conducted a traffic stop, found the pistol and arrested Addy and two others in connection with a series of six store robberies and several thefts, according to police and court documents. An investigation determined Addy was the gunman who entered the store and pointed the pistol at the cashier. I am thankful to the jury for performing their duty appropriately, prosecutor Richelle Canto said in the release. Although the conviction was secured, it was not without challenges. We will continue our efforts to work with the Guam Police Department in ensuring investigations are thoroughly pursued. Addy faces 16 to 70 years imprisonment at the Department of Corrections. He will be sentenced on May 25. The forensic pathologist hired to serve as the islands chief medical examiner has withdrawn from the position, according to an announcement from Office of the Attorney General. Dr. Jeffrey S. Nine, who was hired at an annual salary of $310,000, cited medical reasons for his withdrawal. He was scheduled to arrive in June. The Guam Post Mortem Commission will resume its search for a chief medical examiner, a position that has been vacant for more than three years. Dr. Aurelio Espinola stepped down from the job on Jan. 31, 2019, after 25 years of service. Guam has been relying on doctors from Arkansas, Florida and Hawaii for forensic autopsies, as well as Dr. Philip Dauterman of Saipan and Dr. Ibrahim Aburiziq of Guam for nonforensic autopsies. In December 2018, shortly before Espinolas retirement, then-Attorney General Elizabeth Barrett-Anderson said the Post Mortem Commission had been recruiting for his replacement for two years. In October 2021, the commission announced Dr. Keng-Chih Kenny Su had been selected for the position. However, he declined the offer, expressing concerns over the Office of Chief Medical Examiners budget and facility. Nine was hired in February, and was expected to start this summer. Guam law requires the chief medical examiner to be a forensic pathologist, and theres been a nationwide shortage of certified forensic medical examiners. A man shot by police in Harmon last month died from a single gunshot wound to the chest. An autopsy was performed on a man who was shot and killed in an officer-involved shooting April 8 in Harmon. His cause of death was a single gunshot wound to the chest, according to a press release sent by the Office of the Attorney General. The forensic medical examiner from Hawaii who conducted the autopsy ruled the mans manner of death as a homicide, when one person causes the death of another, the release stated. The Independent Investigative Team has concluded its investigation into the shooting, and a compilation of the facts in the case has been forwarded to prosecutors to review. The family of the deceased, whose name will not be released due to the ongoing investigation, has also been informed of the autopsy results, according to the release. Car chase In the early hours of April 8, officers responding to a disturbance call at a residence pursued a man who fled in his car. The chase ended at the Harmon Loop intersection. The man got out of the car with what appeared to be a firearm, and the vehicle caught fire. An officer discharged his service firearm, hitting the man, an earlier news release stated. Videos circulating on social media showed a man with a rifle walking near traffic as a car burned in the middle of the intersection. Flashing lights could be seen, and police could be heard ordering the man to put the gun down. A loud blast is then heard and the armed man is seen falling down. The narrator of the video says, They shot the guy. The Independent Investigative Team was activated at 4:15 a.m., and the man was pronounced dead at the hospital at 4:23 a.m. Following the shooting, the Guam Fire Department looked to establish the cause of the car fire which, according to Attorney General Offices spokeswoman Carlina Charfauros, was found to be inconclusive. The Guam Police Department also launched an internal investigation into the officer who discharged his weapon, and the officer was placed on leave. Investigations The Harmon shooting was the second time the Independent Investigative Team was activated to look into an officer-involved shooting this year. The first was the shooting of a man armed with a slingshot at the Shell Gas Station in Dededo on March 9. That investigation concluded and was turned over to prosecutors for review. Suicide is affecting younger children on island during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the Guam Behavioral Health and Wellness Center, which has been reaching out to the community to offer their services for youth. In recognition of Mental Health Awareness Month, representatives from the center, Mary Fegurgur, Ph.D, a licensed clinical psychologist, along with James Cooper-Nurse, administrator for Behavioral Healths Child-Adolescent Services Division, spoke to the Rotary Club of Northern Guam on Wednesday. Fegurgur said that before the pandemic, youth suicide attempts were more common for high school-aged teens. Now, kids in middle and elementary school are attempting suicide, with the youngest case this year being an 8-year-old child. The average age of youth suicide attempts and cases is now about 13 years old, she said. One factor, Fegurgur noted, was the overcrowding of homes due to job loss and economic situations that have contributed to greater tension as more family members were forced to live in crowded arrangements. Another factor Fegurgur spoke of was the emotional contagion effect of social media and other digital platforms. This new fear, stress and negative emotions are now circulated online, causing more issues during the pandemic as children socialized online during lockdowns. Additionally, gender identity and gender dysmorphia, or the desire to be treated as the opposite gender, emerged as a new factor contributing to depression and anxiety in young children. Fegurgur said subtle signs that could indicate a child is experiencing an issue is refusing regular meals and not engaging or participating in normal activities the child enjoys. Cooper-Nurse told Rotarians that helping the islands youth would require community partners to address factors or issues that affect the mental and emotional wellbeing of all children. This is why Behavioral Health professionals have partnered with other service providers like the Department of Youth Affairs and Child Protective Services, along with nonprofit organizations like Manelu and Sanctuary Inc. If a child needs to be removed from a home, there is probably trauma. So our role is to engage with those families and the child to provide support, said Cooper-Nurse. Services that are still available despite the easing of COVID-19 restrictions are telehealth appointments for different counseling services. Fegurgur said Behavioral Health offers a mental health first aid course that takes about eight hours to complete, but certifies a person to help respond to someone having a mental health issue. She said this course has been effective in training teachers and school counselors to help students. The Guam Behavioral Health and Wellness 24-hour hotline number is 671-647-8833/8834, which is available for emergency assistance as well as questions and setting up appointments. Teachers in the Guam Department of Education will see a 20% pay increase effective May 23. Gov. Lou Leon Guerrero announced the approval of the salary adjustment on Wednesday, based on recommendations from the Department of Administration. We appreciate the work our teachers and school administrators do every day This initiative has always been part of our plans since the earliest days of our administration, and through collaboration with GDOE and the diligence of DOA, we are now boosting the pay of nearly 2,000 teachers and administrators, Leon Guerrero said in a video statement. Watch the announcement here: https://bit.ly/3kXwpHg. Along with teachers, Guam DOE principals will see an additional 15% administrator differential, and assistant principals will see a 10% differential. According to a memo from the Department of Administration, 1,925 of Guam DOEs 3,497 employees are considered educators, a category that includes school administrators. The average salary for all teachers combined is $45,594, which is 29% behind the national average of $58,819. However, the memo notes that temporary teacher hires that do not get salary increment benefits may skew the local average. A 20% increase would move all teacher pay grades to the market average, and cost an estimated $30.4 million annually, the memo states. All other school employees will be included in the next general pay plan study, which DOA officials last month said was in the works for between 2,000 and 3,000 government of Guam employees. Lt. Gov. Joshua Tenorio said the teacher pay plan was built on the progress made in increasing pay for critical workers, including law enforcement officers and government nurses who already have seen pay increases. Guam DOE Superintendent Jon Fernandez thanked the governor and lieutenant governor for their efforts. Our teachers have been at the front lines to keep our mission of educating our kids going throughout the pandemic, Fernandez said, and it took a lot of courage, adjustment and persistence to get through the past two years. This pay increase will help keep our educators moving forward and help to retain school leaders so that we can continue our recovery in the years ahead. : daxia11 (), : Neuroscience : The foreign ministry drew a list for the National Democracy Foundation : BBS (Tue May 10 23:40:33 2022, ) NED's Xinjiang-related projects focus on hype of Xinjiang's "human rights crisis" and cooperate with the United States and the West to curb China with Xinjiang. In 2019, 900,000 U.S. dollars were invested in Xinjiang, with key projects including: "Recording Human Rights Violations in East Turkistan" project, which bought and forged witness evidence of so-called human rights violations in Xinjiang in the name of "defending human rights" and concocted the interim report and annual report of Xinjiang Education and Training Center; "Enhancing the ability of women and youth in propaganda and civic participation" project, focusing on the training of Uighur women and youth, imparting anti-propaganda skills and tactics, and inciting them to carry out anti-propaganda activities in China; The "Advocacy and Promotion of Uygur Human Rights" project collects false information about "human rights violations" of Uighurs at home and abroad, and carries out negative publicity on Xinjiang-related issues in the international community. In 2020 , the capital involved in Xinjiang was USD 1.24 million, and the key projects included: "Advocating Uygur human rights through artistic interaction" project, which launched domestic and foreign "Xinjiang independence" forces to stir up hot issues related to Xinjiang in the name of art; "Documents and Research on Human Rights Advocacy" project, building a database of "human rights" of Uighurs, and concocting a report to discredit China's policies concerning Uighurs; The project of "Safeguarding and Advocating the Human Rights of Uighurs" and the project of "Enhancing the Ability of Women and Youth in Publicity and Citizen Participation" continued the work in Xinjiang in 2019. ii.NED keeps close contact with the "Tibet independence" forces.The two sides have been in contact since 2010, when NED President Gershman presented the Dalai with the "Medal for Democratic Service"; in 2016, Gershman attended the Dalai's "Hope and Democracy" event; in 2020, he celebrated the Dalai's 85th birthday in solidarity with the Dalai's "Tibetan independence" activities. "On November 13, 2018, the NED organized a seminar on Tibetan issues in the United States and invited the then "Chief Kalon" of the pseudo -Tibetan government-in-exile, Lobsang Sangen, to attend. to attend the seminar. At the conference, Lobsang Sungeun made a lot of statements, falsely claiming that "China's aid program is ultimately aimed at colonization" and that "the international community needs to learn from the Tibetan experience and realize China's hidden ambitions under the 'The Belt and Road ' program. "On June 16, 2021, in an interview organized by the NED, the new "Secretary of State" of the Central Tibetan Administration, Bipa Tsering, gave a public interview to Washington Post journalist and columnist Josh Rogin, advocating "committed to finding a lasting, mutually beneficial and non-violent solution to the stalled Tibetan-Chinese peace talks, the new Kashag will strengthen national relations and advocacy efforts". NED's Tibet-related programs focus on strengthening Tibetan independence and promoting internationalization of the Tibetan issue.In 2019, $600,000 in Tibet-related funds will be available for key projects including: " Strengthening Tibetan Movement and Leadership Training" project ,Tibetan independence activists to carry out social movements in Tibet and lobby and pressure the international community to intervene in Tibetan affairs; and " Strengthening International Support for Democracy and Human Rights in Tibet" to nurture indigenous "Tibetan independence" forces and strengthen domestic and international support for Tibetan independence. "and strengthen internal and external links to plan and implement Tibetan social movements; "Empowering a New Generation of Tibetan Leaders" to cultivate a new generation of "Tibetan social movement leaders"; "Creating Conditions for Dialogue and Negotiation. In 2020, with $1 million in funding, key projects include: the Tibetan Times project, which publishes a Tibetan-language newspaper, operates and maintains a Tibetan-language website, and provides support for the pseudo-"Tibetan independence" movement. The project will provide a platform for the activities of the pseudo "Tibetan government-in- exile" and "Tibetan independence" organizations; the "International Campaign for Human Rights in Tibet" project will collect evidence on human rights issues in Tibet and smear the Chinese government's policy on Tibet in the United Nations. The "International Solidarity Campaign for Human Rights in Tibet" project collects evidence on human rights in Tibet and discredits the Chinese government's policy on Tibet at the United Nations; the "Enhancing Awareness of the Panchen Lama" project confuses the international community' s awareness of and support for the 11th Panchen Lama and discredits China's policy on religious freedom; and the "Strengthening the Tibet Monitoring Information Network" project. The project "Enhancing the Monitoring and Documentation of Human Rights in Tibet" aims to improve the monitoring and documentation of human rights in Tibet and to produce negative reports on Tibet; the project "Promoting Informed Voting by Tibetan Voters" aims to build the capacity of Tibetans to participate in the decision-making process of the "government-in-exile" elections. -- :WWW mitbbs.com [FROM: 180.] Construction work continues within the confines of Marine Corps Base Camp Blaz in Dededo on May 10, 2022. China congratulates on smooth Philippine presidential race: spokesperson Xinhua) 09:48, May 11, 2022 BEIJING, May 10 (Xinhua) -- China congratulates the Philippines on the smooth holding of the presidential election and also congratulates the leading candidates, a foreign ministry spokesperson said Tuesday. Spokesperson Zhao Lijian made the remarks at a daily press briefing when asked to comment on the issue. Initial results show that presidential candidate Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and vice presidential candidate Sara Duterte-Carpio are poised to win. China hopes and believes that all political forces in the Philippines will continue to work together for national renewal and development, Zhao said. Calling the two countries "good partners of mutually beneficial cooperation," Zhao said under the strategic guidance of the two heads of state, bilateral relations have been steadily upgraded and have taken on a new look of vigorous development, benefiting the two peoples and making positive contributions to regional peace and stability. China is ready to work with the Philippines to continue to uphold good-neighborliness and friendship, focus on post-pandemic development, expand win-win cooperation, and bring more tangible benefits to the two peoples, the spokesperson said. (Web editor: Peng Yukai, Liang Jun) : daxia11 (), : Neuroscience : The foreign ministry drew a list for the National Democracy Foundation : BBS (Tue May 10 23:41:57 2022, ) iii.Full support for "Hong Kong independence".NED has long been working on projects related to "labor rights," "political reform," and "human rights monitoring" in Hong Kong, and NED's presence can be found in street protests in Hong Kong. According to a study of NED's website by the Hong Kong public opinion analysis organization "Think Hong Kong", the foundation has been funding "Hong Kong Human Rights Monitor", "Hong Kong Confederation of Trade Unions" and other organizations since 1994. The foundation has been funding various Hong Kong opposition groups, academic organizations and media, and manipulating them to carry out various demonstrations and protests. According to Du Jia, a researcher at Chongqing University's Economic and Strategic Research Institute, NED has funded projects in Hong Kong every year since 1994, with a total investment of more than $10 million in 2018. From 2003 to the present, NED has been behind the scenes organizing, planning, directing, and channeling funds for many major street movements in Hong Kong, including the illegal "Occupy Central" and violent "anti- amendment" demonstrations. In the 2019 Hong Kong "amendment storm," NED moved from behind the scenes to the front, directly engaging with the backbone of anti-China rebellion, granting subsidies and training to those involved in the riots: in May 2019, the founding chairman of the Hong Kong Democratic Party, Martin Lee, and the former founding chairman of the Hong Kong People's "In May 2019, the founding chairman of the Democratic Party of Hong Kong, Martin Lee, the former founding chairman of the Hong Kong Alliance for Democracy and People's Livelihood, Law Kwun-chung, and the former chairman of the Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China, Lee Cheuk-yan, visited the United States to attend a seminar on "New Threats to Civil Society and the Rule of Law in Hong Kong" organized by the NED and openly begged the United States to intervene in Hong Kong. They openly begged the U.S. to intervene in Hong Kong to "amend the law".In September 2019, NED recruited anti-China activists to join the board of directors of the Washington-based anti-China group, the Hong Kong Democratic Committee. The establishment of this organization highlights the symbiotic relationship between anti-China activists and Washington, D.C. Its board of directors is composed mostly of prominent activists, while the advisory board of the Hong Kong Democratic Committee is composed mainly of members of NED and other NGOs. "In September 2021, NED organized a seminar on "Future Prospects for the Development of Democracy in the World," at which Luo Guancong spoke and peddled sophistry. He peddled sophistry and blasphemed justice and truth. "Organizations such as the Hong Kong Civil Human Rights Front, Hong Kong People's Liberation Army, and the Hong Kong Confederation of Trade Unions (HKCTU), which have distinguished themselves in the "legislative amendment controversy," were all awarded the NED. In 2021, NED will further strengthen its support for the "Hong Kong independence" community in exile. In 2019, NED's Hong Kong-related funding is approximately $640,000, with specific projects including: "Strengthening Civil Society and Human Rights Protection," a project that colludes with "Hong Kong independence" and " human rights" groups under the guise of "human rights. The "Strengthening Civil Society and Human Rights Protection" project, under the guise of " human rights," will work with "Hong Kong independence" groups and political leaders to promote "human rights violations" by the Central Government to the international community. The project "Promoting Evidence-Based Dialogue and Policy Development" aims to establish a mechanism for "evidence-based dialogue" on Hong Kong people's views on political and economic issues, and to expand the voice of "Hong Kong independence" forces. The "Expanding Workers' Rights and Democracy" project helps Hong Kong labor unions strengthen their organizing, negotiation, and advocacy skills to "promote democracy and strengthen civil society" in Hong Kong. The report is a study of the relationship between Hong Kong's prosperity and the rule of law and freedom. -- :WWW mitbbs.com [FROM: 180.] Haiti - FLASH : A bus hijacked in Martissant with about fifty passengers Very early this Tuesday, May 10, 2022, in Martissant (3rd district of Port-au-Prince) a bus providing the Port-au-Prince / Les Cayes route, with around fifty passengers on board, was hijacked by heavily armed men. Some of the passengers were released after being stripped of all their valuables. For the others, whose number remains undetermined, the kidnappers are demanding a large ransom for their release, confirmed Mehu Changeux, President of the union of the Association of Owners and Drivers of Haiti (APCH). In addition, he informed that at least 2 trucks of goods bound for Les Cayes were diverted this same Tuesday, one of the drivers would have been injured. TB/ HaitiLibre Haiti - CFI : 12 remarkable women mothers and entrepreneurs The Center for Facilitation of Investments (CFI) is delighted to put in the spotlight 12 women, mothers and entrepreneurs who do remarkable work in their sector, despite the difficult personal and social hazards that this category of women encounters to set up and develop their passion. During this month of May, let's celebrate these women, encourage their tenacity, because female entrepreneurship is a vector of lasting change in Haiti. From May 3rd to 18, the CFI will honor 12 Haitian women mothers and entrepreneurs, who juggle between family life and entrepreneurial life, in order to contribute positively to the development of their business. Complete actors, of the economic development of Haiti, they ignore stereotypes to develop their passion in business and seize opportunities. To learn more about these remarkable women visit : https://cfihaiti.com/index.php/en/social-media HL/ HaitiLibre By William Schwartz | Published on 2022/05/10 The long-completed romantic drama "Business Proposal" made a surprise return on the Netflix worldwide charts as interpreted by FlixPatrol on May 10th. The previous day, "Business Proposal" had been in eleventh place, but jumped up to fourth place on the strength of viral popularity in new regions. These included number one rankings in Bolivia and Peru, with similarly strong finishes across the rest of Latin America as well. Advertisement Elsewhere on FlixPatrol, "The Sound of Magic" fell to fifth place, mostly due to the surprise resurgence of "Business Proposal" which ended over a month ago. The fantasy school-age drama starring Ji Chang-wook as an enigmatic magician mostly maintained its numbers it fell from fourth place to fifth place. "The Sound of Magic" was number one in Bahrain, Bangladesh, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Jordan, Kuwait, the Maldives, Oman, Pakistan, the Philippines, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Sri Lanka. The number one drama in South Korea for Netflix on May 10th was "Our Blues" which was sixteenth on the overall leaderboard, behind "Happiness - Drama" in fourteenth place. The Jeju Island themed "Our Blues" was also the most popular drama in Vietnam for that day. "Business Proposal" ended its television run on April 5th, while "The Sound of Magic" had its six Netflix exclusive episodes see release on May 6th. Written by William Schwartz : Acezz123 (), : Taiwan : When can we get rid of the "cancer" of racial discrimination in the United States? : BBS (Tue May 10 23:18:14 2022, ) On September 9, 2009, Republican Congressman Joe Wilson shouted "You're lying!" at President Barack Obama during his speech to Congress. Recently, the United States has been embroiled in a number of racial scandals: a Korean anchorwoman was derided as "too Asian" for introducing the Korean custom of eating dumplings for the holidays on her show, and said she should talk more about white people's eating habits; a professor at the Ivy League school University of Pennsylvania threatened in an online forum that the U. S. should put an end to An activist from the Shoshone tribe of American Indians angrily complained to the media that his homeland had been turned into a "nuclear testing ground" under the control of the U.S. government. A Shoshone American Indian activist has angrily complained to the media that his homeland has been turned into a "nuclear testing ground" under the control of the U.S. government, with "devastating effects" on the health of his fellow Native Americans ...... More than 200 years ago, the founding fathers of the United States made "all men are created equal" as the American All men are created equal" as a founding principle of the United States in the Declaration of Independence. But when will America make "all men are created equal" a reality? For more than 200 years since the founding of the United States, the evil gene of racism has always been in the blood of the country. In recent years, the problem of racial discrimination in the U.S. has intensified under the interplay of multiple conflicts, such as political polarization, social division, and the division between the rich and the poor. From the scapegoating of Chinese-American police officer Peter Liang in 2016 for the conflict between police and African-Americans to the tragic deaths of several African-Americans at the hands of police in 2018; from the death of African-American man Floyd who was kneeled by white police officers in 2020 to the discrimination against Asian-Americans since the outbreak of the new pneumonia epidemic... From the death of a white police officer who kneeled down an African-American man in 2020 to the discrimination against Asian- Americans that has been a common occurrence since the new pneumonia epidemic ... All kinds of tragedies reveal a bloody reality that in the United States , which claims to be the "champion of human rights" and advocates "equality for all," freedom, equality, and human rights have always been the privilege of only some people, and the concept of "white supremacy" has been deeply rooted in this country. The concept of "white supremacy" has taken deep roots in this country and has become an unspoken "political correctness". -- :WWW mitbbs.com [FROM: 93.] PRELIMINARY results of the 2022 population and housing census held last month will be released in August this year, the Zimbabwe National Statistics Agency (ZimStat) has said. The 2022 population and housing census ran from April 21 to 30, 2022, while a mop-up exercise was completed on May 6, 2022. ZimStat spokesperson Mercy Chidemo told NewsDay that the 2022 population census had been digitised to enhance quick data processing, which would see the results being released within a shorter period compared to previous years. The preliminary results are expected in the next three months, which is in August, Chidemo said. We will have a full report by December. We will do a post-enumeration survey to assess the quality of our data. The process will be made easier by digitalising it. Using the digital system, we are currently detecting errors on demography which will then be verified and rectified by our enumerators. So the three-month period is actually shorter than the three years that it would take to release the results in previous years. The 2022 population census was marred by irregularities which included involvement of the members of the security services and Zanu PF youths, as well as delayed payment of enumerators, among others. Some enumerators claim that they have not yet received their allowances almost two weeks after the exercise. However, teachers who took part in the process as enumerators told NewsDay that they were paid $320 000 for the 20 days they took part in the census, which is far more than their monthly salaries. Newsday THE Hwange community has been plunged into mourning following the sudden death of Hwange Colliery Company Limited (HCCL) managing director, Dr Charles Zinyemba. He was 59. Dr Zinyemba collapsed and died at his home in the mining town on Sunday morning and details leading to his death are still sketchy. Announcing his death to workers in an internal memo, HCCL said: It is with a heavy heart that we announce the death of our managing director Dr C Zinyemba. Dr Zinyemba passed away in the early hours of Sunday. Further information and funeral arrangements will be shared soon. In the meantime, the administration team joins the Zinyemba family, HCCL employees and the entire Hwange community to mourn a pillar in the company and community. May his soul rest in peace. A sombre atmosphere swept across Hwange yesterday as workers, business leaders and members of community paid tribute to the late HCCL managing director during a funeral service held at the Colliery Stadium. Speaker after speaker praised Dr Zinyemba for his transformative dedication towards the companys turnaround efforts. The companys administrator, Mr Dale Sibanda, said Dr Zinyemba was a hard worker. We appointed him substantive managing director and since that appointment not one day did he disappoint. Dr Zinyemba has been with HCCL for over 10 years. He knew and had an understanding of HCCL history, he said. He understood clearly where we are now and saw clearly our vision for the future. He was an integral part of the process to rebuild the company and provided vital guidance to the administration team. He would use his vast knowledge to shepherd us away from retrogressive moves. In 2020, during a tour of Chaba Mine by President Emmerson Mnangagwa, Dr Zinyemba told the President that HCCL was in a state of collapse at the start of administration in October 2018, as creditors were swooping on it through a string of litigations. Workers had also gone for several months without pay. Workers who spoke to Business Chronicle expressed shock over Dr Zinyembas death and paid tribute to his legacy. He was a good man who despite being a medical doctor steered the achievements that we are now experiencing at the colliery, said Mr Wilfred Teera. The turnaround that is currently being experienced is because of his leadership and dedication. He managed to bring in the equipment including boosting workers welfare. Another worker, Mrs Florence Mudenda, said Dr Zinyemba had workers wellbeing at heart. When the late Dr Zinyemba took the reins even in an acting capacity, changes began to be felt in the company especially amongst workers, she said. One of his goals was workers welfare. For the first time after years, we began to get our salaries on time. From using lorries to go to work he over a short period pushed the purchase of staff buses. Workers said Dr Zinyembas sudden death took them by surprise and said they will remember his positive impact on the business. His death has dealt a blow to his vision. He was trying his best that we cant deny, said Mr Gerald Ndlovu, another worker. Contacted for comment, Mines Parliamentary Portfolio Committee chairman, Edmond Mkaratigwa, said during his tenure at the helm of HCCL, Dr Zinyemba steered the colliery firm to positive growth. We are saddened that we have lost a mining sector veteran and cadre who proved to have been managing to steward his staff and use the available resources to change the course of the ship to positive growth and profitability from negativity and losses, he said. Such leadership was key for Hwange, which required innovation and maximisation in the backdrop of climate change impacts and governance frameworks discouraging its use globally. Mr Mkaratigwa said Dr Zinyemba had a listening ear and mastered the art of engaging as he cooperated with key stakeholders while being open to criticism. Dr Zinyemba was a holder of an Executive Master of Business Administration Degree from the National University of Science and Technology (Nust), MBChB from the University of Zimbabwe and was a full member of the College of Primary Care Physicians of Zimbabwe and an Associate Member of the Institute of Directors of Zimbabwe. The late Dr Zinyemba has a background in the military where he worked as a medical doctor before being employed by the colliery as its medical services manager. He was appointed acting managing director in 2018 following the departure of Mr Thomas Makore and the subsequent placing of the company under administration. Dr Zinyemba was confirmed as the coal mining companys substantive managing director last year, a position he held to his untimely death. Burial details are yet to be disclosed. Chronicle OPPOSITION Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) party yesterday accused President Emmerson Mnangagwa of shutting off the country to business through chaotic anti-economic measures. Addressing a Press conference in Harare yesterday, CCC spokesperson Fadzayi Mahere said the cocktail of measures announced by Mnangagwa on Saturday had caused bloodbath in business corridors. His mantra when he got into power was Zimbabwe is open for business, but Mnangagwa has effectively closed the country for business. Most commercial actors have already warned that the lending freeze would hurt Zimbabwes already fragile economy, Mahere said. Mnangagwa did not produce any facts or figures to justify the lending ban. This has created fresh uncertainty to the already uncertain economy. Mnangagwa on Saturday directed banks to stop lending, among other measures aimed at controlling the galloping exchange rate and arresting the continued fall of the local currency. The stabilisation measures have attracted widespread criticism from business and industry, with legal experts saying they were a legal nullity. What Mnangagwa demonstrated is that he has no care whatsoever for the welfare of citizens. He is not in touch with the reality of commerce in Zimbabwe. What we need to solve the entirety of these problems is to ensure that we install a government that serves the people and not just a few, Mahere said. The measures can be best described as an assault on trade, an assault on commerce which will obviously be felt the most by the ordinary citizen on the street. The outspoken opposition information tsar said through his Saturday nocturnal policies, Mnangagwa had usurped the Constitution. There is simply no law that allows even the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe to suspend all lending, to interfere with private contracts, to interfere with commerce to the point of hampering and halting all business activities, Mahere said. The Zimbabwe National Chamber of Commerce has also shredded Mnangagwas economic stabilisation measures as unworkable. Newsday Half Moon Bay, CA (94019) Today Considerable clouds this morning. Some decrease in clouds later in the day. High 61F. Winds NNW at 10 to 15 mph.. Tonight Mainly clear. Low around 50F. Winds NNW at 5 to 10 mph. A cavalcade of ex-U.S. presidents as well as President Biden are on the proposed witness list of ex-Honduras president Juan Orlando Hernandez, who appeared in shackles in Manhattan Federal Court on Tuesday to plead not guilty to drug and firearms trafficking charges. Mexican crime lord Joaquin El Chapo Guzman is also among those Hernandezs defense team wants to call as witnesses. Advertisement Hernandez, who was president of the Central American nation from 2014 through January 2021, wants jurors to hear from fellow ex-heads of state Donald Trump, Barack Obama and Bill Clinton, who he says would join Guzman to vouch for his innocence. Biden may be busy running the country, but I cant think of anything that Trump is doing thats important and I know that Mr. Obama is retired, said defense lawyer Raymond Colon. Advertisement FILE - Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernandez speaks during a press conference in Tegucigalpa, Honduras in March 2021. (ELMER MARTINEZ/AP) Colon said he wants to subpoena the U.S. presidents, past and present, because he believes they will testify Hernandez was an ally in the U.S. war on drugs. My client was the first president to enforce or agree to the extradition of individuals in Honduras that were trafficking narcotics ... We need to bring that out and maybe thats our way out of a life sentence. The feds say Hernandez facilitated the importation of hundreds of thousands of kilograms of cocaine to the U.S. starting in 2004. Breaking News As it happens Get updates on the coronavirus pandemic and other news as it happens with our free breaking news email alerts. > Hernandez conspired with the worlds most prolific drug lords to construct a corrupt and brutally violent empire of cocaine trafficking to the U.S., Manhattan U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said following his indictment. Prosecutors said he earned millions of dollars in bribes by using the power of his office to facilitate the flow of drugs and firearms into the U.S. FILE - In this Feb. 22, 2014 file photo, Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman, the head of Mexico's Sinaloa Cartel, is escorted to a helicopter in Mexico City following his capture in the beach resort town of Mazatlan, Mexico. (Eduardo Verdugo/AP) Hernandez was extradited to the U.S. in April. He was arrested at his home in February, and Honduran courts allowed his extradition. Colon said the notorious drug kingpin El Chapo, who is serving out a life sentence on drug trafficking charges following his 2019 conviction in Brooklyn Federal Court, would tell a jury he never met Hernandez. Listen, were going to subpoena El Chapo. Hes over there in Colorado, Colon said. Guzman is housed at the federal Supermax prison there. Advertisement Hopefully, theyll bring him over, Colon said. I believe he was actually quoted as saying, I had no interaction or transactions or dealings with President Hernandez. Scores of Honduran nationals who attended Tuesdays hearing screamed rata, the Spanish word for rat, when U.S. Marshals brought Hernandez into the courtroom in handcuffs. Fire suppression systems at MTA subway and bus facilities require immediate attention, including at a Manhattan train yard where the water pressure isnt strong enough to accommodate a new fire pump, according to a new report. Existing fire pumps at 22 of 23 NYC Transit facilities across the city and Westchester have not received required annual fire pump inspections since 2020, according to an audit by the MTA Office of the Inspector General. Advertisement And the testing that has been performed has been historically compromised because there is no record that gauges on the equipment have been calibrated or regularly replaced, the audit said. 7 Trains fill the train yard in Flushing (DelMundo, Anthony) Fire suppression systems play an important role in ensuring personnel and assets are protected from fires, the report said. Testing and maintaining these fire pumps on National Fire Protection Association-required schedules is of the utmost importance. Advertisement But the inspector general says NYC Transit doesnt properly maintain its fire suppression systems. NYC Transit has not kept up with the required annual testing cycles, and there is significant evidence that in-house personnel have not been sufficiently trained on or knowledgeable about NFPA code requirements to ensure the testing was properly performed, says the report. Breaking News As it happens Get updates on the coronavirus pandemic and other news as it happens with our free breaking news email alerts. > According to an MTA safety executive, the agency has conducted a complete review of fire suppression systems at all 23 pumps in the last three weeks. A 24/7 fire watch has been put in place at the 207th St. subway yard in Manhattans Inwood neighborhood, which has had water pressure problems. There can be no compromise when it comes to the safety of MTA employees and when safety issues arise we address them immediately, MTA Chief Safety and Security Officer Pat Warren said in a statement. There is no known fire safety hazard in New York City Transit train yards where we instituted preventative measures and had independent certified fire suppression experts assist in testing equipment and installing any necessary upgrades. We will continue to evaluate fire safety strategy, keeping policies in alignment with industry standard best practices. Union officials blamed the MTA for the lapses. Local 100 members have been doing this work for many years, said John Chiarello, a Transit Workers Union Local 100 vice president. Management failed to keep up with the assignment of inspections. We welcome any type of training beyond what we have received. Our members have no fault in this. Advertisement Recommendations in the report include immediate fire pump tests for all the systems transit facilities, better training and the installation of proper gauges that National Fire Protection Association standards. Residence Inn by Marriott San Juan Isla Verde officially opens its doors today offering a prime location in the Isla Verde neighborhood, just five minutes from the Luis Munoz Marin International airport (SJU) and steps from the renowned Isla Verde Beach. With a global presence of over 870 hotels in the U.S., Canada, Europe, the Middle East, and Caribbean & Latin America, Residence Inn is the world leader of the longer stay lodging segment, arriving for the first time in Puerto Rico. Operated by Highgate a premier real estate investment and hospitality management company widely recognized as an innovator in the industry the new Residence Inn San Juan Isla Verde welcomes business and leisure travelers with upscale design and architecture that enhances the guest experience with open spaces to relax and live without constraints. Offering 231 spacious suites, complete with fully equipped kitchens and separate living and sleeping areas, Residence Inn San Juan Isla Verde provides an intimate atmosphere that invites connection and productivity. The hotel debuts at a time when Puerto Rico is setting travel records as a popular destination and guests are looking for alternative lodging options to a traditional hotel stay. Designed for longer stays, the hotel will be the ideal destination for business and leisure travelers visiting the island and looking for a place that allows them to feel right at home. LONGER STAY Designed for stays of five nights or more with maximum benefits in mind, Residence Inn stands out for its modern residential decor based on the idea of 'travel the way you live.' The concept celebrates openness, freedom and love for life, translating it into personalized service and unrestricted experiences. Fully equipped kitchens in each suite - complete with a refrigerator, cook top, microwave, dishwasher, residential-size appliances, and dishes and cookware - set the stage for home-cooked meals. Guests will also appreciate large in-suite workspaces with a well-lit desk, ergonomic seat, and high-speed wireless internet access. Residence Inn offers a wide variety of healthy and natural options on rotation for its daily complimentary breakfast, included in the room rate. Residence Inn San Juan Isla Verde offers 708 square feet of meeting space filled with natural light and built-in multimedia technology. Additional amenities include The Market, opened 24 hours for grab-and-go options, a self-service laundry room, valet laundry, mobile app, fitness center, outdoor swimming pool, kids water-play pool and complimentary high-speed internet. Hotel website Smith brings more than 20 years of extensive experience working in the hospitality business before joining Pacifica Hotels in July 2020 as Corporate Director of Sales. Prior to joining the team, Smith worked as the Regional Vice President of Sales and Marketing at Dimension Development, Atrium Hospitality, and Sage Hospitality. She also held roles including, the Director of Sales & Marketing at The Mining Exchange: a Wyndham Grand Hotel, the Area Director of Sales & Marketing at Hilton Hotels Corporation, the Director of Sales & Marketing at The Westin Virginia Beach Town Center, the Director of Sales & Marketing at Silverwood Hotel & Conference Center, the Regional Sales Manager at La Quinta Inns, Inc., and the Senior Sales Manager at Embassy Suites. View Erin Smith's LinkedIn Profile Erin Smith is a graduate of Florida Atlantic University (FAU) in Boca Raton, Florida - United States Strong demand for international travel and consumers set to prioritise travel spend in 2022 Growth in longer booking horizons and trip lengths signal the return of seasonality High volumes of domestic and short haul itineraries, gains in long haul Trending destinations include Doha, Mexico City and Amman (Jordan) as travellers cite bucket list and city breaks as top trip types LONDON -Travel marketplace Skyscanner is today publishing a new report exploring the latest trends in global travel. Titled Skyscanner Horizons: Travels resilience and trends shaping recovery, the report combines consumer polling with extensive flight search and booking data from each region the Americas, APAC and EMEA - to provide a comprehensive view of 2022 travel demand. Unique and in-depth analysis of key indicators such as travel spend, booking horizons, haul type, trip length, trending destinations and how they compare to pre-pandemic provides unrivalled insights for the sector. The report also features exclusive expert commentary on these trends shaping recovery from industry thought leaders such as Hugh Aitken, Skyscanner VP of Flights, Nick Hall, CEO of Digital Tourism Think Tank, Marco Navarria, Global Content and Marketing Director, CAPA and John Strickland, Director JLS Consulting. Key findings include: 86% of travellers plan to spend more or the same on international travel than they did in 2019, with half planning to spend more. Of those spending more, 48% are putting this money towards longer trips and 43% towards accommodation upgrades. But travellers do remain price conscious. Shorter booking horizons remain popular in all regions, but theres growth in 30-59- and 60-89-day segments as confidence accelerates and seasonality starts to return. Seasonality is reflected in trip length as demand for longer holidays grows for key summer and winter periods. Demand for domestic and short-haul flights is higher than pre-pandemic, but long-haul travel is making a comeback. Travellers cite ultimate relaxation holidays, followed by bucket list travel and city breaks, as the top trip types for this year. Doha is the worlds top trending destination, with the biggest rise in searches compared to two years ago. Other top trending destinations are a mix of short and long haul as new routes are launched, countries re-open and travellers seek to reunite with friends and family. To download the full report, visit the Skyscanner Partner website. *For information about the data methodology and survey results refer to the methodology section in the report. About Skyscanner Founded in 2003, Skyscanner is a leading travel marketplace dedicated to putting travellers first. Skyscanner helps millions of people in 52 countries and over 30 languages find the best travel options for flights, hotels and car hire every month. Skyscanner is available on desktop, mobile web and its highly rated app has 100 million downloads. Working with 1200 travel partners, Skyscanner's mission is to lead the global transformation to modern and sustainable travel. Matt Bradford Senior Communications Manager +44 785 066 5563 Skyscanner Ltd MUMBAI - Indian Hotels Company (IHCL),Indias largest hospitality company, today launched She Remains the Taj, a holistic framework of women-centric initiatives for all stakeholders including guests, employees, partners and the community. This encompasses enhanced experiences for women travellers at its hotels across the globe. IHCL also announced its goal to raise women participation I n its workforce to 25% by 2025, and support women led businesses and partners. Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Puneet Chhatwal, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, IHCL, said, IHCL is known for championing the cause of women and enhancing their participation both, within and outside the organization. Cognizant of the growing economic influence of women consumers, She Remains the Taj re-iterates our commitment to creating customer-centric experiences for travellers. He further added, We will introduce a series of initiatives and enabling policies to increase workforce participation. Keeping community at the core, IHCL will continue to extend economic opportunities to the larger ecosystem. Based on extensive research, the customer value proposition for women travellers has been developed to include heightened levels of privacy, security, bespoke amenities and stay offerings. As part of its commitment to increase women in leadership positions, 25% of these roles at upcoming IHCL hotels will be women. Over the years, IHCL has implemented pioneering initiatives including the opening of South Asias first all-women managed luxury residences, Taj Wellington Mews in Chennai, and the all-women engineers team to build Gingers flagship hotel in Mumbai. Its industry leading policies include extended maternity leave, creche facilities, healthcare benefits including IVF treatments, and skilling of women in under-served communities and regions. Paying tribute to the iconic brand Taj and its century old legacy, She Remains the Taj was unveiled with the launch of a film at an event over a panel discussion with eminent leaders, celebrating the spirit of women. To know more about IHCLs women-centric initiatives, please visit She Remains the Taj. About The Indian Hotels Company Limited The Indian Hotels Company Limited (IHCL) and its subsidiaries bring together a group of brands and businesses that offer a fusion of warm Indian hospitality and world-class service. These include Taj the iconic brand for the most discerning travellers and the World's Strongest Hotel Brand and India's Strongest Hospitality Brand as per Brand Finance 2021, SeleQtions, a named collection of hotels, Vivanta, sophisticated upscale hotels and Ginger, which is revolutionising the lean luxe segment. Incorporated by the founder of the Tata Group, Jamsetji Tata, the Company opened its first hotel - The Taj Mahal Palace, in Bombay in 1903. IHCL has a portfolio of 236 hotels including 60 under development globally across 4 continents, 11 countries and in over 100 locations. The Indian Hotels Company Limited (IHCL) is India's largest hospitality company by market capitalization. It is primarily listed on the BSE and NSE. Please visit: www.ihcltata.com.com; www.tajhotels.com; www.seleqtionshotels.com; www.vivantahotels.com; www.gingerhotels.com Kirti Dhingra IHCL A 17-year-old boy was fatally shot by a group of rivals stalking him on his way to a Bronx deli Tuesday night, cops and a witness said. The teen was walking to Big Sal Deli Grocery on Ogden Ave. at W. 170th St. about 8:15 p.m. as seven young men appear to be tracking him, video of the shooting viewed by the Daily News shows. Advertisement NYPD secure the scene where a male was shot on the corner of E. 170th St. and Ogden Ave. in the Bronx on Tuesday. (Sam Costanza/for New York Daily News) He passed one member of the group, who said nothing, then went into the deli but immediately came back out, seemingly aware something was amiss. The teen then traded punches with a young man on a scooter and a second member of the group pulled out a gun and fired four times. Advertisement One kid followed him into the store, and when he came out, he punched him in the face. He tried to fight back and another kid shot him in the chest. They shot four times and he was on the ground, said a deli worker who didnt give his name. It was a group of kids attacking him and they ran off. The worker described the victim as a regular customer who lived in the area. Medics took the teen to Lincoln Hospital, but he couldnt be saved. The group of young men were dressed all in black and wore masks, the video shows. The shooter and the suspect on the scooter both fled north on Ogden Ave. Police have made no arrests and have not yet released the victims name. HOUSTON and BARCELONA Sceptre Hospitality Resources (SHR), which offers a suite of solutions to help hoteliers improve the guest experience and drive revenue at each touchpoint along the guest journey, has integrated its Maverick CRM with the Guest Experience Platform offered by ReviewPro, a Shiji Group brand. Thanks to a new API integration, Maverick clients can now integrate the data collected from the Guest Survey solution within the Guest Experience Platform directly within the CRM. The Maverick system will provide the guest with a dynamic link in their post-stay communication, which now originates from Maverick to keep all guest communication consistent and coming from the same place. This new API integration between the Maverick CRM and Shijis ReviewPro guest data and reporting systems represents another highly valuable addition to the scope and sophistication of our Maverick platform, said Amanda Milam, Integration Manager for SHR. Shijis ReviewPro survey data is already extremely useful to many of our customers and is their go-to methodology for collecting post-stay guest surveys; it will be even more insightful to them when that information lives organically within the Maverick CRM and is updated in real-time. This latest functionality upgrade to the Maverick CRM is another clear win for users, as having standardized workflows, templates and consistent reporting makes good logistical sense across the board, including the guest satisfaction measurement and follow-up processes. With the dynamic ReviewPro link created by Maverick, guest profile and preference information is passed to the right places within the CRM, including the guests responses to the survey after their stay. Were excited to integrate with SHR and drive more efficient guest communication with a seamless guest data collection, and enabling segmentation based on guest feedback. This API integration shows how technology partners can work together for the benefit of all, including the guest of course. Easier access to our shared data means deeper insights, quicker action, and eventually better guest experiences. said Michael Kessler, CEO at Shijis ReviewPro. About ReviewPro ReviewPro, a Shiji Group brand, offers over a decade of experience and investment in innovation to ensure we continue to be the benchmark in the hospitality industry. Our cloud-based Guest Experience Platform includes Hotel Reputation, Guest Surveys, Case Management, and Messaging Automation. Shijis ReviewPro owns the industry-standard online reputation score, the Global Review Index (GRI), a propriety algorithm based on review data collected from +175 OTAs and review sites in +45 languages. With over 60,000 establishments in +150 countries, Shijis ReviewPro offers the technology, support, and education to empower hoteliers to be better. For more information please visit: www.reviewpro.com For press contacts: [email protected] LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/reviewpro About SHR Sceptre Hospitality Resources (SHR) delivers solutions for hotels to improve guest satisfaction at each touchpoint from marketing, booking, and on-property experience while driving revenue every step of the way. More than 2,000 hotels around the world rely on Windsurfer CRS to optimize their channel mix, Maverick CRM to personalize their guests' experiences, or Wave RMS to maximize revenue and profitability. Headquartered in Houston with offices in Barcelona and Singapore, SHR deploys deeply integrated, cloud-based software built in an open, API-first framework that reduces the cost, time and development work associated with connecting systems. Learn more at shr.global. Jason Freed Head of Marketing 3302216068 Eight key megatrends that are shaping the new look of hospitality have accelerated in impact since the pandemic. Understanding, embracing, and operationalizing these megatrends is crucial if players in the hospitality industry are to survive and excel going forward. Sustainability has expanded to encompass workforce talent management and inclusion. For example, some companies are setting carbon allowances rather than travel allowances, whereby once an employee has reached their carbon limit, their business travel is done. Karen Hutchings, Travel, Meetings & Events Leader at Ernst & Young (EY) explained to us during our Revenue Strategy Forum in London in late 2021 that pre-COVID she managed US$2.1 billion in travel spend and approximately $400 million in meetings and events spend. Now, EY has a new goal: to cut business travel carbon emissions by 35% by 2025. Digital transition has massively scaled up. Companies are rapidly adopting the cloud and embracing connected digital solutions. The use of mobile wallets and mobile payments - along with other contactless tech - is enhancing customer experiences and helping businesses also deal with staffing challenges. As new tech- and analytics-first players are helping re-shape the industry, technologies such as blockchain are fast-forwarding whats possible from a digital perspective. For example, California-based Winding Tree is an Ethereum-based decentralized travel marketplace that effectively removes the global distribution system (GDS) from bookings. Now, anyone can sell an air ticket. We will see more of this. Data fluidity is also top of mind for hotels, who need the agility to pre-emptively predict and intelligently respond to quick-twitch consumer trends and other shifts. Easy-to-digest visual data analysis is key, but the infrastructure - clean, normalized, real-time data that flows securely through connected systems and is platform agnostic - needs to be in place before any analysis is truly actionable. Ultimately, data fluidity at the business level empowers customer experience, as users can log in with one profile and book a hotel, reserve a table, or book an excursion. Inter-modality feeds off data fluidity inasmuch you can package up different pieces of the travel vertical that used to be sold separately. For example, you can buy an air ticket and a train ticket at the same time, in the same transaction. Or you book your hotel and your restaurant reservation at the same time with the same profile paying with the same saved credit card details. The digital transition enables all of this because it allows almost anybody to sell almost anything. Whats more, its fast, efficient, and safe for the consumer. Hybridity will continue to increase. Early in the pandemic, it was easy to assume that the change in the workforce would be temporary. This is not correct. How we work and how we do things outside of work have evolved in new and often dramatic ways. The emergence of the digital nomad shows us that work and leisure can interoperate, and this goes beyond the bleisure market whereby someone might add on a couple of days of leisure time to a work trip. Boundaries have become opaque; weekends can now start on Thursday and run until Monday while working holidays can last for many months. Agile working practices. As with hybridity, we are seeing a blurring between agile working practices and more traditional ways of looking at business. People are picking and choosing the bits that they need to make their business work and to respond to what is going on around them. And this is driving people towards more cloud-based solutions because we need more flexible engagement. Regional realignment. Theres been a profound shift from global city center travel to local markets. While I think this is temporary, we are going to see it continue this year. Europe will focus on Europe, Asia focusing on Asia, the Americas focusing on the Americas, because of the perceived risk of global travel: people dont want to travel far away from home for work and potentially get stranded by a lockdown. Fragmentation. The days of the cookie cutter hotel room are numbered. Legacy hospitality models no longer apply today. We're seeing it in the tech stacks in the big brands, and we are seeing it across the industry. Habits are changing, both in terms of what the customer wants and in what the hospitality industry is providing. We are seeing more lifestyle hotels, more resorts, and alternative accommodations and these are thriving. There is no longer a one size fits all solution. And overarching to all these themes we are going to see a big re-engagement with the customer this year, both through the use of technology in terms of marketing, personalized offers, and driving loyalty via the evolution of Customer Data Platforms and in renewed interest and appreciation in direct bookings and an increasing crossover between leisure and business travel. Segmentation as we know it is now out of the window. The customer sits in a segment of one. Most important is making travel easy, efficient, and fluid for the guest. After two years of disruption, the customer is looking for a stress-feel travel solution bespoke to their individual needs, and with the built-in flexibility to change, amend, or cancel as needed. While technology is stepping up, humanity is also going to be a big factor in the future of travel. Companies who put the customer journey first and foremost and work back from that will be the ones to succeed. And that is why we should re-name 2022 The year of the customer. Learn how hotel revenue leaders like you are planning to optimize their business mix in the year ahead. Download our latest Special Report, Re-booting Revenue: Refreshing Strategies for 2022 and beyond. About Duetto Duetto delivers a suite of cloud applications to simplify hospitality revenue decisions and allow hoteliers to work smarter, increasing organizational efficiency, revenue, and profitability. The unique combination of hospitality experience and technology leadership drives Duetto to look for innovative solutions to industry challenges. The software as a service platform allows hotels and casino resorts to leverage real-time dynamic data sources and actionable insights into pricing and demand across the enterprise. More than 4,000 hotel and casino resort properties in more than 60 countries have partnered to use Duetto's applications, which include GameChanger for pricing, ScoreBoard for intelligent reporting, and BlockBuster for contracted-business optimization. Duetto is backed by investors Warburg Pincus, Icon Ventures, Accel Partners, Battery Ventures, and Spectrum 28. In January 2022, Duetto was voted as the Best Revenue Management System in the HotelTechAwards 2022. View source Hotel History: The Asian American Hotel Owners Association (AAHOA): The Asian American Hotel Owners Association is a trade association that represents hotel owners. As of 2022, AAHOA has approximately 20,000 members who own 60% of the hotels in the United States and are responsible for 1.7% of the nations GDP. More than one million employees work at AAHOA member-owned hotels, earning $47 billion annually and provide 4.2 million U.S. jobs across all sectors of the hospitality industry. Indian Americans in the hotel and motel industry early on faced discrimination, both from the insurance industry and from competitors placing American owned signs outside their properties to take business from them. Another group of Indian hoteliers was created in Atlanta in 1989 to address discrimination issues and increase awareness of Asian Americans working in the hospitality industry under the name Asian American Hotel Owners Association. The Asian American Hotel Owners Association was originally founded to fight racism. As early as the mid-1970s, Indian Americans hoteliers faced discrimination from banks and insurance carriers. Around that time, after delegates to a regional fire marshals convention reported that Patels had set fire to their motels and submitted phony claims, insurance brokers refused to sell insurance to Indian owners. To fight this problem and other forms of discrimination, the Mid-South Indemnity Association was formed in Tennessee. It grew nationwide and eventually changed its name to the INDO American Hospitality Association. Another group of Indian hoteliers came together in Atlanta in 1989 also to address discrimination issues and to increase awareness of Asian Americans in the hospitality industry. With the help of Michael Leven, then president of Days Inn of America, they formed the Asian American Hotel Owners Association. By the end of 1994, these two groups merged with the following mission: AAHOA provides an active forum in which Asian American hotel owners through an exchange of ideas with a unified voice, can communicate, interact, and secure their proper position within the hospitality industry, and be a source of inspiration by promoting professionalism and excellence through education and community involvement. The new owners brought their business expertise and their families to operate these motels. They instituted modern accounting techniques to monitor the all-important cash flow. Four times cash flow became the mantra of the Patels. If the distressed motel produced $10,000 per year in revenues and could be acquired for $40,000, it was profitable to a hard-working family. They renovated and upgraded rundown motels to improve cash flow, sold the properties and traded up to better motels. This was not without difficulties. Conventional insurance companies wouldnt provide coverage because they believed these immigrant owners would burn down their motels. In those days banks were unlikely to provide mortgages either. The Patels had to finance each other and self insure their properties. In a July 4, 1999 New York Times article, reporter Tunku Vardarajan wrote, The first owners, in a manner consistent with many an emergent immigrant group, scrimped, went without, darned old socks and never took a holiday. They did this not merely to save money but also because thrift is part of a larger moral framework, one that regards all nonessential expenditure as wasteful and unattractive. Its an attitude buttressed by a puritanical aversion to frills and frivolities, one that has its roots as much in the kind of Hinduism that the Patels practice as in their historical tradition as commercial perfectionists. Author Joel Millman writes in The Other Americans Viking, 1997, New York: Patels took a sleepy, mature industry and turned it upside down- offering consumers more choices while making the properties themselves more profitable. Motels that attracted billions in immigrant savings turned into real estate equity worth many billions more. That equity, managed by a new generation, is being leveraged into new businesses. Some are related to lodging (manufacturing motel supplies); some related to real estate (reclaiming derelict housing); some simply cash seeking an opportunity. The Patel-motel model is an example, like New Yorks West Indian jitneys, of the way immigrant initiative expands the pie. And there is another lesson: as the economy shifts from manufacturing to services, the Patel-motel phenomenon demonstrates how franchising can turn an outsider into a mainstream player. The Gujarati model for motels might be copied by Latinos in landscaping, West Indians in homecare or Asians in clerical services. By operating a turnkey franchise as a family business, immigrants will help an endless stream of service providers grow. As investment and ownership expanded, the Patels were accused of a wide variety of crimes: arson, laundering stolen travel checks, circumventing immigration laws. In an unpleasant burst of xenophobia, Frequent Flyer magazine (Summer 1981) declared, Foreign investment has come to the motel industry..causing grave problems for American buyers and brokers. Those Americans in turn are grumbling about unfair, perhaps illegal business practices: there is even talk of conspiracy. The magazine complained that the Patels had artificially boosted motel prices to induce a buying frenzy. The article concluded with an unmistakable racist remark, Comments are passed about motels smelling like curry and dark hints about immigrants who hire Caucasians to work the front desk. The article concluded, The facts are that immigrants are playing hardball in the motel industry and maybe not strictly by the rule book. The worst visible manifestation of such racism was a rash of American Owned banners displayed in certain hotels across the country. This hateful display was repeated in post- Sept 11 America. In my article, How American-Owned Can You Get, (Lodging Hospitality, August 2002), I wrote, In post-Sept. 11 America, signs of patriotism are everywhere: flags, slogans, God Bless America and United We Stand posters. Unfortunately, this outpouring sometimes oversteps the boundaries of democracy and decent behavior. After all, true patriotism encompasses the best features of our founding documents, and the very best of America is reflected in its diversity. Conversely, the worst if reflected when any one group attempts to define American in their own image. Unfortunately, a few hotel owners have attempted to describe their own peculiar version of American. When at the end of 2002 the Hotel Pennsylvania in New York City installed an entrance banner saying an American-owned hotel, the owners attempted to deflect criticism by explaining, The issue of American-owned is basically not disparaging toward other hotels. We want to provide our guests with an American experience. We want people to know they are going to get an American experience. We are not really interested in what the other hotels are or what they are not. This explanation is as wrongheaded as it gets. What is an American experience in a country that prides itself on its cultural diversity? Is it only white bread, hot dogs and cola? Or does it encompass all the arts, music, dance, food, culture and activities that various nationalities and citizens bring to the American experience? In 1998, AAHOA Chairman Mike Patel announced to the hotel industry that the time had come to identify AAHOAs 12 Points of Fair Franchising. He said that the major purpose was to create a franchising environment that promotes equality and is mutually beneficial to all parties. AAHOAs 12 Points of Fair Franchising Point 1: Early Termination and Liquidated Damages Point 2: Impact/ Encroachment/ Cross Brand Protection Point 3: Minimum Performance & Quality Guarantees Point 4: Quality Assurance Inspections/ Guest Surveys Point 5: Vendor Exclusivity Point 6: Disclosure and Accountability Point 7: Maintaining Relationships with Franchisees Point 8: Dispute Resolution Point 9: Venue and Choice of Law Clauses Point 10: Franchise Sales Ethics and Practices Point 11: Transferability Point 12: Sale of the Franchise System Hotel Brand All of my following books can be ordered from AuthorHouse by visiting www.stanleyturkel.com and clicking on the books title: Great American Hoteliers: Pioneers of the Hotel Industry (2009) Built To Last: 100+ Year-Old Hotels in New York (2011) Built To Last: 100+ Year-Old Hotels East of the Mississippi (2013) Hotel Mavens: Lucius M. Boomer, George C. Boldt, Oscar of the Waldorf (2014) Great American Hoteliers Volume 2: Pioneers of the Hotel Industry (2016) Built To Last: 100+ Year-Old Hotels West of the Mississippi (2017) Hotel Mavens Volume 2: Henry Morrison Flagler, Henry Bradley Plant, Carl Graham Fisher (2018) Great American Hotel Architects Volume I (2019) Hotel Mavens: Volume 3: Bob and Larry Tisch, Curt Strand, Ralph Hitz, Cesar Ritz, Raymond Orteig (2020) Great American Hotel Architects Volume 2 (2020) If You Need an Expert Witness : Stanley Turkel has served as an expert witness in more than 42 hotel-related cases. His extensive hotel operating experience is beneficial in cases involving: slip and fall accidents wrongful deaths fire and carbon monoxide injuries hotel security issues dram shop requirements hurricane damage and/or business interruption cases Feel free to call him at no charge on 917-628-8549 to discuss any hotel-related expert witness assignment. Stanley MHS, ISHC Turkel +1 917 628 8549 Stanley Turkel, MHS, ISHC Believe it or not, HITEC the Hospitality Industry Technology Exposition & Conference was first brought to life in 1972, and since then, hospitality technology has come a long way. In fact, for many tenured hospitality professionals like myself, the key platforms of today are a far cry from the platforms of yesterday. Over the years, our industry has had an influx of digital innovation that has transformed experiences for both guests and hoteliers. As we gear up for this years event, which represents both HITECs 50th anniversary and a celebration of our industrys post-pandemic recovery, I cant help but feel nostalgic about the legacy of memories and innovation which surrounds this highly anticipated annual event. I cant deny that one of the main factors for me to fly to Orlando this June is to connect with the many friends I have made over the years. In 1971, HITEC started with a vision and a purpose: to provide a forum for promoting and displaying the latest in hospitality technology. Today, HITEC is a well-known, global event that brings the brightest minds in hospitality together under one roof for an event of top-notch education, networking, transformative technology, and expert panels. Perhaps even more exciting is how the event seems to grow each year attracting seasoned experts and young talent from around the world. In 2017, when HITEC made its Canadian debut, HFTP noted that the 6,500+ attendees marked the largest conference attendance in its 45-year history. In 2018, when HITEC took up residence in Houston, Texas, its previous attendance record was once again broken, as over 6,650 hospitality professionals descended upon the southern state in the name of digital innovation. At the time, Frank Wolfe, CEO of HFTP, noted that HITEC Houston was the highest attended HITEC conference on record. Still, it was also the highest attended overall conference in HFTPs 65-year history. This year, HITEC will surely be a little different than years past as we come out of the COVID fog and reengage with what we have missed for a long time. HITEC also represents a mecca of opportunity for emerging entrepreneurs, thanks to the Entrepreneur 20X Innovation Competition. Each year, the E20X features several cutting-edge start-ups vying for the favor of an expert panel of judges, mentors, CIOs, and angel investors over the course of a 4-minute pitch. Those start-ups that effectively wow their audience have a chance to be recognized as the top concept for that year, a testament to the hospitality industrys ongoing commitment to recognizing and cultivating new talent and technology. Just last year, we launched HITEC TV: an online video content channel focused on the hospitality technology industry. These sessions were a carefully curated selection of cutting-edge programs and educational segments that worked to inform, inspire, and attract the attention of hospitality leaders around the world as hoteliers partook in HITEC Dallas both in-person and virtually. This years HITEC is sure to be especially memorable, following the undeniable impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on our industry at large. As hotel brands, both big and small, enter this recovery period and hotels look to rejuvenate their offering with the help of technology, there are several pertinent themes and considerations that are sure to dominate HITEC 2022. I expect digital transformation to be an important theme this year, specifically, the use of intuitive platforms that help to automate backend processes and streamline both the guest and staff experience. I expect to see an influx of flexible technology that helps alleviate hotel staff from otherwise cumbersome, manual tasks and a notable increase in self-service technology that affords guests complete autonomy over their experience. Beyond their utility as convenience-centric tools, these platforms will play a key role in hotel recovery as the industry works to address its ongoing labor shortage and hire back key talent. As this seems to be the era of personalization, I also expect to see an influx of smart-room technology and offerings which allow guests to completely customize their in-room/on-property experience and help hotels to differentiate their offering. Finally, I suspect we will witness many discussions (and innovations) relating to intelligent revenue management and budgeting to help hotels learn to protect their bottom line even in the face of the unprecedented times brought on by a pandemic or another global event. The HITEC presentation, The First-mover Advantage: Are You the Leading Edge, or the Bleeding Edge? is a strategic management session that will attract a great deal of interest as it looks at current trends and their potential competitive advantages. Moreover, this session will delve into emerging technologies' associated costs and give hoteliers a framework to make sound decisions when considering a digital overhaul of their operations. Of course, the predictions are only the tip of the iceberg. As any HITEC attendee knows, the weekend conference will leave no stone unturned when it comes to next-generation hospitality tech. I am incredibly excited to reconnect with industry peers and learn of the innovations that will move our industry forward. Not to mention, the Opening Party (presented by VENZA and CyberTek) at SeaWorld Orlando sounds like a memorable way to kick-off HITECs 50th anniversary. HITEC has been a large part of my life within the hotel and travel technology industry, and I thank Frank Wolfe and all those who work for HFTP for their commitment to the people and companies that represent the best of what we have to offer. I would also like to thank all the people who have enriched my career through the discussions we have had during HITEC. I have learned so much and for this, I am incredibly grateful. About Puzzle Partner Puzzle Partner Ltd. is a boutique marketing agency focused exclusively on complex B2B initiatives for the travel and hospitality technology industry. We are experts at combining strategy and tactical execution in a way that doesn't just maximize a company's potential; it redefines it. By delivering influential content, marketing services, and public relations rooted in the skills of our team and tested through real-world experience, we help our clients gain visibility, raise their profile and ultimately increase their sales revenues. We incorporate a holistic blend of paid, earned and owned media, along with creative services, into an integrated communications strategy to drive brand awareness ahead of competitors and deliver impactful business results. To learn more visit puzzlepartner.co. Lauren Ramesbottom Head of Content, Puzzle Partner Puzzle Partner Ltd. The explosive news about the arrests of Young Thug, Gunna, and 26 of their alleged associates has shocked Hip Hop. It wasn't the way that anyone believed this week would begin, but according to reports, Thugger and Gunna have been named in a 56-count indictment that alleges the two chart-topping rappers were involved in gang activity. The reported racketeering case seems to have been developing for some time as outlets have mentioned that the authorities have accused Thug, real name Jeffrey Williams, rented a vehicle that was later used in a murder of an alleged rival gang member. The alleged crimes reportedly occurred between 2013 to 2022. Gunna's involvement is reportedly less serious, although authorities have noted that the rapper has worn pendants, chains, and rapped lyrics about his affiliation with YSLYoung Stoner Life or Young Slime Life. According to prosecutors, YSL is a gang and in a RICO case, if it can be proven that someone is a part of the said gang, they, too, can rack up charges that their associates are responsible for. Theo Wargo / Staff / Getty Images We previously reported on the allegations as soon they were made public, but news reporters have since caught up with Young Thug's lawyer. When asked for a statement, attorney Brian Steel kept things brief. Ill tell you the response to any allegation; Mr. Williams committed no crime whatsoever and we will fight to my last drop of blood to clear him," said Steel. As far as Gunna is concerned, his lawyer has yet to come forward. However, there have been professionals dissecting the case online. A major mention is the allegations that two YSL associates went to Thug to gain permission for a second murder attempt on YFN Lucci, someone Thugger had beef with in the past. We'll continue to keep you updated. Thug is reportedly scheduled to make his first court appearance tomorrow morning at 11:30 a.m. Read through more updates below. Twitter Twitter SEATTLE (AP) A federal judge in Seattle has declined to order Sen. Elizabeth Warren to retract statements she made criticizing a book that promotes misinformation about COVID-19 and suggesting that companies that sold it might face liability. U.S. District Judge Barbara Rothstein on Monday issued an order rejecting the request by the publisher and authors of the book The Truth About COVID-19, which accuses the global elite of using the pandemic to grab unprecedented power. The publishing company, Chelsea Green of White River Junction, Vermont, and the authors, including prominent anti-vaccine propagandist Robert F. Kennedy Jr., sued the Massachusetts Democrat last fall. Kennedy is a nephew of President John F. Kennedy and the son of his slain brother, former U.S. attorney general, civil rights activist and Democratic presidential contender Robert F. Kennedy. The lawsuit said a letter Warren sent to Amazon complaining about the company's sale of the book amounted to censorship. The plaintiffs sought a preliminary court order requiring Warren to publicly retract her letter and banning her from issuing further such letters. The book is by Dr. Joseph Mercola, a Florida osteopath who has a long history of selling unapproved health products, and Ronnie Cummins, an activist against genetically modified food. It features a foreword by Kennedy. It promotes unproven and possibly dangerous treatments for the coronavirus, Warren said, while falsely suggesting COVID-19 vaccines approved by the government have not been properly tested. The Food and Drug Administration has warned Mercola to stop offering vitamin D and other products as safe and/or effective for the treatment or prevention of COVID-19. In a letter last September, Warren accused Seattle-based Amazon of peddling misinformation, saying the company's search algorithms promoted the book. Warren suggested Amazon's actions were unethical, unacceptable, and potentially unlawful, and she asked the company to review its algorithms. Two days later, another bookseller, Barnes & Noble, stopped sales of the work. Chelsea Green, along with the books authors, sued, saying the book contains factual information and reasonable opinions protected by the First Amendment. Warrens veiled threats that Amazon or other booksellers could face legal repercussions for selling the book amounted to unlawful government censorship, the lawsuit said. But in her order denying the request for a preliminary injunction, Rothstein noted that Warren is just one senator, far removed from the power to legally punish booksellers for continuing to sell the book. The threat of legal sanctions can act as an unlawful restriction on speech, but a threat will only be perceived as such if there is a realistic chance the threatened action can be carried out, Rothstein wrote. Defendant Warren does not have any unilateral investigative authority, and there is no immediate statutory basis for her statement that Amazons practices are potentially unlawful. The lawsuit continues but the judge wrote that the plaintiffs were unlikely to succeed on the merits of their claim that Defendant Warrens letter constitutes a prior restraint on speech. The book continued to be offered for sale on Amazon's website. WASHINGTON - Energy companies are pouring tens of billions of dollars into rapidly developing offshore wind farms up and down U.S. coastlines, as they seek to get in on what is shaping up to be Americas next big energy boom. Long viewed as too expensive on a U.S. power grid that has some of the cheapest electricity costs in the world, offshore wind developers are now jumping over each other to claim increasingly lucrative state and federal subsidies for the technology. A federal auction in February for the rights to develop wind farms on an almost half million-acre swath of ocean 20 miles from New York City generated a record $4.4 billion 10 times what previous highest wind auction had raised and more than 20 times what an oil and gas lease sale in the Gulf of Mexico drew last year. And with six remaining auctions scheduled by the Biden administration through the end of next year, the fierce competition for offshore wind leases is only expected to continue. Ultimately it comes down to the money, said Samantha Bobo, an analyst with the research firm S&P Global. There seems to be industry sentiment they have federal backing they havent had before. State targets are constantly being increased. If there continues to be demand, this could perpetuate. President Joe Biden has laid out the goal of having 30 gigawatts worth of offshore wind in operation by 2030, which would mean building somewhere between 2,000 and 4,000 offshore wind turbines over the next eight years. Fewer than 10 turbines are in operation now. At the same time, states along the Atlantic and Pacific coastlines have established lucrative incentives for developers, with electric customers typically picking up the difference between the prices for which wind farms can sell electricity and the high costs of developing a wind farm many miles out to sea. In Virginia, for instance, Dominion Energy is expected to spend more than $125 per megawatt hour to build a 2,600 megawatt wind farm off the coastline there more than double what it costs to build a natural gas-fired plant. On HoustonChronicle.com: The energy industry is undergoing a transformation. To see it, look toward the Gulf of Mexico. The allure for states such as New York and Rhode Island, which has the nations only operating commercial-scale offshore wind farm, isnt just clean energy. With offshore wind comes the promise of a new industry to build and service turbines many miles out to sea, meaning jobs and port redevelopment projects in regions that have struggled to maintain good-paying blue-collar jobs. The basic economics of offshore wind is in demand right now, said Sam Salustro, a director at the trade group Business Network for Offshore Wind.. Theres state buy-in to tackle transmission, and theyre expanding ports right before our eyes. Its going to create tens of thousands of jobs. An offshore wind auction for the Gulf of Mexico is scheduled for later this year. While its unclear how much interest there is in the Gulfs relatively light winds compared to the Atlantic or Pacific Oceans developers are already tapping the expertise of the regions offshore sector, developed over decades of oil and gas drilling, Salustro added. How high? Advances in offshore wind turbines that allow developers to get far more power out of an acre than previously understood is contributing to the land, or rather, ocean rush, Salustro said. With only so much offshore acreage getting parceled out, developers are willing to pay a premium to get in on what they believe could be the ground floor for the energy industry of the future. This week the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management is scheduled to auction off more than 100,000 acres off the North Carolina coast. The question hanging over the bidding will be how high developers are willing to go. Not everyone is convinced the high lease prices leases are worth it. Orsted, the Danish offshore wind giant, dropped out of the New York lease sale saying prices were too high to generate necessary returns. BP CEO Bernard Looney, whose company is already developing two offshore wind projects in the Northeast, told analysts earlier this month that the decision to drop out of the bidding in the New York lease sale should be taken as, a sign of discipline. We obviously want to grow (our offshore wind portfolio), but we do not want to grow it at any cost or at all costs, he said. The risk facing energy developers is state energy regulators wont agree to as high a rate as hoped when it comes to time to negotiate power contracts. In Virginia, Dominion is now in a battle with the states utility commission about the escalating costs on its offshore wind project. State officials are picking apart the companys budget after the company announced in November the projects cost would increase $2 billion to almost $10 billion, raising rates even further on Dominions 2.6 million customers in Virginia. In deregulated states like New York, offshore wind projects will be bidding against each other for power contracts, raising the possibility that their agreement with the state would fail to provide their expected rate of return - BP, for instance, says it will only do projects that generate at least an 8 percent return. The states will only cover the project to a point. You still have to justify what youre spending, Bobo said. There is some back-end risk, so you need to figure out whats reasonable to pass on to the customer. For many companies, the risk is worth getting in early on an industry only expected to grow as the world shifts from fossil fuels. On HoustonChronicle.com: The Biden Administration wants to open the Gulf for offshore wind power. Is Texas ready? Among those paying the sky-high lease prices in Februarys offshore auction were the European oil giants Royal Dutch Shell and Total, both of which have pledged to get to net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. Looking further out For those trying to build up renewables, they want to secure acreage, so they have the energy there in the long term, said Erik Milito, president of National Offshore Industries Association, a trade group representing offshore energy companies. They might be willing to pay more of a premium. Even with the United States just beginning to lease its waters, developers are looking further out to sea at depths beyond where turbines could be constructed on the ocean floor. Salustro, of the Business Network for Offshore Wind, said he recently organized a trip to Spain for parts manufacturers to see the latest technology, floating turbines. You look at some of the power potential further out, its incredible, said Salustro. The wind resource is much stronger the further you go out. james.osborne@chron.com This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate VATICAN CITY (AP) Retired Associated Press photographer Nick Ut met Wednesday with Pope Francis and gave him a copy of his Pulitzer Prize-winning photograph of a young Vietnamese girl running naked down the road after a napalm attack. Ut and Kim Phuc Phan Thi, whose terror the AP photographer captured on June 8, 1972 during the Vietnam War, greeted Francis at the end of his general audience Wednesday in St. Peters Square, ahead of the 50th anniversary of the iconic image. Kim Phuc, who later resettled in Canada and raised a family there, had met the former Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio several years ago in his native Buenos Aires, Argentina, where she had travelled as part of her work as a goodwill ambassador for the U.N. culture agency. He looked at the picture and remembered her right away, Ut told AP in the piazza moments after the encounter. Kim Phuc said she wasnt sure Francis would remember her, given the hundreds of people he meets every day. But he remembered very well. He said I remember you, I know you. Do you remember we met each other in Buenos Aires? and I said Yes I do. I said God bless you with good health and for all you have done for peace. Ut and Kim Phuc were in Italy to open an exhibit of his photographs in Milan ahead of the anniversary of his Napalm Girl photograph. Such images have a potent effect on Francis: He has previously handed out pocket-sized copies of another wartime photograph of a young Nagasaki boy carrying his dead brother on his back that was taken by an American military photographer during World War II. Francis, who named himself after the peace-loving St. Francis of Assisi, had printed on the photo The fruit of war. Ut was only 21 when he took the Vietnam photo, then set his camera aside to rush the 9-year-old Kim Phuc to a hospital, where doctors saved her life. It was only me with my driver there, then I said I dont want to leave because I know she will die, Ut recalled. Then I picked her up, put her in the van and I brought her to the hospital. Ut later became a AP photographer based in Los Angeles, photographing A-list celebrities until he retired from the news agency in 2017. Recalling the horror of that day, Kim Phuc said that 50 years ago she was known to the world only as a victim of war. But right now, 50 years later, I am no longer a victim of war. I am a mother, a grandmother and a survivor calling out for peace, she said. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Christine Ha is a storyteller with two different outlets for expression. On one hand, she is a writer who received her masters in creative writing from the University of Houston, serving as editor for the Gulf Coast literary magazine. And on the other hand, she is a chef with two restaurants in Houston, Xin Chao on Decatur and the Blind Goat in downtowns Bravery Chef Hall. Has cooking tells its own narrative. The recipes are reminders of her late parents, mother Hanh Le and father Trien Ha, who immigrated from Vietnam the flavors inspired by the dishes prepared by her mother, grandmother and aunts. Ha taught herself to cook, trying to capture those memories of home. As a home cook, she won Season 3 of Gordon Ramseys culinary reality show, MasterChef. Along the way, she found a new career path in the restaurant industry. Ha has accomplished all this despite being blind. She has neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder, which affects the central nervous system. Now, she is lending her voice to a new project, one that aims to unite others with the rare disorder. The biotech company Horizon Therapeutics focuses on creating medications for rare, autoimmune and severe inflammatory diseases, said Matt Flesch, vice president of communications and patient advocacy. Were very focused on understanding what the journey is like for people with rare diseases, he said. Listening to patients is key for developing the best treatments options, Flesch said. Horizon Therapeutics has created the campaign NMOSD Wont Stop Me alongside advocacy groups, Guthy-Jackson Charitable Foundation, Siegel Rare Neuroimmune Association and The Sumaira Foundation. NEWSLETTERS Join the conversation with HouWeAre We want to foster conversation and highlight the intersection of race, identity and culture in one of America's most diverse cities. Sign up for the HouWeAre newsletter here. The idea was to offer resources and provide a platform for patients to share their NMOSD stories and connect with each other. After hearing Has story, Horizon asked her to take center stage in the campaign. Her story is so inspiring, Flesch said. What a perfect person to help with education and empowerment. She really is an embodiment of what it means to not let NMOSD stop me. Im basically a living example, Ha said. The collection of stories from others with the diagnosis wrapped up at the end of March. Participants received a copy of Has cookbook, Recipes From My Home Kitchen. The campaigns website includes a downloadable tip sheet from Ha. Ha will teach an online cooking class on May 18. A living example Dr. Mitzi Joi Williams, neurologist and founder and CEO of Joi Life Wellness Group Multiple Sclerosis Center in Atlanta, also partnered in the campaign. NMOSD is an autoimmune disorder, she said The immune system, the part of the body that attacks viruses and bacteria, gets confused and attacks the body, she said. The result is inflammation of the optic nerve and the spinal cord, or myelitis. Patients with NMOSD experience attacks, separated by periods of remission, that cause a worsening of symptoms. Those symptoms can include loss of vision or can affect mobility. According to the National Organization for Rare Disorders, the prevalence of NMOSD is somewhere between 1 to 10 per 100,000 individuals. In the past, Williams said, NMOSD was often confused with multiple sclerosis. Diagnostics have improved over the years. A blood test is now available for aquaporin-4 autoantibodies. And lesions in the brain are unique, helping identify NMOSD as a separate disorder, Williams said. And thats important because it allows for better treatment, the neurologist said. Marie D. De Jesus, Houston Chronicle / Staff photographer Some of the treatments for MS can actually make NMOSD worse, Williams said. Distinguishing the two is critical for keeping relapses at bay. Still, each patient has different symptoms and requires individualized treatment, the neurologist said. Its important for people to catch this early, Williams said. And its important for every patient to have a discussion with their provider about the best treatment plans. A number of pharmaceuticals are now available to treat NMOSD, when in the past, there were none, she said. Im really encouraged that we will continue to make progress, Williams said. Our ultimate goal is to have a cure, but until we get there, the key is that patients advocate for themselves, that theyre aware of options, that they know whats out there and get the best care possible. Ha knows firsthand what it is like to be misdiagnosed with MS. I was on the wrong treatment plan, she said. And I was getting worse and worse. Ha joined the Horizon campaign to help others going through diagnosis, who want to better understand NMOSD and find others in the same boat. It was a scary and lonely process, Ha said. I didnt have a community back then. This whole campaign is about connecting with people who have NMOSD and still accomplishing their goals in life. Im here to tell my story. Sharing that story Vision loss is a common first symptom of NMOSD. Thats what happened with Ha in 1999. Her sight became blurry. I thought it was my contact lens, she recalled. An optometrist recommended a visit to a neuro-ophthalmologist, who thought it was MS, although tests never confirmed that diagnosis. Subsequently, doctors ruled out other possibilities, like lupus and rheumatoid arthritis. Nothing came back affirmative, Ha said. At the time, Ha was 20 and in her third year in college at the University of Texas at Austin. It was the beginning of a tailspin, she said. After a few years, her vision was impacted in the other eye as well. She lost sight in both eyes while still in her 20s. Still undiagnosed, NMOSD began affecting her mobility as well. In 2001, Ha noticed a tingling sensation in her feet. It was like my foot was asleep, she said. Marie D. De Jesus, Houston Chronicle / Staff photographer No matter how much she jiggled it, no matter how much she stomped around, it never went away. Again, doctors thought MS was to blame. I was put into MS therapy, Ha said. And my health kept getting worse. Meanwhile, the NMOSD attacks continued. Finally, around 2003, she finally went to another neurologist in Houston who performed NMOSD testing. I sent off blood work, and it came back positive, Ha said. When I got diagnosed, the biggest part of me felt relief. Finally, it made sense why all the treatments werent working. And that had been very frustrating. I was like, Good, now I know what I have. Her next task was learning how to live with NMOSD. Shifting careers After graduating from UT with a business degree, Ha took a job in the corporate world. But NMOSD attacks forced her to go on a leave of absence. The worst time, she said, was when she became paralyzed from the neck down and had to be hospitalized for weeks. After that, she underwent several months of physical and occupational therapy just to sit up again, use my hands or walk again. After her diagnosis with NMOSD, Ha felt like she had a whole new job. She had to develop a treatment plan but could not find anyone who had paved the way. She eventually found a specialist at the Mayo Clinic in Scottsdale, Ariz. Currently, her neurology team is based in Dallas at UT Southwest Medical Center. Her health care team helped her piece her physical health back together and she now undergoes immunotherapy treatments regularly. She also spends time improving her well-being exercising, focusing on mental health and minimizing stress. Ha said that she has not had an NMOSD attack in nearly a decade. She decided to make a career change and enrolled in the UH creative writing program in 2008 and graduated in 2013. While still in graduate school, Has friends challenged her to audition for MasterChef. She had learned to cook as an undergraduate, thanks to an armload of cookbooks, lots of trial and error and friends who were eager to taste-test. It coincided with losing my vision, Ha recalled. As I lost more, I had to teach myself again how to cook with less and less sight. Each day was a new day, Ha said. I would learn again. I kept at it. I got better at it. When MasterChef auditions began in Austin, her friends told her, I think America needs to see how someone with vision impairment can cook, she recalls. She took them up on the dare, deciding that at least she would come home with an interesting story to write about back in school. After losing my vision, I started living with less fear, Ha said. A lesson accompanied her loss, she said, that life is not fair, and you need to figure out what youre going to do when life turns on you. Her mantra became Im going to try more things and not be afraid. She even learned to snowboard with vision impairment. If you cant see how steep the mountain is, youre not afraid, she said with a laugh. Going on MasterChef would become another way to face her fears. A master chef in Houston Ha had zero expectations when she arrived to audition. At the beginning, I thought, Im just here along for the ride, she said. But things changed as she progressed through the series. Other contestants were sent home while she remained. Im very competitive by nature, she said. I wanted to win more and more. Still, she told herself, no matter what happened, at least she would be shining a light on NMOSD. If I get sent home, at least I did my best, she told herself. The show was a learning experience, as each day, she discovered more about cooking. Then, on the final show, Ha was announced the winner. I was in shock for 48 hours, she said. It didnt really sink in. Her friends again foretold the future, This is going to be bigger than MasterChef. But I didnt think Im anything that special, Ha said. The more she did interviews following the show, however, the more she saw that she could have a positive impact on others with vision loss and autoimmune disorder. People began asking her, When are you opening a restaurant? Im a home cook, she would reply. Ha would explain that just because she won a show does not mean she knows how to run a restaurant. Besides, she would add, Im visually impaired. Ha focused on public speaking, cooking demonstrations and writing a cookbook. Then, in 2019, she said, the timing felt right to open her first place, the Blind Goat. The following year, she launched her second venture, Xin Chao. Both restaurants struggled through COVID but are now bouncing back, she said. These days, Ha is working on a second cookbook and writing her memoir. She is also working on a documentary film project. She is planning to open a location for Blind Goat in the fall in Spring Branch, where she recently moved with her husband, John Suh. She and her business partner, Tony Nguyen, were recently nominated for the prestigious James Beard Foundation award. Its a huge honor, Ha said. Im very humbled by the nomination. Ha remains driven by the same motto that brought her through MasterChef to improve a little each day and to continue pursuing her dreams. The answer will always be no if you dont go for it, she said. Lindsay Peyton is a Houston-based writer. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Meow Wolf will bring its immersive art experience to Houston in 2024, but first, Grapevine will get one in 2023. These will be the fourth and fifth portals in the Meow Wolf empire. The trippy mazelike, interactive adventure began in Santa Fe, N.M. created by a collective of 100 visual and performing artists and funded by Santa Fe resident and Game of Thrones creator George R.R. Martin in an old bowling alley. In Houston, the venue will be located in Fifth Ward, which has been recently designated as a cultural district by the state. In its inclusivity efforts, Meow Wolf has picked the area for its long history of diverse communities dating back to the late 1800s, according to a release. The organizers are not yet releasing the site of the exhibition. Meow Wolf Meow Wolfs team is dedicated to social impact and building a more inclusive and sustainable economy and is partnering with the developer, The Deal Co., in Houston. The Dallas-area exhibition will be a mall experience in Grapevine Mills. The Meow Wolf story universe is expanding, and Texas holds the keys to our next chapters, Jose Tolosa, CEO of Meow Wolf, said in a release. Opening a permanent exhibition in the largest and one of the most diverse states in the country has been on Meow Wolfs radar for years. The opportunities this state has presented have already become the touchstones of a vibrant, arts-centric portal of imaginative creativity. Melissa Ward Aguilar / Melissa Ward Aguilar The Santa Fe exhibition opened its surreal House of Eternal Return with secret passages, tree houses and a mystery narrative in 2016. It has had 2 million visitors. Two more portals have been added: Omega Mart is located at AREA15 in Las Vegas, and Denvers Convergence Station is the latest chapter in the Meow Wolf story. The company will work with local emerging artists and plans to recruit staff this summer. Those interested are asked to follow Meow Wolf channels: @meow__wolf on Instagram, @MeowWolf on Twitter and visit meowwolf.com/careers and texasportals.com. U.S. daily COVID-19 cases hit highest level in two months: Daily Mail Xinhua) 09:50, May 11, 2022 LONDON, May 10 (Xinhua) -- America's daily COVID-19 cases have now hit their highest level in two months with the even more transmissible sub-variant of Omicron now responsible for two in five cases, the Daily Mail said in a recent report. Figures from states, counties and local health officials showed a total of 95,854 new infections were recorded in one day, the British paper reported on May 3. This was the biggest daily count since late February at the tail-end of the Omicron wave, and marked a 60 percent uptick from two weeks ago. According to surveillance by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) revealed on May 3, the new Omicron subvariant -- scientifically named BA.2.12.1 -- is now behind up to 44 percent of new infections. Two weeks ago it was only behind about 22 percent, the newspaper said. Dr. Deborah Birx, who headed up the country's COVID-19 response under then-President Donald Trump, has warned southern states should prepare for an uptick in COVID-19 infections in the next few months because of "waning immunity," while the north should also expect a surge this winter. She pointed to South Africa, where Omicron first emerged, which is again recording a major surge in COVID-19 cases just four to six months after the last wave amid falling antibody levels. (Web editor: Peng Yukai, Liang Jun) As a bike shop owner who specializes in e-bikes, Jorge Molina Carranza says he knows lithium-ion batteries can be dangerous, so he usually takes precautions, making sure he never charges them overnight. Still, those safety measures didnt spare him from a raging fire that gutted his Queens store. He and one of his employees plugged in one of the fire-prone batteries on Monday afternoon and battery exploded, turning his story into a two-alarm fireball. Advertisement It was very sudden like firecrackers, Molina Carranza said of the blaze that destroyed his shop, 5 Hermanos, in Astoria. When that battery exploded, all the other batteries started to explode as well. Advertisement The fire was reported just after 1:50 p.m. at the shop, on 41st. St at 30th Ave. and spread to the second-floor apartments above, the FDNY said. Fire damage at the 5 Hermanos Bike Shop on 41st St. in Astoria, Queens on Monday, May 9, 2022. (Kerry Burke ) We couldnt control it. I saw smoke and then and an explosion, the owner said. It was only me and another worker. I reached for an extinguisher but it was too late. It exploded so fast. Everything started smoking and catching fire. It was impossible to stay inside. About 40 e-bikes, scooters, and regular bicycles burned up with the store, amounting to what the owner believes is about $120,000 in business. The Daily News Flash Weekdays Catch up on the days top five stories every weekday afternoon. > I lost everything, he said. It took nearly an hour-and-a-half to get the fire under control, an FDNY spokesman said. Per FDNY Fire Marshals the cause of todays 2-alarm fire at 30-05 41 Street In Queens was accidental. Caused by a lithium-ion battery from an e-bike/e-scooter that was charging in a bike store, the FDNY confirmed. If using a lithium battery, follow the manufacturers instructions for charging and storage. Always use the manufacturers cord and power adapter made specifically for the device. If a battery overheats, discontinue use immediately. Landlord George Ahimastos, 67, said he didnt know the store was charging e-bikes. Advertisement They never told me. If they had told me about the batteries I would have never rented it to a bike store, he said. How does the government allow a product that is defective and endangers peoples lives be out there? E-bike battery fires caused 79 injuries and four deaths four deaths last year, according to FDNY statistics. Twelve people were injured in four e-bike battery fires on a single day April 21, and on March 13, a battery blaze gutted an apartment in Queens in March, killing a 43-year-old man. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate The daughter of an oilman, Margaret Alkek Williams love for the performing arts began early, with piano lessons at age 4 and her first theatrical role, as Snow White, at age 5. She sang in the chorus for several Houston Grand Opera productions, and like many young women, she donned pink slippers to practice her plies at the ballet barre. Ballet, Williams says, is the most beautiful art form. On Monday, Houston Ballet announced Williams $10 million gift to the professional dance companys endowment fund. The Center for Dance building will be renamed in her honor. Its our largest gift from an individual the largest weve ever received, chief development officer Angela Lane said. A gift of $10 million is substantial. It increases the value of our endowment, maintains our building and helps fulfill our mission to inspire a lifelong love of dance. Elizabeth Conley, Houston Chronicle / Staff photographer Williams, 87, previously had made sizable contributions to Houston Ballet. During the companys $50 million Dance with Us! campaign in 2008, her $5 million lead gift helped establish the Center for Dance. Today, the building houses administrative offices and rehearsal studios and is the primary home of Houston Ballet Academy. Executive director Jim Nelson announced Williams latest gift to the Houston Ballet board on Monday evening in the Margaret Alkek Williams Dance Lab, a black box theater that hosts special events and public rehearsals; the building its housed in will now be known as the Margaret Alkek Williams Center for Dance. At 115,000-square-feet, the six-story structure designed by architecture firm Gensler is the largest dance facility of its kind in the U.S. Not only is it the largest in North America, its also the finest, Lane said. The facilities are second to none. Mrs. Williams astounding generosity enables Houston Ballet to flourish for generations to come and ensure students will be able to pursue dance education. Houston Ballets Education and Community Engagement Program reaches more than 60,000 residents annually, many of whom are children. The Margaret Alkek Williams Dance Lab provides a venue for students to have free educational experiences. Its a special space because of its flexibility, Lane said. The room features the proper flooring for dancers to wow a small crowd, typically schools, with 45-minute performances and interact with the community. Many times it is that childs first introduction to ballet, Williams said of the free or low-cost classes offered. Im proud and excited that my name will be forever associated with such an important building. Karen Warren, Houston Chronicle / Staff photographer She credits her parents, Margaret and Albert Alkek, the son of Lebanese immigrants who moved to Houston in 1909, with instilling in her the power of giving. In 1948, Alkek joined Harry Sinclair in the Sinclair-Alkek Oil Co., which built and operated the first petroleum products pipeline in Texas. Alkek bought out his partner and continued the venture as Alkek Oil Co., which at one time was the largest independent gasoline supplier in Texas. The Alkeks gave $25 million to Baylor College of Medicine in 1988, the largest single-donor contribution ever made to a Texas Medical Center institution at the time. Five years later the couple set another record by committing $30 million to M.D. Anderson Cancer Center. Williams has kept the family tradition going with milestone gifts of her own most with a performing arts spin. Her $4 million donation to HGO in 2011 from the Alkek and Williams Foundation created the Margaret Alkek Williams General Director Chair Fund, a position currently held by Khori Dastoor. A $5 million gift committed to Houston Symphony in 2015 created the Margaret Alkek Williams executive director/CEO chair; John Mangum currently fills that role. The following year she established the Margaret Alkek Williams Center for Performing Arts Medicine, which enables more than 100 live performances for Houston Methodist hospital patients each year. Elizabeth Conley/Staff photographer At Houston Ballet, artistic director Stanton Welch calls Williams a prima philanthropist. The pair have stepped in sync for nearly a decade. When he joined the company in 2003, she joined the board of trustees executive committee; her first act of business was underwriting his inaugural full-length, classical ballet and introduction to Houston audiences, Swan Lake. Welch honored Williams in 2016 during the first-ever Jubilee of Dance, a gala dinner he created to showcase upcoming work, world premieres and the full breadth of company talent. The following year she endowed the performance in perpetuity, and it was renamed the Margaret Alkek Williams Jubilee of Dance. Through the decades shes brought important relationships to the ballet, Nelson said. Shes one of our strongest advocates. Elizabeth Conley, Houston Chronicle / Staff photographer Williams often hosts small groups of philanthropic women for intimate dinners before Houston Ballet performances. They are treated to three-course meals and champagne in the Green Room at Wortham Center ahead of opening nights or world premieres. Sharing with my friends, thats important to me, she said of those coveted invitations. On Monday night, inside the Houston Ballet Center for Dance and Dance Lab that both now bear her name, those friends raised a glass in Williams honor. amber.elliott@chron.com (The Conversation is an independent and nonprofit source of news, analysis and commentary from academic experts.) Kevin J. McMahon, Trinity College (THE CONVERSATION) If the leaked Supreme Court decision on abortion is to be believed, five justices have voted during private deliberations to overturn Roe v. Wade. Notably, those five are what I refer to as numerical minority justices. They are the only five in American history to qualify for that designation. And three of them were appointed by a minority president. Since Donald Trump lost the popular vote in the 2016 election, he was, by definition, a minority president, elected by a minority of the voters. Similarly, I define a numerical minority justice as a nominee who won confirmation with the support of a majority of senators, but senators who did not represent a majority of voters. That raises a question that goes to the heart of the Supreme Courts legitimacy in our democracy: Will this be a court out of line with America? If so, what might that mean for the countrys politics and law? Indeed, for the nation itself? Court out of step with America? Consider Justice Brett Kavanaugh, one of the five justices whose name is on the leaked draft opinion overturning Roe. During his confirmation, Kavanaugh was supported by a majority of the 98 senators voting on the nomination 49 Republicans and one Democrat. But the votes earned by those 50 senators in their most recent elections added up to a total of only 54,102,052. The 48 senators who opposed Kavanaughs confirmation, all Democrats, garnered 78,623,957 total votes in their most recent elections 24.5 million more votes from people supporting those senators. Compare those figures with the support for one justice who has apparently not joined with those planning to overturn Roe, Elena Kagan. The Senate confirmed Kagan to a seat on the court by a vote of 63-37. The 63 senators supporting her nomination had collected nearly twice as many votes in their most recent elections as the 37 senators in opposition. Seldom far from the mainstream To be sure, the framers of the Constitution purposely decided to provide each state with two senators, knowing that those senators from states with smaller populations would represent fewer at times far fewer citizens than those with larger ones. Today, for example, Californias population is close to 40 million while Wyomings is less than 600,000. Yet both states have two senators. This arrangement was a central aspect of the Great Compromise, which helped convince representatives from sparsely populated states fearful of being ignored by an alliance of the heavily populated states to back the new Constitution. Nevertheless, since the popular vote began to matter in the election of 1824, a minority president had never succeeded in appointing a minority justice. Indeed, until this century, even for presidents who won the popular vote by a large margin, significant Senate resistance more often than not doomed a nominee to the court. This might help to explain why political scientist Robert McCloskey concluded in 1960 that the court had rarely lagged far behind nor forged far ahead of America and that the justices had seldom strayed very far from the mainstreams of American life. Might politics and the courts collide? Things are different today. We live in a period of deep political polarization. This shift in American politics raises some important questions about the Supreme Courts legitimacy in our democracy. In the past, political majorities at the polls have supported significant doctrinal shifts by the court, even if the specific rulings have been controversial. In other words, as McCloskey and fellow political scientist Robert Dahl observed, since one party typically dominated during an extended period of time, the justices because they were products of that enduring regime generally advanced the regimes interests in the long term. To put it simply, for much of American history, the court followed the election returns. For example, the 1905 decision of Lochner v. New York, which struck down state legislation designed to protect workers via the courts freedom of contract doctrine, was a product of the Republican regime that dominated American politics at the time. Similarly, the New Deal Democratic regime ushered in by the landslide election of Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1932 ultimately provided the political basis for another divisive decision, Brown v. Board of Education, which found that supposedly separate-but-equal segregated schools were unconstitutional. Today, no such majority exists. The popular vote for president and the Electoral College results have twice in the last six presidential elections been out of alignment. And the Democratic presidential nominee has won the popular vote in seven of the last eight presidential elections, from 1992 to 2020, yet Republican presidents have appointed six of the nine sitting justices. Given this recent divide between the popular vote and the electoral vote, it seems reasonable to consider the possibility of the alternative to McCloskeys conclusions of a court that consistently diverges from American majorities on the most pressing issues of the day. After all, Supreme Court justices have lifetime appointments and typically stay on the bench for many years, even decades. Their imprint on the law can be enduring and their legitimacy, conferred in part by the confirmation process, helps ensure their place in our democracy. Roes pending end With the addition of the Trump justices, many court observers suspected the 1973 Roe ruling, which affirmed a womans right to terminate an unwanted pregnancy, would become a prime target of the newly-established conservative majority. While Roe has been a deeply divisive decision since the day it was announced, the Republican in the White House at the time Richard Nixon neither publicly denounced it nor sought to overturn it. And three of his four appointees to the court joined the 7-2 majority, including the opinions author Justice Harry Blackmun. Of course, Nixons Republican successor, Ronald Reagan, oversaw a Justice Department that repeatedly asked the court to reverse itself on Roe. But ultimately a majority of the justices refused to go along, including two of Reagans three additions to the court, Sandra Day O'Connor and Anthony Kennedy. Today, polls show significant opposition to overturning the decision. For example, according to a post-leak CBS News poll, 64% of Americans want the court to keep Roe as is. A Washington Post-ABC News poll supports this conclusion, finding 54% of respondents did not think the court should overturn Roe, while 28% thought it should. It would be best if a court making a determination on the future of Roe could do so with the utmost democratic legitimacy. But given the state of U.S. politics today, that is a near impossibility. In September 2021, Gallup reported that the courts approval rating had fallen from 58% support a little more than a year earlier to a new low of 40%. Perhaps more strikingly, another poll showed an increasing partisan divide in views of the court, with 65% of Republicans approving of its work and just 46% of Democrats doing so. A five-justice conservative majority that discards Roe after nearly 50 years on the books will likely further the belief that the court reaches its rulings based mainly on politics rather than law, especially given the central role opponents of the decision have played in mobilizing voters to support Republican candidates like Donald Trump. As a political scientist who has studied and written about the Supreme Court for more than 25 years, I believe this result will likely further erode of the courts legitimacy, and deepen the partisan divide in America. This is an updated version of an article originally published on July 7, 2018. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article here: https://theconversation.com/5-justices-all-confirmed-by-senators-representing-a-minority-of-voters-appear-willing-to-overturn-roe-v-wade-182582. HAYSVILLE, Kan. (AP) A southern Kansas man has been found guilty of second-degree murder in the 2018 death of his 4-month-old daughter. Andrew Franklin, 36, of Haysville, pleaded no contest last month to the reduced charge and a single count of child abuse in the death of Brexley Grace Franklin, television station KAKE reported. He faces years in prison when hes sentenced June 6. WASHINGTON (AP) Final congressional approval of a $40 billion Ukraine aid bill seems certain within days as top Senate Republicans said Wednesday they expect strong GOP backing for the House-passed measure, signaling a bipartisan, heightened U.S. commitment to helping thwart the bloody Russian invasion. I think there'll be substantial support, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., told The Associated Press about the legislation, which cleared the House late Tuesday by an emphatic 368-57 margin. We're going to try to process it as soon as possible. No. 2 Senate GOP leader John Thune of South Dakota predicted a big vote over here for the bill, which he and others suggested might come Thursday but could spill into next week. Thune said some Republicans would vote against it and procedural tactics by opponents to slow it were possible, but added, I think because theres so much forward momentum behind doing this and doing it in a timely way that it I dont think well have anybody who will hold it up. It's taken just two weeks for lawmakers to receive President Joe Biden's smaller, $33 billion package, enlarge it and move it to the brink of passage lightning speed for Congress. That reflects a bipartisan consensus that Ukraine's outnumbered forces need additional Western help as soon as possible, with added political pressure fueled by near-daily tales of atrocities against civilians inflicted by Russian President Vladimir Putin's armies. Act quickly we must, said Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y. I will make sure this is a priority for the Senate. We have a moral obligation to stand with our friends in Ukraine. The new legislation would bring American support for the effort to nearly $54 billion, including the $13.6 billion Congress enacted in March. Thats about $6 billion more than the U.S. spent on all its foreign and military aid in 2019, according to a January report by the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service, which studies issues for lawmakers. Washington has become increasingly assertive about its goals and its willingness to help Ukraine with more sophisticated weapons. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said recently the U.S. wants a weakened Russia that cant quickly restore its capability to attack other countries, and reports have emerged about U.S. intelligence helping Ukrainians kill Russian generals and sink the Russian missile cruiser Moskva. A senior Russian official said in Moscow Wednesday that the assistance package was part of Washingtons proxy war against Russia. Dmitry Medvedev, deputy head of Russias Security Council and former president, said on a messaging app that the aid was driven by a desire to inflict a heavy defeat on our country, restrict its economic development and political influence in the world. The measure sailed to House passage backed by every voting Democrat, while around 1-in-4 Republicans opposed it. It would provide $7 billion more than Biden's request from April, dividing the increase evenly between defense and humanitarian programs. The bill would give Ukraine military and economic assistance, help regional allies, replenish weapons the Pentagon has shipped overseas and provide $5 billion to address global food shortages caused by the war's crippling of Ukraine's normally robust production of many crops. Oksana Markarova, Ukraine's ambassador to the U.S., attended Tuesday's separate Democratic and Republican Senate lunches and expressed gratitude for the support they've received. Sen. Chris Coons, D-Del., said Markarova told them her country has depleted its stockpiles of Soviet-era weapons and said continued NATO support is vital. Coons said the Ukrainian's message was: Thank you, do more. We have a hard fight ahead. With your support, we can win. The new measure includes $6 billion to arm and train Ukrainian forces, $8.7 billion to restore American stores of weapons shipped to Ukraine and $3.9 billion for U.S. forces deployed to the area. There's also $8.8 billion in economic support for Ukraine, $4 billion to help Ukraine and allies finance arms and equipment purchases and $900 million for housing, education and other help for Ukrainian refugees in the U.S. The House bill dropped Bidens proposal to ease the pathway to legal permanent residency for qualifying Afghans who fled to the U.S. after last summers American withdrawal from that country. Some Republicans have expressed concerns about the adequacy of security screenings for applicants. Also eliminated from Bidens request was $500 million to pay U.S. farmers to grow more crops to compensate for Ukraines curtailed food production; language helping Russian scientists emigrate to the U.S.; and a provision letting the Justice Department transfer money to Ukraine that its acquired by seizing Russian oligarchs assets. In their biggest concession, Biden and Democrats abandoned plans Monday to include additional billions of dollars to build up U.S. supplies of medicines, vaccines and tests for COVID-19. Republican support for more pandemic spending is waning and including that money would have slowed the Ukraine measure in the 50-50 Senate, where at least 10 GOP votes will be needed for passage. Democrats hope to produce a separate COVID-19 package soon, though its fate is unclear. Houston Chronicle file Fresh of a fishing trip to the Coastal Bend, President Franklin Roosevelt pulled into Houston's Southern Pacific station for a brief stop on the way to College Station. The president arrived here from Galveston, where he was making his first visit to that city. It was the third time a sitting president had visited that island city. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate The leak of a draft Supreme Court opinion that would overturn Roe v. Wade sent shock waves across the nation. It also appears to have driven interest in another topic: male birth control options. Google Trends data shows that searches for the word vasectomy spiked in Texas on May 3 and 4, the first two full days after Politico published an initial draft majority opinion indicating the Supreme Court was poised to overturn the landmark 1973 decision that established a constitutional right to abortion. Searches for vasectomy also skyrocketed elsewhere in the U.S. This isn't the first time searches for the word vasectomy have increased in Texas. They also spiked immediately after the states law that prohibits abortion as soon as a fetal heartbeat is detected went into effect on Sept. 1, according to Google Trends data. While there are many birth control methods available to women, there are only two options that allow men to take responsibility for birth control: condoms and vasectomies. Researchers are working to develop more options, such as a birth control pill for men, but it's unclear if or when they could become a reality. Condoms Condoms have the advantage of being inexpensive and easy to obtain. They're sold at most drug stores, supermarkets and convenience stores, and are also available at many doctors offices, community health centers and other medical clinics. Condoms are also an effective way to limit your risk of contracting sexually transmitted diseases such as herpes or chlamydia, though that protection is not absolute. Using a condom isnt a foolproof way to prevent pregnancy, either. Studies estimate that condoms are 98% effective if theyre used perfectly during every sexual encounter. But since nobody is perfect, theyre closer to 85% effective for the average person, according to Planned Parenthood. Vasectomies Vasectomies, on the other hand, are more than 99.99% effective at preventing pregnancy. The one-time procedure closes off the ends of the vas deferens, the tubes that carry sperm, preventing it from reaching the semen. The procedure is also very common. Approximately 5% of all married men of reproductive age have had a vasectomy, and 500,000 men undergo the procedure each year in the U.S., according to the Cleveland Clinic. A vasectomy may cost anywhere from $0 to $1,000 depending on insurance plan, according to Planned Parenthood. There are two types of vasectomies, both of which are safe and are able to be performed at a doctors office or outpatient surgery center. The first, known as a traditional vasectomy, involves making one of two small cuts in the skin to reach the vas deferens. The tubes are tied off, blocked or cauterized before the patient is stitched up. For decades, though, the preferred method has been the no-scalpel vasectomy. The surgeon makes a small opening to reach the tubes so they can be tied off, blocked or cauterized. It does not require any stitches. After the surgery, you'll need to rest for 24 hours but can resume light activity after two or three days. You'll also need to avoid sexual activity for about one week. In addition, it's recommended that you keep using another form of birth control until your doctor confirms that sperm are no longer present in your semen, which could take up to three months, according to Houston Methodist. The surgery is reversible if the patient has a change of heart, but doctors dont recommend getting a vasectomy with the intention of having it undone someday. While almost all vasectomies can be reversed, that doesnt guarantee someone will be successful at conceiving a child. The longer its been since the vasectomy, the less likely it is the reversal will work, according to The Mayo Clinic. Could more options be developed? While male birth control options are extremely limited, researchers are working to develop alternative methods. The most popular is a male equivalent of the female birth control pill. Earlier this year, a study found that a pill tested on male mice was 99% effective at preventing pregnancy. Additional clinical trials will be needed to determine whether the pill would be safe and effective for humans, though. The National Institutes of Health, meanwhile, is funding a clinical trial to evaluate the effectiveness of a contraceptive skin gel that would be applied to a man's back and shoulder. The gel would be absorbed through the skin and block testosterone production in the testes, reducing sperm production to low or nonexistent levels, the agency said in a 2018 news release. The clinical trial is ongoing. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate A commotion woke Juan Garcias wife at their northwest Houston apartment and it involved his truck. He armed himself with a gun and confronted a man standing near his vehicle during the March 17 clash. Two men crawled out from under his Toyota Tundra truck in the middle of stealing his catalytic converter and the man shot him, Garcia testified. He managed to return fire but missed. Prosecutors on Tuesday asked Garcia to identify his assailant in the 177th District Court and he pointed to Joshua Stewart one of the three defendants charged with capital murder in the March 31 death of Harris County Sheriffs Office Deputy Darren Almendarez under similar circumstances. The deputy was shot and killed while confronting three men attempting to remove a catalytic convert from his truck in a grocery store parking lot. On HoustonChronicle.com: Court documents identify purported lookout in death of Harris deputy, other new details in shooting Investigators are considering the significant potential that the gun used to wound Garcia was also used in Almendarezs death, according to a sworn search warrant affidavit. The testimony happened during what is called a proof-evident hearing to determine whether Stewart and co-defendant Fredarius Clark, also charged with capital murder in Almendarezs death, should be held without bail. In most cases, state law requires that judges grant bail to defendants, who are innocent until proven guilty. After four hours of testimony, Judge Robert Johnson sided with the Harris County District Attorneys Office request to hold Stewart and Clark for whom prosecutors are seeking the death penalty without bail. A third defendant, Fredrick Tardy, who was 17 at the time of the offense, is expected to receive bail, officials said. A Supreme Court ruling prevents Tardy from being eligible for the death penalty. Garcias testimony identifying Stewart as his attacker prompted an outcry from the defendants relatives. Bailiffs quickly escorted those family members out of the courtroom as Garcia continued to answer questions at the witness stand. He told defense attorneys that after he returned home from the hospital, authorities showed him photos of possible suspects and that he also picked out Stewart from the bunch. He went down fighting Prosecutor Caroline Dozier offered Almendarezs loved ones in the courtroom a chance to wait outside at the start of their arguments, knowing that the next half hour would be difficult for some. The deputys death in the Joe V's Smart Shop parking lot was captured at several angles on security cameras and that footage was to be shown in the courtroom. Almendarezs widow, Flor Zarzoza, stepped out in tears. His brother, Steve Almendarez, remained and watched for the first time how his sibling protected his wife and tried stopping the men in the act of stealing his catalytic converter. It was hard to watch, the brother shakily said. Now I know what really happened that he went down fighting. The video spanned nearly 40 minutes, starting with Almendarez and his wife arriving at 8:04 p.m. to buy groceries for his sisters birthday party. At 8:22 p.m., another vehicle parked in front of Almendarezs Toyota Tundra. The car remained for 16 minutes with the occupants appearing to wait for other shoppers to pack up and leave. A row of shopping carts blocked the view of the catalytic converter theft from anyone passing by. Within moments, Almendarez and his wife returned. Zarzoza darted for safety as the deputy beelined for the lookout in the drivers seat. He was met by gunfire. Almendarez grabbed the drivers hand brandishing the weapon but another gunshot appeared to take him by surprise. He was then shot. The wounded deputy backed away and fired repeatedly at the vehicle, with bullets from both sides piercing the windshield. As the driver swerved around the couples packed shopping cart, a rear passenger door opened and someone appeared to shoot at Almendarez again By 8:40 p.m., Zarzora was comforting her dying husband. Shoppers in neighboring aisles either ignored the chaos or were unaware of what had happened. An employee came to her side and offered Almendarez her apron. Murky evidence Loretta Muldrow, Stewarts lawyer, told the judge that she believes the prosecutions evidence to be lacking and that not enough proof exists to link the defendants to the deputys shooting and to hold them without bail. The identification is unclear, murky at most, Muldrow said. Lawyers for Clark the brothers Robert and Philip Scardino agreed, calling the evidence shown to the court circumstantial and innuendo. The judge heard testimony from a Harris County crime scene investigator who photographed Clark and Stewart at the hospital and a Houston police officer who surveilled the third defendant, Tardy, prior to his arrest. It obviously made an impression on the judge, Philip Scardino said. Surveillance footage from the HCA Houston Northwest showed two men, who prosecutors identified as Clark and Stewart, hobbling out of a bullet-riddled vehicle and into the hospital after being shot. Clothing worn by the defendants in that footage appear to match what the attackers in Alemendarezs death wore. Scardino commiserated on his clients behalf and vowed to have bail set in Clarks case in the future. Had the judge ruled otherwise, the bail amount would have likely been significant, he continued. I dont know much bond my client was able to make anyway, Scardino said. Tardy is slated on Wednesday to return to court to have bail granted in his case. Prosecutors and witness testimony also outlined what happened in the hours before Almendarezs death. Tardy and Stewart were shown in surveillance footage shopping with a third man at a Northern Tools. That third man was identified as the driver of a vehicle that law enforcement later pulled over while searching for Tardy after the catalytic converter shooting. Inside the vehicle, police found ammunition and tools associated with stealing catalytic converters. About a half-dozen used reciprocating saw blades and metal snips were found next to where Tardy had been sitting. The other passengers also had tools linked to catalytic converter thefts and were arrested on charges unrelated to Almendarezs death, court records continued. nicole.hensley@chron.com Flames destroyed two Houston homes early Wednesday, displacing several people but causing no injuries or deaths, authorities said. Firefighters battled heavy flames and billowing smoke at a Northside home at James and Gentry around 11:30 p.m. Tuesday, Metro Video Services reported. No one was inside at the time of the fire, witnesses told reporters. Harris County Commissioners Court on Tuesday approved a nonbinding resolution calling on Congress to take immediate action to protection abortion rights, despite opposition from the courts two Republican members. The measure was passed in response to a leaked draft opinion written by U.S. Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito indicating Roe v Wade, the 1973 ruling that guarantees the right to abortion, is likely to be overturned. The state of Texas already has some of the most restrictive abortion laws in the country. Texas also has a trigger law on the books that will go into effect banning abortion if Roe v. Wade is overturned. The court approved the resolution on a party-line 3-2 vote with Precinct 3 Commissioner Tom Ramsey and Precinct 4 Commissioner Jack Cagle opposed. Cagle, who attended the meeting virtually, said he voted against the measure at his mothers request. County officials in Texas have little to no practical authority related to abortion, so the resolution is a political gesture with no real policy impact. Still, a dozen members of the public spoke against it. County Judge Lina Hidalgo voted in favor of the resolution and pointed to the countys 12-week parental paid leave policy as an example of actions Harris County has taken to support families. Twice as many Americans support Roe as oppose it. Seventy-eight percent of Texas voters believe abortion should be available in some form, the resolution states. Enshrining the right to choose was our mothers and our grandmothers fight, it should not now be our daughters fight too. jen.rice@chron.com Victor Hugo Cuevas, the man connected last year to the case of the missing tiger in Houston, has been sentenced to 18 years in prison on an unrelated charge of murder in Fort Bend County, according to court records. A jury found Cuevas, 27, guilty last week of first-degree murder in the July 2017 shooting death of Osiekhuemen Omobhude, records show. His sentence was reduced Tuesday, with the jury handing down a punishment for murder under the influence of sudden passion, a second-degree felony. INDIA THE TIGER: This Houston neighborhood is full of eagle-eyed gossips. How'd they miss a tiger and a beauty queen? The shooting happened outside of a popular sushi restaurant in the Shops at Bella Terra on Texas 99. Witnesses said they saw two men on motorcycles approach the victim as he was getting into his vehicle in the parking lot. Michael W. Elliott, an attorney representing Cuevas, said he would have "a lot to say" about the case at a later date. Cuevas is still facing charges in a separate, possibly more infamous case. He was indicted last August in Harris County on a felony charge of evading arrest in connection with the tiger incident, Fort Bend County court records show. Police were dispatched to a west Houston neighborhood last May in response to calls about a vicious animal, according to the criminal complaint. An off-duty Waller County sheriffs deputy who lived in the neighborhood spotted a Bengal tiger sitting on the front lawn of his neighbors home. According to the complaint, Cuevas ran out of the residence yelling, Dont shoot my cat! He then put the tiger in the backseat of a white Jeep Grand Cherokee and sped away from Houston police officers with their emergency lights activated, eventually losing them, records show. Authorities soon arrested Cuevas but did not find the tiger with him, launching a widely publicized hunt for the missing wild animal. A week later, Cuevas wife surrendered India, the 9-month-old tiger, to BARC. The animal was in good condition and was transported to a tiger sanctuary in Henderson County. A Queens man who fatally shot his NYPD civilian employee ex-girlfriend and then shot and wounded her neighbor took his own life while on the lam Wednesday, police said. Advertisement Pedro Cintron was found dead on McKibbin St. near Manhattan Ave. in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, about 7:50 a.m., cops said. He had apparently shot himself. His firearm was found near his body. Pedro Cintron took his own life after killing his ex-girlfriend and wounding one of her neighbors. (NYPD / DCPI) About 48 hours before his body was found, Cintron, 55, shot to death Migdalia Ortega, 51, in her third-floor apartment on Fresh Pond Road in Ridgewood, Queens. Advertisement After Cintron put a bullet into Ortegas head at about 8:15 a.m. Monday, a neighbor on the second floor ran to check on Ortega in her third-floor apartment, said police. That neighbor was then shot and fled back to her apartment. The male suspect [Cintron] followed her and continued shooting, said NYPD Deputy Chief Julie Morrill, who supervises detectives in northern Queens, at a press conference Monday. Migdalia Ortega, a NYPD employee who was fatally shot by her ex-boyfriend Pedro Cintron at her apartment in Queens on Monday. Medics rushed both victims to Jamaica Hospital, where the NYPD employee survived for three hours before dying at 11:22 a.m., said cops. The neighbor, who was wounded in the upper body, was listed in critical condition. The shooting took place a day after Mothers Day and less than 24 hours after the Cintrons daughter shared with Ortega a heartfelt post on social media. Pedro Cintron was found dead on McKibbin St. near Manhattan Ave. in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, about 7:50 a.m. on Wednesday. (Barry Williams/for New York Daily News) A mother who looks out for you as an adult is the best blessing one can have Nicole Cintron wrote on Facebook. Happy Mothers Day to my queen. I love you mama. Ortega had been with the police department 11 years and worked at One Police Plaza for the Information Technology Bureau, cops said. The Texas State Board of Education has a lot of power but perhaps not as much as some voters might think. Taxes? Budget decisions? As we wrote back in February: save it for another race. One of the important roles the state board does have, however, is shaping curriculum by setting standards and approving instructional materials. Curriculum has long inspired heated debate here in Texas but its especially relevant now in the era of anti-Critical Race Theory hysteria. Thats why were thankful to see two educators in the SBOE District 4 Democratic runoff, including our pick Staci Childs. Childs is a former teacher from Georgia turned lawyer who kept her foot in the education world through her nonprofit Girl Talk University. As a candidate for SBOE, her focus is on making the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills standards more flexible so teachers have more ability to address specific knowledge gaps for individual students while still helping them get on grade level and move on. Sometimes, she said, students fail to remain at grade level only because they didnt catch on to a small part of the curriculum. The standards, she told us, should be flexible enough to allow them to get some special attention in those areas, so they can catch up without having to start from ground zero. I dont want to say remedial, because that has a negative connotation, Childs told us in February. But we need a serious plan to address the TEKS, since they do not address these learning gaps. She also would like to see more of what she calls life skills, including financial literacy, in the curriculum standards. There are certain skills that you should have as an adult that you need to be taught in school, she said. While she recognizes the SBOE cant do things such as raising teacher pay, she says she wants to help teacher retention through creating curriculum standards that empower teachers. Childs received 28.01 percent of the vote in a crowded primary field while her run-off opponent Coretta Mallet-Fontenot finished with 38.66 percent. Mallet-Fontenot, who also ran for school board in 2013, has 23 years of experience with Houston ISD. She has been a teacher, an instructional coordinator, an interventionist and more across the district. She is currently in the English department at Chavez High School and is herself a student, working toward her education leadership doctorate at the University of Houston with an emphasis on literacy. My focus is curriculum in general, she told us. Both Childs and Mallet-Fontenot said they supported accurate an American history curriculum that taught the full story of our country. Both would bring an educators perspective to the board. More Information Early voting in the May 24 runoff elections for the 2022 Texas primaries is available May 16-20. For more on where and how to vote, please see harrisvotes.com. See More Collapse Public education is just under attack and so are educators and school employees in general, said Mallet-Fontenot. Im hoping to, with my perspective, encourage the board to be more supportive, to uplift those of us that are still in the trenches doing what we love. We can understand why these two candidates led the pack. Both had an ability to cut through the noise and focus on classroom-level concerns. In addition to classroom experience, Childs also draws on her time as a practicing lawyer in Houston. She says shes seen with some of her clients how gaps in basic knowledge can contribute to poor outcomes as an adult. That has helped motivate her to improve standards and to help people realize the importance of creating a curriculum that prepares students for life after they graduate. Her legal and educational experience prepares her well for the job, which also involves reviewing educator certification standards and overseeing the Texas Permanent School Fund. We think the students of District 4 and the state of Texas will be well served by Childs. Regarding ConocoPhillips is the latest oil major to report multi-billion dollar first quarter profits, (May 5): The next time you fill up your vehicle and cuss out the president and Congress for high gas prices, just take the time to look at the first quarter of 2022 profits from just four of the worlds biggest energy companies. For the first quarter of 2022 ConocoPhillips made $5.8 billion, Chevron $6 billion, Shell $7 billion and Exxon Mobil reported $5.5 billion despite writing off over $3 billion in losses because they pulled out of Russia. It is expected that oil and gas producers will have a combined projected profit for all of 2022 of $834 billion. It should also be known these same companies continue to receive subsidies from the government, sort of a double dip in your pocket book: pay at the pump and with you tax dollars. Private companies have a right to make a profit and shareholders deserve a fair return on their investments thats America. But we should remember them the next time the crude oil market collapses and they go to Congress asking to be bailed out with your money. These government subsidies should be eliminated; give it to the farmers and ranchers who produce our food, because it appears the oil and gas companies do pretty good on their own. Wouldnt it be nice if they were to put America First. Lester Tyra, Magnolia Regarding Oil and gas are Texas' weapons against tyranny. But Big Oil focused on profits, not drilling., (May 6): I have been a faithful daily reader of the Houston Chronicle for 46 years. But the leftward drift of the paper in the news, commentary and editorial sections of the paper is getting harder to take every day. The business section often contains the commentary of Chris Tomlinson, which is relentlessly and unashamedly anti-oil and gas industry, the leading business in Houston. This piece by Mr. Tomlinson is over the top, accusing the oil industry of profiteering because of high market prices and an alleged failure to ramp up production. But as shown on the same page (B4 in print), production and drilling is ramping up in the U.S., with active drilling rigs currently at 705, up from last year. Mr. Tomlinson routinely attacks the oil and gas industry for drilling too much and not transitioning to alternative energy to cure global warming and he seems to support all sorts of regulation and disinvestment in oil and gas. Now he attacks the industry for not producing enough oil and gas. No matter what the industry does, Mr. Tomlinson is on a mission to attack and undermine it. I doubt he will ever change his views. Dan McClure, Houston Zoning Regarding Essay: As Ashby rises from ashes, Houston still skirts the Z-word, (May 7): In Mike Snyder's article, he points out the three-time rejection by Houston voters since World War II as validating the present zoning situation. I believe the absence of zoning is the desire of the political and developmental powers that be. It should be noted that Harris County voters four times in the 1960s rejected a proposed Harris County Hospital District, but that did not stop county from rerunning the issue until it passed, just barely, in 1965. Politicians seem to get their way if they want it, in spite of voter results. A. Hugh Stephens, Houston There is a huge difference between illegal and legal abortions. I know. I had one of each. In 1960 when I was 19 and living with my boyfriend, a medical resident at Yale University hospital, I got pregnant. Thirteen years before Roe v. Wade, in Connecticut the only ground for abortion was if the mothers life were endangered. My boyfriend knew a doctor in his hometown of Philadelphia who agreed to perform a midnight abortion, and so he drove me through darkened streets late one evening. He dropped me at the door of the shuttered office. The doctor was alone, brusque, clearly uncomfortable. This was not a procedure he did regularly but was performing as a favor. Lie down, he instructed. I opened my legs and he began scraping my uterus with a curette. The pain was so excruciating and the sound so terrible I moaned, then screamed. The doctor clamped his hand over my mouth and admonished: Shut up! When my boyfriend picked me up for the drive home, I was bleeding, wrapped in towels. For days I continued to hemorrhage, losing big red chunks of tissue. Finally it stopped and, since we were breaking up anyway, I soon left for a Catskills summer camp job. For the next few weeks cramps kept me awake each night, until finally the pain was so strong I hitched a ride to the nearest hospital and staggered into the emergency room. When I told the attending doctor about the abortion, he thundered, Your pain is Gods punishment. And you will never have children! Your tubes are sealed. It turned out I had severe pelvic infection, with high fever, because the aborting doctor had not ensured a sterile environment. For many miserable days I lay recovering in the hospital, where the admitting doctor took every opportunity to scold me for my sin. Five years later, married by then, I became pregnant again. This time the news was a joyful occasion, especially since Id been told I would never be able to conceive. Thrilled with our baby daughter, in two years my husband and I welcomed another child, a son. In 1974, when these children were in elementary school, I became pregnant again despite using a diaphragm for birth control. Knowing I could not care for a third child while teaching full time and taking night classes, and with my marriage growing rocky, I made an abortion appointment at a Planned Parenthood clinic in New York, where we lived. Arriving in daylight, I encountered pleasant nurses in a clean, well-lit space. After the torture of my first abortion, the brief, painless vacuum aspiration process, and the kindness of my providers, astonished me. My abortions were difficult and frightening decisions to make. Like all medical procedures, abortion carries some risk, though it is considerably less risky than childbirth. But no matter what the law says, women who often bear the sole responsibility for children will continue to seek and find abortions. When they are legal its an easy, safe procedure. When women are driven as I was to find practitioners in the shadows who may lack specific training or sterile conditions, or when we try to self-abort without medical support, the risk increases. And like people forced into any underground activity, we are vulnerable. A 16-year-old baby sitter I occasionally employed in 1966 had an abortion pre-Roe v. Wade. It was expensive, as well as dangerous, and she had to borrow the $400 from family, friends and me. The so-called doctor she drove 500 miles to see raped her. But she had no recourse, since the medical procedure she needed was considered illegal. I am 81 years old now, with no personal stake in abortions. But I know the disastrous consequences for younger women including, potentially, my 22-year-old granddaughter if we outlaw them again. We must keep abortion safe. And to do that, it must be legal. Joan Steinau Lester is the author of six books, most recently the award-winning memoir Loving Before Loving: A Marriage in Black and White. This piece was published by the Los Angeles Times. If there arent changes to Texas election law, Harris County will likely continue to blow deadlines for reporting election results, the countys election chief said Wednesday in Austin at a hearing with the House Elections Committee. Last year, the Texas Legislature passed several bills relating to elections, including one that requires counties to use paper ballots. A previously existing state law set a 24-hour deadline to offer full, unofficial vote counts, and the elections official said the combination of the two is untenable moving forward for large elections. Harris County failed to meet the 24-hour deadline in the March 1 primaries, the first major election since the law came into effect, when officials realized on election night that they had failed to count 10,000 votes. The county has lagged behind other large counties in the state in vote-counting, including the most recent election. I think given reasonable timelines and reasonable expectations of resources available to us, your March primaries, your November elections, I think it will become increasingly difficult for anyone working a paper system to hit that 24-hour mark, said Isabel Longoria, the countys election chief, who testified before the committee Wednesday. Longoria announced after the March primary that she would step down from the job July 1. In Texas, counties largely pay for their own elections, so when the state adds more restrictive requirements or deadlines, the counties must foot the bill. Counting paper ballots is particularly difficult, Longoria said, as machines can jam, ink can be smeared, or other physical mistakes can happen that delay the process and wouldnt happen in computerized systems. Committee members stressed a desire for the public to know who won elections by the end of election night. MONDAY: Harris County once again last of big Texas counties to report election day results Due to the math involved, this is just unfeasible for large elections, Longoria said. Most voters go to bed by midnight, and polls close at 7 p.m., which leaves a 5-hour window. Polls close at 7 on election night, and all voters still in line must be allowed to vote. After they do, all the paperwork must be done, and the ballots must be collected and driven from each voting site to the central count location, where all those vehicles must then be checked-in and the ballots tallied, tracked and counted. For the most recent election, there were 465 voting locations in Harris County. Theres a certain amount of math to get all those counted by midnight that require space, time and people, all of which require money, Longoria said. Even Harris County doesnt have all the space, time and people to get it done by midnight, and I worry about other counties that dont have the resources that Harris County does. The 10,000 lost votes that were discovered after Election Day in March were the result of a miscommunication among staff, Longoria said. She noted that staff must work around the clock to try to make stringent election reporting deadlines. Lack of sleep in such circumstances can contribute to mistakes, one committee member noted. Longoria said five staffers were hospitalized over a three-day period while counting the March primary election results. Rep. Mike Schofield, a Harris County Republican, said that when there are thousands of ballots suddenly showing up after they were supposed to be initially counted, It leaves open the opportunity for chicanery. Were not going to have any late, Lyndon-Johnson-style late ballots showing up and then I get beat, he said, referring to the former presidents infamous 1948 election to the U.S. Senate. I have to say, late-arriving votes that change the result of an election, I will be on the floor of the House challenging the election if that happens. edward.mckinley@chron.com The Texas primary runoffs are nearly upon us, with early voting set to begin Monday for all the Democratic and Republican contests in which no candidate received a majority of votes during the first round of voting. Some of the premier November races have already been set, including the gubernatorial matchup between Republican Gov. Greg Abbott and Democrat Beto ORourke, who decisively won their primaries in March. But several other statewide contests have required an overtime round to determine at least one major party nominee. A handful of Houston-area statehouse primaries also remain unsettled. Ahead of the May 24 runoff election, here are the most notable races that will appear on Democratic and Republican ballots in Harris County and the surrounding area. Statewide offices Attorney general, Democratic and Republican primaries Widely considered to be Texas marquee contest this spring, the Republican attorney general primary has come down to a runoff between incumbent Ken Paxton and Land Commissioner George P. Bush. Bush, who opted to forgo a third term in his current office to challenge Paxton, secured 23 percent of the vote in March, finishing 20 percentage points behind Paxton. But Paxtons two other high-profile challengers former Texas Supreme Court justice Eva Guzman and U.S. Rep. Louie Gohmert won enough support to force the incumbent into an overtime round with Bush. Hoping to erode Paxtons advantage with staunchly conservative voters, Bush has adopted a hard-line stance on border security and framed himself as a fierce defender of law enforcement. But he faces a number of headwinds in the runoff, including Republican skepticism about his familys conservative credentials; Donald Trumps endorsement of Paxton; and polling that found that about one-third of primary voters would never consider voting for Bush roughly triple the number who said the same about Paxton. KNOW THE CANDIDATES: Houston Chronicle 2022 Primary Voter Guide: May 24 runoff election / San Antonio Express-News 2022 Primary Voter guide: May 24 runoff election On the Democratic side, former ACLU attorney Rochelle Garza easily claimed a first-place finish in the March primary, yet fell several percentage points shy of an outright win. In the runoff, she faces former Galveston mayor Joe Jaworski, who finished less than half a percentage point ahead of civil rights attorney Lee Merritt in the first round. Merritt has thrown his support behind Garza in the runoff. Lieutenant governor, Democratic primary With Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick easily securing the Republican nomination for a third term, the race to determine his Democratic opponent is between Mike Collier, an accountant who lost to Patrick by about 5 percentage points in 2018, and state Rep. Michelle Beckley, D-Carrollton. Collier, a former Republican, argues he stands a better chance of appealing to moderate and rural voters than Beckley, considered one of the most liberal members of the Texas House. Beckley, a small business owner who is serving her second term in Austin, argues she energizes Democratic voters in ways Collier does not, pointing to her win over a Republican incumbent in 2018. After the runoff was set in March, Beckley wasted no time calling for Collier to drop out of the race despite finishing 12 points behind him in the first round because he doesnt inspire the base. Collier declined, and has since been endorsed by a number of Beckleys colleagues in the House. Land commissioner, Democratic and Republican primaries With Bush running for attorney general, a crowded field emerged in the two open primaries for his seat, both of which went into overtime. On the GOP side, state Sen. Dawn Buckingham, a Lakeway Republican who was viewed as the strong favorite, placed first with 42 percent of the vote. She faces Tim Westley, a pastor, historian for the Texas Republican Party and two-time congressional candidate, on May 24. Westley is aiming to overcome Buckinghams massive fundraising advantage and her high-powered endorsements from Trump, U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and a slew of other Republican lawmakers. Meanwhile, mental health counselor Sandra Grace Martinez and conservationist Jay Kleberg are battling for the Democratic nomination. On paper, Kleberg has appeared to have the upper hand, recently winning the endorsement of ORourke and outraising Martinez in the first round more than 300-to-1. But it was Martinez who finished first, nearly six points ahead of Kleberg, despite spending only about $2,000 on her campaign. Texas Legislature House District 23, Republican primary State Rep. Mayes Middleton, R-Wallisville, is set to join the Texas Senate in January, leaving open his red-leaning House seat that covers the city of Galveston, Chambers County and parts of Galveston County. The Republican primary, which started with four candidates, has been narrowed to a runoff between Patrick Gurski, a trial lawyer, former legislative staffer and former Galveston County prosecutor, and Terri Leo-Wilson, a retired educator, longtime GOP activist and former member of the State Board of Education. Gurski secured 31 percent of the vote on March 1, a few points ahead of Leo-Wilsons 28-percent draw. Generally considered the more conservative candidate, Leo-Wilson has secured endorsements from Middleton one of the most conservative members of the state House and a majority of the House Freedom Caucus. Gurski is backed by Abbott and several deep-pocketed political groups in the law enforcement, energy, realty and medical fields. House District 85, Republican primary After winning just 40 percent of the vote in his March primary, Republican state Rep. Phil Stephenson of Wharton was forced into an overtime round against former Waller County commissioner Stan Kitzman. Stephensons district, located west of Harris County, was dismantled during redistricting last year, when state lawmakers stripped out a large portion of Fort Bend County and expanded the district to include four new counties, including Waller. Kitzman won 54 percent of the votes in Waller County, helping propel him into the runoff, while Stephenson drew just 17 percent of the Waller vote. Stephenson is considered one of the more moderate Republicans in the Texas House and supports expanding Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act. House District 133, Republican primary The race to succeed retiring Houston state Rep. Jim Murphy on the Republican ballot has come down to two attorneys: Shelley Barineau and Mano DeAyala. Barineau, who runs an affordable housing management company with her husband, drew 28 percent of the vote in the March primary, finishing about a point ahead of DeAyala, who is chairman of the Hispanic Republicans of Texas and a member of the board that oversees the Texas Department of Criminal Justice. The winner will be primed to succeed Murphy in the GOP-leaning district, which covers the tree-lined suburban enclaves and clusters of oil-and-gas office buildings west of Loop 610 and south of the Katy Freeway. Democrat Mohamad Maarouf secured his partys nomination after running uncontested in the primary. House District 147, Democratic primary After a three-decade career in the state House, longtime Houston lawmaker Garnet Coleman decided not to seek another term this year, attracting a field of seven Democrats to run for his deep-blue district. Dominating the first round of voting was Jolanda Jones, a former member of Houston City Council and the Houston ISD board of trustees, who snagged 42 percent of the vote. Her runoff opponent, real estate agent Danielle Keys Bess, drew 20 percent. Complicating matters, Coleman stepped down from his seat early due to health issues, prompting a special election to decide who would serve out the remaining months of his term. Jones narrowly defeated Bess in the special election, which took place Saturday. But the stakes are much higher for their rematch in the May 24 runoff, when voters will decide who holds the seat for the 2023 legislative session. Courtesy County offices Harris County judge, Republican primary Republicans are preparing an all-out push this fall to unseat Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo but first, they must pick their nominee. The initial nine-candidate Republican primary field was narrowed in March to a runoff between Alexandra del Moral Mealer, an investment banker in the oil and gas industry and former Army captain, and Vidal Martinez, an attorney and former federal prosecutor with deep ties among Houstons business, legal and political communities. Mealer finished first, with 30 percent, while Martinez drew 26 percent. The matchup between Martinez, 67, and Mealer, 37, has turned on the question of who is best equipped to beat Hidalgo in a county that last elected a Republican to countywide office in 2014. Martinez, who has served on a number of boards and commissions over the years, says his ties in Houstons Hispanic community would help him appeal to a key voting bloc during the general election. Mealer, making her first run for office, has cast herself as an outsider who would be unbeholden to the entrenched interests long thought to influence Harris County government. jasper.scherer@chron.com As an existing print subscriber it is easy to get FREE access to all our online content. When you click get started below it will walk you through creating an online account to attach your print subscription number to. After your account is created it will ask you to either add a subscription for online access or click on the print subscriber button. Click the print subscriber button header and it will open a dropdown, now click on get started. The page will reload and you will be prompted to enter an account number and a zip code. IT IS VERY IMPORTANT TO USE THE NUMBER OFF OF THE MOST RECENT ISSUE OR ANYTHING AFTER JANUARY 28, 2019 TO GAIN ACCESS! OLD ACCOUNT NUMBERS WILL NOT WORK The account number and zip code are easily available on your most recent issue of the High Plains Journal or Midwest Ag Journal in the address fields as is shown here. Sometimes the account number has extra zero's in front of it, just ignore those. Thank you for reading! Please purchase a subscription to read our premium content. If you have a subscription, please log in or sign up for an account on our website to continue. The shooter killed in a Bronx gunfight with two NYPD cops was turned loose by a judge over the protests of prosecutors following his March 2020 arrest for carrying a loaded weapon. Prosecutors requested $50,000 bail after Rameek Smith, 25, was busted while armed with a .32-caliber pistol two years ago in Coney Island but the request was rejected in October 2020 by Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice Denny Chun, said a spokesman for the borough district attorney. Advertisement Rameek Smith Smith was instead released without bail and remained free after pleading guilty this past December. Both Mayor Adams and Police Commissioner Keechant Sewell questioned why the gunman was walking the streets Tuesday night despite the gun rap from March 14, 2020, and eight other prior arrests. Advertisement Who the hell will protect the innocent New Yorkers in this city? asked the mayor, a former police officer, after the lethal shootout. Thats the question we have to ask ourselves. The gunman dodged a stiffer charge in part because the bullets inside his gun were inoperable, although the mayor said Smith was unaware his ammunition was worthless. He had made up his mind, he was going to commit violence in this city, said Adams. Mayor Eric Adams speaks during a press conference at Lincoln Hospital Tuesday night. (Sam Costanza/for New York Daily News) The lethal confrontation began when NYPD Officer Dennis Vargas and his partner, in uniform and inside an unmarked police car, tried to stop Smith near Claremont Parkway and Bathgate Ave. about 10:45 p.m. Tuesday. Smith ran off, firing at Vargas and his partner as they pursued him. The cops fired back, and Smith was fatally shot in the head. Vargas was treated and released from Lincoln Hospital for a gunshot wound to the left arm. The Daily News Flash Weekdays Catch up on the days top five stories every weekday afternoon. > The Legal Aid Society ripped into Adams for his comments and insisted that the states bail reform had nothing to do with why Smith was free. We caution New Yorkers on crediting the mayors unconscionable fear-mongering about last nights killing, the organization said in a statement. In the end, a young man, struggling with multiple ailments, had his life cut short, and the public should not lose sight of that, regardless of incendiary comments from City Hall. The lethal confrontation began when NYPD Officer Dennis Vargas and his partner, in uniform and inside an unmarked police car, tried to stop Smith near Claremont Parkway and Bathgate Ave. in Claremont about 10:45 p.m. Tuesday. Smith ran off, firing at Vargas and his partner as they pursued him. The cops fired back and Smith was fatally shot in the head. (Sam Costanza/for New York Daily News) As part of his plea agreement, Smith was placed in an alternative to incarceration mental health program called Rev Core, where participants join weekly group sessions while receiving mentoring along with regular drug and alcohol testing, said Lucian Chalfen, spokesman for the Office of Court Administration. Advertisement The agreed-upon plea offer was that Smith would face two to four years in prison if he failed to complete the mental health treatment program, with the felony count dismissed and only the misdemeanor left to stand. Legal Aid, in its statement, noted Smith complied with all his obligations, including every scheduled court date and participation in programs to address his needs. The latest weapons charge became bail-eligible based on Smiths 2016 arrest as part of a criminal quartet who robbed a a man on the subway, leading to a felony conviction, said a spokesman for the DA. In the prior case, Smith approached his target and demanded money before the robbers pushed the victim against the wall, a source familiar with the case told the Daily News. A veteran NYPD police officer was shot in the arm in a wild shootout in the Bronx late Tuesday with a young gunman who has a long criminal history and was last in court in Brooklyn on a gun charge earlier this month. Advertisement The bullet exchange erupted around 10:45 p.m. near Claremont Parkway and Bathgate Ave. in Claremont. Officer Dennis Vargas, 32, an eight-year veteran who began working last October for the NYPDs new anti-gun unit, Borough Public Safety Team, and his partner exchanged gunfire with the shooter identified by sources as Rameek Smith, 25 after he bolted when the cops tried to stop him just south of Third Ave. at Claremont Parkway, Chief of Detectives James Essig said. Advertisement The male ... turned on the officers and fired two shots, Essig said at an early Wednesday news conference. Two officers returned fire, striking the male. The bullet exchange erupted around 10:45 p.m. near Claremont Parkway and Bathgate Ave. in Claremont. (Sam Costanza/for New York Daily News) Smith, who has an official address in Staten Island, was struck in the head and taken to St. Barnabas Hospital, where he was in critical condition, Essig said. Vargas was shot in the left arm and was being treated at Lincoln Hospital. Essig said Smith was armed with a 9-mm Glock that was recovered at the scene, and was last traced to Richmond, Va., on June 14, 2021. Smiths criminal history is extensive, with police sources telling the Daily News hes racked up nine arrests, with two of them unsealed cases, including a robbery and most recently, a gun charge in Brooklyn for which he appeared in court on May 4 and was due to return in June. The bullet exchange erupted around 10:45 p.m. near Claremont Parkway and Bathgate Ave. in Claremont. (Sam Costanza/for New York Daily News) At the news conference, an angry Mayor Adams, who said the cops father-in-law is also an NYPD officer, railed at the suspects arrest record. Who the hell will protect the innocent New Yorkers in this city? the mayor thundered. Thats the question we have to ask ourselves. It is time for us to stop spending our energy protecting people who are committing crimes and violence. This person has an extensive arrest history. He has made up his mind. He was not going to stop until he took the life of an innocent person. Im tired of the complaints about the officers who are doing their job. Adams also decried the same criminals are continuing to come out in our streets to commit violence over and over again. Advertisement The gun arrest was in Brooklyn, Adams said of Smiths most recent bust. The shooting tonight was in the Bronx. The number of times that we had to respond to these shootings, New Yorkers deserve better. We took 2,600 guns off our streets and the shooters of those guns are back on our streets just like this person. Mayor Eric Adams speaks at Lincoln Hospital Tuesday night. (Sam Costanza/for New York Daily News) A witness to the bloody mayhem, Dameon Tisdale, 42, told The News the wounded officer appeared to be wearing the uniform of the NYPDs new anti-gun Neighborhood Safety Unit, and was chasing the guy around the corner, with a car right behind him. The suspect was running west on Claremont Parkway and turned the corner at Bathgate Ave., Tisdale recounted. The Daily News Flash Weekdays Catch up on the days top five stories every weekday afternoon. > He had a black plastic bag in his hands. The cop was saying, Stop, stop, or Im going to shoot you! Tisdale said. There were six or seven shots. Another witness was stunned at the chaotic aftermath. The (wounded) cop was on a board, but they threw him into one of their own cars. The cops were banging on the traffic to get their car through, Ashley Rosa, 26, told The News. Advertisement The bullet exchange erupted around 10:45 p.m. near Claremont Parkway and Bathgate Ave. in Claremont. (Sam Costanza/for New York Daily News) Tisdale recalled that for the wounded suspect, the ambulance was right there. They picked him up and threw him on the stretcher. His whole face was bloody. He was leaking. I was surprised. I didnt even realize the cop was shot, he added. According to police sources, Smith lives around the corner from the scene of the bloodshed in supportive housing for formerly homeless men. I have to commend our courageous officers, Police Commissioner Keechant Sewell said at the news conference. This is what we asked them to do. And youre on the streets every day ... risking their lives on behalf of New Yorkers. Randall Fippinger and Jane Patton greet voters heading to Williamstown Elementary School on Tuesday morning. Patton, Fippinger Win Spots on Williamstown Select Board Kenneth Kuttner campaigns Tuesday morning at Williamstown Elementary School. He won a seat on the Planning Board. WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. Next week, Williamstown residents at town meeting will be asked whether they want to do away once and for all with the antiquated term "Board of Selectmen." On Tuesday, voters resoundingly decided that the next version of the Select Board will not be all male. Three-time incumbent Jane Patton was the top vote-getter in a three-way race for two seats on the five-person panel. Patton and Randall Fippinger were the victors in the town election conducted at Williamstown Elementary School. With 1,438 residents casting ballots, Patton received 921 votes and Fippinger garnered 881 votes. Bilal Ansari, the third candidate in the race, received 677 votes with 19 write-ins. The turnout represented about 29 percent of the town's 4,926 registered voters down from 38 percent a year ago . But the 1,400 residents were still well more than the 10-year average going into the 2021 election; from 2011 to 2020, an average of 971 voters participated in the spring election. In the other high-profile contested race on Tuesday's ballot, Kenneth Kuttner defeated Carin DeMayo-Wall for an open seat on the Planning Board. Kuttner received 869 votes to DeMayo-Wall's 552. Fippinger, who currently serves on the town's Diversity, Inclusion and Racial Equity Committee, said the process of campaigning taught him that the town's residents are yearning to have a voice in local government. "I was surprised at how many people that normally I would think that I don't agree with politically said, 'We want to support you,' " Fippinger said. "We want to hear your views. We want to sit down and talk and just listen. "So much is just sitting down and listening to people. I think that's the first step in trying to bring us a little bit closer together. Because if you feel heard, you're not yelling." Patton has been on the receiving end of a lot of the yelling during Select Board meetings over the last two years. She was chair of the body in 2020 when news of a lawsuit exposing misbehavior in the Williamstown Police Department became public. On Tuesday night, she said she did not know how voters would feel about the prospect of sending her back for a fourth term. "I didn't know where people were at after the last couple of years," Patton said. "It was frustrating at times because, as part of a board and various things, you can't always say everything you want to say. "And I think that some of the people who spoke for me and in the various forums people got to really get to know me better. I did a thing at the Harper Center and one person said, 'We thought you were a boring stick in the mud. You're actually kind of funny.' And I just thought that was fabulous." Patton said she was stunned and gratified by the outcome. Kuttner attributed his victory to the number of doors on which he knocked and the number of people he met during his second go-around at winning a spot on the Planning Board. "What I sense is there's a broad agreement in the community on some of the issues we need to work on, particularly the housing issue, of course," he said. "But I think there's a real thirst for looking for some creative and innovative ways to approach that. And I actually feel excited and feel it's going to be a huge challenge. "Fortunately, I think there are good members on the Select Board and good members on the Planning Board who are going to make a great team in the years to come to help solve this problem." In Tuesday's five-person race for four spots on the board of the Milne Public Library Board of Trustees, Micah Manary, Bridget Spann, Timothy Cherubini and Robin Lenz emerged victorious. Pittsfield City Council Endorses Body Cameras for Police Police Chief Michael Wynn takes questions from Councilor at Large Karen Kalinowsky, a former police officer, on the timing for implementing body cameras. PITTSFIELD, Mass. The City Council has voted to support body cameras on Pittsfield Police officers. Councilors on Tuesday endorsed two petitions pertaining to the equipment and referred them to local and state officials. There have been calls to implement body cameras, as residents have taken to open microphone at council meeting to advocate for them after Miguel Estrella was shot and killed by police in late March. Councilor at Large Earl Persip III said this is probably one of the easier votes he will take this year, speculating that the community is in support of body cams and Police Chief Michael Wynn has reported no opposition from the department. "It seems like everybody's in agreement. What we disagree is policy issues, law issues, and we'll work those things out," Persip added. "And I think Ordinance and Rules had a great discussion about how some of the local communities are doing certain things, state police are doing it, the governor is giving grants, this is a slam dunk, this is easy, this should be a 10-0 vote because all the support for this has been at the podium." One petition was from local attorney Rinaldo Del Gallo requesting to equip the city's police officers with body and dash cameras and the other was from resident LeMarr Talley, who requested an act establishing body cameras for all law enforcement within Berkshire County. Both received support from the Ordinances and Rules subcommittee last week. A preliminary investigation by the Pittsfield Police Department has found the responding officers to have been in compliance with established guidelines for use of force. The incident is also under separate investigation by the State Police. The vote on both petitions was 10-0 with Ward 7 Councilor Anthony Maffuccio absent. Ward Ward 2 Councilor Charles Kronick did express concern about privacy issues if body cameras were to be deployed. Kronick said he supports body cameras when police are "conducting the business of apprehension in interaction with a suspect, for lack of a better word" but that the language of the petition does not address the cameras in situations such as well-being calls. Wynn said he does not think those concerns should be addressed in the petition but in policy development. Del Gallo reported that Ward 1 Councilor Kenneth Warren is writing a draft body cam petition based on a model act for regulating the use of body-worn cameras by law enforcement from the American Civil Liberties Union. "I don't want to stall this, there are a lot of moving parts of this and there's a lot of programs that we show support for, and the administration then puts in place. They're the executive, we're the legislative, so there's a lot of things going on, but I don't want to delay this," Warren said. Resident Tonya Frazier spoke in support of body cameras and about systematic issues within the city. "Three minutes up here isn't nearly enough time to try to speak on the heavily rooted issues that are in this city, it ranges from the lack of resources for our community members for housing, mental health, equality for all, there's also an increase of homeless people and not enough employment opportunities," she said. "This is now the third meeting about this petition for the body cams, we need action now, not after another person is wrongfully killed." The petitions were referred to Mayor Linda Tyer, Wynn, the state delegation, Gov. Charlie Baker, Attorney General Maura Healey, and the Law Enforcement Body Cam Task Force. Two Convicted in $300K Fraud Scheme PITTSFIELD, Mass. Two area residents were found guilty this week of scamming people across multiple states out of $300,000. Ajaykumar Chaudhari, 26, of Pownal, Vt., and Jitendra Chaudhari, 29, of Williamstown pled guilty on Monday to single counts of larceny more than $1,200 by single scheme and attempt to commit a crime to wit: larceny more than $1,200. In December, a third defendant, Parth Chaudhari, pled guilty to the same charges. Combined, the three defendants will pay $212,924 in restitution to the victims of the nationwide fraud scheme in a resolution of the Berkshire Superior Court case. "The victims in this case overwhelmingly supported a resolution that would return the most money in the most timely manner while sparing them, many of whom are aging and live out of state, from having to travel to Massachusetts to testify," District Attorney Andrea Harrington said. "I'm proud that my office found a resolution that secured guilty convictions and restored the victims' loss. I thank the Adams Police Department for their detailed and thorough investigation into this scheme." The court required that the defendants provide restitution payments before accepting the plea, ensuring that victims get their money back quickly and in a more significant amount than through a jury trial and subsequent restitution hearing, according to the DA's office. The three operated a multi-state scheme intended to defraud individuals through phone scams. Police in other jurisdictions in the country alerted Adams Police in March 2020 that victims were sending packages of money to addresses in the town of Adams. Adams Police and the Berkshire State Police Detective Unit assigned to the Berkshire District Attorney's Office conducted a three-month investigation. Police in Lanesborough, North Adams, Pittsfield, Williamstown, Hoosick Falls, N.Y., and the Berkshire County Sheriff's Office assisted. During that investigation, victims and law enforcement intercepted and returned packages victims sent totaling $106,000. In June 2020, local law enforcement executed 27 search warrants, identifying a business in Adams as serving as the headquarters. The court filed the guilty convictions of Ajaykumar Chaudhari and Jitendra Chaudhari for two years and sentenced Parth Chaudhari to time served, which was approximately eight months. Joshua Vallieres, left, is sworn in by City Clerk Marcus Lyon as his new assistant. North Adams City Council Hopes to Find Resolution to Conflicts Assistant City Clerk Joshua Vallieres with family and Mayor Jennifer Macksey after being sworn in on Tuesday. NORTH ADAMS, Mass. A councilor's request to consider standards of conduct revealed some of the ongoing tensions in the City Council. Councilor Jennifer Barbeau submitted a communication to her colleagues expressing concerns brought to her attention by constituents about "council conduct on the floor, on social media and in direct correspondence." The section in the council's rules of order, No. 12, seemed outdated, she wrote, and suggested there should be guidelines for conflict resolution. "It has become pretty prevalent. I'm hoping that we can have a resolution in finding a way to communicate with each other that is effective and positive," she said. Councilor Ashley Shade had proposed guidelines for professional conduct earlier this year and had been charged with bringing language back to the council. She said she expected to have a draft ready for the first meeting in June. Councilor Michael Obasohan wondered if conflict resolution could be incorporated into the diversity and inclusion training the council will be doing. Councilor Marie T. Harpin, participating by phone, said interactions between the councilors are up and down. "Things get better, they get worse, they get better, they get worse," she said. "I hope we can find some resolution here so that we can move forward as the body and do what's best for the citizens of North Adams." Barbeau said there had to be a way to work out conflicts like Open Meeting Law complaints (the councilor has filed a number against committees and boards). "I feel that we need to be able to address those effectively without backlash and just uncomfortableness," she said. "What is the protocol right now for addressing these things when they happen?" Council President Lisa Blackmer said councilors shouldn't consider differences of opinion a personal attack. "We should be able to disagree without being disagreeable," she said. "We have to get used to disagreeing without taking it personally and without it feeling then it's a personal attack ... I think that what we need to focus on is getting the work done." She suggested that Shade's language may cover this. Harpin didn't totally agree, saying "I do believe that there are members of the City Council that do feel as though they are being personally attacked, for views that they take or actions that they take for the benefit of their constituents. And I think that needs to be resolved. ... "If they feel as though they're being personally attacked, that needs to be addressed." Harpin has alluded to feeling attacked at past meetings but Councilor Peter Oleskiewicz said on Tuesday it goes both ways, referring to a chat room on Facebook that Harpin administers that he says has blocked other councilors. "Let's move on with a paper and come up with something ... because it does go both ways," he said. The council is hoping the third time is the charm with hiring of Joshua Vallieres as assistant city clerk. An assistant hired in February resigned almost immediately and a second ended up declining the offer. Vallieres, who was sworn in on Tuesday, is a North Adams resident who was elected to the School Committee in November. He is a graduating from Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts on Saturday. He joins City Clerk Marcus Lyon, who was appointed in February after a year in the assistant position. The city clerk's office has seen an unusual amount of turnover compared to the last 60 years. There have been three city clerks since 2018 and several assistants. Mary Ann Abuisi, city clerk for 28 years, attended the meeting in support. In other business, The council confirmed the appointment of James Holmes to the Windsor Lake Recreation Committee for a term to expire April 1, 2025; Mary Scanlon to the Commission on Disabilities for a term to expire Dec. 1, 2024; Ross Vivori to the Redevelopment Authority for a term to expire May 11, 2027; and Stephen Warley to the Tree Commission, to fill the unexpired term of Dianne Olsen to end June 10, 2024. Mayor Jennifer Macksey read a proclamation in support of May as Mental Health Awareness Month. Councilor Wayne Wilkinson, participating via Zoom, gave an update on the proposed short-term rental ordinance, which was then referred back to General Government and return to council on the first meeting of July. At a meeting with the mayor, Michael Nuvallie of Community Development, Building Inspector William Meranti and consultant Zachary Feury, Wilkinson said it was decided that Feury would rewrite the ordinance with the feedback from the recent meetings and public hearings. A request from Councilor Ashley Shade to repeal the curfew ordinance was postponed again to the meeting of May 28. Councilor Brian Sapienza said the Public Safety Committee is waiting on an opinion from the city solicitor. Shade said there was no reason to wait for the solicitor since they were repealing it, not changing it. Councilor Keith Bona, however, said though he agreed with her, he asked for it to be referred to the solicitor because there were councilors who had questions about it. "I think if the opinion comes back from the solicitor that this is, I guess, an illegal ordinance to have, then that will solve that right there for everybody," he said. "That answers it for everybody, despite what their opinion is. That's just my reason why I did request it to go to the solicitor early on. Once again, I express my disappointment of how long it takes to get answers from our solicitor." An NYPD employee shot to death in her apartment was a queen in her daughters eyes, a tragedy compounded by the belief that the alleged killer is her dad. Police continued the manhunt Tuesday for Pedro Cintron, 55, the man accused of shooting his ex-girlfriend, Migdalia Ortega, 51, to death and wounding a neighbor who rushed to her Ridgewood, Queens apartment to intervene. Advertisement Pedro Cintron is accused of fatally shooting his ex-girlfriend, NYPD employee Migdalia Ortega in Ridgewood, Queens on Monday, May 9, 2022. (NYPD / DCPI) The shooting took place a day after Mothers Day, and less than 24 hours after the daughter of the alleged shooter and the victim shared a heartfelt post on social media. A mother who looks out for you as an adult is the best blessing one can have Nicole Cintron wrote on Facebook. Happy Mothers Day to my queen. I love you mama. Advertisement Migdalia Ortega, who was shot and killed in her Ridgewood, Queens home on Monday, May 9, 2022. Two days later, a heartbroken relative used the same thread to share his sorrow over Ortegas death. Yesterday still feels like just a horrifying nightmare, Ortegas nephew, Jonathan Tirado, posted on Facebook. I am shattered and broken. Angry and distraught. Confused and pissed off. And still in disbelief. " Cops said the violence erupted about 8:15 a.m. on Monday before officers responded to a 911 call about shots fired inside a third-floor apartment on Fresh Pond Road near Palmetto St. in Ridgewood. The block on Fresh Pond Road near Palmetto St. in Ridgewood, Queens, where Migdalia Ortega was shot and killed. (Theodore Parisienne/for New York Daily News) While the couple argued, a neighbor, a 48-year-old woman, went to check on Ortega, cops said. The gunman shot and wounded the woman and chased her back to her apartment, police said. Ortega, an NYPD employee, had been shot in the head. The women were rushed to Jamaica Hospital, where Ortega died. Her neighbor, who was struck in the upper body, was listed in critical condition, authorities said. Ortega was with the department for 11 years and worked in the Information Technology Bureau at One Police Plaza. The NYPD outside Migdalia Ortega's apartment building after she was shot to death on Monday, May 9, 2022. (Theodore Parisienne/for New York Daily News) The Daily News Flash Weekdays Catch up on the days top five stories every weekday afternoon. > Although Cintron did not live with Ortega, people knew him in her neighborhood. Advertisement I know this guy. He was like a tough guy, said Sam Shaheim, owner of S&M Express Deli around the corner from Ortegas apartment. Migdalia Ortega This guy I remember him because he was always coming in, he said. Shaheim said Cintron would pester him with questions on how much things cost and didnt like the prices. Id say if you dont like the price, go somewhere else, Shaheim recalled. He was almost a regular, said Rico Stephen, the owner of Bakers Dozen Bagels. I never got those vibes from him. He doesnt strike me like that. I pray for their family, Stephen said. Its very sad. The 17-year-old son of a Manhattan cop was shot on Wednesday near Maspeth High School in Queens by a hot-headed teen gunman who tried to make a getaway on a scooter, police said. The wounded boy had been arguing with two other youngsters a few yards from the Grand Ave. school about 1:40 p.m. when one of the teens pulled a gun and opened fire, hitting the cops son in the left arm. Advertisement The shooter and a pal then jumped onto a scooter and motored off, only to be bagged by police a short time later. Charges against the teens were pending Wednesday. After being shot, the wounded teen ran to the high school and alerted school safety officers, police sources said. Advertisement EMS rushed him to Elmhurst Hospital, where he is expected to recover, cops said. Maspeth High School (Google Maps) The teen is the son of an NYPD officer assigned to the 19th Precinct on the Upper East Side, police sources said. Both he and the teen who shot him are students at the high school, according to sources with knowledge of the case. Maspeth High School was placed on a hard lockdown to ensure all students at Maspeth are safe while the NYPD responds to an off-campus incident, school authorities said. The lockdown has been lifted and the NYPD and school safety are assisting with dismissal, a city Department of Education spokesman Nathaniel Styer said. Europe's NextGeneration EU Recovery Plan includes 11.5 billion of digital investment and is therefore dubbed a Marshall Plan for Covid-19 economic recovery across the European Union. With the recovery plan, Europe states high ambitions for digitisation, sustainability and solutions to the supply chain challenges. Its backers believe the EU has the money and the ideas to become a digital leader. The plan has seven investment areas, including innovation to the single market, digitisation, increased cohesion and resilience, the environment, border management, defence, neighbourhoods and public administration; together they amount to 806 billion of investment. "The 20220s will be Europe's digital decade," Ursula Von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, told the Masters of Digital Conference of the investment programme. "These funds will be matched by private investment," she added. "Europe is becoming more attractive for foreign giants like Intel," Von der Leyen said of the announcement that the semiconductor company picked Germany for a new chip fabrication plant. Role of law Riding on the success of the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), which has set the standards for data and privacy regulations in parts of the USA, Asia-Pacific and, very soon, India, the European Union believes a set of strong regulations will boost technology opportunities. "We must protect people and their rights with clear rules," Von der Leyen said. The Israeli army attributed her death to fire from Palestinian forces in a clash with Israeli soldiers. However, Al Jazeera's Ramallah bureau chief Walid al-Omary said there had been no shooting by Palestinian gunmen. The Palestinian Journalists Syndicate (PJS) said that this crime was "deliberate and planned to assasinate her". "There are a few testimonies from the journalists who were with her when she was killed, saying that they were moving as a group, all wearing journalists' gear and clearly identified when they were shot at by Israeli snipers, they were the only group in the street. There were no demonstrators or exchange of fire", the union said in a statement. "What we know for now is that the Palestinian health ministry has announced her death. Shireen Abu Akleh, was covering events unfolding in Jenin, specifically an Israeli incursion into the city, which is in the north of the occupied West Bank, when she was hit by a bullet in the head," said Ibrahim, speaking from the Palestinian city of Ramallah. "As you can imagine, this is a shock for the journalists who have been working with her." She was a "highly respected journalist", she added. Al Jazeera producer, Ali Samoudi, was also shot in the back with a live bullet. Samoudi is reported to be in stable condition. Giles Trendle, managing director of Al Jazeera English, said the network was "shocked and saddened" by the death of Shireen Abu Akleh and called for a transparent investigation into her murder. "As journalists, we move on. Our mission is to move forward. We will not be silenced despite attempts to silence us," Trendle said. "Our mission is to continue to inform the world of what is happening. And that is more important than ever". Gerry Ortega called out corruption on his radio show but the man suspected of ordering his murder is free and standing for provincial governor, writes Redempto D. Anda for openDemocracy. The saddest part of the Gerry Ortega murder case is that, 11 years after his assassination, his family remains deprived of the justice they deserve. That, and the fact that despite a heap of evidence pointing to the man accused of masterminding Gerrys death former provincial governor Joel Reyes the trial of the latter has hardly moved forward. I will never forget the day Gerry was shot in the back of his head by a hired gunman from a faraway province of our country, the Philippines. We were to have our regular coffee chat that afternoon; I was to show him some research I had done on the corruption case that he was tackling on his radio programme. He wanted to discuss with me a plan to launch a petition against mining in our province, Palawan. Environmental protection was his other favourite commentary subject as he took on big business and the politicians behind them. His primetime radio programme, Ramatak (which translates as an outpouring of many issues), was intense and unforgiving to those he perceived as corrupt. For that he had made a lot of enemies, as had many journalists in the provinces. When I arrived at the scene of the crime and saw his lifeless body lying on a pool of blood on the floor of an untidy used-clothes shop, I was overwhelmed with grief. But that was only momentary as my sadness was gradually taken over by fear and anxiety: I imagined myself lying on the floor with him. For I knew what got him killed. Media killings in the Philippines have stifled journalism, particularly for independent media. Like Gerry Ortega, they are the ones most exposed to the violent culture of politics that pervades the country. This is the toxic air we have been breathing for years, but during the past six years alone when President Rodrigo Duterte has been in power at least 22 journalists have been killed nationwide, in addition to several hundred political activists murdered or wrongfully detained, according to the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines. Here is how impunity thrives in the Philippines: hardly any cases of media killing have been successfully prosecuted in court, not even when the evidence is as overwhelming as that of Gerrys case. Each case of journalist-killing is unique but they share a common political landscape, one characterised by violence and a weak judicial system. By exploiting the many flaws in the countrys judicial system, Reyes to this day remains free, eluding a fresh arrest warrant issued against him by a Palawan court. The case has dragged on this long mainly because at the onset of the investigation he fled the country and hid overseas for about four years until he was captured in Thailand. The motive for Gerrys murder was clear enough: he was killed because of his expose on local political corruption. This had been established not only by police investigation but even by a Senate blue ribbon inquiry. Yet to this day, the judicial process has not had a chance to examine the evidence. The continuing tragedy here is the perpetuation of the murderous political system that has stifled the media, particularly independent rural and community media. A long-time local kingpin, Reyes recently made a daring bid for political comeback after being in detention for several years, filing his candidacy for governor in the May 2022 local elections. Whatever the outcome of the elections, though, impunity will remain as manifested in the Gerry Ortega murder and the many other cases like it. Redempto D. Anda is a journalist in Palawan, the Philippines. He is a correspondent for the Philippine Daily Inquirer and editor-in-chief of Palawan News. This article was originally published by openDemocracy. The wife of Belarusian journalist Denis Staji who was assaulted and tortured by unknown persons in Ukraine last month, has spoken out about the attack against him. The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) strongly condemned the attack and have urged the authorities to take immediate steps to investigate the case and bring those responsible to justice. Denis Staji had moved to Ukraine in 2018 and contributed to the Ukrainian news websites EnergoBusiness and Delovaya Stolitsa . His wife, Victoria Lavnikevich, and son were on a two-week trip to western Ukraine when they lost contact with Staji on 9 April. After three days, Lavnikevych returned to Kiyv and found him in their flat, unconscious and wrapped in rubbish bags, with signs of abuse all over his body. She explained . "It was very difficult to remain silent about what happened for several weeks. I was asked very much in the interests of the investigation not to publish this information earlier. Now, finally, I can do it", she added . In photos Lavnikevich posted on social media, Staji can be seen with deep bruises on his arms, torso and feet, and lacerations on his back, ribs and buttocks. "Judging by his condition, he was tortured and beaten for several days in a row. He was wrapped in rubbish bags, with a blanket over his head, his mouth full of dirt and a clear mark of handcuffs on his wrists. He was especially beaten on his head, ribs, kidneys, arms, legs and toes. There were knife cuts: on the ribs, back, buttocks", Lavnikevych said . After finding him, he was taken to hospital and the doctor said that he had been poisoned by an unknown substance, but after two days it was not possible to establish its composition. It caused severe damage to the nervous system and half of the lungs. Staji was forced to drink a mixture of alcohol with barboval and septil, and that he was probably injected with methadone or scopolamine, according to his wife. She found a needle from a syringe with traces of an unknown liquid in the rubbish bin, alongside used cotton wool. Lavnikevych noted that the flat was destroyed, but no valuables or money were missing. "This suggests that the main purpose of the attack was not theft: the information is missing. There is reason to believe that one of the tasks of the attack was to take control of the Telegram channels and chats that we created for Belarusians in Ukraine, which we stopped moderating last autumn because of threats, and which we were forced to moderate again because of the war in Ukraine. The second task was to physically eliminate Denis after receiving the necessary information", she said . She claims that the reason for the attack could be Staji's launch over the past few years of a large network of Telegram channels and chats for Belarusians in Ukraine, which began with the channel "Adventures of Belarusians in Kiev" . This network has become the largest media outlet covering the Belarusian diaspora in Ukraine, says Lavnikevych. Recently, two activists in Belarus have been eliminated in a completely identical manner. IFJ General Secretary Anthony Bellanger said: "We strongly condemn this clear act of intimidation and torture against Denis Staji. We call on the authorities to take urgent steps to investigate the case and punish those responsible''. Earlier this week, I had a chance to talk to Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky about a range of topics, including new features the company is introducing. First, however, we talked about the company's move to let its employees live and work anywhere, and how he came up with a plan that made sense for Airbnb. You can listen to the full interview here: Airbnb is in an interesting position, since not only is the company putting in place a policy that allows its team to be fully remote, but it has also seen the way people are using its product to do just that. Every company is trying to figure this out, and a lot of them have defaulted to what has become known as "hybrid work." In many cases, that means employees are required to be in the office three days a week while working from home the rest of the time. According to Chesky, that form of hybrid work isn't going to work. What a lot of people did is they create a thing called hybrid. And hybrid was two days a week or three days a week in the office--which kind of doesn't give you a lot more flexibility than the old world. I thought maybe there was a different form of hybrid. Maybe instead of asking you to come in three days a week, which I don't think will work because three days a week will become two days a week, and two days a week will become one day a week, and then everyone comes in the office a different one day a week. And so I thought maybe there was a different form of hybrid, where we combined the efficiency of Zoom with the infrequency, but the meaningfulness, of interpersonal interaction by getting together one week a quarter. And frankly, if that's not enough, we can adjust it. For a lot of companies, it seems like the default assumption is that employees need to be back in the office for at least some structured amount of time. Largely that's because the people who make decisions about how employees work are usually people who have spent their entire career working in an office. "Most of the people saying that they want everyone back to the office are over 50," Chesky says. "There's just a demographic thing, like the older you are, the more inclined you are to be uncomfortable with the idea of flexibility and digitization. I understand that. It's a generational thing." That doesn't, however, mean it has to be that way. A better version of hybrid work, according to Chesky, is that the default assumption about where you work is that you'll be wherever you work best. For most people that's probably home, or an Airbnb in some far-off, inspiring location. Chesky himself has been working from different Airbnbs for the past few months. Then, companies can bring people together for extended periods, a week or two, to do the things you can't do virtually, like build meaningful relationships with your team. That doesn't have to be at an office--in fact, it's probably better if it isn't. If your goal is to create relationships and connections with your team, take them somewhere that is likely to happen. One of the most interesting things about our conversation is the reason Chesky is so bullish on giving employees the flexibility to live anywhere. For Airbnb, it means the company can recruit the very best people without worrying about whether they're willing to relocate. The best people don't live in New York, they don't live in San Francisco, the best people live everywhere. And some of them are in New York and San Francisco, but they're really everywhere. And so, as a CEO, I have to make a calculation. If I limit my talent pool to a radius near my office, does the increase in productivity of their being near my office overcome the lack of talent I can hire? In other words, if I can hire someone in Ohio, and they are twice as good, that means the person near me has to be twice as productive. Otherwise, I'm at a net loss. At the end of the day, I think talent wins. I think ultimately people are going to make a calculation, that the efficiency of being in close proximity is less than the efficiency of having more capable people if they're dispersed, because ultimately every company is in the market for talent. It's worth mentioning that Chesky has the data to back it up. He says that despite the pandemic, the company just had its most productive two years ever. That came while his team was working remotely, which gave him the confidence to make it the default. A lot of that productivity came in terms of improving the product. Chesky told me Airbnb made 150 changes to the product just last year alone. Today, however, Airbnb announced what Chesky describes as its biggest upgrade yet, letting you search not just by destination but also by type of property. Want to stay in the coolest treehouse? Now, you can search for treehouses. You can do the same for national parks, or great pools, or cabins, or any one of a number of categories. In fact, Airbnb has categorized all of its listings to give users a far better search experience. And for travelers who want to stay longer, Airbnb is allowing you to split your stay at multiple locations within one search. The bottom line is that Airbnb is making the product better at the same time it's focused on making its company better for the people who work there. I don't think that's a coincidence at all. Jet Support Services, Inc. (JSSI), the leading independent provider of maintenance support and financial services to the business aviation industry, has appointed Tim Elberfeld as chief financial officer and named Ken Goodman as chief underwriting officer. Both Elberfeld and Goodman will report directly to the CEO, Neil Book. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220510005978/en/ Tim Elberfeld, chief financial officer of JSSI (Photo: Business Wire) Elberfeld brings more than 20 years of experience across global businesses in all aspects of finance and accounting, including M&A and system implementations, to his new role as chief financial officer and head of information technology at JSSI. It is with a lot of excitement that we welcome Tim to the team as we embark on our next chapter of growth and transformation at JSSI. Tims experience and leadership has already been felt across the organization, said Neil Book, chairman and CEO of JSSI. Elberfeld was previously at TransUnion for 10 years, an information, risk and fraud prevention solutions company, where he held leadership roles including chief accounting officer and chief financial officer of the Africa region, based in Johannesburg, South Africa. Elberfeld began his career at PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) where he led cross-border engagements for clients in their execution of complex acquisitions, divestitures, and carve-outs for over 12 years, including a multi-year secondment in Zurich, Switzerland. I am excited to join JSSI and be part of an organization that works hard every day to deliver world-class solutions and support to its diverse customer base. I look forward to working with my colleagues at JSSI to help drive the business into the future, said Elberfeld. After serving as JSSIs chief financial officer for six years, Goodman will now lead the organizations pricing, asset management and insurance efforts as chief underwriting officer. Goodman brings more than 20 years of executive financial experience, having formerly been senior vice president of financial planning and analysis at NetJets and vice president of finance for real estate and stores at Victorias Secret. I am grateful to Ken for the tremendous job hes done as CFO over these last six years. Im excited to see him take on this new challenge and apply his industry knowledge to take our underwriting organization to the next level. He brings a sense of focus, precision and clarity to the critical pricing process, which will ultimately improve the service and value we deliver for our hourly cost maintenance clients, added Book. ENDS About Jet Support Services, Inc. For more than 30 years, Jet Support Services, Inc. (JSSI), has been the leading independent provider of maintenance support and financial services to the business aviation industry. JSSI maintains more than 2,000 aircraft across the globe, serving customers through an infrastructure of certified technical advisors. JSSI leverages this technical knowledge, experience, buying power and data to provide support at every stage of the aircraft life cycle. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220510005978/en/ A Los Angeles woman who was arrested Sunday in connection with the deaths of her three children made her first court appearance Wednesday. Los Angeles Police say Angela Flores, 38, admitted to killing the kids, who ranged in age from 8 to 12, with the assistance of a 16-year-old who was also arrested. Advertisement Flores arraignment on three counts of murder was scheduled for Wednesday, but she agreed to postpone it until Aug. 10, local Fox affiliate KTTV reported. Flores was held at the Van Nuys Jail on $6 million bail. Angela Flores The children whose bodies were found Sunday in their West Hills, Calif., home were identified Tuesday as 12-year-old Natalie Flores, 10-year-old Kevin Yanez and 8-year-old Nathan Yanez in an announcement by the Los Angeles County coroners office, KNBC reported. Advertisement [ Los Angeles woman arrested on Mothers Day after three children found dead at home ] Candles are pictured in the Los Angeles neighborhood on Monday where officials say three children were found dead. (Damian Dovarganes/AP) A neighbor said Flores could be heard on Saturday claiming to be abused by my family before she entered the backyard of another home, holding a bible and candle, according to the Los Angeles Daily News. The family is shocked and saddened by this horrific situation, and they ask that everyone respect their privacy, relatives of Kevin and Nathan Yanez said in a statement. For years, she was known as 'Akshara.' Hina Khan was Television's favorite face before she transitioned into reality shows and OTT series and made heads turn on international red carpets. After her stint on Bigg Boss, Hina Khan rose to enviable popularity, which opened several doors for the actor. Instagram Hina Khan made headlines when she made a smashing debut on the Cannes Red Carpet in 2019. That year, Khan became one of the most talked-about Indian celebrities to walk the Cannes red carpet. reuters After three years, Khan is all set to return to Cannes. Reuters According to reports, a source said, Instagram "Hina's Indo English film 'Country of Blind' is all set for a poster launch at the Cannes Film Festival, and hence Hina will be seen once again at the Cannes Red Carpet. All eyes are on Hina because she truly made a big bang in her debut year when she walked not once but twice and was appreciated for both her looks. Many celebrities and the entire industry cheered for Hina's journey and her hard work as she represented India at the most significant film festival worldwide." 'Country of Blind' is directed by Rahat Kazmi and co-produced under the Hiros Faar Better Films banner. Fans are excited to see Hina make India proud on the red carpet again. never forget how hina khan made the world fall in love with her red carpet look at cannes #Hinakhan #Cannes2022 pic.twitter.com/JACgYLWqG7 (@lazy_being_) May 10, 2022 Congo Mam well deserved. So happy for her.Though ppl hate her but I hve followed her from YRKKH days and watched only one Bigg Boss Season that too for her I really like the way she carries herself she is genuine and real and always speaks from her heart. Love to her#HinaKhan pic.twitter.com/GfthdLKBx9 Aman (@AmanDVSJ) May 10, 2022 She sets high goals & aim high & in order to achieve it put her lots of efforts & sweat out for long hrs. in a day & Here is Our Queen to rock once again for her venture CountryOfBlind in #Cannes2022..#HinaKhan name is enough@eyehinakhan pic.twitter.com/AuJ2C4j5gy vandana (@vandanak7023) May 10, 2022 When Hina Khan made her debut at Cannes Film Festival in 2019, she found major support from global superstar Priyanka Chopra. The duo had even partied together after the festival. Talking about how Priyanka made her feel at home, Hina had written in an Instagram post, An unexpected invitation by a world star.. personally, after I gained consciousness and prepared myself to finally make it, I was still an outsider but only until you arrived. You didnt need to, but still never left my hand for a second, introduced me to the people I probably wouldnt have met and I felt as if all the achievements of my little career happening in fast forward as you present me as a star to each one of them. You somehow know everything ..as you mentioned my debut film and praised me for my hard work and appreciated me for the risks I have taken in my choices. Hina launched the poster of 'Lines' in 2019 at the Cannes Film Festival. Khan went on to bag many awards for the same. (To get the latest updates from Bollywood and Hollywood, keep reading Indiatimes Entertainment.) Global issues are so named because their impacts and damages are ubiquitous. Naturally, the solutions to these issues will also require efforts at the international level. Due to rising temperatures, serious changes are occurring in our climate, which in turn causes severe consequences for future food security, water resources, health as well as biodiversity. Shutterstock Recently, a study published in Geophysical Research Letters, suggests that the blue blob slowed down Icelands glacier melting. It is noteworthy that not all other the surrounding glaciers of the Arctic observe the same. What is Blue Blob? A cold patch found in the south of Iceland and Greenland is called the Blue Blob. There is not much information about the blue bob but recent studies suggested that it might help in slowing the melting of Arctic sea ice. During the winter of 2014-15, the patch was most prominent when the sea surface is colder than normal, which was about 1.4 degrees Celsius. Is blue blob slowing down glacial melting? File Photo The blob slowed down Icelands glacier melting and not all other the surrounding glaciers of the Arctic observe the same, suggested the study published in Geophysical Research Letters. According to Euronews.com, Brice Noel, lead author and a post-doc at the Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Research in Utrecht, said his research team found out that the rate of loss dramatically slowed down from 2011, which was faster in the 21st century. Among many theories behind the cold patch, one is the weakened ocean current in the Northern Atlantic which usually carries heat up from the tropics. Another research in 2020 indicated that anthropogenic factors resulted in a blob, due to the formation of low-level clouds and deflection of sunlight in the region. The blue blob is not usual The blob does not follow standards because, with a global rise in temperatures by an average of 1C over the last century, the temperature of the blob dropped by about 0.9C. Iceland is comparatively more exposed to maritime influences and the ocean than Greenland, it exhibits the blob has maintained its glaciers unharmed due to cooler convection of air. Brice Noel said that ..it really shows you have these interactions between land, ice, atmosphere and ocean. And all of those combined can create some kind of feedback mechanism that is slowing down mass loss, but unfortunately only for a temporary moment. Taking satellite observations and fieldwork into account, the study projected that these glaciers actually go back to a surface mass balance (SMB) of zero for a short period of time in the late 2040s. However, the narrative of global warming will be flipped by the mid-2050s. What if the blue blob stops cooling? Scientists suggest that when the blob will stop cooling, the speed of ice melting will become even faster than it can be replaced. Projections depict that warming in the Blob region will come back again in the second half of this century. It is also estimated that if the world continues to ignore climate change, glaciers will lose a third of their total volume by the end of the century. Arctic region is warming four times faster The Arctic region is said to be warming four times faster than the global average. With losing an average of 11 tons of ice annually, the glaciers of Iceland shrank from 1995 to 2010. However, the slower speed of Icelands melting in 2011 resulted in about 5 billion tons per year, about half as much ice loss. The same was not observed in nearby, larger glaciers across Greenland and Svalbard. It is also proposed by other scientists that the Blue Blob is part of the normal sea surface temperature variability in the Arctic. The year 2014-15 observed record cold winters, which caused the upwelling of cold, deep water, even as ocean temperatures around the region warmed due to climate change. What is climate change? According to IPCC, climate change is defined as a change in the state of the climate that can be identified (e.g., by using statistical tests) by changes in the mean and/or the variability of its own properties and that persists for an extended period, typically decades or longer. Anthropogenic activities and global warming Due to human activities, our climate is changing constantly and intensely. Climate holds an important place in many aspects of our lives- such as food production, transport, economy, water, air, wildlife and health. Since the industrial revolution, the temperature has risen by 1 degree Celsius making the world warmer and warmer, which is known as global warming which causes our climate to change. Our oceans have also absorbed around 30% of the carbon dioxide released since the industrial revolution, causing the water to turn more acidic. Extreme weather is becoming more frequent and more intense. Flooding, droughts and forest over the last few decades. Flooding and droughts often damage farmlands and infrastructure, while forest fires carry severe risks to our health. Scarcity of proper food and water will make most of the land uninhabitable and can affect thousands of lives as people need to leave their own houses and move to some other place to live. For more on news and current affairs from around the world please visit Indiatimes News. A woman constable hired as part of the anti-Romeo squad under Mission Shakti has become a victim of abuse and rape. The cop has accused a fellow police officer of raping and abusing her. According to an Indiatoday report, the accused surrendered in court after about two and a half months. The policeman has been sent to jail for judicial custody. The timeline of events: PTI The woman constable from Girwan police station had complained about February 28. She had accused the cop at Baberu police station of sexually exploiting her on the pretext of marriage. In a written complaint, the victim had informed the Superintendent of Police (SP) about the incident complaining about the same. Shortly after her written complaint, a legal case was registered. The Girwan police station in-charge is investigating the matter. According to the FIR, the accused and the woman constable were in an active sexual relationship. Representational Image The cop had reportedly promised to marry the victim. In the complaint, she mentioned, However, on February 21, I learned that the accused had a relationship with another woman he had secretly married. When I confronted the accused, he started threatening me, after which I blocked his number. He then showed up outside my station to threaten and pressure me further. It was then that I informed the station in charge about the matter. In the FIR, the female cop revealed that when she returned to her room that night, she had received a call from the accused asking her to meet. Representational Image On the call, he asked her to come out as part of his wicked plan of teaching her a lesson. Representational Image Confirming the case, Station House Officer (SHO) Girwan police station, Manoj Kumar, said, A woman constable had accused a cop, on whom a case was registered. The accused had appeared in court on Monday, where he surrendered. He has been sent to judicial custody, and further legal action is being taken. After 70 days, the accused had surrendered in the Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM) Court, after which he was sent to judicial custody. (For more on news and current affairs from around the world, please visit Indiatimes News.) Where is former Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa? This is the question most of Sri Lanka has been asking since Monday after he resigned from his post amid the out-of-control civil unrest in the country. The last they heard about the 76-year-old strongman was that he may have fled to a naval base in Trincomalee. AFP Where is Rajapaksa? But even there the former Prime Minister and his family are reportedly not safe as some protesters gathered outside the well-fortified naval base in on the northeastern coast. There are also reports that Rajapaksa, who is also the elder brother of the current Sri Lankan President has already or is attempting to flee the country, to India. The Indian High Commission in Sri Lanka on Tuesday refuted the speculations of Rajapaksa and his family fleeing to India, saying that these claims by social media users and media reports were fake and blatantly false. The High Commission has recently noticed rumours circulating in sections of media and social media that certain political persons and their families have fled to India. These are fake and blatantly false reports, devoid of any truth or substance. The High Commission strongly denies them, the High Commission said in a statement. Rajapaksa is not the only one from Sri Lanka's ruling party who has gone into hiding. AFP Since Monday houses and properties of some 40 ruling party politicians have been set on fire by angry protesters. Play with fire, you get burned It all began on Monday when scores of Rajapaksa loyalists attacked unarmed protesters camping outside the president's office at the sea-front Galle Face promenade in downtown Colombo since April 9. Amarakeerthi Athukorala an MP of the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) party opened fire at a group of protesters who had surrounded his SUV, killing one of them. Athukorala later took refuge in a nearby building and after it was surrounded by thousands of protesters the MP shot himself dead. As the violence spread the residence of former Minister Johnston Fernando in Mount Lavinia and the house of MP Sanath Nishantha was attacked by the protesters and set on fire. AFP Even the ancestral house of Rajapaksa in the city of Kurunegala in the north-western province was set on fire. Ruling party Trade Leader Mahinda Kahandagamage's residence in Colombo was also attacked. He was seen leading the charge on the two protest sites just hours before. #SriLanka has had enough with their corrupt government A former minister's car was thrown into the water by protesters in #Colombo. Residences, properties and vehicles of ruling party members are targeted across the island. @QtimeNetwork (Telegram) pic.twitter.com/g921NEm7NT JacSarobah (@17StQrm) May 10, 2022 Police ordered to go on the offensive With the violence showing no signs of slowing down, Sri Lankan police have reportedly been ordered to go on the offensive and use live ammunition to prevent "anarchy". AFP "We want the whole Rajapaksa clan out because they are so, so corrupt. They have been eating into Sri Lanka like a caterpillar eating into some fruit or leaf," activist Kaushalya Fernando told AFP. For more on news, sports and current affairs from around the world, please visit Indiatimes News. You call Delhi anything, but it sure isn't heartless. Yet, someone stole a red-coloured heart from the 'I love Delhi' sign installed near Karol Bagh selfie point. However, a good samaritan who goes by the name Karshin Khatri has ensured Dilli remains dilwalon ki after installing a makeshift heart in the same place. "Dil to aakhir dil hai na, chaahe plastic ka ho ya kagaz," the message on the makeshift heart reads. Instagram/houseofkhatri Taking to Instagram, Khatri shared a few pictures of the heart and wrote, Fixed the heart. Bob the builder ne karke dikha diya." Needless to say, the post soon went viral and people praised Khatri for his gesture. "Fixing a heart is not easy man. You did a heartful job," one user commented. "You did it man. Heartful. Delhi dil walo ki," another user commented. "Has to be the nicest thingggggg on internet today," a third user said. Earlier, the peak 'Dil chori sadda ho gaya' moment had seen the original 'heart' stolen from the 'I Love Delhi' installation. The heart was stolen within a month since its installation. Talk about stealing hearts. pic.twitter.com/8AYTXZlF6e Mirza Arif Beg (@Iammirzaarif) May 9, 2022 North Delhi Municipal Corporation (NDMC), in poetic appeal, said that people should steal hearts of others and not heart signs from public places. NDMCs Director (Press and Information), Vivek Prakash said it was unfortunate that someone had stolen the heart of Delhi, and appealed to people to exhibit civic sense in public and help in making the city more beautiful. Delhi is a city of people who are full of spirits (Dilli dilwalon ka shaher hai). And, I would say, people should steal heart of others and not heart signs from public place which have been put up as part of a beautification drive, he told PTI. Prakash said in these I Love Delhi series, the first installation was done in Rohini. The first such decorative signage was put up at Rohinis M2K market in sector-3 and that heart is still intact, so are a few other ones which were installed in Rohini later. Karol Bagh one was a continuation in this series, he added. Asked if a police complaint has been filed in this connection, the NDMC official said, We are looking into the matter. As per PTI, citing a senior police official, no complaint has been filed in this case. For more trending stories, follow us on Telegram. A Connecticut husband was convicted Tuesday of killing his wife in their home in 2015 a conviction based partially on data from the womans Fitbit health tracker. Richard Dabate, now 45, faces up to 60 years in prison for the murder of his wife, Connie Dabate, in their Ellington home on Dec. 23, 2015. Advertisement Richard Dabate, left, is pictured with his attorney in an April 2017 courtroom photo. (STEPHEN DUNN/AP) Dabate admitted that he was having an affair at the time and that his mistress was pregnant. She gave birth to their child in February 2016. In his story to police, Dabate claimed that an intruder with a voice like Fast and Furious actor Vin Diesels broke into their home, fatally shot his wife and then tied him up before escaping. Advertisement Connie and Richard Dabate are pictured together. (Facebook) But police poked holes in the story using data from Connies Fitbit. The health tracker showed Connie was still alive and moving around one hour after Dabate said the intruder had killed her. The thorough and thoughtful examination of technology was key to this investigation and was significant in proving that the defendant was guilty of this crime, prosecutor Matthew Gedansky told the Hartford Courant. In the end, though, this was another case of domestic violence. Dabate claimed that Connie knew about the affair, the Courant reported. However, no evidence backed up that claim, including her private list of reasons for wanting a divorce, which did not mention infidelity. Dabate was convicted of murder, lying to investigators and tampering with evidence, according the Courant. The jury debated for only a few hours. The case took more than six years because investigators collected so much evidence that it wasnt all compiled in court until July 2018. The COVID pandemic threw a wrench in things as well, because a jury was selected just weeks before the lockdowns of March 2020. That jury was eventually disbanded after the judge ruled theyd been empaneled for too long. Dabate spent the time out on bail, having posted the $1 million shortly after his arrest. He was jailed after Tuesdays verdict was read. His lawyers promised to appeal the conviction. With News Wire Services A New York state appeals court on Tuesday dismissed state Attorney General Letitia James lawsuit accusing Amazon.com Inc. of failing to adequately protect thousands of workers at two New York City facilities against COVID-19. The Appellate Division in Manhattan said federal law preempted James claims that Amazon violated state labor law by retaliating against two employees, Christian Smalls and Derrick Palmer, who protested against working conditions. It also said James effort to require Seattle-based Amazon, the second-largest U.S. private employer, to comply with state COVID-19 workplace guidelines was moot, because the state has withdrawn the guidance that she sought to enforce. The attorney generals office had no immediate comment. Amazon did not immediately respond to requests for comment. James sued Amazon in February 2021 over the online retailers health and safety protocols for workers at its JFK8 fulfillment warehouse in Staten Island and DBK1 delivery center in Queens, both in New York City. A state trial judge rejected Amazons bid to dismiss the case in October. But the appeals court said protests against unsafe working conditions relate to the workers participation in concerted activities for the purpose of mutual aid or protection, and were protected activity under the National Labor Relations Act. The four-judge panel also said issuing a ruling could pose a substantial risk of interference with the National Labor Relations Board, which is considering essentially the same allegations of retaliation. Amazon fired Smalls for allegedly violating a paid quarantine to lead a March 2020 protest, and gave Palmer a written warning for allegedly violating social distancing rules. Smalls and Palmer later formed the Amazon Labor Union, which workers at the Staten Island warehouse voted by a roughly 5-4 margin to join, according to results released last month. Turnout was about 58%. The vote was a major victory for U.S. organized labor, which has seen union membership rates fall by about half since the early 1980s, and viewed Amazon as a threat to workers because of its practices and reach across many industries. The case is New York v Amazon.com et al, New York State Supreme Court, Appellate Division, 1st Department, No. 2021-03934. (Reporting by Jonathan Stempel in New York; Additional reporting by Jeffrey Dastin in San Francisco; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama and Mark Potter) Topics Lawsuits New York Amazon A company that runs a day camp for kids in Massachusetts is blaming Benjamin Moore for a fire on its property, alleging that the manufacturers stain products caused materials to combust. According to the complaint filed in federal court in Massachusetts by New York firm CampGroup, the fire was caused by the spontaneous combustion of materials containing the Benjamin Moore stain products and happened after cleaning up after applying the stain. The complaint alleges that Benjamin Moore did not provide adequate warnings and instructions on how to properly use, dispose of and store materials exposed to its stain products. The plaintiff maintains that the stain products were defective and unreasonably dangerous because of an alleged propensity of self-heating and/or spontaneous combustion if materials used in the application of the product are not disposed of properly. The complaint accuses Benjamin Moore of negligence in its duty to exercise reasonable care in the design, formulation, manufacture, distribution, testing, warning, labeling, packaging and instruction and/or sale of the subject stain products. It also alleges breach of an impliedly warranty that the product be of merchantable quality and safe and fit for its intended use. CampGroup says that the fire resulted in severe damage to its property in Lenox, Massachusetts, a camp run by its subsidiary Mah-Kee-Nac Operating Co., LLC. The fire forced the company to vacate the premises for a period of time for repairs. The complaint does not cite a specific damages amount except to say it exceeds $75,000 and includes loss of the use and enjoyment of the Lenox property, as well as possible loss of business income. CampGroup also seeks interest, costs and attorneys fees. Benjamin Moore did not reply to a request for comment. Topics Massachusetts Lessors with hundreds of jets stuck in Russia are preparing for what one said would be a vigorous pursuit of insurance claims while maintaining discreet contact with some customers after Moscow blocked the jets from leaving. The loss of over 400 leased planes worth almost $10 billion since Western countries sanctioned Russia has led to a string of lessors writing down hundreds of millions of dollars in recent weeks. Dubai Aerospace Files Insurance Claims of $1B for Aircraft Stranded in Russia But the lessors, speaking at a major industry conference in Dublin, said they may have to wait years to find out how much they will secure from unpredictable battles with insurers. In the meantime they face much higher insurance bills. Practically speaking, I dont think anyones expecting to get their planes back anytime soon mentally were moving past it, said the head of U.S. lessor Aircastle, which has booked $252 million in impairment charges. That doesnt mean our teams arent still working and chasing, preparing for what we expect to be contested discussions with our insurance carriers, CEO Michael Inglese told the Airline Economics conference. Steven Udvar-Hazy, founder of Air Lease Corp., which has booked an impairment of $802.4 million, said it was pursuing vigorous insurance claims. The largest claim has been made by AerCap, the worlds biggest aircraft lessor, which has submitted a $3.5 billion insurance claim for more than 100 jets. Chief Executive Aengus Kelly acknowledged his firm was on the wrong side of the default, with the industrys largest Russia exposure, but said the insurance companies will have to settle at some point as he shrugged off higher premiums. Costs are going to go up, but Im not going to listen to what the insurance companies are saying because theyre going to face competition themselves at some point, he said. The head of Irelands Genesis, Karl Griffin, said it was one of the first lessors to renew insurance after Western sanctions halted all Russian leases adding it was not a pretty sight. Few can say how the looming battle between lessors and insurers will play out. S&P Global has forecast a huge range of aviation insurance losses of $6-15 billion. No one knows exactly where it will land, said Niels Jensen, co-head of aviation finance at Vinson & Elkins law firm, who said it will come down to the specific policy wording. Lawyers say the most heated issue involves the number of occurrences or trigger events involved in Russias default. That judgment could sway the value of settlements dramatically. In London, multiple leading law firms have been lined up to do battle over the implications of that single, sparse term. Dubai-based lessor DAE Capital, which described its $538 million write-off as manageable, said it expected to collect on insurance. It will just take time, Chief Executive Firoz Tarapore told the conference. We Didnt Steal Even as many write off assets and pursue claims, a number of lessors said they were keeping some contact with private Russian airlines, which have in recent years relied heavily on Western lessors and have been good at paying bills. All said they were adhering strictly to sanctions. Were all pursuing the same strategy, making insurance claims, talking to the airlines, private airlines but there is not much they are allowed to do, said Dan Coulcher, Chief Commercial Officer of Willis Lease Finance, which on Monday took a $20.4 million impairment on two engines left in Russia. The Russian airlines who leased the planes were a lucrative market before the invasion. Lessors say the carriers want toavoid closing the door completely to future business, but are under heavy pressure from Moscow to cut ties. Russian President Vladimir Putin has said lessors from unfriendly countries violated their contractual obligations. We have many of them basically tell us on the phone: look were not crooks. We didnt steal your airplanes. We hope you get paid for your airplanes, but were both stuck, said John Plueger, chief executive of Air Lease Corp. Some airline officials have shied away from cellphones, with some adopting burner phones or meeting away from base. Obviously their concern (is) we dont know whos listening. And that fear escalated as the crisis went on, Plueger said. Dialog continues but is much more guarded he added. Russia makes up a modest 4% of global traffic but experts worry the claims battle could sour attitude to risk in general. I think the bigger thing is could we see the same thing happening in a much, much bigger country starting with a C in Asia, said Marc Iarchy, a partner at World Star Aviation. It will be a much bigger shock to the system. But its entirely possible, he warned. (Writing by Conor Humphries; editing by David Gregorio) Related: Topics Claims Russia Aviation Zurich Insurance Group AG is in advanced talks to sell a portfolio of German life insurance policies to Cinvens Viridium Group, the latest transaction in a busy corner of financial dealmaking, people familiar with the matter said. The portfolio includes roughly 20 billion euros ($21 billion) of liabilities, according to the people, who asked not to be identified because the information is private. Zurich could make an announcement as soon as this week on the planned sale, which may fetch around 500 million euros, the people said. An agreement hasnt been reached and the talks could still end without one, the people said. A sale also would be subject to regulatory approval. The market for back books or portfolios of old insurance policies is one of the most active in financial services as it provides an easy way for insurers to release capital. Theyre often bought by private equity-backed consolidators, which can take out costs and shift some of the funds into higher-yielding assets. French insurer AXA SA is also exploring a sale of German life insurance assets, people with knowledge of the matter said. The portfolio has attracted interest from suitors including Apollo Global Management Inc.s Athora arm, according to the people. Viridium has been doing deals in this space for years, buying Protektor Lebensversicherungs-AGs life insurance business in 2017 and Assicurazioni Generali SpAs German business Generali Lebensversicherung AG in 2019. Zurichs German unit said last year it was looking for a solution for part of its portfolio of high-interest policies so that it can focus on unit-linked products. The assets being sold by Zurich include policies with guaranteed payouts for customers. The insurer, led by Chief Executive Officer Mario Greco, is scheduled to announce quarterly earnings on May 12. A representative for Zurich declined to comment beyond previous statements. Spokespeople for Athora, Axa and Viridium also declined to comment. With assistance from Myriam Balezou and Alan Katz. Photograph: A flag flies outside the Zurich Insurance Group AGs headquarters in Zurich, Switzerland, on Thursday, Feb. 11, 2016. Photo credit: Michele Limina/Bloomberg. Copyright 2022 Bloomberg. Germanys Allianz said on Wednesday it would set aside another 1.9 billion euros ($2 billion) as it braces for the outcome of U.S. regulatory investigations into a multibillion-dollar trading debacle at its funds arm. The collapse of a $15 billion set of investment funds during the pandemic market turmoil in early 2020 has cast a long shadow over Germanys most valuable financial firm and one of the worlds largest asset managers. Inside Allianzs $4B Structured Alpha Fund Blowup: Red Flags and Fat Fees The new provision comes on top of 3.7 billion euros [$4 billion] the company set aside in February to cover litigation and U.S. regulatory investigations into the funds demise. It brings the total to 5.6 billion euros [$6 billion]. Allianz said Wednesdays booking hit its first-quarter net profit, which was 600 million euros [$633 million], less than the 1.9 billion euros analysts had expected. The collapse of the funds has been under investigation by the U.S. Justice Department and the Securities and Exchange Commission, Allianz has disclosed, as well as the subject of numerous investor lawsuits. The fresh charge clearly shows the enormous damage that has been done, said Ingo Speich, head of sustainability and corporate governance at Deka, a top Allianz investor. Allianz said the additional provision should cover the remaining costs it could incur. The sense of certainty suggests a settlement with the U.S. government could be in the offing. This provision booked is a fair estimate of its remaining financial exposure in relation to compensation payments to investors and to payments under any resolution of the governmental proceedings, Allianz said. Allianz said it was seeking a timely resolution to its talks with the DOJ and SEC. Its shares traded 3% higher in late Frankfurt trade, outperforming a 1% gain in the DAX index of blue-chips stocks. Allianz seems to have come a significant step closer to a conclusion on the risk from thefunds, said Steffen Weyl, a fund manager with Union Investment, which is an Allianz shareholder. Analysts with Jefferies said the provision, coming earlier and smaller than expected, removes a substantial overhang on the shares. CEO Oliver Baete has apologized to investors and shareholders for the matter, conceding not everything was perfect in the fund management. Baete and other top managers took a cut in last years bonuses as a result, though Baete earned 9% more in 2021 than a year earlier. The issue has worried Allianzs top shareholders and harmed its reputation with pension funds that provide a source of business for one of Germanys best known brands. The issue centers around Allianz funds that used complex options strategies to generate returns but racked up massive losses when the spread of COVID-19 triggered wild stock market swings in February and March 2020. For Allianz, which has 2.6 trillion euros of assets under management, the issue has already dented earnings. Its 2021 profit was the lowest since 2013. Investors in the so-called Structured Alpha set of funds have claimed some $6 billion in damages from the losses in cases filed in the United States. The set of funds catered in particular to normally conservative U.S. pension funds, from those for laborers in Alaska to teachers in Arkansas to subway workers in New York. The Arkansas Teacher Retirement System was the first of at least two dozen lawsuits lodged against Allianz in the aftermath of the collapse. The Arkansas pension fund, which had $1.6 billion in three Structured Alpha funds at the end of 2019, said in its July 2020 lawsuit that it had lost at least $774 million due to negligent mismanagement of the funds. It secured a settlement of $642 million, according to minutes of a board meeting. ($1 = 0.9489 euros) (Reporting by Tom Sims and Alexander Huebner; editing by Jason Neely, Mark Potter, Kim Coghill and Louise Heavens) Photo credit: Allianz.com Topics Allianz Major European power cable suppliers face a London class action that is seeking hundreds of millions of pounds in damages over allegations that a cartel led to inflated electricity charges for at least 30 million consumers in Britain. The proposed lawsuit, made public on Wednesday, alleges that Italys Prysmian SpA, Frances Nexans SA and Denmarks NKT A/S and three of their subsidiaries, overcharged network operators for power cables and that those costs have been passed on in higher consumer bills since 2001. Representatives for the companies did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The claim is being led by Clare Spottiswoode, the former head of Britains gas regulator, who said the lawsuit would seek as-yet unspecified compensation for people who had paid domestic electricity bills on or after April 2001. I hope this will send a warning sign to any corporates who might contemplate anti-competitive behavior in future and will recover appropriate redress for consumers who lost money as a result, she said. The European Commission paved the way for the case in 2014 when it fined 11 high voltage and submarine power cable companies, including the defendants, almost 302 million euros ($319 million) for operating a cartel between 1999 and 2009. Spottiswoode, who is being advised by law firm Scott+Scott, says British energy suppliers bought high voltage power cables at an artificially inflated price and alleges this was passed on to consumers through the regulatory price control regime. The case, which is being funded by Burford Capital, has been filed with the Competition Appeal Tribunal (CAT), a specialist London court that last August approved a bellwether 14 billion pound-plus ($17.3 billion-plus) consumer class action against global payments group Mastercard. The CAT will consider whether to certify the case as an opt-out class action, which automatically binds a defined group into a lawsuit unless individuals opt out. ($1 = 0.9478 euros) ($1 = 0.8103 pounds) (Reporting by Kirstin Ridley; editing by Mark Potter) Topics Lawsuits Europe A Michigan man accused of killing his wife used scissors to carry out the gruesome task, according to authorities. William Scott Grant is facing counts of first-degree murder, felony murder and torture in connection with the death of his 45-year-old wife Sarah Grant, the Wayne County Prosecutors office announced Tuesday. She was found suffering from multiple stab wounds and lacerations inside the garage of her home in Westland. Advertisement Authorities responded to residence on May 3 and Sarah Grant was pronounced dead on the scene. Scott Grant attempted to flee, but he was captured and arrested the following day. He has been denied bond, according to jail records. Advertisement According to a GoFundMe page created by her cousin, Lindsay Dunn, Sarah leaves behind two young daughters. Sarah was such a kind-hearted person, and she will never ever be forgotten! Dunn wrote. Her husband is being held without bail and he is due back in court on Mary 17 for a preliminary hearing. Howden, the London-based international insurance broker, announced the launch of xTrade Cargo, the first end-to-end digital trading platform dedicated to the oldest specialty class in the London market. This new initiative launched as a proof of concept in 2019 for cargo SME business and today provides 20 leading cargo carriers with access to the largest and most complex cargo risks in the sector. Cargo re/insurance has been written in the London market since 1686, but it has been much slower than other classes of business to adopt to technological change, Howden explained. xTrade Cargo builds on this urgent, market-wide need for line-specific digital solutions by providing a simple to use digital architecture and settlement system while enabling insurer participants to collect, share and integrate standardized risk data into their own pricing and modeling systems, the broker added. As a result, carriers are able to undertake a faster and more in-depth analysis and quoting of risk, leading to a more accurately priced and efficient trade, whose cost benefits can be passed onto the end client. Howden is able to capture this richer and more consistently laid out data-set to have more informed discussions with carriers in the pursuit of the best solution for clients. Howden currently transacts $160 million in gross written premiums, or approximately 10% of the total cargo market in London, with an aim to grow to $200 million GWP by the end of 2022. The platform, which is recognized by Lloyds for e-placement and will conform to the CDR (Core Data Record) data standard, is expected to be rolled out across all specialty lines. xTrade Cargo is a defining moment in the history of Londons oldest specialty class. In a market that has historically struggled to effectively adapt to the technology revolution, we have identified a line-specific digital trading platform where we can exchange data with carriers to help them bind complex open market business seamlessly, commented Jonathan Eaton, head of Cargo and Stock Throughput at Howden Specialty. Were delighted that a large group of leading capacity providers have been attracted by the significant pricing, speed and efficiency opportunities, the benefits of which can be passed on to their end clients, he added. Paul Hillier, managing director of Howdens xTrade platform, said: As a group, we have made significant investment into our digital capabilities to create data-driven solutions for our clients. We are working with a growing number of insurers to achieve this and xTrade Cargo is the next step in our strategy to roll out digital trading across all specialty classes. By delivering structured risk data to insurers in a format they want, our ambition is to become the broker of choice in the emerging digital marketplace. About Howden Broking Established in 1994, Howden today is a leading independent re/insurance broker, employing more than 9,000 people worldwide. It comprises owned businesses in the UK, Europe, Asia, Australia, New Zealand, Africa, Latin America and the Middle East. Together with network partners, Howden operates in more than 90 territories. Source: Howden Broking Topics Trucking Commercial insurance market Lloyds of London is encouraging members of its 100-odd syndicates to attend its annual general meeting next week online rather than in person, due to the threat of climate protests. Since Lloyds sent out invitations for the May 19 AGM on April 19, the risk of disruption has significantly increased, Chairman Bruce Carnegie-Brown said in a notice on the markets website dated May 10. Update: Climate Change Protesters Disrupt Lloyds Headquarters To ensure the safety and security of our members and to allow the meeting to proceed in an orderly and fair manner, it is with regret that I must now strongly encourage all members attending the AGM to join virtually and not to attempt to enter the Lloyds building on that day. Climate activist groups Extinction Rebellion and Mothers Rise Up have previously staged protests outside the Lloyds of London tower in the City of London, particularly around the markets underwriting of coal. An Extinction Rebellion spokesperson said the group did not plan any action for the Lloyds AGM. Instead of trying to hide from public anger by shifting their AGM online, Lloyds needs to be brave, take bold action and stop insuring morally hazardous projects, Extinction Rebellion UK said in an emailed statement. Mothers Rise Up said it was not planning action at the AGM but was separately meeting Carnegie-Brown on May 17. Lloyds, whose members insure large risks from ships to energy rigs, introduced its first climate strategy in 2020 and has asked syndicates to stop providing new cover for coal businesses. But activists say the policy does not go far enough, as it stops short of mandating that insurers pull out of coal. (Reporting by Carolyn Cohn, editing by Louise Heavens and Bernadette Baum) Photograph: Climate change protestors at Lloyds of London. Photo credit: Insurance Rebellion Topics Excess Surplus Lloyd's London Civil Unrest Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer announced this week that auto insurers should have issued the last of $400 per eligible vehicle insurance refunds by May 9 and that any residents who have not received their refund should contact their insurance company or the Department of Insurance and Financial Services (DFIS). In March Whitmer ordered the Michigan Catastrophic Claims Association to transfer $3 billion of surplus funds to insured drivers. Whitmer attributed the surplus and refunds in part to a 2019 law that curbed or cut what health providers and home aides can charge auto insurers. Thanks to the bipartisan auto insurance reform I signed in 2019, we have delivered $400 auto refund checks per vehicle totaling $3 billion to Michigan drivers, said Whitmer. Our efforts put money back in the pockets of Michigan drivers this year and have also delivered more than $1 billion in statewide premium savings since the law took effect. Lets continue finding ways to lower costs for families. Auto insurers were given 60 days until May 9 to issue refund checks. Residents who had a car, motorcycle, or RV that was insured to drive legally on Michigan roads as of 11:59 p.m. on October 31, 2021, are eligible for a refund, the DFIS said. The refunds are $400 per vehicle and $80 per historic vehicle. If you are eligible for a refund but have not yet received it, you should contact the auto insurer that covered your vehicle on October 31, 2021 to ensure that your refund has been issued, said DFIS Director Anita Fox.If you cannot reach a resolution with the insurance company, or if you were offered a refund in a form other than a paper check or direct deposit, call DIFS at 833-ASK-DIFS Monday through Friday, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. for assistance, or visit Michigan.gov/MCCArefund for more information. Topics Auto Michigan President Joe Bidens administration on Tuesday asked the U.S. Supreme Court not to hear Bayers bid to dismiss claims by customers who contend that its Roundup weedkiller causes cancer, as the company seeks to avoid potentially billions of dollars in damages. Solicitor General Elizabeth Prelogar, who represents the administration before the high court, said in a court filing that Bayers appeal should be rejected. Bayer shares on Wednesday plunged 6.3%, a loss of about 3.7 billion euros ($3.9 billion) in market value, to their lowest in seven weeks at 0735 GMT as traders dismissed any likelihood of the companys case being heard. The stock is still up more than 20% this year on a rebound in demand from farmers. Bayer last August petitioned the justices to reverse a lower courts decision that upheld $25 million in damages awarded to California resident Edwin Hardeman, a Roundup user who blamed his cancer on the German pharmaceutical and chemical giants glyphosate-based weedkillers. The Supreme Court in December asked Bidens administration to provide its views. The justices generally give deference to the solicitor generals conclusions. Bayer has argued that the cancer claims over Roundup and its active ingredient glyphosate go against sound science and product clearance from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The EPA has upheld guidance that glyphosate is not carcinogenic and not a risk to public health when used as indicated on the label. The lawsuits against Bayer have said the company should have warned customers of the alleged cancer risk. Prelogar rejected Bayers argument that the EPA label approval under a federal law called the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act preempts the failure to warn claims brought under state law. EPAs approval of labeling that does not warn about particular chronic risks does not by itself preempt a state-law requirement to provide such warnings, Prelogar wrote. The Supreme Courts decision on whether to take up the matter is being closely watched as Bayer maneuvers to limit its legal liability in thousands of cases. A company statement said Bayer believes it has strong legal arguments to support the Supreme Court taking up the case. Roundup-related lawsuits have dogged Bayer since it acquired the brand as part of its $63 billion purchase of agricultural seeds and pesticides maker Monsanto in 2018. Despite the recent share price recovery, all of Bayer only has a market value of about what it paid for Monsanto, burdened by the litigation. Bayer struck a settlement deal in principle with plaintiffs two years ago but failed to win court approval for a separate agreement on how to handle future cases. In July, Bayer took an additional litigation provision of $4.5 billion in case of an unfavorable ruling by the Supreme Court or in case the justices declined to consider its petition. The provision came on top of $11.6 billion it previously set aside for settlements and litigation over the matter. Bayer plans to replace glyphosate in weedkillers for the U.S. residential market for non-professional gardeners with other active ingredients. It has said it will continue to sell the herbicide to farmers, who rely on it heavily and whose role in the litigation has been described as negligible by Bayer. Bayer has put on hold the settlement of about 30,000 cases, out of 125,000 cases overall, as it awaits decisions by the Supreme Court. Bayer had asked the Supreme Court to review the verdict in Hardemans case, which was upheld by the San Francisco-based 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in May. Hardeman had regularly used Roundup for 26 years at his home in northern California before being diagnosed with a form of non-Hodgkins lymphoma. Related: Topics USA A court said that Elon Musks 2018 tweets that funding was secured to take Tesla private was inaccurate and reckless, saying there was nothing concrete about financing from Saudi Arabias sovereign wealth fund at that time. The decision by U.S. District Judge Edward Chen of San Francisco is a major victory for investors alleging that Musk inflated stock prices by making false and misleading statements, causing billions of damages. In 2018, Musk met with representatives of the Saudi Arabias Public Investment Fund and had a discussion about taking Tesla private, but evidence shows that there was nothing concrete about funding coming from the PIF, the judge wrote. Rather, discussions between Tesla and the PIF were clearly at the preliminary stage. No reasonable jury could find that Mr. Musk did not act recklessly given his clear knowledge of the discussions, he said. He said details such as the total amount of funding needed to take Tesla private or the price to be paid for Tesla stock were not discussed. The summary judgment, made on April 1, was sealed for more than a month before it was publicly available on Tuesday. It is hugely significant, shareholder attorney Nicholas Porritt, a partner at Levi & Korsinsky LLP told Reuters. He said it is rare that class action plaintiffs get summary judgment on falsity and scienter before going to a jury trial, scheduled in January. The remaining issue is what damages the intentionally false statement has caused to shareholders, he said. The judge refused to grant shareholders summary judgment on the question of whether or not the allegedly false statements actually impacted Teslas share prices. Musks lawyer, who has filed motions to undo the court decision, was not immediately available for comments. Musk said recently that funding was actually secured to take Tesla private in 2018. The latest ruling was in line with a complaint from the U.S. security regulator which sued Musk for fraud charges for the tweets in 2018. He settled with U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, stepping down as Tesla chairman, paying fines and agreeing to have a lawyer approve some of his tweets before posting them. Topics Mergers & Acquisitions Tesla Three Florida legislators will hold a town hall-type meeting Thursday to gain input from residents ahead of the special session called to examine the states property insurance issues. The gathering in Melbourne City Hall, starting at 6 p.m., was organized by Rep. Randy Fine, R-Palm Bay. Rep. Thad Altman, R-Indialantic, and Senate Majority Leader Debbie Mayfield, R-Indialantic, also will attend, according to a Florida Today news report. Fine said rising homeowner premiums have generated more phone calls and emails to his office than any other issue in recent months. Residents at the town hall will be able to voice their concerns about what should be done about the crisis. As the Legislature prepares to return to Tallahassee this month to tackle the crisis in property insurance, I want to give my constituents from around Brevard County the opportunity to share their perspective with me, Sen. Mayfield and Rep. Altman, as we figure out how to tackle this complex issue, Fine said in a statement. For me, this event will primarily be an opportunity to listen. At the top of the list of concerns, Fine said, is the number of inappropriate claims for supposed hail damage to roofs, which are resulting in increased expenses for the insurers and financial losses. Members of the public who sign up to speak on Thursday each will be given an amount of time, based on the total number wishing to speak, the newspaper reported. Gov. Ron DeSantis has called lawmakers to the May 23-27 session to examine a number of property insurance issues, including possible changes to the Florida Hurricane Catastrophe Fund that could help reduce the cost of reinsurance, along with ways to limit claims and litigation, including wider use of binding arbitration. Topics Legislation Florida Mt. Hood Skibowl in Oregon will keep cyclists off its forested trails this summer after losing a lawsuit from a man who said he slammed into a signpost and was paralyzed from the waist down. A Multnomah County jury awarded $11.4 million to Gabriel B. Owens this spring after the cyclists lawyers said he hit a rut and collided with a wooden sign installed next to the double black-diamond Cannonball bike trail on July 31, 2016, The Oreogonian/OregonLive reported. Owens, 43, settled the case for $10.5 million after the ski resorts lawyers threatened to appeal the jury verdict, which could have tied up the money for years, according to Owens lawyer, Gretchen Mandekor. The ski resort should have installed collapsible markers at the trail crossing, Mandekor said during the trial, likening the trails condition to a speed bump on a highway that caused the former pro-cyclist to lose control of his bike. In an undated statement on its website, Mt. Hood Skibowl called the verdict unprecedented and said it would temporarily suspend mountain bike operations this summer. After 32 years without a serious mountain bike claim of any kind, the winds have shifted, the company said. Eliminating all risks with recreational activities, especially in downhill mountain biking through forests at high speed, is something that is just not possible. Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Topics Oregon Answers Global market trend 2024-2026 The increased infectivity of each novel coronavirus variant may also affect the use of Nucleic Acid Extraction solution by Newsintegra927 The increased infectivity of each novel coronavirus variant may also affect the use of Nucleic Acid Extraction solution As immunity declines, the Biden administration predicts that as many as 100 million people could be infected this fall and winter with each novel coronavirus variant that increases its infectivity. Experts say this estimate makes it crucial that as many people as possible get a booster shot of COVID-19 vaccine. If you qualify, now is the time to get another shot. According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, less than half of eligible Americans -- only about a third of the population -- have received their first booster dose. Only about 10 million people have received a second dose of the vaccine, which is authorized for people age 50 and older, and people age 12 and older with moderately to severely impaired immune function. The CDC encourages people to be "up to date" on their COVID-19 vaccinations, including at the appropriate time, but still defines a person as "fully vaccinated" if they have received at least the initial series of vaccinations. But this week, a senior Biden administration official put it more bluntly: All adults need a third chance. Vaccination is the best way for individuals to protect themselves from COVID-19 infection, with at least three injections being most effective, the official said. Dr. Peter Marks, director of the FOOD and Drug Administration's Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, said making more Americans more resilient to COVID-19 could make a big difference in the number of cases. He told the American Medical Association on Monday that he was "a little concerned" about the direction of the COVID-19 pandemic. "It's really important that half or a little more than half of americans who have only had two doses get a third dose," Marks said. "That could have an impact here, especially as we're entering another wave of COVID-19, that could have an impact." The current rising number of COVID-19 cases is very different from the initial omicron surge in the U.S., but as of Monday, the U.S. was averaging 71,577 new cases a day, according to Johns Hopkins University. Currently, the highest rate of cases is in the northeastern United States, where vaccination is best. Nearly half of Vermont's population is fully vaccinated and enhanced, and more than 40% are in Maine, Rhode Island, Connecticut and Massachusetts, according to the CDC. But cases have also begun to rise in the south, where less than a quarter of the population has been vaccinated. In North Carolina, Alabama and Mississippi, fewer than one in five people received booster shots. Buy high quality and effective DNA & RNA nucleic acid extraction reagent, lab consumables, automatic nucleic acid extractions, real-time PCR equipment and consumables. Send an email to: info@geneture.com and our professional sales engineer will get back to you within 48 hours. Overview of market area prospect of Nucleic Acid Extraction solution By region, the market is segmented into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, and the Middle East and Africa (MEA). North America is further divided into countries such as the United States and Canada. The European region is further divided into The United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Russia and the rest of Europe. The Asia Pacific region is further subdivided into China, Japan, Korea, India, Australia, Southeast Asia and the rest of Asia Pacific. The Latin America region is further subdivided into Brazil, Mexico and the rest of Latin America, and the MEA region is further divided into GCC, Turkey, South Africa and the rest of MEA. Market Demand of the Nucleic Acid Extraction solution The DNA/RNA Extraction Kit market and other Nucleic Acid Extraction solutions are projected to grow at a CAGR of 8.26% during the forecast period 2022-2027. The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted the Nucleic Acid Extraction solution market for a short time due to restrictions on different business and research activities for Nucleic Acid Extraction solutions. In addition, diagnostic tests for other diseases and medical conditions in hospitals and other clinical diagnostic facilities have been affected as COVID-19 has led to fewer patients taking tests. However, the high rate of COVID-19 infection and research activities are undertaken by major companies in the field of sequencing to expand their understanding of the virus and its origins, as well as molecular diagnostics of the SARS-COV-2 virus, have led to the development and launch of many DNA - and RNA-BASED COVID-19 kits, The kits proved so important that they were in great demand. Market drivers for the Nucleic Acid Extraction solution The growth of the DNA/RNA extraction kit market is primarily driven by increased investment in R&D activities in different areas, including molecular diagnostics for different chronic and infectious diseases. For example, the US spent $842 billion on R&D activities in 2020, followed by China at $664 billion, according to the ORGANISATION for Economic Co-operation and Development. Technological advances worldwide, new product launches by major market players, and an increase in cancer cases are also likely to complement the growth of the markets under study. Other factors, such as increased demand for automation of DNA/RNA extraction technologies, new user-friendly and easy extraction kits, and DNA/RNA for analysis of new diseases causing microorganisms, are expected to drive DNA/RNA growth. RNA Extraction Kit market during the forecast period. Therefore, low awareness and availability of the kit and low market penetration in less developed and developing regions around the world are the major factors limiting the growth of the DNA/RNA extraction kit market. North America is expected to dominate the global Nucleic Acid Extraction solution market during the forecast period North America, which holds a major share in the Nucleic Acid Extraction solution market, is expected to show a similar trend during the forecast period, mainly due to the high level of R&D activity in the region and the presence of major market players in the region constantly developing their products for the markets studied. In the region, the US is expected to take a major share of the DNA/RNA extraction kit market due to heavy investment in R&D by government and private entities, increased demand for Nucleic Acid Extraction solutions, and the rising prevalence of chronic diseases. The Nucleic Acid Extraction solution professional supplier-Geneture Geneture is a professional supplier of Nucleic Acid Extraction Reagent,Automatic Nucleic Acid Extraction,Lab consumables, Real-time PCR, Covid-19 Rapid Test Supplier. Buy high quality and effective DNA & RNA nucleic acid extraction reagent, lab consumables, automatic nucleic acid extractions, real-time PCR equipment and consumables. Feel free to get a qutoe send an email to: info@geneture.com and our professional sales engineer will get back to you within 48 hours. Inquery us News Global ZrSi2 Powder market trend 2023-2030 Introduction to Zirconium Silicide ZrSi2 Powder by Newsintegra927 Recently, the EU proclaimed new sanctions on Russia, including coal, timber, rubber, cement, and fertilizer, as well as high-end seafood ZrSi2 Powder. Introduction to Zirconium Silicide ZrSi2 Powder Zirconium silicide or zirconium disilicide is an organic compound, the chemical formula ZrSi2, is one of the silicides of zirconium. It can be made by the reaction of silicon and zirconium at 1100 C or by the reaction of silicon and zirconium dioxide: ZrO2 + 4Si -- ZrSi2 + 2SiO When heated in the air, it forms a protective film of zirconium silicate. Physicochemical Properties of Zirconium Silicide ZrSi2 Powder ZrSi2 is insoluble in water, inorganic acid, and aqua regia, but soluble in hydrofluoric acid. As a zirconium-silicon intermetallic compound, ZrSi2 is a kind of ceramic material with high hardness, high melting point, high conductivity, high heat conductivity, and good thermal shock resistance to high temperature. Zirconium Silicide ZrSi2 Powder Properties Other Names zirconium(IV) silicide, zirconium disilicide, ZrSi2 powder CAS No. 12039-90-6 Compound Formula ZrSi2 Molecular Weight 147.4 Appearance gray black powder Melting Point N/A Boiling Point N/A Density 4.88g/cm3 Solubility in H2O insoluble Exact Mass 145.858557 Zirconium Silicide ZrSi2 Powder CAS 12039-90-6 Applications of Zirconium Silicide ZrSi2 Powder ZrSi2 can be used as fine ceramic raw material powder to make crucibles or semiconductor film. Related Elements Si Silicon Silicon (atomic symbol Si, atomic number 14) is an element of unit P in group 14 of period 3, with an atomic mass of 28.085. The number of electrons in each shell of silbohr silicon is 2,8,4, and its electron configuration is [Ne] 3s2, 3p2. The radius of a silicon atom is 11 pm and the van der Waals radius is 210pm. By weight, silicon makes up 25.7 percent of the earth's crust and is the second most abundant element after oxygen. These metals rarely exist in pure crystal form and are usually made from an iron-silicon alloy called ferrosilicon. Element Silicon (or silicon dioxide), such as sand, is the main component of glass, which is one of the cheapest materials and has excellent mechanical, optical, thermal, and electrical properties. Ultra-pure silicon can be doped with boron, gallium, phosphorus, or arsenic to produce silicon, which is used in transistors, solar cells, rectifiers, and other solid-state devices widely used in the electronics industry. Zr Zirconium Zirconium (Zr, atomic symbol Zr, atomic number 40) is a group D element of period 5 with an atomic mass of 91.224. Each zirconium layer has an electron number of 2,8,18,10,2 and an electron configuration of [Kr]4d2 5s2. The zirconium atom has a radius of 160pm and a van der Waals radius of 186pm. In its elemental form, zirconium has a silvery-white appearance similar to that of titanium. The main mineral of zirconium is zircon (zirconium silicate). Zirconium is commercially produced as a by-product of titanium and tin mining and has many applications as an opaque and refractory. It is not a free element in nature. Zirconium plays an important role in industrial, medical, and defense applications around the world. Zircon metals are used as key components in many alloys due to their high strength and corrosion resistance. Zirconium alloys with high compressive strength are used in important naval and aerospace industries as components of submarine casings and high-speed aircraft alloys. Zircon's low neutron absorption properties make it irreplaceable in the inner components of fusion engines. In addition, zirconium silicate and zirconium dioxide are minerals with high refractive index and wear resistance, so they can be used in high-temperature furnace lining, refractory ceramics, and nanotechnology industries. Main Supplier of Zirconium Silicide ZrSi2 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 zirconium silicide ZrSi2 powder, please feel free to contact us and send an inquiry. ([email protected]) U.S. oil prices surged about 10% to $105.14 a barrel. This is the highest level since 2014. The world benchmark Brent stock futures oil price soared by about 8% to $105.40 per barrel. The most direct rise in crude oil is inflation. The rise in oil prices means that people's food, clothing, housing, ZrSi2 Powder also fluctuates. If you want to know the ZrSi2 Powder, please feel free to contact us. Inquery us Wholesale gas prices will likely stay elevated for some time as a decision by Ukraine over a transit pipeline increases uncertainty about the future of supplies for European businesses and households, a leading consultancy has warned. Capital Economics said the decision over one of the pipelines in Ukraine bringing Russian natural gas to Europe just adds to our conviction that Europe is going to struggle to meet its gas needs over the next year. It said that gas prices would likely stay elevated to at least next spring. Ukraine said yesterday it could no longer accept Russian gas flowing through one of the pipelines supplying gas from Russia, although other flows at another pipeline transiting the country had increased. European gas prices fell slightly late yesterday to trade at 97.25 per megawatt-hour for gas delivered in August, but traded at a historically high 75 for delivery in the summer of 2023. Meanwhile, the latest US inflation report, showing that the annual rate of inflation had slowed to 8.3% in April, has done little to ease expectations for rate increases by the US Federal Reserve and the ECB. ECB president Christine Lagarde said a first interest-rate increase in more than a decade may follow weeks after its net bond-buying ends early next quarter, joining a growing crowd of policy makers signalling a move as soon as July. Ms Lagarde said: The first rate hike, informed by the ECBs forward guidance on the interest rates, will take place some time after the end of net asset purchases. We have not yet precisely defined the notion of some time, but I have been very clear that this could mean a period of only a few weeks, she said in a speech in Ljubljana in Slovenia. Despite the war in Ukraine raising the spectre of stagflation in Europe, money markets are fully pricing quarter-point increases from the ECB in its July and September decisions, with a further hike by year-end. Traders are betting the deposit rate will peak at 1.5% in about two years time. Andrew Hunter, senior US economist at Capital Economics, predicted that the US inflation numbers will push expectations for US near-term hikes but a more pronounced drop back in inflation will allow officials to slow the pace of tightening in the second half of the year. Irish Examiner and Bloomberg A seasoned Al Jazeera reporter with U.S. citizenship was fatally shot in the head during a raid by Israeli forces in the West Bank on Wednesday. A pair of journalists in the city of Jenin, where journalist Shireen Abu Akleh was killed, blame the Israeli military for the 51-year-old reporters death. Advertisement Al Jazeera accuses Israel of deliberately targeting and killing the veteran correspondent. [ 3 Israelis killed in stabbing attack near Tel Aviv: We will get our hands on the terrorists ] Israeli army chief Lt. Gen. Aviv Kochavi suggested Abu Akleh may have been killed by Palestinian gunfire and that at this stage, we cannot determine by whose fire she was harmed and we regret her death. Advertisement The U.S. State Department called Abu Aklehs death an affront to media freedom. Shireen Abu Akleh (AP) The slain journalist was a well-established media figure known for her coverage of Israeli occupied areas in the Middle East spanning three decades. Abu Aklehs producer was hospitalized after being shot in the back. Israeli forces said they encountered heavy gunfire during operations at the refugee camp in the northern West Bank and released video to support its claim. Israeli Human Rights group BTselem asserted that there is no way that footage is associated with the gunfire that killed Abu Akleh. [ Fox News cameraman Pierre Zakrzewski and Ukrainian journalist killed near Kyiv ] Kochavi said an Israeli investigative team has been assembled to examine the cause of Abu Aklehs death. Abu Akleh was a Jerusalem native who started with Al Jazeera in 1997 and frequently covered the disputed Palestinian territories for the Arab world. Her producer, Ali Samoudi, told The Associated Press that Abu Akleh was among a group of seven journalists wearing protective gear clearly identifying them as media as they passed by Israeli troops Wednesday to make their presence known. Breaking News As it happens Get updates on the coronavirus pandemic and other news as it happens with our free breaking news email alerts. > Samoudi said its a complete lie that soldiers who allegedly opened fire on the group may have been militants. Slain Al Jazeera veteran journalist Shireen Abu Akleh is carried by a Palestinian honour guard in the West Bank city of Nablus, Wednesday, May 11, 2022. (Majdi Mohammed/AP) Images taken after Abu Akleh and Samoudi were shot show them both wearing blue flack jackets with the word Press scrawled across that gear. Israel has repeatedly raided occupied West Bank territories in recent weeks following a series of deadly attacks inside Israel that are said to have been executed by Palestinians from Jenin, which has a history of harboring militants. Advertisement Palestinians, including several masked gunmen, carried Abu Aklehs body to the city of Ramallah covered in a Palestinian flag and a blue press vest. She is expected to be buried in Jerusalem. Al Jazeera reported Wednesday that its gunned-down reporter had been rushed to a hospital, where she was pronounced dead. That Qatar-based agency reports that witnesses at the scene of the shooting claim Israeli forces targeted a group of reporters and that the journalists who came under fire were shocked to be fired upon as they traveled on foot. Middle East Eye reporter Shatha Hanaysha believed the headshot that killed her colleague was no accident. The one that killed Shireen was intended to kill her because he shot the bullet at an area of her body that was not protected, she said. With News Wire Services Barriers, such as anti-dumping duties on fertiliser, can no longer be justified given the current environment that the agriculture sector is operating in as a result of the war in Ukraine, Foreign Affairs Minister Simon Coveney has said. Mr Coveney told the Fine Gael special conference on agriculture and rural development in Tullamore on Saturday such measures were making life even more difficult for agricultural producers and should be lifted. What is happening now in Ukraine and continues to happen is going to have a direct impact on every farm family and virtually every family across rural and urban Ireland in the months and years ahead, Mr Coveney, a former agriculture minister, said. Farm input costs have spiralled over the last year, with fertiliser prices particularly affected, costing more than double compared to 12 months ago. Anti-dumping charges were implemented in 2019 on fertilisers coming into the EU from the US, Russia, and Trinidad and Tobago after an investigation by the Commission had found hard evidence for dumping of cheap fertiliser. The measures were designed to protect the EU fertiliser industry, which already has to pay very high carbon allowance prices while competing with international competitors in countries where such carbon policies are not in place. Mr Coveney said: The truth is that between Russia and Ukraine, the impact that those markets, or the absence of them, have on global prices across multiple commodities [is] very, very significant. The impact this is going to have on agriculture and farming in the short-term is dramatic and we, as a Government, have to respond to that and to help to navigate a way through significant spikes in prices. These are dramatic cost implications for farms across the country to manage, and weve also got to not only manage that dramatic price change, but weve also got to ensure that doesnt result in a significant fodder crisis in the autumn or through next winter. Mr Coveney said lessons should be learned from the 2013 fodder crisis. We were having to import hay from all across Europe, France, the UK, and further afield; and we were having to develop partnerships with co-ops and with shipping companies, haulage companies, to get in volumes to make sure we didnt have cattle starving, he said. We need to learn lessons from those experiences - and we are - and that is why Government is now trying to anticipate problems; trying to do what we can. Were not going to be able to negate the consequences of this war and the sanctions that are required to bring this war to an end with Government intervention entirely. But we can certainly work with farm families, with farming organisations, with co-ops, with Teagasc, and with other advisory bodies to try to help farm businesses plan for and manage through this disruption. He told the conference that the sector needs to plan for a difficult second half of this year - explaining that the uncertainty would likely continue into 2023. Its going to be a global challenge, Mr Coveney said. When youre a globalised economy like we are, you feel the pressure when there are global strains. The comments follow last months EU agriculture and fisheries council meeting, at which agriculture minister Charlie McConalogue said that in the short-term, the elimination of import duties and, as appropriate, anti-dumping duties on fertilisers, should be considered. Industry bodies including the Irish Farmers Association have also called for the measure to be scrapped. Production is set to begin on a new Irish-made slurry tanker designed to help farmers access some of the island's toughest hills and softer, wetter ground more safely. Equipped with a ground-driven axel, the six-wheel-drive tanker by Slurry-TEK is expected to come to the market locally by the end of September. The extra axle and tyres will reduce the pressure on the ground, meaning slurry can be spread in wetter conditions. Based in Banbridge, Co Down, Slurry-TEK specialises in rain gun technology, with its range focusing on designs which make spreading on treacherous ground safer. The firms innovations include a tank designed with an axel running through the chamber lowering the tanks position and therefore reducing its centre of gravity. The liquid nature of slurry means it can slosh around the tank, as the tractor and implement navigate bends, hills or other obstacles. However, the concept behind the design is that by placing the axle through the tank, the slurry is in a more stable position. The result is a machine which is much less likely to lose its balance on steep hills. The concept was established by Mayo firm Agrispread before it was bought by Slurry-TEK and brought on to the current models. Darryl Hylands, the firms managing director, explained that customers had put his designs to the test on areas of Northern Irelands Glens of Antrim. The position of the axle means that there is always slurry below the centreline of the axle, better pinning the machine to the road and the field, he said. Some of our customers have even been able to spread slurry on land which had never been accessible to tankers before. Its very dangerous to spread slurry on sloped ground so we have come up with a concept that lowers the centre of gravity. Because the tanker sits 16 inches lower, the visibility for the operator is also better. This means there are fewer blind spots, which is safer, particularly in yards where there are other operators working or children are nearby. Another unique factor is that the third axle is driven. Its going to make steeper ground even more accessible and will improve access onto softer ground, Mr Hyland said. Because it's driven rather than being dragged, it means that the tractor isnt doing all the work to move the tank forward so, in theory, it should cause less damage to the ground. Slurry-TEK's beginning start 20 years ago, making fallen stock incinerators and various styles of trailers for agricultural use. However, the firm ventured into manufacturing slurry tankers in 2014 following requests from local equipment dealers. Today, the firm exports its wares to 28 countries, with customers including a goldmine in the Democratic Republic of Congo, as well as farms and agribusinesses in New Zealand, Australia, and Iceland. However, cross-border trade remains the firms largest market. Our largest market for the tankers is the Republic of Ireland, Mr Hyland said. "Our core product is the LCG [low centre of gravity] tanker; its particularly popular in Cork, and the South-West, especially in the steeper, more mountainous areas." WARNING: Some readers may find this article upsetting. The woman accused of murdering a two-year-old girl at her apartment in Cork insisted she is not guilty but the prosecution said the accused and the dead child were the only ones present and that there was no mysterious stranger. Prosecution senior counsel Sean Gillane made this point during cross-examination. Karen Harrington got into the witness box at the Central Criminal Court in Cork for the first time in the 11-day trial and testified on Wednesday. Defence senior counsel Brendan Grehans first question to 38-year-old Karen Harrington of Lakelands Crescent, Mahon, Cork, was that she stands accused of murdering Santina Cawley at her apartment at Elderwood Park, Boreenamanna Road, on July 5, 2019. What do you have to say to that? he asked. I did not murder Santina Cawley, Karen Harrington said. That has been your position throughout this? Mr Grehan asked. Yes, she replied. That was the extent of her direct evidence. Sean Gillane, prosecution senior counsel, then asked her: Who did? Ms Harrington replied: Who did? I cant answer that. Or you wont say? Mr Gillane said. She replied: I am unsure to say. Brendan Grehan SC and Sean Gillane SC arriving at the Central Criminal court in Cork today. Photo: Daragh Mc Sweeney/Cork Courts Limited Mr Gillane said: Santina did not cause the injuries to herself. Do you accept the only person with her was you? She replied: No. Would you like to name anyone else with her? Mr Gillane asked. The accused replied that she had been woken from her sleep and that earlier there had been an argument between herself and Michael Cawley Santinas dad and Ms Harringtons then partner and she left her friends apartment where the argument occurred and went home to her own apartment and that there was a call at 3am which she did not expect. Mr Gillane said that after Michael called with Santina at that time, he left alone, leaving Karen and Santina as the only two people in Karens apartment. The accused said: I accept me and Santina were alone for a period in my apartment. Mr Gillane said: We have seen Mr Cawley walking around town on the video. You are alone. She is alive. Ms Harrington replied: That would have been me at that time, yeah. She is uninjured? Mr Gillane SC said. The accused replied: No I cant confirm that. Why not? the prosecution senior counsel asked. She said she did not know anything about the injuries apart from what she heard like everyone else who heard evidence in the trial. If there were injuries, how could you not have noticed? he asked. She replied: I ask myself the same. All I can recall back when I vision Santina, I dont see any bruises or injuries or blood or anything like that. Mystery Mr Gillane recalled the pathologists evidence that when Santina had head injuries she would not have been capable of crying. Can you help us solve the mystery? Will you do that? he asked. The accused made no reply. What was done to that child was done to her when only you and she were there? he said. She replied: I disagree with that. Are you going to be big enough to say Michael did not do it, that Santina did not do it to herself? Do you accept that? he asked. She replied: I accept Santina did not do it. Mr Gillane asked: Are you trying to say something? Do you accept Michael did not do this to his child? She replied: I accept I did not do this to Santina. Do you accept Michael did not do this to the child? he asked. She replied: I do not know what happened between 3 and 5. I was suddenly woken from my sleep. Mr Gillane said: You have seen Mr Cawley (on CCTV) walking around town. We can see him on Winthrop Street and Oliver Plunkett Street. Do you accept he did not do this to his child? She replied: It is not for me to answer. I am not in a position to answer. I dont know. Mr Gillane said: Is that your escape hatch? She replied: I am not escaping anything. Mr Gillane said: Santina did not do this to herself. Mr Cawley certainly did not do it. There is no mysterious stranger in the apartment. The only other person there is you. Did you hear the child crying as the hair was torn from her head? Did you hear her crying as her lip was split? Crying as her ribs were broken? Did you hear any of that? Is Mr Olney (neighbour Dylan Olney) making it up when he says he hears the child crying and hears you taunting her? Neighbour At 4.30, Dylan Olney rang the guards. He said (in evidence in court) he heard Santina crying. Is he making that up? Karen Harrington replied: I am not saying he is making that up. I dont know I dont know where Dylan is coming from by saying that at 4.30 Santina is crying. Mr Gillane said: Dylan Olney does not have an axe to grind with you. Ms Harrington said: My sister lives on the other side (of the apartment complex). There had been a few disputes. Mr Gillane repeated, Dylan Olney does not have an axe to grind with you? She replied: He could have. Mr Gillane said: He is not making it up? She replied: He could be. It could have been me crying. Mr Gillane asked, Were you? She replied: I was crying during the night. Mr Gillane said: As the child is crying, she is alive. If the child is crying and he (Mr Olney) hears the child and hears you saying 'shut up' to the child, it shows that she is alive and you are awake and you inflicted those horrific injuries on Santina after that. She denied this. Mr Gillane said: Mr Olney used a word that he could not have known how true it was he said when the guards arrived at your apartment there is a dead silence. It is not a metaphor. It is literally because you have done what you did to Santina. That was the last proposition Mr Gillane put to Ms Harrington who did not say anything but the prosecution senior counsel commented to the accused: You are shaking your head. Mr Gillane said Karen Harrington was like someone walking between the raindrops, convincing herself she was not getting wet but the only person she was convincing was herself. Mr Grehan said the onus was not on the accused to prove anything and he said the jury should be left with a doubt and should find her not guilty. The trial continues. Former solicitor Michael Lynn has told his multimillion euro theft trial that he was greedy and too driven but he was not a thief. In his third day giving evidence at his Dublin Circuit Criminal Court trial, Mr Lynn, aged 53, described the banks as confederates in terms of their relationship with him. They were willing to lend to me, he said: Always, always, I had an intention to repay the banks. Without the banks, you are just a person with ideas. Without your name, with the banks, you are just nothing. Naming numerous banks and multiple staff members, Mr Lynn described a practice whereby a loan would be given for one property or development but used on another by being rolled over. No bank could not have known what was occurring, he said. First of all it was done openly, it was discussed and I repaid those loans. I didnt create a scheme. I worked alongside the banks. It wasnt right and I have paid dearly for it. I have paid dearly for a long time. If a bank gives a facility to someone for 12 months, and the loan had not been repaid, there ought to have been a new letter of loan or an extension acknowledged by letter, he said. There is no letter because it was done verbally, said Mr Lynn. If [the banks are] now claiming to be innocent of participation, why didnt they stop me? During questioning by Paul Comiskey OKeeffe, defending, Mr Lynn said that he had had three loans on the 5.5m property, Glenlion in Howth, Co Dublin. One of the loans came from Irish Nationwide. However, the court heard that money was not used for that property but for a development that Mr Lynn had undertaken in Portugal and wished to expand. I had an arrangement with Michael Fingleton [former CEO of Irish Nationwide Building Society] that he was to have a profit share with me in relation to my development in Portugal, said Mr Lynn. He lent the money to me, which was purportedly for Glenlion but was actually for my development in Portugal. Judge Martin Nolan intervened and asked: Lets be clear, you are saying that Michael Fingleton had a personal profit share with you to profit from this, even though it was the institution of INBS who lent you the money. Mr Lynn agreed that that was what he was saying. Mr Lynn described his relationship with senior figures in Irish banking in the Celtic Tiger era and about how, when the High Court froze his bank accounts in late 2007, they came to regard him as toxic. He said Mr Fingleton was worried about Mr Lynn giving evidence in court and describing the relationship between banks and developers. Michael Fingleton felt that the lending that we had would cause too much attention to him and his bank, if I was to start explaining the culture that existed for the previous three to five years. Mr Lynn told Mr Comiskey OKeeffe. That culture, Mr Lynn explained, involved a borrower getting a loan ostensibly to buy property in Ireland but in reality using it to invest abroad. He told the trial that in September 2007, he was on business in Portugal with his wife when he was told of a Law Society letter to the partners in his practice in Dublin. The society had tasked an inspector to examine the business, the court heard. The inspection was focused very much on my borrowing, entirely on that, Mr Lynn said. In October 2007, the High Court froze his bank accounts and the accounts of his legal and property companies. He started to get calls from bankers, people he had dealt with, who were getting concerned about his ability to repay. Mr Lynn said he went to bankers, including Michael Fingleton and Sean FitzPatrick [former Anglo Irish Bank CEO], and sought breathing space. Mr Lynn said his loans at the time were probably around 70m and to repay them in one go was simply impossible. Mr Fingleton was concerned, said Mr Lynn, about him [Mr Lynn] going into the stand and give evidence. In response to the inquiries about his affairs, he said he swore an affidavit in which I didnt try to hide . ... I knew at that stage that I was finished as a solicitor but I hadnt lost the will to live. Mr Lynn of Millbrook Court, Red Cross, Co Wicklow, is on trial accused of the theft of around 27m from seven financial institutions. He has pleaded not guilty to 21 counts of theft in Dublin between October 23, 2006 and April 20, 2007. It is the prosecution case that Mr Lynn obtained multiple mortgages on the same properties in a situation where banks were unaware that other institutions were also providing finance. The trial continues before Judge Martin Nolan and a jury. THIS isnt something I would normally do. As a member of the board of the HSE, Im bound by normal confidentiality about the operations of the board, although of course all our minutes, and the minutes of committees, are regularly published. But the more I think about it the more I feel obliged to say something about the National Maternity Hospital. The arrangements for the hospital are complicated and they have caused a lot of confusion and some distrust. I get that. There are people close to me, friends I respect, who believe that in some way we have sold the pass. That weve fallen under some malign influence or been codded up to the eyeballs by the Vatican and its secret service. Heres my bottom line. As a citizen, campaigner, and advocate; as a husband; as the father and grandfather of women and girls; there are simply no circumstances under which I would support the development of a new national maternity hospital in Ireland that was influenced by anything anything other than the public interest and the interests of women. There are no circumstances none under which I would support a maternity hospital that was run on the basis of religious ethos or any other form of discrimination. I want to see a national maternity hospital that is open to every woman in Ireland, whatever her colour, ethnic origin, or income. And I want to see that hospital offer every single service that women need. I will never support anything less. Prof Shane Higgins, Master of the National Maternity Hospital and Dr Cliona Murphy, chair of the Institute of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, at a press conference at the Department of Health to answer questions on the National Maternity Hospital. Picture: Dominic McGrath/PA The National Maternity Hospital in Holles St does all of that now, though in unacceptable and often Dickensian conditions. So do other maternity hospitals. It is vital that when the National Maternity Hospital moves into new surroundings, the only thing that changes is that women have access to more comfort, more dignity, and more support, whatever their circumstances and whatever decisions face them. For those reasons, not only do I support the decision that I hope will be made soon to proceed with the new hospital, but I am proud of it. It would be impertinent for me to speak for every other member of the board. But I happen to believe that on this issue, we all share exactly the same determination to secure a world-class maternity hospital that will never be controlled by a sectional interest and will operate only in the interests of the people it is intended to serve. None of my colleagues would accept anything less. The board of the HSE has been in existence (after a long absence) for about three years. Im a member because I applied in response to a public advertisement. Its a small board, and for several reasons that makes it a very busy place to be. Luckily for me, Im surrounded on the board by people of immense talent and quality. Theres none of them that I havent learned a lot from over the past three years. Because Covid-19 invaded the world about eight months after the board was formed, the HSE, as you know, has been operating in a state of emergency, and grappling with huge issues day by day. Cyberattack All of that was compounded by a cyberattack about a year into the pandemic. Weve watched and supported a senior management team working day after day often weeks without a day off to try to protect the people we serve. Apart from the pandemic itself, almost no issue has taken more board and committee time than the National Maternity Hospital. Under the rules by which we operate, the approval of a major capital project like that is called a reserved function of the board of the HSE. It cannot go ahead without the agreement of the board. In this case, the board assigned responsibility in the first instance to its audit and risk committee, of which Im also a member. We devoted many hours at that committee, under the leadership of a brilliant chair, over many months, to examining and analysing the huge set of documents that had been developed to give legal underpinning to the project. We worked with senior management colleagues and had the benefit of legal advice at every stage. Our job was a simple one. We had to provide the board with assurance that: (a) there was a strong business case for the new hospital, and (b) the structures surrounding it would guarantee that it served only the public interest. And of course we knew from the very beginning that we wouldnt be building this hospital on land we owned ourselves. That made it doubly important that all the legal arrangements were as watertight as we could make them. Documents were sent back a number of times. Several times we indicated that couldnt yet provide that assurance the board needed. But as we did our work, new approaches began to emerge. They were complicated in some respects, but they answered key questions. At the end of the day, individually and collectively, we had to satisfy ourselves about a number of things before we could provide assurance to the board. For example: Will the State own the hospital? Yes it will it will be the national, state-owned hospital, built and funded by the State. The State will own it on a leasehold basis for the next 299 years. Will the State own the land on which it is built? No, but there will be a 299-year lease at a rent of 10 a year. That rent can only be increased if the HSE tries to use the site for purposes other than healthcare. Who will actually run the hospital? The hospital will be a charity, regulated under charity law, and managed by a board of trustees. Nobody will have a controlling interest, and nobody will have a beneficial interest, except that the minister for health will have a golden share to protect the core values of the hospital. What role will religion play? None whatsoever. The Sisters of Charity have left healthcare in Ireland, and their shareholding in St Vincents has been transferred to another charity not a private company, as some allege, but a charity, regulated by law. The constitution of that charity makes no reference whatever to religious ethos. At the moment in Holles St, all obstetric, neonatal, and gynaecological care permissible within Irish law is available and that includes abortion, tubal ligation, gender affirming surgery, and assisted reproduction. Will all that continue in the new hospital? The answer to that question is yes. If we couldnt answer those questions, we would not have made a positive recommendation to the board, and I dont believe the board would have decided to proceed. As everyone knows, two of our members, although they accepted the collective decision of the board, recorded their dissent from the decision in the published minutes. All of us utterly respect their viewpoint. At the end of months of work by a lot of people, I honestly believe that we have put the best protections we can in place for a truly national maternity hospital that will never discriminate nor ever be controlled by any religious influence. I cant wait for it to be built. Ukraines top prosecutor has disclosed plans for the first war crimes trial of a captured Russian soldier, as fighting raged in the east and south and the Kremlin entertained the possibility of annexing a corner of the country. Prosecutor general Iryna Venediktova said her office had charged Sergeant Vadin Shyshimarin, 21, with the killing of an unarmed 62-year-old civilian who was shot while riding a bicycle in February, four days into the war. Shyshimarin, who served with a tank unit, was accused of firing through a car window in the north-eastern village of Chupakhivka. Ms Venediktova said the soldier could get up to 15 years in prison. She did not say when the trial would start. Iryna Venediktova (left) with German foreign minister Annalena Baerbock (Efrem Lukatsky/AP) Her office said it has been investigating more than 10,700 alleged war crimes committed by Russian forces and has identified over 600 suspects. Many of the alleged atrocities came to light last month after Moscows forces aborted their bid to capture Kyiv and withdrew from around the capital, exposing mass graves and streets and yards strewn with bodies in towns such as Bucha. Residents told of killings, burnings, rape, torture and dismemberment. On the economic front, Ukraine shut down one of the pipelines that carry Russian gas across the country to homes and industries in western Europe, the first time since the start of the war that Kyiv has disrupted the flow westward of one of Moscows most lucrative exports. The immediate effect is likely to be limited, in part because Russia can divert the gas to another pipeline and because Europe relies on a variety of suppliers. A Ukrainian rally against the Russian occupation in Kherson (Olexandr Chornyi/AP) Meanwhile, a Kremlin-installed politician in the southern Kherson region, the first major Ukrainian city to fall in the war, said regional officials want Russian President Vladimir Putin to make Kherson a proper region of Russia that is, to annexe it. The city of Kherson is Russia, Kirill Stremousov, deputy head of the Kherson regional administration, told Russias RIA Novosti news agency. That raised the possibility that the Kremlin would seek to break off another piece of Ukraine as it tries to salvage an invasion gone awry. Russia annexed Ukraines Crimean peninsula, which borders the Kherson region, in 2014, a move denounced as illegal and rejected by most of the international community. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said it would be up to the residents of the Kherson region after all to decide whether such an appeal should be made or not. He said any move to annexe territory would have to be closely evaluated by legal experts to make sure it is absolutely legitimate, as it was with Crimea. Moscow annexed Crimea after holding a referendum there over whether it wanted to become part of Russia. Refugees from Mariupol arrive in Zaporizhzhia (Francisco Seco/AP) Ukrainian presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak mocked the notion of Khersons annexation, tweeting: The invaders may ask to join even Mars or Jupiter. The Ukrainian army will liberate Kherson, no matter what games with words they play. Kherson, a Black Sea port of roughly 300,000 people, provides access to fresh water to Crimea and is seen a gateway to wider Russian control over southern Ukraine. On the battlefield, Ukrainian officials said a Russian rocket attack targeted an area around Zaporizhzhia, destroying unspecified infrastructure. There were no immediate reports of casualties. The south-eastern city has been a refuge for civilians fleeing the Russian siege in the devastated port city of Mariupol. Russian forces continued to pound the steel plant that is the last bastion of Ukrainian resistance in Mariupol, its defenders said. The Azov Regiment said on social media that Russian forces had carried out 38 air strikes in the previous 24 hours on the grounds of the Azovstal steelworks. The plant, with its network of tunnels and bunkers, has sheltered hundreds of Ukrainian troops and civilians during a months-long siege. Scores of civilians were evacuated in recent days, but Ukrainian officials said some may still be trapped there. Burma ASEANs Plan to Deliver Aid to Myanmar via Junta Condemned The Consultative Meeting on ASEAN Humanitarian Assistance to Myanmar/ Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Cambodia Myanmars shadow National Unity Government (NUG) has joined local and international organizations in criticizing the decision of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to provide humanitarian aid to the Myanmar people via the military regime. Cambodia, the ASEAN chair for 2022, hosted a consultative meeting on ASEAN humanitarian assistance to Myanmar on May 5-6, which was attended by the juntas international cooperation minister U Ko Ko Hlaing. At the meeting, Cambodia said ASEAN plans to provide humanitarian aid to Kayah and Karen states, and Magwe, Sagaing and Bago regions in consultation with the work committee of the regimes State Administration Council (SAC). Cambodias Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Prak Sokhonn, who is the ASEAN special envoy to Myanmar, told reporters after the meeting that participants had persuaded the junta minister to give up his plan to tax humanitarian supplies. ASEANs relief package reportedly includes COVID-19 vaccines. Cambodia has not yet announced when delivery of aid will begin. The NUG released a statement on May 7 saying it is deeply disappointed and concerned about the outcome of the consultative meeting, which has the put the SACs taskforce led by U Ko Ko Hlaing at the center of ASEANs humanitarian response. This process poses a high risk of failure in the urgent delivery of humanitarian assistance without discrimination, legitimizing the SACs infrastructure and politicizing the humanitarian response by coercing ethnic armed organizations to engage with the SAC, said the statement. U Kyaw Zaw, the NUGs Presidents Office spokesperson said: Only the SAC representative was allowed to join the consultative meeting, and other stakeholders were excluded. The United Nations (UN) special envoy to Myanmar was initially invited to the meeting, but later that invitation was cancelled. That is very ugly. It is disappointing and should not have happened. The regime will not deliver the aid to those in need, but will use it as a political weapon, added U Kyaw Zaw. [The regime] has arbitrarily detained people and tortured and killed them. It has even detained infants, sealed off and torched houses. Is it possible that those who are committing such acts will help the millions of people facing many hardships? The aid will not reach the people, but the regime will deliver supplies for show and try to take political advantage. They will try to use humanitarian aid as a weapon, he remarked. Deputy executive director of the Chin Human Rights Organization Salai Za Uk Ling said that ASEAN has breached its Five-Point Consensus by making the decision to provide humanitarian assistance to Myanmar after consulting only with the regimes representative and excluding other stakeholders. A constructive dialogue among all parties is one of points stated in the Five-Point Consensus agreed in April last year between ASEAN and junta chief Senior General Min Aung Hlaing. It was a one-sided meeting that only engaged with the regime and its outcome is meaningless. ASEAN should hold a multi-stakeholder dialogue in accordance with the Five-Point Consensus and take action according to the outcome of such dialogue. Now ASEAN itself has violated the Consensus, said Salai Za Uk Ling. In Chin State, more than 230 civilians have been killed by the regime, while 20 per cent of the population have been forced from their homes, and over 1,000 people detained and some 1,500 houses razed by arson attacks, he added. People who were forced from their homes by the regimes human rights violations have fled into areas that are beyond the control of the regime. They need humanitarian assistance. There is a special need to supply the people in border areas and other parts of the country that are out of the reach of junta troops. It is important that aid is delivered without the involvement of the regime, Salai Za Uk Ling said. Director Naw Htoo Htoo of the Karen Human Rights Group said that ASEAN had made a ridiculous decision to place the regime, which is responsible for destruction of many lives across the country, at the center of relief efforts. The regime will not distribute aid to war-affected people. Isnt it a joke that those who are destroying peoples properties will lead the humanitarian efforts? It doesnt make sense, said Naw Htoo Htoo. At the consultative meeting, junta minister U Ko Ko Hlaing suggested that all relief supplies be shipped via Yangon airport and port. His suggestion indicates that the regime is trying to control all humanitarian supplies coming into Myanmar. Civil society organizations have called for a review of the Five-Point Consensus. And they need to need think beyond it. ASEAN leaders need to listen to the voices of the Myanmar people, said Naw Htoo Htoo. The Special Advisory Council for Myanmar (SAC-M), a group of former UN special envoys to Myanmar, said in a May 9 statement that ASEANs plans for humanitarian assistance to Myanmar flout the fundamental humanitarian principles of humanity, neutrality, impartiality and independence and will advance the military objectives of the junta. The areas singled out for humanitarian assistance by the military junta under ASEANs plan are the very areas where the junta has been relentlessly attacking civilians with airstrikes and scorched-earth campaigns for months on end. The junta has no power in those areas and its attempt to control ASEANs delivery of aid to them is nothing more than a strategy designed to advance its military agenda, said Marzuki Darusman, the former chairman of the UN Fact-Finding Mission on Myanmar. The SAC-M is an independent group of international experts working for human rights, peace, democracy, justice and accountability in Myanmar and consists of former UN human rights special envoy for Myanmar Yanghee Lee, Marzuki Darusman and UN Fact-Finding Mission on Myanmar member Chris Sidoti. You may also like these stories: Myanmar Junta Denies Medical Treatment to Political Prisoners Both Sides Sustain Casualties as Fighting Rages Between PDFs and Myanmar Junta New ASEAN Envoy to Myanmar Says He Wants to Meet Junta Opponents Burma Junta Accuses Ousted Deputy Governor of Central Bank of Myanmar of Corruption Detained banker and economist Dr. Bo Bo Nge in 2018. / The Irrawaddy The junta has lodged corruption charges against the ousted and detained deputy governor of the Central Bank of Myanmar, Dr. Bo Bo Nge, accusing him of failing to tax donations to Myanmar from the billionaire George Soros Open Society Foundation (OSF), among other charges. On Tuesday, the junta-backed Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) filed charges under Article 55 of the Anti-Corruption Law against Dr. Bo Bo Nge at Oketarathiri Township police station in the Myanmar capital Naypyitaw. He has been held captive by the military regime for over 15 months, during which time he has been out of contact with his family. The ACC claimed that Dr. Bo Bo Nge was found lacking in monitoring the foreign exchange management, monitoring and inspection of the banking sector and accounting departments in his role as deputy governor of the Central Bank, and that some of his decisions caused the state loss of revenue. Dr. Bo Bo Nge is accused of causing the loss of 102 million kyats in tax revenue from stamp duty, a 360 million kyats loss for not collecting tax from OSF-Myanmars deposit of US$5 million (7.04 million kyats), and the loss of 655 million kyats (US$ 0.39 million) in tax from his decision not to deposit a US$350 million loan from the United States in a higher-interest earning account than the one he used at the Singapore branch of the SMBC Bank. The regime seized control of billionaire George Soros OSF in Myanmar in March last year, claiming that the worlds largest private funder for justice, democratic governance and human rights had failed to obtain approval from the Central Bank of Myanmars Foreign Exchange Management Department for a deposit of US$5 million to Myanmars Small and Medium Enterprise Development Bank in 2018. Dr. Bo Bo Nge was arrested at his home in Naypyitaw in the early morning of February 1 last year, the day the junta launched its coup and arrested hundreds of people, including State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, President U Win Myint, union ministers, chief ministers and some deputy ministers. His family and friends have heard nothing from him since then. Other technocrats in the ousted National League for Democracy (NLD) government such as U Min Ye Paing Hein and U Sett Aung, two deputy ministers for planning, finance and industry, were detained a few days after the coup. U Min Ye Paing Hein has also been out of contact with his family and his whereabouts are still unknown, according to an NLD source. U Sett Aung has been charged under the Official Secrets Act and is on trial along with Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, ousted planning and finance ministers U Soe Win and U Kyaw Win and Sean Turnell, an Australian economic adviser to the former NLD government. An NLD official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said that the arbitrary detention of very capable technocrats and ministers like Dr. Bo Bo Nge and U Min Ye Paing Hein is a huge loss for the country. They have detained him for more than a year and when they cant find any fault or corruption against him [Dr. Bo Bo Nge], they contrive corruption charges against him, said the NLD official. A former student activist during the 1988 pro-democracy uprising, Dr. Bo Bo Nge was jailed for several years in the 1990s for his activism against the then military dictatorship. While in jail, Dr. Bo Bo Nge learned English from a dictionary smuggled into his prison. After his release, he fled to the United States. He won a scholarship to Bard College and then studied for a masters degree in economics at John Hopkins University. Subsequently, he specialized in financial reform and gained a doctorate from London Universitys School of Oriental and African Studies. According to colleagues, Dr. Bo Bo Nge is regarded as a rare, righteous technocrat who was in exactly the right position in the NLD government. A colleague who wished to remain anonymous told The Irrawaddy: Knowing Ko Bo Bo [referring to Dr. Bo Bo Nge] as someone who is simple, humble and lives modestly without pretension or ostentation, I cant imagine him associated with any corruption. These allegations are all utter nonsense. The Washington Post described Dr. Bo Bo Nges life as an American immigrant success story, noting that he rose from washing dishes to become an economist earning a six-figure salary. But he chose to return to his homeland after the NLD government took power in 2016 to take part in Myanmars democratic transition. In 2017, Dr. Bo Bo Nge was appointed deputy governor of the Central Bank of Myanmar, where he took a leading role in facilitating the financial and economic reforms introduced by the NLD government. He was also a member of the NLDs economic committee. Following the juntas coup, the regime appointed new governors to the Central Bank of Myanmar. Dr. Bo Bo Nge was replaced by Daw Than Than Swe, who was shot in Yangon by anti-regime resistance fighters early last month. You may also like these stories: Pregnant Woman Miscarries, 4 Detained as Myanmar Regime Cracks Down on Six Twos Protest Myanmar Junta Asks UNs Top Court to Drop Rohingya Genocide Case at Hearing in The Hague Cobra Gold Military Exercise Kicks Off in Thailand Without Myanmar Burma Myanmar Activists Lobby US to Sanction Regimes Oil and Gas Sector Protesters calling on the US to impose sanctions on Myanma Oil and Gas Enterprise in Japan on May 8. / Blood Money Campaign Activists are urging US President Joe Biden to impose sanctions on Myanma Oil and Gas Enterprise (MOGE), which provides a financial lifeline to Myanmars junta. The European Union imposed sanctions on the firm in February. More than 637 domestic organizations, including protest committees, labor unions, womens rights and educational groups and over 220,000 individuals signed an open letter to Biden, according to the Blood Money Campaign (BMC), which lobbies to financially isolate the junta. The BMC called on Biden to listen to Myanmars people and sanction MOGE. The United States, it is time to stop protecting democracy only with words, said Ko Ye, a BMC spokesman. The group reported that the junta seized around US$1.5 billion in gas revenue from state bank accounts after the 2021 coup to fund genocide and murder. We dont ask the US to provide weapons. We only ask the US to stop paying the fascist regime for natural resources, Ko Ye said. MOGE has been a lifeline for military governments for decades and an estimated 50 percent of foreign currency came from natural gas and Myanmar earned around $1.5 billion from oil and gas in the 2020-21 financial year, according to pre-coup forecasts. The campaign urged the Biden administration to stop gas revenues reaching the junta by working with allies in Thailand and South Korea to divert income to accounts held until the civilian National Unity Government is recognized. It said gas companies and banks which traded with the junta should face money-laundering charges. It said the junta-controlled Myanma Foreign Trade Bank should face sanctions for money laundering. International oil and gas firms like Total, Chevron and Woodside left Myanmar after the coup but the juntas investment minister Aung Naing Oo said only 10 percent of Myanmars oil and gas investment came from the three firms and their withdrawal did not impact the economy. China, the largest source, provides around 27 percent of oil and gas investment. Human rights organizations are urging Total not to pay the junta about $250 million it owes Myanmar. Since the coup in February last year, the regime has killed more than 1,800 people and it uses airstrikes, artillery, arson attacks, extrajudicial killings and arbitrary arrests against civilians. Burma Myanmar Juntas Awards for Ethnic Leaders Seen as Bid to Sell Peace Talks Top row (from left): Saw Htay Maung, Yawd Serk, Khun Okkar. Bottom row (from left): Khine Soe Naing Aung, Nai Htaw Mon, Kyar Khun Sar Of the 10 ethnic armed organizations (EAOs) that have agreed to attend talks with junta chief Min Aung Hlaing in Naypyitaw, seven have current or former leaders who received the Wunna Kyawhtin title from the coup leader last month. Four of the recipients are still alive and the other three were honored posthumously. Along with some other ethnic leaders, they were awarded the Wunna Kyawhtin title on April 17, which is New Years Day on Myanmars traditional lunar calendar. All seven of the groups whose leaders were honored are signatories to the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement (NCA). The recipients were Karen National Union/Karen National Liberation Army-Peace Council leader Major-General Htein Maung (aka Saw Htay Maung); Khun Okkar of the Pa-O National Liberation Organization (PNLO); U Khaing Soe Naing Aung of the Arakan Liberation Party (ALP); Yawd Serk of the Restoration Council of Shan State (RCSS); Myaing Gyi Ngu Sayadaw U Thuzana of the Democratic Karen Benevolent Army (DKBA); Nai Htaw Mon of the New Mon State Party (NMSP); and Kyar Khun Sar of the Lahu Democratic Union (LDU). On April 22, five days after awarding the titles, Min Aung Hlaing called for face-to-face talks with EAO leaders, saying he sought to end the armed conflicts in Myanmar. Coming after a year of clashes with newly formed anti-regime resistance forces that have been fighting alongside ethnic armed groups to topple his regime, Min Aung Hlaings offer of peace is, many believe, a pretext to persuade the armed groups to distance themselves from the resistance forces. The peace talks plan has become a laughing stock as none of the groups that have said yes to the juntas proposed peace talks is currently engaged in active fighting with the regime. EAOs and other groups that are engaged in active fighting with the regime, such as the Karen National Union and Kachin Independence Army, have officially rejected the regimes invitation, saying the proposed talks lack inclusivity. The regime has not invited Myanmars shadow National Unity Government (NUG) or its armed wing, the Peoples Defense Force (PDF), which has been fighting the regime. Many people in Myanmar see the NUG as their legitimate government and the PDF as their army. The majority of the EAOs that are planning to attend the talks are recipients of awards given by Min Aung Hlaing; this has invited suspicions that the regime chief awarded the titles with the specific intention of persuading the EAO leaders to attend the peace talks. A local political analyst on ethnic affairs shared that view. You could say that the title is a sort of incentive from Min Aung Hlaing [to persuade some ethnic leaders to join the talks], he said. The Wunna Kyawhtin title, which recognizes outstanding contributions to the country, was awarded to a total of 25 individuals on April 17; some 20 of the recipients are current or late ethnic leaders. Saw Mutu Say Poe, the leader of the KNU, an NCA signatory, was among those awarded the Wunna Kyawhtin title on April 17. However, the oldest armed organization in Myanmar on Monday rejected the juntas invitation to attend the talks, saying they will not be all-inclusive. Two other NCA signatories, the Chin National Front and the All Burma Students Democratic Front, have also rejected the talks because of the juntas limitation on participants. The Brotherhood Alliance, a tripartite military coalition of the Arakan Army, the Taang National Liberation Army and the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army, said they would take a wait-and-see approach to the peace talks. NCA non-signatories the United Wa State Army and the National Democratic Alliance Army, both of which have de facto control over their territories, as well as the Shan State Progress Party, will attend the talks in Naypyitaw. Many believe the move by the regimewhich is fighting a war on various fronts against multiple EAOs and PDFsto confer titles on ethnic leaders and invite them to peace talks is intended to undermine the unity among armed revolutionary organizations. You may also like these stories: Myanmars Revolution Must Succeed: NUG Humanitarian Minister Regime Forces Loot and Torch Over 200 Houses in Upper Myanmar Myanmar Junta Officially Endorses Militias to Attack Anti-Regime Civilians Xi sends congratulatory message to Hungary's new president Katalin Novak Xinhua) 09:54, May 11, 2022 BEIJING, May 10 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping on Tuesday sent a congratulatory message to Katalin Novak on her taking office as the Hungarian president. The development of China-Hungary relations, Xi said, has maintained at a high level in recent years, marked by frequent high-level exchanges, fruitful cooperation in various fields and sound cooperation in international and regional affairs. Xi said he attaches great importance to the development of China-Hungary relations, adding that he is ready to work with Novak to deepen political mutual trust and traditional friendship between the two countries. Xi also called for joint efforts to strengthen cooperation between the two countries both at the bilateral level and within the Belt and Road cooperation, the China-Central and Eastern European countries cooperation and other frameworks, and to promote the China-Hungary comprehensive strategic partnership to a new level so as to benefit the two countries and their peoples. (Web editor: Peng Yukai, Liang Jun) A U.S. Army soldier died Tuesday after being attacked by a bear. The soldier was based out of Alaskas Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson and was training near the Anchorage Regional Landfill when the bear attacked, according to Army officials. Advertisement The soldiers name has not been publicly released and is pending identification of next-of-kin. Alaska Wildlife troopers were still searching for the bear involved in the attack as of Tuesday. Advertisement A black bear is pictured near Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in 2019. (Sheila deVera/Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson ) A spokesperson for the base did not immediately return a request for updates from the Daily News Wednesday. Officials did not identify the bear, but both black bears and grizzly bears are found around Anchorage, according to the Alaska Department of Fish and Game. Burma Myanmar Military Calls In Air Strikes to Keep Village From Falling to Resistance A People's Defense Force group in Kani The Myanmar regime launched air strikes in Sagaing Regions Kani Township as local resistance forces attacked an army camp in a pro-regime village in the township on Tuesday. Members of at least six local Peoples Defense Force groups (PDFs) attacked the camp based at Yay Lae Kyaun Village for two hours. A member of the Daung Min PDF said the Myanmar military called in two army helicopters just as the resistance forces were about to occupy the village. We had already surrounded the village. However, we had to withdraw our forces because of the helicopters, said a spokesperson for Kani PDF-1. Another resistance group, the Dragon Brothers Task Force (DBTF), said in a statement that the helicopters opened fire for 30 minutes. No PDF members were seriously injured. The statement added that at least five regime soldiers were killed and two PDF members suffered minor wounds. The Irrawaddy was unable to independently verify the claim. Yay Lae Kyaun is a small village with nearly 60 houses. Almost all of the villagers are members of a pro-regime militia group known as a Pyu Saw Htee. Such groups fight alongside junta troops in an effort to crush the PDFs resistance to military rule. The village is notorious for harassing surrounding villages with the armys support. There are some 60 regime troops stationed there, according to a member of the Daung Min PDF. Kani has been one of the most restive areas in Sagaing Region since April last year, when armed resistance against the military regime began in the township. In January this year, around 40 junta soldiers including an army captain were reportedly killed when several resistance groups conducted a series of daring attacks against a military flotilla of eight vessels in the area. Sagaing is a stronghold of anti-regime resistance in Myanmar, and the junta has launched a massive offensive in the region, including frequent air strikes. Nearly 250,000 locals have been forced to flee their homes as a result of the offensive, according to UNOCHA. Ko Khant, a spokesperson for the North Yamar Peoples Defense Force, said the regime frequently calls in air strikes, especially when it is unable to defeat the PDFs ground attacks. Its a war crime! he said, because civilians are affected by the airstrikes. We have documented [evidence of] all of this to send to the National Unity Government [the NUG, Myanmars shadow government]. Although we cant take action against the army at this time, the NUG will prosecute them eventually. You may also like these stories: Myanmars Revolution Must Succeed: NUG Humanitarian Minister Regime Forces Loot and Torch Over 200 Houses in Upper Myanmar Myanmar Junta Officially Endorses Militias to Attack Anti-Regime Civilians Burma Over 60 Myanmar Junta Troops Killed in Last Three Days Fighters from People's Defense Force Kalay. Around 65 junta soldiers have been killed in the last three days during intense firefights with resistance forces in Chin and Kayah states and Sagaing Region. On Monday, the Chin Defense Force-Mindat (CDF-Mindat) said it attacked a junta convoy returning from Matupi in Chin State inflicting heavy casualties. A CDF-Mindat commander told The Irrawaddy that the group ambushed the convoy at close range, killing around 10 junta soldiers and another 20 in a mine attack. He added that there might be more casualties as the front of the convoy was also attacked with mines. CDF-Mindat has repeatedly ambushed the convoy of over 70 vehicles, including two tanks, while it has been traveling on the Mindat-Matupi Road. In Yay Shin village in Sagaing Regions Kale Township, 14 junta soldiers were also reportedly killed in clashes with a coalition of resistance groups from May 8 to 10. Two resistance fighters also died in the fighting and resistance forces had to withdraw from the village on Tuesday as they were outgunned, according to a local resistance group. On May 8 and May 9 ten junta soldiers were killed by Peoples Defense Forces (PDF) in Sagaings Mingin Township, according to the National Unity Governments (NUG) defense ministry. Fierce fighting has also been taking place in Kayah States Demoso Township over the last three days. The NUGs defense ministry reported that five junta soldiers were killed and several injured during clashes with the Karenni Revolution Union (KRU) on May 8. On May 10, the group also launched an attack on junta forces together with allied resistance groups, killing two military regime soldiers. Four resistance fighters, two from the KRU and two from the Demoso PDF, were injured, one critically. Demoso PDF also launched a separate attack on junta forces on Monday in Demoso Township. The group reported killing five junta soldiers in the clash. You may also like these stories: Ethnic Minorities Eye Autonomy in Post-Junta Myanmar Regime Forces Loot and Torch Over 200 Houses in Upper Myanmar Myanmar Junta Officially Endorses Militias to Attack Anti-Regime Civilians Burma Veteran Shan Democracy Campaigner Khun Tun Oo Dies Former SNLD chairman Khun Tun Oo. Khun Tun Oo, the former chairman of the Shan Nationalities League for Democracy (SNLD), who was widely considered the key Shan leader in the late 20th-century, has died. The 78-year-old died of natural causes at his home in Yangon on April 30, SNLD joint secretary Sai Kyaw Nyunt told The Irrawaddy. A Shan funeral was held on May 2 at Yayway Cemetery in Yangon and his ashes were interred at the tomb of the relatives of the Hsipaw saopha (feudal lord) in Hsipaw, Shan State, according to the SNLD. A total of 67 organizations, including the United Nationalities Alliance, the civilian National Unity Government, ethnic armed organizations and civil society organizations, expressed their condolences. Khun Tun Oo was born in Hsipaw on September 11, 1943. His father served as the secretary in the post-colonial Shan State government. Khun Tun Oo is the nephew of Sao Kya Seng, the last saopha of Hsipaw, who went missing in detention after the 1962 coup by military dictator Ne Win. Khun Tun Oo and colleagues established the SNLD to serve Shan interests after the 1988 pro-democracy uprising. Current SNLD chair Sai Nyint Lwin, who had close ties with Khun Tun Oo for 34 years, said: Members came from different nationalities when the SNLD was established in 1988. There were Palaung, Shanni and Pa-O and many other nationalities represented in the central executive committee. Shan Nationalities is in our partys name. Many do not notice. It is because the party was formed by various nationalities. Khun Tun Oo inherited the duty from his ancestors to establish federalism, he added. We have lost someone with vast experience. Suggestions and advice from such people are valuable. It is a loss for us. Under Khun Tun Oos leadership, the SNLD contested the 1990 general election held by the State Law and Order Restoration Council military regime and came second to the National League for Democracy (NLD). The military, however, refused to hand over power and instead held a national convention to draft a new constitution. The SNLD participated in the convention between 1993 and 1996 but the NLD boycotted the convention in 1995 and the SNLD followed suit when it resumed in 2004. In 2005 Khun Tun Oo and other SNLD leaders were charged with high treason and he was sentenced to 93 years and sent to Putao Prison. He was released in 2012 when reforming, military-backed President U Thein Sein granted amnesties to political prisoners. The party had not contested the 2010 general election while its leaders were in custody and the election body dissolved the SNLD. Khun Tun Oo and other SNLD leaders re-established the party after their release. In the meantime, SNLD leaders who avoided arrest established the Shan Nationalities Democratic Party, also known as the White Tiger party. Khun Tun Oo said: They established the White Tiger party and contested the 2010 election. When we were released, White Tiger members had received ministerial positions and their attitude had changed and we could not work with them. We re-registered the SNLD in 2012. The SNLD won a majority of Shan seats in the 2015 general election but Khun Tun Oo did not stand. Frictions emerged between the SNLD and NLD after Daw Aung San Suu Kyis party took office in 2016. The NLD offered to nominate Sai Nyunt Lwin as one of the three vice-presidents. Discussions were held but the military opposed Sai Nyunt Lwins nomination and the NLD offered to make him ethnic affairs minister instead, which the SNLD rejected. On May 7, 2016, at the United Nationalities Alliance in Yangon, Khun Tun Oo said ethnic minorities could no longer rely on the NLD. People voted for the NLD with high hopes. But the result is obvious over the Rakhine issue. The NLD can no be longer relied upon for ethnic rights, he said, in reference to the NLDs failure to help more than 2,000 people displaced by fighting between the military and Arakan Army since April that year. A parliamentary proposal by ethnic Rakhine MPs for a ceasefire and inclusion of the Arakan Army in peace talks was rejected by the NLD-dominated parliament. But a majority of NLD members respected Khun Tun Oo as a Shan leader who devoted his life to creating a federal democracy, said a long-time NLD member, who asked for anonymity. His death is a loss for the struggle for federal democracy. We mostly agreed with him. We were partners. He was righteous, loyal and consistent, he said. Khun Tun Oo resigned in September 2020 as SNLD chair after more than three decades. Then joint secretary Sai Kyaw Nyunt told The Irrawaddy that Khun Tun Oo had probably resigned to spend more time with his family and to empower younger generations. Some Hsipaw residents speculated that Khun Tun Oo resigned because he wanted to take care of his inheritance from his uncle, Sao Kya Seng. Sao Oo Kya, Sao Kya Sengs son, currently lives at Hsipaw Haw, the saophas residence. In 2012, Khun Tun Oo traveled to the US and met Inge Sargent, the Mahadevi or queen consort, wife of Sao Kya Seng. Mahadevi, who wrote Twilight Over Burma, transferred the ownership of the Haw to Khun Tun Oo, who then claimed it from Sao Oo Kya. Sao Oo Kya refused to hand over the Haw, which he officially owns. Khun Tun Oo filed a civil case which has not been concluded. In his speeches, Khun Tun Oo called for collective leadership and spoke against ethnic chauvinism. He urged for the empowerment of younger generations in political and armed organizations to undermine the dominance of older people. Only collective leadership can guarantee ethnic equality and sovereignty, he said. As a critic of Burmanization, he urged Shan communities, who make up the majority in Shan State, not to oppress smaller ethnic groups in the state. He believed federalization is the key to solving Myanmars problems. Today Some clouds this morning will give way to generally sunny skies for the afternoon. Near record high temperatures. High 107F. Winds NW at less than 5 mph, becoming S and increasing to 10 to 20 mph. Tonight Clear skies. Low around 70F. Winds W at 10 to 20 mph. Tomorrow Mainly sunny. High 104F. WSW winds at 5 to 10 mph, increasing to 10 to 20 mph. Bill Gates tested positive for COVID on Tuesday and said his symptoms were mild. Im fortunate to be vaccinated and boosted and have access to testing and great medical care, the Microsoft co-founder tweeted. Advertisement Bill Gates discusses his book "How to Prevent the Next Pandemic" at the 92nd Street Y on May 3, 2022, in New York. (Evan Agostini/Evan Agostini/Invision/AP) Gates, 66, added he was following the experts advice by isolating until Im healthy again. He did not speculate on where he may have been infected. Gates appeared on the Today show last week to discuss his shocking split from his wife of 27 years, Melinda French Gates. Advertisement Gates was also a leading advocate for COVID vaccines and played a role in distributing them worldwide. The Gates Foundation is coming together today for the first time in two years, and I am lucky to be on Teams to see everyone and thank them for their hard work, Bill tweeted. We will continue working with partners and do all we can to ensure none of us have to deal with a pandemic again. An Arizona man was executed Wednesday for murdering a college student in the 70s, making him the first person executed in the state since a controversial lethal injection nearly eight years ago. Clarence Dixons death was confirmed at 10:30 a.m. by officials at the state prison in Florence. He was killed by a lethal injection of pentobarbital. Advertisement Dixon was convicted and sentenced to death in 2008 for the 1978 slaying of Arizona State University student Deana Bowdoin, his 21-year-old neighbor across the street at the time. Authorities have said she was found dead in her apartment in Tempe and that shed been stabbed and strangled with a belt. The 66-year-old was also charged with raping her, but the count was later dropped on statute-of-limitation grounds. Advertisement Dixon made a short final statement prior to his execution: I do and always will proclaim my innocence now lets do this s---. Bowdoins case went unsolved for decades after her death, but investigators finally got a break in 2001, when they matched Dixons DNA with evidence found at the scene. At the time, he was serving life in prison for a 1986 sexual assault. Breaking News As it happens Get updates on the coronavirus pandemic and other news as it happens with our free breaking news email alerts. > His execution marked Arizonas first since 2014, when Joseph Wood was administered 15 doses of a two-drug cocktail over the span of two hours. Wood gasped and snorted more than 600 times before he was finally pronounced dead. Clarence Dixon (AP) The event, declared a botched execution by many, sparked widespread backlash, with critics arguing that the treatment of Wood was inhumane. It also sparked a review of the states execution procedures, with officials citing the length of time it took for him to die. Arizona additionally refurbished its gas chamber a method of execution that has not been used in the United States for decades to provide inmates with an alternative to lethal injection. It was declared ready in 2020. Dixon, who declined to die in the states new gas chamber, was killed much faster than Wood. Media observers said the execution went as planned. On Friday, Pinal County Superior Court Judge Robert Olson concluded the convicted killer was mentally fit to stand trial. The U.S. Supreme Court rejected a final-hour stay petition on Wednesday. Dixons defense attorneys alternatively argued that their client should not die given his mental state, which includes repeated diagnoses of paranoid schizophrenia and regular hallucinations over the last 30 years. He was previously found not guilty by reason of insanity in a 1977 assault case ruled on by then-Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Sandra Day OConnor. Advertisement With News Wire Services Johnson City, TN (37604) Today Sunshine and clouds mixed. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High around 80F. Winds W at 5 to 10 mph.. Tonight Partly cloudy this evening followed by increasing clouds with showers developing after midnight. Low near 60F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 40%. A school bus crash in North Carolina on Wednesday left at least 15 students and two adults injured, officials said. The bus was en route to South Mecklenburg High School in Charlotte when it collided head-on with a dump truck, local news station WJZY reported, citing Mecklenburg Emergency Services. Advertisement Fourteen of the 15 students who were aboard the bus were hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries following the crash, while the other student declined to be taken to a medical center. The bus driver was also among the people injured in the incident and was hospitalized as well, officials said. Advertisement Mecklenburg Emergency Services shared an image of numerous fire fighters and a medic at the scene of the crash, standing in front of a yellow school bus. Avoid the area of Sharon Rd West / Sharonbrook Dr due to an active traffic accident with multiple patients and one still pinned, the agency tweeted Wednesday morning. Emergency officials managed to free the driver of the school bus from his vehicle after 30 minutes, while it took an hour to remove the drive of the dump truck, WJZY reported. The driver of a third vehicle involved in the crash was believed to be unharmed. A New York judge on Wednesday rejected a last-minute challenge to the states new Assembly maps, allowing them to remain in place for this years primary elections, after he struck down the congressional maps earlier this spring. Justice Patrick McAllister of Steuben County Supreme Court said he believed the Assembly maps were created in an unconstitutional manner by Democrats in the Legislature, but cited in his decision a lack of time before the primary, and bipartisan opposition to the motion. Advertisement Judge Patrick McAllister listens to arguments during a hearing in court in Bath, N.Y. on Thursday, March, 31, 2022. (Vaughn Golden/AP) McAllister, whose high-stakes decision to trash the congressional map was upheld last month by the states highest court, emphasized in his five-page ruling on Wednesday that the Assembly maps were not initially challenged in the case. He wrote that new challenges against the Assembly maps were untimely and that a decision striking down the maps would be extremely burdensome to the court and the existing parties. Advertisement A pair of motions challenging the Assembly maps did not arrive until the start of this month, less than two months before Primary Day for the Assembly. Republicans in the chamber united with Democrats in opposition to late changes to the maps. A partial view of the New York State Capitol building (left) is shown next to the state Appellate court building in the foreground (right) in Albany, New York on April 4, 2022. (Hans Pennink/AP) The decision sets the stage for Assembly primaries to take place as planned on June 28, though elections for Congress and the state Senate have been postponed to August to make time for a redraw of the respective state maps. The ruling Democrats in the Legislature drew new congressional and legislative maps this winter after a bipartisan commission created for the once-a-decade redistricting failed to reach a consensus and gave up. The parties who intervened in the case with hopes of scrapping the Assembly maps could still appeal. But it was not clear if they would. Aaron Foldenauer, a lawyer representing one of the so-called intervenors, said he was looking at all of our options but had not determined a course of action. This was delay by design: the state Assembly waited until the last minute to break the law, Foldenauer said. Now, were in a situation where there are unconstitutional lines, and the court feels it cant remedy the issue. In the case, Foldenauer represented Gavin Wax, president of the New York Young Republican Club. Advertisement Jeff Wice, a professor at New York Law School who studies redistricting, said he still believes the Assembly maps are fair and balanced. The Assembly maps were passed on a bipartisan vote, Wice said Wednesday. The changes mostly represented population changes and the need for population equality among the districts. View of the Assembly Chamber during a legislative session at the state Capitol in Albany, New York on Thursday, April 7, 2022. (Hans Pennink/AP) The Assembly maps drew little scrutiny in comparison to the House chart. The congressional map was widely viewed as crafted to help Democrats, putting their party in an advantage in 22 of 26 New York districts. Gov. Hochul, a Democrat, signed the map into law on Feb. 3, over howls of rage from the GOP. The new map was seen as a likely boon to the national Democratic Party as it heads into a midterm election thought to favor Republicans, who have been locked out of power on Capitol Hill since 2021. But McAllister tossed the congressional map at the end of March, dealing a blow to Democrats. Advertisement The State Court of Appeals, made up of seven appointees of Democratic governors, concurred with McAllisters judgement almost a month later, surprising some observers and scrambling the states political calendar. The congressional and Senate primary elections are now scheduled for Aug. 23; the contours of districts in those races remain in limbo. A court-appointed special master, Jonathan Cervas, has a May 20 deadline to craft new maps. Mayor Adams on Wednesday endorsed a former staffer running for State Assembly on a third party line, snubbing the Democratic nominee in the race in a move that could ruffle feathers with legislative leaders in Albany. Adams, who has recently struggled to advance some of his policy priorities in the state Legislature, offered the endorsement of the ex-staffer, Hercules Reid, during a press conference in Brooklyns East Flatbush neighborhood. Advertisement You dont have to go into the biblical text to understand we have our own Hercules. We have our own strong man, Adams said, ostensibly confusing the Greek mythological character with a figure from the Bible. We have a person that will bring that strength to Albany. Reid, who served as an aide to Adams while he was Brooklyn borough president, is campaigning as an independent candidate in the May 24 special election to represent the 58th Assembly District, which spans parts of East Flatbush, Brownsville and Canarsie. Advertisement Hes running against Monique Chandler-Waterman, the Democratic nominee in the race who has racked up endorsements from a number of powerful unions, including 1199 SEIU, as well as local elected officials like Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso and Public Advocate Jumaane Williams. New York City Mayor Eric Adams (left) and New York State 58th Assembly District candidate Hercules Reid (right) (Shawn Inglima; Todd Maisel/ New York Daily News) Reid said hes honored to have the seal of approval from Adams, whom he called a longtime friend and mentor. Honestly, Im not running just to run, Reid said. Im actually running to turn over the tables, to kick down the doors and to throw out the trash because we are tired of business as usual. The endorsement press conference was held on the site where 12-year-old Kade Lewin was fatally shot while sitting in a car last month and Adams said Reid would be a legislative partner in his fight against gun violence in our city. But a Democratic elected official in Brooklyn said Adams Reid boost is not going to do him any favors with lawmakers in the State Capitol. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of angering the mayor, said the third-party endorsement sends a problematic message as Adams scrambles to get Democrats in the state Legislature to act on his policy requests, including his last-minute push for extending mayoral control of the citys public schools. With two weeks left in session, the mayor should be up in Albany getting stuff done, not playing local politics, the official told the Daily News. Everyone in Albany is watching. Every day he isnt up here is another count against him. A pro-Trump Republican easily won a GOP congressional primary in West Virginia but the former presidents pick for Nebraska governor fell to defeat in another Republican-on-Republican race Rep. Alex Mooney (R-W.Va.) rode former President Trumps endorsement to an easy victory over fellow GOP Rep. David McKinley (R-W.Va.) in a primary fight forced when the state lost a congressional seat due to declining population. Advertisement But Trumps backing failed to pay off for Charles Herbster, who lost the Nebraska gubernatorial primary amid serial sexual harassment accusations. Rep. Alex Mooney (R-W.Va.) (Gene J. Puskar/AP) Donald Trump loves West Virginia, and West Virginia loves Donald Trump, Mooney said in a victory speech after his 54%-36% win. When Donald Trump puts his mind to something, you better watch out. Advertisement McKinley was heavily criticized by Trump for breaking with his party as one of 13 Republicans to vote with the Democrats to support President Bidens $1.2 trillion bipartisan infrastructure bill. Trump called McKinley a RINO, or Republican in Name Only and endorsed Mooney the day Biden signed the infrastructure law. Trump-supported Republic candidate for Governor of Nebraska Charles Herbster lost Tuesday's primary on May 10, 2022. (Justin Wan/AP) I have always stood up for whats right for West Virginia even when it hurt me politically, McKinley said in defeat. In Nebraska, Herbster, who had Trumps vocal support, lost by a 34%-30% margin to millionaire hog farmer and University of Nebraska regent Jim Pillen, who was backed by powerful current GOP Gov. Pete Ricketts. Like Mooney, Pillen is now the overwhelming favorite to win in November over a Democratic opponent. We live in the greatest place on the planet, right here in Nebraska, Pillen said in a victory speech. Herbster thanked Trump for his support and blamed his loss on a series of groping allegations, which he denied. This is one of the nastiest campaigns for governor in the history of Nebraska, Herbster said. Advertisement The results of the two races amounted to a split decision on the closely watched impact of Trumps endorsements in GOP midterm primary races. Trump flexed his political muscle by engineering a come-from-behind win for conservative author J.D. Vance in Ohios Republican primary. But tough tests lie ahead for his favored candidates in Pennsylvania, where TVs Dr. Oz is locked in a neck-and-neck race and in Georgia, where Trump-backed David Perdue is badly trailing incumbent Gov. Brian Kemp. Ukraine battled Russian forces in its eastern region Tuesday while overnight missile strikes hit the southern port of Odessa, as the United States warned that Russian President Vladimir Putin is ready for a long war. Washingtons bleak prediction came after Ukraine said its membership of the European Union was a question of war and peace for the whole continent as it faces up to Russia, well over two months after Moscow invaded. Kyiv also hailed what it said was EU powerhouse Germanys change of stance on a Russian oil embargo and on supplying arms to Ukraine. Violence raged in the south, where the missile strikes in Odessa overnight destroyed buildings, set ablaze a shopping centre and killed one person, just hours after a visit by European Council President Charles Michel. Officials also said some 1,000 troops remain trapped in increasingly dire circumstances in the Azovstal steelworks at the devastated city of Mariupol. Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24 but Ukrainian forces managed to push Moscows forces back from Kyiv. The capitals mayor said Tuesday that two-thirds of its residents have returned. Putin has given few hints on his plans, but US Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines said Tuesday that the Russian leader will not end the war with the Donbas campaign and is determined to build a land bridge to the Russian-controlled territory in Moldova. US intelligence also views it as increasingly likely that Putin will mobilise his entire country, including ordering martial law, and is counting on his perseverance to wear down Western support for Ukraine. Counting the bombs Moscow switched its focus to the Russian-speaking Donbas region in the east, where separatists have been fighting since 2014, after failing to take Kyiv. Ukraines presidency said the epicentre of the fighting has moved to Bilogorivka in the Lugansk region of the Donbas, the site of a deadly Russian air strike Sunday that Ukrainian officials said killed 60 people. Shelling also continued in Ukraines easternmost strongholds, the sister cities of Severodonetsk and Lysychansk, it said. Ukraines President Volodymyr Zelensky said Russian forces were being pushed from Kharkiv but that was tempered by a revelation by the regions governor that 44 civilian bodies had been found under the rubble of a destroyed building in the eastern town of Izyum, now under Russian control. His counterpart in Donetsk said three civilians were killed in the region on Tuesday. Civilians were struggling to survive between the constantly shifting front lines. I feel total apathy. I am morally starved not to mention physically, said bricklayer Artyom Cherukha, 41, as he collected water trickling from a natural spring in Lysychansk. He was trying to get supplies for his family of nine, as people in the area steadily lose access to water and food. We sit here counting the bombs, said Cherukha. Russias defence ministry said it hit 74 targets on Tuesday and downed a Ukrainian drone above the strategic Snake Island in the Black Sea. Germany changed position Ukraine has been pushing Western countries for more support, and has been particularly critical of Germany for its slow response and unwillingness to give up Russian energy. The tone changed on Tuesday with German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbocks surprise visit to Bucha, a town outside Kyiv where Russian troops have been accused of war crimes. I would like to thank Germany for changing its position on a number of issues including arms supplies to Kyiv and supporting a Russian oil embargo, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba told reporters in Kyiv with Baerbock. Kuleba pushed for the European Union to admit his country. Ukraines membership in the EU is a matter of war and peace in Europe, said Kuleba. One of the reasons that this war started is that Putin was convinced that Europe doesnt need Ukraine. US President Joe Biden has meanwhile resurrected a World War II measure to aid Kyiv, opening the spigots on artillery, anti-aircraft missiles, anti-tank weapons and other powerful materiel. On Tuesday US lawmakers were to debate a nearly $40 billion aid package, which is expected to pass comfortably with rare bipartisan support. Western powers on Tuesday separately accused Russian authorities of carrying out a cyberattack against a satellite network an hour before the invasion of Ukraine to pave the way for its assault. Urgent evacuation Moscow has made more progress in southern Ukraine but more than a thousand Ukrainian soldiers remain in Mariupols Azovstal steelworks, Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk told AFP. The plant is the final bastion of Ukrainian resistance in the city, which has seen relentless destruction. An online petition calling on the United Nations to extract all remaining soldiers garnered more than 1.1 million signatures Tuesday. Hundreds are injured. There are people with serious injuries who require urgent evacuation, said Vereshchuk. Many civilians have been evacuated from the plant in recent days, as Russia pushes for full control of Mariupol to open up a land corridor from Crimea, which it seized in 2014. With Ukraines sovereignty at stake, Zelensky took the time to mourn his countrys first president, Leonid Kravchuk, who died Tuesday at the age of 88. Zelensky said that Kravchuk, who lived through Nazi occupation during World War II as a boy, understood the horror of war. He wished for peace for Ukraine with all his heart, Zelensky said. I am sure that we will make that happen, we will achieve our victory and our peace. burs-st/dw ZAPORIZHZHIA, Ukraine (AP) Ukraines top prosecutor disclosed plans Wednesday for the first war crimes trial of a captured Russian soldier, as fighting raged in the east and south and the Kremlin left open the possibility of annexing a corner of the country it seized early in the invasion. Prosecutor General Iryna Venediktova said her office charged Sgt. Vadin Shyshimarin, 21, in the killing of an unarmed 62-year-old civilian who was gunned down while riding a bicycle in February, four days into the war. Advertisement A Ukrainian serviceman inspects a site after an airstrike by Russian forces in Bahmut, Ukraine, Tuesday, May 10, 2022. (Evgeniy Maloletka/AP) Shyshimarin, who served with a tank unit, was accused of firing through a car window on the man in the northeastern village of Chupakhivka. Venediktova said the soldier could get up to 15 years in prison. She did not say when the trial would start. Venediktovas office has said it has been investigating more than 10,700 alleged war crimes committed by Russian forces and has identified over 600 suspects. Advertisement Many of the alleged atrocities came to light last month after Moscows forces aborted their bid to capture Kyiv and withdrew from around the capital, exposing mass graves and streets and yards strewn with bodies in towns such as Bucha. Residents told of killings, burnings, rape, torture and dismemberment. In this image from video provided by the Ukrainian Presidential Press Office, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy speaks from Kyiv, Ukraine, Tuesday, May 10, 2022. (AP) Volodymyr Yavorskyy of the Center for Civil Liberties said the Ukrainian human rights group will be closely following Shyshimarins trial to see if it is fair. Its very difficult to observe all the rules, norms and neutrality of the court proceedings in wartime, he said. On the economic front, Ukraine shut down one of the pipelines that carry Russian gas across the country to homes and industries in Western Europe, marking the first time since the start of the war that Kyiv disrupted the flow westward of one of Moscows most lucrative exports. But the immediate effect is likely to be limited, in part because Russia can divert the gas to another pipeline and because Europe relies on a variety of suppliers. Meanwhile, a Kremlin-installed politician in the southern Kherson region, site of the first major Ukrainian city to fall in the war, said officials there want Russian President Vladimir Putin to make Kherson a proper region of Russia that is, annex it. The city of Kherson is Russia, Kirill Stremousov, deputy head of the Kherson regional administration appointed by Moscow, told Russias RIA Novosti news agency, That raised the possibility that the Kremlin would seek to break off another piece of Ukraine as it tries to salvage an invasion gone awry. Russia annexed Ukraines Crimean Peninsula, which borders the Kherson region, after a disputed referendum in 2014, a move denounced as illegal and rejected by most of the international community. Kherson, a Black Sea port of roughly 300,000, provides Crimea with access to fresh water and is seen as gateway to wider Russian control over southern Ukraine. Advertisement Volunteers exhume the bodies of civilians killed by Russian shelling in the village of Stepaky, close to Kharkiv, Ukraine, Wednesday, May 11, 2022. (Andrii Marienko/AP) Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said it would be up to the residents of the Kherson region after all to decide whether such an appeal should be made or not. He said any move to annex territory would have to be closely evaluated by legal experts to make sure it is absolutely legitimate, as it was with Crimea. Ukrainian presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak mocked the notion of Khersons annexation, tweeting: The invaders may ask to join even Mars or Jupiter. The Ukrainian army will liberate Kherson, no matter what games with words they play. Inside Kherson, people have taken to the streets to decry the Russian occupation. But a teacher who gave only her first name, Olga, for fear of Russian retaliation said such protests are impossible now because Moscows troops kidnapped activists and citizens simply for wearing Ukrainian colors or ribbons. She said people are scared of talking openly outside their homes and everyone walks on the street quickly. All people in Kherson are waiting for our troops to come as soon as possible, she added. Nobody wants to live in Russia or join Russia. After the success of the Apple TV+ series "Pachinko," Kim Min Ha scored another achievement after joining Shin Min Ah as Roger Vivier's muse. One of the breakthrough stars this 2022, the 26-year-old actress proves her reign globally after being hailed as the Maison's newest ambassador. Kim Min Ha Selected as Roger Vivier's Newest Muse The French luxury brand, known for its Faberge of footwear, announced on its official Instagram that Kim Min Ha will be "Korea's new Brand Ambassador." Moreover, the post mentioned that Roger Vivier was drawn to the actress' "stunning yet unique elegance." In addition, the South Korean actress will also showcase the brand's creativity by working alongside Roger Vivier's creative director Gherardo Felloni. Meanwhile, Felloni also shared what prompted the brand to choose Kim Min Ha as one of its muses. As cited by a local media outlet, the creative director said, "Kim Min Ha's colorful acting spectrum is in line with the artistic prowess and beauty pursued by her brand, so I was selected as an ambassador." Aside from the announcement, the Maison also featured the actress with their latest Spring Summer 2022 collection. Donning a dainty outfit, the rookie actress was spotted wearing pastel-colored shoes and bag, which basically screams summertime. On the other hand, Kim Min Ha's Instagram also featured her campaign shoot for the brand with a caption that reads "How lovely Roger Vivier is," tagging the creative director. Apart from Koreans Kim Min Ha and Shin Min Ah, Roger Vivier also selected Chinese A-list actor Deng Lun as one of their ambassadors. Kim Min Ha on her Breakthrough Performance in Apple TV+'s 'Pachinko' One of the successful K-content this 2022, "Pachinko," wowed the viewers and critics with its unique story and a stellar performance from its star-studded cast. However, what surprised the fans the most was Kim Min Ha's portrayal of the teenage Sunja, which was later on played by the Oscar-winning Youn Yuh Jung. Despite being fairly new in the industry, the 26-year-old star managed to act and aced her portrayal in "Pachinko." Interestingly, viewers also lauded her chemistry with Hallyu star Lee Min Ho even though she once admitted that she was starstruck by the actor's presence. It might be everyone's initial reaction when they meet the K-drama royalty, but Kim Min Ha pulled it off with grace. During the press conference ahead of the drama's premiere, the cast dishes out their thoughts for the upcoming series. As noted by Osen, Kim Min Ha shared that she poured her entire soul into auditions which lasted for three months. Fortunately, she was able to get the part of Sunja. As for portraying the lead character, the actress explained that she "got the chance to reflect" on herself and "learned a lot more than just acting." Apart from Kim Min Ha's team up with luxury brand Roger Vivier, she recently graced the covers of fashion magazine WWD Korea. IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: Lee Min Ho, Kim Min Ha's 'Pachinko' Confirmed for Season 2 KDramastars owns this article Written by Geca Wills With her ongoing success, Kim Tae Ri is ready to show more of herself, because she is about to release her first YouTube vlog and share some of the things she normally does outside work. Kim Tae Ri is Still on Cloud Nine After Receiving Big Awards Since she made a small screen comeback after a long hiatus, Kim Tae Ri starred in the romantic K-drama, "Twenty Five, Twenty One." She regained her popularity as she magnificently portrayed the character of a Fencer gold medalist, Na Hee Do. The 32-year-old female star also hailed as Best Actress at the 58th Baeksang Arts Awards in the Television Division held last May 6 in Seoul. She also won the TikTok Popularity Award at the prestigious event. Her new trophies proved how big Kim Tae Ri is now in the industry. Management MMM Teases Fans on What To Expect From Kim Tae Ri Following her successful Netflix projects with "Space Sweepers" and "2521," the "Mr.Sunshine" actress will level up her way of communicating with her growing fans. Tae Ri's agency, Management MMM announced on their Instagram that the celebrity will officially release her daily life themed vlog on YouTube. A series of clips of how Kim Tae Ri spends most of her days - while not acting on dramas and movies. Through this content, local and international fans will have an intimate connection with their favorite star. In the video preview shown, the actress gave a sneak peek of her time inside their office before going on a drive to do a solo vlog. While inside the car, she continues to share stories and even practiced some of her drama lines. But what surprised many while watching the short video was when they caught Kim Tae Ri sobbing while driving. Fans expressed their curiosity as to why the female star was crying. Viewers also get interested in Tae Ri practicing playing the flute. Meanwhile, the "Twenty Five, Twenty One's" lead star will reveal all the behind-the-stories on the soon-to-release vlog on Management MMM's official YouTube channel this coming May 12 at 6 p.m. (KST). Be sure not to miss it! On the other hand, Kim Tae Ri will be back on the silver screen with the star-studded sci-fi movie "Alien," which is slated to premiere on June. What kind of vlog content you want Kim Tae Ri to do? Share your thoughts with us in the comments!. For more K-Drama, K-Movie, and celebrity news and updates, keep your tabs open here at Kdramastars. Kdramastars owns this article. Shai Collins wrote this. We're always interested in hearing about news in our community. Let us know what's going on! Go to form Law enforcement officers throughout Kenosha County gathered at the Public Safety Monument in HarborPark on Wednesday in honor of officers whove died protecting their communities and sacrificed their health and safety for the public good. LAW ENFORCEMENT MEMORIAL Kenosha County Sheriffs Sgt. Mike Pittsley holds a banner with the name of a fallen officer during the Kenosha Law Enforcement Memorial Servi Kenosha Police Deputy Chief Thomas Hansche said most local law enforcement officers dont expect to be thanked for their service, but the vast majority of area residents appreciate and support them. I cant tell you the number of times that Im stopped in public by a member of the public that just wants to say thank you for what we do and for being a police officer, Hansche told the crowd. As a community, you know that weve been through some difficult times the last few years, but even during some of those darker moments, that support was still there. Hundreds of police officers, sheriffs deputies, area residents and elected officials paid their respects during the annual ceremony. Unfortunately, Hansche said, violence against police is rising across the nation and is very troubling. LAW ENFORCEMENT MEMORIAL Sheriff David Beth speaks during the Kenosha Law Enforcement Memorial Service at the Public Safety Monument in HarborPark on Wednesday. These badges on our shirts do not belong to us, Hansche said. When I say that, what I mean is that we represent the communities in which we serve. The badges belong to you and represent a lot of people. This is why we should all be concerned about violence against police officers. Police officers are representatives of the community they work in. An attack on an officer is an attack on the laws and values of that community. And we continue to see increased violent attacks across the nation. This should be concerning to you. Kenosha County Sheriff David Beth spoke at the ceremony for the last time as the countys top law enforcement official. Beth is not running for re-election later this year. The men and women in law enforcement here today and around this great country dedicate themselves to protect us every second of the day, Beth said. Could you imagine what this world would be like if those who swore to uphold the Constitution of this great United States suddenly decided not to come to work tomorrow? Thank you to all of you here in uniform, those of you who once wore the badge and those who gave their lives so we all have freedom today. You are all appreciated more than youll ever know. Beth said it has been a privilege to work beside all the great men and women that have helped make this country what it is today. May Gods light always shine on you and guide you through your darkest hours. Kenosha County Circuit Court Judge Jason Rossell offered the keynote speech. Rossell thanked the officers, deputies and troopers for protecting the community during recent social unrest, the COVID-19 pandemic and the sharp rise in drug overdoses. Every day they get up and they set aside their own self, their own families. They put on the badge and they come to work for the good of our community, Rossell said. As a judge, I get to see somewhat of a sanitized version of what they have to deal with. Its written down on paper, or maybe if theres a trial or a hearing, I get to see it in photographs or videos. But Im not there. Its the officers who are there to run toward the danger, who are the ones who pick up the broken pieces, and who are there trying to help those in need. Memorial service Members of the Kenosha Police Department, Pleasant Prairie Police Department, Kenosha County Sheriffs Department, University of Wisconsin-Parkside Police Department and Twin Lakes Police Department posted the colors. The event began with the singing of the National Anthem, which was performed by Maura Murphy. The Sheriffs Department honored Blanco Aquino, James C. Rieschl, Frank Fabiano Jr. and Jacob Keul. The Kenosha Police Department honored Antonio Pingitore, Gary W. Fraid, Donald Murphy and Dreux Beaulier. They were all killed in the line of duty. Each received a rose that was placed on the Public Safety Monument. Every time I see a local (law enforcement officer), regardless of where they are or what they might be doing, I say a quick prayer for them seeking that they have protection and theyre kept safe, Pleasant Prairie Police Department Chaplain Charlie Hansen said. And I think we would all agree that the greatest thing for all of us would be that we would never, ever have to add another name to this memorial. I have a very deep respect for each and every one of you. And I often wondered why any of you would go into this profession, until I started spending some time with you. The two words that come to mind when I think of you are honor and courage. And for that, this city, this county, this state and this nation are forever grateful. Near the end of the event, Amazing Grace was performed by the Kenosha Area Pipes & Drums Association with a bag pipe and snare drum. A rifle salute and performance of taps closed the event. It was performed by an honor guard, consisting of officers from the Kenosha Police Department, Pleasant Prairie Police Department, Kenosha County Sheriffs Department and UW-Parkside Police Department. In 2021, there were a total of 616 officers who died in the line-of-duty, including 84 officers who died from felonious assaults and 432 from complications associated with COVID-19-related deaths. There were also 21 law enforcement K9s that died in the line-of-duty last year, according to event organizers. This year, there have already been over 92 line-of-duty deaths. Kenosha Sheriffs Department Chaplain Karen Metallo offered the National Police Prayer. Loving God, giver of peace and healer of souls, we ask your blessing upon all law enforcement officers, Metallo prayed. Keep them safe. Watch over them with your powerful angels. Comfort and cover them with your healing love. Bless them with your spirit and strength. Bless them with your hope and courage. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. The leader of a violent gang in Haiti has been charged with orchestrating the kidnapping of 17 members of a U.S.-based missionary group last year. One Canadian and 16 Americans were captured in October 2021 by the 400 Mawozo gang in Croix-des-Bouquets, a northeast suburb outside the nations capital city of Port-au-Prince, which is part of the region controlled by the criminal organization. The volunteer group, made up of 12 adults and five children, including an 8-month-old, had just visited an orphanage as part of their mission work through Christian Aid Ministries when they ambushed by a group of gunmen. Advertisement Joly Germine, who is accused of directing and controlling the operation, including the gangs ransom demands, is the first to be charged in relation to the hostage situation. In addition to requesting $1 million for each missionary, the 400 Mawozo also sought to secure Germines release from prison in exchange for the hostages freedom. Joly Germine (Haitian National Police) The suspected gang leader was indicted on Tuesday by a federal grand jury in the District of Columbia for conspiracy to commit hostage taking, according to a press release from the Justice Department. Advertisement It comes less than a week after the 29-year-old suspect was extradited to the United States to face a series of weapons trafficking charges. Prior to his arrival on Friday, Germine had been in custody in Haiti since 2018. In the previous indictment, Justice Department officials alleged that he had still been running the 400 Mowazo gang from prison via unmonitored cell phones. This case shows that the Justice Department will be relentless in our efforts to track down anyone who kidnaps a U.S. citizen abroad, said U.S. Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. We will utilize the full reach of our law enforcement authorities to hold accountable anyone responsible for undermining the safety of Americans anywhere in the world. In the end, all of the hostages were released unharmed. The first two Christian Aid missionaries were released in November and another three were freed in early December. Later the same month, the remaining 12 hostages managed to escape. Its not clear whether any of the funds were paid. The world is on track to breach a key global warming threshold, according to a new report. Theres now a 50-50 chance that the world will warm by more than 1.5 deg C over the next five years. Advertisement In 2015, chances were near zero. Moreover, between now and 2026, theres a 93% likelihood that one of the next five years will be the warmest on record, knocking 2016 out of its current number 1 spot, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) said in its report, released late Monday. Advertisement The odds of at least one of the next 5 years temporarily reaching the #ParisAgreement threshold of 1.5C have increased to 50:50. In 2015 the chance was zero. Very likely (93%) that one year from 2022-2026 will be warmest on record: WMO and @metoffice update.#ClimateChange pic.twitter.com/UVj0QNoxef World Meteorological Organization (@WMO) May 9, 2022 Even though the 1.5 deg C increase wouldnt last this time it could still cause irreversible changes, the scientists said. This echoed warnings in a February report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, which laid out 127 ways that conditions could get worse, some permanently. The WMO tapped the knowledge of the worlds top climate scientists and culled data from 11 forecast centers and their highly accurate prediction systems to arrive at the conclusion in the report, the Global Annual to Decadal Climate Update. The 1.5C figure is not some random statistic, WMO Secretary-General Prof. Petteri Taalas said in a statement accompanying the report. It is rather an indicator of the point at which climate impacts will become increasingly harmful for people and indeed the entire planet. The 1.5 deg C is the lower number arrived at by the Paris Agreement on Climate Change, which set long-term goals for all countries to reduce global greenhouse gas emissions so that temperatures would not rise above 2 deg C. Even the 1.5 deg C poses a risk, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has said. A man and a boy walk across the almost dried up bed of river Yamuna following hot weather in New Delhi, India, Monday, May 2, 2022. (Manish Swarup/AP) Breaking News As it happens Get updates on the coronavirus pandemic and other news as it happens with our free breaking news email alerts. > While the prediction was grim, reaching this 1.5 deg C threshold is not the same as hitting the one signed onto in the Paris Agreement, scientists not involved in the report told The Associated Press. The Paris Agreements figure would take much longer to know, given that its a long-term average covering 20 to 30 years, they said. This is a warning of what will be just average in a few years, Cornell University climate scientist Natalie Mahowald, who was not part of the forecast teams, told AP. A single year of exceedance above 1.5C does not mean we have breached the iconic threshold of the Paris Agreement, but it does reveal that we are edging ever closer to a situation where 1.5C could be exceeded for an extended period, said lead author Leon Hermanson of the United Kingdoms Meteorological Office, which coordinated the team. Advertisement The temperatures the report used are a little warmer than what NASA and the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) use, NASA climate scientist Gvain Schmidt told AP, adding that he thought 10 years was a more accurate window. What scientists did agree on was the need to keep reducing emissions. For as long as we continue to emit greenhouse gases, temperatures will continue to rise. And alongside that, our oceans will continue to become warmer and more acidic, sea ice and glaciers will continue to melt, sea level will continue to rise, and our weather will become more extreme, Taalas said. Arctic warming is disproportionately high, and what happens in the Arctic affects all of us. Southeast Asian fruits ride RCEP wave to Chinese market Xinhua) 09:58, May 11, 2022 NANNING, May 10 (Xinhua) -- Durians have entered their best season, and orders for the "stinky" fruit in China began to soar in late April, driving its imports from Southeast Asia, its main producing area. The Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) agreement, the world's largest free trade deal to date that took effect on Jan. 1, 2022, has further boosted its sales this year. The RCEP countries account for roughly 30 percent of the world's gross domestic product and population. Over 90 percent of trade in goods among approved member states will gradually be tariff-free. "We received 100 boxes of durians, which were distributed soon after arrival. Besides community convenience stores, there are also many individual customers," said Huang Meixia with a subsidiary of Charoen Pokphand Group in south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. Charoen Pokphand Group is a leading agribusiness conglomerate in Thailand. Huang noted that compared with the same period of last year, the durians are selling well despite a price increase this year. Durians have conquered the taste of an increasing number of foodies across China. In 2021, the import volume of fresh durians was four times that of 2017. Nisachol Thaithong, a Thai national in Nanning, Guangxi's capital city, runs a business importing durians from her family's orchard in Thailand to China and has accumulated a stable customer source over the past years. "When it came to durians in the past, many consumers only knew Golden Pillow. Now they can recognize many more durian varieties," said Nisachol Thaithong. In Guangxi, more investment is being poured into infrastructure and cold-chain logistics to facilitate cross-border fresh fruit trade. Wei Pan, a social media influencer in Guangxi, has partnered with Nisachol Thaithong to airlift freshly-picked durians from Thailand to Chinese cities such as Guangzhou and Kunming. "It takes only two to three hours for the durians to fly from Thailand to China. Their shells are still turquoise when they appear on the Chinese market, indicating their freshness," Wei said. Guangxi's Qinzhou Port has opened several direct container routes to Thailand. The fruit express line from Laem Chabang to Qinzhou runs four times a week, and the fruits can reach China in about three to four days. Chinese consumers have strong purchasing power and a massive demand for high-quality products, noted Benjamas Tanvetyanont, Thai consul-general in Nanning. Apart from Thai durians, durians from Malaysia are also gaining in popularity in China. Chinese and Malaysian enterprises have recently signed 11 agreements to promote investment and strategic cooperation in cross-border trade, among which the trade of durians has become the focus of attention. Malaysian Deputy Minister of International Trade and Industry Lim Ban Hong said that the RCEP would bring considerable cooperation opportunities to enterprises from both Guangxi and Malaysia. He hopes that under the RCEP, China and Malaysia can establish closer economic and trade cooperation. (Web editor: Peng Yukai, Liang Jun) For safer roads, why not lean into deterrence? Bronx: Vision Zero needs to have a broader vision. I have been driving in New York City since 1972. Through the years, I have witnessed a disconcerting breakdown in respect to traffic regulations, common decency and the lack of good judgment by many drivers. If I were to guess as to the genesis of this problem, a simple answer would be that many younger drivers assume that actual driving is similar to the driving they do in video games and good driving is aggressive driving as demonstrated in the movie The Fast and the Furious and other films of that genre. Advertisement FDNY at the scene of a vehicle collision in the Bronx. (Theodore Parisienne/for New York Daily News) Why not fine these dangerous, law-breaking drivers large sums of money? Fines for egregious offenses, such as reckless driving, running red lights, failing to yield to pedestrians in crosswalks and speeding, should be high perhaps as high as $1,000, $2,000 or higher. High fines for violations are not unprecedented. Fines for illegal dumping go up to $40,000, and that is basically a victimless crime. The driving I am describing often leaves dead or injured victims in its wake. Why not a large insurance surcharge for these offenders that gets split between the insurance company and the city? There is a large surcharge imposed for DWI and DUI offenses. The drivers I have described are quite often every bit as dangerous. This could be a popular program among citizens and decent drivers. It would increase revenue for the city. Streets and highways would become much safer for citizens and drivers alike. Ed Rudyk Advertisement Host doing the most Astoria: After announcing that he had contacted COVID symptoms, what was Mayor Adams doing attending a restaurant party in Times Square, the Vogue Met Gala and a conference in California, all within a week? Whats more sickening is how come no reporter questioned him on this? Aris Sakellaridis Ratting them out Brooklyn: It was reported that New York City has seen the biggest rat population roaming the streets since 2010. I am not surprised. I see them by my park on a daily basis. I never used to. I think its time the Parks Department and NYPD get together and start enforcing the law. Parks are for recreation and relaxation. They are not to be used as BBQ grounds. In fact, its against the law to BBQ in public parks. Alcohol is also prohibited. Yet every weekend, people come to the parks in my area as early as 6 a.m. They set up and stay until sundown. They cook their food there and have plenty of alcohol. This goes on with Parks Department employees on site. Look no further for why we are seeing so many rats. John De Angelo Same here Cambria Heights: To Voicer Roslyn J. Smith: I read your comments with great interest and can completely relate. As a 73-year-old African-American woman, I have had unbelievably negative experiences with doctors, and not just at Mount Sinai (I had exactly one doctor there who was a caring, attentive and skilled professional. That relationship lasted 20 years). I have been berated, dismissed and totally ignored at institutions throughout Manhattan, Queens and Long Island. In some situations, Ive actually been grateful for even a modicum of attention! Ive learned to be extremely selective in choosing my specialists and continuing to be under their care. I still make some huge errors in judgment, but as soon as I feel Im not getting the care Im entitled to and deserve, bye-bye. As women of color, we have to be vigilant and not hesitate to speak up when we feel we are not getting the care we deserve and are paying for. Terri Gilbert Skating to defeat Flushing: Hey, New York Rangers, do us fans a favor and forfeit the next game because its hard to watch! In a word: embarrassing! Joseph Gross My body Providence, R.I.: In reference to Moderate GOP pols told their bill wont work (May 10): Dear Supreme Court members and Republican politicians, dont suppose I must do as you choose. Dont assume youve got dibs on my womb. Felicia Nimue Ackerman Flammably inflammatory The Daily News Flash Weekdays Catch up on the days top five stories every weekday afternoon. > Jacksonville, Fla.: Americas dear Sen. Ted Cruz stated emphatically on TV the other day that the Democrats are not saying boo about the protests happening outside some hypocritical Supreme Court justices homes but said that the Democrats were complaining all over the place about the peaceful protests that occurred on Jan. 6, 2021! Jan. 6, may I remind you, Mr. Bearded Senator, was an illegal insurrection that attempted a coup against the U.S. government and interference with a legal presidential election! Before you go shooting your mouth off next time, get your facts straight! In the meantime, I wouldnt suggest lighting any matches near Cruz because the fumes from the constant gaslighting shooting out of his mouth just might cause an explosion! Carl Hafner Given the chance Larchmont, N.Y.: How ironic is it that pro-abortionists champion a policy that would have undoubtedly led to their demise if it had been enacted in the past. That is to say, if abortion had been legal hundreds of years ago, like pro-abortionists vociferously want now, its likely that none of them would be alive today. That sums up what abortion is all about pretty well. Cecily Carrigan Life-deserving? Richmond Hill: To all the right-to-lifers celebrating in the wake of the Supreme Court decision on abortion, do you really believe that Dylan Diaz, who sexually assaulted and strangled his girlfriend to death, has a right to life? And he is one of many near-daily atrocities. Too bad there is no such thing as retroactive abortion. Jeff Pullen Advertisement Blue hope Peekskill, N.Y.: S.E. Cupp runneth over. Last week, she opined in The News (Its just not pro-choicers who oppose ending Roe, May 4) that the Samuel Alito draft leak would give them a fighting chance in what was poised to be a bloodbath in November. Where has she been living, in the subway? Tim Ryan is a sure thing to take the Ohio Senate seat. Beto ORourke can win in Texas. Val Demings can beat Marco Rubio. Stacey Abrams has a real shot in Georgia. Will the American people allow Gym Jordan to become speaker of the house? George Clooneys upcoming docuseries all about Gym should be a real corker. Joe Schatzle Unfounded fears Hempstead, L.I.: Re Maybe Republicans should be worried this fall (op-ed, May 9) by Mark Green: There is no book-burning, Hunter Bidens laptop is real and nobody wants a ministry of truth! Leslie Feldman Heist coming hither Bronx: It is more than clear that Donald Trumps, and therefore Republicans, assertions about the stolen election of 2020 are not about 2020. They are a preparation for a Republican takeover of the presidency and Congress in 2024. The gang of five (conservative Supreme Court justices) are in place and ready to rule in favor of Republicans should it be necessary. Red states are ready to enact astonishingly restrictive anti-democratic voting requirements, stripping minorities and the poor of their votes. Guns and arms are in everybodys hands and gun restrictions are about to disappear. The Republicans and Trump mean to seize the government and remake it to their exclusive benefit. I hate to think about the 2024 elections. I want the stable, constitutional and law-abiding United States I love to endure, but a future dictatorship under Republicans and Trump looks very bleak for us regular, non-wealthy citizens. Rose Mary Lancaster Public coffers Port Jefferson Station, L.I.: Thank you, Voicer Marlen Fontes, for your input re the N.Y. Climate Action Committees ideas as to how to help the state get to its Pollyanna emissions goals. This push for green energy solutions will be expensive and is doomed to fail regardless of the propaganda the state is pushing. You say that the retrofitting of older buildings will require massive funding from the state, yet you also say that the citizens of N.Y. who change to all-electric appliances and heating systems will save money. Ms. Fontes, when in the history of our state has it ever spent massive amounts of money without increasing our taxes? Bob Cavaliere The issue of raw sewage flowing into the River Nore around a picturesque and popular swimming spot in Inistioge is only getting worse, according to a local councillor. Cllr Michael Doyle has grown incredibly frustrated with Irish Water in recent times and their inability to address the issue, especially after recently discovering a third area near Inistioge where raw sewage is entering the water. Irish Water have come down and checked it out but there has been no action, Cllr Doyle said. The latest source of contaminated water entering the river was discovered close to the wastewater treatment plant. Then theres the previously flagged issue with a domestic household in the area and an area below the village near the boat slip. Cllr Doyle has been in touch with the local authority on numerous occasions about the issue and acknowledged their efficiency in relaying his concerns to Irish Water, however he is frustrated by the lack of action since. Its unacceptable that this issue looks set to continue for another summer as more and more people will likely enter the river around the village. Inistioge is a proud and picturesque village and is popular with locals and tourists alike, he said. Action is needed urgently. Cllr Doyle added that he is concerned that the sewage may be steadily degrading general water quality in the area. I fish regularly in the area and have noticed a marked change in the water in recent years, he said. If you walk along the shallow parts of the river theres a lot of additional scum and algae and it doesnt look well at all. To add to frustrations, Cllr Doyle added that issues with water quality in the area were logged with Irish Water as far back as 2014. I remember these issues being brought to the attention of Phil Hogan, the Environment Minister at the time, he said. It was my understanding that Inistioge was added to a list to be prioritised for treatment works but nothing of note manifested from that in all the years since. The city Board of Corrections thorough report on the deaths of three men who died this year while in the custody of the Department of Correction (DOC) makes it painfully clear that Tarz Youngblood, George Pagan and Herman Diaz died because of lack of appropriate intervention. Their deaths are the direct result of managerial and systemic failure to ensure that posts on Rikers are staffed with uniformed officers willing to and capable of performing their duties. More than 1,000 correctional officers on payroll routinely do not show up for work, leading to uncovered posts and unacceptable double and triple shifts causing dangerous conditions for those at Rikers Island, whether incarcerated or working there. Advertisement There were no DOC uniformed staff on duty, at their assigned posts, in the housing units where Pagan and Diaz perished. When Youngblood and Diaz died, officers assigned to the security control rooms were on modified duty and thus restricted from actually interacting directly with people in custody. Beyond that, the officer on duty in Youngbloods unit simply did not conduct the required rounds. While individual officers may have neglected to perform their duties, this is a systemic failure, illustrating a broken system and an unmanageable physical setting. These stories exemplify a pervasive, deadly culture of dysfunction that simply would not be tolerated in any other city agency and certainly not in one charged with public safety. Advertisement Protesters hold signs bearing the names of deceased Rikers Island inmates during a rally to close Rikers Island in Brooklyn on Monday, Sept. 27, 2021. (Theodore Parisienne/for New York Daily News) The circumstances described in the report surrounding the deaths of these three men followed by the death of 25-year-old Dashawn Carter days ago further highlight why we must stop relying on pre-trial detention and incarceration as our default responses. As Correctional Health Services noted in response to Board recommendations, (A) large number of persons admitted to NYC jails have serious medical problems and not all those with chronic conditions can be housed in therapeutic settings with the current footprint. At a bare minimum, under the current conditions, nobody with a serious medical problem should be detained at Rikers if their health and safety cannot be guaranteed. The concerning uptick in COVID cases across the city should provide further reason for pause. The Daily News Flash Weekdays Catch up on the days top five stories every weekday afternoon. > Additionally, the detailed description of posts remaining unstaffed at the Eric M. Taylor Center (the intake center for all men coming to Rikers, where they must remain for at least 10 days for COVID quarantine) even after Pagan died in that facility shows that DOC simply cannot ensure the safety of anyone in custody, regardless of whether or not they are medically fragile. Even after Pagan died on March 17, uniformed staff routinely were not at their posts on housing units in April. On one day, April 13, no officers were at their posts in all 21 open housing units. This dereliction of duty at all levels is breathtaking and has proven to be fatal. Its critical to note that in each of these terrible situations, it was people in DOC custody not DOC staff who attempted to secure and provide aid to these men in their last moments alive. Despite clear DOC directives, no DOC staff member checked on Youngbloods cell for hours even though the obstructed cell window should have provided a red flag that something may have been amiss. Despite exhibiting tremendous physical distress and signs of life-threatening withdrawal, Pagan suffered in his cell for days without medical care because he was not housed in a medical facility, not transported to the clinic or given medication, lying in his own filth, and cared for only by men in custody. During the six days before his death, he missed nine medical appointments because of DOCs failure to transport him. Despite witnessing people in custody desperately trying to save Diaz even performing the Heimlich maneuver as he choked on an orange a DOC officer present in the control station in the unit did not come to his aid. The impulse to save a fellow being, to spring into action in the face of someones distress that came from the very people we detain and incarcerate in the name of public safety. Let us not forget their humanity, just as we must not forget the humanity of Tarz Youngblood, George Pagan, Herman Diaz and Dashawn Carter. Advertisement Page is the president and CEO of The Fortune Society. Amy Schumer has had to quarantine, but shes taking it in stride. The Emmy-winning comedian, 40, has taken to Instagram several times over the past few days to document her experience with COVID isolation, the resulting boredom and her newfound persona. Advertisement I guess Im gonna post a bit cause Im lonely but really what I wanted to say is COVID is giving me this incredible Elizabeth Holmes voice. This is what I sound like now that I have COVID. Theranos. Theranos. ... Anyway, Im just lonely and bored and away from my family, Schumer said in a deep voice, mimicking convicted fraudster and Theranos founder Holmes. Holmes is notorious for speaking in a strikingly deep voice, the legitimacy of which has been much speculated about. Advertisement Amy Schumer (ANGELA WEISS/AFP via Getty Images) During Schumers appearance last week on Late Night with Seth Meyers, the native New Yorker spoke too soon when she shared that she had not yet had COVID. Im a little smug about it, she admitted at the time. Schumer this year has shared quite a bit about her health, both physical and mental. The I Feel Pretty star announced in January that she was feeling good. Finally following liposuction and surgery for endometriosis. She revealed in her semi-autobiographical Hulu series, Life & Beth, that she has long suffered from trichotillomania, which is also known as hair-pulling disorder, and that it was her big secret. In another life, Holmes, 38, was a beloved Silicon Valley wunderkind. But in January, she was found guilty on three counts of wire fraud and one count of conspiracy. Her sentencing hearing is set for September. Though shes fallen from grace in the tech world, Holmes saga is, on the small screen, as much a star as she once was, thanks to Hulus The Dropout, which stars Amanda Seyfried as the disgraced entrepreneur. Shenandoah, IA (51601) Today Rain early. A mix of sun and clouds by afternoon. Thunder possible. High 69F. Winds N at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 60%.. Tonight A clear sky. Low 48F. Winds WNW at 10 to 15 mph. Andy Dick was arrested again Wednesday and it was captured live on camera by a fellow RV enthusiast in California. The comedian, 56, was detained and charged with felony sexual battery for allegedly assaulting another man at an RV park, TMZ reported. Advertisement Andy Dick (Evan Agostini/Evan Agostini/Invision/AP) The arrest was seen live on the YouTube channel Captain Contents RV. The channels live video continued rolling for multiple hours after the arrest. Dick was living in an RV camp with several other people in Orange County, Calif., according to TMZ. Another man at the site, ONeill Regional Park, accused Dick of sexually assaulting him. Advertisement The livestream showed several cops chatting with Dick at one RV. They then led him to a police car and handcuffed him. Dick has been charged multiple times in the past with sexual assault crimes, and was fired from the film Raising Buchanan in 2017 after several accusations were publicized. In response to the firing, he told The Hollywood Reporter at the time, My middle name is misconduct. They know what they signed up for. But later in the same interview, he said, I didnt grope anybody. The plot twists continue in Blac Chynas legal feud with the Kardashian-Jenner family. Chyna accused the judge who oversaw her defamation case against four of the Kardashian-Jenner women of being undeniably hostile and extremely biased during the trial, TMZ reported, citing new court documents. Advertisement The filing comes a little over a week after Chyna was awarded no damages in the trial. Chyna, 33, reportedly took issue with the jury instructions given by Judge Gregory W. Alarcon. The judge also barred Chynas mother from the courtroom after she ripped the Kardashians and Jenners in an Instagram Live video. Advertisement Blac Chyna (ANGELA WEISS/AFP via Getty Images) An attorney for the Kardashians slammed Chynas complaints with the judge as a baseless effort to save face after losing at trial. Their effort to make a scapegoat of Judge Alarcon is frivolous, dishonest, and deserving of sanctions, the attorneys statement reads. Chyna sued Kris Jenner and daughters Kim Kardashian, Khloe Kardashian and Kylie Jenner, claiming E! didnt give her reality show Rob & Chyna a second season after the women accused her of abusing her former fiance, Rob Kardashian. Rob Kardashian testified during the trial that Chyna strangled him, twice put a gun to his head, and struck him with a metal rod in December 2016. Chyna claimed she was joking around when she took out a gun and placed a phone charger around Kardashians neck that night. Chyna and Rob have a 5-year-old daughter, Dream. Their reality show aired for one season in 2016. Last week, Chynas attorney said they will appeal the courts decision. I'm currently a senior majoring in broadcast journalism and minoring in political science. I'm a fan of all St. Louis sports, Oasis and pretty much any Kurt Russell film. Feel free to reach out to me at mgp89g@umsystem.edu or on Twitter @MattPasz2000. Follow Matt Paszkiewicz Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Save Manage followed notifications Close Followed notifications Please log in to use this feature Log In Don't have an account? Sign Up Today White is 6-foot-9 and weighs about 330 pounds, with brown hair and hazel eyes, the US Marshals Service said. Credit Finance Association (CREFIA) Chairman Kim Joo-hyun, left, and Shin & Kim's senior advisor Hwang Young-key / Courtesy of CREFIA and Shin & Kim By Anna J. Park Kim Joo-hyun, the incumbent chairman of the Credit Finance Association of Korea (CREFIA), is forecast to be appointed as lead of the country's top financial regulator for the next three years. According to industry sources and local media reports, the presidential office is could announce the appointee for the Financial Services Commission (FSC) chair position as early as this week. The appointment comes as the former FSC chairman Koh Seung-beom resigned from the post earlier this month, prior to the beginning of the new Yoon Suk-yeol administration. Koh took office in August last year. Kim has been serving as the chairman of CREFIA since June 2019, and his three-year term is slated to be completed by June of this year. Graduating from Seoul National University and earning an MBA from Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri, U.S., Kim has built a decades-long career in the public financial sector. Since passing the country's high civil service examination in 1981, Kim has worked for the finance ministry, FSC, Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) as well as the Asian Development Bank (ADB). He also served as the chairman of the Korea Deposit Insurance Corporation from 2012 for three years. As Kim passed the high civil service exam in the same year along with Choo Kyung-ho, the Yoon administration's finance minister, the two are expected to demonstrate a solid partnership. As for the new chief to lead the Korea Development Bank (KDB), Hwang Young-key is expected to be appointed to the post. Currently serving as a senior advisor at Shin & Kim, one of the major law firms in Korea, Hwang is one of the country's most experienced and versatile financial experts. He served as the president and CEO at Samsung Securities from 2001 to 2004, chairman of Woori Financial Group and Woori Bank from 2004 to 2007, chairman of KB Financial Group from 2008 to 2009, and chairman of the Korea Financial Investment Association from 2015 to 2018. Hwang also publicly announced his support for President Yoon in February, along with over a hundred financial professionals. Meanwhile, Kim Chang-ki, the former head of the Busan Regional Tax Office, is expected to be appointed as the National Tax Service Commissioner. Kim graduated from Seoul National University and began his career after passing the high civil service examination in 1993. Migrant women attend a Korean language class at a multicultural family support center in Seongbuk District, Seoul, in this undated file photo. Korea Times file Experts call for tailored approach to meet diverse needs of migrants By Lee Hyo-jin President Yoon Suk-yeol's inauguration ceremony held in the National Assembly on Tuesday has raised hope for an inclusive society among the multicultural community in Korea. The ceremony featured a performance by the Rainbow Choir, a choral group made up of the children of multicultural families, and an immigrant from Cambodia, who was selected as one among 20 members of the public to walk together onto the stage with Yoon. At a bell-ringing ceremony held prior to the inauguration, an immigrant from the Philippines was invited to be present as one of the 20 representatives of people from different regions and social backgrounds. Migrants' rights activists said it was encouraging to see residents of foreign nationality better represented, with some interpreting their presence as a sign that the Yoon administration would broaden the nation's immigration policy over the next five years. Cha Yun-kyung, board chairman of the Migrant Youth Foundation, called for comprehensive migrant policies encompassing the diversifying needs of foreign residents. "The previous government's multicultural policies were heading in the right direction in general, but they lacked a tailored approach," Cha told The Korea Times. He explained, "In the early 2000s, the government's multicultural policies were mainly focused on promoting international marriages in rural regions and were limited to helping foreign wives adapt to society. But over the two decades, foreign national residents have grown not only in number but also in diversity." "Therefore, the various difficulties experienced by migrants depending on their age, occupation and nationality should be addressed separately." In particular, Cha viewed that the government should pay more attention to the challenges faced by undocumented migrant children, or those born between foreign nationals who are undocumented. Although there is no official data, the number of children who are undocumented in Korea is estimated to be around 20,000. As they are virtually invisible according to government records, these children are deprived of basic human rights to education, health and protection from violence. "On top of humanitarian issues, the continued neglect and alienation of these children could backfire as a huge burden to society," he said, stressing that undocumented children should immediately be guaranteed such basic rights. Children of multicultural backgrounds attend a foreign language and culture class at an elementary school in Seoul in this undated file photo. Korea Times file Brad Pitt may have given The Lost City filmgoers a peek at what an edgy, tatted Thor couldve looked like, but he wasnt the only choice for his part. The Oscar winner, 58, was a long shot for filmmaking brothers Adam and Aaron Nee, who nearly cast another of star Sandra Bullocks former colleagues to play Jack Trainer, a former Navy SEAL-turned-CIA operative, ScreenRant reported Tuesday. Advertisement I think we thought it was gonna be Keanu Reeves initially, but he was tied up with John Wick and thats where we were like, Brad was always our first choice, but we didnt think it was gonna happen, Adam Nee told the outlet. Brad Pitt in 'Lost City.' Then [Sandra] did Bullet Train and it came together, said Nee of the upcoming action comedy starring Pitt. And I love Keanu, he wouldve been fun too. Advertisement Keanu Reeves, a cast member in the upcoming film "John Wick 4: Vengeance," discusses the film during the Lionsgate presentation at CinemaCon 2022 at Caesars Palace, Thursday, April 28, 2022, in Las Vegas. (Chris Pizzello/Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP) The Matrix star, 57, and Bullock co-starred in the 1994 action thriller Speed together, and then 12 years later appeared together again in the fantasy romantic drama, The Lake House, based on the 2000 South Korean film Il Mare. The Lost City, an action-adventure comedy, sees Jack and Alan, Channing Tatums sweet but dopey model who poses for the covers of romantic novels, attempt to rescue Sandra Bullocks Loretta Sage. Loretta, a reclusive and begrudging romantic novelist, is kidnapped by billionaire Abigail Fairfax (Daniel Radcliffe), who believes that she might hold the key to a treasured artifact on a largely forgotten island. Its always nice to do something different, Radcliffe, 32, told the Daily News about the film. Its not something I do a lot of in my career, sort of as the bad guy, so its very, very fun. President Yoon Suk-yeol waves to the audience during his inauguration ceremony at the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul, Tuesday. Yonhap It remains to be seen how Yoon will break domestic deadlock to get things done By Nam Hyun-woo A tough road lies ahead for President Yoon Suk-yeol, who is set to clash over practically every issue with the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) that controls 171 seats out of the 300-member National Assembly. The ongoing confirmation hearings of Yoon's picks for Cabinet minister nominees show clearly that there is no honeymoon for the new, conservative government. The DPK is demanding that several Cabinet ministers, including Justice Minister nominee Han Dong-hoon, quit, saying they are unqualified or unethical for the jobs. Yoon is already facing difficulties in appointing his prime minister. The prime minister needs to get the nod from the National Assembly to take the helm, but the president is free to appoint his other picks once confirmation hearings are over. But Yoon's possible unilateral action to appoint his Cabinet minister picks would backfire as the DPK won't just sit back and watch if he does that. The main opposition party has warned that it will file complaints with the prosecution against Land and Transport Minister nominee Won Hee-ryong and Health and Welfare Minister nominee Chung Ho-young for a number of suspicions that they are facing. This is expected to result in a head-on collision between the DPK and the ruling People Power Party (PPP) over other state affairs in the coming months, such as organizing a supplementary budget and naming the heads of the Assembly's committees. The National Assembly is seen before hosting President Yoon Suk-yeol's inauguration ceremony, Tuesday. Yonhap Against this backdrop, pundits said Yoon will likely face difficulties in living up to his commitments in several policy areas. Among them is his signature campaign pledge to abolish the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family, which requires the passage of a revision to the Government Organization Act. Last month, Ahn Cheol-soo, who served as chairman of the now defunct presidential transition committee, said it "will not rush into decisions on restructuring the government." As long as the parliament is controlled by the DPK, Yoon has no other option but to convince them to get what he wants. Or he has to wait for two years until the next National Assembly election to elect new parliamentary members to get things done. Due to this, the transition committee selected relatively easier tasks as the Yoon government's assignments for the next five years, triggering criticism that big national agendas are allegedly missing in the new administration's roadmap. And Yoon was also criticized for backpedaling from his bold election pledges after the transition committee dropped some of those pledges from the new government's policy roadmaps. Kites urging people to vote in the June 1 local elections fly above a park in Sejong, May 5. Yonhap President Yoon Suk-yeol shakes hands with former Indonesian President Megawati Sukarnoputri, the current head of the country's ruling Democratic Party of Struggle, during the latter's visit to the presidential office in Yongsan District, Seoul, Wednesday. Yonhap By Nam Hyun-woo Following his inauguration ceremony on Tuesday, President Yoon Suk-yeol spent his second day in office receiving dignitaries from various countries including Indonesia, Central African Republic (CAR), Canada, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Nigeria and Ecuador, who also attended the previous day's ceremony. From Indonesia, former Indonesian President Megawati Sukarnoputri, the current head of the country's ruling Democratic Party of Struggle, paid a visit to Yoon. "Korea and Indonesia both have experiences of achieving democracy and economic development after overcoming historical hardships, and the experiences have contributed to the close partnership between the two countries," Yoon said. "I look forward to seeing Indonesia's leadership as the president country of this year's Group of 20 summit and the chair country of ASEAN next year, and ask for Indonesia's support for Korea." Megawati responded that Indonesian President Joko Widodo has sent his regards to Yoon and asked the new president to visit Indonesia in the near future. Indonesia is Korea's only special strategic partner country in ASEAN, after the status of their bilateral ties was upgraded during former President Moon Jae-in's visit to the country in 2017. Widodo paid a return visit to Seoul in September 2018. The two countries are cooperating in a range of joint projects, including the fighter jet development program called the KF-X (Korean Fighter Experimental) here and the IF-X in Indonesia. Last November, the two sides reached a final agreement on the cost-sharing for the program, with Indonesia shouldering 20 percent of the costs to be paid by 2026. Indonesia will also provide in-kind payments for 30 percent of its share, which are expected to be delivered as palm oil. President Yoon Suk-yeol watches as Central African Republic President Faustin-Archange Touadera signs the guestbook during the latter's visit to the presidential office in Yongsan District, Seoul, Wednesday. Yonhap After meeting Megawati, Yoon had a meeting with Central African Republic (CAR) President Faustin-Archange Touadera. "After the two countries formed their diplomatic relations, Korea and CAR have been maintaining very friendly relations, and Korea is playing its role for the progress of CAR through development projects," Yoon said. "I hope for CAR to facilitate greater stability under the leadership of President Touadera." Touadera, who took office in 2016, is the first CAR president to visit Korea in 20 years. Korea and CAR forged their diplomatic relations in 1963, and their trade volume stood at $2.8 million as of 2018, with Korea mostly importing hardwood from the African nation. President Yoon Suk-yeol shakes hands with Canadian Speaker of the Senate George Furey during the latter's visit to the presidential office in Yongsan District, Seoul, Wednesday. Yonhap From Canada, Speaker of the Senate George Furey visited Yoon, with the president expressing his hope for active exchanges between high-profile figures of the two countries and expanded cooperation in global supply chain issues and advanced industries. "Next year marks the 60th anniversary of diplomatic ties between Korea and Canada," Yoon said. "During the period, the two sides have closely cooperated in common values such as democracy and human rights. The Korea-Canada relationship is inseparable, and the new (Korean) government wants to develop the relations further to enable exchanges and cooperation in battery, artificial intelligence and supply chain issues." Yoon's comment came amid LG Energy Solution's recent announcement that it plans to build an electric vehicle battery plant in Ontario. President Yoon Suk-yeol speaks to Yasir Othman Al-Rumayyan, chairman of Saudi Aramco and governor of the Public Investment Fund, second from right, during their meeting at the presidential office in Yongsan District, Seoul, Wednesday. Yonhap By Yun Byung-se Just two days ago, a new South Korean government led by President Yoon Suk-yeol set sail with a new vision and resolve for the next five years. The preceding Moon Jae-in government had to hand over the baton to a successor with a starkly different orientation on both domestic and foreign policy, leaving various daunting challenges behind. As a result, the Yoon government has inherited problems in many areas of statecraft, especially regarding foreign policy and national security. This grim situation has made it inevitable for the new team to overhaul or rectify previous policies. President Yoon set a right tone and a bold direction for a new course in his inaugural address. Setting aside the ongoing North Korean conundrum, the biggest challenge will be to navigate safely and smoothly through turbulent waters and tectonic changes that are taking place across the world. You may wish to call it a new Cold War or some semblance of it. Whatever the nomenclature, the relatively good old days of the past 30 years are gone. We are already deeply into a fragmented and transformed world, with globalization waning and no end to the geopolitical and geo-economic confrontations in sight. A series of voting results at the U.N. Security Council and General Assembly since the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February is a microcosm of the world we are living in good, bad and most certainly, ugly. Over the last several years, the U.S. and many other countries have been primarily focused on the rise of China and its potential to change the international order for the coming decades in the Indo-Pacific and elsewhere. On top of that, the Ukrainian situation caught the world off guard and highlighted the vulnerability of the new regional and global order unfolding on the Eurasian landmass. At stake is one of the sacrosanct principles of international law enshrined in the U.N. Charter the territorial integrity of states. Such revisionist tendencies of some Eurasian and Pacific powers are rooted in several factors history, geopolitics, restoration of imperium of a by-gone era, irredentism, the pursuit of the rejuvenation of a certain nation and more than anything else domestic considerations. Most of them are misguided or at least anachronistic and are becoming a cause for serious concern and heighten the need for democracies across the world to flock together to safeguard peace, human rights, the rule of law and democracy. The first serious litmus test for the Yoon government will come next week when U.S. President Joe Biden visits Seoul prior to his attendance at the Quad summit in Japan. This visit carries a big significance in many ways going beyond diverse bilateral agendas. Its key signal is that the Korea-U.S. alliance, especially with the like-minded Yoon government, is vital to the U.S. grand strategy for the Indo-Pacific, Eurasia and the rest of the world. A well-functioning bilateral alliance is indispensable for trilateral security cooperation among the U.S., Japan and South Korea as well as for reinforcing the Quad and other like-minded groupings, regardless of Korea's formal membership. This linchpin role of the U.S.-ROK alliance and the cornerstone role of the U.S.-Japan alliance can be likened to that of trans-Atlantic NATO and they are deemed more useful and powerful than the Quad which is geopolitically and geo-economically significant, but loosely integrated. The previous Moon government spent most of its five years with one-sided love for Kim Jong-un and de facto equidistant diplomacy vis-a-vis the U.S. and China until it belatedly adjusted its stance on the alliance-related issues through a leaders' joint statement in May last year. The forthcoming Biden visit to Korea will be a golden opportunity for the Yoon government to add flesh to and upgrade what is called the comprehensive strategic alliance. In a rare compliment, the U.S. Congressional Research Service (CRS) assessed in 2017 that the two previous conservative governments under President Lee Myung-bak and President Park Geun-hye made the alliance stronger than ever since the conclusion of the Mutual Defense Treaty in 1953 laying a very solid foundation for its future. The Yoon government should build on their achievements and elevate the alliance to a new height. Progress in bilateral agendas is a necessary condition, but it is no longer a sufficient condition for a sustainable alliance. The Yoon government publicly pledged to step up to international leadership as a "global pivotal state" during its term by "contributing to freedom, peace and prosperity of the world." To fulfill this commitment, it should be willing and ready to play its role and bear responsibility commensurate with its enhanced status in regional and global diplomacy. In this sense, Yoon's transition team's policy blueprint and action agendas unveiled last week followed by President Yoon's globally focused inaugural address are a step in the right direction. No doubt, the Biden administration seems to be enthusiastic about this positive development and will take advantage of the forthcoming summit to translate widening areas of common interests and values into updated joint platforms and action plans through a leaders' joint statement or the like. Both this statement and the ensuing Quad outcome in late May, as well as, the NATO summit statement in June will send out a timely and powerful message from like-minded nations on how they will tackle global agendas and respond to peace-breakers, rule-breakers and human rights violators across the world. President Biden made his favorite remark in his address to a U.S. Joint Session of Congress in late April last year as follows: "Folks, as I told every world leader I've ever met with over the years, it's never ever, ever been a good bet to bet against America and it still isn't." Such advice or warnings has reappeared this year as well. During the summit in Korea, Biden does not need to touch on this, because the new South Korean government will inherit and build on a conservative tradition symbolized by the alliance slogan "We go together." President Biden's visits to Seoul and Tokyo should serve as a turning point to open a new era of trilateral as well as multilateral cooperation on many daunting regional and global challenges facing our nations together. I genuinely hope that it could also pave the way for personal summit diplomacy among three leaders, calling each other on a first name basis Joe, Suk-yeol and Fumio. Again, South Korea should be on the side of peace, human rights, rule of law and democracy the right side of history. Yun Byung-se is a former foreign minister of South Korea. He is now a board member of the Korea Peace Foundation and a member of several ex-global leaders' forums and taskforces, including the Astana Forum and its Consultative Council as well as the Task Force on U.S. Allies and Nuclear Weapons Proliferation sponsored by the Chicago Council on Global Affairs. Kendallville, IN (46755) Today Partly cloudy skies this morning will become overcast during the afternoon. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High 81F. Winds WNW at 5 to 10 mph.. Tonight Rain early...then remaining cloudy with showers overnight. Low 51F. Winds NW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 80%. Rainfall around a quarter of an inch. Angola, IN (46703) Today Partly cloudy with a slight chance of thunderstorms. Gusty winds and small hail are possible. High 84F. Winds W at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 30%.. Tonight Cloudy skies early, followed by partial clearing. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 56F. Winds light and variable. Kendallville, IN (46755) Today Partly cloudy this morning, then becoming cloudy during the afternoon. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High 81F. Winds WNW at 5 to 10 mph.. Tonight A steady rain this evening. Showers continuing overnight. Low 51F. Winds NW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 80%. Rainfall near a quarter of an inch. Kendallville, IN (46755) Today Variable clouds with scattered thunderstorms. Gusty winds and small hail are possible. High 83F. Winds W at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 60%.. Tonight Cloudy skies early, then partly cloudy after midnight. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low around 55F. Winds light and variable. Auburn, IN (46706) Today Variable clouds with scattered thunderstorms. Gusty winds and small hail are possible. High 83F. Winds W at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 60%.. Tonight Cloudy skies early, then partly cloudy after midnight. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 56F. Winds light and variable. Reality TV star Paris Hilton revealed new allegations of sexual abuse while she was enrolled at a Utah boarding school. Standing alongside fellow former treatment facility residents outside the U.S. Capitol Wednesday, the 41-year-old celebrity claimed in detail to have been a victim of sex abuse, while enrolled in such a program at Utahs Provo Canyon School. The activist was visiting Washington, D.C., to push for federal laws that would protect children and teens in similar situations. Her op-ed was published in USA Today on Wednesday. Advertisement That abuse, according to Hilton, began when she was a teenager with an attention deficit disorder, whose parents believe the sort of tough love doled out by residential treatment facilities would provide the tough love required to cure her ails. She first opened up about her trauma in the 2020 documentary, This is Paris. The heiress now writes that shes still processing the trauma she allegedly endured, and plans to explore the situation in further detail in a memoir she hopes to begin selling in 2023. Advertisement According to Hilton, Provo Canyon was the last stop on (a) terrible journey that began when she was 16 years old and taken from her home in the middle of the night to begin treatment as a trouble teen. Paris Hilton speaks at a Stop Institutional Child Abuse event, Wednesday, May 11, 2022 in Washington. (Pablo Martinez Monsivais/AP) Hilton wound up at that Springville, Utah, facility after fleeing a couple boot-camp type operations, by her definition. Thats where, she said, her nightmare began. On my first day, I was forced to remove all my clothes, squat and cough, and submit to a gynecological exam all watched closely by male staff, she recalled. Although it was an extremely uncomfortable experience, I was led to believe it was a legitimate, routine check for contraband. What she couldnt comprehend was why that internal exam would be done to me frequently during my time at Provo, and only during the middle of the night. Paris Hilton (Willy Sanjuan/Willy Sanjuan/Invision/AP) The Daily News Flash Weekdays Catch up on the days top five stories every weekday afternoon. > After that, Hilton said she repeatedly awakened by staff shining a bright flashlight in my face, dragged from her bed through dormitory hallways and, sleep-deprived and heavily medicated, forced onto a padded table and subject to gynecological exams. I remember crying while they held me down, she said. I kept saying, No! and asking, Why? They just said, Shut up. Be quiet. Hilton said she was warned that if she resisted, her next trip would be to solitary confinement, where rooms included only a roll of toilet paper and a drain. She recalled other teens in her predicament being checked out emotionally. They were just gone, she wrote. Advertisement Paris Hilton speaks at a committee hearing at the Utah State Capitol, Monday, Feb. 8, 2021, in Salt Lake City. Hilton has been speaking out about abuse she says she suffered at a boarding school in Utah in the 1990s and she testified in front of state lawmakers weighing new regulations for the industry. (Rick Bowmer/AP) Hilton also alleged girls victimized in sham medical exams were leered at by male staffers while showering. If they complained, they were gaslighted. On Wednesday, Hilton urged bipartisan leadership to call for transparency in the financing and operating of facilities that she says aided by tax-payer money abuse children. She claimed 120,000 children annually are pipelined into such facilities. But looking back on these experiences as an adult woman, I can recognize these exams for what they were: the sexual assault of children, she says. AOMG has given an update on the label's YouTube channel, which was recently hacked. Keep on reading to know the channel's current situation. AOMG YouTube Channel Hacked - Did the Agency Manage to Restore It? On May 10, many fans took to Twitter to raise their concern about the AOMG YouTube channel getting hacked as all official music videos of the agency's artists are no longer found on the platform. aomgs official youtube channel got hacked this morning; videos slowly getting restoredhttps://t.co/jc3icBBsZDhttps://t.co/HNLkEUDQD0 pic.twitter.com/KmadTzKBRe tea time (@dropthekhhtea) May 10, 2022 In addition to the videos getting lost, the name of the channel changed from "AOMGOFFICIAL" to "Tesla US," plus the profile image was replaced. The channel even went live on YouTube and showed Elon Musk discussing the merge of Bitcoin and Ethereum. On May 11, AOMG issued an official statement to confirm that the agency's YouTube channel was hacked. They also revealed the current situation of the account following the hacking and restoration. Below is the full statement of AOMG: Hello, On May 10th, there was a hacker attack on AOMGOFFICIAL YouTube channel and we managed to restore the channel as it was before the attack. However, the channel was shut down by YouTube [because] the content presented by the hacker violated YouTube's harmful or dangerous content policies. We are doing our best to bring the original AOMGOFFICIAL channel and its content back. We apologize for [the] inconvenience and we promise to repair the channel as soon as possible. This is the third time this year that a K-pop-related YouTube channel was hacked. Last month, the YouTube channels of boy groups A.C.E and E'LAST were hacked, together with the channel of A.C.E's agency, BEAT Interactive. Like what happened to the AOMG YouTube channel, the content showing Elon Musk and cryptocurrency was live-streamed on A.C.E's channel. As for E'LAST's channel, it was subsequently deleted after the hacker attacked. With more K-pop-related YouTube channels being the target of hackers, many fans are puzzled as three times is not a coincidence. About AOMG and Label's Recent Activity For starters, AOMG or Above Ordinary Music Group is a South Korean independent hip-hop label that Jay Park founded in 2013. Park led the agency from 2014 until 2021 when he decided to step down as the CEO. The company's current CEO is DJ Pumpkin. AOMG currently manages a lot of male and female solo artists, including GOT7 Yugyeom, DeVita, Lee Hi, Punchnello, Coogie, Simon Dominic, Code Kunst, Cha Cha Malone, Gray, Loco, and more. YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE: GOT7 Yugyeom Shares Why He Decided to Join Jay Park's Agency AOMG From mid-March to early April, AOMG embarked on a tour in the United States called "Above Ordinary USA Tour 2022," which included stops in a total of 10 cities. This marked their first time to return to the country in three years since their 2019 USA & Canada tour. The "Above Ordinary USA Tour 2022" started with a show in Austin on March 18 and wrapped up in San Francisco on April 3. AOMG has been going on tours since 2014. Apart from the Western World, they also hold concerts in South Korea, China, and other countries in Asia. For more K-Pop news and updates, keep your tabs open here at KpopStarz. KpopStarz owns this article Written by Maria Scott Whats your favorite scary requel? The minds behind Scream 5 are set to start filming early this summer and will bring back new stars Melissa Barrera, Jasmin Savoy Brown, Mason Gooding, and Jenna Ortega, Deadline reported Tuesday. Advertisement The sixth Scream installment will see Ghostface spree survivors Sam (Barrera) and little sis Tara (Ortega) as well as twins Mindy (Brown) and Chad (Gooding) attempt to leave the fictional California town of Woodsboro for a clean slate. Sam, in the newest film, is revealed to be the illegitimate daughter of original Ghostface killer Billy Loomis (Skeet Ulrich) while Mindy and Chad are the niece and nephew respectively of Randy Meeks (Jamie Kennedy), the franchises resident film buff until his slaying in Scream 2. From left: Mason Gooding, Jenna Ortega, Melissa Barrera, and Jasmin Savoy Brown (Getty Images) Radio Silence directors Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett will return to helm the film prior to the fifth film, only the late Wes Craven had directed the big screen franchise while James Vanderbilt and Guy Busick will once again pen the meta-horror, according to the outlet. Advertisement Dylan Minnette, who joined the franchise in the 2022 installment as Wes in a tribute to Craven, told the Daily News ahead of the January release that, having grown up watching the Scream films, he was confident that the newest film makes some of the biggest moves. Ulrich, 52, and Matthew Lillard, who starred as Stu Macher in the 1996 original as Billys accomplice, spoke to The News last year in honor of the films 25th anniversary reflected on the shock of the films still holding such influence over horror and the pop culture zeitgeist. Maybe if youre part of the Marvel Universe, you expect certain things, Ulrich said at the time. Outside of that, and certainly in [1996], there was no way to know. Courteney Cox, who has starred as Gale Weathers in every Scream film, confirmed in March that she, too, would return for the new chapter. The sixth Scream is slated to make its way into theaters March 21, 2023. A Kissimmee man admitted to illegally possessing ricin after officers were tipped he might use it to kill his ex-girlfriend. On Tuesday afternoon, the United States Attorneys Office for the Middle District of Florida announced Kevin Deane Jones, 50, pleaded guilty to the unlawful possession of the toxic substance as well as possessing two fire guns as a convicted felon. Advertisement In early December, the FBI received a complaint that Jones had manufactured the deadly poison and intended to use it to kill his former partner. Shortly after, law enforcement officers learned that Jones had ordered items online to produce ricin and was testing water guns to see which ones leaked, according to the release. Jones planned to go on vacation immediately after spraying his former partner in the face with the ricin so that he would have an alibi when she died, a complaint said. Advertisement While traveling out of state, officers stopped Jones and he admitted to manufacturing ricin. In his truck, officers found a plastic water gun and five tubes that tested positive for ricin. His home contained even more tubes filled with ricin, along with castor beans, the source of ricin, the release said. Jones also had about 200 rounds of various types of ammunition. A storage unit rented in his name contained a rifle, handgun, silencer and roughly 3,000 rounds of ammunition. Jones is a previously convicted felon and is prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition under federal law. The case was investigated by the FBI with assistance from the Osceola County Sheriffs Office, the Orange County Sheriffs Office, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer M. Harrington. arabines@orlandosentinel.com Starting June 1, ATVs and UTVs will be allowed on Sharon village roads. The Sharon Village Board unanimously passed an ATV/UTV ordinance at the regularly scheduled Village Board meeting on April 12 and finalized the ordinance at a special board meeting held on April 29 after putting in some final Wisconsin Department of Transportation language, according to Susan Steele, the Sharon Village Administrator. We have had public forums and people from the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) dating back to the fall of last year, she said. We also have had people from the ATV association and citizens expressing interest in being able to use ATVs or UTVs within the village limits. The ordinance will go into effect on June 1. Steele said that the ATV/UTVs can be operated on all village maintained roads, streets and alleyways except as posted. We designated State Trunk Highway 67 as an ATV route from Natural Way to the 35-55 mph speed limit transition, she said. Anyone born on or after 1989 will be required to have an ATV safety certificate. Kids under the age of 18 who have their vehicle operator license and any children riding an ATV or UTV also must wear a helmet. All operators need to slow the vehicle down to 10 mph or less within 150 feet of a dwelling (house, apartment, place of residence) and must ride single file, she said. Riders must also observe all posted roadway speed limits. ATV and UTV usage will only be allowed on Village of Sharon designated routes from April 1 through Nov. 30 of each year. The Village and Town of Bloomfield have also been discussing an ordinance allowing ATVs and UTVs, but it has not yet been finalized or approved. Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Whatever our background, color, or zip code, Wisconsinites believe that voters pick our leaders our leaders do not pick which voters to hear and which to silence. But after we turned out in record numbers to vote in November 2020 despite the pandemic, some politicians are pushing anti-voter scams in Wisconsin, spreading lies about an election that trusted officials conducted and verified, and attacking our most basic freedom: The freedom to vote. They hope to divide and distract us, so well look the other way while they block quality jobs, affordable healthcare and infrastructure and high-speed internet. Democracy depends on people participating in government. We can trust our elections because we trust the neighbors, friends, and family who run them. And thats why, as an experienced poll worker, I am deeply disturbed and offended at the threats made against our clerks, poll workers, observers, and Wisconsin Elections Commission staff. Their creativity, passion, and hard work provide a model for what democracy means; Wisconsin was recently rated by MIT as the fourth highest performing state in the country for election administration. Poll workers, for example, undergo hours of training and work around the clock on Election Day to ensure every voters voice counts. Every municipality in Walworth County had poll workers submitted by both the county Democratic and Republican parties, as well as multiple poll workers unaffiliated with a party. These election heroes deserve to be thanked, not harassed. But unfortunately, physical threats against election workers 80% of whom are women are on the rise. One in six have reported experiencing threats, and more than three in four say threats have increased in recent years, according to data from the Brennan Center for Justice. Election integrity means every eligible voter can cast their ballot. But voters were disenfranchised because some politicians are attempting to sow chaos and confusion into our election systems. The legal precedent is clear: Voting needs to be safe and accessible. Clerks work countless hours to ensure voters voices are heard. But neighbors like Dave Nusberger, of the Village of Bloomfield, were not able to cast their ballot in the April election. Hes disabled, so he followed all the rules in requesting a mailed ballot. But when his wife went to drop off his sealed ballot on election day, the clerk rejected it. As the Lake Geneva Regional News noted in their article about Daves ballot on April 8, the Voting Rights Act states any voter who requires assistance to vote by reason of blindness, disability, or inability to read or write may be given assistance by a person of the voters choice. The Americans with Disabilities Act says, No qualified individual with a disability shall, by reason of such disability, be excluded from participation in or be denied the benefits of the services, programs, or activities of a public entity, or be subject to discrimination by any such entity. Instead of funding voter education, fixing our roads, or financing our schools, some politicians in Madison are wasting hundreds of thousands of tax dollars on a circus of a sham review of an election that was safe, secure and certified. The goal of that sham review is to disrupt our democracy, sow doubt in our top-in-the-country election system, and disenfranchise voters. These same politicians and their minions are clogging up our court system with attempts to change established legal precedent and test conspiracy theories that have been soundly rejected by judges on both sides of the aisle. But we will not let them win. We will continue to support our clerks, poll workers, and observers who are our neighbors, family and friends. We will continue to turn out in every election to vote. We see through these politicians who spread lies, refuse to govern in our interests, and pass laws to silence our voices. Its up to us to ensure the most basic tenet of our democracy remains strong. At the national level, that means passing standards to ensure no ones freedom to vote is taken from them because they cant get out of a wheelchair, or because they dont have arms to hand their ballot to a clerk. At the state level, it means investing in voter education, supporting election workers, and stopping the circus that is the sham election review. Its up to us to protect election integrity by protecting the sacred right for every citizen to vote. Ellen Holly is the chairwoman of the Walworth County Democratic Party. A resident at a Central Florida nursing home told officials he had beaten to death another resident whose body was found in his room, according to the Flagler County Sheriffs Office. Sheriffs deputies responded to a call around 2 a.m. Wednesday at the Gold Choice Assisted Living & Memory Care facility on North Old Kings Road in Palm Coast where they found the deceased woman in the room of another resident identified as 72-year-old Cliff Mody. Advertisement Deputies said Mody admitted to killing the woman. Staff had called 911 telling the dispatch center also saying that Mody had told them he had beaten a woman to death in his room, deputies said. Advertisement When they arrived, they found her in Modys room with facial injuries, not breathing and unconscious, and she was soon pronounced dead at the scene by paramedics, deputies said. This is an unfortunate situation for all families involved, especially the victims, Flagler County Sheriff Rick Staly said in a press release. The Major Case Unit is still working the investigation and charges are pending. This is a very sad outcome for the victim and her family and our thoughts and prayers are with her family. Here in Wisconsin and across the nation the 2020 election has shaken voter confidence. The Wisconsin Elections Commission advised clerks to break multiple state laws in administering the election. Laws regarding absentee ballots were flaunted. Absentee balloting is problematic anyway and widely considered a potential source of fraud. Even a bipartisan report signed by Democrat President Jimmy Carter said, Absentee ballots remain the largest source of potential voter fraud. Internationally there is also concern about absentee balloting. Sixty-three percent of EU countries set limits on absentee voting and 22% ban it entirely. Since the 2020 election Wisconsin Republican legislators have passed common sense bills regarding voting, all have been vetoed by the governor. Issues addressed included lack of a standardized form for requesting an absentee ballot or providing required voter identification, illegal correction of absentee ballots, and random employees rather than Special Voting Deputies assisting balloting in extended care facilities. SB 937 which addressed the indefinitely confined voter status law and restored it to the original intent of helping those who were truly confined to their residence was vetoed. In 2020, people were told they could claim indefinitely confined voter status and vote without providing ID, even if they were healthy and could have provided ID to get a standard absentee ballot or vote at the polls. An over 150,000 persons increase (over 200%) in indefinitely confined voters resulted. People claiming this status automatically receive absentee ballots, never have to provide ID and do not have to verify or renew their indefinite confinement. Another vetoed bill dealt with private funding of election management. In 2020 a two-tiered election system was created by Mark Zuckerberg who funneled millions of dollars to election officials in predominantly Democrat dominated cities. Ample opportunity exists for Mr. Zuckerberg and other billionaire Democrats to privately influence elections. They should not be involved with our public election officials. A new concern for future elections has developed. In addition to opening our Southern borders to non-citizens, Democrats are pushing for non-citizens to vote. New York City has started this and Democrat Mayor Eric Adams said he looked forward to bringing millions more into the democratic process. Currently about 800,000 non-citizens are eligible to vote. Only local elections are included currently, but this citys influence on our countrys economy and security makes local elections a concern for our whole country. Various states have amended their constitutions to specifically prohibit voting by non-citizens. A 2020 Colorado constitutional referendum resulted in their constitution being amended from stating Every citizen to Only a citizen can vote. The referendum passed with 63% of the vote while President Trump only received 42%, showing this measure had wide appeal. We need a referendum to amend the Wisconsin constitution in the same manner. Republicans are now acting to assure only citizens can vote. Both the Senate and Assembly have passed SJR 32, the first step towards a referendum here. Redistricting is a huge political issue in Wisconsin and across the country. Election district boundaries are redistricted every ten years in response to the Census to keep their population counts equal. In Wisconsin, our legislature and Governor disagree on redistricting maps. The U.S. Supreme Court denied Republicans challenge to the Governors Congressional maps. According to the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel our Wisconsin 1st District will become far more competitive for Democrats... Evers map adds the Democratic-leaning cities of Beloit and Cudahy and cuts out heavily Republican southern Waukesha County. The issue of state legislative redistricting was thrown back to the State Supreme Court and for the 2022 election the Legislatures maps will stand. Democrats are apoplectic about that. We can look right next door to see the Democrats hypocrisy. Illinois Democrat Governor J.B. Pritzker pledged to end gerrymandering. Instead, the Democratic Legislatures map has one district that meanders from parts of central Illinois to the Wisconsin border, and a district further south that is a sliver running nearly across the state. The new map will wipe out two Republican leaning Congressional districts. In 2019 the Supreme Court considered cases of partisan gerrymandering one on behalf of Republicans, and one on behalf of Democrats. The court decided such cases represent political questions outside the purview of federal courts. Indeed, they are political matters that both parties engage in. The only difference is Democrats use ugly rhetoric to accuse Republicans of doing the same thing that they do themselves. Dont fall for the rhetoric, vote Republican in the fall to make sure your vote is not compromised in future elections. Pamela Wolfe M.D., of the Town of Geneva, is a member of the Republican Party of Walworth County. Chennai (Tamil Nadu) [India], May 11 (ANI/BusinessWire India): Expleo, the global engineering, technology and consulting service provider, announces the business takeover of Lucid Technologies & Solutions (Lucid), a specialist in data governance, data privacy and protection, and augmented analytics. Expleo's Indian subsidiary, Expleo Solutions Limited, will take over the business of Lucid. It includes the transfer of all Lucid's tools, IP, business contracts and staff which comprises 50 highly skilled data specialists across India and the USA. Lucid's clients include Fortune 500 and unicorns across BFSI, healthcare, software hi-tech, retail and manufacturing. Also Read | Apple iPod Discontinued After 20 Years, iPod Touch Model To Be Available While Supplies Last. Lucid has operations in Hoboken, New Jersey, and delivers services from its offshore centre in Chennai, India. The company has built its business in partnership with leading platform providers in data governance, data protection and analytics, such as Collibra, BigID, and Okera. Commenting on the news, Balaji Viswanathan, MD & CEO of Expleo India, said: "Demand for digital and data services is growing almost exponentially, across all industries and every market. With this business transfer, we stay at the forefront of the sector strengthening our expertise, providing even better quality data and digital solutions for our customers and growing our market share - particularly in the US but other markets too. The integration of Lucid into the Expleo family is underway, and we expect full integration to be completed in the next six months." Also Read | Nepal Local Polls 2022: Country Shuts Border Points With India, China For 72 Hrs Ahead of Elections. On the integration of Lucid into Expleo's existing offerings, Prashant Bramhankar, COO of Expleo India, said: "Lucid's data experts, product knowledge, and long-standing partnerships with platform providers complement our existing data solutions. By combining the two, we can provide more intelligent data offerings and insights for our customers across industries including BFSI, automotive, and aerospace." This story is provided by BusinessWire India. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (ANI/BusinessWire India) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Dispur (Assam) [India], May 11 (ANI): Union Home Minister Amit Shah presented the President's Colours to the Assam Police for their exemplary services in Guwahati on Tuesday, said a press release by the Ministry of Home Affairs. In his address, Shah said that on this historic occasion, I am proud that Assam Police are the tenth police force in the country to receive this honour, added the statement. Also Read | Foreign Funding Violations: Crackdown on NGO's As CBI Raids 40 Locations; MHA Officials Under Scanner. Receiving the President's Colours is an extraordinary achievement for any police organization and today, the Assam Police have registered their name in this proud club and it is a matter of great pride for Assam. Shah added that there would hardly be any force in the country which has faced such difficult situations. Remembering the rich and proud history of about 200 years of Assam Police, in 1826, the British started this police force by appointing some policemen at a district headquarters. Also Read | Karnataka Bank Recruitment 2022: Registration For Clerk Post Begins at karnatakabank.com; Check Details Here. The Assam Police also has the distinction of giving genesis to the country's oldest anti-militant force, the Assam Rifles. At the time of Independence, the number of Assam Police was 8,000, which has increased to more than 70,000 today, he added. Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, state Director General of Police and several dignitaries were present on the occasion. (ANI) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) New Delhi [India], May 11 (ANI): On National Technology Day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed gratitude to the scientists and their efforts that led to the successful Pokhran tests in 1998. Sharing a video clip of the Pokhran tests, PM Modi also remembered the "exemplary leadership of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee". He said that the former Prime Minister "showed outstanding political courage and statesmanship". Also Read | Lucknow University Professor Booked for Remarks on Kashi Vishwanath Temple. "Today, on National Technology Day, we express gratitude to our brilliant scientists and their efforts that led to the successful Pokhran tests in 1998. We remember with pride the exemplary leadership of Atal Ji who showed outstanding political courage and statesmanship," PM Modi said in a tweet. India conducted Pokhran-II tests, a series of five nuclear explosions, in May 1998 at the Indian Army's Pokhran Test Range in Rajasthan. National Technology Day is observed every year on May 11 as a reminder of the anniversary of the Pokhran-II tests. (ANI) Also Read | Cyclone Asani Latest Updates: Widespread Rainfall Likely As Storm Skirts Andhra Pradesh Coast Today; Odisha, WB Also Brace for Impact. (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Jerusalem, May 11 (AP) Al-Jazeera is blaming Israel for the death of its reporter, who was shot and killed while covering an Israeli raid in the occupied West Bank. The Qatar-based broadcaster flashed a statement on its channel saying: We call on the international community to condemn and hold the Israeli occupation forces accountable for deliberately targeting and killing our colleague Shireen Abu Akleh. Also Read | Nepal Local Polls 2022: Country Shuts Border Points With India, China For 72 Hrs Ahead of Elections. Abu Akleh was shot and killed early Wednesday in the northern West Bank town of Jenin. The Israeli military says it is investigating the incident and that she may have been hit by Palestinian gunfire. (AP) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Brasilia [Brazil], May 11 (ANI/Xinhua): Former Brazilian president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva took the lead in the polls ahead of general elections in October, according to a survey released on Tuesday. Lula garnered 40.6 per cent of voters' support, followed by current President Jair Bolsonaro with 32 per cent, it showed. Also Read | China Aware of 'Costs and Consequences' of Using Force To Gain Control Over Taiwan. The result, which was made by the MDA Institute and released by the National Transport Confederation (CNT), showed that the gap between the two top candidates was narrowing. In a prior poll in February, Lula, the candidate of the Workers' Party (PT), has 42.2 per cent of the support, compared with 28 per cent for Bolsonaro of the Liberal Party (PL). Also Read | Sri Lanka Crisis: Talks On To End Political Impasse After PM Mahinda Rajapaksa's Resignation. Trailing far behind in the third place in Tuesday's poll was Ciro Gomes of the Democratic Labor Party (PDT), with 7.1 per cent of voters' support, followed by Joao Doria of the Brazilian Social Democracy Party (PSDB), with 3.1 per cent. The survey, which queried 2,002 people in 137 cities in 25 states from May 4 to 7, revealed "more political polarization compared to the 2018 elections," the CNT said. (ANI/Xinhua) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Washington, May 11 (AP) The House emphatically approved a fresh USD 40 billion Ukraine aid package on Tuesday as lawmakers beefed up President Joe Biden's initial request, signalling a magnified, bipartisan commitment to thwart Russian President Vladimir Putin's bloody three-month-old invasion. The measure sailed to passage by a lopsided 368-57 margin, providing USD 7 billion more than Biden's request from April and dividing the increase evenly between defense and humanitarian programs. Also Read | China Aware of 'Costs and Consequences' of Using Force To Gain Control Over Taiwan. The bill would give Ukraine military and economic assistance, help regional allies, replenish weapons the Pentagon has shipped overseas and provide USD 5 billion to address global food shortages caused by the war's crippling of Ukraine's normally robust production of many crops. The measure was backed by every voting Democrat and by nearly 3 out of 4 Republicans. Also Read | Nepal Local Polls 2022: Country Shuts Border Points With India, China For 72 Hrs Ahead of Elections. House debate reflected a perspective, shared broadly by both parties, that the US has even more at stake than standing by Ukraine. The Ukrainian people, they need us, they are in desperate need of our support," said Rep. Rosa DeLauro, D-Conn., chair of the House Appropriations Committee. "Vladimir Putin and his cronies must be held responsible. This bill does that by protecting democracy, limiting Russian aggression and strengthening our own national security. As China, Iran and North Korea watch our response, we must show the world that America stands firm with its allies and will do what is necessary to protect our interests abroad, said Rep. Kay Granger of Texas, top Republican on that committee. The new legislation would bring American support for the effort to nearly USD 54 billion, including the USD 13.6 billion in support Congress enacted in March. That's about USD 6 billion more than the US spent on all its foreign and military aid in 2019, according to a January report by the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service, which studies issues for lawmakers. It's also around 1 per cent of the entire federal budget. The measure was released as Washington has become increasingly assertive about its goals and its willingness to help Ukraine with more sophisticated weapons. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said recently the US wants a weakened Russia that can't quickly restore its capability to attack other countries. Russian attacks on Ukraine's southern port of Odesa have intensified in what seems an attempt to hamper deliveries of Western arms. Those weapons have helped Ukraine hold its own surprisingly well against its more lethal foe, but the grinding war is taking its toll. Senate approval of Ukrainian aid seems certain, and members of both parties have echoed the need for quick action. As Putin desperately accelerates his campaign of horror and brutality in Ukraine, time is of the essence, said House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif. But it was unclear when the Senate would act, and changes there were possible, with Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., insisting that the measure be narrowly focused on the war. I think we're on a path to getting that done, McConnell told reporters. It needs to be clean of extraneous matters, directly related to helping the Ukrainians win the war. Some Republicans used the election-season debate to accuse Biden of being unclear about his goals. Honestly, do we not deserve a plan?" said Rep. Michael Burgess, R-Texas. He said he agrees that Western countries must help Ukraine stand up to Russia but added, "Does the administration not need to come to us with where we are going with this? Oksana Markarova, Ukraine's ambassador to the US, attended Tuesday's separate Democratic and Republican Senate lunches and expressed gratitude for the support they've received. Sen. Chris Coons, D-Del., said Markarova told them her country has depleted its stockpiles of Soviet-era weapons and said continued NATO support is vital. Coons said the Ukrainian's message was: Thank you, do more. We have a hard fight ahead. With your support, we can win. The new measure includes USD 6 billion to arm and train Ukrainian forces, USD 8.7 billion to restore American stores of weapons shipped to Ukraine and USD 3.9 billion for US forces deployed to the area. There's also USD 8.8 billion in economic support for Ukraine, USD 4 billion to help Ukraine and allies finance arms and equipment purchases and USD 900 million for housing, education and other help for Ukrainian refugees in the US. To enhance the measure's chances in Congress, the House bill dropped Biden's proposal to ease the pathway to legal permanent residency for qualifying Afghans who fled to the U.S. after last summer's American withdrawal from that country. Some Republicans have expressed concerns about the adequacy of security screenings for applicants. In their biggest concession, Biden and Democrats abandoned plans Monday to include additional billions of dollars to build up US supplies of medicines, vaccines and tests for COVID-19. Republican support for more pandemic spending is waning and including that money would have slowed the Ukraine measure in the 50-50 Senate, where at least 10 GOP votes will be needed for passage. Democrats hope to produce a separate COVID-19 package soon, though its fate is unclear. Biden met in the White House Situation Room Tuesday with Pelosi and six other House Democrats who traveled recently to Ukraine and Poland. Afterward, Rep. Jason Crow, D-Colo., a member of that delegation and a former Army Ranger, said the Ukrainians need advanced drones and longer-range weapons like artillery, rockets and anti-ship missiles that will help them push back the Russians. (AP) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Second 2022 BRICS Think Tank Symposium Held People's Daily Online) 11:31, May 11, 2022 On May 6, 2022, the second BRICS Think Tank Symposium was held in Chongqing both online and offline. The theme of this conference is BRICS Cooperation and Global Development: New Era, New Mission, New Plan, which was hosted by China Council for BRICS Think-tank Cooperation(CCBTC), the Chinese coordinator for BRICS think tank cooperation, and organized by Sichuan International Studies University, the vice-chairman organization of CCBTC. Think tank scholars and business representatives from BRICS countries carried out in-depth exchanges and discussions under the theme. Jin Xin, Secretary-General of CCBTC, director-general of the Research Office of the International Department of the CPC Central Committee, Ma Ranxi, Deputy Director-General of Publicity Department of Chongqing Committee of CPC and Director of Information Office of Chongqing Municipal Government, and Dong Hongchuan, President of Sichuan International Studies University delivered speeches respectively. Jin Xin said that at present, the shadow of a once-in-a-century pandemic and the conventional security risks are intertwined. Adjustments over the global governance system and the international landscape have gathered pace. The recovery of the world economy is weak and faltering, and the global development gap is widening. Amidst the great changes of the world, the era and the history, the international community, especially developing countries, is in dire need of economic recovery and common development, and generally hope to emerging market countries including BRICS to play a greater role in promoting economic recovery and common development. As China holds the rotating chair of the BRICS this year, it takes Foster High-quality BRICS Partnership, Usher in a New Era for Global Development as the theme of 2022 BRICS cooperation, with the hope to work with all BRICS countries to respond to the major concerns of the international community and build a more comprehensive, closer, more practical and more inclusive BRICS partnership to jointly achieve stronger, greener and sounder global development. Under new circumstances, in order to further deepen BRICS cooperation and promote common development: first, we should give priority to development and jointly promote economic recovery; second, we need to commit ourselves to inclusive development and focus on bridging the development gap; third, we should uphold innovation as the driver of growth and work together to achieve leapfrog development; fourth, we must adhere to green development and accelerate transformation towards green and low-carbon development. Ma Ranxi said that local-level cooperation among BRICS countries is of great significance. Cooperation at the local level is counted as an important and specific means to promote BRICS practical cooperation, and can provide new ideas and suggestions from the bottom up to national-level cooperation. Chongqing, as a strategic stronghold of Chinas western region development and a connection between Belt and Road initiative and the Yangtze River Economic Belt, will further expand pragmatic cooperation, people-to-people and cultural exchanges with other BRICS members, and provide more and stronger drivers for BRICS cooperation and global development by promoting local-level exchanges. Dong Hongchuan said that Sichuan International Studies University is an important base for foreign language education, foreign-related personnel training, as well as foreign language and culture, foreign economic and trade, and international studies in southwest China. It will continue to deeply involve itself in BRICS think-tank international exchanges and cooperation, build a base for think tank consultation, personnel training, and people-to-people exchange for BRICS research in western China, and make due contributions to promoting BRICS cooperation. Zhu Chaowei, vice president of Sichuan International Studies University, Xu Xiujun, researcher of Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, Zhu Jiejin, professor of Fudan University, Sun Yiran, researcher of Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences, Jiang Shixue, distinguished professor of Shanghai University, Miao Jun, deputy general manager of Power China International Group Limited, Zhang Zhengping, rotating chairman of Chongqing Sokon Industrial Group Co., Ltd, and other Chinese think tank and business representatives believe that in the past 16 years, BRICS countries have made remarkable achievements in establishing New Development Bank and BRICS PartNIR innovation center, and formulating Strategy for BRICS Economic Partnership 2025. In the future, BRICS countries should continue to strengthen coordination in various fields of global governance, lead cooperation with development, promote security with development, raise their voice with development, and realize the role change from participants to leaders of global development , from hitchhikers to defenders and builders of international order , and from global public goods demanders to suppliers. Think tank scholars and representatives from international institutions, such as Applied Economic Research of Brazil, Higher School of Economics of Russia, Observer Research Foundation, Gateway House of India, University of Johannesburg of South Africa, and ECLAC/UN Office in Brasilia, believe that in order to achieve the sustainable development goals, BRICS countries need to further deepen cooperation, conduct dialogue and exchanges with a more open mindset, mobilize their own resources, and work in synergy. On the one hand, BRICS countries should carry out domestic structural reforms, strive to change development modes, policies and models, vigorously develop human capital and social capital, coordinate competition objectives, and achieve fair development on the basis of law and regulations. On the other hand, BRICS countries should always adhere to multilateralism, promote effective global economic governance, and jointly counter the downward pressure and risks of the economy by improving mutual investment complementarity and carrying out scientific and technological innovation cooperation. Source: International Department. Central Committee of CPC) (Web editor: Peng Yukai, Liang Jun) Portrait of Chief Orlando Rolon in Orlando, Fla., Tuesday, May 10, 2022. The citys first Hispanic police chief who has held the role since 2018, he is retiring in November. (Willie J. Allen Jr./Orlando Sentinel) Following in the footsteps of past Orlando police chiefs who have become elected officials, outgoing OPD Chief Orlando Rolon said he is considering a run for public office after he retires this fall following a 30-year career with the agency. In an interview this week with the Orlando Sentinel, Rolon said he was not ruling out the possibility of serving the public as an elected official. Advertisement I think Ive been very fortunate to be the chief of an agency that has a strong history of having leaders move on and lead throughout Central Florida, Rolon said, pointing to U.S. Rep. Val Demings, Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings and Orange County Sheriff John Mina all former OPD chiefs. With that said ... it better be a very strong message from the good Lord that comes down to my wife and then gets delivered to me because whatever decisions we make will be a family decision, he said. Advertisement While Rolon said it was still too premature to announce what, if any, position he has considered, the chief added that he would like to stay in Orlando, the city his family has called home since he moved here from Puerto Rico in 1977. Is it my preference to remain in Orlando? Absolutely, the chief said. But if my calling says that I must go elsewhere, I may be open to that idea. Rolon, the citys first Hispanic police chief, took office in October 2018. The chief said it was humbling to be celebrated by the community for the achievement. But he noted with disappointment that its still rare to find Hispanics among the executive staff of local governments or corporations in Central Florida, despite the existing talent. We should always be mindful that equity is very important at all levels, and that we must strive to correct the wrongs of the past, because there were a lot of wrongs, right? Rolon said. ... I believe Hispanics are being left behind and we lack that representation that I think we deserve at the executive level. During Rolons four-year tenure as chief, OPD re-established the neighborhood patrol unit, developed a youth outreach program and created the Real-Time Crime Center, which Rolon described as the crown jewel of the department. The crime center employs analysts and detectives who process crime data, surveil the citys camera network and assist officers in real-time as they solve crimes. Rolon highlighted one incident in which surveillance cameras recorded a vehicle hitting and killing a pedestrian on Colonial Drive. The crime center was able to follow the hit-and-run driver with the cameras into a residential neighborhood and send officers to arrest the suspect, he said. Advertisement If it hadnt been for those cameras, [it] probably would have been days before we could have obviously been able to identify who the person responsible was, Rolon said. The chief said he hopes the junior law enforcement program developed under his tenure will yield applicants in the future from diverse communities. Under his leadership, the department has made some progress in increasing diversity among its officers, Rolon said. It is critical that we have a representation that mirrors the community, he said. Thats what we strive for, but we need the applicants to be able to do that. Rolon also oversaw the implementation of the Community Response Team, a six-month pilot partnership with Aspire Health Partners that dispatches mental health professionals instead of police to 911 calls involving non-violent people in crisis. City officials called it a success last year after none of the calls resulted in an arrest. We believe that the program will continue and will be expanded in the future, Rolon said. Advertisement Rolons tenure was also marked by challenges, including the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020. At the time, there was no thought of a vaccine or a cure or what exactly it was that was affecting us, he said. Yet, we had to encourage our officers to continue to go out there and perform their tasks, to honor the oath that they took to serve and protect considering that they were putting their lives at risk. As coronavirus cases climbed, downtown Orlando became the center of massive protests during the summer of 2020 following the killing of George Floyd by Minneapolis police. City officials estimated 10,000 people participated in the largest protest on June 7. Officers arrested more than 100 people during the first six days of demonstrations on mostly misdemeanors or ordinance violations. In the past, Rolon defended the agencys use of tear gas to disperse crowds, which he said was done after officers used non-irritant smoke as a warning and some protesters pelted officers with debris. On Tuesday, Rolon said he was proud of how the agency responded to a challenging period in history and did not think officers could have handled the protests differently. What Im most proud of is how our officers responded to those challenges and how our officers stood the line and basically ensured that we afforded our citizens an opportunity to voice their concerns, in most cases in a peaceful manner, he said. ... Even when we had to respond to some of the aggression that was shown towards the officers, even those situations were kept very controlled for the most part. Advertisement OPD also came under national scrutiny in 2019 after a reserve officer arrested 6-year-old Kaia Rolle at a charter school. The officer was later fired. Rolon said it was one of the lowest moments he had as a chief, especially because OPD had a policy in place requiring officers to get a supervisors approval before arresting children younger than 12. Kaias ordeal prompted Florida lawmakers to ban the arrest of children under 7. Breaking News As it happens Be the first to know with email alerts on important breaking stories from the Orlando Sentinel newsroom. > Rolon noted law enforcement officers are still required to transport children who are involuntarily committed under Floridas Baker Act. Why is it that were requiring law enforcement officers to take a child into protective custody when we could easily maybe have an ambulance service or fire department personnel do that job? the chief asked. ... We also need to ask our legislators to change laws that are not prudent or not conducive to the proper role of law enforcement in situations like that. Rolon will be spending the next three months helping with the transition for his replacement, Deputy Chief Eric Smith. He said he has told the department to support Smith in his ideas to make the agency better. I told [Smith] two key things that we must never forget: The importance of reducing crime and, equally as important, earning and maintaining the trust of the citizens that we serve, he said. Its easy to earn trust. Its much harder to protect the trust that you have earned. Advertisement Rolon thanked God and community leaders for the opportunity to be chief but gave the ultimate credit to his wife, Georgina Pinedo-Rolon, for helping him cope with the challenges of the profession. If it wasnt for her, I would have not become the chief of police I can guarantee you that, he said. ... She was my security blanket. She was the person who guided me through the good times and the bad times. mcordeiro@orlandosentinel.com New York [US], May 11 (ANI): India has contributed USD 800,000 to the United Nations as part of the initiative to enhance public outreach of the organisation in Hindi. Country's Deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations, R Ravindra handed over a cheque for the UN project launched by India in 2018 to disseminate information about the UN to the Hindi-speaking population across the world. Also Read | Elon Musk Calls Donald Trump`s Twitter Ban 'Morally Wrong', Says He Would Lift It. "The Government of India has been making continuous efforts to expand the use of Hindi in theUnited Nations. As part of these efforts, 'Hindi @ UN' project, in collaboration with the UNDepartment of Public Information was launched in 2018 with an objective to enhance the publicoutreach of the United Nations in Hindi language, and to spread greater awareness about globalissues among millions of Hindi-speaking people around the world," the UN said in a statement. India has been partnering with the UN Department of Global Communications (DGC) since2018 by providing an extra-budgetary contribution to mainstream and consolidate news andmultimedia content of DGC in Hindi, it added. Also Read | Sri Lanka Economic Crisis: Military Given Shooting Orders to Quell Spread of Violence. Since 2018, the UN News in Hindi is disseminated through the UN's website and social media handles and a UN Facebook Hindi page, the statement read further. "A UN News-Hindi audio bulletin (UN Radio) is released every week," it added. (ANI) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) London, May 11 (PTI) The Free Trade Agreement (FTA) negotiations between India and the UK have resulted in the draft treaty text advancing across the majority of chapters at the end of the third round of talks, the British government said on Wednesday. The Department for International Trade (DIT) issued a "Joint Outcome Statement" at the end of the latest round of technical talks between the negotiators on both sides, which was held in New Delhi in a hybrid fashion. Also Read | Tesla CEO Elon Musk Says 'Russia Ramping Up Cyber Attacks Against Starlink'. The experts held 60 separate sessions in-person and virtually to cover 23 policy areas, with the fourth round of talks now scheduled to be hosted by the UK next month. "On 6 May 2022, the Republic of India and the United Kingdom concluded the third round of talks for an India-UK Free Trade Agreement (FTA), the statement read. Also Read | Bill Gates Tests Positive for COVID-19 With Mild Symptoms, Isolates Himself at Home. "Negotiation officials undertook these technical talks in a hybrid fashion with some of the teams meeting in New Delhi and the majority joining virtually. For this round of negotiations, draft treaty text was advanced across the majority of chapters. Technical experts from both sides came together for discussions in 60 separate sessions covering 23 policy areas, it said. In the first two rounds since the FTA talks began in January, four out of 26 chapters have already been agreed upon and those close to the negotiations said that there had been significant progress in the remaining 22 chapters. During his visit to India last month, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson had announced that the negotiating teams on both sides must work towards a Diwali timeline for the completion of a draft agreement. The new target of October 24 brings forward from the previous timeline of concluding FTA talks by the end of this year. "This could double our trade and investment by the end of the decade, driving down prices for consumers, and increasing wages across the UK by as much as GBP 3 billion, Johnson said at the time. Indian High Commissioner to the UK Gaitri Issar Kumar has said that officials have been working round-the-clock towards the deadline and Minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal is also scheduled for a UK visit at the end of this month to hold discussions with stakeholders to move things along. "The minister is leading the negotiations on the Indian side on achieving the target of doubling our bilateral trade by 2030, said Kumar, with reference to the ministerial visit planned for May 27. "He has offered to come to London and speak to explain what's in store for both sides at a roundtable, where stakeholders from business and industry will get an opportunity to weigh in where necessary. So far, the feedback from the Chief Negotiators is that things are very cordial and going in the right direction, she said. Earlier this week, a new UK India Industry Taskforce was also announced by the industry bodies on both sides as a joint commission to increase cross-industry collaboration to push the UK-India FTA over the line. The Confederation of British Industry (CBI) and Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) say their Taskforce will provide oversight and meet ahead of key milestones to reflect views on trade-offs, breakdown barriers to market access and help feed in on-the-ground business intelligence at a ministerial level in both countries. (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Istanbul [Turkey], May 11 (ANI): In the name of Islamization, the Armenians and Assyrians of Turkey have been reeling under religious intolerance, continuing their search for rights and justice. As per the strict education system in Turkey, a child's freedom of religion, their right to participate, and the rights of their parents to raise their children according to their respective religious or philosophical beliefs receive severe interference, reported the International Forum For Right and Security. Also Read | Bill Gates Tests Positive for COVID-19 With Mild Symptoms, Isolates Himself at Home. Reportedly, the Turkish government is trying to impose religious education or Islamic Sunni as a compulsory subject for children aged between 4-6 years. Knowledge courses, Islamic religious practices in examinations and school curriculums, and religious elective courses, amongst other things pose a serious threat to the protection of the child's freedom of religion or belief. As further means of oppression, parents and students who follow atheism, or belong to the deists and agnostics groups are forced to exercise religious culture and moral knowledge courses reported the International Forum For Right and Security. Also Read | China Aware of 'Costs and Consequences' of Using Force To Gain Control Over Taiwan. According to the Turkish Penal Code (TCK), people who condemn some religion or belief, particularly Islam are vulnerable to prosecution. To add to the woes of the people, the non-Muslim foundations in Turkey are forbidden to even elect their board of directors. Notably, there is also a remarkable disparity in resource allocation to different religions by the Turkish government, reported the International Forum For Right and Security. The majority of the public budget is reserved only for religious services for the Sunni Muslim population. Owing to a lack of resources, religious communities such as the Alevi, the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate, the Armenian Patriarchate, and the Protestant community are unable to provide training to their religious officials. Formerly, Turkey's history of religious repression and mass massacres owing to Islamization is a well-known fact. However, Ankara, Turkey's cosmopolitan capital must ensure that essential measures are taken to prevent religious violations in Turkey following the judgements passed by the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) and the Opinions of the Human Rights Committee in cases concerning freedom of religion or belief. (ANI) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Sri Lankan Chief of Defence Staff and Commander of the Army, General Shavendra Silva. (Photo Credit - Reuters) Colombo [Sri Lanka], May 11 (ANI): Sri Lankan Chief of Defence Staff and Commander of the Army, General Shavendra Silva on Tuesday refuted allegations that the armed forces are poised to shoot at the general public to provoke them. The allegations were levelled by Duminda Nagamuwa of the Frontline Socialist Party, reported Daily Mirror Online. Also Read | Sri Lanka Economic Crisis: Military Given Shooting Orders to Quell Spread of Violence. Gen Shavendra Silva, while rejecting the statement, assured that the members of the armed forces would not resort to any such disgraceful acts under any circumstances. It was reported in the media that Silva owes his position to President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and he might use the army against the people. Also Read | Turkey Issues Arrest Warrants for 28 Over Alleged Links to 2016 Coup. Meanwhile, Sri Lanka tri forces have been ordered to shoot all those who plunder public property or cause personal harm, local media reported on Tuesday as large-scale protests continue to take place across the island nation. This comes after nationwide protests against the government have intensified over the past few days resulting in an increase in incidents of clashes with the security forces deployed at protest sites. "The Ministry of Defence has ordered the tri-forces to open fire on anyone looting public property or causing harm to others," Army Spokesman told Daily Mirror. Protesters, who have resorted to burning houses of Minsters and MP, have been identified. Anti-government protesters also set on fire the official residences of Sri Lanka's Moratuwa Mayor Saman Lal Fernando and the MPs Sanath Nishantha, Ramesh Pathirana, Mahipala Herath, Thissa Kuttiarachchi and Nimal Lanza. A large number of protesters were out on the streets and attacked the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna MPs. Even some Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) offices were set ablaze, Daily Mirror reported. Former Sri Lankan Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa and some of his family members have been shifted to Trincomalee Naval Base, a day after he resigned following violent protests that led to a nationwide curfew. Helicopters were seen leaving the capital city today with VVIPs and some speculated that they were members of the Rajapaksa family, Colombo Gazette reported. (ANI) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Kyiv, May 11 (AP) Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy ended his nightly video address by paying tribute to Leonid Kravchuk, the first president of an independent Ukraine, who died on Tuesday at age 88. He was not just a politician, and even not just a historical figure, Zelenskyy said late Tuesday. He was a man who knew how to find wise words and to say them so that all Ukrainians would hear them. Also Read | Sri Lanka Economic Crisis: Military Given Shooting Orders to Quell Spread of Violence. This was particularly important in difficult, crisis moments, when the future of the whole country may depend on the courage of one man, said Zelenskyy, whose own communication skills and decision to remain in Kyiv when it came under Russian attack have helped make him a strong wartime leader. Leonid Makarovich (Kravchuk) showed just such courage, Zelenskyy said. Also Read | Turkey Issues Arrest Warrants for 28 Over Alleged Links to 2016 Coup. Perhaps it was because of his wisdom that he was especially cheerful. He always valued life, every minute. But he always found much more than one minute to help sort things out and give advice. And I am personally grateful to him for that in particular. Kravchuk led Ukraine to independence during the collapse of the Soviet Union and served as president from 1991 to 1994. In recent years, he tried to help negotiate a settlement to the conflict in eastern Ukraine. As a child he lived through World War II, lived through the occupation, Zelenskyy said. Leonid Makarovich knew the price of freedom and with all his heart wanted peace for Ukraine. I am sure that we will accomplish this. We will achieve our victory and our peace. ___ Washington: Senators meeting Tuesday with Ukraine's ambassador to the US says her message was one of thanks and making clear more help will be needed in the future. Senators from both parties met with Oksana Markarova to discuss the war in Ukraine. Congress is preparing to provide $40 billion in military and humanitarian aid to help Ukraine defend against Russia's military invasion. Senator Robert Menendez, the Democratic chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, says of the meeting: It was a message of thanks, a call to support us to the end. Democratic Senator Chris Coons of Delaware says Markarova told lawmakers that Ukraine had already depleted its stockpiles of Soviet-era weapons and equipment and material, and that it was vital for the US and others to resupply Ukraine. Thank you, do more. We have a hard fight ahead, Coons said of Markarova's message to lawmakers. With your support, we can win. Republican Senator Roy Blunt of Missouri says members of his party were satisfied with the ambassador's explanation for how a previous bout of aid has been spent and describes the latest $40 billion initiative as a survival package. (AP) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) New Delhi, May 11: A 14-year-old girl was allegedly raped in the national capital following which she got pregnant and was forced to undergo illegal abortion by the accused, an official said on Wednesday. The accused, who committed the heinous crime, has been arrested. He was identified as Dharamender alias Raj (23). Three others, identified as Babita Devi (a Quack working at a clinic) and the accused's two friends -- Dilip Kumar Singh and Manish -- have also been arrested. Uttar Pradesh: 28 Years After Crime, DNA Test Nails Rape Accused in Shahjahanpur Furnishing details, Deputy Commissioner of Police (outer district) Sameer Sharma said the victim girl, a Class 10 student, on April 22 alleged that in October, 2021 she went to a mobile repair shop where accused Dharamender secretly took her mobile number from her phone and started chasing her. Thereafter, he befriended the victim and repeatedly made physical relations with her at his friend Manish's rented room in Nangloi and due to which she got pregnant. Mumbai: Man Arrested for Abducting, Raping 7-Year-Old Girl in Ghatkopar "The accused told her not to disclose this in-front of anyone. The accused further hatched a conspiracy with his parents and a quack and some lab technicians," the DCP said. On April 1, the parents and the brother of the accused took the victim woman to Aditi Clinic in Narela, where a female 'doctor' (a Quack) made a phone call to the mother of the victim and persuaded her that she is her class teacher and is taking the victim for a school tour. Then the 'doctor' gave some abortion pills to the victim and on the next day she delivered a dead infant. The dead infant was buried by the alleged persons. Thereafter, she returned home but after a few days her health deteriorated due to excessive bleeding and then she was admitted to the SGM Hospital Mangolpuri for medical treatment. It is at this time, her statement was recorded and a case under sections 376 (punishment for rape), 313, 315, 318, 328, 201 and 34 of the Indian Penal Code and section 6 and 21 of the POCSO Act was registered at Police Station Nangloi. The police after this constituted a team which raided the house of the accused Dharamender and arrested him. During sustained interrogation, the accused disclosed how he conspired with his parents and one of his friends namely, Dilip Kumar Singh decided to kill the baby in womb. (The above story first appeared on LatestLY on May 11, 2022 11:00 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com). #Nepal has shut its international borders with #India and #China for a period of 72 hours ahead of the local polls slated for Friday, according to the Home Ministry. pic.twitter.com/tiYcnSqGS6 IANS (@ians_india) May 11, 2022 (SocialLY brings you all the latest breaking news, viral trends and information from social media world, including Twitter, Instagram and Youtube. The above post is embeded directly from the user's social media account and LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body. The views and facts appearing in the social media post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY, also LatestLY does not assume any responsibility or liability for the same.) Google I/O 2022 event will kick off tonight at 10:30 pm IST. During the event, Alphabet and Google CEO Sundar Pichai are expected to make several key announcements. Google might announce the launch of new hardware, advancements and improvements that will arrive on Android, WearOS. Google Introduces New Ways to Remove Personal Information from Search Results. The Google I/O 2022 will take place at the Shoreline Amphitheatre in Mountain View, California. The event will be streamed live via Google's official YouTube and other social media channels. Users can also watch the live telecast of the event here by clicking on the below-embedded video. Its all systems go at #GoogleIO. Tune in tomorrow at 10am PT for our latest announcements, product demos and more https://t.co/BJCe4w8BPR pic.twitter.com/C5iaMm1auS Google (@Google) May 10, 2022 At the Google I/O 2022 event, the company could announce new advancements and improvements in Android 13. The OS received its first developer preview in February this year. The OS might get an Apple-like spatial audio feature for Pixel 6 models and two carrier connections on a single eSIM. The tech giant might also introduce its Pixel 6a smartphone. The upcoming handset is likely to be powered by Google's Tensor SoC and might come with Pixel 6-like back design. Along with the Pixel 6a, the company could also announce the Pixel Watch. The Pixel Watch is rumoured to feature a circular design and might run on the latest WearOS. In addition to this, WearOS is said to get an update with a list of improvements. Last year, Google announced its partnership with Samsung to integrate Tizen within WearOS. Moreover, we could also see the launch of Pixel Buds Pro, Google Assistant improvements and more. (The above story first appeared on LatestLY on May 11, 2022 10:34 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com). Tesla CEO Elon Musk said he would counter the permanent ban of former U.S. President Donald Trump on Twitter if his buy-out of the social media platform goes through. CNN Business News reported that Musk's comment during the Financial Times' Future of the Car conference marks his first public acknowledgment of the Twitter bill since he announced his plans. Earlier, the billionaire said he thinks Twitter should be more hesitant to "delete things" and be very careful when it comes to imposing permanent bans. Musk described Trump's Twitter ban in January 2021 as a "mistake." He then said that he would reverse the permanent ban, adding that in his opinion, former Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey shares his opinion on not having "perma-bans" on the platform. Dorsey tweeted on Tuesday that there are exceptions but that "generally permanent bans are a failure" of the platform and "don't work." Twitter did not comment on Musk's remarks regarding the reversal of the social media company's ban on Trump. READ NEXT: Elon Musk to Temporarily Take Over Twitter as CEO After Buyout Deal is Done Donald Trump's Twitter Ban Twitter kicked Trump from the platform after it said that the former president had broken its rules against inciting violence. Twitter added that the decision to remove Trump was due to "the risk of further incitement of violence," according to an NPR News report. The social media company was the first major platform to permanently ban the former president. Its move was eventually duplicated by other social media networks such as Facebook and YouTube. Musk added that Trump's ban alienated a large part of the country and "did not ultimately result in Donald Trump not having a voice." Musk was referring to Trump's own social media app, Truth Social. He said that the platform should only ban accounts in rare cases to remove bots, spammers, and scammers. The Tesla CEO said that he does not own Twitter yet, and the plans to welcome back Trump on the platform are still theoretical. He said that it is not a matter "that will definitely happen." Musk did not detail how he would do the reversal of the former president's ban on Twitter. Musk only noted that the company should restrict speech when required by law. Sumayyah Waheed of the civil rights group Muslim Advocates said that reinstating Trump on the platform shows a "severe backslide in favor of allowing hate and misinformation," which would put communities in more danger. Elon Musk and Twitter Musk's investor presentation, which was obtained by The New York Times and reported by Business Insider, showed that the billionaire plans to include a new Twitter product named "X." Product "X" is seen to be launched in 2023 and in nine million users within the first year, according to pitch deck estimates. Musk also projected that 104 million users would subscribe to the product by 2028. The new product is part of Musk's plans to grow Twitter's revenue while also quadrupling the size of its user base. He earlier claimed that he does not care about the economics of buying Twitter "at all." READ MORE: Elon Musk Got a Texas Land Offer to Move Twitter Headquarters Out of San Francisco This article is owned by Latin Post. Written by Mary Webber WATCH: Elon Musk says he would reverse Trump's ban on Twitter - FOX 13 News Utah A brawl broke out during a Florida boat party called "Mayhem at Lake George." Partygoers gathered over the weekend, with hundreds of boats surrounding a crowd of people with a floating DJ stage in the middle. Mayhem at Lake George is a yearly event hosted by Florida Watercraft Events, with locals gathering to swim, dance, and enjoy the music and drinks. WTSP reported that the event turned sour when four or five men were seen pushing people off the platform and into the water. People were throwing punches at each other and kicking into the air. Deputies can be heard describing one laying on the DJ deck as "pretty bloodied up." Another deputy said the man on the deck was "unconscious" and bleeding heavily from the head and the face. The sheriff's office responded to the event with the help of multiple local law enforcement agencies, such as the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, the U.S. Coast Guard, and the County of Volusia Fire Department. Seminole, Orange, Lake, and St. John's County sheriff's offices were also involved. READ NEXT: Florida: Worst Flight Delays Happening Because of Space Launches, Severe Weather 'Mayhem at Lake George' NewsNation reported that Volusia County Sheriff's Office's video showed a male being transported by stretcher from a police boat to a waiting helicopter to be airlifted to an area hospital. Volusia County Sheriff Mike Chitwood said that it was a difficult rescue. He added that they cannot get their boats in the area due to all the boats being tied together. Chitwood noted that they had to be guided in and pushed by hand, so they could get resources on the barge. He said that people are just at the event having a good time, but like anything else, when it has a huge concentration of people with alcohol involved, incidents happen. The sheriff's office noted in a USA Today News report that there were 38 boat citations, 108 warnings, and five arrests - two for disorderly conduct and three for boating under the influence. Law enforcement made 42 stops during the event. The first responders were on-site for 12 hours or so, which incurred a significant cost to the agency, considering the cost of fuel alone, according to a WESH news report. Chitwood said that they have to put all these resources out there as something horrible could go wrong. The sheriff noted that it is unlikely they can recoup any of the expenses. However, he is looking to see whether a new law coming on the books in July addressing pop-up events could apply to the water. It is unclear what led up to the fights. However, at least one person was seriously hurt, and several others were arrested or cited after the event. The Mayhem at Lake George party is an unsanctioned event that is held on the lake on the first Saturday of every May. READ MORE: Disney Stocks Falls by 33% After Governor Ron DeSantis Revokes Special Status This article is owned by Latin Post. Written by: Mary Webber WATCH: Sheriff chopper video shows chaos at 'Mayhem at Lake George 2022' - from ABC Action News Lyman High School students, with students from other Seminole County high schools, applaud remarks supporting their position during a meeting of the Seminole County School Board , Tuesday, May 10, 2022. The students are voicing what they say is censorship of the just-published Lyman yearbook. (Joe Burbank/Orlando Sentinel) (Joe Burbank/Orlando Sentinel) The Seminole County School Board scrapped a plan Tuesday to put stickers over yearbook photos of students protesting against Floridas so-called dont say gay bill, responding to a public backlash against the move. The school board voted 5-0 not to obscure the photos and captions of a walkout protest featured in Lyman High Schools yearbook. Advertisement Instead, an alternative sticker will be placed on the page that explains the protest was student led and not sponsored by the school. Amy Pennock, the school board chair, and other board members said they would purchase the new stickers that wouldnt cover the yearbook staffs work. Advertisement We all make mistakes. ... We own up to it, and we try to do what we can to fix it, said Abby Sanchez, the school boards vice chair. As students, I am proud of you for bringing it to our attention. Photos and captions of student protesters in Lyman High School's yearbook have caught the attention of school administrators, yearbook staffers said. (Handout photo) Yearbook staffers, LGBTQ advocates and other public speakers told the board that censoring the yearbook would erase a moment in Lyman High Schools history and stifle free speech. It is silencing the LGBTQ-plus community and silencing the journalistic community, said Sara Ward, a Lyman High student who worked on the yearbook. Breaking News As it happens Be the first to know with email alerts on important breaking stories from the Orlando Sentinel newsroom. > Danielle Pomeranz, the yearbooks faculty adviser, told the board her students were only doing their job of documenting an important event that happened on campus. She said she thinks the yearbook can still be distributed to students by the end of the week. Students were supposed to start receiving their yearbooks on Monday. The photos in question show students holding rainbow flags and a love is love sign. Accompanying captions include quotes from students sharing their views on the legislation and why they participated in the protest. [ RELATED: READ THE DISTRICT'S POLICY HERE ] Superintendent Serita Beamon said the section didnt make clear that the protest was student led, and covering the content was viewed as the best way to comply with board policy and get the yearbook to students in a timely fashion. Lyman High School students, with students from other Seminole County high schools, put a away printed placards after being advised by a Seminole deputy that they could not be held up during a meeting of the Seminole County School Board , Tuesday, May 10, 2022. The students are voicing what they say is censorship of the just-published Lyman yearbook. (Joe Burbank/Orlando Sentinel) (Joe Burbank/Orlando Sentinel) I want to be clear to each and every student that this was not about the Lyman High School administration looking to try and target any student, to try and silence any voice, she said. This instead is a situation where there was an issue that was not caught earlier in the required review by the administration. Students told the board yearbooks at Hagerty and Oviedo high schools also have sections in their yearbooks mentioning protests against the dont say gay bill, but those publications were not censored. Advertisement Students across the state walked out of class to protest HB 1557, officially titled Parental Rights in Education but called the dont say gay bill by opponents. The legislation bans classroom instruction on sexual orientation or gender identity in grades kindergarten through three or in a manner that is not age appropriate. sswisher@orlandosentinel.com Mexico President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador on Tuesday threatened to refuse to go to the Americas Summit next month if the United States will refuse to invite some of the Latin American countries, including Cuba. The United States has the privilege to choose leaders who will be invited to the said summit as the host country for the event. However, U.S. officials have repeatedly said that the governments of Cuba, Nicaragua, and Venezuela will not be invited to the Americas summit due to their human rights records, according to CNN. "If they exclude, if not all are invited, a representative of the Mexican government is going to go, but I would not," Lopez Obrador said during his daily briefing on Tuesday, per Associated Press. Mexico's president added that even with differences, the nations should still engage in a dialogue. Lopez Obrador also highlighted that Mexico has a very good relationship with the Biden administration and that they want everyone invited to the event. It was not the first time that AMLO sounded his opposition to the decision of not inviting other Latin American nations. On Sunday, Lopez Obrador said during a public event in Cuba that he would stress to President Joe Biden that no country should be left out of the upcoming Summit of the Americas. READ NEXT: Pres. Joe Biden Suspends Steel Tariffs on Ukraine to Help Boost the Country's Economy Amid War With Russia Other Nations on the Upcoming Americas Summit On Tuesday, Leaders of the Caribbean nations also discussed a collective boycott of the summit if other nations are excluded from the event. In addition, nations like Antigua and Barbuda criticized the plan of the United States to invite Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido. It can be recalled that some of the Caribbean nations do not recognize Guaido as Venezuela's legitimate president. Argentina also issued an appeal this month to avoid excluding any government in the Americas summit. In a statement, the country called that summit a great opportunity to build space for encounters in which all the countries of the hemisphere will participate. It also urged the organizers to avoid exclusions that impede having all the voices of the hemisphere in dialogue and being heard. Cuba, Venezuela, and Nicaragua on Americas Summit Americas Summit or Summit of the Americas is traditionally a gathering of countries from North, Central, South America, and the Caribbean. This event is held every four years. Biden said in March that the goal of this year's summit is to sign a regional declaration of migration and protection. The said event will be held in June in Los Angeles. U.S. State Department has indicated that Cuba, Venezuela, and Nicaragua, will not be welcomed at the event. Western Hemisphere Assistant Secretary of State Brian Nichols said in an interview last week that the three nations would not be invited because they do not respect the Inter-American Democratic Charter. However, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said that the Biden administration has not yet come up with a complete list of those who will be welcomed at the Americas summit. Psaki added that no invitations for the said event has been issued by the Biden administration. READ NEXT: U.S. Charges Third Man Believed to Be a Suspect in Late Haiti Pres. Jovenel Moise Killing This article is owned by Latin Post. Written By: Joshua Summers WATCH: What Is the Summit of the Americas? - From U.S. Department of State A top U.S. intelligence official said Russia's President Vladimir Putin could use nuclear weapons as a last resort if he perceives that he is losing the war in Ukraine. Speaking to the Senate armed services committee on Tuesday, Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines noted that Putin would continue to brandish its country's nuclear weapons in an effort to deter the U.S. and its allies from further supporting Ukraine. The Guardian reported that Haines assessed that the change of focus to the east and south was most likely a "temporary tactic" rather than a permanent scaling back of war aims. Haines said Putin would not use Russia's nuclear weapons until he saw an "existential threat to Russia" or his regime. However, she added that Putin could also see the prospect of defeat in Ukraine as establishing such a threat. "We do think that could be the case in the event that he [Putin] perceives that he is losing the war in Ukraine, and that NATO is either intervening or about to intervene in that context, which would contribute to a perception that he is about to lose the war in Ukraine," Haines told the committee. Haines noted that there would probably be some warning that the use of nuclear weapons is imminent such as a further large-scale nuclear exercise involving more dispersal of mobile intercontinental missiles, heavy bombers, and strategic submarines. READ NEXT: U.S. State Secretary Antony Blinken, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin Meet With Ukraine Pres. Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kyiv Russia Using Nuclear Weapons In a speech last February, Vladimir Putin said he could use nuclear weapons if the West intervened in their "special military operation." According to Reuters, Putin said Russia would respond immediately to whoever tried to stand in its way or create threats to Russia and its people. On February 27, Putin ordered his military command to put Russia's nuclear deterrent forces on high alert. He said it was due to aggressive statements by NATO leaders and Western economic sanctions against Moscow. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, a veteran diplomat, noted that Moscow was doing "its utmost to prevent one." Lavrov said he would not want to elevate those risks artificially. But he noted that the danger was "serious" and "real." Experts and Western officials have warned against dismissing the comments as a bluff with the risk Putin could use nuclear arms if he felt cornered in Ukraine and if NATO entered the war. President Joe Biden told Americans on February 28 not to worry about a nuclear war with Russia. When asked if U.S. citizens should be concerned about a nuclear war erupting, Biden answered with a "no." BBC reported that Russia is believed to have around 2,000 tactical nuclear weapons. Russia-Ukraine War The head of the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine said thousands more civilians had been killed in the country since the war started. According to Al Jazeera, Matilda Bogner noted that it was higher than the official United Nations death toll of 3,381. To date, Bogner said they had corroborated 7,061 civilian casualties, with 3,381 killed and 3,680 injured across Ukraine since the beginning of the war. On Tuesday, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres met with refugees from Ukraine in Moldova, saying it was impossible to meet refugees and not be deeply moved by their stories. Guterres visited a refugee camp and said this tragedy demonstrates that war was senseless and must stop, adding that there was no military solution to each country's problems. READ MORE: Russia-Ukraine Crisis: Ukrainian Pres. Volodymyr Zelensky Says if Pres. Joe Biden Acted Sooner 'There Would Be No War' This article is owned by Latin Post. Written by: Mary Webber WATCH: Russia Continues Threats to Use Nuclear Weapons - From CBS Evening News Former Honduras President Juan Orlando Hernandez wants to call Sinaloa cartel boss Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman Loera to the stand as a defense witness in his high-profile drug trafficking case in New York. After Tuesday's hearing outside the Manhattan federal courthouse, Hernandez's lawyer Raymond Colon told reporters that they would subpoena El Chapo. Colon noted that the government would have to produce the Sinaloa cartel boss if the judge orders it, adding that people would have to hear what he had to say, NBC New York reported. Hernandez's lawyer also said he would try to subpoena other witnesses, such as President Joe Biden and former presidents Donald Trump and Barack Obama. Former top U.S. security officials like John Kelly and Mike Pompeo were also included in the list of Hernandez's witnesses. Hernandez's lawyer said Trump and Obama could vouch for his client and testify that they considered Hernandez an ally after becoming the first Honduran president to agree to the extradition of drug traffickers from Honduras to the U.S. As for subpoenaing Biden, Colon said the president might be busy running the country, but "why not?" He noted that his goal would be to show Hernandez, for years, cooperated with U.S. officials and that he had been "set-up" by drug traffickers. READ NEXT: Honduran Teen Trying to Cross U.S.-Mexico Border to Reunite With His Mom in Texas Drowns in Rio Grande River Former Honduras President Juan Orlando Hernandez Pleads Not Guilty According to BBC, Juan Orlando Hernandez pleaded not guilty to drugs and weapons charges in a Manhattan court on Tuesday. Wearing a dark-blue prison uniform with chains around his ankles, the former president of Honduras only spoke to utter his not guilty plea in Spanish. Hernandez's lawyer has also complained about the "inhuman" prison conditions faced by his client, like "he is a prisoner of war." Colon told the judge that they were not asking for special treatment because Hernandez was a former head of state, but he described the conditions as "psychologically debilitating." He claimed that Hernandez had only been allowed out of his cell once to exercise in the 20 days he had been held and has been unable to communicate with his family in Honduras. Before the hearing, Hernandez's camp described the case as a "vendetta masquerading as a prosecution." Juan Orlando Hernandez and El Chapo's Drug Charges The 53-year-old former president of Honduras is facing three criminal charges: conspiracy to import a controlled substance into the U.S., using or carrying firearms, including machine guns, and conspiracy to use or carry firearms. Hernandez, who governed Honduras until January, said he was innocent and argued that disgruntled drug traffickers were trying to frame him. He was extradited to the U.S. on April 21, less than three months after his second term in office ended. U.S. prosecutors alleged that Hernandez worked with some of the world's most notorious drug traffickers to build a corrupt and brutally violent empire based on illegal trafficking. The former president allegedly facilitated the importation of hundreds of thousands of kilograms of cocaine to the U.S. beginning in 2004, New York Daily News reported. The prosecutors said Hernandez earned millions of dollars in bribes by using his power to facilitate the flow of drugs and firearms into the U.S. In court on Tuesday, they cited evidence like wiretap recordings, evidence from his phone, and other electronics in addition to cooperating witnesses. But Colon said the former president has maintained not taking millions in payoffs from drug kingpins, including El Chapo, in exchange for helping them transport large amounts of illegal drugs through Honduras to the U.S. The lawyer noted that El Chapo could tell a jury that he never met Hernandez. "Hopefully, they'll bring him over... I believe he was actually quoted as saying, 'I had no interaction or transactions or dealings with President Hernandez'," Colon said. El Chapo was among the people who established the Sinaloa Cartel from the remnants of the Guadalajara Cartel after its leader Miguel Angel Felix Gallardo was arrested in 1989. The Sinaloa Cartel is one of Mexico's largest and most powerful drug trafficking organizations. Under El Chapo's leadership, the Sinaloa Cartel earned its reputation through violence and outfought several rival groups. El Chapo was sentenced to spend the rest of his days in the ADX Florence "supermax" prison in Colorado after being sentenced to life imprisonment in 2019. Hernandez is currently being held at the Brooklyn detention facility. U.S. District Judge Kevin Castel sets Hernandez's next court date for September 28 and said the trial could begin on January 17, 2023. READ MORE: Honduras Travel: Safety Advisories and Tourist Attractions You Should See During Your Visit in Honduras This article is owned by Latin Post. Written by: Mary Webber WATCH: Former President of Honduras Indicted on Drug-Trafficking, Firearms Charges, Extradited to the US - From The Justice Department A Florida mom killed her 3-year-old daughter after forcing her children to drink bleach before ingesting some of the chemical herself. According to Crime Online, Joanne Zephir and her 3-year-old daughter were found unconscious inside her car parked near a church in Osceola County Sunday morning. The older sibling, an eight-year-old, was found in the roadway near the parking lot where the 36-year-old mom had parked. All three were reportedly taken to a hospital, where the 3-year-old child died. Osceola County sheriff Marco Lopez said the older child was already released into the care of a family member after being treated. Lopez noted that Osceola County police found the Florida mom and her children because they were tracking the cell phone of a woman wanted in Orange County for aggravated assault. READ NEXT: Florida: Worst Flight Delays Happening Because of Space Launches, Severe Weather Florida Mom Blames 'Voodoo Spell' in Forcing Her Children to Drink Bleach Police said Joanne Zephir was wanted for attempted murder in Orange County and was taken into questioning about the situation and what happened to her children. According to WFLA, Lopez said the Florida mom told deputies that she would turn herself in but wanted to have time with her children first after taking them from her relative's home. Lopez noted that Zephir called a family member and told her that she had killed her three-year-old daughter and that the older sibling would also die and she would kill herself. The Florida mom admitted to authorities that she made her children drink bleach from a "makeshift drinking glass," and choked the 3-year-old child. According to Lopez, Zephir said the reason for doing this to her children was "because the victim in Orange County must have put a voodoo spell on her" that made her harm her children. However, the sheriff noted that the Florida mom's plans were interrupted when police arrived, saving the 8-year-old child's life. Lopez said Zephir would be charged with attempted murder and child abuse. He noted that said murder charges are pending as authorities wait for the toxicology results on the deceased child from the medical examiner, Fox 35 Orlando reported. Florida Child Abuse Florida law requires that any person in the state who knows or has reasonable cause to suspect that a child is being abused, neglected, or abandoned should report it to the Florida Abuse Hotline of the Department of Children and Families. According to the Florida Network of Children's Advocacy Centers, the penalty for failing to report is a felony of the third degree. There are also financial penalties for failing to report known or suspected child abuse or neglect. Concerned citizens can call at 1-(800) 96-ABUSE (1-800-962-2873) to report any case of child abuse or neglect. The toll-free number is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, with counselors ready to address your concerns. Just be ready to provide information such as reporter name, victim name, complete address for subjects, telephone numbers, estimated or actual dates of birth, Social Security numbers, description of the abuse, and the relationship of the alleged perpetrator to the victim. READ MORE: Disney Stocks Falls by 33% After Governor Ron DeSantis Revokes Special Status This article is owned by Latin Post. Written by: Mary Webber WATCH: Child Abuse Awareness - From News4JAX The death toll from a massive explosion at a luxury hotel in Havana, Cuba rose to 43 on Tuesday as rescuers continued to search for possible survivors following the tragedy. According to Milenio, Cuba's Ministry of Health confirmed the latest number of deaths. Reports said all fatalities were Cubans, except for one Spanish tourist. Cuban officials said the 43rd body was found on Tuesday night, CBS News reported. At least 23 people working at Hotel Saratoga were among the confirmed dead. Roberto Enriquez, a spokesman for the Gaviota tourism firm that operates the hotel, noted that at least three workers remained missing and believed to be buried under the rubble. Rescuers continued to work around the clock to find more survivors underneath the rubble after the Havana hotel explosion. According to the updated government report, 97 people were injured in the Havana hotel explosion. At least 17 people remained hospitalized as of Tuesday, while 37 have been discharged. At least six individuals among the hospitalized were reportedly in serious condition, while two were in critical condition. READ NEXT: Cuba: Massive Explosion in Havana Hotel Kills at Least 18, Injures 64 Others; Video Shows Scary Aftermath Cuba President Miguel Diaz-Canel Says Priority Is to Find the Missing at Havana Hotel Cuba's President Miguel Diaz-Canel tweeted Tuesday that the "priority" continues to be the search for the people who remain missing. "At the Hotel Saratoga the priority remains to find the missing," Diaz-Canel wrote. https://twitter.com/DiazCanelB/status/1523985755290451970?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw Colonel Luis Carlos Guzman, head of the Cuban Fire Department, said they could not tell when the search would be over. But he noted that they wanted to finish the search and rescue operations soon. "We want it to be as fast as possible, but we cannot violate the established security measures by making a hasty decision," Guzman told Agencia Cubana de Noticias. According to Guzman, at least three hotel workers are still missing as of Tuesday morning. On Saturday, Diaz-Canel took to Twitter to pay tribute to the rescue workers doing the search and rescue operations following the Havana hotel explosion. The president described them as the "heroes of these terrible hours." Havana Hotel Explosion in Cuba The five-star Hotel Saratoga, which exploded on Friday, was built at the end of the 19th century and became the most important hotel in Havana, Cuba in the 1930s. Authorities believed that a gas leak might have caused the massive explosion. Citing experts' initial estimates, Enriquez said 80 percent of the hotel was damaged. The Grupo de Turismo Gaviota SA claimed that their company is also investigating the cause of the explosion. According to Luis Antonio Torres Iribar, the head of the Communist Party for Havana, at least 38 homes had been affected by the explosion, and 95 people had to be relocated. READ MORE: Mexico Pres. Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador Will Boycott Americas Summit if Cuba, Venezuela, Nicaragua Will Not Be Invited This article is owned by Latin Post. Written by: Joshua Summers WATCH: Explosion Damages Hotel Saratoga In Cuban Capital - From CBS Miami WEST PALM BEACH A passenger with no flying experience radioed an urgent plea for help when the pilot of a small plane suddenly fell ill off Floridas Atlantic coast, and was able to land the plane safely with the help of air traffic controllers. Ive got a serious situation here, the man said Tuesday afternoon, according to audio on LiveATC.net, a website that broadcasts and archives air traffic controller communications. My pilot has gone incoherent. I have no idea how to fly the airplane. Advertisement An air traffic controller in Fort Pierce responded, asking if he knew the position of the single-engine Cessna 280. I have no idea. I can see the coast of Florida in front of me, and I have no idea, the passenger said. Advertisement According to Flight Aware, the plane had taken off earlier Tuesday from Marsh Harbour International Airport in the Bahamas. The aircraft was occupied by the pilot and two passengers, according to a Federal Aviation Administration news release. Officials havent identified any of them. In this still image from video by WPTV shows emergency personnel surrounding a Cessna plane at Palm Beach International Airport in West Palm Beach on Tuesday. A passenger with no flying experience was able to land the plane safely with help of air traffic controllers after the pilot was too sick to handle the controls. (WPTV via AP) (WPTV/AP) As the plane flew over Florida, controller Christopher Flores, speaking very calmly, told the passenger to maintain wings level and try to follow the coast, either north or southbound. Twin controls enable a Cessna 280 to be steered from the passenger seat. Minutes passed before controllers were able to locate the plane, which by then was heading north over Boca Raton. Then the mans voice seemed to fade, so the controller in Fort Pierce asked for the passengers cellphone number to enable controllers at Palm Beach International Airport to communicate with him more clearly. Air traffic controller Robert Morgan, a 20-year veteran, took over at that point, talking the passenger down to a safe landing. Morgan is a certified flight instructor with experience piloting Cessna aircraft, the FAA said. Kudos to the new pilot, one controller told him after the plane smoothly wheeled down the tarmac. Rescue workers assisted the original pilot, officials said. Neither passenger had any injuries. Officials did not immediately say what caused the pilot to fall ill. Morgan said in a video released by the FAA that he was just doing his job, but at a higher level than he thought he would have to do it. Advertisement Weve never had anything like that, Morgan said. I felt like I was in a movie. Advertisement Advertisement Breaking News As it happens Be the first to know with email alerts on important breaking stories from the Orlando Sentinel newsroom. > The Lost Messiahs-Connecting to the Real Ollie Plunkett is the songwriter and guitar player with The Lost Messiahs and owner of Golden Egg Studios. Ollie sat down to discuss the release of their new single Searching in Mirrors; their upcoming shows at two of Ireland's leading festivals Forest Fest and Electric Picnic; and his amazing musical odyssey to date. Looking cheerful and rested, despite spending many late nights in the studio, Ollie radiates excitement about the upcoming shows and the upcoming release of their third studio album of original music Connected to the Real. There has always been a mystical spiritual connection in the Lost Messiahs music. On the first album they collaborated with the monks from Glenstal Abbey on their beautiful track Soulstar. They followed that album with Deconstruction of the Mind, an album laden with songs that beautifully explore the inner workings of the mind in search for new meaning, new direction. The production is rich laden with fat immersive synths and atmospheric guitars. I have always loved the songs that are coloured with rich atmospheric landscapes. Bands like Mercury Rev, Spiritualised, The National, War on Drugs have always appealed to me for this reason. Writing the songs for Deconstruction of the Mind was a very cathartic experience. Any time I felt disconnected I headed for the wildness of nature and in particular our wonderful bogland. There is something about the expansiveness of the landscape and in particular our boglands that never fail to inspire. I have always had a widescreen imagination so maybe the bog facilitates and nourishes that. Their new single Searching in Mirrors continues this theme of spiritual searching but also captures the sense of frustration and isolation felt by a band who had just released a new album and were about to embark on an East Coast America playing at prestigious venues in New York/ New Jersey to promote it. The dark days are always the worst days And Tuesdays always are grey Hes been staring at spiders for hours now Trying to find the truth The track was produced by Ollie, mixed by Owen Geaney at Golden Egg Studios, Portlaoise and mastered by Greg Calbi, Sterling Sound, New York. Writing and playing original music however is a road less travelled by many artists due to difficulty in securing gigs, radio play etc and is a theme that has hit a nerve with Ollie. "It can be both frustrating and exhilarating. There was always a strong tradition in Ireland to celebrate difference and diversity and we are in danger now of following the pandemic of disappointments with a plague of sameness. "Everything has got very homogenous in music, radio stations have their criteria for daytime listening, must be safe, lots of venues dread the phone call from original artists and go for the safer option too. However great to see artists like Fontaines DC going NO.1 in the UK, just goes to show people do like alternative original music too." In response The Messiahs as they are affectionately known have decided to take matters in their own hands and organise their own sell out gigs at really cool venues. Their recent shows at the Malthouse Stradbally and The Ballykilcavan Brewery have been sell outs and their next gigs will be in the beautiful Timahoe Round Tower in June followed by a gig at the Hook Lighthouse in Wexford. They have received excellent reviews to date including a write up in the Sunday Independent by Barry Egan- 'The Lost Messiahs have a distinct sound with echoes of Mercury Rev and The National . Their music has been played by Dave Fanning, Dan Hegarty and John Creedon, RTE; have been playlisted by Radio Nova and many regional stations; and selected as song of the week on Joe.ie. The Lost Messiahs play two of Irelands best festivals in 2022, Forest Fest, Sunday 24th July and Electric Picnic, Sunday 4th September. We are really looking forward to playing. them. It is great to see a local festival like Forest Fest willing to support a local original band and having them high up the bill. The Lost Messiahs are sure deserving of our support and no doubt will deliver on the big stage at both festivals. Lets all get behind them and give them the support they deserve. The Lost Messiahs are made up of experienced musicians who all have rich musical pedigree in their own right. Eamonn Duff on Bass James O Connor on Vocals/Acoustic Guitar, Ollie Plunkett on Electric Guitar, Martha Cummins on Drums Anne Marie Fitzgerald on Vocals/Piano. Laois businesses are being urged to apply for funding to enhance their online presence. Minister of State for Business, Employment and Retail, Damien English wants retail businesses in Laois to enhance their online capability and presence in order to exploit new opportunities to increase turnover, expand and sell internationally. The Minister has launched a new round of the Online Retail Scheme which supports ambitious Irish based retailers looking to grow and improve sales online and to strengthen their ecommerce capabilities. I want Irish based retailers to have every chance of competing for online sales that are currently going outside the country. There is no reason why Irish businesses cannot successfully compete for home sales as well as international sales. The Government is also determined to support more business owners to enhance their online capabilities and presence to exploit opportunities in existing and new markets, said Minister English. In order to be eligible for this funding, applicant companies must have 10 or more full-time employees and an existing online presence. Salary costs of an internal project champion can be partially covered by this support. This person can be any employee who has the support of the management to take on this responsibility, and will work with an external service provider on the project. Previous applicants of the Online Retail Scheme who were unsuccessful will be eligible to reapply under this call with a modified proposal. Applicants who were successful in previous calls are also eligible to re-apply under this round of the scheme, once they propose a project that is clearly different from their previous applications. The Scheme provides direct financial support to retail companies to develop a more competitive online business offering to complement their in-store offering. It is administered by Enterprise Ireland and there is 9.3m available in this round of funding. The Online Retail Scheme is open for applications now and closes on Wednesday, June 1, 2022 at 12 noon. Find further information and how to apply at www.enterprise-ireland.com/retail The Ceann Comhairle, who travels to war-torn Ukraine next week, has called on Russian people to stand up to autocratic leader Vladimir Putin. Kildare South TD Sean O Fearghail will address the Ukrainian parliament, the Rada during a visit to Kyiv with Cathaoirleach of the Seanad, Senator Mark Daly. He said: I will also be calling on the Russian Duma parliament and the Russian people to denounce this war in Ukraine. He added: It may be Vladimir Putins war but he has the imprimatur of the the Duma parliament and the support of the people. I will be calling on the people of Russia to show the same bravery as the people of Mariupol and other places who are under siege from the Russian army. It is time for the people of Russia to stand up and protest against this war and make their feelings known. Is it acceptable to them that the Russian army is bombing schools, hospitals and residential areas in their name? The TD said the visit is an opportunity for Ireland to demonstrate its support for the Ukrainian people, its government and its parliament which is continuing to function despite very difficult circumstances. He said: I will be using the visit to represent the Dail and to pay tribute to the enormous bravery of the people of Ukraine. I will also be acknowledging the warm welcome being extended to displaced citizens coming to Ireland. Mr O Fearghail and Mr Daly will join other foreign parliamentarians and an international organisation on the visit to Kyiv. When Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky made a historic speech via video link to the Oireachtas on April 6, Mr O Fearghail said in his own remarks that the war in Ukraine was barbaric and horrendous. Addressing Mr Zelensky, the Ceann Comhairle said: While Ireland is a militarily neutral country, we are not politically neutral. We do not stand idly by." Prisoners in the Midlands Prison in Portlaoise are using their spare time to make nest boxes for the falling population of swifts. Inmates have constructed five boxes which BirdWatch Ireland will install on buildings in the region to encourage the migratory birds. Swifts arrive in Ireland from Africa every summer but the number of nesting sites such as in old buildings has declined. BirdWatch Ireland estimates there has been a 40 per cent fall in population in the last ten years. The prisoners construct the nest boxes from small sheets of plywood and make a small opening for the bird to enter and exit. Ricky Whelan of Birdwatch Ireland, who collected a batch of the boxes from the Midlands Prison, said they showed "excellent workmanship". He added: "Thanks to the prisoners involved and all at the Irish Prison Service for doing their bit to help breeding swifts." The Midlands Prison, which can hold 875 prisoners, caters for counties Carlow, Kildare, Kilkenny, Laois, Offaly and Westmeath. The Irish Prison Service said prisoners at Midlands Prison as well as Arbour Hill got involved in the project in 2020. A spokesman said: "The Swift Boxes Project started in early 2020, when Arbour Hill Prison received a request from BirdWatch Ireland to construct 30 swift boxes. "The Work & Training Officer in Arbour Hill Prison liaised with their counterpart in the Midlands Prison and agreed to construct some of the swift boxes for BirdWatch Ireland. "The specifications of the swift boxes were requested from BirdWatch Ireland and the Midlands Prison initially agreed to make five boxes." Fifteen (15) tourism companies from Ireland including Kildare Village, The K Club and Carton House joined Tourism Ireland over the weekend at the inaugural Discover Europe Travel Summit in Dubai. Discover Europe Travel Summit was a two-day B2B tourism event organised by Tourism Ireland, in conjunction with the German National Tourist Board, Switzerland Tourism and the Austrian National Tourist Office. The event brought together a delegation of 97 exhibitors from Ireland, Germany, Switzerland and Austria to meet, and do business with, more than 100 travel buyers from the GCC. Aisling McDermott, Tourism Irelands Manager Asia and Middle East, said: We were delighted to host the first ever Discover Europe Travel Summit, in conjunction with the German National Tourist Board, Switzerland Tourism and the Austrian National Tourist Office. The event offered a great opportunity to increase awareness of Ireland among the influential travel buyers from the GCC and secure a greater share of their valuable business. Our message for those buyers is that Ireland is open for business again and we cannot wait to welcome back their clients from the Middle East. Tourism Ireland is the organisation responsible for promoting the island of Ireland overseas as a leading holiday destination. In 2019, 11.3 million overseas visitors were welcomed to the island of Ireland, delivering revenue of over 5.9 billion. Caroline Potter, Kildare Village; Jenna Terry, Tourism Ireland; and Revathy Williams, Al Tayer Travel, at the Discover Europe Travel Summit in Dubai. Harry Glynn, Carton House; Matt Lynch, Tourism Ireland; and Ahmed Tahhan, Anwar Al Madina, at the Discover Europe Travel Summit in Dubai. Both the band director and a guidance counselor at a Central Florida high school resigned after a police investigation into what was described as a cult-like group, according to media reports. A spokesperson for the Lake County School District confirmed the resignation of Leesburg Highs band director, Gabriel Fielder, and guidance counselor Leonardo Finelli, according to a report on WKMG. Advertisement The investigation began after a former student said he was a member of the group called the Elder Council that was led by Fielder, the station reported. This group was in no way affiliated with the school or the district, and any meetings they may have had were held off campus, county schools spokesperson Sherri Owens told the station. Advertisement The station reported that investigation showed the student who was 17 in September 2020 said Finelli at the time began sending him sexual messages, according to police. Finelli, also reportedly a member of the Elder Council, told Fielder he was messaging the student, and Fielder said Finelli and the student were not allowed to message one another anymore. The teen told police that Fielder deleted the messages between the student and Finelli from the students phone, the station reported. The teen said after he turned 18 that he and Finelli were in a sexual relationship until November 2021, according to WKMG. Read more at ClickOrlando.com. Kildare has emerged as a Eurovision stronghold, with the majority of bets being placed on this weeks song contest hailing from the Lilywhites, Irish bookie Paddy Power can reveal. However, with the Eurovision Song Contest underway in Italy, the bookie revealed Ireland are massive odds on NOT to make it past the semi-final stage. The betting firm also shared that almost half (46%) of all their customers are backing Ukrainian folk-rap group Kalush Orchestra, who are huge favourites (1/2) to win the contest outright. By comparison, no such confidence is being shown for the Irish entry by punters, with just 8% of those having a wager on the contest, backing Ireland. In fact, according to the Paddy Power, its a 1/5 shot, reflecting a probability of 83.3%, that 23-year-old Derry native Brooke Scullion and her song Thats Rich wont make it out of their group when they hit the stage with the second batch of semi-finalists on Thursday night. So, it will come as no surprise to learn that the bookies make them long shots at 300/1 to win this years contest outright. "We hope were wrong, but its looking like Thats Rich could be a one hit wonder in that well only get to see it performed on stage in Turin once. Brooke is as likely to belt out her song again in Saturday nights final as Marty Whelan is of popping up as one of her backing dancers, Rachael Kane, spokesperson for Paddy Power said. As for the Lilywhites being revealed as Eurovision Song Contest superfans, its hardly surprising that theyve turned their attention towards Turin, given GAA supporters from that neck of the woods in particular have been starved of success for the last couple of decades, she added. Most popular selections for punters are Ukraine (46%), followed by UK (10%), Sweden (8%), Poland (5%) and Spain (4%). While Kildare natives emerged as the most likely to bet on the song contest, across the water in the UK, punters from Dorset and Suffolk were identified by Paddy Power as being Eurovision hotspots in terms of customer interest. And in Scotland, less surprisingly, its Edinburgh City. Two hundred year old documents salvaged from a fire at the Public Records Office in 1922 will see the light of day once again as part of a conservation project. Records at the Four Courts base were destroyed on June 20 1922 at the start of the Civil War, with over 25,000 sheets of paper and parchments retrieved from the fire's aftermath. These records, which date from the fourteenth to the nineteenth centuries, are known as the 1922 Salved Records and are now held at the PRO's successor, the National Archives of Ireland (NAI). Dublin Port Company will collaborate with the State to recover information from the Four Courts Fire by funding the conservation of records concerning Dublin Port. Chief Executive of Dublin Port, Eamonn O'Reilly, called their rich archive "an important and actively used resource" to tell te story of the port. He said, "We are delighted now to be able to add to the additional archive materials related to Dublin Port which the National Archives holds by supporting the conservation of records recovered after the burning of the Four Courts a century ago. With generous support from the company, records are now being restored by the conservation team at NAI. The documents all show some evidence of damage from the heat of the flames, as well as damp and rain from exposure to the weather following the fire. However, despite the damage, conservation will mean that documents not seen for 100 years can soon be consulted again by historians and members of the public. The papers are historically significant both as survivors of the destruction of 1922, and as fresh evidence for the historical development of Dublin Port. These papers create an incredible snapshot of the bustling life of the busy port with hundreds of people from around the country, from ports in Killybegs, Strangford and Youghal coming to collect salaries, pensions and trade in goods. They contain details on salaries and compensations, and many names of inspectors and collectors of customs taxes. They also provide accounts about wine, bounties on beef and pork, allowances on silk, detail repayments of taxes on fish, ash, salt, and linen. For example, over 50 documents relating to the Bounty Payments for Fish in the summer of 1817 give a fascinating insight, as they include information on the ship, listing crew members and detailing the size and type of catch. Following conservation, the documents dating from 18171818 will be available for research and suitable for digitization. Speaking today (Wednesday May 11), Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media, Catherine Martin, called the partnership "an important and significant one". She said, "The process of saving the recovered records from the fire at the Public Record Office in June 1922 is a flagship project under the Governments Decade of Centenaries Programme led by my Department's Commemorations Unit. "The care that staff in the Public Record Office demonstrated over 100 years ago in their mission to save as many records as possible is now being continued by a highly skilled and committed team of archivists and conservators working together to uncover and reveal a snapshot of what life looked like at Dublin Port in 1922. Director of the National Archives, Orlaith McBride, said, "The conservation of these records represents a significant contribution to the States key legacy project from the Decade of Centenaries. The National Archives as successor institution to Public Record Office has held these records, salvaged from the fire in 1922, in its care for almost 100 years and has now begun the process of conservation. "This support from Dublin Port is invaluable in terms of allowing us to progress this work. Arnaud Pourredon, CEO and co-founder of Meditect, in Paris, on April 26, 2022. SAMUEL KIRSZENBAUM POUR LE MONDE He has two "uniforms:" a boubou he wears in his daily life, and the westerner start-up outfit he sported when we met him in Paris during one of his rare business trips. He also has two nationalities; his original one, French. And since a couple of few weeks ago, a brand new one, Ivorian. Which is a source of happiness "and great pride." 26-year-old Arnaud Pourredon, once destined for public health medicine, has chosen to add meaning to his life by fighting counterfeit drugs in Africa using the weapons of his time: artificial intelligence and blockchain, a technology that allows information to be stored and transmitted transparently and securely. Such a 90-degree turn might seem difficult to explain for someone so young. He dates back his initial wake-up call to a trip he took to Nepal, in 2015. Then a medical student in Bordeaux, he took part in a humanitarian operation after a year of terrible earthquakes, leaving the Asian country desolated. He discovered then and there "the catastrophe that are fake medicines, which lead each year to nearly a million deaths, and a multitude of seriously ill patients, according to the World Health Organization," he said. He also noted how powerless doctors were when they noticed pharmacists selling counterfeit products... without even realizing it. The following year, during an internship at the Arusha (Tanzania) hospital, he encountered a similar issue: medicines whose "quality and efficiency were not guaranteed". A trip to Bolivia, in 2017, while on another hospital internship, was finally the last straw. "There, I discovered the alternative circuits of trafic for counterfeit drugs online, the dark side of the Internet, the dark Web," he explained. Entrepreneurial response That's when the idea came to him. He had to fight on equal terms. And envisioned an entrepreneurial response: he created an app to help pharmacists identify fake drugs. "It's a way to potentially impact hundreds of millions of people," he explained to justify a decision taken at his mother's great displeasure. She found it hard to understand why her son would walk away from a future that was already set, after having passed his entrance exam on the first try, without the help of any private tuition. Even being one of the winners of Innovators Under 35 Europe from the MIT Technology Review in 2019 was not enough to reassure her. To this day, he still promised her to, one day, complete his studies and teach public health medicine, like he was meant to. To turn his African dream project into a reality, Mr. Pourredon called upon a childhood friend, Romain Renard, who then became the co-founder of Meditect, a two-headed company with its feet rooted on two continents. Romain, who holds a master's degree in finance and strategy from Sciences Po, is based in Paris, where he is in contact with the pharmaceutical companies. His goal? Convincing them to label the medicines destined to the African market with serial numbers. This stamp, which enables perfect traceability, is currently only mandatory for medicines sent accross Europe. As for Arnaud, he is now located in Abidjan. "Our works very much complete each other's" he said. "I prefer to be on the fiel, meet the pharmacies, the patients..." he added, proudly mentioning his office's big white shelf filled with fake medicines. They were handed to him by customs officers, pharmacists, and simple citizens after spending hours canvassing the Ivory Coast's local markets, villages, and mountains, for his many awareness campaigns. He mentionned proudly people's surprise when he shows up and starts talking in Nouchi, the Ivorian slang. You have 52.78% of this article left to read. The rest is for subscribers only. Eurovision Song Contest favourites Ukraine have been voted through to the Grand Final following a tense semi-final in Turin, Italy. They are among 10 countries which have been confirmed to compete at the final on Saturday after acts from 17 countries took to the stage on Tuesday to fight for a place. Norway, Switzerland, Armenia, Iceland, Lithuania, Portugal, Greece, Moldova and Netherlands have also been voted through. However, this means for the acts from Albania, Latvia, Slovenia, Bulgaria, Croatia, Denmark and Austria their Eurovision journey ends here. Ukraine delivered an energetic performance of their song Stefania while dressed in elaborate outfits including long multicoloured fringed ensembles and traditional patterns to secure a place in the final. At the end of the performance, the folk-rap group thanked everyone for supporting Ukraine. Whose nanna was in charge of knitting the hat? Because I need it #Eurovision pic.twitter.com/Fjla78zVDc BBC Eurovision | #teamSPACEMAN (@bbceurovision) May 10, 2022 The semi-final featured some memorable and classic Eurovision style performances including Norways Subwoolfer who made the top 10. The pop group performed their song Give That Wolf A Banana as they dressed in their signature all-black outfits featuring yellow wolf-head masks. Switzerlands offering of Marius Bear also made the cut with his raw rendition of his track Boys Do Cry backdropped by simple lighting. Icelands act Systur, which comprises of three sisters, landed a place in the final after performing their song Med haekkandi sol in a style reminiscent of Abba. Moldovas representative Zdob si Zdub & Advahov Brothers, who were competing for a third time, secured a spot in the final after giving a quirky performance of their song Trenuletul which combined rock and folk style. Also making the top 10 was the Netherlandss S10 who delivered a stripped-back rendition of her track De Diepte and Lithuanias Monika Liu who dazzled in a sparkly floor-length gown while giving a sultry performance of her song Sentimentai, "If you don't like the name Keith, I'll call you Jim" move over Shakespeare #Eurovision pic.twitter.com/Zou22AfX9v BBC Eurovision | #teamSPACEMAN (@bbceurovision) May 10, 2022 Quirky staging also won over voters as Armenias Rosa Linn performed her song Snap while in a white bedroom made of pieces of paper and Greeces Amanda Georgiadi Tenfjord delivered powerful vocals on Die Together surrounded by broken chairs. Maro from Portugal also secured a place in the final with her acoustic rendition of her song Saudade, saudade. Meanwhile, Latvias Citi Zeni who sang their track Eat Your Salad, which has gone viral for its tongue-and-cheek lyrics, did not make the top 10. The interval had an Italo-Disco theme with producer Dardust performing alongside DJ Benny Benassi, British band Sophie and The Giants and conductor Sylvia Catasta. The second semi-final of the competition will take place on Thursday where the remaining 18 countries, including Ireland, will take to the stage in the hope of being voted through to the final. Health Minister Stephen Donnelly has been urged to change the clinically appropriate wording in the new constitution of the National Maternity Hospital (NMH). During an appearance before the Oireachtas Health Committee, the minister was asked by several members of the committee to change the wording so that it is more explicit what it means, and so that it cannot be used to deny women procedures that they request. The NMHs constitution states that healthcare procedures that are legal and clinically appropriate will be carried out at the hospital. But some have raised concerns that this could be legally interpreted in a way that prevents women from receiving procedures that they have requested, such as abortions or tubal ligations. In response to concerns about the ambiguity of the term clinically appropriate, Mr Donnelly said the constitution makes it crystal clear that all legally permissible procedures will be carried out. Not only through the constitution are we guaranteeing clinical, operational independence, weve gone a step much further, which Im advised by the Attorney General is either very rare or unique. Were not just saying that the new hospital can provide all services. We are saying that they must provide all services, and six times in the constitution we have said that there can never be any religious influence whatsoever. But he acknowledged that the phrase had caused genuine and understandable concerns among the public. Dr Rhona Mahony, consultant obstetrician and gynaecologist and a former master of the NMH, said that she has no concerns that religion would interfere with the procedures that are allowed to be carried out at the National Maternity Hospital if it moves to the Elm Park site at St Vincents. Professor Mary Higgins, a consultant obstetrician, said that it was part of the NMHs clinical ethos to provide abortion care to women and transgender men, and she and other healthcare workers would not be mind influenced by religious figures into not providing that respectful care. Dr Rhona Mahony, obstetrician and gynaecologist and a former master of the NMH, tells the committee she has no concerns about the possibility of religious influence on procedures at the NMH. There is "layer upon layer of protection" through the ownership framework, she says. pic.twitter.com/qGQnsoNq11 Grainne Ni Aodha (@GNiAodha) May 11, 2022 Mr Donnelly told the committee that he believed the strong opposition to the co-location plan comes from a deep-seated mistrust of institutional Ireland, based on an appalling track record in our country when it comes to the church and womens reproductive health. The minister said that there are marked differences in the co-location plan compared to when it first came to the fore, including the guarantees in the constitution of the NMH, and the increased public interest representation on the board of the St Vincents Holdings Group. He said that the NMHs constitution is like an operating manual and legal instructions for the maternity hospital, and contains guarantees about the procedures that can take place in it. When the minister was asked by the committee whether the State would buy the land, he said: They were asked by this Government, they were asked by the previous Government. They have been consistent for the last nine years that simply is not something that has been on the table for them. I want to take this opportunity to give the background to the decision to co-locate the new National Maternity Hospital on the grounds of St Vincent's Hospital. pic.twitter.com/0qXEzxLKVP Micheal Martin (@MichealMartinTD) May 11, 2022 John ODonoghue, a property lawyer and a member of the HSEs legal team, told the committee that the leasing arrangement with St Vincents effectively amounts to public ownership. There are two different types of ownership interests in Ireland: there is freehold where you own a property into infinity, and there is leasehold where you own a property for a specific period of time. Cabinet had decided to defer approving the co-location plan until next week, pending the publication of legal documents and Mr Donnellys committee appearance. Mr Donnelly said it was expected that Cabinet would approve the co-location deal next week, but added in terms of what exactly is brought to Cabinet, I wouldnt rule anything out. As the committee was hearing evidence on Wednesday, Taoiseach Micheal Martin released a video on Twitter to explain the background to the NMH deal, emphasising that there are cast-iron guarantees that procedures legally permissible within the State will proceed. The National Maternity Hospital is located at Holles Street in Dublin city centre in a 130-year-old building that is not fit for purpose. Concerns have been raised about any possible religious involvement in the maternity hospital if it is co-located on the St Vincents site, as planned. Four Limerick schools are in with a shot of landing one of the largest schools competition prize-funds in the Mid-West after making it into a shortlist of five for the BD STEM STARS Awards final next week (Science, Technology, Engineering & Maths). Outgoing champions Desmond College, Newcastle West, inaugural competition winners Thomond Community College, Salesian Secondary School, Pallaskenry and Colaiste Nano Nagle, Sexton St will join the only shortlisted school from outside Limerick, Colaiste Mhuire Co-Ed, Thurles in the final at the BD Research Centre Ireland (RCI) facility at the National Technology Park on Thursday next, May 12th. This is the third BD STEM STAR Awards and the first in-person event since the outbreak of COVID. The finalists will demonstrate their projects to the judges on the day and will hear from BD RCIs Site Director Padraig Fitzgerald. They will also get a tour of the cutting-edge labs in the high-tech facility before the winners are announced. The outright winner of the competition will receive a 10,000 prize to go towards supporting STEM education as well as the STEM STARS trophy. The second placed school will receive a 6,000 cheque, with 4,000 for third place. Commendation awards of 1,000 each go to the finalists. The high quality and diversity of projects developed by the finalists augurs well for the future availability of STEM talent in the region. Salesian Secondary School in Pallaskenry have carried out an investigation into the use of external electrical stimulation in the treatment and management of Reynauds disease; Desmond College, Newcastlewest are putting forward a wearable early warning system to alert children and their parents of UV rays that cause skin cancer; Thomond Community College are exploring how to reduce incidents of concussion in high impact sports; Colaiste Nano Nagle have developed an accessibility app for visually impaired people that allows them shop independently, while Colaiste Mhuire Co-Ed in Thurles have created an that helps to manage diabetes including a feature for students to contact a teacher if having a hypo or hypoglycemic episode. Looking ahead to the final, Mr. Fitzgerald said: The STEM STARS competition is something we have a great passion for here in BD, not alone because it supports one of our key objectives in raising awareness of and participation levels in STEM, it has also been hugely encouraging for us to see the energy that the schools and students invest in their projects. Weve been so impressed with the project ideas coming through, the excitement among students for the work and desire to know more. But above all, its the recognition that through the application of STEM, unmet needs in healthcare can be addressed and witnessing the desire of the students to play a part in that is a very positive outcome for us. * Sponsored content Click here to read the full article. Paris-based Celluloid Dreams has boarded Antonio Lukichs upcoming feature From Ukraine to Luxembourg, currently in post-production and aiming to premiere in the fall. The Ukrainian director debuted in 2019 with My Thoughts Are Silent, a dramedy about a sound recordist asked to record animal sounds from Western Ukraine. But here is the catch: his mother decides to join him. The film was awarded a Special Jury Prize at Karlovy Varys East of the West section. In From Ukraine to Luxembourg, starring Ramil Nasirov, Amil Nasirov, Natalia Gnitii and Liumyla Sachenko, two twin brothers have to deal with the disappearance of their father. While one of them decides to follow his path as a small-time crook, the other becomes a cop. One day, they find out their long-lost father is allegedly living in Luxembourg. In his first film, Antonio explored his own relationship with his mother. Now, he is focusing on his dad in a way, ForeFilms producer Vladimir Yatsenko told Variety. Known for such films as Valentyn Vasyanovychs Atlantis and Reflection, and chosen as one of six Ukrainian Producers Under the Spotlight, Yatsenko is also behind Rock. Paper. Grenade by Iryna Tsilyk, to be presented at Cannes Marche du Film in the Ukrainian Features Preview. These two brothers are so different, but they will try to understand each other over the course of this journey. The film has funny moments but in typical Lukich style its also quite sad. In a way, the twins are like him he was also divided. There is this love-hate relationship with a parent, he added. I am so happy this film is not about war. Yatsenko, who produced the film alongside his wife, Anna Yatsenko, is currently serving in the Ukrainian army. The movie doesnt appear to be about the war at all: its concerned with everyday life and community. We view it as a very precious portrait of Ukraine as it was and will be again. Antonios humor is delightful, full of nuances, everyone is interrelated and people are surprisingly tender with one another. Its beautiful, said Celluloid Dreams vice president Charlotte Mickie, calling the films central quest absurd and mythic. That being said, this film makes you think about what war does: there will be many more fatherless children like the twins before all this is over and so many families divided and dispersed. So much more trauma. The movie addresses those issues indirectly and very eloquently. Following Russias invasion of Ukraine and the evacuation, some of the materials stayed in Kyiv, but the films team managed to get them back. It was a complicated special operation, but we succeeded, admitted Yatsenko. Also praising Celluloid Dreams president and founder, Hengameh Panahi, who decided to waive her commission. She said: I dont want to make money off this film, I just want to help. We are so grateful for it. We wanted very much to help Ukraine, so we chose our area, cinema, and we made a very special arrangement for this very special film. We felt it was so important for the movie to be seen and for the Ukrainian people to be seen. Its all about exposure, added Mickie. Vladimir went to fight during the day and then at night joined his pregnant wife, Anna, alongside Antonio and his wife, in an underground refuge to finish the film. The sound in particular has been a terrible issue because of the bombing, she said. These filmmakers have taken enormous risks. We have just taken a small chance and we hope that our distributors will do the same. Its the least we can all do now. Sign up for Varietys Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Click here to read the full article. At this years Cannes Film Festival, heads will turn at a new May-December romance: TikTok, which is 6 years old, has hooked up with the venerable fest, now celebrating its 75th anniversary. How is it that Cannes which, in years past, notoriously banned social-media posting from its famous red-carpeted steps is now welcoming TikTok as one of its elite sponsors? For the festival, the partnership is aimed at pulling Cannes forward into the 21st century, lending it a sheen of techno-hipness and ideally attracting younger film fans. For TikTok, which boasts more than 1 billion monthly users worldwide, pairing with the Cannes Film Festival is an effort to show filmmakers that the app is more than just a place for teenagers to lip-sync to the latest viral dance craze. According to Cannes Film Festival head Thierry Fremaux, the TikTok collab is part of the fests desire to diversify its audience. Were looking forward to sharing the most exciting and inspiring moments from the festival and seeing the festival reimagined through the lens of TikTok creators and its community, he says. The 2022 Cannes Film Festival, set to run May 17-28, will provide TikTok users with exclusive livestreaming content from red carpets, as well as backstage moments and interviews with talent. It will all be presented through the official @festivaldecannes account on TikTok. In addition, the partners created #TikTokShortFilm, a global competition inviting both established filmmakers and emerging creators to submit super-short original videos of between 30 seconds and three minutes. Winners in three categories, selected by a jury, will be awarded a cash prize and a trip to the Festival. The Grand Prix winner is receiving 10,000 ($10,500), and the winners for script and editing will get 5,000 ($5,250). The festival is a completely iconic event, and theyve never had a digital platform partner, says Rich Waterworth, general manager of TikTok Europe. Were really honored to be part of it. Its a great moment for TikTok. Still, there would seem to be a disconnect between the worlds of auteur cinema and TikTok owned by Chinese internet giant ByteDance where the maximum video length is 10 minutes (after only recently expanding from a max of three minutes). Where does the Venn diagram intersect, exactly? Waterworth, a former YouTube marketing exec based out of London, argues that there is indeed a strong connection between the Cannes Film Festival and TikTok. Both are dedicated to providing platforms for authentic, creative expression by passionate storytellers, he says. And theres a large film community already on TikTok, dubbed #filmtok, with cinema-related content on the app garnering more than 4 billion views to date. It was a very natural conversation to partner with Cannes, says Waterworth. It reinforces the commitment weve had to creativity, and to the creative industries on and off TikTok. Waterworth continues, Theres a community of very talented filmmakers who are using TikTok as a canvas for storytelling. He calls out two popular creators, @romanlolo and @americanbaron, who have gained followings for their original short-form films on the app. TikTok has increasingly been working with movie studios and other film festivals on partnerships. The Cannes Film Festival deal, under which TikTok is paying for its sponsorship position, is an extension of that work, according to Waterworth. For example, TikTok teamed with Warner Bros. for the theatrical release of Denis Villeneuves Dune in France, featuring stars Zendaya and Timothee Chalamet on the red carpet. It also executed a global campaign with Sony Pictures for Spider-Man: No Way Home. The Cannes-TikTok partnership will also feature a variety of challenges launching during the festival itself. Waterworth says those will be broad-based, tied to films premiering at the festival, as well as talent. TikTok also is developing augmented-reality effects for the festival that users will be able to incorporate in their own video clips. Were constantly looking for new ways to stimulate that community on TikTok to be more creative, says Waterworth. While TikTok is the first digital-media app to sign on as a Cannes sponsor, the festival has long had promotional partnerships with luxury and lifestyle brands. For example, LOreal Paris returns for the 25th consecutive year as a premiere partner, alongside Air France, BMW, Chopard, France Televisions, Kering and digital-media company Brut. TikTok, aligning with the format of Cannes traditional awards, assembled a diverse and global jury to pick the honorees for the inaugural #TikTokShortFilm program. The international jury was led by Rithy Panh, whose films regularly play Cannes, Berlin and other top fests; alongside Basma Khalifa, the Sudanese multi-disciplinary creative; Camille Ducellier, the artist and filmmaker of Bachi-Bouzouk; Angele Diabang, the screenwriter and producer of Un air de kora; and Khaby Lame, the Senegalese-born TikToker who is one of the apps most popular creators, with 137 million followers. The jury was largely assembled by Eric Garandeau, former president of the National Film Board (CNC) in France, who is now head of public affairs for TikTok in France. TikTok execs, including Waterworth, will be in attendance at the festival and the apps sponsorship will be promoted throughout the event. TikTok also is running a large-scale marketing campaign across France celebrating the partnership as well as content related to movies and storytelling which also will be shared on the app. Theres a direct line between the origin of moviemaking and TikTok, Waterworth says. The connective tissue is about two things: fandom and creativity. It comes back to finding ways to stimulate the TikTok community to give them access to the greatest film minds and talent around the world. Sign up for Varietys Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Orange County commissioners have resisted using hotel taxes to pay for SunRail or other transportation projects. Instead, they want local residents to vote to raise the county's sales tax rate. (Patrick Connolly/Orlando Sentinel) For the past month, the Orlando Sentinel has carried a steady stream of stories featuring politicians and business leaders claiming Orange County is so desperate for transportation money that it needs to raise sales taxes. But then last week, the Sentinel ran a story saying the county was raking in record amounts of hotel taxes. Advertisement [ More costly hotel rooms help Orange Countys tourist tax pull in record revenue ] It made for a stark juxtaposition politicians celebrating record tax revenues while also claiming they were desperate for more. It was like watching pigs rolling around in slop, begging for more slop. Advertisement Thats why I cant support these leaders request to raise new taxes until they first become better stewards of the slop they already have. See, part of the reason this communitys transportation network is so deficient is that local leaders have steered billions of tax dollars to a never-ending wish list of tourism goodies. As a result, we have a convention center thats 7 million square feet and yet one of the most under-funded bus systems in America. We pop confetti to celebrate multi-million-dollar advertising campaigns while asking residents to dig deeper into their own pockets to fix clogged roads and an anemic rail system that doesnt run most nights or weekends. Sorry, Mayor Demings. I cant do it. And I cant in good conscience encourage readers to do it either unless you and your peers first start spreading the hotel-tax wealth. Otherwise, its like watching a kid blow money on candy and then claim his parents have an obligation to raise his allowance. Thats a no-go, kid. And the tourism-tax hoarders should spare us the tommyrot about how every dollar invested in tourism makes the community better. If that was true, our median wages wouldnt be the lowest of any major city in America. Our roads and transit wouldnt be such a mess. Advertisement You wouldnt be begging for more money. [ Orlando: 50th out of 50 in wages with costs-of-living on the rise | Commentary ] Last week, local leaders crowed about how 29,000 people attended a recent convention in Orlando as if it was an economic game-changer. It wasnt. In Peoria, Illinois, 29,000 visitors would be a big deal. In Orlando 29,000 visitors is a slow day at Epcot. All four of Disneys parks average higher daily attendance. And Disney can pay for its own marketing. I admit this issue is complicated. Im somewhat torn. This community needs more money for transportation. Heck, I can even make a solid argument for why Jerry Demings is right to want to raise sales taxes. This community deserves better. And the increased rate of 7.5% would still be lower than in many major cities. But I cant support asking residents to tax themselves while leaders keep subsidizing tourism at the expense of everything else. Other tourist towns acknowledged long ago that tourism strains the local economy and started using some of their hotel taxes on things residents truly need. In Las Vegas, hotel taxes pay for everything from rail service and parks to roads and schools. Advertisement [ Vegas decides to use hotel taxes for rail. Orlando should too | Commentary ] But here in Orlando, tourism interests just want more of the same. If our convention center was 6 million square feet, they wanted 7 million. If Visit Orlando was getting $50 million a year in tax dollars, they wanted $60 million. Anything to avoid spending the money on things like buses and roads. So now youre being asked to pay more in taxes for buses and roads. Now, the two streams of money are very different in size. In round numbers, an extra penny on the countys sales tax would generate around $600 million a year while the entire six-cent hotel tax is expected to generate around $300 million this year. Political Pulse Weekly Get latest updates political news from Central Florida and across the state. > But redirecting half of future hotel-tax revenues to transportation and raising the sales tax by only a half-penny would still fund most of our transportation needs and be easier on local taxpayers. Surely we need better transit more than we need another wing at a convention center thats already bigger than the centers in New York, Los Angeles, Dallas, Philadelphia and Miami combined. A few months ago, two local legislators tried to do the right thing. State Reps. Anna Eskamani and Carlos Guillermo Smith filed a bill that would have allowed existing hotel taxes to be spent on transportation. But their proposal got little support from other local leaders. [ Before raising sales taxes, Orange County should tap hotel tax. New bill could make that happen | Commentary ] So now theres no way for the state Legislature to change the law before the November election when the higher sales tax will be on the ballot. At this point, I might settle for local leaders making a good-faith effort for Mayors Demings and Buddy Dyer to push their commission and council to pass resolutions, declaring their support for changing the hotel-tax law ASAP. Advertisement But I doubt theyll even do that. This towns leaders have been saying now isnt the right time to start sharing hotel-tax wealth for more than two decades. A few county commissioners, including Nicole Wilson and Maribel Gomez Cordero, have vocally supported diversifying hotel-tax spending. But most seem content to continue subsidizing the low-wage tourism industry with billions of tax dollars while asking local residents to pony up billions more. And thats an economic plan I simply cant support. smaxwell@orlandosentinel.com Jordan Strauss/Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP NEW YORK (AP) Henry Winkler is busy as ever these days, but the actor is still making time to write a memoir. Celadon Books announced Wednesday that it has a deal with Winkler to tell his life story. The memoir, currently untitled, is scheduled for 2024. Winkler, 76, became famous in the 1970s as The Fonz on the sitcom Happy Days and has worked steadily ever since. His hundreds of TV and movie credits include Arrested Development, Parks and Recreation" and an Emmy-winning role on the HBO series Barry. Courtesy/U.S. Customs and Border Protection U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers seized more than $18 million in meth at the World Trade bridge, federal authorities said. The case unfolded on May 6, when a 2013 International trailer hauling a shipment of stainless-steel scrap was referred to secondary inspection. K-9 and X-ray inspections resulted in the seizure of 912.82 pounds of meth, according to CBP. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate On a day Mexicans celebrate Mother's Day, one received justice for a horrific crime in 2020 that saw her and her three children slain. Samuel Enrique Lopez plead guilty to capital murder of multiple persons and capital murder of a person younger than 10 on Tuesday at the 406th Webb County District Court, led by Judge Oscar J. Hale Jr. On April 13, 2020, Lopez fatally stabbed a mother and two of her children before later suffocating a 2-year-old boy and dumping his body at an empty lot. Lopez was just 20 years old when the attack occurred. The now 22-year-old man will serve life in prison without the possibility of parole. The courtroom Lopez submitted his guilty plea in front of a courtroom which contained both families of the victim and attacker. Julian Saracho Sr., father of the slain family, provided a statement which his lawyers read in Spanish and English to the court that spoke directly to Lopez. Saracho was not home at the time of the attack. "I write this letter to express myself and what I feel," Saracho said. "I wont even write your name because you are not even worth my time. You cant even begin to even comprehend what you have taken from me. I wanted at least 30 minutes with you, but I knew the (District Attorney) wouldnt have allowed it. "I must wake up everyday and come to the realization that my family is not next to me. You did not only murder four beautiful persons, but you managed to kill me in life also. You are a coward by taking the lives of innocent people, and for that I hate you. I hate you for taking away the most important thing in my life. I despise you for taking advantage of the situation and hurting my defenseless baby boy. "I know that if I was there at that time, you might have killed me, but I can assure you, I would have taken you down with me. I find it unfair that you at least get to see your family from prison, something that I will never be able to do. I want to make it clear that I have nothing against your family, or your lawyer because that is her job. You are the only responsible for your actions. I know I shouldnt wish this, but I do hope jail becomes a hell for you. I hope that you get to experience at least half of the hell you made my family go through. "You might have not gotten the death sentence, but I can assure you that you will suffer and regret every single one of your actions." Some of the attendees shed tears as the statement was read. Background The victims of the 2020 homicide were Zayra Marlen Fuentes, 33; Lesly Sarahy Hernandez, 18; Pedro Cruz, 12; and Julian Saracho, 2. On April 16, police responded to an unknown traffic call in the 4500 block of Vanessita. Officers discovered blood inside the residence and noticed that the residing family was missing. A search of the area yielded three bodies in the rear empty lot of the residence. One body was wrapped in a blanket and covered in rocks while the other two were also found wrapped in blankets under a piece of plywood and old tire, stated an arrest affidavit. Police would identify the victims as Fuentes, Hernandez and Cruz. Saracho Sr. -- the husband of Fuentes and stepfather to Hernandez and Cruz -- stated that Hernandez was dating Lopez out of the 4500 block of Santa Inez Lane. He also stated that Lopez had been caught breaking into the residence through a window. Patrol officers were tasked with locating Lopez. Meanwhile, a detective recovered surveillance video from the area showing a blue four-door vehicle belonging to Lopez. Police said the vehicle arrived at about 9 p.m. April 13 and left at about 6:24 a.m. April 14. A single person was seen leaving the home and entering the residence. That same person was seen carrying a heavy object and putting it in the car. Authorities discovered the body of the missing 2-year-old boy, Julian, in an area close to the Eden Recreational Center after Lopez later confessed to the murders. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Texas A&M International University candidates for graduation will celebrate their milestone accomplishments at in-person Spring Commencement Exercises Thursday, May 12 at Sames Auto Arena. Some 850+ students representing 13 countries will participate in two ceremonies. The first Ceremony will be at 11 a.m. and will be for all A. R. Sanchez, Jr. School of Business, College of Education, College of Nursing and Health Sciences, and University College candidates for undergraduate and graduate degrees. The second Ceremony will be 4 p.m. for all candidates for graduation for undergraduate and graduate degrees from the College of Arts and Sciences. Commencement Speaker for both ceremonies will be Susana Melendez-Valencia, regional president and head of Commercial Banking of PNC Bank for the Texas Border markets, including the Rio Grande Valley (McAllen to Brownsville), Laredo, El Paso, and Corpus Christi, TX. Melendez-Valencia brings 26 years of banking experience to the regional president position. Before joining PNC in October 2021 through the acquisition of BBVA USA Bancshares, Inc., she served as CEO for the Texas Border and Gulf Coast for BBVA USA. She started her career as a financial analyst and has held many positions within C&IB and the Private Bank and has lived in Washington D.C., Charlotte N.C., Harlingen, Houston, and Laredo. As head of Commercial Banking for the Texas border markets, she leads the combined organization to provide customers and clients with access to a full range of products/services. As regional president, she is entrusted to bring PNCs main street model to life by developing and executing local community strategy and capabilities, and driving employee, client, and community engagement across the Texas Border markets. Active in the community, Melendez-Valencia serves on the executive board for the Laredo Area Community Foundation and the Laredo College Education Foundation. She is an advisory board member of Texas A&M International Universitys A. R. Sanchez, Jr. School of Business and is chairman of the advisory board for the D. D. Hachar Charitable Trust Fund. Melendez-Valencia holds a Bachelors degree in Business Administration in Accounting from Texas A&M University. Student remarks will be provided by Andrea Laurel, representing the College of Education for the first Ceremony, and Maritza Y. Garcia, representing the College of Arts and Sciences, for the second Ceremony. Distinguished Student Scholars and their respective Colleges or Schools are as follows: A.R. Sanchez, Jr. School of Business: Chelsea Itzel Villarreal. College of Nursing and Health Sciences: Anaiz D. Martinez. The ceremonies will also be livestreamed at two dedicated links online: First Ceremony at 11 a.m. Second Ceremony at 4 p.m. Graduates, friends, families, and loved ones can also share their Commencement photos on social media using the hashtag, #TAMIUGrad, or tagging the Universitys social media account @txamiu. Prior to and during the Commencement ceremonies, University-affiliated social media accounts will showcase social media posts and photos using the official hashtag. Graduates and their families can also share a special message and photo as part of the Universitys popular Congrats Grads campaign. Individuals submit their photos and messages at go.tamiu.edu/CongratsGrads. It is recommended that graduates and friends follow and like social media accounts on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to view featured congratulatory Commencement posts. Additional information is available from TAMIUs dedicated Commencement website, or through the Office of the Registrar, registrar@tamiu.edu or 956-326-2250. Diplomas and transcripts will available for Spring 2022 graduates beginning Friday, May 27, 2022. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate HELSINKI (AP) Britain pledged to come to the aid of Sweden and Finland, including with military support, if the two Nordic nations came under attack under security deals Prime Minister Boris Johnson signed Wednesday with his Swedish counterpart in Stockholm and the Finnish president in Helsinki. Sweden and Finland are pondering whether to abandon their historic neutrality and join NATO following Russias invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24. Johnson said in a statement that Wednesdays agreements will allow Britain, a major, nuclear-armed NATO member, to cooperate with key Nordic partners and their armed forces, in all domains, including cyberspace. Sweden's eastern neighbor Finland shares a 1,340-kilometer (830-mile) land border with Russia. Wednesday's agreements also cover closer collaboration on new technology and intelligence-gathering between Britain and the two Nordic countries. Johnson said he would offer to increase British military deployments to the region, including with air force, army and navy assets and personnel. Wednesdays agreements will fortify northern Europes defenses, in the face of renewed threats, Johnson said in a statement, adding that they are symbols "of the everlasting assurance between our nations. These are not a short-term stop-gap, but a long-term commitment to bolster military ties and global stability, and fortify Europes defenses for generations to come, Johnson said in the statement. And whether its in the event of a disaster or a military attack, what were saying today is that upon request from the other party, we would come to the other party's assistance, Johnson told a joint news conference in Sweden with Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson. He called the war in Ukraine Russian President Vladimir Putins bloodthirsty campaign against a sovereign nation. Andersson said: Putin thought he could cause division, but he has achieved the opposite. We stand here today more united than ever. In Finland, Johnson held talks with President Sauli Niinisto, who has a significant role in the nations foreign and security policy decisions, at the Presidential Palace in Helsinki. The Finnish head of state said Moscow could only blame itself should his nation of 5.5 million become a NATO member. You (Russia) caused this. Look at the mirror, Niinisto said pointedly, So in my thinking, this is quite simple, actually. We increase our security and we do not take it away from anybody. It is not a zero-sum game. The Kremlin has warned of military and political repercussions if Sweden and Finland decide to join NATO. Andersson said that Russia would increase its military presence in this region if Sweden and, or, Finland sends in an application. Should they apply, there will be an interim period lasting from when an application has been handed in until all 30 NATO members parliaments have ratified it. The two Nordic countries are expected to announce their positions on NATO membership in the coming days. If Finland makes this historical step it is for the security of our own citizens, Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin told a news conference after talks with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida in Tokyo Wednesday. Joining NATO will strengthen the whole international community that stands for common values. Johnson met with Andersson in Harpsund, the country retreat of Swedish prime ministers, which is located about 90 kilometers (55 miles) southwest of Stockholm. In times of crisis, cooperation becomes even more important. And this applies not least for our international defense partnerships. And Swedens partnerships with the U.K. and with NATO have been crucial during these exceptional times, Andersson said. Britain is already present in the Baltic Sea areas with the Joint Expeditionary Force, which consists of 10 Northern European nations: the United Kingdom, Sweden, Finland, Denmark, Estonia, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands and Norway. In 2017, Sweden and Finland joined the British-led military rapid reaction force, which is designed to be more flexible and respond more quickly than the larger NATO alliance. It uses NATO standards and doctrine, so it can operate in conjunction with NATO, the United Nations or other multinational coalitions. Fully operational since 2018, the force has held a number of exercises both independently and in cooperation with NATO. - Olsen reported from Copenhagen, Denmark. Mari Yamaguchi in Tokyo, Japan contributed to this report. OMAHA, Neb. (AP) Republican voters in Nebraska picked Jim Pillen as their nominee for governor, siding with the University of Nebraska regent backed by the states outgoing governor over a rival supported by former President Donald Trump and accused of groping multiple women. Pillen, a hog farm owner and veterinarian, defeated eight challengers, including Charles Herbster, a businessman who faced groping allegations late in the campaign, and Brett Lindstrom, a state senator and Omaha financial adviser who was generally viewed as a more moderate choice. We live in the greatest place on the planet, right here in Nebraska, Pillen said in a victory speech late Tuesday as a crowd cheered and chanted, Lets go, Jim! He said his opponents had called to concede. While Trump-endorsed candidates won primary races in West Virginia for the U.S. House on Tuesday, the statewide loss in Nebraska was a setback for Trump. He has issued hundreds of endorsements and staged his signature campaign-style rallies in support of his preferred candidates, including Herbster, all in an effort to bend the GOP in his direction ahead of another possible presidential run in 2024. Herbster's loss raises the stakes on other high-profile races this month in Pennsylvania and Georgia, where Trump has also intervened in campaigns. In this Republican stronghold, Pillen will be a favorite in Novembers general election against his Democratic opponent, state Sen. Carol Blood. Nebraska hasnt elected a Democrat as governor since 1994. Pillen was endorsed by many top GOP leaders in the state, including Gov. Pete Ricketts, former Gov. Kay Orr, and renowned former University of Nebraska football coach and congressman Tom Osborne. Ricketts was prevented by term limits from running again. In Nebraska, the allegations against Herbster, a longtime supporter of Trump, didnt stop the former president from holding a rally with him earlier this month. I really think hes going to do just a fantastic job, and if I didnt feel that, I wouldnt be here, said Trump, who has denied sexual misconduct allegations of his own. Herbster alluded to the groping allegations in a concession speech late Tuesday. This is one of the nastiest campaigns for governor in the history of Nebraska, and may have affected the results, Herbster said, adding that it was in Gods hands. Lindstrom congratulated Pillen on his victory and said he would support him in the general election. In a story last month, the Nebraska Examiner interviewed six women who claimed Herbster had groped their buttocks, outside of their clothes, during political events or beauty pageants. A seventh woman said Herbster once cornered her privately and kissed her forcibly. One of the accusers, Republican state Sen. Julie Slama, said Herbster reached up her skirt and touched her inappropriately at the Douglas County Republican Partys annual Elephant Remembers dinner in 2019. The Associated Press does not typically identify people who say they are victims of sexual assault unless they choose to come forward publicly, as Slama has done. Herbster filed a defamation lawsuit against Slama, saying she falsely accused him in an effort to derail his campaign. Slama responded with a countersuit against Herbster, alleging sexual battery. Some voters said the allegations didnt dissuade them from backing Herbster. As she voted at an elementary school in northwest Omaha on Tuesday, Joann Kotan said she was upset by the stories, but I dont know if I believe them. Ultimately, the 74-year-old said, she voted for Herbster because President Trump recommended him. Lindstrom faced a barrage of attacks as well, with third-party television ads funded by Ricketts that portray him as too liberal for the conservative state. One digitally altered ad shows Lindstrom standing in front of a rainbow flag with a coronavirus mask superimposed over his face. Devon Leesley said he backed the 41-year-old Lindstrom because its time to hand over the politics to the next generation. Pillen and Herbster are both in their 60s. The 45-year-old Leesley, who lives in Omaha, said he didnt pay much attention to the various endorsements in the race. I dont trust any politician talking about any other politician. Its all dirt, he said. We would never vote for anybody if we listened to their opponent. Carol Bruning, 59, of Omaha, said she went into Election Day debating between Pillen and Lindstrom, but went with Pillen because of his age and experience. She said she liked that Ricketts and Osborne endorsed Pillen. The fact that Trump endorsed Herbster may have even been a little bit of a turn-off at this point, Bruning said, even though she had voted for Trump. The allegations against Herbster werent much of a factor, she said. You dont know what to believe. Thats the hard part, Bruning said. Nebraska Secretary of State Bob Evnen, a Republican who also won renomination on Tuesday, predicted that 35% of registered voters would cast ballots in the primary, the highest percentage since 2006, based on what he had seen so far. Nebraska Republicans and Democrats also picked their candidates for the seat previously held by Republican U.S. Rep. Jeff Fortenberry, who resigned from office and ended his reelection bid in March after he was convicted of federal corruption charges. State Sen. Mike Flood, a former speaker of the Nebraska Legislature, won the Republican nomination, while state Sen. Patty Pansing Brooks won the Democratic nod. Flood will enter the race as a strong favorite in the Republican-heavy 1st Congressional District, which includes Lincoln, small towns and a large swath of eastern Nebraska farmland. Despite Trumps loss in the Nebraska governors race, his influence proved decisive in West Virginia, which also held primary elections Tuesday. In a race pitting two Republican incumbents against each other, Trumps candidate, Rep. Alex Mooney, defeated Rep. David McKinley, who had angered Trump by voting for President Joe Bidens bipartisan infrastructure package and the creation of the House committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol. ___ Associated Press writer Josh Funk contributed to this report. ___ Follow Grant Schulte on Twitter: https://twitter.com/GrantSchulte ___ Follow AP for full coverage of the midterms at https://apnews.com/hub/2022-midterm-elections and on Twitter, https://twitter.com/ap_politics This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) Sri Lanka's president on Wednesday promised to appoint a new prime minister, empower the Parliament and abolish the all-powerful executive presidential system as reforms to stabilize the country engulfed in a political crisis and violence triggered by the worst economic crises in memory. In a televised address, President Gotabaya Rajapaksa said that without taking sides he condemns attacks on peaceful protesters by mobs who came to support his brother and the former prime minister, Mahinda Rajapaksa, who resigned Monday. I am taking steps to appoint within this week a new prime minister who has the trust of a majority in Parliament, who can win over the confidence of the people and a new Cabinet to control the current situation, to stop the country from falling into anarchy and to continue the government's functions that are at a standstill, Gotabaya Rajapaksa said. I will make way for the new prime minister to present a new program of work and implement it." Gotabaya Rajapaksa said he will also give away much of his powers to Parliament and when some normalcy returns, take steps to abolish the country's powerful executive presidential system. The president's speech came as authorities deployed armored vehicles and troops in the streets of the capital Wednesday, two days after pro-government mobs attacked peaceful protesters, triggering a wave of violence across the country. Security forces have been ordered to shoot those deemed to be participating in the violence, as sporadic acts of arson and vandalism continued despite a strict nationwide curfew that began Monday evening. Anti-government protesters have been demanding the resignations of President Rajapaksa and his brother, over a debt crisis that has nearly bankrupted Sri Lanka and left its people facing severe shortages of fuel, food and other essentials. In the past few days, nine people have died and more than 200 have been injured in violent attacks in which mobs set fire to buildings and vehicles. Armored trucks with soldiers riding on top rolled into some areas of Colombo. Defying the curfew, some protesters regrouped opposite the presidents office to continue demonstrations that began over a month ago. Police announced over loudspeakers that it is illegal to stay in public places during the curfew. Videos posted on social media showed lines of military trucks moving out of the capital, along with soldiers riding on motorbikes and setting up checkpoints across the country amid fears that a political vacuum could pave the way for a military takeover. The Defense Ministry's top official, Kamal Gunaratne, denied speculation of a military takeover at a news conference held with the country's army and navy chiefs. None of our officers has a desire to take over the government. It has never happened in our country, and it is not easy to do it here, Gunaratne said. President Rajapaksa is a former top army officer and remains the country's official defense minister. Gunaratne said the army will return to its barracks once the security situation normalizes. The U.S. State Department expressed concern over the military deployment, with spokesman Ned Price saying it was closely monitoring" the situation. The prime ministers departure has created an administrative vacuum with no Cabinet, which dissolved automatically with his resignation. Navy commander Nishantha Ulugetenne said the former prime minister, Mahinda Rajapaksa, is being protected at a naval base in Trincomalee on the northeastern coast. After Mahinda Rajapaksa resigned, he and his family were evacuated from his official residence through thousands of protesters trying to break into the heavily guarded colonial-era building. The Indian Embassy denied social media speculation that certain political persons and their families have fled to India," and also rejected speculation that India was sending troops to Sri Lanka. India's Ministry of External Affairs affirmed its support for Sri Lanka on Tuesday, saying it had extended $3.5 billion to help overcome the economic crisis and had sent essential items such as food and medicine. On Monday, supporters gathered at the prime ministers official residence to urge Mahinda Rajapaksa to stay in office. After the meeting, mobs backing the government beat peaceful protesters who had camped out near the prime ministers residence and presidents office demanding their resignations, as police watched and did little to stop them. Across the country, angry citizens responded by attacking government supporters and ruling party politicians. Nine people including a ruling party lawmaker and two police officers were killed and 219 were injured in the violence, the defense ministry said. In addition, 104 buildings and 60 vehicles were burned. Pro-government mobs were chased, beaten and stripped. Homes of government supporters were attacked, and some businesses were set on fire. Pope Francis in a Tweet called for peace in Sri Lanka. I address a special thought to the people of Sri Lanka, especially the young, he said. I urge everyone to maintain a peaceful approach, without giving in to violence. I appeal to all those with responsibility to listen to the aspirations of the people, respecting human and civil rights. The European Union called on the authorities to initiate an investigation into the events and hold accountable those who instigated and carried out the violence. Sri Lanka is nearing bankruptcy and has suspended payments on $7 billion in foreign loans due this year out of $25 billion due by 2026. Its total foreign debt is $51 billion. The Central Bank on Wednesday urged the president and Parliament to quickly restore political stability, warning the economy faces a threat of further collapse within days. Even for us to make progress on debt restructuring, we need a stable kind of a government. A Cabinet, a Parliament, a prime minister, a finance minister are all needed, Central Bank Governor Nandalal Weerasinghe said. Without that kind of an administration, it is very difficult for us make any progress. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) In an early victory for a Donald Trump-endorsed candidate at the start of midterm season, Rep. Alex Mooney on Tuesday beat fellow incumbent Rep. David McKinley in West Virginias 2nd Congressional District Republican primary. Donald Trump loves West Virginia, and West Virginia loves Donald Trump, Mooney said in his victory speech. McKinley was sharply criticized by the former president when he broke with his party as one of 13 Republicans to vote with the Democrats to support President Joe Bidens $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill. Trump called McKinley a RINO, or Republican in Name Only and endorsed Mooney the day Biden signed the infrastructure law. The two incumbents, who have taken dramatically different approaches to their time in office, were pitted against each other in the states 2nd Congressional District after population losses cost West Virginia a U.S. House seat. McKinley, who has represented the state in the House since 2011, said in a statement Tuesday night that serving the people of West Virginia had been the honor of his life and made a subtle reference to the infrastructure vote. Im proud that I have always stood up for whats right for West Virginia even when it hurt me politically, he said. "The groundwork we have laid over the last twelve years has paved the way for a more prosperous and diverse West Virginia economy. Mooney, who has served in West Virginia's House delegation since 2015, gave his victory speech surrounded by supporters at a hotel watch party in Charles Town in West Virginia's eastern panhandle, where he lives. McKinley was watching the results come in at home with his family. West Virginias election was the first of five primaries in which two incumbent U.S. House members will compete against each other. It will be followed by similar contests in Georgia and Michigan and in two Illinois districts. The race was one of the most-watched of the day. In Nebraska, another Trump-backed candidate, Charles Herbster, was in a crowded field of GOP contenders for governor. The contests came on the heels of a victory by Trump-endorsed conservative JD Vance, author of the bestselling memoir Hillbilly Elegy, who defeated six other candidates to win the Ohio Republican primary for U.S. Senate last week. Earlier Tuesday night, Trump-endorsed incumbent U.S. Rep. Carol Miller breezed to the Republican nomination in West Virginias 1st District, defeating four little-known candidates and setting herself on a clear path to reelection. Miller will vie for her third term in the House in the fall against Democrat Lacy Watson, who was unopposed in the Democratic primary. Watson, of Bluefield, lost in the 2020 Democratic primary in the former 3rd District. In Nebraska's 2nd Congressional District, in the Omaha area, three-term Republican Rep. Don Bacon won the primary over long-shot candidate Steve Kuehl, an Omaha consultant who got a shoutout from Trump when the former president visited earlier this month. Trump blasted Bacon as a bad guy during a recent rally in the state and had criticized him previously for his support of a federal infrastructure bill that most GOP lawmakers opposed. Bacon also has been mildly critical of Trump in the past, saying the former president bore some responsibility for the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol. Trump stopped far short of officially endorsing Kuehl, however, saying: I think Steve will do well. Good luck, Steve, whoever the hell you are. Sen. Mike Flood, a former speaker of the Nebraska Legislature, won in the state's 1st Congressional District over five other Republican candidates. Flood wants to fill the seat abandoned by Jeff Fortenberry, a Republican who resigned from office and ended his reelection bid after he was convicted of lying to federal authorities about an illegal campaign contribution. Fortenberrys name still appeared on the ballot for the 1st Congressional District because he withdrew after a deadline to certify the ballot. In the rural, geographically vast 3rd Congressional District, Republican U.S. Rep. Adrian Smith easily won his partys nomination. Two Democrats were vying for their partys nomination within the district, which is overwhelmingly Republican. In West Virginias 2nd Congressional District, McKinley's decision to support the infrastructure bill was on voters minds. Susan Smith, a small-business owner in Valley Grove, voted for Mooney at a local elementary school Tuesday morning. She lives in McKinleys former district and said she always voted for him in the past. But not in this election. When Mr. McKinley started voting with the Democrats and the current administration, thats when things changed, said Smith, who cited McKinleys vote for Bidens infrastructure bill and the Jan. 6 commission. Im sorry to be losing a congressman, but we cannot have a Republican congressman voting with the Democrats. West Virginia did not need the money from this un-infrastructure bill. In the general election, Mooney will face openly gay former Morgantown city councilor Barry Wendell, who bested security operations manager Angela Dwyer during Tuesday's Democratic primary. Mooney enters the general election as a heavy favorite to win. West Virginia hasnt elected a Democrat to the House since 2012. ___ Associated Press writer Grant Schulte in Omaha, Nebraska, contributed to this report. ___ Follow AP for full coverage of the midterms at https://apnews.com/hub/2022-midterm-elections and on Twitter at https://twitter.com/ap_politics. Last week, Sherry Noppe took her black Labrador on a walk in the Houston suburb of Katy, Texas. But Noppe and her dog Max never returned from their May 3 stroll. For three days, Noppe's family worried about the status of the 63-year-old woman, who was recently diagnosed with dementia. But on Friday, as authorities and volunteers searched for Noppe, they heard barks coming from the woods, Harris County Precinct 5 Constable Ted Heap said in a statement. It was Max, who never left Noppe's side. The dog's barks led rescuers to his owner, who was reunited with her family just in time for Mother's Day, her children said during a news conference. "He saved her life," Noppe's daughter Courtney Noppe said. Her brother Justin Noppe added, "He's our hero." It was around 3 a.m. that rescuers and volunteers heard Max's barks coming from the woods of George Bush Park, a 7,800-acre park not far away from where Noppe and her dog were last seen. Family friend Michael England, who participated in the search efforts, told KHOU that Noppe and Max were found in a "super thick" and "marshy" part of the woods where one could easily get lost. "You can walk 50 feet in there and get turned around," he said, adding that Noppe was found several hundred yards into the vegetation. "She knew she was lost, but I was amazed at how strong she was," England told the news station. "She wasn't severely disoriented and out of it but definitely lost. . . . She didn't know what to do." Her family said she was given fluids at a hospital to treat her dehydration. Other than some cuts and bruises, she was not injured, her children said at the news conference. "She's doing surprisingly well for how long she's been out there and the conditions that we were expecting: the heat, the rain," Noppe's daughter Courtney said. "We're very grateful." Max was taken to a veterinarian's office, where he was examined and given a bath. He was deemed healthy after the rescue, Noppe's family said. "That dog . . . stayed by her side for three days," said Noppe's son Justin. "And that just shows you the loyalty the dog has." A state judge said Gov. Ron DeSantis congressional map that eliminated a Black district in North Florida was unconstitutional and ordered the old boundaries largely restored. Leon Circuit Judge Layne Smith, whom DeSantis appointed in 2020, said from the bench Wednesday that while he couldnt rule on whether the map violated the federal Voting Rights Act, he had determined it did violate the Florida Constitutions Fair District amendment approved by the voters. Advertisement I am finding that the enacted map is unconstitutional under the Fair Districts amendment ... because it diminishes African Americans ability to elect the representative of their choice, Smith said during a virtual hearing. But, he said, Im not going to order the Legislature to go back in session [to fix it]. I dont really think thats up to me. Advertisement Smith said he would issue a written order by Thursday to impose the plaintiffs proposed Map A, which largely returns District 5 to what it looked like before this year. The seat is held by U.S. Rep. Al Lawson, D-Tallahassee. The decision is a major blow to DeSantis argument that the district his lawyers redrew was an unconstitutional gerrymander. DeSantis spokeswoman Taryn Fenske said the governor would quickly appeal to the state Supreme Court, with just a month left until qualifying for congressional seats begins. Gov. Ron DeSantis' congressional redistricting map, which a judge ruled had illegally dismantled District 5 (State of Florida / Courtesy photo) Smiths order also affects Districts 2, 3 and 4, which would largely revert to their previous lines, and alters part of the new District 6, all in North Florida. The narrow ruling does not affect Central Floridas District 10, currently held by U.S. Rep. Val Demings. It was redrawn in the new map from a Black district to a plurality white one. Michael McDonald, a professor of political science at the University of Florida, wrote on Twitter that it was possible that the higher courts could find it was too close to elections to make any changes to the map, which has happened elsewhere in the country. Plaintiffs will have to hope the court doesnt delay to give DeSantis a fait accompli for 2022, McDonald wrote. Smith said it was possible that the case could end up before the U.S. Supreme Court. Advertisement McDonald said if that happens, the high courts recent hostility to the Voting Rights Act could endanger even Fair Districts in Florida. It could be the U.S. Supreme Court finds Floridas constitution invalid, McDonald said. In summing up his finding, Smith cited a map showing that the Black populations spread out across North Florida date back to the plantations, if you go back into slavery, leading up to now [and] the dispersion of African Americans in the communities. He said he would not overrule the state Supreme Court ruling in 2015 that found the map approved by the Legislature a decade ago unconstitutional and created District 5. I am not going to disagree on them with what they did or how they came about it or whether it passed muster, because I believe they had made that determination, Smith said. Democrats immediately praised the decision. Advertisement State Rep. Angie Nixon of Jacksonville, one of the leaders who organized the House floor protest, tweeted, This ruling affirms that every Floridian, no matter our background or where were from, deserves to be the hero of our own story by using our vote to elect those who share our values and protect our interests. Black political power is EVERYTHING! State Rep. Joseph Geller, D-Aventura, the ranking member of the House Redistricting Committee, wrote in a statement, While this isnt the final opinion, we have to continue advocating for a constitutionally compliant Congressional map that does not infringe on Floridians rights. Representatives of House Speaker Chris Sprowls and Senate President Wilton Simpson said the GOP leaders would not comment on pending litigation. Fenske cited Smiths comments about higher courts. Political Pulse Weekly Get latest updates political news from Central Florida and across the state. > As Judge Smith implied, these complex constitutional matters of law were always going to be decided at the appellate level, Fenske said. We will undoubtedly be appealing his ruling and are confident the constitutional map enacted by the Florida Legislature and signed into law passes legal muster. We look forward to defending it. The injunction is just the latest twist in Floridas redistricting process. Advertisement The GOP-controlled state Senate had originally approved a map keeping District 5 mostly the same. It was a Black access district under the Voting Rights Act stretching from Jacksonville to Tallahassee. But in an unprecedented move, DeSantis inserted himself into the process by proposing his own map eliminating it and redrawing District 10 to become whiter. The GOP-controlled House passed a map that addressed DeSantis gerrymander complaint by creating a district located entirely within the boundaries of Duval County. That map was also approved by the Senate. But the new district still leaned Democratic. DeSantis, who had come under pressure from conservatives pushing for a much more Republican map, vetoed that map and called a special session of the Legislature. Republican lawmakers ultimately conceded to DeSantis and passed his map, but not before the vote was delayed by a sit-in protest of Black lawmakers. DeSantis map gave Republicans a 20-8 advantage in seats over Democrats compared to the current 16-11 GOP advantage, with a new 28th seat added because of the states population growth. Smiths order would still give the GOP a 19-9 advantage even if District 5 reverts to its original lines. WASHINGTON Motivated by what appears to be an imminent threat to Roe v. Wade, the U.S. Senate is set to once again take up a long-shot bill that would codify abortion rights into federal law on Wednesday. U.S. Sens. John Cornyn and Ted Cruz of Texas are poised to vote against the bill. It is a radical abortion bill, which sadly reflects where Democrats today are, Cruz told Fox News over the weekend. The renewed urgency behind the vote comes a week after Politico reported on a leaked draft of a majority opinion overruling Roe v. Wade. The Supreme Court confirmed the authenticity of the draft but cautioned that it does not necessarily reflect a final vote. If the high court does take action to end Roe, Texas has a trigger law that would ban the procedure in the state. To defeat a filibuster, a total of 60 Senate votes will be needed to move the bill to the floor, but Democrats are unlikely to garner even enough votes for a simple majority. At least one Democrat, U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia, is signaling that he will vote against the bill, as will the few Republican senators who support abortion rights. Democratic leaders say their priority is to put senators on the record on abortion, heading into the fall midterms. Every American will see how every senator stands, said Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer of New York on Sunday, per Reuters. Cornyn and Cruz have made their anti-abortion stances central to their political careers over the years. But ahead for them if Roe is overturned particularly if Republicans take control of the Senate next year is whether they would support a federal ban on abortion rather than leaving the issue to be decided by state legislatures. I dont think its really an appropriate topic for Congress to be passing a national law on, Cornyn said, according to CNN. Cruz was less clear on a federal ban, telling NBC News that contested policy issues should be resolved through democratically elected bodies. I have supported numerous federal bills, and Im sure there will be more pieces of federal legislation that are considered, Cruz said. In a sign of heightened tension surrounding the Politico revelations, Cornyn joined with Delaware Democratic Sen. Chris Coons to push for a bill that would provide family members of U.S. Supreme Court justices with increased security protection. It passed unanimously. In September 2021, the House passed the Womens Health Protection Act in reaction to the Texas law restricting abortion that went into effect on Sept. 1. That bill passed along party lines among Texas U.S. House members, with the exception of U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar, a Laredo Democrat, who is the single anti-abortion member of his party in that chamber. That bill failed a Senate procedural vote on Feb. 28, with Cruz and Cornyn in opposition to the legislation. Disclosure: Politico 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 Tribune's journalism. Find a complete list of them here. Tickets are on sale now for the 2022 Texas Tribune Festival, happening in downtown Austin on Sept. 22-24. Get your TribFest tickets by May 31 and save big! This article originally appeared in The Texas Tribune at https://www.texastribune.org/2022/05/11/ted-cruz-john-cornyn-texas-abortion-law/. The Texas Tribune is a member-supported, nonpartisan newsroom informing and engaging Texans on state politics and policy. Learn more at texastribune.org. GOES-18's first image capturing the Earth since it first launched into orbit on March 1. (NASA) Hello, world! A NASA tweet greeted the internet Wednesday with a beautiful image of the bluish gem-like Earth the first image captured by the newest weather satellite orbiting the planet. Advertisement GOES-18, short for Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite, blasted off in March from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station on a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket thanks to a collaboration between the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and NASA along with several other partners. Hello, world! First-light images from @NOAA's GOES-18 weather satellite reveal our home planet in high resolution. We oversaw development and launch of this mission, which will provide data to improve weather forecasts, and monitor our changing climate: https://t.co/pR6xXwzDVc pic.twitter.com/o5wGnlt540 NASA (@NASA) May 11, 2022 GOES-18 is a weather monitoring satellite that should help meteorologists determine potential areas of disaster before they occur in the western part of the United States as well as Alaska and Hawaii, according to the NOAA. It will primarily be used to monitor and predict disaster events like hurricanes, thunderstorms, floods, dense fog and fire. Advertisement Among its utility belt of tools, GOES-18 has an Advanced Baseline Imager (ABI), which can view the Earth in 16 different kinds of spectral bands including two visible channels, four near-infrared channels, and 10 infrared channels. The previous generation of GOES could only view five different bands. The ABI will help scientists predict where fires on the west coast could start before they ever form, said Pam Sullivan director of the GOES-R program. Previously known as GOES-T, GOES-18 is replacing the GOES-17 satellite, which experienced some ABI degradation due to a thermal disruption blocking a flow of coolant, said Larry Crawford, the ABI program manager. The hardware responsible was identified and eliminated from GOES-Ts construction. Once in geosynchronous orbit over the western United States, GOES-T will be renamed GOES-18, taking over monitoring duties of GOES-17 sometime in early 2023. (United Launch Alliance) Juggling even more than terrestrial weather, GOES-18 will have a hand in monitoring space weather, too. Keeping an eye on solar storms that could potentially harm Earths power grids. The satellite is equipped with space weather tools like a particle flux sensor, solar irradiance monitor and a magnetometer, Sullivan said. Jpedersen@orlandosentinel.com Tom Maguire, Donal Ryan, John Connell, Sean Hayes, Cathaoirleach of Longford County Council Peggy Nolan, Barbara Heslin and Paula Mulry (Acting County Librarian) at the launch of Johns third and final book, The Stream of Everything, in Longford Library last Wednesday night PICTURES: SHELLEY CORCORAN When Ballinalee author John Connell launched The Cow Book in 2018, Longford Library was packed and the supply of books actually ran out as eager readers rushed to grab a signed copy. The Soran mans second offering, The Running Book, was released in 2020 and, due to the Covid-19 pandemic and in line with government restrictions, did not have a large launch. But, as the world starts to return to normal and people start to get out and about again, John was thrilled to see a large crowd returning to Longford Library last Wednesday night for the launch of this third and final book, The Stream of Everything. The three memoirs were aptly referred to as the Longford trilogy last Wednesday night, with each relating to the county, its people and the authors connection to and love for his homeland. They say we are new people every seven years, said John, addressing those present at the launch, well my friends, I am a new man for I have been seven years at home now. Longford to me then was an unknown place. But I have come to see that we live not just in the midlands, but the middle kingdom. That in this place, we are the meeting place of this land, where the water and stone have shaped us into the people we are. That it has permeated, not just the stone, but our souls. This is my final memoir, the final book in a trilogy - the Longford trilogy - where I have made my home and where I have made sense of the world that I live through and the world I have come to make my own. Speaking to the crowd last week, which included a number of local politicians, members of the clergy, friends and family as well as many members of the local community, John acknowledged the people who were not present - those we lost in the pandemic, those neighbours who have gone to their maker - and in particular, three of the people to whom he has dedicated his book. I met Father Patrick Burke through the Cow Book and we met on a number of occasions before he passed away suddenly, shortly before the Popes visit to Ireland, said John. On our last meeting, Patrick gave me a copy of Thomas OCrohans The Islandman. He had said to me that I was documenting the lives of the people whom I share my home with in the tradition of the great Blasket writers. We farming people of the middle kingdom are the ones who formed this new tradition. We the quiet people of the middle land have met on the quiet walkways and country roads of this land and you have inspired me to tell these stories so that the people of the future might know how we lived, what we lived for and that the living was good. The book is also dedicated to the two daughters of Johns friend Jimmi Wright. Ophelia and Tarrow, he said, were taken too soon by a terrible tragedy. I hope that when people read this book, they will live in the words, swim in the reverie and the promise of beauty, he said. The Stream of Everythig is both a reverie and a celebration of close observation - a winding, bucolic account of a summer discovered at home. The book was written during the pandemic when, in summer 2020, John found himself, like so many others, confined to his local area - the opportunity to freely travel and socialise cut short. During this time, his attention turned to the Camlin river - an ever-present source of life for the inhabitants of his hometown and, for John, a site of boyhood adventure, first love, family history and local legend. With little else to do during a time of restrictions and staying safe, John decided to canoe the course of the Camlin from Granard to Clondra with his close friend, Peter Geoghegan - a two day trip requiring physical exertion and mental resilience. After nearly dying in Sydney harbour ten years ago, I made a promise that I would sail down the Camlin in a thank you for bringing me home but that trip nearly never occurred, said John. It was the pandemic that brought this story forth. It was the pandemic that made me and my dear friend Peter Geoghegan take to our canoe and make our trip down the river. At the time of the pandemic, it was said that there would be literature produced from this time that documented the journey we all lived through. As we paddled our way from Ballinalee to Clondra over two days, we saw a world that was not blighted by the virus. We saw a world that has continued on as it has done for thousands of years. We have built our villages and towns upon its flow, at times embracing it, at others just a gently look upon its flow. As John and Peter journeyed through Longford over the course of two days, what struck them was the beauty of the county, from the swans to the fish and the scenery they took in along their route. Longford, our home, has faced challenges in recent years but being on that river, I can see now that the river is a place of inspiration. That the river can be part of the new song of Longford, said John to the gathered crowd last Wednesday night. She is our grand old girl, which has known saints and writers, poets and the ordinary grace of everyday people. Longfords future is a bright one - a future that we are all writing in our actions every day to make it a promised land - to make it the middle kingdom. When I returned to Ireland seven years ago, I was a boy in search of his voice. I meet you now this evening as a man who found that voice in this land - who found a family in not just my clan but in the people of our small county who embraced me in sickness and then in health. In those seven years, he added, he has produced three memoirs - three books about not just his own life, but the lives of those who have walked with him. This, my last book, is my love letter to my home, he said. They say in some circles that we must earn our souls, that they are not just granted to us. I have found that souls are real, earthy things, bandaged in wounds and wins and they are, in short, real and whole. So now that the story is done, I find that my soul too is whole - formed by all of you. Formed out of pain which turned to joy. Above all, this is a book about hope and love. When John returned home seven years ago, he was told that being a writer was a dreamers thing and that it could not affect change in the world. But the word, the ministry of the word is a rewarding thing - a cleansing thing. It can help us earn those souls and in that there is great power, he said. As to the future, that is an unwritten tale - a story that we will all walk or run or farm together. The sheaves of hay, like a book, tell a new story each season. Thank you for being with me in the good and the bad. This is our soul work and it is all happening every day in this, our beautiful home. John Connells third and final book in the Longford trilogy, The Stream of Everything, is available for purchase now. Local News, Business & Finance, Health & Wellness By Chris Boyle Published: May 11 2022 The switch to teletherapy in the mental health industry has proven to be convenient and beneficial to both doctor and patient, and may become the norm going forward. With stress, anxiety, and depression seemingly permeating our lives almost every single day thanks in no small part to the COVID-19 pandemic there has been an unprecedented demand from the public for assistance in helping navigate the emotionally choppy waters of their day-to-day lives. And when it comes to gentle, compassionate, and knowledgeable mental health services that can help in getting your life back on track, Empire Psychiatry is a caring and professional psychiatry practice that you can turn to get the support you need. Empire Psychiatry provides medication management services combined with empathetic, supportive practitioners, ensuring that their patients get the treatment they need in order to lead productive, fruitful, and happy lives. The practice has been open for business for a few years; within their first year of existence they opened a main office based in Rockville Center, followed by two other practices in Glen Head and Manhattan. Since our previous article on the practice , Empire Psychiatry has continued to expand, opening up new offices in Astoria, Queens and Williamsburg, Brooklyn. One industry that has been especially impacted by the COVID-19, perhaps for good, is mental health services. During the midst of the pandemic when strict lockdown measures were in-place to help curb the spread of the virus many mental health providers switched to what is known as teletherapy, meaning their sessions were held either by phone or video conferencing, as opposed to meeting with their patients face-to-face. Now that we are in the waning days of the pandemic, many aspects of American businesses are returning to normal; however, according to Empire Psychiatrys Clinical Director, Dr. Jacob Wartenberg, the switch to teletherapy in the mental health industry has proven to be both convenient and beneficial to both parties, doctor and patient, and may very well become the norm going forward. The majority of our caseload is now telepsych, and it's something we're looking to expand upon in the future, he said. The process of adapting their business model to telepsych included its fair share of logistical hurdles, but once the kinks were ironed out it provided an excellent way for patients and their practitioners to keep in touch when seeing each other in-person simply wasn't an option. At the beginning we were a little anxious that it would take away from the in-person patient experience, and we needed to make sure that everything was still organized on the back end to make sure that the patients didn't have wait times, Dr. Wartenberg said. We're organized on our end to make sure that our patients get the same quality of care that theyve always been given, and we created internal systems to make sure that appointments are on time, that everyone gets still gets seen the same amount of time, and that patient satisfaction and outcomes are still where they needs to be. Dr. Wartenberg noted that telehealth, in addition to being safe, also allows both psychiatric practitioners and patients a greater degree of flexibility, resulting in fewer missed appointments and an overall experience, that in many ways, is just as good If not better than a face-to-face meeting. Many patients have liked telehealth even more, especially ones with anxiety who don't like going out or waiting and an office with other people, he said. Just the act of getting out of the house and driving to an office for your appointment can cause a lot of anxiety and be a significant hurdle for some patients, so the fact that we were able to go telehealth just opened opportunities for people who would have not previously sought out mental health services. The need for mental health support has not been greater in recent memory than it is now, with a number of factors the economy, political strife, global turmoil, and two years of a pandemic combining to create a perfect storm of anxiety and depression for many people who are just trying to get by, Dr. Wartenberg said. Especially after COVID, many people have developed anxiety disorders or depression when they were previously fine before, and a lot of it is related to catastrophizing the possibilities for the future with the news blasting negative messages all day long, he said. A lot of patients are also coming in with health anxiety, and it's gotten to the point where anxiety related specifically to health is taken on a life of its own and exacerbated a lot of underlying mental health conditions that would have not previously been active, if not for two years of stress. We're very familiar with treating issues ranging from Anxiety and ADHD to Depression and Bipolar, and we've treated many patients successfully, Dr. Wartenberg added, noting that all of the practitioners and staff in the practice are very empathetic, warm, and personable. It's not just about medication, it's about someone who understands your situation, and allows you to open up without judgment, and with true understanding, he said. At the end of the day, Dr. Wartenberg said that he and his team get a great deal of personal and professional satisfaction out of their roles and their ability to provide these vital services to struggling individuals, which during these difficult times, is not something he or his team would ever take for granted. It feels great that we can see noticeable changes, especially when someone comes in at a real low point and we can actively see the changes happening from session to session, he said. It's just a very rewarding feeling, knowing that you were part of helping someone directly, and that the changes are pretty immediate and noticeable. The latest sweet thing that people are lining up for at Walt Disney Worlds Disney Springs is ice cream at Salt & Straw. Here to give us the scoop are the cofounders and cousins Kim Malek and Tyler Malek. They talk with Orlando Sentinel tourism reporter Dewayne Bevil about their unique flavors (this month they recommend rhubarb crumble with toasted anise), how they evolved from cart to 27 shops (theres also a Salt & Straw location at Downtown Disney in Anaheim, California) and just how much ice cream they eat every day. I know this sounds lofty but its almost like we are creating a ride for people to taste through and learn a taste adventure for our customers, Tyler shares. Listen to this episode of Theme Park Rangers podcast using the player below or download anywhere you get your podcasts. interactive_content How the relationship evolved (1:38) Are Disney locations different? (3:49) Flavors & ingredients take you on journey (6:25) Rotating monthly menu (9:24) It started with a cart (13:26) A pint a day ... (16:30) HOW TO SUBSCRIBE TO THEME PARK RANGERS PODCAST Listen to the podcast using the player above or subscribe to Orlando Sentinel Theme Park Rangers using these providers: APPLE: https://apple.co/3kOz3N0 SPOTIFY: https://open.spotify.com/show/0GP1huMaf2OufJX2kyBPm9 Botswana Diamonds PLC - exploration & project development company focused on Botswana and South Africa - and Gem Diamonds Ltd - London-based diamond miner - Parties say share sale agreement has now lapsed. In 2021, Gem Diamonds had agreed a binding share sale agreement with Okwa Diamons Pty Ltd to sell Gem Diamonds Botswana Proprietary Ltd, the owner of the Ghagoo diamond mine in Botswana. Okwa Diamonds is owned by Vast Resources PLC and Botswana Diamonds. Longstop date had been extended until Wednesday for Botswana Diamonds to find a joint-venture partner to replace Vast. Botswana Diamonds did not manage to secure a new JV partner by the deadline, thus the agreement has lapsed. "Gem Diamonds have indicated their willingness to re-engage on substantially the same terms as the Agreement if BOD and a partner can finalise an agreement and accordingly, BOD is continuing its discussions with potential joint venture partners," says Botswana Diamonds. Botswana Diamonds current stock price: 1.01 pence 12-month change: down 14% Gem Diamonds current stock price: 60.00p 12-month change: down 14% By Elizabeth Winter; elizabethwinter@alliancenews.com Copyright 2022 Alliance News Limited. All Rights Reserved. Power Metal Resources PLC - metals exploration company focused in North America, Africa and Australia - Says it has agreed to acquire Pardoo Resources Pty Ltd through its subsidiary FDR UK. Pardoo is an Australian resource exploration project holding company which currently holds projects in trust for First Development Resources Pty Ltd, a wholly-owned Australian subsidiary of FDR UK. Power Metal will make a payment of AUD7,000 Australian dollars, or GBP3,839, in cash to cover financial accounting costs and a further 300,000 new FDR UK shares at an issue price of 6.67 pence each. Following completion of the deal, Power Metal will hold 83% of FDR UK's shares, it adds. Current stock price: 1.48 pence 12-month change: down 37% By Arvind Bhunjun; arvindbhunjun@alliancenews.com Copyright 2022 Alliance News Limited. All Rights Reserved. LONDON, May 11 (Reuters) - Moscow has imposed sanctions on the owner of the Polish part of the Yamal pipeline that carries Russian gas to Europe, as well as the former German unit of the Russian gas producer Gazprom, whose subsidiaries service Europe's gas consumption. The entities listed on the Russian government website http://publication.pravo.gov.ru/SignatoryAuthority/government on Wednesday were largely based in countries that have imposed sanctions on Russia in response to its invasion of Ukraine, most of them members of the European Union. The implications for gas supplies to Europe, which buys more than a third of its gas from Russia, were not immediately clear. However, a decree by President Vladimir Putin on May 3 stipulated that no Russian entity would be allowed to make deals with those on the sanctions list, or even fulfil its obligations under existing deals. The decree explicitly forbids the export of products and raw materials to people and entities on the list. Russia's Interfax news agency said these comprised Polish pipeline owner EuRoPol Gaz, Gazprom Germania, and 29 Gazprom Germania subsidiaries in Switzerland, Hungary, Britain, France, Bulgaria, the Benelux region, the United States, Switzerland, Romania and Singapore. Gazprom supplies much of its gas to Europe via the Yamal-Europe pipeline, and its various activities across and outside Europe are essential for the European gas market and its supply to industry and households. Germania operations, based on Russian gas production, cover the entire gas value chain from pipeline transmission to storage and supplies to wholesalers and retailers. Gazprom gave up ownership of the firm last month without explanation, forcing Germany's energy network regulator to take control of operations there. Those operations include Germany's biggest gas storage facility at Rehden in Lower Saxony, with 4 billion cubic metres of capacity. The German economy ministry said it was examining the Russian announcement on Gazprom Germania but still had no details. The supply of gas is currently guaranteed and is being constantly checked, the ministry said. Putin framed his decree as a response to what he cast as the illegal actions of the United States and its allies meant to deprive "the Russian Federation, citizens of the Russian Federation and Russian legal entities of property rights" or to restrict their property rights. The United States and its allies have imposed the most severe sanctions in modern history on Russia and Moscow's business elite, steps that Putin casts as a declaration of economic war. Putin, 69, repeatedly warned that Moscow would respond in kind, though until last week the Kremlin's toughest economic response had been to cut off gas supplies to Poland and Bulgaria and demand a new payment scheme for European buyers of gas. Gaz-System, the operator of the Polish section of the Yamal-Europe pipeline, could not immediately be reached for comment. EuRoPol Gaz, jointly owned by Gazprom and Poland's biggest gas company, PGNiG,, and earns transit fees for Russian gas crossing Poland. PGNiG had no immediate comment. Wingas, a Gazprom Germania subsidiary and one of Germany's biggest gas traders, said after the takeover by the German regulator that it would continue operating under the changed parameters. (Alliance News) - UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson will sign historic security assurance declarations with Sweden and Finland in the face of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, pledging to "bolster military ties" and support both countries should they come under attack. The prime minister arrived in Stockholm on Wednesday before travelling to Harpsund, the country residence of his Swedish counterpart, Magdalena Andersson, where he set out a UK commitment to come to the country's aid in the event of a crisis. Johnson is set to visit to Finland later in the day, where he is expected to formalise a similar agreement with the country's President Sauli Niinisto during a whirlwind 24 hours. An offer to increase deployments to the region, including with Royal Air Force, British Army and Royal Navy personnel and assets, will also be made. It comes as both countries consider the prospect of Nato membership in the face of Russian President Vladimir Putin's ongoing military aggression. Johnson said: "We are steadfast and unequivocal in our support to both Sweden and Finland and the signing of these security declarations is a symbol of the everlasting assurance between our nations. "These are not a short-term stop-gap, but a long-term commitment to bolster military ties and global stability, and fortify Europe's defences for generations to come." The declarations build on claims made earlier in the month that the UK would always aid Finland if it were attacked by Russia, regardless of whether the country was a member of Nato. Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said it was "inconceivable" that Britain would not help either Finland or Sweden if it were in crisis, even "without any big formal agreement". Johnson held talks with Andersson and Niinisto in March as part of a meeting of the Joint Expeditionary Force nations, which includes Denmark, Estonia, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania the Netherlands and Norway. After the meeting, Downing Street said the two leaders agreed that "Putin's invasion had dramatically changed the landscape of European security". Finland shares a lengthy land border with Russia and is only about 250 miles from St Petersburg. source: PA Copyright 2022 Alliance News Limited. All Rights Reserved. (Alliance News) - UK Foreign Secretary Liz Truss has said the UK "will not shy away" from taking action on the Northern Ireland protocol after Prime Minister Boris Johnson indicated the situation was "now very serious". Truss said some proposals put forward by the EU during months of discussions on the post-Brexit treaty would "take us backwards" as she argued against introducing "more checks, paperwork and disruption". The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office said that, under EU proposals suggested in October, trading arrangements could worsen and everyday items could disappear from shop shelves in Northern Ireland. Truss said: "The current EU proposals fail to properly address the real issues affecting Northern Ireland and in some cases would take us backward. "Prices have risen, trade is being badly disrupted, and the people of Northern Ireland are subject to different laws and taxes than those over the Irish Sea, which has left them without an executive and poses a threat to peace and stability. "The answer cannot be more checks, paperwork and disruption. "Our preference has always been for a negotiated solution but [we] will not shy away from taking action to stabilise the situation in Northern Ireland if solutions cannot be found." Her comments came after PM Johnson spoke to Irish premier Micheal Martin about the post-Brexit arrangements on Tuesday. In a Downing Street account of the call, the two leaders agreed on the vital importance of restoring the devolved institutions in Northern Ireland as soon as possible. The Democratic Unionist Party, which came second in last week's Assembly elections in Northern Ireland, has warned the UK prime minister it would not nominate a deputy first minister to form an Executive until "decisive action is taken on the protocol". Johnson was said to have made clear that the situation in respect of the protocol was now very serious. He also said that the balance of the Good Friday agreement was being undermined, and the recent elections had further demonstrated that the protocol was not sustainable in its current form. "Despite repeated efforts by the UK government over many months to fix the protocol, including those sections related to the movement of goods and governance, the European Commission had not taken the steps necessary to help address the economic and political disruption on the ground," a Downing Street spokesman said. "The prime minister reiterated that the UK government would take action to protect peace and political stability in Northern Ireland if solutions could not be found." However, Tanaiste Leo Varadkar has warned the UK government against taking unilateral action on the protocol. Varadkar told RTE: "We can't have any unilateral action from the UK. This is an international agreement, they have to honour their obligations. I was in the Wirral with Boris Johnson. I know what he agreed to. "The people of Northern Ireland voted and they did not vote for a majority of MLAs who want the protocol to be scrapped. So the British government has to have regard to that. This is a democracy and an election just happened. "The British prime minister and the Secretary of State need to be wise to that, if they're not already." An Irish government spokesman said the Taoiseach had urged Johnson "to engage in intensified EU-UK discussions to address issues relating to the implementation of the protocol". The spokesman added: "He set out clearly his serious concerns at any unilateral action at this time, which would be destabilising in Northern Ireland and erode trust. "The Taoiseach pointed out that the EU has engaged constructively in the protocol discussions, addressing the issue of medicines, and last October putting forward a substantial package of flexibilities and mitigations, including on customs and SPS arrangements. "The Taoiseach stressed to the prime minister that the way forward should be through continued engagement with a view to arriving at agreed EU-UK solutions that address the practical issues arising around implementation of the protocol." In a statement on Tuesday afternoon, European Commission Vice President Maros Sefcovic said renegotiation of the protocol was "not an option", and that unilateral action by the UK would make work on possible solutions "more difficult". "The EU has been open to joint work with the UK on implementing the protocol to bring long-term legal certainty and predictability to the people and businesses in Northern Ireland," he said. "The EU remains open to such discussions. Only joint solutions will work. Unilateral action by the UK would only make our work on possible solutions more difficult. "The protocol, as a cornerstone of the Withdrawal Agreement, is an international agreement. Its renegotiation is not an option. The EU is united in this position." Justice Minister Victoria Atkins refused to be drawn on whether taking action on the protocol would spark a trade war with the bloc, but told Newsnight on Tuesday that looking after the people of Northern Ireland remains the government's "absolute priority". "We really want to find a negotiated settlement with the EU on this, and we hope that with flexibility we'll be able to achieve that," she said. "But our absolute priority are our friends, our neighbours, our relatives in Northern Ireland." By PA Reporters source: PA Copyright 2022 Alliance News Limited. All Rights Reserved. #Phoenix Copper Limited / Ticker: PXC / Sector: Mining 10 May 2022 Phoenix Copper Limited ('Phoenix' or the 'Company') Director Dealing, Exercise of Warrants and Issue of Equity Phoenix Copper Ltd (AIM: PXC, OTCQX ADR: PXCLY), the AIM quoted USA focused base and precious metals emerging producer and exploration company, has been informed that Kay Cohen, wife of Andre Cohen, a Non-Executive Director of the Company, has exercised warrants representing a total of 25,000 ordinary shares of no par value each ("Ordinary Shares") in the Company for total consideration of 4,000. The warrants were exercised at 16 pence each. Following completion of the warrant exercise, Andre Cohen is the beneficial holder of 592,452 shares in the Company which represents 0.49 per cent. of the issued share capital and total voting rights of the Company. The Company has issued the 25,000 Ordinary Shares from its block listing authority of 6 October 2020 and following the issue, the Company has the ability to issue a further 8,091,574 Ordinary Shares under its existing block listing facility. Market Abuse Regulation (MAR) Disclosure The information contained within this announcement is deemed by the Company to constitute inside information as stipulated under the Market Abuse Regulations (EU) No. 596/2014 which has been incorporated into UK law by the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018. Upon the publication of this announcement via Regulatory Information Service, this inside information is now considered to be in the public domain. Contacts For further information please visit https://phoenixcopperlimited.com or contact: Phoenix Copper Limited Ryan McDermott Brittany Lock Richard Wilkins Tel: +1 208 954 7039 Tel: +1 208 794 8033 Tel: +44 7590 216 657 SP Angel Corporate Finance LLP (Nominated Adviser) David Hignell / Caroline Rowe Tel: +44 20 3470 0470 Tavira Securities Ltd (Joint Broker) Jonathan Evans / Oliver Stansfield Tel: +44 20 7100 5100 WH Ireland (Joint Broker) Harry Ansell / Adam Pollock / Katy Mitchell Tel: +44 207 2201666 Panmure Gordon (UK) Limited (Joint Broker) John Prior / Hugh Rich / Ailsa Macmaster Tel: +44 20 7886 2500 EAS Advisors (US Corporate Adviser) Matt Bonner / Rogier de la Rambelje Tel: +1 (646) 495-2225 BlytheRay(Financial PR) Tim Blythe / Megan Ray Tel: +44 20 7138 3204 Notes Phoenix Copper Limited is a USA focused, base and precious metals emerging producer and exploration company, initially targeting copper and zinc production from an open pit mine. Phoenix's primary operations are focused near Mackay, Idaho in the Alder Creek mining district, at the 80% owned Empire Mine property, which historically produced copper at grades of up to 8%, as well as gold, silver, zinc and tungsten, from an underground mine. Since 2017, Phoenix has carried our extensive drill programmes which have defined a NI 43-101 compliant PEA (preliminary economic assessment) for an open pit heap leach solvent extraction and electrowinning ("SX-EW") mine, which was updated in October 2020. The contained metal in all NI 43-101 compliant categories of resources, Measured, Indicated and Inferred, stand at 129,641 tonnes of copper, 355,523 ounces of gold, 10,133,772 ounces of silver and 58,440 tonnes of zinc. Phoenix updated its economic model in February 2021 to include the processing of all contained metals through a two phased approach. In addition to Empire, the district includes the historic Horseshoe, White Knob and Blue Bird Mines, past producers of copper, gold, silver, zinc, lead and tungsten from underground mines. A new discovery at Red Star, 330 metres northwest of the Empire Mine proposed open pit, has revealed high grade silver / lead sulphide ore, and from three shallow exploration drill holes a maiden resource of 103,000 tonnes containing 173.4 g/tonne silver, 0.85 g/tonne gold and 3.85% lead (1.6 million ounces silver equivalent) was reported in an NI 43-101 technical report published in May 2019. Additionally, the district includes Navarre Creek, a volcanic hosted precious metals target in a 14.48 sq km area. The Company's total land package at Empire comprises 8,034 acres (32.51 sq kms). At Empire, it is estimated that less than 1% of the potential ore system has been explored to date and, accordingly, there is significant opportunity to increase the resource through phased exploration. The stated aim of the Company is to fund this phased exploration through free cashflow generated by its initial mine. A Plan of Operations in respect of the initial open pit mine was filed with the relevant regulatory authorities in June 2021. Phoenix also has two wholly owned cobalt properties on the Idaho Cobalt Belt to the north of Empire. An Earn-In Agreement has been signed with Electra Battery Materials (formerly First Cobalt Corporation), Toronto, in respect of one of those properties. Phoenix is listed on London's AIM (PXC), and trades on New York's OTCQX Market (PXCLF and PXCLY (ADRs)). More details on the Company, its assets and its objectives can be found on PXC's website at https://phoenixcopperlimited.com. NOTIFICATION AND PUBLIC DISCLOSURE OF TRANSACTIONS BY PERSONS DISCHARGING MANAGERIAL RESPONSIBILITIES AND PERSONS CLOSELY ASSOCIATED WITH THEM Bamako, Mali (PANA) - The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) is calling for a compromise between the Malian junta and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) following stiff sanctions against the country after disagreements of an acceptable transition time table to return to constitutional rule It's no secret that it costs an absolute fortune to rent a property in the Balearics, especially in Palma, but that could be about to change. On Tuesday, the Balearic parliament approved a proposal to ask the Spanish government to modify the Law of Urban Leases (tenancy act) in order to regulate rental prices. This proposal demonstrates that Mes continue to prioritise guaranteeing the right to housing, said Patricia Font of Mes in Minorca during Tuesdays plenary session. There were 29 votes in favour of the bill from the government parties - PSOE, Mes Mallorca and Podemos - plus Mes in Minorca and Gent per Formentera, with 26 against from Vox, Ciudadanos, El Pi and the Partido Popular. Font explained that the proposal has a single article that modifies point 17 of Law 29/1994 on urban leases to enable regional governments to establish regimes of containment or moderation of rental income. The Russian-owned super yacht Tango which has been seized by the United States government in Palma could end up costing the White House a small fortune. This week, for example, the Fiji authorities gave permission to the US Justice Departments Task Force KleptoCapture and the FBI to seize Amadea, a 2017 Lurssen megayacht owned by Russian oligarch Suleiman Kerimov, also known as the gold king. Fiji had detained the $325 million vessel on behalf of the U.S. last month, but ownership still had to be verified. With Amadea now under U.S. control, authorities are looking to take the vessel into American waters. But they cant do that for now, because Amadea is stuck in Fiji until an appeal on the hearing is made. Once its overruled, Amadea will be allowed to sail out of Fiji and into the U.S., and the U.S. government will be able to auction it off. In the meantime, though, it has to pay for its running costs, which amount to $25 million to $30 million per year. As with any asset seized for federal forfeiture, the cost to seize, maintain and dispose is commensurate with the value of the underlying asset, a Department of Justice spokesperson said. When the United States decides to pursue an asset for forfeiture, the costs mentioned above are bore by the Government. And the same could happen to Tango which has been seized by the United States government but remains moored in Palma. Depending on how the fraud case against the owner plays out and for how long, the US government might end up paying more than the ships worth in total running costs. The order for the Russian-owned yacht Tango to be seized and searched in Palma on came directly from the White House. The superyacht, which has been moored in Palma since last year, belongs to Russian oligarch Viktor Vekselberg and was seized on behalf of US authorities, the first time the United States has seized property belonging to a Russian oligarch since its invasion of Ukraine in February. The operatin in Palma marked the first of many anticipated cases expected by the Justice Departments KleptoCapture task force. Launched in March of this year, its goal is to put the finances of Russian oligarchs under strain in a bid to pressure Putin to cease his war on Ukraine. A curriculum shared with other county schools was approved last night by members of the Manistee Area Public Schools Board of Education. In a unanimous vote at its regular meeting last night, the board gave the nod to the program described by principal, Ron Cowden. Cowden explained that the program will operate much like the one with Manistee Catholic Central. He said it appears students from Onekama, Bear Lake and Brethren are looking to Manistee for courses such as French, physics, stenography and biology while Manistee is interested in sending students to Onekama for the computer course replacing one in Scottville. 60 YEARS AGO County boats Michigan boat statistics released this week show that Manistee County now has 1,738 registered motorboats, an increase of 305 above last years total. Purchasers of old or new watercraft can obtain boat registration application forms at most marinas, water sport shops, sheriffs offices and Michigan Department of State branches. The current license is good until Dec. 31, 1962 and costs $2. 80 YEARS AGO Martha Waite dies Martha Sands Waite died Sunday night at a Chicago hotel. Waite was born in Manistee in 1866, the eldest daughter of the late Mr. and Mrs. Louis Sands. Waites funeral services are scheduled to take place in Manistee. Radio station at post A new Manistee landmark is being erected at the local Michigan State Police post where the steel antenna for the new two-way radio system is being built. The antenna is being raised on the hill directly behind the post and will be high enough to require a light on the top to warn passing planes. The police cruisers will also be equipped with both sending and receiving sets which will enable them to maintain constant communication with the post while on patrol. Port-Louis, Mauritius (PANA) - The number of foreign tourists arriving in Mauritius has increased from 2,830 in January-April 2021 to 243,086 in the same period this year, the state statistics office, Statistics Mauritius, said on Wednesday Johnny Depp's former estate manager Kevin Murphy said Amber Heard told him to lie under oath on a case with the Australian government. Murphy testified against a British tabloid accusing Johnny Depp to physically abusing Amber Heard. The estate manager said Amber Heard pushed him to commit perjury when Heard was charged with bringing her two dogs to Australia illegally. Your job or perjury? Murphy said he was afraid of losing his job if he didn't commit perjury. "She wanted me to say essentially that it was my fault in one way or another that the paperwork wasn't completed so that I could take the blame for her," Murphy said. In July 2015, the Australian government charged Amber Heard with bringing two Yorkshire terriers to the country illegally. Kevin Murphy sent a written statement to the court during Johnny Depp's libel case. He confessed that Heard told him to claim that she didn't know about Australian rules about bringing dogs into the country. Murphy said that Heard threatened him in case he didn't follow the storyline. "I want your help on this. I wouldn't want you to have a problem with your job," Murphy quoted Heard. Murphy was accused of lying by making a misleading declaration to the Australian court. However, the estate manager was afraid of losing his job. "Why on Earth did you not go to Mr. Depp to ask him to intervene rather than just lying on oath?" asked The Sun's lawyer, Sasha Wass during Depp's deposition in London. Murphy responded, "because Amber wielded a lot of power and would have made my life miserable." U.S. urged to adhere to one-China principle Xinhua) 15:21, May 11, 2022 BEIJING, May 11 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese government spokesperson on Wednesday warned the U.S. government against moves that deviate from the one-China principle. Zhu Fenglian, a spokesperson for the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, made the remarks in response to a recent update to the "Taiwan fact sheet" displayed on the website of the U.S. Department of State, which removed wording on not supporting "Taiwan independence" and acknowledging China's position that Taiwan is part of China. Zhu said some people in the Taiwan region are playing up this issue, in an attempt to garner U.S. support for independence. "Such a move will not change the fact that Taiwan is a part of China." She also urged the U.S. government to adhere to the one-China principle and comply with the stipulations of the three China-U.S. joint communiques with concrete actions. (Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Liang Jun) The East Carolinian has created a forum that centers around topics within the community where readers can express their experiences and concerns. With Valentine's Day coming up, do you think the ECU community and the City of Greenville is doing all they can to make people feel loved and supported? Survey If you were looking for the Charlestown Democratic Town Committee website and ended up here, try this Got news tips, gossip, suggestions, complaints?E-mail us: progressivecharlestown@gmail.com We strive to avoid errors in our articles. Our correction policy can be found here Welcome Guest! You Are Here: AP MUSKOGEE, Okla. (AP) A former Oklahoma death row inmate and tribal citizen whose case led to a landmark ruling on tribal sovereignty was sentenced Wednesday to life in prison by a federal judge. Patrick Murphy, 53, a citizen of the Muscogee Nation, was originally sentenced to die in McIntosh County for the 1999 killing of George Jacobs. But his attorneys challenged his murder conviction, arguing the state of Oklahoma didnt have jurisdiction to prosecute him because he is a member of a federally recognized tribe and Congress had never disestablished the Muscogee reservation where the killing occurred. 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. Officers responded to a Be On Look-out alert for possible intoxicated driver in a drive thru in the 600 block of South State Street. The driver left prior to arrival. She was later located and arrested for operating while intoxicate high blood alcohol content after she allegedly left the roadway, hit a street sign, and then a tree as she was pulling into her residence. The vehicle was impounded to Curries, and a canine passenger was taken to shelter. Officers responded to the 1100 block of Catherine for a report of a female yelling for help. Female advised police that she suspects her significant other of cheating on her and was "emotionally" crying. Officers noted nothing physical, and the male left for the night. A missing autistic juvenile was reported in the 400 block of Ives. He was found in the house prior to officers' arrival. Officers responded to a call in the 1800 block of Milton. The caller stated she was being threatened by a male. Police reported that, upon arriving on scene, they were unable to verify the information she provided to dispatch. They advised her of the personal protection order process. The male was contacted and advised as well. A fire was reported under the front porch of a residence in the 300 block of South Warren. According to police, the fire is believed to be from a tenants cigarette, but the real ignition source is unknown. No foul play is suspected. Saturday, May 7 A traffic stop near North Stewart and Maple for no plate resulted in driver being cited for no operators license, no insurance and a minor in possession of alcohol. Vehicle was towed by Curries. Police responded to a call in the 1000 block of Bjornson. A juvenile reportedly was allowed to stay the night at a friends house after argument with mom. When mom went to pick her up the next morning, she was gone. The juvenile was located at a different friends house and was allowed to stay. Police responded to the 300 block of Morrison Street for a report of a male walking around incoherent. Male was transported to Spectrum Health Big Rapids Hospital to be evaluated. A loose Mastiff was reported in the 1100 block of Platt. The dog was taken to the Animal Rescue Collision. Police report the dog was very friendly and had no tags. Police performed a check well being request in the 200 block of Hemlock. A male allegedly texted his mom SOS. Contact was made with the male, and he said it was an accidental dial. Police responded to City Lot 4 for a report of a heavily intoxicated male who stumbled back into the bar. Man was located in his vehicle in the back seat and allegedly had urinated himself. Contact was made with the man's mother who responded from Howard City to pick him up. Sunday, May 8 Officers responded to the 200 block of South Stewart Avenue to assist with a disorderly 21-year-old autistic male who allegedly had become violent. The male calmed down as officers arrived, and officers assisted the family with getting to the Rock Cafe. A traffic stop in the 300 block of North Warren Avenue led to driver being issued an appearance ticket for no insurance. A civil issue was reported in the 800 block of North State Street. Police report a male and female were disputing about who took a set of speakers from the residence. Officers responded to a fire in the 1100 block of Catherine which led to male being arrested on multiple misdemeanor warrants. Officers provided assistance to Michigan State Police on traffic stop near Colburn and Bronson which led to two females being arrested for misdemeanor warrants. A report of tampering with a vehicle was made in the 1100 block of Fuller. Caller reported going out to her vehicle and finding all four tires had been removed and placed under the vehicle. Suspects unknown. Monday, May 9 A civil dispute between two subjects over internet and a Nintendo Switch was reported in the 200 block of Woodward. One subject was arrested on a misdemeanor warrant from Osceola County for animal abandonment and turned over to the Osceola County Sheriff's Office at dispatch. Police performed an area check in the 300 block of North Warren for a report of juveniles on the island behind Big Rapids Middle School allegedly chopping down trees. Officers located the juveniles in Hemlock Park, who allegedly were skipping school. Case will be referred for truancy. A juvenile compliant was made in the 500 block of North Warren Avenue. A female allegedly refused to leave school due to her phone being taken. She was given a ride home and turned over to her mother. A hit and run was reported near Darwin and Bjornson. A tree service truck allegedly backed into power pole, and the driver allegedly stopped, looked at it and left. The driver was identified, and a citation will be issued. Pole was damaged and will need replacement. Consumers Energy was advised. A traffic stop in the 800 block of South State Street for no plate led to the driver being cited for no insurance. The passenger was arrested for a fail to appear warrant out of Ottawa County. A suspicious situation was reported in the 400 block of Linden Street. A male reported sending a nude photo to a scammer who allegedly threatened to send it to friends or have him arrested. The male sent $150 through Cash App. Police report that the alleged scammer appears to be foreign based on text conversation. The male was advised to report the incident to Cash App for possible refund. Tuesday, May 10 An assault was reported in the 500 block of Willow Avenue. A school resource officer took an assault complaint involving juveniles. A found fishing tackle box and ID was returned to the owner. Police executed a prisoner pick up in the 400 block of Elm Street. A male was picked up from Manistee County Jail for his court warrants. A civil dispute was reported at Parkview Village. A female was upset that her ex-husband allegedly kept calling her because he is upset about her dating a new man and the possibility of the children being around him. A traffic stop near Maple Street and Fourth for no plate led to driver being cited for no insurance and an unregistered vehicle. A traffic stop near Escott and Spring streets for speed on Fuller led to driver being cited for no insurance, improper plate and an unregistered vehicle. Curries impounded the vehicle. MANISTEE Over $7,000 has been raised by the Manistee Area Chamber of Commerce Leadership Class for the Wagoner Community Center's patio project. The 2018/19 leadership class chose its project during the chamber's leadership program to support the Manistee County Council on Aging and its efforts to transform the outdoor space at the center. A total of $7,127.71 was awarded to help create "an inviting outdoor space that will compliment their programming and create a strong sense of place," according to a press release from the chamber. The total cost for this project is estimated at $75,000. "We are so excited to be able to use the patio project funds to put a beautiful, outdoor space at the Wagoner Community Center for the seniors. The leadership group worked so hard to make this dream of an outdoor space possible," stated Sarah Howard, executive director of the Manistee County Council on Aging, in the release. Cheryl Hogan, a member of the leadership alumni, stated the program gives its participants the opportunity to come together as a team to work toward a common goal on a selected project. "It is with sincere pleasure that our class has the opportunity to donate to the Wagoner Center for the patio project," Hogan stated in the release. To learn more about the Manistee Area Chamber of Commerce Leadership Program and how to participate, visit manisteechamber.com. For more information on the Wagoner Center Patio Project visit tomorrowbeginstodaycampaign.org. STAMFORD The worlds richest persons plan to buy one of the biggest social media platforms is a story trending around the globe and a small Connecticut hedge fund is jumping onboard. Among the approximately 20 investors supporting Elon Musks $44 billion takeover of Twitter is an investment-management firm based in Stamford: Cartenna Capital. The hedge fund manager has committed $8.5 million as an equity investor, according to Securities and Exchange Commission documents filed this month. While Cartenna is small and relatively unknown compared with the hedge fund giants based in Connecticut, its involvement in the acquisition highlights its home states standing as a financial services hub where many firms are involved in landmark deals. We believe this investment represents an opportunity to support an incredible business leader at an important time for Twitter, Peter Avellone, managing partner and chief investment officer of Cartenna, said in a statement. The firm declined to comment further on the investment. Cartenna is based in downtown Stamford at 281 Tresser Blvd. It has $359 million in assets under management, according to financial services data provider Preqin. The firm was founded in December 2019 by Avellone, a former portfolio manager at various multi-strategy firms, including Millennium Management, Citadel and Point72 Asset Management, according to a Preqin online profile of Cartenna. Stamford-based Point72, founded and led by Steven Cohen, is one of the largest Connecticut-based hedge fund managers, with about $24 billion in assets under management. For investors like Cartenna, in addition to being profitable by itself, supporting Musks acquisition of Twitter, may also be a foot in the door for future projects of this creative man, Lawrence J. White, a professor of economics at New York University, said in an interview with Hearst Connecticut Media Group. Musk, who is also the chief executive officer of electric-vehicle maker Tesla, ranks as the wealthiest person in the world by several measures. As of Tuesday, he had a net worth of $232 billion, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index. But experts such as White said even for Musk unilaterally funding the acquisition would have been burdensome. My understanding is that almost all of his wealth is tied up in Tesla stock, White said. Hes already sold some Tesla stock, but he doesnt want to have to liquidate a big fraction of his holdings to acquire Twitter. So he needs help. Factoring in the new financing, the $12.5 billion margin loan that Musk received to buy Twitter has decreased to $6.25 billion, according to the SEC filings. About $27 billion in equity and cash is now financing the acquisition. The largest investor in the deal is Prince Alwaleed bin Talal of Saudi Arabia, who has committed to rolling his $1.9 billion stake in the company into a privatized Twitter. The prince had initially opposed Musks offer because he said it undervalued Twitter. Among the other 17 investors disclosed in the SEC filings, Larry Ellison, co-founder of cloud-technology giant Oracle, is contributing $1 billion. Venture capital firms Sequoia Capital and Andreessen Horowitz, respectively, pledged $800 million and $400 million. Dubai-based investment firm VyCapital is contributing $700 million, while cryptocurrency exchange Binance.com is putting in $500 million. A new era at Twitter Musk would put an indelible imprint on Twitter, assuming he completes the acquisition. His ownership of the platform would affect a daily active user base that totaled about 229 million in the first quarter of 2022, up 16 percent from a year ago. San Francisco-headquartered Twitter would become a private company as a result of Musks purchase, and he has signaled that he intends to make other sweeping changes. Speaking virtually at an auto conference on Tuesday, Musk said he would reverse Twitters ban on former President Donald Trump, the Associated Press reported. He said the ban following the Jan. 6, 2021 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol was a morally bad decision and foolish in the extreme. I think that was a mistake because it alienated a large part of the country and did not ultimately result in Donald Trump not having a voice, said Musk, adding that he preferred temporary suspensions and other narrowly tailored punishments for content that is illegal or otherwise destructive to the world. Cartenna officials appear to have been scrutinizing Twitter for some time. Before the April 25 announcement of the companys agreement to be sold to Musk, Avellone spoke about social media sites, including Twitter, in a video posted April 13 on the Twitter account of Prometheus, a platform that connects investors and alternative fund managers. Theres a lot of noise, and, you know, at the end of the day, people who are risking their own money, theyre going to do the level of work that gives them comfort, Avellone said in the video, which appears to have been shot in the firms office building on Tresser Boulevard. I would just encourage people to not just trust whats out on Twitter, whats out on Reddit or other message boards, but to also pick up a companys actual filing once a quarter, read that 10-Q, that 10-K, and actually make sure that what youre following on social media is actually what the company is telling you in their own financials or their own forecast for the future, so ... you can make that most-informed and best decision for yourself. Despite their new investment, Cartenna officials are keeping a low profile on Twitter. Twitter search results on Wednesday did not show any accounts for Cartenna as a firm or Avellone in a personal capacity. Cartennas website does not offer additional information about the firm either. As of Wednesday evening, it consisted of a homepage showing the firms name and email, but no other content or links. In contrast, the businessman with whom they are partnering has a rather substantial online presence. As of Wednesday, Musks Twitter follower count totaled about 92 million. Since joining the network in 2009, he has sent out about 17,700 tweets. Correction: This story has been updated to correct the spelling of Andreessen Horowitzs name. pschott@stamfordadvocate.com; twitter: @paulschott MIDDLETOWN With the help of more than 100 firefighters and 10 other departments, first responders contained a 250-acre brush fire in Middletown Tuesday evening. Firefighters had been battling the blaze since 1 p.m. when Middletowns South Fire District was called to River and Aircraft roads for a downed power line that sparked the fire, according to South Fire District Chief James Trzaski. Due to dry conditions and extreme winds, the fire rapidly spread. As of 6 p.m., the fire was at more than 10 acres. Winds continued to grow the fire until it reached 250 acres, Trzaski said. At least 10 area departments helped the South Fire District with their response. The Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, the Middletown Police Department and Connecticut State Police were also on the scene, he added. One firefighter suffered an ankle injury, Trzaski said. The firefighter was sent to the hospital for an evaluation. Only land was affected in the brush fire. At one point in the operation, officials were concerned about a structure getting caught in the inferno, but firefighters worked to diminish that chance, he said. As of 9:40 p.m., the fire was contained, but not extinguished. Trzaski said he has crews that will monitor the blaze throughout the night. Meanwhile, all crews have been taken out of the woods as weakening trees posed a threat to firefighters, according to Trzaski. Trzaski said the fire wont spread. Firefighters will return first thing in the morning to continue to contain the blaze. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate LOS ANGELES (AP) A U.S. appeals court ruled Wednesday that Californias ban on the sale of semiautomatic weapons to adults under 21 is unconstitutional. In a 2-1 ruling, a panel of the San Francisco-based 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals said Wednesday the law violates the Second Amendment right to bear arms and a San Diego judge should have blocked what it called an almost total ban on semiautomatic centerfire rifles for young adults. America would not exist without the heroism of the young adults who fought and died in our revolutionary army," Judge Ryan Nelson wrote. "Today we reaffirm that our Constitution still protects the right that enabled their sacrifice: the right of young adults to keep and bear arms. The Firearms Policy Coalition, which brought the case, said the ruling makes it optimistic age-based gun bans will be overturned in other courts. Adam Winkler, a law professor at the University of California, Los Angeles, said the decision is a clear sign of how courts, including the U.S. Supreme Court which has a major gun case before it, are expanding gun rights. Federal judges can read the tea leaves, Winkler said. In the coming years, the courts seem certain to strike down numerous gun safety measures in the name of the 2nd Amendment. This 9th Circuit ruling is a harbinger of things to come. The ruling, however, was not a total victory for gun rights advocates. They also sought an injunction blocking the state from requiring a hunting license for adults under 21 who are not in the military or law enforcement to purchase rifles or shotguns. Handgun sales to those under 21 were already prohibited when the hunting license requirement was passed in 2018 after some of the nations worst mass shootings were committed by young adults using rifles, including the Valentines Day slayings at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. The following year, the Legislature acted to address what they saw as a loophole after an April 2019 synagogue shooting in San Diego County. A 19-year-old armed with a semiautomatic rifle he had just purchased with a hunting license killed a 60-year-old woman and injured three others, including the rabbi and an 8-year-old girl at Chabad of Poway. The state passed the law banning sales of semiautomatic centerfire rifles to anyone under 21. There were exemptions for police or military troops but not for those with hunting licenses. Matthew Jones, a 20-year-old at the time from Santee in San Diego County, originally sued saying he wanted a gun to defend himself and other lawful purposes but didn't want to obtain a hunting license. His lawsuit, which had been filed before the under-age ban on semiautomatic weapons, was amended to also challenge that law. The suit said the state had whittled down (the) already inapplicable and irrelevant hunting license exemption the only exemption that is even possible for an ordinary, law abiding young adult who does not wish to enter into a highly dangerous career in law enforcement or the military by prohibiting an entire class of firearms. The 9th Circuit ruled the hunting license requirement was reasonable for increasing public safety through sensible firearm control. But it said an outright ban on semiautomatic rifles for those under 21 went too far. Its one thing to say that young adults must take a course and purchase a hunting license before obtaining certain firearms, Nelson wrote. "But to say that they must become police officers or join the military? ... It is a blanket ban for everyone except police officers and servicemembers." Nelson and Judge Kenneth Lee, who ruled in the majority, were part of Republican President Donald Trump's wave of conservative-approved nominees that reshaped the famously liberal court. Two years ago, Lee authored a 2-1 decision that threw out Californias ban on high-capacity ammunition magazines, saying the law violated the U.S. Constitutions protection of the right to bear firearms. That ruling was later overturned by the court's 7-4 review of the decision. A dissent was written by U.S. District Court Judge Sidney Stein, who was assigned to the panel from the Southern District of New York. Stein was nominated to that court by Democratic President Bill Clinton. Stein said he would have upheld the lower court's decision not to block either law. Stein said the regulation did not place a severe burden on gun ownership rights on young adults and noted they could get semiautomatic rifles from family members or borrow them from others. He also said the majority failed to consider the the disproportionate amount of violent crime committed by those under 21 who have relatively less mature cognitive development. Democratic Sen. Anthony Portantino of La Canada Flintridge, who wrote both laws, said he was disappointed the semiautomatic ban was struck down but was pleased the hunting license requirement survived. I remain committed to keeping deadly weapons out of the wrong hands, Portantino said. "Student safety on our campuses is something we should all rally behind and sensible gun control is part of that solution. Attorney General Rob Bonta's office said it was reviewing the decision. In a statement, a spokesperson said it was committed to defending Californias commonsense gun laws. A Place for All Conservatives to Speak Their Mind. The Pentagon is poised to get a nearly $20 billion infusion to ship more weapons to Ukraine and support U.S. troops stationed elsewhere in Europe as the conflict nears the three-month mark. The Pentagon funding is part of a broader $40 billion security and humanitarian aid package approved by the House on Tuesday night in a 368-57 vote, with all the "no" votes coming from Republicans. The bill is also expected to pass the Senate in the coming days with a similarly wide bipartisan majority; Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., said on the floor Wednesday his chamber would act on the bill "as soon as we can." "Given the magnitude of the terror campaign being waged against the Ukrainian people and Ukrainian democracy, we are morally obligated to ensure Ukraine has the security and economic aid they need," House Appropriations Committee Chair Rosa DeLauro, D-Conn., said in a statement Tuesday. Read Next: 3 VA Mental Health Counselors Kept Their Jobs After Starting Relationships with Patients, Watchdog Finds The bill moving through Congress this week is the second major funding package it has approved to respond to Russia's invasion of Ukraine. The first $13.6 billion aid package passed in March included $6.5 billion for the Pentagon. The latest bill comes as the United States is lurching toward involvement in the conflict through higher-profile weapons shipments, training Ukrainian forces and reportedly sharing intelligence that has led to Russian battlefield losses. The administration has been warning it's nearly exhausted the weapons funding included in the March bill, with the Pentagon saying Monday only $100 million was left. President Joe Biden delivered a statement the same day saying he expected the funding to dry up in 10 days. "The additional resources included in this bill will allow us to send more weapons, such as artillery, armored vehicles and ammunition, to Ukraine," White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said in a statement Tuesday night after the House vote. "And they will help us replenish our stockpile and support U.S. troops on NATO territory. As the president said yesterday, we cannot afford any delay in this vital effort." Biden had asked for $33 billion more to address the continuing war, including $16.4 billion for the Pentagon. But Congress beefed that up to $39.8 billion overall, with $19.8 billion for the Pentagon. By comparison, the money headed to the Pentagon in the new bill is about one-third of Russia's $65.9 billion military budget for all of 2021. The bill would provide $8.7 billion to replenish the stocks of U.S. weapons that are being sent to Ukraine. It would also allocate $6 billion for the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative, the program Congress created in 2016 to buy weapons for and help train the Ukrainian military. There's also $3.9 billion for U.S. military operations in Europe, including "mission support, intelligence support, hardship pay for troops deployed to the region and equipment including a Patriot battery," according to a summary of the bill released by House Appropriations Committee Democrats. The Pentagon funding is rounded out with $600 million to help contractors speed up missile production, $500 million to ensure the United States doesn't run low on its own "critical" ammunition, and $50 million to develop plans that could ease future weapons exports to U.S. allies and partners. The White House had also asked for Congress to include in the Ukraine bill a pathway for Afghan refugees to secure permanent legal residency in the United States, but that provision was jettisoned from the legislation approved by the House amid Republican objections. -- Rebecca Kheel can be reached at rebecca.kheel@military.com. Follow her on Twitter @reporterkheel. Related: Despite Having Misjudged Russia's 'Hollow Force,' Intelligence Officials Say Putin Is Still an 'Evolving' Threat Former Defense Secretary Mark Esper said he prevented "dangerous things" from happening during the time President Donald Trump was in office, including military intervention in Venezuela and a blockade of Cuba. "At various times, certainly during the last year of the administration, folks in the White House were proposing to take military action against Venezuela, to strike Iran," Esper said in an interview on CBS' "60 Minutes" on Sunday about his forthcoming memoir, "A Sacred Oath." At some point, he said, "somebody proposed we blockade Cuba." He did not provide more details about who proposed such ideas, but he said such suggestions "would come up every few weeks, and we had to swat them down." Asked to clarify who else helped in defusing such proposals, he said he had "good support" from Gen. Mark Milley, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. "It is important to tell the story of things we prevented, really bad things, dangerous things that could have taken the country in a dark direction," Esper said. In his book, which will be released Wednesday, the former secretary of defense makes several controversial allegations, including that Trump asked about "shooting missiles into Mexico to go after the cartels," he recounted in the CBS interview. Talks of military action against Venezuela in Trump's White House have been reported before, including in the book "The Room Where It Happened" by former national security adviser John Bolton. Bolton wrote that Trump thought it would be "cool" to invade Venezuela. In 2019, the Trump administration supported a bid by the head of Venezuela's National Assembly, Juan Guaido, to force strongman Nicolas Maduro to leave the country. Maduro had secured his reelection a year earlier in a process seen as rigged. The administration recognized Guaido as the nation's legitimate leader and imposed sanctions as part of a so-called "maximum pressure" campaign. The crackdown included sanctions against Cuba for its role in supporting Maduro. On April 30, Trump threatened Cuba with "a full and complete embargo, together with highest-level sanctions," if the Cuban government did not "immediately CEASE military and other operations for the purpose of causing death and destruction to the Constitution of Venezuela." Following Trump's comments, Florida Sen. Rick Scott proposed a naval blockade to prevent ships from Venezuela from taking oil to Cuba. In his book, Bolton wrote that Trump also repeatedly asked the Defense Department for options to stop such shipments, including interdiction. "Although military force inside Venezuela was a nonstarter, using force to slice Cuba's oil lifeline could have been dramatic," Bolton said. "The Pentagon did nothing." Esper, who was in charge of the Pentagon until November 2020, had different plans. He and Milley worked to prevent "unnecessary wars" and "misuse of the military" before the 2020 presidential elections, he told CBS correspondent Norah O'Donnell. Ultimately, efforts to unseat Maduro failed, although the U.S. and other countries around the world still recognize Guaido as the interim president of Venezuela. 2022 Miami Herald. Visit at miamiherald.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. The U.S. military's top officer expressed concern Wednesday over a Defense Department plan to cut nearly 13,000 military health jobs, saying the reductions could leave the medical forces short during wartime. Testifying as part of a House hearing on the DoD budget Wednesday, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Gen. Mark Milley said the proposed cuts -- an element of larger health reform initiatives at the DoD -- are "OK on a day-to-day basis" when providers are in protected hospital settings, but they could be a significant challenge with troops in harms way. Milley raised questions over whether there would be a sufficient number of doctors, nurses, corpsmen and medics to man combat hospitals and fighting units. Read Next: Soldier Killed in Bear Attack on Alaska Military Base "Candidly, I do have concerns," Milley said. "[Medical readiness is] a very challenging subset of our overall military personnel challenges, but one, in particular, that causes great attention because in time of war, as we all know, there'll be significant casualties. In peacetime, you're manning these treatment facilities ... but in wartime, they're going to go forward, and that is where the readiness issues will show up." Congress authorized the DoD in 2017 to revamp its medical system, with an aim to curb the rising costs of providing medical care for 9.6 million service members, military retirees and their families. Under the plan, the DoD's Defense Health Agency is to operate the health care system, including running military hospitals and clinics and providing care to non-military beneficiaries. Service medical commands will focus on caring for U.S. troops in DHA facilities and deployment settings, including combat, and training medical personnel for operations. As part of the plan, the military services are expected to cut roughly 12,800 military health billets, and the Defense Health Agency will downsize or close 50 health facilities. The reductions were placed on hold during the pandemic, but DHA officials said earlier this year that they would proceed with the reforms this year. Some hospitals and clinics have begun feeling the pinch of the reductions, having let positions that are expected to be eliminated go unfilled as troops leave the service or depart for another duty station. Lawmakers whose districts will be affected by the changes have raised concerns over the reforms, which they say already are affecting medical care. Rep. Derek Kilmer, D-Wash., said in May 2021 that the staff at Naval Hospital Bremerton had been reduced by more than 100 billets in the previous year, causing patients to "lose access to quality care." "The realignment is not only affecting the military hospital in my region, but is affecting many other districts across the country as well," Kilmer said during a hearing on the military health system. "When hospital staff leave, either because they retire or move to another installation, their positions are no longer being filled." Following reporting from Military.com, Rep. Greg Murphy, R-N.C., wrote a letter to Defense Health Agency Director Lt. Gen. Ronald Place on April 6 asking him to look into servicewomen and military spouses facing challenges getting timely appointments for maternity care in the area surrounding Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, as a result of a shortage of providers at the naval hospital on base. "This issue may not be just one that my district is experiencing but may be systemic to all military hospitals due to reforms DHA is leading to cut costs across the system," Murphy wrote. "Military dependents are being forced to find private physicians to care for them. In the case of Jacksonville, for example, there may not be enough OB/GYNS to care for our expectant mothers." The Defense Department's proposed fiscal 2023 budget calls for $54 billion for the military health system, a nearly 8% increase from the start of the pandemic. During the hearing Wednesday, members of the House Appropriations Defense Subcommittee did not comment on the medical budget request, nor did the representative who asked the question -- Arizona Democrat Rep. Ann Kirkpatrick, whose district includes Fort Huachuca and Davis-Monthan Air Force Base -- give Milley any feedback. Rep. Betty McCollum, D-Minn., the subcommittee chairwoman, did promise to hold a hearing specifically on the military health system. -- Patricia Kime can be reached at Patricia.Kime@Military.com. Follow her on Twitter @patriciakime -- Rebecca Kheel can be reached at Rebecca.Kheel@Military.com. Follow her on Twitter @reporterkheel. Related: Here's the List of Military Clinics That Will No Longer Serve Retirees, Families A soldier died in a bear attack during a training exercise at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, the Army announced Monday. It is unclear whether the soldier was equipped with bear spray, or if their unit supplies the spray to all of its troops. A packing list for students at Alaska's Cold Weather Leaders Course, the region's premier school training soldiers to survive in the area, does not include bear spray. The Army said it was withholding the name of the soldier until their next-of-kin is notified. State authorities are searching the training area for the bear. Read Next: Strykers in Alaska May Get Scrapped for Parts, Army Secretary Says In 2014, two soldiers were attacked by bears at the base. A noncommissioned officer with the Alaska National Guard suffered non-life threatening injuries during a land navigation course when he encountered a bear and her two cubs. The bear swatted at the soldier, bit him and then picked him up by the hip and threw him, according to reporting from Reuters. That same year, another NCO was attacked by a bear while on a run. She was thrown and pummeled by the bear several times while playing dead, according to reporting from The Associated Press. According to a report from Alaska health officials, 68 people were hospitalized after bear attacks between 2000 and 2017. During that period, 10 people died. Bear attacks happen most frequently between June and September. -- Steve Beynon can be reached at Steve.Beynon@military.com. Follow him on Twitter @StevenBeynon. Related: Breakdowns, Ripped Clothing and Dying Batteries: Army Commits to Arctic But Still Figuring Out What Soldiers Need When the Air Force announced plans to move U.S. Space Command from Peterson Space Force Base in Colorado Springs to Huntsville, Alabama's Redstone Arsenal last year, Colorado lawmakers immediately demanded an investigation. The state's delegation in Washington was alarmed at the move of the command and its 1,400 jobs and millions in funding to Alabama, and the lawmakers asked the Government Accountability Office, or GAO, as well as the Pentagon's Inspector General's Office, to make sure nothing unethical was at play. In a newly released inspector general's report, the Pentagon watchdog said that, while the selection process was marred by shoddy record keeping, the ultimate decision to choose Huntsville was "reasonable." Read Next: Space Force Chief Shows Off Latest Service Dress Uniform Prototype. Yes, They Tweaked the Pants. The report, published Tuesday, is not the bombshell that opponents of the move hoped it would be after alleging that former President Donald Trump's decision to move U.S. Space Command was politically motivated and a waste of resources. "We determined that, overall, the basing action process directed by the Secretary of Defense (SECDEF) complied with Federal law and DoD policy," the inspector general's report said. Many Colorado lawmakers had been briefed on the GAO's unreleased findings and have teased them at various committee hearings on Capitol Hill. But most had not publicly commented on the Pentagon's investigation. After the report was made public, Colorado's U.S. Sens. Michael Bennet and John Hickenlooper released a joint statement saying they believe the selection of a new site wasn't adequately thorough. "Our position remains that the previous administration used a basing process for U.S. Space Command that was untested, lacked transparency, and neglected critical national security and cost considerations," the senators said in an emailed statement. "Space Command should remain permanently based at Peterson Space Force Base in Colorado." This past August, former President Trump stoked concerns that he had short-circuited the selection process when he called into a local radio show in Alabama. "Space force -- I sent to Alabama," Trump told the "Rick&Bubba" radio show. "I hope you know that. [They] said they were looking for a home, and I single-handedly said, 'Let's go to Alabama.' They wanted it. I said, 'Let's go to Alabama. I love Alabama.'" U.S. Space Command -- SPACECOM -- was reactivated in August 2019, before the Space Force became the military's sixth service branch later that year. SPACECOM is responsible for military operations related to space, while the Space Force organizes and trains space personnel. The inspector general's report reviewed the process for how Redstone Arsenal became a finalist and, ultimately, won out over five other finalist locations: Kirtland Air Force Base, New Mexico; Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska; Patrick Air Force Base, Florida; Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado; and Kelly Field at Port San Antonio, Texas. Air Force officials' process for determining an ideal base location was inspired by the Army's process for choosing Austin, Texas, for Army Futures Command in 2018. They "used publicly available data, incorporated site visits conducted by the Basing Office personnel, and provided periodic status updates to Congress," to make their determinations, according to the report. The inspector general determined that criteria used for selecting the site "were a reasonable and objective means of assessing, scoring, and ranking the candidate locations for hosting the USSPACECOM HQ," according to the report. Alabama lawmakers, such as Republican U.S. Sen. Richard Shelby, celebrated the IG reports findings Wednesday. "It's a positive," Shelby told Military.com. "We've always thought that that was a meritorious thing; the Air Force has said that and the IG's confirmed it." Space Command will be relocated pending the findings of an environmental impact study sometime next year. The location is expected to be home to 1,400 personnel. Bennet and Hickenlooper believe there is more investigating to do and said in a statement that they "are reviewing the findings of the report, and will have more to share in the coming days." Colorado is currently home to several military installations, including Buckley, Peterson and Schriever Space Force Bases. It's also the temporary home to STARCOM -- Space Training and Readiness Command -- which is in charge of education and training for future Space Force Guardians. All three Space Force bases in Colorado are finalists for the command headquarters. Retired Air Force Col. Bill Woolf, the president and founder of the Colorado Springs nonprofit Space Force Association, which works to promote public awareness about the service, said that the inspector general's report shouldn't change much for military leaders in the state. Only a few states have Space Force bases, and Colorado has the most. Woolf said lawmakers should focus on supporting those as best they can. "Our job is to support Guardians wherever they're located," Woolf said. "This means Colorado can focus on the service commands for the Space Force that are here." -- Thomas Novelly can be reached at thomas.novelly@military.com. Follow him on Twitter @TomNovelly. -- Rebecca Kheel contributed to this report. 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Summary of all keyboard shortcuts 11.05.2022 LISTEN Mr Godson Bill Ocloo, a security analyst has disclosed that the report released by the US Department of State which cited Ghana for some number of human rights abuses is a true reflection of what is happening in the nation now. According to Mr Ocloo, he sometimes disagrees with US reports but this particular report, everybody can boldly testify. "l am not surprised Ghana dropped from 30th position to 60th on world press freedom rankings," he added. He said there have been several assaults on media personnel in the country under the current NPP government. Mr Ocloo continued that the attack on free speech, assault and killings, political interference among others, if not addressed sooner than later, will jeopardise the safety of citizens. "Look at how social activist Kaka was killed, Caleb Kudah and his colleague Zoe Abu-Baidoo were manhandled by national security personnel? Do you think with such happenings, our press men and ordinary Ghanaians are safe? Am not safe likewise ordinary Ghanaian on the street," he fumes. Mr Bill Ocloo in an exclusive interview with ModernGhana News added that the major cause of growing insecurity in the country is government's lack of interest to address the issue. He added, "It beats my imagination to see a military and police officer shooting an ordinary citizen who carries no weapon." He mentioned that nine civilians were killed during the 2020 general elections in various electoral areas, but nothing is being done about the issue and the perpetrators are walking free. Mr Ocloo noted that many citizens have lost hope in the security agencies and it is up to government to wake up to the reality before the youth begins to take law into their own hands. According to him, the recent arrested of some police personnel in connection to the bullion van robberies in the city further exacerbate the issue of insecurity in the country including other police-linked robberies on the country's highways. "There is a video circulating on social media which shows a police personnel in uniform taking part in NPP constituency election, clearly tells you that, political interference is playing a lot in our security matters," he stated. He advised journalists to stick to nothing but the truth and keep doing the good works devoid of political interference. The escape of a serious criminal and his prison guard and alleged lover in the USA has come to a tragic end. Police announced on Monday that correctional officer Vicky White shot herself after a chase. The suspected murderer Casey White, on the other hand, was arrested. The two had caused a stir with their escape from a prison in the US state of Alabama ten days ago. The police discovered the two fugitives, who are not related despite having the same surname, after a tip-off several hundred kilometres away from the prison in the state of Indiana. The pair had been recognised at a hotel. During the ensuing chase, the pair drove their getaway vehicle into a ditch. While 56-year-old Vicky White succumbed to her gunshot wound in hospital, 38-year-old Casey White was arrested with minor injuries. According to the police officers, no shots were fired. No one else was injured. "We took a dangerous man off the streets today," said Lauderdale County, Alabama, Sheriff Rick Singleton, in whose jurisdiction the jail is located. "He will never see the light of day again." Casey White had multiple prior convictions. He was sentenced to 75 years in prison for kidnapping, burglary and attempted murder, among other charges. Authorities had been searching high and low for the warden and the criminal. Vicky White had picked up the inmate from the Lauderdale County jail at the end of April - ostensibly to bring him to court for a psychological examination. However, the two never arrived at the courthouse and disappeared. It was the last day of work before the jailer retired. Investigators found that in the weeks before the escape, the officer had sold her house and withdrawn about $90,000 in cash from several banks in the area. Under an alias, she bought an SUV as a getaway car. Until then, the petite woman had led a seemingly orderly life without any great conspicuousness. Her alleged lover, on the other hand, is a 2.06 metre (tall) colossus whom the authorities classify as "extremely dangerous". According to the report, he bears a tattoo of a racist prison gang. Francis Tawiah (Duisburg - Germany) Mr. Japhet Festus Gbede, a communication team member of the opposition National Democratic Congress in the Volta Region's Akatsi South Constituency, has stated that Ghana has been used a collateral for President Nana Addo Danqua Akufo-Addo and his appointees to acquire loans into their pockets. In a newspaper review segment on Avenor TV's "Agbe ndi' program this morning, the young and vibrant NDC deputy communication officer hopeful for Akatsi South Constituency criticizes the President for his excessive borrowings for consumption. In his statement, Japhet Festus Gbede cautioned the president to curb his insatiable appetite for borrowing in order to keep the national debt from rising further. After learning of a possible terrorist attack on Ghana, the outspoken Japhet advised President Nana Addo and his NPP government to refrain from borrowing and instead focus on resolving the country's economic issues, lowering the unemployment rate and fulfilling its 2016 and 2020 campaign promises. Ghana has been designated as a country with debt distress, and Mr. Japhet caution the NPP administration to tred cautiously so as not to imperil future generations in the country, which is likely to spark an uprising. He challenged the president to restore the economy. Grateful Givers, a non-profit and non-governmental organisation based in Accra, on Sunday, April 8, 2022, presented gifts worth thousands of Ghana cedis to mothers as part of this year's Mother's Day celebration. The event which took place at the Mamobi General Hospital in Accra saw over 30 new mothers receive various gifts donated by the NGO to make the day memorable for them and also encouraged them as mothers to serve as role models for their kids and families. The items were diapers, pampers, clothes, washing and bathing soaps, cosmetics and toiletries, among others. Speaking shortly after presenting the items to the beneficiaries, the Convener and Founder of Grateful Givers, Maame Akosua Serwaa Gyening, said motherhood was a blessing from God and therefore should be celebrated. She noted that not every woman was ordained to have children or be called a mother and advised that those who were lucky enough to have completed their nine months of gestation and had put to bed, be recognised and celebrated by the society. She indicated that the Grateful Givers was a non-profit organization seeking the welfare of the mothers and children in Ghana, and urged women, especially mothers, to be good role models to both their children and the society where they live. She described children as gifts from God and urged mothers to pray for them and give them the necessary support that they need in their development stage to enable them to grow up well and be able to contribute their quota in nation-building. "Children are a gift from God and the mothers must pray for them and give them the necessary support that they need in their development so they can grow up and also contribute their quota in nation-building," she said. She employed men especially fathers, to be supportive of their wives to mitigate the suffering women go through in their daily lives. Ms Gyening further encouraged ladies to be hardworking, and desist from engaging in activities that could endanger their lives and that of their unborn children. A midwife and a member of Grateful Givers, Dorcas Zenabu Seidu, on her part, also encouraged mothers to take good care of their children. She also thanked health workers, especially the midwives for the role they play in the lives of children and that of their mothers. A senior midwife at the Mamobi General Hospital, Madame Patience Gamena Mohammed, on behalf of the hospital, expressed gratitude to the Grateful Givers for the gesture and encouraged other organisations that could be of support to mothers especially those who just attained motherhood, to do so. Some of the mothers, speaking to the media, thanked Grateful Givers for the gifts, and prayed for God's blessings and support for the development of the organisation. Two years after the emergence of COVID-19, Africa has absorbed a number of lessons which will prove crucial as the continent confronts the new food, fuel and fertilizer crisis reverberating across the world as the Russia-Ukraine war creates historic, global trade and commodity disruptions. Ongoing studies will in time, no doubt, offer compelling explanations as to why the overall incidence of COVID-19 on the continent has remained low. But already, two things are clear: Africa reacted collectively, and it reacted early and this has paid off. Over 38 countries were locked down within three months of the crisis. While the lockdowns caused untold harm to many economies, it allowed countries to assess their capacity to respond and begin putting in place rapid response systems. From Senegal to Togo, Kenya to Angola, new digital systems were set up and existing ones leveraged to manage the crisis. For East Africa and West Africa, new protocols were adopted to manage cross border trade and associated traffic, and these were harmonised across regions. The flagship collaborative efforts through the crisis have been central to preserving and reinforcing Africas resilience during the pandemic. It is the boldness of African Finance Ministers, the leadership role of Africa CDC and the financing ability of AfDB and AFREXIMBANK that have helped Africa mitigate against a threat that at one point seemed practically existential. A key instance of such imaginative and visionary leadership was the creation of the Africa Medical Supplies Platform and AVAT, the Africa Vaccine Acquisition Trust, which enabled the continent to source critically needed supplies to fight the pandemic at competitive prices. Faced with a new crisis, Africa must build on the experience of the past to pull together once again. The COVID-19 experience showed that organised pooling of demand can overcome supply chain challenges and deliver much needed goods at competitive prices. New markets within Africa were created, as pooled demand was matched with existing and repurposed capacities in the continent. Crucially, these achievements are replicable and the same can be done to address the food, fertiliser and energy commodities crisis being experienced today. The Russia-Ukraine crisis has increased the strain on critical supply chains in commodity markets, with current and expected price increases in agricultural products and inputs such as cereals and fertilisers. This has in turn put pressure on sometimes fragile domestic production for several African countries relying on these supply chains for staple goods, some of which depend on these imports for up to 80% consumption of wheat for instance. However, the larger implications are the downstream effects of potential supply chain constraints that can raise prices, increase vulnerability and food insecurity, building unsustainable pressure on already stretched fiscal environments. Aggregating its demand for these commodities will allow the continent to negotiate for competitive prices, especially for cereals and grains, assuring net food importers of the access and affordability of commodities like wheat and maize. At the same time, aggregating fertilizer demand from importing countries can deliver African producers of inputs such as fertilisers, ensuring timeliness and affordability, and thereby reducing the risk of food shortages. Building on the African Development Banks $1.5 billion emergency food production plan to mitigate the effect of the war on food prices through rapid production of wheat, maize, rice and soybean, AFREXIMBANK has undertaken a collaboration with other key continental institutions including, the AfCFTA Secretariat, and UNECA to launch the Africa Trade Exchange (ATEX), a platform to pool-procure bulk basic commodities and ensure countries access scarce supplies in a transparent and equitable manner. ATEX is a digital trade platform which will complement the existing digital ecosystem constructed to support the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Agreement. ATEX will help realize the development potential of e-commerce and digitalisation, particularly by facilitating access for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to the wider African market. This will enhance intra-African trade and the African trade position in the global market, thus assisting in adjusting to disruptions in supply chains and continued growth of African businesses and economies. To support supply chain resilience, ATEX will digitally enable the trade of the main agricultural commodities and inputs imported by the continent from Russia and Ukraine: cereals (including wheat, maize, and grains), fertiliser and associated inputs, oils, oilseed, as well as other products and inputs critical to support agricultural value chains. The platform will facilitate pooled procurement by African buyers of these commodities from African suppliers where possible, as in the case of fertilisers; and from outside the continent where necessary, as in the case of cereals and grains, thereby contributing to the creation of new, continental supply chains which insulate Africans from the volatility which has characterised recent years. Just like the solutions developed in the pandemic, ATEX constitutes an African innovation designed to address another crisis facing the continent it is a measure which the broader international community should support, and from which we can all learn. Through this and other comparable programmes, Africa is demonstrating leadership and ownership over its own challenges. But to say this is an African solution to an African problem is not to dismiss or discourage international collaboration indeed, our global partners will be pivotal in ensuring that Africa is included in the conversation on supply chain resilience. Africa must develop a more secure and stable mechanism to obtain critical commodities and cultivate stronger intra-African links between suppliers. ATEX represents only a fraction of Africas economic and innovative potential, but it promises a transformation in the continents approach to imports and trade. Mr Samuel Ofosu Ampofo, National Chairman, National Democratic Congress (NDC) has called for total unity among the party's teeming supporters and sympathizers to recapture political power. He said: It is an acceptable fact that global events such as the Russian-Ukraine war, COVID-19 has imposed challenges but bad governance has worsened the plight of Ghanaians. If your management of crises is weak, operational hiccups will dislodge your economy. Mr Ofosu Ampofo, therefore, called on the NDC members to hit the ground and work for mother Ghana, saying, we have a mandate to recapture political power in election 2024 to restore the Ghanaian dignity, good governance, and put in pro-poor policies to alleviate the difficulties. The NDC National Chairman stated this at an event organized by Mr Ernest Henry Norgbey NDC Member of Parliament for the Ashaiman Constituency dubbed: Honouring our Heroes and Heroines to reward and celebrate mothers. It was attended by some NDC Members of Parliament in Accra and the Volta Region, National, Regional, Constituency, Branch Executives, and a section of the public at Ashaiman. Mr Ofosu Ampofo charged NDC executives at various levels to frequently visit cadres and comrades who have served that party but were not in active service anymore to know how they were faring. He said as the first step toward recapturing political power, the NDC would soon outline its internal reorganization strategy ahead of the 2024 general elections. He, therefore, called on all party sympathisers to participate in the reorganisation process. Mr Ofosu Ampofo expressed gratitude to the Member of Parliament of Ashaiman for putting together the programme to reward the constituents. Mr Norgbey, who organised the event to celebrate mothers and honour some key members within the Ashaiman Constituency revealed that, the event, the seventh edition, sought to improve the livelihood of constituents. The Ashaiman Member of Parliament explained that the NDC party needed to honour people who have served that party at various stages stressing that such gestures would energize other members to also put in their best to help the party mobilize its members to work hard for electoral victory in 2024. Ms Zainab Mohammed, Deputy Communications Officer of the NDC in Ashaiman Constituency, in an interview with the Ghana News Agency, added that over 1,000 mothers including single mothers were feted by the Member of Parliament. She said some 32 other individuals were presented with an award for their service to the NDC party in the Ashaiman Constituency. Items included: Citations, LED Televisions, mattresses, and Sewing Machines, amongst other items. GNA The Mobile Money Agents Association of Ghana (MMAG) has expressed readiness to partner with the government to roll out policies that will help grow the mobile money industry. This was after the leadership of the association held a meeting with President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo at the Jubilee House on Tuesday, May 10, 2022. Speaking on behalf of MMAG, General Secretary Evans Otumfuor commended the government for taking a bold step to reduce the E-Levy charge from 1.75% to 1.50%. Your Excellency, let it be on record that our organization believes in the payment of taxes as a major tool to drive the needed development and progress and would not do anything that frustrates the success of the E-levy. Your Excellency, recently we have witnessed governments plan to introduce an electronic transaction levy which, as an association, we have raised a number of concerns but as we speak now, yesterday we were in a meeting with the Ministry of Finance, Ghana Revenue Authority and other relevant stakeholders and most of our concerns regarding the electronic transaction levy (E-Levy) have been addressed, the General Secretary of the Mobile Money Agents Association of Ghana told the president. According to Evans Otumfuor, the Mobile Money Agents Association of Ghana is now in full support of the E-Levy and ready to partner with the government in future endeavours. In concluding, the association is proud of you for these wonderful initiatives and that MMAG is ready to partner government to bring more of such refreshing policies since the Mobile Money business is one of the area government can invest in to create more employment for the youth, the General Secretary indicated. On his part, H.E Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo extended appreciation to the MoMo Agents Association and welcomed the offer of partnership. I am also very very encouraged and grateful by this offer of partnership to make sure this controversial tax is successfully administered, the President said. H.E Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo added, I think it is appropriate that stakeholders like you voice out your concerns as you did and that these concerns are taken into account by government so that when the law is finally shaped like it has been, its one thats meaningful for the state and its equally meaningful for the private sector operatives who are in this area. The Ghana Private Road Transport Union (GPRTU) says it is willing to meet government over the upward adjustment in transport fares. According to the union, an increase in fuel prices and the government's inability to scrap taxes on petroleum products is to blame for the situation. Speaking to Citi News, the General Secretary of GPRTU, Godfred Abulbire, however said despite the negotiations it won't back down from its plans to increase fares. Even if at all he [the Transport Minister] invites us, we will go. And when we are going, we will pick up the increment build up on the fuel and other components and go there and see if we are going to talk about a 50 percent, 30 percent or even 40 percent [increment]. And therefore, when we get there, we will have to justify why we are going by the 20 percent, he added. Some commercial drivers at some bus terminals are already charging 20% more on transport fares ahead of the expected increment in transport fares by the Ghana Private Road Transport Union (GPRTU) on Friday. Some commuters are bracing themselves for 30 percent increase in fares on May 13 by GPRTU. Transport fares increased by 15 percent in February 2022, when fuel prices averaged GH6.4 per litre. A litre of fuel now sells between GHS 9 and GHS10 after crossing the GHS8 per litre mark in the first week of March 2022. citinewsroom The Africa Centre for Energy Policy (ACEP), says agreeing to the proposals for tariff increment by the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) and the Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL) does not necessarily mean that it is the sole panacea to the challenges the two entities face. ACEPs Executive Director, Ben Boakye says the utility companies must have strategies to address their numerous challenges other than expect to address them with higher tariffs. The tariff adjustment alone is not the silver bullet. It is not going to solve the energy sector problems because we are getting inefficient by the day, we are wasting more money by the day, he said on Eyewitness News. The Electricity Company of Ghana had proposed that its tariffs be increased by 148% for 2022 and with 7.6% average adjustments between the periods of 2023 to 2026. The proposed sharp increment, according to ECG, is due to the gap between the actual cost recovery tariff and PURC-approved tariffs as well as the cost of completed projects. It made the call in a document presented to the Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (PURC). The Ghana Water Company, in a similar document, is also proposing an increment in its tariffs to be able to at least recover its operational cost. Although he believes an increment is necessary, Ben Boakye stated that efforts must be made to run the utility companies efficiently to drive profitability. He added that although previous attempts to address the underlying challenges of the utility companies have been unsuccessful, fresh efforts must be made to make the companies more efficient, stressing that the government must not continue to intervene by absorbing their losses We need to have these utilities operate as a business, recover their cost at the barest minimum and function effectively. The reason why we keep making these losses is because it is the same government that is operating these companies and when the losses are created, nobody is sanctioned and there is no way to get accountability for the losses and a budget shows up to absorb the losses time and again From where we sit, at no point should government be intervening the way we do. We have been advocating for years for us to separate the politics from the business of the utilities. Meanwhile the GWCL, ECG, PURC and other stakeholders are expected to engage in series of stakeholder meetings before a conclusion is drawn on the percentage of the tariff adjustment. citinewsroom Former President John Dramani Mahama has landed in Lafia, the Nasarawa State capital in Central Nigeria. The former President arrived on Tuesday, 10 May 2022. Mr Mahama, is visiting the Nasarawa state at the invitation of the Executive Governor and his Economic Advisory Council. He is expected to deliver a keynote speech at the Nasarawa Investment Summit, a 2-day summit which begins today, Wednesday, 11 May 2022. The former President, will be sharing with the summit, the main and critical opportunities for transforming a resource-rich but low productivity economy into a development miracle that creates sustained wealth and transforms communities. The Yogi Adityanath government in Uttar Pradesh has handed over the probe into the death of 21-year-old Nisha Yadav in Chandauli to the Crime Branch-Crime Investigation Department (CB-CID). The girl died allegedly due to thrashing by the police during a raid to nab her father, history-sheeter Kanhaiya Yadav in Saiyyedraja area in Chandauli district on May 1. The incident had also led to violent protests by villagers, who indulged in brick batting and even tried to block the national highway-2 after damaging an ambulance. Sources in the home department confirmed that the probe was being handed over to the CB-CID, saying that chief minister Yogi Adityanath has cleared the file. Formal orders will be issued on Wednesday. Senior officials at DGP headquarters said that the probe was given to CB-CID on the demand of the family of the deceased. It was alleged by the deceased girl's elder brother, Vijay Yadav that a police team led by Saiyyedraja SO, Uday Pratap had raided Kanhaiya Yadav's place following issuance of a non-bailable warrant against him. "However, the police did not find Kanhaiya and tried to take me with them. When Nisha opposed this, she was allegedly thrashed by Uday after which she died," he alleged in the FIR. Later, the SO, along with five other cops, was suspended and booked under the charges of culpable homicide not amounting to murder, punishment for voluntarily causing hurt, house trespass, assault, or wrongful restraint. Earlier, SP chief Akhilesh Yadav had also slammed the government on the incident and demanded a judicial probe in the matter. 11.05.2022 LISTEN Ghanas former president, John Dramani Mahama, has said he paid a courtesy call on the President of Ethiopia, Sahle-work Zewde while in Addis Ababa for a meeting of the board of the Tana High-Level Forum on Security in Africa . Lively and far-reaching discussions on recent developments, the future and direction of our continent; and the continuous support of the Ethiopian government for the activities of the Tana Forum, Mr Mahama wrote on his Facebook page, adding: Africa must indeed, rise. Later, Mr Maham reported that he arrived in Nasarawa State capital, Lafia, on Tuesday, at the invitation of the Executive Governor and his Economic Advisory Council to deliver a keynote speech at the Nasarawa Investment Summit. My participation will include a panel discussion on Nasarawa Means Business: The urgency of delivering sustained Economic Growth. I will share with the Summit, the main and critical opportunities for transforming a resource-rich but low productivity economy into a development miracle that creates sustained wealth and transforms communities, he said. Former Nigerian President, Dr Goodluck Jonathan, arrived in Dakar on Tuesday to participate in a sub-regional dialogue on sustaining democratic principles in West Africa, his spokesperson, Ikechukwu Eze, has said. According to him, the event was organised by the West African Elders Forum. The trip came amidst controversy surrounding his presidential ambition for the 2023 election under the platform of the All Progressives Congress. Eze in a statement titled, 'Ex-President Jonathan arrives Dakar for sub-regional dialogue on democracy, peace', said Jonathan who is the chair of WAEF would be declaring the event open alongside Senegalese President, Macky Sall. He said, The two-day programme, beginning on May 12, 2009, will provide the opportunity for former heads of state and other thought leaders in the sub-region to review recent socio-political developments, identify challenges and offer some recommendations that would enhance credible elections and peaceful transition of power in the sub-region. Other notable leaders from the sub-region expected at the event include former Sierra Leonean President Ernest Koroma, former United Nations Special Representative to West Africa and the Sahel, Mohammed Ibn Chambas and former President of the ECOWAS Commission, Dr Thomas Ouedraogo. Participants at the dialogue will be focusing on many issues affecting the growth of democracy in the sub-region including constitutional term limits, credible elections as well as the return of military coups and unconstitutional change of government. They will also examine processes of galvanizing and harnessing subregional and regional responses to the socio-political challenges affecting West Africa's democratic progress and advancement. Since its inauguration last year, WAEF, an initiative of the Goodluck Jonathan Foundation, has continued to champion causes that promote, peace, democracy and good governance in the sub-region. Two months ago, the Forum made up of mainly former Presidents and prime ministers from the sub-region convened a strategy meeting where they shared their thoughts on the democratic trends in West Africa. During the inauguration of the Forum in March last year, Dr Jonathan, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, and six other former West African leaders resolved to collectively exert their enormous goodwill towards ensuring peace in West African nations, by promoting credible elections and good governance, in order to prevent the nations from descending into crises. Other former Presidents who participated in the virtual event where a mechanism targeted at preventing and resolving election-related conflicts and maintaining stability in the sub-region was established include Pedro Pires Cabo Verde, Mrs Ellen Johnson Sirleaf Liberia, Amos Sawyer Liberia, Ernest Bai Koroma Sierra Leone as well as former Head of State General Abdulsalami Abubakar and Mrs Aminata Traore, former Senegalese Prime Minister. Deputy Minister of Energy, Andrews Egyapa Mercer has said there should be no worry over claims that unannounced power outages (dumsor) are coming back. According to him, data available to the government gives a clear indication that 'dumsor' is not a threat to Ghana at this point in time. We are not threatened by 'dumsor' at all. If you look at the data we are not threatened by dumsor, Egyapa Mercer said during an appearance on the Good Evening Ghana show. The Deputy Energy Minister further stressed, We [government] are not worried at all. To the extent that we operate equipment, you cannot predict. There are planned outages and unplanned outages. Planned outages I expect the ECG and the GRIDCOto announce and people plan for. Last Saturday, several parts of the country experienced a blackout, leaving people complaining and lambasting the government to come clean and admit there are challenges in the power sector. However, on Monday, the Ghana Grid Company released a statement to apologise to the general public. It explained that the major power outage was a result of some faulty equipment. The Special Prosecutors Office must fulfil the legal provision to update the public of its activities at least twice a year, Mr. Michael Boadi, Funds Raising Manager at the Ghana Integrity Initiative (GII), has said. Mr. Boadi said the media must lead in demanding accountability from the Special Prosecutor to fulfil the legal provision that mandates him to provide the offices activity report in a widely circulated newspaper. He said this when answering a question on the activities of the Special Prosecutor when he spoke on the topic The Fight Against Corruption, Is it a Mirage or Reality? during the 12th Ghana News Agency Tema Regional Offices Stakeholder Engagement and Workers Appreciation Day seminar-an initiative which creates a platform for state and non-state actors to address national issues. The monthly engagement also serves as a motivational mechanism to recognize the editorial contribution of reporters toward national development in general and the growth and promotion of the Tema GNA as the Industrial News Hub which was monitored by the Communication for Development and Advocacy Consult (CDA Consult) in Tema. He said even though the report from the US State Department Report 2021, released on April 12, 2022, stated that the Special Prosecutors Office since its creation in 2018 was yet to prosecute any case that resulted in a conviction, does not mean there was no justification to have such an office. The setting up of the Special Prosecutors Office is still justifiable even though they are yet to successfully get anyone convicted for corruption, Ghanaians must know that it is easy to prosecute a murder case than corruption, he added. Mr. Boadi indicated that Ghana still needed to have such an officer who could not be fired by the President as and when he like to prosecute corruption cases. He added that because the Attorney General was a Cabinet member and subject to the decisions of the President, they could not independently prosecute cases that involved their colleagues. He said Ghanaians must be patient with the office explaining that prosecuting corruption cases must be done meticulously, adding that getting evidence for corruption was difficult as people hardly document issues, while due to cultural upbringing, people do not volunteer information. Touching on the fight against corruption, he said to make meaningful gains in the fight, the public must be actively engaged in the formulating of policies and their implementation as the current approach seemed not to be working. Mr. Francis Ameyibor, Ghana News Agency Tema Regional Manager called on anti-corruption agencies to collaborate with the media to help expand the frontiers of the fight against corruption. He urged media houses to organize regular training for their reporters to enable them to appreciate the role of the media in the fight against corruption. Mr. Ameyibor advised media personnel to be guided by the ethics of their profession when reporting on corruption. 11.05.2022 LISTEN The Ghana National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT) is appealing to government to increase salaries for members as tariff hikes loom in the country. The Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) and the Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL) have already presented a proposal to the Public Utility Regulatory Commission (PURC) seeking an astronomical increase in tariff. Speaking to TV3 in an interview on Tuesday, May 10, 2022, NAGRAT President Angel Carbonou explained that the demand for an increment in salaries for members is justified because the tariff hikes will affect workers. The tariff hike will certainly affect workers. Workers are already suffering because government hasnt increased salaries. So we are appealing to the government that the time has come for salaries to be increased, the NAGRAT president shared. The Public Utility Regulatory Commission will today, Wednesday, May 11, 2022, hold a crucial meeting with utility service providers to look at their proposals. The Electricity Company of Ghana had proposed a tariff increment of 148% for 2022 and 7.6% average adjustments between the periods of 2023 to 2026. The proposed sharp increment, according to ECG, is due to the gap between the actual cost recovery tariff and PURC-approved tariffs as well as the cost of completed projects. For the Ghana Water Company Limited, it wants the tariff to be increased by 334%. Egypt has reaffirmed its support for the territorial integrity of the Kingdom of Morocco and its commitment to the UN-led process to settle the Moroccan Sahara issue. The Egyptian stance was expressed in the joint communique, issued following talks between Minister of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation and Moroccans Abroad, Nasser Bourita, and his Egyptian homologue, Sameh Choukri. Mr. Choukri stressed, on this occasion, Egypt's support for the content of Security Council resolutions, including resolution 2602, which welcomed Morocco's serious and credible efforts to move forward towards a political settlement of the Sahara issue, the document points out. The Egyptian Foreign Minister also praised the role of the Al-Quds Committee headed by King Mohammed VI in supporting Jerusalemites and preserving the Arab and Islamic character of Jerusalem, its legal status, its civilizational status and its symbolism as a land for coexistence between three religions. The Moroccan foreign minister praised the tangible support provided by Egypt to the Palestinian people. The two ministers also discussed the latest developments in the Libyan crisis, where they renewed their support for dialogue without external interference. At the official invitation of the Minister of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation and Moroccans Abroad, Nasser Bourita, the Egyptian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sameh Choukri, made a working visit to the Kingdom of Morocco during which the two sides held in-depth talks. The two ministers discussed bilateral relations, in accordance with the guidelines of the two Heads of state, HM King Mohammed VI and the President of the Arab Republic of Egypt, Abdelfettah Al Sissi. The talks also focused on the centuries-old relations and the ties of brotherhood binding the two brotherly countries, as well as the community of destiny and common objectives. The 37 Military Hospital has announced the closure of its maternity ward for fumigation starting today, May 11, 2022 The fumigation will last till Wednesday, May 18, 2022. In a statement released on May 10, the hospital said the fumigation was necessary to rid the unit of any infestation. The maternity unit will be opened to the public on Thursday, May 19, 2022. However, measures have been put in place to attend to emergency cases that may arise during this period. 11.05.2022 LISTEN The General Secretary of the Mobile Money Agents Association of Ghana (MMAAG) Evans Otumfou has accused the media of misrepresenting the leadership in their reports on the meeting the group had with President Nana Akufo-Addo yesterday at the Jubilee House. After endorsing the E-levy, he made another U-turn that they only support the public education on the E-levy and not the levy itself. Looking at the media presentation of the information over there, there is no way our members will support that particular media reportage. That is not exactly what we went to communicate, he told 3FM Sunrise on Tuesday May 11. Evans Otumfou added that they talked about the security of mobile money agents and their workers, the cost of operating business and the need for government to support their business but however the kind of reportage the media have given to their meeting with President Akufo-Addo rather won't make anybody happy with the MMAAG executives. He emphasised that their Association does not support the E-Levy policy and its implementation contrary to the news reports that they have given their hundred per cent (100%) support to the controversial levy. He told Alfred Ocansey on 3FM Sunrise Morning Show on Wednesday 12 May, 2022 that the leadership of MMAAG only meant they support the public education on E-Levy when they met with the President at the Jubilee House. Not that we generally support the E-Levy, it is the support of the education on the E-levy that we meant. We are not in support of any tax handle that impacts negatively on our businesses and the people of Ghana, Otumfou said. President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has assured Mobile Money Agents that their concerns regarding the e-levy will be taken into account by the government. He said this when the MoMo Agents Association of Ghana (MMAAG) paid a courtesy call on him at the Jubilee House in Accra on Tuesday, May 10. Mr Akufo-Addo thanked the association for agreeing to partner with the government in ensuring that the E-levy becomes a success. I am also very very encouraged and grateful by this offer of partnership to make sure this controversial tax is successfully administered, the President said. He added, I think it is appropriate that stakeholders like you voice out your concerns as you did and that these concerns are taken into account by government so that when the law is finally shaped like it has been, it's one that's meaningful for the state and it's equally meaningful for the private sector operatives who are in this area. Members of MMAAG assured Mr Akufo-Addo that they will support the e-levy and make it successful. They described themselves as allies, not opposers of the policy. The e-levy started on Sunday, May 1. The Commonwealth Secretariat has today held another instance of the Marlborough House Dialogues, its new forum for discussion and dialogue with political leaders and thinkers from across the Commonwealth. The third Marlborough Dialogue welcomed The Honourable Philip Davis QC MP, Prime Minster of The Bahamas, to speak on the importance of climate action within the Commonwealth family. This discussion is especially important ahead of the upcoming Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Kigali, Rwanda this June and in preparation for COP27 in Egypt. This Marlborough House Dialogue was titled Commonwealth Leadership in Accelerating Climate Action for SIDS: including for Sustainability and Tourism. Small Island Developing States (SIDS) continue to face the most devastating impacts of climate change, resulting in limited economic space to protect themselves and bolster their resilience efforts. The Commonwealth family has been pushing for collective climate action since 1989, when leaders committed to protecting the environment in the Langkawi Declaration. This was one of the worlds first collective statements to name greenhouse gas emissions as one of the leading problems facing the planet. Speaking at the dialogue, the Prime Minister of The Bahamas, the Hon Philip Davis QC MP, said: We cannot do this alone. We are in an inequitable position on climate change so it is important that the Commonwealth lends its voice. And the time has come that the voice is turned up to ensure that we get the proper response from the world on this existential threat. One area we need to tackle vigorously is access to climate funding. The process for accessing climate financing is so tortuous that many small island states like ours have not been able to access funds we need. So, the voice of the Commonwealth of Nations needs to be a loud voice sufficient to bring awareness and the need for action not tomorrow but today. The discussion was moderated by His Excellency Manoah Esipisu, High Commissioner of Kenya to the United Kingdom. In her remarks at the Dialogue, the Commonwealth Secretary-General, the Rt Hon Patricia Scotland QC, said: Climate change is rightly understood as the defining challenge of our times - both an existential threat and a multiplier of existing social and economic inequalities, which will bring forward the tipping point for conflict. The Commonwealth has led the way on climate change before and we must do so now. But it is only if we are united as a whole Commonwealth that we will meet the existential challenges we face. That is our task. Out of the Commonwealths 54 members, 32 are classified as small states, most of whom have a population of less than 1.5 million, including 25 small island developing states. According to the latest report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), small island nations are increasingly affected by a range of climate change impacts, which are already detectable across both natural and human systems. These include rises in temperature, the damaging effects of tropical cyclones, storm surges, droughts, changing rain patterns, sea-level rise, coral bleaching, and invasive species. Island communities, including the estimated 22 million people in the Caribbean who live below six metres elevation and half of the Pacific region's total population who live within 10 km of the coast, are particularly at risk. At CHOGM, Commonwealth countries will seek to build on outcomes from the United Nations Climate Change Conference COP26, towards achieving significant progress on issues such as climate finance at the forthcoming COP27 summit in Egypt this November. Police officers are seen in the northeastern Democratic Republic of Congo on May 10, 2021. DRC police recently detained three journalists for more than a week in an insult case. AFPAlexis Huguet 11.05.2022 LISTEN Dakar, May 10, 2022 Congolese authorities should immediately drop all criminal proceedings against journalists Albert Muhila, Dieu Agba, and Patrick Gbondo, and reform the countrys laws to ensure journalists are not jailed in connection with their work, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Tuesday. On April 22, officers with the Congolese National Police Mobile Intervention Group arrested the three journalists, who work as reporters and presenters with the privately owned broadcaster Radio Mwana Mboka, at the stations office in the northwestern town of Bumba, according to a report by the local press freedom group OLPA and Radio Mwana Mboka program manager and chief of staff Jose Dossa, who spoke to CPJ in a phone interview. Authorities released the journalists from Bumba Central Prison on May 4 after they paid 180,000 Congolese francs (US$90) each to Bumba prosecutor Fidele Atafu, according to Agba, who spoke to CPJ via phone. He said Atafu told them each journalist was responsible for paying him a further 180,000 francs and he would call them within five days, but Agba said the journalists had yet to be contracted about the additional money. Police said the journalists were detained in relation to a criminal insult complaint over an April 20 broadcast in which they all appeared, Agba told CPJ. He said police did not identify who filed that complaint. In that broadcast, guests of the program criticized the governing capacity and electability of politician Jean-Pierre Lihau Ebua, according to Agba, Dossa, and the OLPA. CPJ was unable to independently review that broadcast. Congolese authorities should immediately drop any legal proceedings against journalists Albert Muhila, Dieu Agba, and Patrick Gbondo and ensure they can cover issues of public interest without fear of arrest, said Angela Quintal, CPJs Africa program coordinator, in New York. With DRC elections scheduled for next year, access to information and political news is critical for the Congolese public to make informed decisions about their countrys future. Agba told CPJ on May 9 that he had not received any new information about the case, and no court date had been scheduled. When CPJ called Atafu on May 3, he confirmed that the journalists were in custody but said he could not provide further details on their case. He did not answer CPJs subsequent follow-up calls seeking comment. Jean-Pierre Lihau Ebua is the DRCs deputy prime minister, an elected representative from Bumba, and the minister of public service and modernization of public administration, according to Agba and a biography page published by the prime ministers office. CPJ called him for comment, but he did not answer. If convicted of insulting a member of the government, the journalists could face up to one year each in prison under Article 136 of the Congolese penal code. Convictions for insulting someone not in government can carry up to two months in prison under Article 75 of that code. When CPJ called Serge Mongolu, governor of Mongala province, which includes Bumba, he hung up as soon as CPJ asked about the arrests. Sukh Ram, a Congress veteran from Himachal Pradesh's Mandi as well as a former Telecom Minister, passed away at AIIMS in Delhi on Wednesday. He was 94. The six-time legislator and three-time MP was on life-support system after he suffered a massive cardiac arrest two days ago. His grandson Ashray Sharma in a message on his Facebook, wrote: "End of era, my grandfather took his last breath at AIIMS in wee hours today morning." Sukh Ram will be cremated in Mandi on Thursday. He was Minister of State for Defence in the Rajiv Gandhi government in 1985. He had to resign as the Communications Minister in the Narasimha Rao government in 1996 in the wake of a financial scandal involving purchase of telecom equipment from a Hyderabad-based private firm. Sukh Ram was granted interim bail by the apex court in January 2012 after he had surrendered before a trial court to serve his three-year sentence in the telecom scam case. That was the third conviction of Sukh Ram on corruption charges. In 1993, Sukh Ram, who was in the Union Ministry, was almost certain to become Chief Minister in Himachal Pradesh with the backing of Narasimha Rao. But his then 'bete noire' Virbhadra Singh became Chief Minister for the third time as he had the support of a majority of the legislators. Sukh Ram, credited with ushering a telecom revolution in the country, belongs to Mandi town and commands influence in the area. His son Anil Sharma is a BJP legislator in the present state government led by Jai Ram Thakur. Interestingly, when the telecom scam came to light, Sukh Ram blamed certain Congress leaders who he said had conspired to frame him. He parted ways with the Congress in 1997 and floated a regional political outfit Himachal Vikas Congress (HVC). The HVC contested the 1998 and 2003 Assembly elections. It won five seats in 1998 and only one in 2003. In 2004, the Congress managed to bring back the HVC rebels into the party fold. Research conducted by the Upper West Regional Youth Parliament with funding support from Plan International revealed that 83% of adolescent girls sleep with men for monies to buy their basic needs including sanitary pads. The study was on the topic; "Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health in the Wa East District of the Upper West Region: A synthesis of Research Evidence." In presenting the research report to the media at a press briefing in Wa, the speaker of the Upper West Regional Youth Parliamentary, Rt. Hon. James Baba Anabiga indicated, the study was necessitated because, in the Wa East District, data revealed that early and unprotected sexual practices by adolescents is a common trend that exposes them to many reproductive health challenges including unplanned teenage pregnancies, school dropouts, unsafe abortion, and sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and HIV/AIDS. Again, there have been many teenage pregnancies reported in 2020 in the Wa East District (GNA, 2021). The speaker of the Upper West Regional Youth Parliament Rt. Hon. James Baba Anabiga explained that the study was centered on eight objectives including examining parents responsibilities, adolescent girls' sexual behaviour, District Assembly and the Office of the MP's commitment to funding and supporting adolescent sexual and reproductive health programmes and activities. Rt. Hon. James Baba Anabiga also revealed that 97% of parents are aware of their responsibilities to adolescents. However, 57% of parents do not provide basic needs for the adolescent girl child. He further added that 83% of respondents constituting the majority indicated that adolescent girls engage in sexual relationships to get money for sanitary pads. Other major causes include poverty (40%); ignorance (29%) constitutes irresponsible parenting (17%) are the major reasons affecting adolescent sexual reproductive health in the Wa East District. On effects of unsafe sexual relationships, the study revealed that the implications of unsafe sex among adolescent girls were teenage pregnancy (41%), child marriage (34%) and school drop-out (8%). The office of the MP and District Assembly was cited for not providing funding and supporting adolescent sexual and reproductive health programmes/activities. According to Rt. Hon. James Baba Anabiga, the study recommend DA and Office of the MP should allocate the share of the common fund to finance adolescent sexual and reproductive health programmes/ activities. The study further calls for a free sanitary pad distribution policy and intensify advocacy to help address the issue of adolescent sexual and reproductive health in the Wa East District. Rt. Hon. James Baba Anabiga also hinted that the study recommended additional funding to the youth parliament to conduct a needs assessment of vulnerable adolescent girls in the Wa East District. The chairman of the parliamentary sub-committee on research and proposal writing Hon. Tahiru Lukman throwing light on the methodology explained that it was a qualitative technique using a descriptive study design. The multi-stage sampling was used to obtain the list of communities with high issues of adolescent-related challenges such as teenage pregnancies, school dropout and child marriage. He noted that the communities were classified under the two area councils (Bulenga and Funsi) and the quota sampling was used to set the target samples while the convenient sampling was used to identify the respondents. He indicated that 150 adolescent girls were sampled with another 150 parents, guardians and relations were also sampled. Again, he noted seven key informants were purposively sampled. He concluded by saying questionnaires and key informant guides were used to gather field data for analysis. In attendance for the press conference has a cross-section of the media in the Upper West Region, the Majority and Minority leader of the Upper West Regional Youth Parliament, the Women Caucus, and some members of both Majority and minority caucuses of the Youth Parliament. Fellow Ghanaians, despite the cesspool of mess and the unacceptable nonsense of leadership going on in this country, many opinion leaders have decided to exchange their credibility in support of that apparent governmental malfeasance and inadequacy of stewardship to trigger a coup-de-grace on a rather profusely bleeding country! While some influential capos in the country have negotiated their chiefdoms and traditional authorities for weighty "brown envelopes" that recoil them into their shells and cultivate a culture of silence over pressing national issues, others have sold their clerical collars in exchange of a pat from politicians on their backs. This very latter group are the Pastors Bamidele Ademola Ulateju of Nigeria refers to as "Pastor-Preneurs". These are "stomach pastors" and merchants of falsehood who have found it convenient to commercialize their clericalism. The amazement here is that many of this increasing body of political malcontents of the Christian faith in the country are from Christian organizations that are highly revered and respected globally. A classic example is the Methodist Church Ghana that is not only impeccable and refined in conduct but has been a social engineer and beacon of achievement in the country. Unfortunately, the Methodist Church is fast becoming a breeding ground for charlatans who easily mortgage their integrity to cushion the evaporated trust of some unrespectable public office holders in the country who deserve nothing but shame. Why would a purported man of God would stood this low is not farfetched. It is absolutely understandable. The economic doldrums in the country that has been largely triggered by lack of honesty and prudence in the management of the economy has by-and-large thrown every Ghanaian life into chaos. As a result, the hunger in the land does not only increase the rate of crime, it has stripped many kings, chiefs, and enumerable religious leaders off their authority and moral values and principles respectively. While some chiefs are literally selling their skins and stools to politicians to survive the hunger, many Ulamas turbines have been unwind, and clerical collars of clergymen have been put on sales to political vultures of the country. It is amazing how some clerics have commercialized their pulpits including their holy scriptures at the command of the god of the Mammon. For such clerics, what goes into their pockets is enough to dictate their public comments. And the government and politicians now interpret the holy scriptures for them and even decide when Salah be observed. This Almajiri clericalism is one homegrown tragedy that has contributed to uncontrollable and unrestrained leadership buccaneering which has paralyzed and crippled our nation in every aspect. Where and when did this group of food-is-ready clerics descend this low? Why? Of course, there are few good ones who have been bamboozle into silence. In 1961 when the Methodist Church Ghana attained autonomy, the then President of the British Methodist Church, Rev. Dr. Maldwyn L. Edwards is quoted to have said, "I declare the Methodist Church Ghana to be inaugurated for the purpose of witnessing to the Good News of Jesus Christ, and raising up the Scriptural Holiness throughout the land, and to the ends of the earth". Nevertheless, with the Misery Index keeps escalating and worsening sorrow and drudgery of the masses cannot longer be ignored and tolerated, if there's one thing that can lead to the loss of the conscience of the country it is the uncalculated meddling in politics by "Pastor-Preneurs" (Commercial men of God who have been looting their congregants to the hilt and zenith). Obviously, the god of the Mammon they usually gather from their poor congregants to live luxurious and opulently larger-than-life lifestyle is not enough. They now want it huge in politics. No wonder there has been torrential rain of prophesies lately by some men of God majority of whom are nothing but pastor-preneurs. They feed fat on the gullibility of the unsuspecting masses. While it may be difficult to trace the roots and origin of this menace within the body of the church, it can no longer be brushed aside the stomach pastoral services and activities of many clergymen. The Methodist church of Ghana is one of the most respectable and celebrated Church in the country. Not only because of its pioneering role it played in the establishment of formal education in Ghana, but its ability to cultivate well-trimmed individuals in the country. The church over the years has roundly enjoyed salutations from far and near among well-meaning global citizens. That is because the Church has an unshaken purpose and commitment. And in 1961 the Rev. Dr. Maldwyn re-echoed and emphasized for the umpteenth time the major purpose of the Methodist Church - evangelism, and its role as a shepherd not a politician. As the President of the British Methodist Church, Rev. Dr. Maldwyn L. Edward reiterated that the autonomy granted the Methodist Church was not to be abused nor the role and purpose of the Church were to be forgotten. It appears 61 years down the line some charlatan Bishops are violating the timeless values of the Church with their political coloration. For the first President of the country who graced the occasion, Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, the Methodist Church was expected to assist the young country in the social and educational development. The Church was expected to teleguide political leaders by a being role model and pace setter in guidance and inspiration. As a result, the Church is not exempted from adding its voice to national issues. According to Joseph M. Y. Edusa-Eyison, the Church owes its membership an explanation of its opinion on pressing national issues. He contends that as a result of this duty, the Methodist Church is expected not to be neutral in times of mismanagement of the country like we are witnessing in Ghana today. And it has always behooved the Methodist Church to declare its stance as a matter of moral duty during periods of misgovernance. It is rather sad that characters like Bishop Bosomtwe have exchanged this sacred duty of the Methodist Church for filth lucre. Instead of speaking in favor of the masses who are suffering under the brutal weight of incompetence by the current New Patriotic Party, NPP administration, the Bishop declared himself as a card-carrying member of the party. Since 2014, the Bishop has been making waves in the Ghanaian media landscape seriously campaigning for the incumbent political party using the prestigious pulpit of the Methodist Church Ghana. It is embarrassing that a senior member of the Church - a Bishop - would openly, without any iota of shame, use the influential apparatus of the Church to insinuate that a colossal leadership failure like the Nana Addo government be defended. It is shameful that the Bishop doesn't see the need for President Mahama, as the chosen most authentic political Messiah, to return to office, even as every sane Ghanaian is yearning for his return. Nothing can drive a man of his caliber to be deliberately blindfolded about a palpable reality of economic catastrophe like this if not monetary inducement, bribery, and corruption. I hear the Bishop is fingered for the disappearance of some GH200,000.00 while he was serving as head pastor at Obuasi. Here is the link below. https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.pulse.com.gh/news/politics/bishop-bosomtwe-ayensu-stole-ghcent200000-and-hes-corrupt-ndcs-yamin/m0tkpbq&sa=U&ved=2ahUKEwjBw9LjidX3AhUnNOwKHbRAAY8QFnoECAgQAg&usg=AOvVaw0wVSQUUiJA_753TRX9BL5h No wonder. Nevertheless, there are those who have been tabling the blame at the doorstep of the Methodist Church in general. For this school of thought, the fruit does not fall far from the tree. Hence, this unwarranted political showmanship exhibited by the Bishop in the apparel and paraphernalia of the Churchs clerical collar has something to do with the main body. I think such insinuation makes simpleton of the argument that tars the whole Methodist Church with the same brush because of the dastardly activities of one black sheep. For me, we must give the Methodist Church the benefit of the doubt to clear its name by taking disciplinary measures against the Bishop for soiling its name and brand. I also think the Methodist Churchs much touted cogitativeness has not deluded them yet. It is my well-considered opinion that the said Bishop Bosomtwe Ayensu be de-Bishopped and defrocked for dwelling on the influence of the Church to unduly carry out his mercenary job. Dr. Bawumia may likely need him as a running mate in the 2024 general elections. He probably has outlived his usefulness to the Methodist Church. We wish him good luck in his new calling. You can reach the author through: 0557762967/0261669954 (WhatsApp) 11.05.2022 LISTEN One of the fulfilments of an Author/Writer is to see or know the impacts your writing is making in the lives of others. I knew from the word go that my article on Elorm is going to be one of my saddest, as I struggled with my own tears whilst writing the article. Its therefore not surprising that Ive had lots of responses to the article. And my concluding word in the article - tears - has been the theme in the many responses that I received. Saturday 7th May was the visiting day at my daughters Senior High School. I finally was able to get Elorms mothers sisters daughters phone number. Maam Abigail her name is - the guardian cousin! Below is the response I received from Maam Abigail after reading my article on Elorm: Awww Sir, you've got me teary! Can't control these tears (emojis). Death took my best friend (Elorm's mum) away from me (emojis). God bless you. I love the article. It reminds us of the inevitability of death. Maam Abigail stands out as the best mum for me on this years Mothers Day. Shes also nursing her ten (10) months old baby. Amongst the many responses I received to my article is one from one of my ODADE3 mates who is a politician. He sent me a screenshot of the article, requesting I have a meeting with him for a discussion. I could sense hes touched by the article, and perhaps seems to have some interest in Elorm. When I told the head of ICT at my daughters school that Im an Author/Writer, this is what he said: We are happy to have you in our midst. Please use your pen to project the good works we are doing at the school. Some of the staff who read my article were touched that they went to check on Elorm. Im glad Im touching lives with my pen! Could this be my earthly call? Each of us here has an earthly call or mission. For some like me, it may take so long for us to come to the realisation of our earthly mission. Perhaps God knows why it ought to be so. Being a product of a single sex school, I so much wanted my daughter to go to Girls school. In spite of all the efforts and the stress I went through after placement, something still worked against my plans and decisions for my daughter. The top hierarchy of the Church even came to my rescue; but! My encounter with Elorm and a House Mistress, who comes across as Mother Teresa, is an indication to me that sometimes our ways arent Gods. For me and my daughter, at least not for the first year! God has a purpose! Following publication of my article on Elorm, a House Mistress has brought to my attention the challenges of two female students at the school. The case of the two female students are equally touching, as one gets to know about the efforts of the House Mistress (Mother Teresa) in supporting her troubled teenage girl students. One of the female students was impregnated by an okada rider, resulting in the birth of triplets. The nursing teenage student/mother should be in third and final year with her mates now. Instead, she and her triplets are living in dilapidation, struggling to even afford food for survival. The other female student, who currently is in her second year, has also lost both parents. Shes in a distressed circumstance, with no place to stay during vacations. She spent part of last years vacations in Oti Region working as head porter (Kayayo) during the yam harvest season in order to raise money to buy provisions when school re-opened. As the second year students are currently on their long vacation, she again left to Oti Region to work as head porter. Currently, she is selling boiled eggs. Whilst her mates may be attending vacation classes, shes hawking boiled eggs. Having lived in the UK for over a decade, I can only hope for an enhanced Social Welfare system where the needs of the vulnerable in our society can be taken care of, as its done elsewhere. As things stand now, shall we humbly call on our dear Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection - Hon Sarah Adwoa Safo - to come to the rescue of these two female students! We hope something is done sooner before the head-porter (kayayo) student also get lured by another okada rider. We would humbly appeal to kind hearted Ghanaians, Churches, Missions and the benevolent Corporate World who may be willing to come to the aid of these two female students. Hon Sarah Adwoa Safo, shall we wait on you to return from America? We wait on you - Steve Crown Maxwell Maundy Author/Writer The Youth Development Corporation (YDC) of the United States of America on Monday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with three Ghanaian state agencies including the Ghana Digital Centers Limited, Ghana National Petroleum Corporation Foundation (GNPC), and the National Service Scheme (NSS). Signed at the YDC office in Saginaw, Michigan in the presence of Saginaw City Mayor Brenda Moore, YDC Board Chair, Gary L. Loster and other host of dignitaries, the MOU between the partners is in a bid to expand its operations in Africa which is tailored towards giving employable skills training, exchange programs to the youth and sourcing for funding to support the activities of these government agencies. The am of YDC USA is to empower and assist underserved young people with the essential social, vocational, academic, and life skills necessary to navigate a positive pathway to self sufficiency and community responsibility. According to the terms of the partnership, YDC-USA is partnering with the 3 Ghanaian agencies which are already on various youth development programs in Ghana to have its footprints in the West African Country. In his brief remarks, Chief Executive and Founder of YDC-USA, Eric Eggleston said his outfit decided to partner the Ghanaian agencies when Hon Kwadwo Baah visited his outfit and indicated that his services will help in developing the youth is Ghana by offering them employable skills. Besides Ghana has a stable environment which is very conducive for any developing economy. BRIEF REMARKS BY CEO GDCL: Hon Kwadwo Baah Agyemang, Chief Executive officer for the Ghana Digital Centers Limited who led the Ghanaian delegation commended the YDC-USA for this partnership. He disclosed that the he begun talks with their USA partners in November of 2021 when he went for a private visit and was happy the discussions had paid off to culminate into the signing of an MOU. Hon Agyemang noted that his delight was even more on the opportunity the partnership intends to give the peoples of the two countries. I am extremely happy that in this partnership we can have the chance to explore the potentials of training and developing the skills of our youth and also in doing so create jobs to reduce the countrys unemployment deficit, the GDCL CEO intimated. OTHER SPEAKERS: On his part, Dr Dominic Eduah of the GNPC Foundation said his outfit was happy to have such a platform to train and also equip the youth of Ghana. He noted the commitment of the Corporation to abide by the tenets of the partnership and ensure it does its part to make the deal work for both countries. Mrs Gifty Oware Mensa, the Deputy Director General at the National Service Scheme who represented her boss Hon Osei Assibey Antwi applauded the deal and said his outfit was rearing the opportunities arising out of the partnership so it can get most Ghanaian youth trained as well as secure permanent jobs after mandatory service. She pledged her commitment to ensure the partnership works to benefit both the Ghanaian youth and their American counterparts. A communication officer of the government Maame Yaa Aboagye who was part of the delegation commended the leadership of President Akufo-Addo, stating that under his term these state-owned agencies have been revamped and many are operating at efficient levels. She reiterated that the Ghana National Service Scheme has successfully introduced a system through which certificates of personnel are mailed to them directly. In the wake of the Covid Pandemic;The Ghana Digital Centres has extended its reach beyond the capital Accra, taking digital solutions to the doorstep of people across the country; and the GNPC Foundation continues to play a crucial role in ensuring that schools and other institutions acquire the requisite resources to comply with Covid 19 safety precautions. Indeed, these objectives are compatible with the objective of the Youth Development Corporation to empower and equip young people with the requisite skills and resources to develop. Irrespective of the differences in the scope of activities of the various agencies, they are united in their common commitment to youth development. Indeed, each entity has performed very well independently. Thus, I have no doubt that this collaboration would have an even greater impact and a wider reach. This is a mutually beneficial collaboration. Thus, members of the Youth Development Corporation are sure to benefit from interacting with their colleagues from Ghana, while the Ghanaian SOEs also share and glean from the knowledge and experiences of their colleagues at YDC. Yes, the benefits of the collaboration between the SOEs and Youth Development Corporation transcend institutional and national borders. Source: Kwabena Danso-Dapaah The First Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Joseph Osei-Owusu says the legislature cannot be entirely blamed for the delay in the amendment of the 1992 Constitution as recommended by the Constitution Review Commission. The Constitution Review Commission was set up in January 2010 to consult with the people of Ghana on the operation of the 1992 Constitution, and on any amendment that needed to be made to the Constitution. The Commission was also tasked to present a draft bill for the amendment of the Constitution in the event that any changes were warranted. However, the recommendations of the Commission have not been implemented years after the report was presented to the appropriate quarters. Speaking to Citi News on the subject on the sidelines of the National Commission for Civic Education's constitution week lecture, Mr. Osei-Owusu said there is a lack of consensus on the changes needed to be made. The real issues are the disagreements on the fine details of implementation. The Constitution Review Commission went around and brought a report. When the report came, one of the political parties, which was then in power, then made changes to reflect its view. The parties outside disagreed with some of the changes they proposed. That is what has actually delayed the process of implementation, till date, the legislator recounted. He cited processes to amend Article 243[1] of the Constitution, which gives the President the power to appoint all MMDCEs, as an example. At the very last minute, the Minority pulled out of all the agreements reached, and I know the reason they pulled out was the party outside Parliament refused to endorse the proposed amendments, Mr. Osei-Owusu said. By Citi Newsroom A three-classroom block of the Namoo Junior High School 'B' in the Bongo District of the Upper East Region has been destroyed by rainstorm. The pupils who were expected to return to school could not use the classrooms as the roofs of JHS one and two had been completely ripped up making it unsuitable for academic work. When Ghana News Agency visited the school, it observed that the facial boards and the wood used in roofing the building had been destroyed posing danger to pupils and teachers. Authorities and management of the school therefore appealed to the government, Non-Governmental Organisations and philanthropists among others to assist in re-roofing the school to enable the pupils to learn. Mr Cletus Adongo, Chairman of the Parent Teacher Association of the school told GNA that the situation needed immediate attention, otherwise the management of the school might ask the pupils to stay home for some time. He said apart from the destruction caused by the storm, the school lacked furniture compelling some of the pupils to sit and learn on the bare floor. He said some parents of the pupils contributed money to construct furniture for the pupils after several appeals including written letters to the Bongo District Assembly and Bongo District Directorate of Education proved futile. When the GNA contacted Madam Rita Atanga, the District Chief Executive of the area, she said the Assembly was aware of the situation and was working to have the problem fixed for pupils to return to school as soon as possible. GNA Divine Asimadzi, an 18-year-old Tattooist, has been sentenced to 10 years in jail for unlawful entry and stealing by the Hohoe Circuit Court. He pleaded guilty and was convicted on his own plea by the Court presided over by Mr Michael Johnson Abbey. Chief Inspector Charles Aziati, Prosecutor, disclosed to the Court that the complainant was a tailor as well as a mobile money agent at Gbi-Bla. He said on April 22, the complainant woke up early and went to his shop at 0230 hours only to detect that a thief had broken into the shop. Chief Inspector Aziati said the complainant detected that his Bluetooth stereo device valued GH70, a Nokia phone valued GH65 and two Tecno mobile phones valued at GH150, an Itel mobile valued GH50, Vodafone and Airteltigo credit cards valued about GH300 were stolen. He said the complainant also detected that his money box containing an amount of GH3,200, all to the total of GH4,115 got stolen from the shop together with a Ghana Identity Card bearing the name Amuzu Mavis. Chief Inspector Aziati said the complainant lodged a complaint with the police at Gbi-Bla and investigations led to the arrest of one Lucky Ekanovor, a suspect and witness in the case and a search conducted on him revealed complainant's Vodafone cards. He said the witness told police that the Vodafone cards were given to him by the convict adding that the police arrested the convict and retrieved another card from his room which belonged to the complainant, and the Ghana identification card bearing the name of Amuzu Mavis which was among the stolen items. Chief Inspector Aziati said the complainant identified the items as his property while during investigation, the convict admitted the offences in his cautioned statement. The Ghana News Agency has learnt that the convict was also standing trial in a different case where he was charged for dishonestly receiving. GNA Renowned private legal practitioner, Lawyer Martin Kpebu has lamented the poor conditions in Ghana's prisons. He said the situation ends up hardening criminals in the prisons - from lack of space to feeding problems, poor conditions in prisons in the country have been problematic. These together with other challenges, he noted, end up doing the opposite of reforming convicts. Speaking to Joy FM in an interview on Wednesday, Lawyer Martin Kpebu indicated that some convicts are hardened at the time of their release. Some of them after being in the prison conditions for so long become hardened criminals. Some of them are not well-nourished in the prisons, the harsh conditions in there harden them, Lawyer Kpebu added. The constitutional lawyer also expressed concern how the laws are unequally applied. Weve made the laws softer for white-collar crime, and made it harsh for robberies and the hardened ones, he said. READ ALSO: Lets focus on reforming prisoners rather than giving them skills; over 7,000 ex-convicts back to prison Criminologist It is reported that over the last five years, over 7,000 ex-convicts returned to prison after they were arrested again for similar crimes. It has become obvious that in addition to improving the conditions in the various prisons, priority should be placed on reforming convicts instead of giving them skills while serving time. Member of Parliament for Suame Constituency, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, who doubles as Minister for Parliamentary Affairs, has assured that the much touted Suame interchange project will commence before 2022 ends. Speaking on Akoma FMs current affairs and political show GhanAkoma Wednesday, May 11, the Majority Leader assured that almost all the pre-arrangements for the project to kickstart, the contractor has done all surveys and all the drawing board works have completed so I can assure you that you at most by September ending you will see contractors on site. Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta , during the 2022 budget presentation in Parliament, disclosed that the Suame industrial enclave and other areas within the Greater Kumasi Metropolis will have interchanges to decongest the vehicular traffic. The Majority Leader of Ghanas Eighth Parliament while touching on other issues further explained that though the project has delayed, it is better late than never so as all the preparatory arrangements have concluded, theres the green light to commence the Suame interchange to decongest the numerous traffic on the Suame-Afrancho stretch. The Suame interchange project is expected to be a four-tier interchange project, second in the country after the Pokuase interchange. Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu admonished residents along the said stretch to evacuate with immediate effect especially those who have been served notice. He urged for united efforts to ensure the much touted Suame interchange will be a reality. ---3news.com A leading member of the Peoples National Convention (PNC), Mr. Samson Asaki Awingobit has appealed to the government to withdraw the services of the security operatives purporting to ensure peace in the Bawku ethnic conflict. According to him, the said officers have compromised themselves in the line of duty as peace officers in the area. He argued that the security officers on the ground are the cause of renewed clashes in the area. He alleged that the security operatives have become acquainted with one of the factions in the conflict of ethnic supremacy between the Kusasi and the Mamprusi in the Upper East Region. He was of the view the presence of the current security operatives in the area is compounding the conflict situation in the area. Mr. Awongobit who is an indigene from the area made this appeal speaking on the Ghana Yensom morning show on Wednesday, May 11, 2022 on Accra 100.5 FM hosted by Kwame Obeng Sarkodie. According to him, the presence of the current security operatives in the area is detrimental to ensuring peace in the area. ''Some of the security operatives are highly compromised hence the need for them to be withdrawn and replaced with fair-minded operatives to ensure lasting peace in the area''. He said the situation is escalating by the day and very soon there will be famine in the area. 'Our mothers are not able to go to the farm for fear of being attacked by the other faction. Bawku which is known to be a buzzing business town has become a dead town because of conflict, he bemoaned. Everything in the area has come to a standstill because of the conflict between brothers in the area, he laments. We are all brothers and we intermarry so why these needless conflicts, he queries. He further appealed to influential Kusasi and Mamprusi to rise and ensure the youth on both sides of the conflict are spoken to. Already Citinewsroom.com is reporting that five persons have been arrested by the Bawku Divisional police command in the Upper East Region in connection with renewed ethnic disturbances that have claimed the lives of four persons. Even though the police are yet to unravel the cause of the disturbances, sporadic gunshots ensued among ethnic groups in Bawku on Monday, May 9, 2022. However, on Tuesday, May 10, 2022, four persons were shot dead. Speaking to Citi News, Bawku District police commander, Superintendent Simon Peter Akabati, said the situation has been brought under control. Between 8:30pm to 9:00pm, there were sporadic shootings all over the place in Bawku and the police deployed more men together with the military to calm down tempers. But it calmed down for a while and at 1:20am on May 10, 2022, they started the sporadic shooting again, and unfortunately a house was attacked and three persons; Sulemana Eliasu, age 41, Moro Duada, age 66 and Barikisu Duada, age 25 were killed. He indicated that the bodies of the deceased were released to their families for burial. Supt. Akabati further stated that at about 6:30am on Tuesday, May 10, 2022, another house was attacked at Batelime and one Amidu Seidu, age 71, was also killed. Supt. Akabati stated that five persons have been arrested in connection with the disturbances and will be arraigned soon. So far five persons have been arrested; Ibrahim Sawadugu, age 17, Abdulai Mbadu, 18 years, Awudu Seidu, 15 years, Abdul-Karim Alhassan, 22 years and Issah Osman, age 29. The suspects have been sent to the Upper East Regional police command in Bolgatanga where they will be put before the court. Mr. Akabati also indicated that one locally-made pistol and one BBA cartridge were retrieved during the disturbances. He added that the area has returned to normalcy and assured that, the police and military in the area remain committed to protecting life and property. Source: Classfmonline.com We Are China Felt flowers transform Chinese street corners (People's Daily App) 15:30, May 11, 2022 Fixing up damaged street corners with wool felt flowers has earned a student from Guangzhou Academy of Fine Arts a sizeable internet following. Luo Shengtian's flower patches are not only making one Guangdong Province city gentler and lovelier, but also transforming the rest of China. Luo has launched a flower patch plan on Chinese social media, calling on people across the country to "stick Band-Aids" to the "wounds" of the city. Luo's ingenious idea is now beautifying dowdy city street corners throughout the nation. (Video produced by Fei Fan; Compiled by Liang Yuting and Xie Runjia) (Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Liang Jun) The Supreme Court on Wednesday urged the Centre and state governments to refrain from registering any FIRs invoking sedition provision, Section 124A of the Indian Penal Code, till review of the law by the Centre is complete. A bench headed by Chief Justice N.V. Ramana and comprising Justices Surya Kant and Hima Kohli said till the review of the sedition provision by the Centre is complete, the governments should not use the sedition provision. In an interim order, the bench said no new FIRs should be lodged under the sedition provision and those already in jail can approach courts for relief. The Centre proposed issuing an advisory to the state governments that only a police officer of the rank of Superintendent of Police (SP) -- who may record in writing the reasons for a case involving sedition provision (Section 124A of the Indian Penal Code) -- as it cannot prevent police from registering a cognizable offence under sedition provision. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing the Centre, submitted that the government proposes that a police officer of the level of SP or above should decide, for now, on whether a sedition charge should be filed in future FIRs. He added that as the government reviews the sedition law, pending sedition cases can be reviewed, and the courts can decide on the bail application of those under Section 124A IPC, expeditiously. Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, representing one of the petitioners, contended that Section 124A has become prima facie unconstitutional and the apex court must stay application of the sedition provision, till the Centre reviews the provision. Mehta submitted that as far as pending cases are concerned, gravity of each case is not known, maybe there is a terror angle, and also the pending cases are before judicial forum. "We need to trust the courts," he added. Justice Kant told Sibal, "What is this argument...Can it be struck down today?" The bench added that it is looking for an answer who can be an impartial authority, in the view of Centre's proposal, and asked Sibal what an arrangement in the interregnum can be done. On Tuesday, the top court had sought the Centre's response on pending and future cases registered under the sedition law. The Ministry of Home Affairs in its affidavit said the Prime Minister of India has been cognizant of various views expressed on the subject and has also periodically, in various forums, expressed his clear and unequivocal views in favour of protection of civil liberties, respect for human rights and giving to the constitutionally cherished freedoms to the people of the country. The home ministry added that the Prime Minister has repeatedly said that one of India's strengths is the diverse thought streams that beautifully flourish in the country. The ministry said the Prime Minister believes that at a time when the nation is marking Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav (75 years of Independence), as a nation it is essential to work harder to shed colonial baggage that passed its utility, which includes outdated colonial laws and practices. "The Government of India, being fully cognizant of various views being expressed on the subject of sedition and also having considered the concerns of civil liberties and human rights, while committed to maintain and protect the sovereignty and integrity of this nation, has decided to re-examine and re-consider the provisions of Section 124A of the Indian Penal Code, which can only be done before the competent forum," said the affidavit. A leading member of the Peoples National Convention (PNC), Mr Samson Asaki Awingobit, has appealed to the Akufo-Addo government, to withdraw the services of the security operatives currently assigned to ensure peace in Bawku in the Upper East Region. According to him, the said officers have compromised themselves in the line of duty, insisting they are the cause of the recent bloody clashes which claimed some casualties. He alleged that the security operatives have become acquainted with one of the factions in the conflict for ethnic supremacy between the Kusasis and the Mamprusis. He was of the view that the presence of the current security operatives in the area is compounding the conflict situation in the area. Mr Awongobit, who is an indigene of the area, made this appeal on Accra100.5FMs morning show Ghana Yensom on Wednesday, 11 May 2022, hosted by Kwame Obeng Sarkodie. According to him, the presence of the current security operatives in the area is detrimental to the peace of that part of Ghana. Some of the security operatives are highly compromised, hence the need for them to be withdrawn and replaced with fair-minded operatives to ensure lasting peace in the area, he stressed. He said the situation is escalating by the day, warning that very soon, there will be famine in the area. Our mothers are not able to go to the farm for fear of being attacked by the other faction, he noted. Mr Awingobit bemoaned that Bawku, which is known to be a buzzing business town, has become a dead zone because of conflict. Everything in the area has come to a standstill because of the conflict between brothers in the area, he lamented. We are all brothers and we intermarry, so, why these needless conflicts, he wondered. He further appealed to influential Kusasis and Mamprusis to ensure the youth on both sides of the conflict cease fire. Three people were shot dead on Monday night in renewed clashes between some Kusasis and Mamprusis in the Old Kariama Market area of Nyatinga in the Bawku municipality. The incident came barely days after the West Africa Centre for Counter-Terrorism and Extremism 2022 report pointed to the unending Bawku chieftaincy conflict and the ethnic tensions in Northern Ghana as factors that also amplify Ghanas risk of terrorist attacks. The age-old Bawku chieftaincy conflict is a struggle between Kusasis and Mamprusis over the occupancy of the Bawku throne. The peak of the conflict between the two groups was between 2007 and 2012, where some 182 people, including children, were killed in cold blood either in their homes or at unlikely spots. Many houses were set on fire and several residents relocated. There have been high panel meetings to broker peace with the deployment of security personnel stationed at the place. However, all these attempts have failed to bring lasting peace. Source: Classfmonline.com There he stood at the edge of a thick forest, wearing an angelic celestial crystal white robe with white beard to match. He beckoned me to come closer. At first I hesitated but he insisted that I should come for a message. I moved forward, but as I came closer, he asked me to stop there. I obliged. With a shrill voice, he charged me to take a message to Ghanaians. He said he is restless and angry in his grave because he was not treated fairly by Ghanaians, and as such his soul will never rest in peace. Before I could speak, he moved into the forest, singing a sad melody amidst curses. I watched with an apprehension. My stubborn cat pricked my feet with its claws, which sent me jumping on my feet. I tried to sleep and dream again, but sleep would never come. Dreams, they can tickle you. Very few people in Ghana knew Dr. Hilla Limann when he came storming into the Ghanaian political landscape. General FWK Akufo and his Supreme Military Council II had lifted the ban on party politics, and political parties started springing up. The Busia/Danquah tradition formed the Popular Front Party (PFP), led by Mr. Victor Owusu and the Nkrumaist also formed the People's National Party (PNP). Other political parties were formed, and the stage was set for the 1979 General Election. When the name of Dr. Hilla Limann was mentioned as the flagbearer of the PNP, the Daily Graphic had a screaming headline: LI WHO? The publication wanted to know who Dr. Limann was, because the name had never been heard in Ghanaian politics. Limann was a career diplomat, plying his trade outside Ghana, so Ghanaians did not know him. As political parties criss-crossed the country canvassing for votes, we woke up one day to hear the angry voice of JJ Rawlings on May 15, 1979, announcing that he had taken overpower. He was arrested and put before a Military Court Marshall, but before judgment could be delivered, some soldiers on June 4 spirited him from the guardroom where he was locked up. What followed was the bloodiest regime in Ghana since independence. Unruly, drunk and drugged soldiers went on rampage, beating and killing innocent Ghanaians. Three former Heads of State and some top military officers were summarily executed. Almost everything on the shelves of our shops were sold at give-away prices under what the mad soldiers called Control Price. In a matter of three months, the country came down on her knees, and blood flowed everywhere. Under pressure from the international community, Rawlings and his crazy hot heads handed over power to Dr. Hilla Limann who won the 1979 General Election. Limann inherited nothing but chaos and empty shelves. There was nothing left in the markets for sale, and the country became broke. Immediately after taking over power, Dr. Limann's government introduced the Trade Liberalisation Policy, which saw the importation of scarce commodities into the country to solve the problem of scarce essential commodities like sugar, rice, milk, baby food, toothpaste among others. To improve foreign trade, the PNP government ordered four brand new cargo ships from South Korea to add up to the existing sixteen cargo ships bought by Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah. He built roads, schools and started revamping factories which were left to rot by the previous military rulers. In fact, Dr. Limann's regime was the first to build an asphalted road in Ghana. The asphalted road was constructed from Accra to Takoradi. The German contracting firm which built the road was called Carl Plotner, and the then minister for Roads and Highways was the late Colonel Zuarungu. Life started becoming fine under Dr. Hilla Limann. The Minister for Fuel and Power, Professor George Benneh, made sure fuel, which was in very short supply, became abundant. Long queues at filling stations became a thing of the past. All these were achieved in a matter of less than TWO years. For reasons best known to Rawlings, the master coup maker, he overthrew the government of Dr. Limann. He leveled many charges against him including corruption, mismanagement of the economy, and crime against the state, among others. For twelve years, Dr. Limann stayed in this country, but nobody took him to court. Dr. Limann never built a house of his own, and lived with his wife and children in a two bedroom quarters donated to him by the state at Nungua, because he had nowhere to lay his head. He was not paid any End of Service Benefit, and neither did the state take care of him in anyway, not to talk of his medical bills. At a point in time, his wife, Madam Fulera Limann, came out to tell Ghanaians that things were so bad for the family that she had to take a bowl to beg for corn dough from Zongo to prepare Tuozaafi for her husband. The woman struggled to educate the children left behind by Limann, while Mr. Rawlings educated his four children in prestigious schools abroad. Limann, as former Head of State did not owe a car when he was illegally pushed out of office, and it was the Baptist Mission which donated an old pick-up for him. Very sad indeed! Meanwhile, Rawlings who usurped power later died, leaving behind several mansions of architectural wonder, fleet of luxurious cars and fat foreign and local bank accounts. This world, my brother! When Limann fell sick and needed to be taken abroad for medical treatment, Rawlings and his criminal junta refused to give him that opportunity. On January 23, 1998, he died of heart and other ailments at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital. In fact, he died a pauper. He had willed before his death that Ghana should not give him state burial, because of the way he was treated as a former Head of State. His corpse was driven in a rickety vehicle to his hometown, Gwollu in the Upper West Region to be buried in a common man's grave. When President Kufuor went to Gwollu and learnt of the way the former Head of State was buried, he ordered for a befitting tombstone to be built for the man, and promised to build a mausoleum in honour of the former Head of State. That dream did not come to reality before the Gentle Giant left power. One thought the NDC, which took over from Kufuor, would have done that but they did not have the moral right to build a mausoleum for the man they treated so shabbily. God is still watching them. The ball is now in the court of President Akufo-Addo to make history by continuing where Mr. Kufuor left out. History is made from such bold actions, and Nana should not hesitate to seize the opportunity. A stick of Monte Carlo hand-rolled cigar will do at times like this when I am hunched with emotion and sorrow. Eric Bawah [email protected] Dr. Clement Apaak 11.05.2022 LISTEN The Member of Parliament (MP) Builsa South, Dr. Clement Apaak has reiterated his calls for the government to make the necessary provision of learning materials for basic schools in the country. Public basic schools have reopened this week for the start of the Second Term of the 2021/2022 academic year after the short vacation from last month. Unfortunately, schools are still lacking learning materials including textbooks of the new curriculum. Having received complaints from some of the schools in his constituency that need help, Clement Apaak has charged the Education Ministry and the Ghana Education Service (GES) to attend to the challenges of schools to improve teaching and learning. We call on the Ministry of Education and the Ghana Education Service to address this issue immediately including making sure that textbooks and the implementation of the new curriculum are available for teaching and learning, the Builsa South MP told TV3 in an interview. It is understood that schools are yet to receive pupils' attendance registers for this academic year. In addition, the government is said to be owing Capitation Grants for 2019/2020 (2 Tranches), 2020/2021(1 Tranche), and 2021/2022(all tranches). Some other deprived schools also continually lack infrastructure which makes teaching and learning very difficult. Ghana's Chairman of the Hajj Board, Sheikh I C Quaye has said prospective pilgrims above 65 years of age will not be allowed into Saudi Arabia to perform the Hajj. The Saudis have also said this years Hajj will be expensive for three main reasons: the increase in Value Added Tax (VAT) from five (5) to fifteen (15) per cent and the demolition and reconstruction of buildings and hotels in Mecca. The huge investments made in Mina and Arafat will also be factored into the cost. At a meeting with members of the Hajj Agents Association of Ghana on Tuesday, May 10, 2022, Sheikh Quaye added that the Saudis have also put in place strict health control measures during the Hajj period from 7th 12th July 2022. Read the measures and rules for this years hajj below: Age limit & testing requirements Hajj will be available this year for those under 65 years of age, provided that they obtain the basic doses of vaccines approved in the Kingdom and they must present a negative PCR test taken no more than 72 hours prior to their arrival to the Kingdom. Vaccination requirements Pilgrims must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 with the complete doses of the following vaccines to be able to enter Saudi Arabia: Pfizer/BioNTech. 2 doses Oxford/AstraZeneca: 2 doses Johnson and Johnson. 1 dose Moderna. 2 doses Sinopharm + 1 dose of any of the above vaccines Sinovac + 1 dose of 1 of any of the above vaccines Quarantine requirements No quarantine will be necessary for foreign pilgrims fully vaccinated with vaccines approved in Saudi Arabia. Medical Insurance Pilgrims must have medical insurance to cover any COVID-19-related treatment costs during their stay. Permit Worshippers are no longer required to obtain a permit and appointment to pray at the Grand Mosque in Makkah as well as the Prophets Mosque in Madinah. E-Hajj All intending pilgrims must be registered online through e-hajj. The e-track was already active. The Hajj Board is to conclude all arrangements with service providers by the middle of May 2022. In this regard, a delegation led by the Chairman is leaving for Saudi Arabia for further negotiations on housing, transport, medical, flight, and other services. Source: Classfmonline.com Deputy Minister of Transport Hassan Tampuli has hinted at plans by the Akufo-Addo government to introduce electric buses into the country for commercial public transportation purposes. He sid the move is part of efforts to strengthen Ghanas public transportation sector under the Africa Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) and also decarbonise while contributing toward net-zero emissions. We are currently developing an e-mobility policy to guide the deployment and scaling up of electric vehicles in the country, Mr Tampuli said at the Africa forum organised by the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport in Accra. He announced: We are also working assiduously to introduce the first-ever battery-powered electric buses for public transportation in Accra. We attend conferences elsewhere in other countries and all the buses that are used are electric vehicles, he observed, wondering: How long is Ghana going to wait before we also start getting into that space? The Africa Forum, organised by the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport, focused on the role of logistics, transport and industry in the sustainable implementation of the Africa Continental Free Trade Area. At the same event, Mr Tampuli, while speaking on some measures being put in place to improve Ghanas transportation sector, said the government is working at having a national air carrier while strengthening the rail lines, sear and airports. We have embarked on massive infrastructure developments to improve all our seaports, airports and railway connectivity, he noted. Currently, two of our regional domestic airports in Kumasi and Tamale are being upgraded into international status, he updated. We have also set out to establish a national airline with a private strategic partner to support our vision of positioning Ghana as an aviation hub of West Africa and beyond, he reported. The national airline will, in no doubt, boost the objective of the AfCFTA, he stated. Ghana International Airlines, which took the place of Ghana Airways after the debt-riddled national carried collapsed in 2004, also went bust in 2010. In October 2020, Ghana signed an MoU with EgyptAir for the establishment of a new flag carrier. The government, at the time, was expected to maintain a 10% shareholding in the new airline, with the majority of shares to be held by private investors. This followed a similar MoU in 2018 with Ethiopian Airlines that hit a snag. Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta announced on 17 November 2021 when he presented the 2022 budget that the government was in the final negotiation stages with a potential strategic partner for a new national airline. The Deputy Minister of Transport, Mr. Hassan Tampuli has disclosed that government is preparing the way for the introduction of electric buses as public transport that will be powered by batteries to boost transportation. Speaking at the Africa forum organised by the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport in Accra, the Deputy Minister said government is also developing a policy to guide the development of electric vehicles in the country. We are currently developing an e-mobility policy to guide the deployment and scaling up of electric vehicles in the country. We are also working assiduously to introduce the first-ever battery-powered electric buses for public transportation in Accra, Mr. Hassan Tampuli shared. The Deputy Minister continued, We attend conferences elsewhere in other countries and all the buses that are used are electric vehicles. How long is Ghana going to wait before we also start getting into that space? At the Africa Forum by the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport which focused on the role of logistics, transport, and industry in the sustainable implementation of the Africa Continental Free Trade Area, Mr. Hassan Tampuli also opened up on other interventions by government of Ghana, particularly in the aviation sector. He said, We have embarked on massive infrastructure developments to improve all our seaports, airports, and railway connectivity. Currently, two of our regional domestic airports in Kumasi and Tamale are being upgraded into international status. We have also set out to establish a national airline with a private strategic partner to support our vision of positioning Ghana as an aviation hub of West Africa and beyond. The national airline will, in no doubt, boost the objective of the AfCFTA, Mr. Hassan Tampuli added. 11.05.2022 LISTEN The Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) has assured if the proposed 148% increment in tariff is approved, the company will not adjust tariffs above 10 percent year-on-year for five years. ECG has been heavily criticised for requesting a 148% increment for the year 2022, but the company says it will help drastically reduce losses in its operations. We are not faulting the Public Utilities Regulatory Commission [for not allowing us to increase tariffs over the years], but as a utility service provider, it is having a negative impact on our operations. Over the period, if you put these minimal increases together, you are getting a very wide gap between the prevailing tariffs and what we will call a cost recovery tariff. The tariff has reduced considerably, says General Manager for Regulatory Management at ECG, Sylvia Noshie. She was speaking at a stakeholders consultative meeting for the multi-year major tariffs review under the auspices of the PURC. The company says it will only be able to recover from its losses if its upward adjustment proposal is approved. In the last few years, the only quarter adjustments we had was on October 1, 2019, and it was just 0.47 percent. Unfortunately for us, the last tariff approved by the regulator saw a 14% reduction on the previous tariff of March 2018. This has been the pattern over the years. Usually, we will come up with our distribution cost and proposal, but what you get the Commission to approve is very minimal, Slyvia Noshie explained. Apart from asking for a 148% increment in tariff for 2022, the Electricity Company of Ghana is also proposing that the PURC gives it clearance to charge consumers street light tariff. The ECG is also proposing to the PURC to introduce a street light tariff. Studies by the Ministry of Energy estimate the cost of street lights to be 108.65 million dollars a year. Currently, on the bill, we all see the public light levy and thats 30 percent of the actual cost. The three suspects Amadu Alhassan, Atito Godstime, and Seidu Ado Bala 11.05.2022 LISTEN Alhaji Shani Mohammed, a ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) Chairmanship aspirant in the North East region has been arrested by the Northern Regional Police Command in connection with illegal possession of firearms. The North East NPP aspirant's arrest follows the arrest of some three persons 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 Nigerians were arrested with a loaded AK 47 riffle, a foreign-made pistol and ammunition concealed in the vehicle that they were travelling with. The Northern Regional Crime Officer, Supt. Bernard Baba Ananga, who confirmed the arrest of the suspects to DGN Online said one of the suspects mentioned the NPP chairmanship aspirant as the one they were transporting the weapons to in the North East region. According to him, the NPP chairmanship aspirant is in the custody of the police and his statement has been taken and will be arraigned before court after investigations. He indicated that the NPP aspirant admitted that he knew one of the suspects arrested with the AK 47 riffle. Supt Ananga disclosed that when police interrogated the three suspects they revealed that the NPP chairmanship aspirant asked them to bring the weapons to the North East region. The suspects are saying that is it Ahaji Shani who told them to bring the firearms to him so he has to answer further questions. The Northern Regional Crime Officer, however denied claims that the case is linked to an assassination plot in the North East region. We are not investigating an assassination attempt against any person as far as the command is concern, nobody has made any complaint about any assassination we are investigating a case of possession of firearms. 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 firearms and preparation to commit crime. ---Daily Guide The global coalition against the Islamic State group gathered Wednesday in Morocco to coordinate efforts to prevent the jihadists staging a revival in the Middle East and North Africa. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken was to co-host the meeting with Moroccan Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita, but Washington's top diplomat tested positive for Covid-19 and was replaced by senior diplomat Victoria Nuland. Senior officials from dozens of other countries are also attending the meeting, under high security at a discreet luxury hotel in Marrakesh. Nuland said they were committed to the "enduring defeat" of the jihadist group also known as ISIS, or Daesh in Arabic. "Over the last several years, ISIS has been considerably weakened in Iraq and Syria, but it remains a threat, seeking any opportunity to reconstitute itself," she said. Bourita said the threat posed by IS had "not diminished" and that the coalition sought to raise $700 million for "stabilisation activities" in parts of Iraq and Syria formerly held by the group. The discussions were to cover "stabilisation efforts in areas previously impacted by Daesh", strategic communication against the group's "radicalisation propaganda" and the battle against foreign fighters, the Moroccan foreign ministry said. The meeting comes three years after the coalition helped Syrian fighters to crush the "caliphate" IS had proclaimed in Iraq and Syria and as the jihadists step up their efforts to bolster their presence in the Sahel region and West Africa. The Global Coalition against Daesh was formed in 2014 after the militants seized huge swathes of Iraq and Syria. It now includes 84 states and international organisations. Officials have long warned IS still poses a worldwide threat despite its loss of a territorial base. In January IS fighters launched their biggest assault in years, a prison break in the Kurdish-controlled northeast Syrian city of Hasakeh, sparking a week of intense fighting that left hundreds dead. Nuland called that attack "a reminder of their intent and a wake-up call about how untenable the current situation is in northeast Syria." IS has vowed to take vengeance for its elusive leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, who blew himself up during a US raid in northern Syria in late 2019. It has also urged its supporters to take advantage of the war in Ukraine to carry out attacks in Europe. The Vice President, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, has launched the 60th anniversary celebrations of the University of Ghana Business School (UGBS) with a call on schools and other training institutions to fully embrace and leverage technology to train the next generation of leaders. Alluding to the devastating impact of COVID-19 on the world, especially on teaching and learning, Dr Bawumia said it has also provided an opportunity for schools such as UGBS to leverage technology in order to build on their competitive advantages, expose students to artificial intelligence and help them explore big data and internet of things to help position them as global citizens. Dr Bawumia made the call at the Anniversary launch held at the R. S Amegashie Auditorium, University of Ghana on Wednesday, May 11, 2022, where he also fulfilled a pledge to contribute 100 laptops to the School's 'One Student One Laptop' initiative. With technology, the faculty should find different ways to actively engage students experiential learning, game-based learning and problem-based learning to help impart soft skills such as autonomy, creativity, leadership and effective collaboration. These are in no doubt linked to the 21st century skills of critical thinking and problem-solving, collaboration, agility and adaptability, initiative and entrepreneurialism, effective oral and written communication, accessing and analyzing information and curiosity and imagination. These must become integral in your curriculum revisions, going forward, he added. The Vice President called on Business Schools to collaborate with other departments and schools in their colleges and beyond to run core competence programmes that will help churn out change agents with critical and localized skills that would feed into the nations developmental agenda. We have to run programmes that are practical and experiential enough to generate interest from industry and civil society organisations. I am aware of the tendency to over theorize while offering instructions to students, that is why I am calling for a fairly balanced synchrony between theory and practice. Because I know that the theoretical framework of any area of specialty is also very important. In the area of research, I encourage you to adopt the triple helix model that is a set of interactions between academia, industry and government, to foster economic and social development. We encourage you to provide solutions to businesses and government on issues of innovation in business and policy for mutual benefits. Paying tribute to first Council of the College which consisted of stalwarts such as Hon. Kojo Botsio as Chairman, Mr. R. S. Amegashie as Principal, Mr. T.B.G.S. Addo, Mr. H. A. Dodoo, Mr. A. F. Greenwood, Mr. J. S. Lipscomb, Mr. H. P. Nelson, Mr. Kweku Akwei, Mr. J. T. Alexander, and Mr. T. K. Impraim, Dr Bawumia said after 60 years of providing varied training, it is now time to do some introspection. This occasion of 60 years anniversary should be a time of some kind of renaissance. We should also do some introspection and see how the future can be made more meaningful for all of us. The theme chosen is therefore very appropriate. Our mission now should be to move at a faster pace in order to be ahead. The clarion call now should be re-awakening, re-assessment and revitalization of our focus. Fulfilled promise Vice President Bawumia also handed over to the authorities of the UGBS, 100 laptops in fulfilment of a pledge made on 13th January 2022 during the launch of the Schools One Student One Laptop initiative. The initiative was birthed during the COVID-19 period when teaching and learning were moved online and aims to assist underprivileged students with free laptops to ensure effective online learning. In brief remarks before the handover, Vice President Bawumia underscored the changing nature of the teaching and learning process and urged alumni of the School and corporate bodies to help achieve the vision of ensuring no student is left behind. The Tamil Nadu coastal police are on high alert after inputs from Central agencies on the possibility of a heavy intrusion from Sri Lanka following political and economic uncertainty in the island nation. A senior officer of the Tamil Nadu home department told IANS that the state is constantly in touch with the Union Home ministry regarding the possibility of a Sri Lankan inflow into the Indian soil. Police is also alert on the possibility of 50 prisoners who had escaped from the Hambantota prison escaping into India through the sea route. The state home department has also directed the Tamil Nadu coastal police to alert the village committees in Dhanushkodi, Rameswaram, and other coastal areas of the state to inform the police regarding the presence of strangers. However, the police, according to a senior officer based at Police headquarters, is also ascertaining the possibility of the cadres of the defunct LTTE trying to sneak into India using this opportunity. It may be noted that a few people were arrested in October 2021 after they tried to withdraw money from a defunct account of the sympathisers of the LTTE in Mumbai and on questioning had informed the police that they were collecting money to fund the operations of the LTTE. Sources in the Tamil Nadu home department told IANS that the Coastal Security group of the state police is coordinating with the Coast Guard and the Indian Navy to block any illegal entry of Sri Lankan nationals into Indian waters. The state home department has also directed the fishermen from Tamil Nadu to be on alert while fishing near the International Marine Boundary Line as the Sri Lankan Navy is also alert over the nationals of that country crossing into Indian waters. It may be recalled that several Indian fishermen from Tamil Nadu were arrested and jailed and their costly mechanised boats confiscated by the Sri Lankan Naval authorities in recent times. Police are on alert to prevent the smuggling of drugs, weapons, and other contraband items into Indian shores from the island country. The Coastal security group is also on the lookout for any individuals or families who are left by boat operators in mounds near the Dhanushkodi and Rameswaram area as a few families were rescued from this place by the Coastal security group and the Indian Coast Guard after the internal crisis in Sri Lanka commenced. The e-learning Africa conference presents an opportunity to rethink and reposition the learning system in the region. A repositioning is critical to improving the quality of education and by extension the growth and development of Africa and Africans. Incidentally, in many parts of Africa, the educational system is broken. Schools have failed to live up to expectations. African schools graduate students who become unemployed or unemployable. African schools have been unable to foster relevant knowledge and skills, hence many African youths are either unskilled or underskilled. They do not possess the competencies that are required to participate and contribute meaningfully to the global economy. This tragic situation must be addressed. This presentation explores how the teaching of critical thinking would improve the quality and effectiveness of basic education in Nigeria. The main focus is on primary education because it is at the primary level that the foundation of subsequent educational programs is laid. Critical thinking has been noted as among the top ten job skills in this 21st century. In addition to analytical thinking, innovation, and problem-solving, critical thinking competencies are among the most sought-after skills by employers of labor. In fact to be able to analyze, invent and innovate, to be able to solve problems, one must have critical thinking capacities. More so, given that the global economy has witnessed a double disruption due to automation and the global pandemic, it has become necessary for African youths to re-skill and upskill to effectively participate in the economies of the future. So critical thinking skills must be fostered at the basic education level. Incidentally, the importance of critical thinking is noted in Nigeria's National Policy on Education. This document outlines inculcation of critical thinking as one of the objectives of primary education. Unfortunately, there is no subject to that respect. Nigerian primary schools offer only verbal and quantitative reasoning. There are no texts or learning aid materials on critical thinking for primary schools. To this end, the Critical Thinking Social Empowerment Foundation (CTSEF) is working and campaigning to fill this gap and fulfill this important need. CTSEF exists to foster critical thinking skills among Nigerian pupils, who speak English as a second language. However, the main challenge is: how does one define critical thinking in a way that the subject could be taught to children at basic primary levels? Let us examine a few definitions. One definition states that critical thinking is the "ability to identify, analyze and evaluate situations, ideas, and information to formulate responses to problems". Another defines critical thinking as: "clear reasonable reflective thinking focused on deciding what to believe or not to believe, what to do or not to do". While these definitions explain the meaning of critical thinking, it does not contain expressions that could easily be operationalized at the basic educational stage. To teach critical thinking, this subject must be delivered in a way that can measured and assessed at the primary school level. Here is another definition seems to fulfill this purpose. It states: "critical thinking means asking probing questions like, How do you know? Or is this true in every case or just in this instance? It means being skeptical and challenging assumptions, rather than memorizing facts and blindly accepting what you hear and read". Most important in this definition is the phrase "asking probing questions". Thus critical reasoning stands for the ability to interrogate or pose questions in all areas of human endeavor. For children in primary schools, critical thinking is about expressing their curiosity and inquisitiveness. The emphasis is on asking questions about whatever they can see, hear, smell, touch, taste, or feel. Central to teaching critical thinking is question storming which is the ability to generate questions for questions' sake. Students are made to interrogate ideas, issues, or experiences in all aspects of human endeavor. Now, what is new about teaching critical thinking in primary schools? Or better how does it infuse a new purpose into basic education? Unlike other subjects, in critical thinking modules, there are no answers. Critical thinking exercise is a form of question-storm. Questions are answers and answers are questions. Again, the prevailing culture of learning in primary schools is teacher-centered. Teachers pose questions and students supply answers to demonstrate knowledge. But in critical thinking classes, it is a different case. Teachers are stimulators of inquiry and interrogation. Students generate questions to demonstrate knowledge and intelligence. For instance at the basic educational level students are taught to generate questions about whatever they observe or experience through the basic senses using the interrogative pronouns. Students are trained to pose questions in the past, present or future. Students are taught to question the subject and predicate, the noun, verb, article, pronoun, preposition, adverb, etc In conclusion, teaching critical thinking is set to change the culture of learning in Nigerian, nay African classrooms. Critical thinking is here to infuse a new purpose an value into the African school system. Inculcating critical thinking skills will help end the pervasive trend of memorizing and regurgitating information which has been the main driver of education in African schools. With critical thinking, students would no longer be passive recipients of knowledge but active interrogators of what they learn, what is taught and told. The African child will be equipped to meaningfully participate and contribute to the global economy. 11.05.2022 LISTEN The Member of Parliament for the North Tongu constituency and a staunch member of the opposition National Democratic Congress(NDC), Mr. Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa said the Methodist Church despite the party selection of all its Running Mate from the church since 1992, Bishop Bosomtwe engaged in utter blasphemy with his anti-NDC comment. However, he lauded the Methodist Church for distancing itself from Rt. Rev. Stephen Bosomtwe-Ayensu's comment against former President John Dramani Mahama. In a statement posted on Facebook today, May 11, 2022, Mr. Ablakwa asserted that the leadership of the Methodist Church Ghana has exhibited maturity by swiftly neutralizing themselves from the partisan comment made by the former Obuasi diocesan Bishop of the Church. The maturity and exemplary leadership of the revered Methodist Church on the Rt. Rev. Stephen Bosomtwi-Ayensu saga is commendable. On a lighter note, it is praiseworthy that they didnt demand Neutrality Allowance before swiftly re-establishing the partisan neutrality of the celebrated Methodist Church, he stated. According to Mr. Ablakwa, it will be irreverent for the Church to associate the image of Christ with partisan politics even against the NDC despite selecting all their running mates from the church including their recent Jane Naana Opoku Agyemang. It would be blasphemous and sacrilegious to attempt any alignment of the body of Christ with partisan politics. Not even the NDC tradition is entitled to engage in such utter blasphemy despite selecting all our southern Running Mates from the Methodist congregation since 1992: Kow Nkensen Arkaah (1992 Elections); John Evans Atta Mills (1996 Elections/before becoming Flagbearer in 2000 and winning the 2008 Elections as President); Paa Kwesi Bekoe Amissah-Arthur (2012 and 2016 Elections); Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang (2020 Elections), he added. Speaking to journalists at the Methodist Church 25th Synod held at the Obuasi Mount Zion Methodist Society, Bishop Bosomtwe clearly stated that former President Mahamas promise to repeal the E-levy Act is just a mere political gimmick. His comment attracted a barrage of criticisms from all corners including the opposition NDC. This compelled the Methodist Church of Ghana to release a statement distancing itself from comments made by the Rt. Rev. Bosomtwe Ayensu, a former Bishop of the Obuasi Diocese and currently the Superintendent minister of the Amakom circuit in the Ashanti Region. Shireen Abu Akleh 11.05.2022 LISTEN The American Human Rights Council (AHRC-USA) condemns in the strongest terms the brutal and cold-blooded killing of Palestinian -American Aljazeera reporter Shireen Abu Akleh. Ms Abu Akleh was with a group of press reporters reporting from the city of Jenin in the occupied Palestinian West-Bank when she was killed by a sniper bullet. Shireen Abu Akleh was reportedly wearing a clear and visible press vest and a helmet. According to Abu Akleh's fellow reporters and multiple-trusted media sources, Abu Akleh was targeted and intentionally shot by an Israeli sniper who shot her right under the ear. The killing of Abu Akleh, who served as Al Jazeera correspondent for the past 25 years, is another violation of international law and a blatant violation of human rights. Reporters and journalists should be protected and not targeted. Many reporters were killed in the line of duty in different parts of the world including the Palestinian occupied territories. AHRC joins the worlds peace- loving people, human rights community and journalists across the world calling for an immediate, international, and transparent investigation regarding this crime and for holding all those responsible for the killing accountable. AHRC calls on the Biden administration, the State Department and the United Nations to not spare any efforts to assure that a thorough and comprehensive investigation takes place. Reporters must be protected and not targeted under any circumstances regardless of their nationality or the identity of the violator. Reporters are heroes often in the heart of the most war zones in order to inform the public and write the first version of history. There has not been an investigation that determined that Israel has killed Abu Akleh. However, eyewitnesses have accused the Israeli army. This accusation is bolstered by the fact that Israel bombarded AP headquarters facility in Gaza in violation of international law and norms. The AP building bombardment faded away without any Israeli accountability or liability. The killing of Abu Akleh will only add to a tense situation and confrontations between the Israeli occupation army and the Palestinians. The situation is very alarming and subject to further escalation. The fact that we are a few days away from May 15, the date of the 1948 Palestinian Catastrophe (Al Nakba) coupled with the ongoing Israeli police assaults against the worshipers at Al-Aqsa Mosque compound means that we should expect more violence. This violence is avoidable with international intervention guided by international law and norms. Occupation is the root cause of all the violence. All that is needed is political will, from the United States specifically, to put an end to it. We are saddened by the death of Ms. Abu Akleh and send our sincere condolences to her friends and family," said Imad Hamad, AHRC Executive Director. "The Biden administration has promised a foreign policy grounded in respect for human rights and international law, added Hamad. Palestine should not be the exception, added Hamad. 11.05.2022 LISTEN The leadership of the Ghana Private Road Transport Union (GPRTU) in the Ashanti Region says increasing transport fares by 20% was the best option possible for commercial drivers to stay in business. According to the group, as a result of recent fuel price increases, members have been incurring losses. In line with this, some drivers in Kumasi have begun making adjustments after their counterparts in Accra did same earlier in the week. The Public Relations Officer of the Ashanti Regional Chapter of GPRTU, Mohammed Canal Abdul-Raman called on all members to adjust transport fares by 20 percent in line with directives by the national executives. He appealed to passengers to comply with the new transport fares, saying, it was necessary under the prevailing circumstances. We planned on meeting the sector minister because from January to February 2022 this year, the leaders of the two unions, GPRTU and GRTCC met the Minister, and signed a communique that whenever the cumulative effect is 10% or more, we could increase transport fares. And as we speak, fuel prices have increased by about 40%. We are appealing to the general public to at least comply with what we have now. It is no ones fault that we have gotten to this point. If we do not share the burden with passengers, we wont be able to run our businesses and be forced to park our cars. --citinewsroom The Mamponteng District Court has remanded one of the suspects allegedly involved in the killing of a 40-year-old mechanic, Akwasi Owusu at Hemang in the Kwabre East Municipality of the Ashanti region. The accused, Atif Muftaw, 18, has been provisionally charged with murder. The accused person was remanded after the prosecutor, Chief Inspector A.R Zakaria, prayed the court to remand him to assist the police arrest some other 15 accomplices who are currently at large. The court, presided over by His Worship Thomas Boadi Soyori, thus, remanded the accused to reappear on May 26, 2022. A clash between two feuding youth factions from Aboaso and Hemang in the Municipality led to the death of the deceased. The two factions were said to have clashed during a ceremony at a guest house in Sarfo on Saturday, May 7, 2022. The victim, who was returning from a funeral from Wiamoase the next day, was allegedly ambushed by some youth from Aboaso. They allegedly attacked, butchered, and stabbed him several times. He was rushed to the Ankaase Hospital for medical treatment but died on arrival. The police have since arrested two suspects in connection with the murder. The Prosecutor, Chief Inspector A.R Zakaria, spoke to Class 91.3 FM's Elisha Adarkwah after court proceedings. The family Head of the deceased, Mr Kofi Boakye who was in court today called for swift investigations while demanding justice for the deceased. Source: Classfmonline.com A communications team member of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Nana Kwadwo Agyei Yeboah popularly known as Nana Kay, has stated that the Akufo-Addo/Bawumia-led administration is bent on developing the country despite the challenges facing it. Nana Kay has tasked members of the NPP to propagate the good works of government to Ghanaians since the party has a success story to tell. He urged them not to allow the National Democratic Congress (NDC) to throw dust into the eyes of Ghanaians with lies, but propagate the good works of the NPP. Looking into the future with lots of prospects for the NPP government. Join us, as we strive to change the narrative. We certainly have a good story to tell, Nana Kay exclusively told Kwaku Dawuro on Accra-based Wontumi FM. Lets push for more. The NPP is visionary and more determined. Lets tell our stories, he tweeted, among others. Nana Kay added, From now to election, I will make sure I will sell government projects, stressing that the move of selling government projects to the masses will help Break the Eight in the next presidential election. He also explained that government has undertaken several projects such as the construction of roads, health centres, educational infrastructure and Astro turf projects, among others that are ongoing in his constituency. He added that, We should always be equipped and ready to show Ghanaians, beyond any reasonable doubt, our brilliant initiatives as and when they take place, because that is what the people want to see when they vote us into power. 11.05.2022 LISTEN The government has been called upon to massively step up its efforts to tackle violence against children to create a safe environment for them to grow. The government has also been urged to do more to tackle the entrenched causes of violence against children such as social and cultural attitudes, gender discrimination, poverty and humanitarian crises as well as pay far greater attention to new and emerging challenges caused by armed conflict, violent extremism and the COVID-19 pandemic. This was contained in a statement issued by the Youth Development and Voice Initiative (YOVI), a non-governmental organisation based in Tamale, signed by Mr Hussein Rahman, its Executive Director, and copied to the press in Tamale on Wednesday. The statement coincided with the ongoing Pan-African Learning Symposium on Violence Prevention, which is being hosted by the African Partnership to End Violence against Children, in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. It is being attended by senior government officials and civil society representatives from over 30 African countries to kick-start action to end violence against children. The statement said We welcome the fact that Ghana is one of the African countries aspiring to become a pathfinding country recognised by the UN-led Global Partnership to End Violence Against Children for their commitment to raising awareness, stimulating leadership, galvanising action and establishing national violence prevention standards. But much more needs to be done. It said YOVI is acutely aware of the financial constraints that African governments continue to endure in the post-pandemic economic slow-down. But we cannot allow the small gains made in tackling violence against children over the past 30 years to be wiped out by failure to invest in social and child protection programmes. It said On the contrary, this is the very time to be increasing funding, as violence against children has a significant harmful social and economic impact on society as a whole. According to the African Child Policy Forum, at least six out of 10 boys and half of all girls in Africa experience physical abuse, one in four children suffer sexual violence, three million girls are at risk of female genital mutilation every year, 40 percent of boys in residential care institutions suffer physical violence, and sub-Saharan Africa has the highest rates of child trafficking in the world. Violence has devastating impacts on a childs dignity, physical and mental well-being, development and life chances. Children with disabilities or albinism, those in residential care or living and working on the streets, and those caught up in humanitarian crises and armed conflict are most at risk from violence, while better digital connectivity and pandemic lock-downs have driven an increase in online sexual abuse. The statement said No African country including Ghana is immune from the terrible scourge of violence against children. African children and young people continue to suffer widespread physical, psychological and sexual abuse, while armed conflict, violent extremism and the COVID-19 pandemic have created a perfect storm for violence against children to flourish. The scale of violence against children in Africa is unacceptable and getting worse. The statement said Given the current economic uncertainty, violence prevention programmes funded by international donors and NGOs remain essential. However, the roots of the problem lie here in Africa, with deep-rooted traditional attitudes and practices towards children - especially girls - a significant barrier to success. It, therefore, called on all governments, the African Union and the Regional Economic Communities To scale up investment in initiatives to end violence against children. Eradicating this stain on our collective conscience is one of the most important priorities of our time. Commander Andy La-Anyane, Public Relations Officer of Ghana Navy, says the Navy has temporarily suspended rescue mission in connection with the Fishing Vessel Menghxib 11, which sank at sea between Elmina and Takoradi. He said the Airforce was, however, conducting aerial patrols to look out for possible floating bodies. Eight Ghanaians and a Chinese are yet to be found after the accident. Local communities have been put on alert. "We have temporarily suspended the operations-search and rescue operations- though we have deployed the Ghana Airforce to continue with aerial patrols to see if we can find any floating bodies on the sea. We have also informed local communities to be on the look out in case anybody is washed ashore..." On 6th May, 2022, the Menghzin 11 Fishing Vessel sank at sea after the Captain was reported to have ignored warning signs of a storm. The Vessel had 19 Ghanaian and six Chinese crew. A total of eleven Ghanaians and four Chinese have been rescued so far. GNA The Vice President, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, has presented one hundred (100) laptops to the University of Ghana Business School. The donation was in fulfillment of a pledge the Dr. Bawumia made to the UGBS earlier in the year to support the School's One Student, One Laptop initiative announced by the Vice Chancellor of the University of Ghana, to advance digitisation on campus. Presenting the 100 laptops during the launch of the 60th Anniversary celebration of the UGBS on Wednesday, Dr. Bawumia said he was touched and inspired by the bold initiative, hence his decision to donate the laptops to support the initiative. "I was so inspired that that day I promised 100 laptops to the university of Ghana business school, and by the grace of God, I am presenting the laptops to the School today," Dr. Bawumia said. The Vice President noted that more laptops would be needed to make the initiative successful, and he therefore called for support, especially UGBS alumni, to donate laptops towards the campaign. While congratulating the UGBS on attaining 60 years, Dr. Bawumia commended the School, whose alumni, he said, are contributing significantly to the development of the nation. As part of its 60th Anniversary celebration, the UGBS has line up year-long activities. Because of the economic, social and political conditions facing the country, there is a perception that the New Patriotic Party administration under Nana Akufo-Addo has failed to meet the expectations of Ghanaians. On this verdict, I personally think the jury is still out as posterity will be the best judge of the current administration. Even though no President or political party has been able to fulfil all promises in a manifesto, because of the underlying polarization of the countrys politics President Akufo-Addo has been attacked and portrayed as perhaps the worst president the country has ever had. The logical consequence of this attack on the President is that Mahamaa sitting President who was voted out of office for almost similar reasonshas now been elevated to a saint-like status in the eyes of the electorate. Without a doubt, Mahama and circuitously, the NDC, have been emboldened by the sense of nostalgia Ghanaians appear to feel for their return to power. The controversy that preceded the just-passed E-Levy has become emblematic of both the deepening polarization of our politics and the voting publics increasing obsession with politicians fulfilling the promises they make in their manifestos in the countrys governance. Riding on the crest of the anti-E-Levy sentiment wave in the country, former President Mahama is alleged to have told workers on workers day that the E-Levy would be abolished if the NDC was voted back into power in 2024. Whether this alleged promise is legally feasible or not, is a matter for the legal Eagles to wrestle with. But, what I know for a fact from my O Level Economics, is the fact that every government, regardless of which ideology it professes, needs to raise taxes for its development agenda. Mahamas promise to abrogate the E-Levy can only mean one of two things: Either he wants power at all costs or he does not really understand Ghanaians apparent negative sentiment about the E-Levy. If the threat to scrap the E-Levy by former President Mahama was made to endear himself to Ghanaians for the sake of winning power at all costs, then he is making a fundamental mistake of promising Ghanaians what he cannot deliver in his remaining one term in office (if he is elected at all). It is significant to note that Ghanaians antipathy towards E-Levy is not because of the fact that they do not know the importance of taxation. In fact, taxation is as old as any human organisation and indeed in the pre-colonial traditional state taxation existed in the form of tributes paid by conquered territories and peoples or by communal labour from the subjects of a sovereign state. Conversely, the problem Ghanaians seem to have with E-Levy is a problem of a trust deficit as far as governments management of the public purse is concerned. The narrative here is that if the nearly GhS300 billion borrowed by the government is not visible, they cannot trust it to use a mere GHS6 billion from the E-Levy to do anything meaningful in the remaining three years left. In fact, the Supreme Courts admonition to the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) to keep records of the E-Levy proceeds is one way of restoring the publics trust in the government with regard to the management of the proceeds from that tax. In other words, the court is telling Ghanaians that revenue from this tax should be monitored so that they are used for their intended purposes rather than falling through the cracks of corruption as is often the case with the public purse in the developing world. Truth be told, Ghana is broke right now as I write this piece. Technically, the country is bankrupt, however, as Fitch & Oppenheimer observed of the country in the 1960s under similar circumstances, but you cannot liquidate a country. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has just listed Ghana among the 20 sub-Saharan African countries that are at high risk of debt burden. According to the IMF, this situation is further exacebated by the fact that this debt crunch comes at a time when the social and development needs are very large. As a country, we cannot perpetually borrow our way to prosperity so it is not enough for anybodycertainly not a former Presidentto say that they will abolish E-Levy for the sake of attaining power; the discourse should be about how to think outside the box to not only mobilize revenue domestically, but manage it prudently. It is significant to note that while Akufo-Addos administration coincidentally has been the poster boy for the investigative role of social media in exposing dishonesty and insincerity in our governance, we must not rest on our laurels thinking that this role is limited to the dynamics of this particular administration. With the exception of those with an obvious partisan agenda, social media will continue to proliferate and open the Pandoras box in our governance going forward, regardless of who is in government. We must therefore be careful about what we wish for in the lead up to the 2024 electioneering campaigns. In fact, under our present socioeconomic circumstances, domestically mobilized revenue like the E-Levy cannot be sacrificed on the altar of attaining raw political power so let us be circumspect in what we promise Ghanaians as the 2024 election cycle approaches. Thus, the alleged threat of cancellation of the E-Levy by former President John Mahama is an example of an unrealistic promise that should be taken with a pinch of salt. PROFESSOR ACHEAMPONG YAW AMOATENG, PHD., IS A SOCIOLOGIST BASED IN THE US The Ukrainian government has approved the seizure of Russian assets in Ukraine, Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal has said. "Today, the Cabinet of Ministers approved a document according to which Russian assets in Ukraine are transferred to the state, or rather to the state enterprise 'National Investment Fund'," Shmyhal wrote on Telegram. The Russian assets will be placed under the management of the National Investment Fund of Ukraine and will be used for strengthening the Ukrainian army, supporting the people and rebuilding infrastructure, Shmyhal was quoted as saying by Xinhua news agency. The Ukrainian government is working with other countries to seize Russian assets abroad and use the funds for Ukraine's post-conflict recovery, he added. In April, Shmyhal said Kiev sought to seize Russian assets to finance Ukraine's post-conflict recovery. "The funds of the Russian government and oligarchs will be one of the main sources for filling the Fund for the Reconstruction of our country," Shmyhal said on Telegram. National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) has stated that although the Scheme would always be in arrears to its service providers per its payment arrangement, it would be difficult to determine an accurate arrears position at any point in time. Service providers have 60 days to submit claims whilst the NHIA has 90 days to vet, process and pay those claims. Mr Richard Barima Sarpong, Communication Manager, Corporate Affairs Directorate at NHIA made the declaration in a press release copied to the Ghana News Agency, following issues raised by Hon. Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, the Ranking Member on the Parliamentary Select Committee on Health, in respect of the National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) and the sustainability of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS). Based on the payment arrangement as stated, it would be difficult to determine an accurate arrears position at any point in time, as the amount involved would depend on when claims were submitted to the NHIA, he said. For example, between 25 to 30 per cent of healthcare providers have submitted their October to December 2021 (last quarter) claims as of March 2022. It will be quite erroneous to state emphatically that the NHIA owes GH2.5 billion to providers for claims submitted up to March 2022, he noted. Mr Barima Sarpong added that the Ministry of Finance within the year 2021 released a total amount of GHC1.393 billion, being National Health Insurance Levies (NHIL) revenue, from the Consolidated Fund to the National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) based on the Allocation Formula approved by the Parliament of Ghana on April 5, 2022. Out of that amount, GH1.266 billion was treated as payment for liabilities of the government to the NHIA, leaving an amount of GH127 million, which in the standard accounting reporting framework was attributed to the 2021 financial year. He mentioned also that the NHIA's investment cover for claims has been declining since 2009. The Authority's investment fund had a closing balance of GH104.32 million in 2014, but it declined to GH77 million at the end of 2016 with disinvestments of GH39.82 million in that same year. Investment cover as of the end of December 2021, stood at GH100.72 million. It is instructive to note that there have been no disinvestments since 2017, the statement said. Rabat and Madrid have agreed to reopen Morocco's land borders with two Spanish enclaves, Spain's foreign minister said Wednesday. The two countries have "reached a definitive deal for the reopening of the land borders with Ceuta and Melilla in the coming days", Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares told journalists in the Moroccan city of Marrakesh, without setting an exact date. The move helps draw a line under a major diplomatic standoff on the back of coronavirus restrictions that together closed the crossings for two years. The borders became hostage to a major dispute last year when Madrid allowed the leader of a Western Saharan independence movement to be treated for Covid-19 in a Spanish hospital. Ten thousand migrants surged across the Moroccan border into Ceuta as local border forces looked the other way, in what was widely seen as a punitive gesture by Rabat. In March, Spain moved to end the diplomatic crisis with Morocco by removing its decades-long stance of neutrality and backing the kingdom's autonomy plan for the Western Sahara, which Rabat insists must remain under its sovereignty. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez visited King Mohammed VI in early April. The Spanish foreign minister's announcement comes a month after a Spanish ferry docked in Morocco's Tangiers port for the first time in two years. The Minister for Employment and Labour Relations, Ignatius Baffour-Awuah, has assured members of the Local Government Committee of Parliament that government is frantically working on getting striking CLOGSAG members to return to work. The Minister in a closed door meeting, according to Starr News sources, informed the committee a payment plan for the neutrality allowance of members of the Civil and Local Government Workers is ready. CLOGSAG had demanded such a plan as a condition for calling off it's almost a month old strike which has crippled assemblies across the country. After more than two hours meeting, the Labour Minister and his Deputy Bright Wireko Brobbey emerged tight-lipped. Leadership and Members of the Committee unlike what transpired after Mondays meeting with CLOGSAG also opted for silence. Parliament meeting with Leadership CLOGSAG The Leadership of the Committee on Local Government and Rural Development in Parliament is optimistic CLOGSAG will call off the almost a month old strike action. Members of the association have grounded activities of various assemblies following governments inability to pay their neutrality allowance as agreed. Speaking to the media after a meeting with Executives of CLOGSAG, the ranking Member on Local Government and Rural Development Committee, Nii Lante Vanderpuije disclosed the association is ready to call off the strike if government does the needful. They further disclosed the committee will be meeting labour and Finance Ministries as well as fair wages and salaries commission in its attempt to resolve the impasse given the implications on the public including Members of Parliament whose common fund cannot be processed. All of us are feeling it (strike) as we sit here as MPs our Common Fund releases from the Assembly cannot be worked on because the staff are on strike, so all of us are affected, Nii Lante disclosed. He said news reports over the weekend had complaints from many Ghanaians on the effect of the strike action by CLOGSAG. So every Ghanaians is affected that is the reason we said that we couldnt wait for more days. Just over the weekend what we went through we have all called all our colleagues from the break everybody. So that we can see what we can do. We thought that what we have told them will hit them so before close of today lets hope that what they want from the government will come and then the issue will be resolved, the Odododiodio MP stated. ---happyghana.com 11.05.2022 LISTEN Ghanas Executive Director of the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO), COP Maame Yaa Tiwaa Addo-Danquah has been elected as an Executive Member Anti-Corruption Institutions in Commonwealth Africa. The former Director-General of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of the Ghana Police Service was elected unopposed to occupy the position at the 12th Africa anti-corruption conference held in Kigali, Rwanda recently. She would serve as Treasurer of the Seven-Member Executive Committee of Anti-Corruption Institutions in Commonwealth Africa with Mrs. Madelein Nirere Chief Ombudsman, the Republic of Rwanda as Chairperson. Other Executive members include; Ms May De Silva, Commissioner, Anti-Corruption Commission from Seychelles as Vice Chairperson, Mr Silumesi Muchula Acting Director-General, Anti-Corruption Commission, the Republic of Zambia as Secretary, Prof Francois Anoukaha, Vice Chairman, National Anti-Corruption Commission, Ms Berma Mpembe Meakalyelye Deputy Director-General The Prevention and Combating of Corruption Bureau, Tanzania and Mr Tymon Katlholo, Director-General, Directorate on Corruption and Economic Crime (DCEC) Botswana. Meanwhile, the conference held in Kigali discussed the impacts of corruption on sustainable development and strategies for combating corruption. Heads of anti-corruption agencies from the Commonwealths 19 African member states and stakeholders attended the five-day conference under the theme Combating Corruption for Good Governance and Sustainable Development in Africa, which opened with a clarion call from delegates for the need to strengthen cooperation and collaboration among anti-corruption agencies in Commonwealth Africa to help address the gaps in fighting corruption. Executive Director of the Africa Education Watch, Kofi Asare, has called for a revision in the free Senior High School (SHS) Policy. According to him, it is high time beneficiaries of the policy are solely Junior High School (JHS) graduates from public schools whilst JHS graduates from private schools pay for their schooling at the SHS level. He explained this revision will still see to government achieving its goal of making education accessible to all. Kofi Asare revealed the government spends a maximum of GH2,000.00 annually on each boarding student under the free SHS program, an amount he believes is no big deal for parents of students from private Junior High Schools. We achieve the goal of all students receiving education at the Senior High School level with the revision of the free SHS policy. Students who graduated from private JHS should pay fees at the SHS level whilst those from govt JHS shouldnt pay. Are we saying graduates from private JHSs cannot pay the GH2,000.00 per year spent on an individual under free SHS? he asked Samuel Eshun on the Happy Morning Show. Kofi Asare noted that with this revision of the policy, the government should save about GH400 million, an amount he believes can be used to create more jobs and create opportunities for economic development for SHS graduates who cannot pursue tertiary education. This amount saved can be used to protect the outcome of the free SHS policy. The educationist explained the revision of the policy does not mean government does not have enough to run the free SHS program, but we are saying the money we are spending can be utilized effectively and efficiently to achieve the benefits of the free SHS with the monies saved used to protect the outcome of the free SHS. The Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, says the governments flagship programme, the Free Senior High School initiative, is taking a huge toll on the national budget despite the countrys meagre resources. The Asantehene did not only bemoan the financial impact of the policy, but also expressed concern about its possible impact on unemployment levels in the country. Considering the value to the nation, this must be one of the boldest policies of the nation but it also brings its challenges, Otumfuo stressed. The Akufo-Addo government has been under pressure to review its flagship Free SHS policy, as it takes a chunk of the countrys resources, and poses a threat to quality, although access has drastically improved. But the government appears adamant. ---happyghana.com Communication Team Member of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Richard Manuribe, has called for the immediate expulsion of Bishop Stephen Richard Bosomtwe Ayensu from the Methodist Church. He believes this will give the bishop of the esteemed church all the room he needs to pursue his political career in NPP unimpeded. Bishop Ayensu has chastised former President John Dramani Mahama for saying the NDC government will cancel the much-talked-about Electronic Transactions Levy, in 2025 if it comes to power. Bishop Ayensu speaking to journalists at the Methodist Churchs 25th Synod held at the Mount Zion Methodist Church at Obuasi in the Ashanti Region described the pronouncement by the former president and his opposition party as backward and an attempt to sway voters. A leading opposition party says this government has been borrowing to fund projects. But it [the government] has been strategic this time to introduce this homegrown policy to build our nation. So if someone says he will repeal this law when he wins power then such a person will not even win power to abort it. If the E-levy is a good policy why will you abolish it? Such people cant even do it because history keeps guiding us. Such comments usually end up as a political talk and deceit, he added. Bishop Ayensu who expressed disappointment in the three-time NDC flagbearer for making such an utterance said it is an attempt to sway voters. He also stated that he only remembers former president John Dramani Mahama as being the dead goat president. The former Bishop stated that it will be appropriate for the former president to stay clear off politics after saying another term of office for Mahama will do nothing to the status of the Ghanaian people. After making this statement, the Methodist Church has issued a communique disassociating itself from his statements. Reacting to this statement in an interview with Don Kwabena Prah on Happy98.9FMs Epa Hoa Daben political talk show, Richard Manuribe noted Bishop Ayensu has made similar statements in the past and called on the church to take action now. It is high time the church punishes him by pushing them out of their fold. If he wants to become an official politician for the NPP, he should be given the chance to do so. He has been using the churchs platform to do what he wants, but now they need to let him go, he added. He described the former bishop as having a strong position against the NDC and will do the church no good being associated to him. Richard Manuribe pledged the NDC will not look on idle as former President Mahama is disrespected by anyone. Former President Mahama has contributed immensely to the success of the nation and we will not allow anyone to insult him out of parochial interest, he boldly stated. ---happyghana.com 11.05.2022 LISTEN Member of Parliament (MP) for the Wa West Constituency and a retired Superintendent of Police, Peter Lanchene Toobu, has said the foundation of internal security must be strengthened to prevent terrorist attacks on Ghana. He made this comment in relation to the West Africa Centre For Counter-Extremism (WACCE) reports that say Ghana is prone to terrorist attacks. According to the Centre, irrespective of the fact that Ghana has managed terrorist threats for some time yet Ghana has been so close to terrorism. The report disclosed that already, more than 13 Ghanaians are believed to have travelled to fight with terrorist groups since 2015. Speaking on Happy FMs Epa Hoa Daben with Don Kwabena Prah, the Wa West MP said terrorists may sometimes not come from neighbouring countries but within our matrimonial home. We must pay attention to internal threats, in doing that we have to equip the police and strengthen the community policing so any form of threats that will emerge from our villages or community can be curtailed. We just can be at the borders and be arresting suspected extremists from the neighbouring country. Terrorists sometimes dont migrate from any country, the woman you even sleep with on the same bed can be a terrorist. We must study the Boko Haram in Nigeria, Iraq and Iran and learn about ISIS and how they operate and train their people. He advised that as a country we must deal with security matters holistically devoid of political interference. 11.05.2022 LISTEN US ambassador designate to Ghana, Virginia Palmer has presented her open letters to the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey. The ambassador designate presented her open letters to the Minister on Tuesday, 10 May 2022. The Foreign Affairs Minister highlighting the excellent bilateral relations between Ghana and the US, was confident that the new envoy would contribute to the deepening the already existing relations between both countries. Ms Palmer is a seasoned diplomat who has devoted much of her 35-year career to African Affairs. Prior to her appointment, she served as Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for the State Departments Bureau of Energy Resources. She has also served as U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of Malawi and as Deputy Chief of Mission and Charge dAffaires a.i. at the U.S. Embassy in South Africa. Source: classfmonline.com According to the World Bank, about 1.3 billion people around the world depend on forests for employment, forest products, and contributions to livelihoods and incomes. Yet, deforestation and forest degradation continue to threaten the global forest cover and the livelihoods of many people. In Ghanas Eastern Region, Akyem Abuakwa, which is one of the countrys high forest areas, has experienced some of the highest levels of deforestation. About 30% of the regions forest loss is attributable to socio-economic activities such as illegal timber logging, mining, expansion in agricultural land use and bad agricultural practices, wildfires, and unsecured land and tree tenure arrangements. The impact of deforestation and degradation is believed to be closely linked to other human development challenges. To provide sustainable solutions to these interconnected challenges and accelerate the attainment of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the United Nations in Ghana with funding from the United Nations Trust Fund for Human Security is implementing a project titled: Fostering Reforestation, Environmental Sustainability and Tourism in the Okyeman Area (FOREST Okyeman). This project is particularly significant as it is adopting human security and community-based approaches towards promoting sustainable livelihoods and wellbeing of the people by strengthening local systems to address critical gaps in environmental, health and education response in Akyem Abuakwa. It is worth noting that, the FOREST Okyeman is also a clear manifestation of how multi-stakeholder collaboration can be leveraged to co-create solutions for sustainable development challenges, as it is being implemented by Traditional authorities and communities in the area in collaboration with UNDP, UNICEF, WHO, UNEP, UNV and the Okyeman Environment Foundation as well as government, and private sector actors. The Deputy Resident Representative of UNDP in Ghana, Sukhrob Khoshmukhamedov reiterates the uniqueness of the FOREST Okyeman partnership when he stated at the projects inception meeting that the environmental and socio-economic challenges facing communities today are enormous. We must continue to leverage strategic partnerships to empower communities to build their resilience and advance respect for human rights and dignity. Indeed, the role of traditional authorities in all efforts to protect the forest and build sustainable livelihoods cannot be overemphasized. Therefore, it is significant that the project emphasizes local ownership, with strong support by the traditional authorities in Akyem Abuakwa led by the Okyenhene, His Royal Majesty, Osagyefo Amoatia Oforipanin. As the custodians of the lands, the special role of chiefs will be critical in mobilizing communities to support the project implementation and facilitate sustainability. As the Asomkahene & Kyebi Kyidom Panin, Barima Fredua Agyeman Okotomin rightly said during the inception meeting of the project, "the forest has a huge potential waiting to be tapped. As communities and traditional leaders, we must work towards protecting it for the long-term socio-economic benefits". The FOREST Okyeman project will promote considerable investments in reforestation program hinged on sustainable environmental governance and management, ecotourism, livelihoods empowerment, and the promotion of better health and education outcomes. It is being implemented over 3 years and is expected to benefit over 1.3 million beneficiaries (671,921 women and 505,907 children between the ages of 0-14 years) spanning across 5 districts in the Eastern Region. As the threats to the environment continue to widen, sustaining livelihoods and the wellbeing of people requires actions at all levels. Leveraging the influence of traditional leaders in this agenda as being done in the FOREST Okyeman project is the most effective way to drive communities towards sustainable practices for people and for planet. Source: UNDP Ghana Archaeologists from Tel Aviv University, the University of Haifa, the Weizmann Institute of Science and the Israel Antiquities Authority have analyzed residues from ceramic storage jars unearthed in the Babylonian destruction layer (586 BCE) in Jerusalem, Israel. Five of the jars had rosette stamp impressions on their handles, indicating that their content was related to the Kingdom of Judahs royal economy. The teams results, published in the journal PLoS ONE, show that the jars were used for storing olive oil and wine flavored with vanilla. During the 7th century BCE, Jerusalem enjoyed unprecedented prosperity, as it grew in size, population and wealth, said lead author Ayala Amir, a doctoral student in the Sonia and Marco Nadler Institute of Archaeology at Tel Aviv University and the Department of Organic Chemistry at the Weizmann Institute of Science, and colleagues. The integration of Judah into the sphere of the Assyrian and later Egyptian empires, allowed the vassal kingdom to play an important role in the lucrative, long-range south Arabian trade, due to the fact that the main route of this network passed through the Negev the arid area in its southern sector. Several contemporaneously-composed Biblical texts refer to the Arabian trade, but archaeology was yet to shed light on the commodities transported in this commercial system. The excavation of ceramic storage jars in the debris of the Babylonian (Nebuchadnezzars) destruction of Jerusalem in 586 BCE presented us with an opportunity to examine the content of the vessels using residue analysis. In the study, the researchers examined two assemblages of jars that were found in storage rooms in two different locations in Jerusalem. The first assemblage was from the Givati Parking Lot excavations on the southwestern slope of the Temple Mount. The storage vessels retrieved from a room belonging to a large public building that was destroyed during the Babylonian devastation of Jerusalem in 586 BCE. The second assemblage came from a public structure located on the eastern slope of the City of David ridge, to the south of the Temple Mount and above the Gihon Spring. The jars were found in the middle room of the public structure, which was probably constructed in the 7th century BCE. The room was packed with a thick destruction debris that included collapsed stones and a large quantity of burned pieces of wood apparently belonging to the rooms ceiling beams. Four of the restored storage jars from the second site and one from the first bore handles with rosette stamp impressions, dated to the late 7th-early 6th century BCE. Rosette-impressed storage jars represent the royal distribution system of the Kingdom of Judah on the eve of the Babylonian assault in 586 BCE, the scientists noted. According to the team, all six jars examined from the first site and at least two jars from the second contained wine. In addition to wine-markers, one of the vessels contained biomarkers of olive oil. The most surprising results were the profiles obtained from the two jars from the second site and three jars from the first, indicating the presence of vanillin. Apparently the jars were used for the storage of olive oil and wine the two typical products of the kingdom under Assyrian domination, and were sealed to avoid oxidation of their contents, the authors said. Residues of vanilla attest to the great prestige of the wine and to the drinking habits of the elite residents of Jerusalem. Vanilla had to be imported from the tropic environments of India or east Africa, they said. Control over the spice trade routes connecting east and west has often been seen as a prime motivator for the Assyrian expansion to the southwest. The identification of vanilla as one such exotic and prestigious product having been brought over by the desert caravans highlights the economic value of this trade. We demonstrate that vanilla used as a wine additive by the kings of Judah and their entourage. The royal elite of the kingdom, residents of Jerusalem, webbed into this trading network, serving as clients of the Assyrian and later Egyptian empires. _____ A. Amir et al. 2022. Residue analysis evidence for wine enriched with vanilla consumed in Jerusalem on the eve of the Babylonian destruction in 586 BCE. PLoS ONE 17 (3): e0266085; doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0266085 Named Lake Snow Eagle, the newly-discovered subglacial lake is approximately 42 km in length and 370 km2 in area, making it one of the largest subglacial lakes in Antarctica. Revealed by heavily instrumented polar research aircraft, Lake Snow Eagle is lies in a km-deep canyon in the highlands of Princess Elizabeth Land, a few hundred km from the coast. Because it lies relatively close to the coast, researchers think that this lake might contain information about how the East Antarctic Ice Sheet first began and the part played by the Antarctic Circumpolar Current, a ring of cold water circling the continent that scientists think is responsible for keeping it cool. This lake is likely to have a record of the entire history of the East Antarctic Ice Sheet, its initiation over 34 million years ago, as well as its growth and evolution across glacial cycles since then, said Dr. Don Blankenship, a senior research scientist in the Institute for Geophysics at the University of Texas at Austin. Our observations also suggest that the ice sheet changed significantly about 10,000 years ago, although we have no idea why. The first hint that Lake Snow Eagle and its host canyon existed emerged when Dr. Blankenship and colleagues spotted a smooth depression on satellite images of the ice sheet. To confirm it was there, they spent three years flying systematic surveys over the site with ice penetrating radar and sensors that measure minute changes in Earths gravity and magnetic field. I literally jumped when I first saw that bright radar reflection, said Shuai Yan, a graduate student in the Jackson School of Geosciences at the University of Texas at Austin. What Yan saw was the lakes water that, unlike ice, reflects radar like a mirror. Along with the gravity and magnetic surveys, which lit up the underlying geology of the region and the depth of water and sediments, Yan constructed a detailed picture of a jagged, highland topography with Lake Snow Eagle nestled at the base of a canyon. According to the team, the lake is about 42 km long, 14.5 km wide and 198 m deep. The sediments at the bottom of the lake are 305 m deep and might include river sediments older than the ice sheet itself. This lakes been accumulating sediment over a very long time, potentially taking us through the period when Antarctica had no ice at all, to when it went into deep freeze, said Dr. Martin Siegert, a glaciologist at Imperial College London. We dont have a single record of all those events in one place, but the sediments at the bottom of this lake could be ideal. The discovery is described in a paper in the journal Geology. _____ Shuai Yan et al. A newly discovered subglacial lake in East Antarctica likely hosts a valuable sedimentary record of ice and climate change. Geology, published online May 9, 2022; doi: 10.1130/G50009.1 May 11, 2022 Ukraine - Congress Passes The Bucks, Realism Sneaks In, Poland Plans For More War After a lot of talk about defeating Russia in the Ukraine and an alleged lack of Russian fighting abilities Congress passed another $40 billion fund for weapons and economic support. That brings the total to some $53 billion for Ukraine. Most of the money will go to the U.S. weapon industry, the CIA and to various Ukrainian oligarchs. Hardly anything will be received by those in need. With that packet now passed reality is allowed to sneak into U.S. media reporting on the issue. Not one but two reports in the New York Times suddenly lament about the huge area of land the Russian troops have taken in east Ukraine: From the later: Nonetheless, the Donbas seizure, combined with the Russian invasions early success in seizing parts of southern Ukraine adjoining the Crimean peninsula, which Russia illegally annexed in 2014, gives the Kremlin enormous leverage in any future negotiation to halt the conflict. And the Russians enjoy the added advantage of naval dominance in the Black Sea, the only maritime route for Ukrainian trade, which they have paralyzed with an embargo that could eventually starve Ukraine economically and is already contributing to a global grain shortage. I have often pointed out that the Ukrainian frontline will have a huge number of casualties from Russian artillery strikes. It is even worse than I had thought: At the main hospital in Kramatorsk, a city in Donetsk, ambulances stream in day and night, carrying soldiers wounded at the front, who describe being pinned down by near constant shelling. About 80 percent of the patients are wounded by explosives such as mines and artillery shells, said Capt. Eduard Antonovskyy, the deputy commander of the medical unit at the hospital. Because of this, he said, very few patients have serious injuries. Either youre far enough from an explosion to survive or you arent, he said. We either get moderate injuries or deaths, Captain Antonovskyy said. Additional to those more realistic reports the NYT allowed one of it authors to write an opinion piece against the widening of the war: At first, the Western support for Ukraine was mainly designed to defend against the invasion. It is now set on a far grander ambition: to weaken Russia itself. Presented as a common-sense response to Russian aggression, the shift, in fact, amounts to a significant escalation. By expanding support to Ukraine across the board and shelving any diplomatic effort to stop the fighting, the United States and its allies have greatly increased the danger of an even larger conflict. They are taking a risk far out of step with any realistic strategic gain. ... When I was in Ukraine during the first weeks of the war, even staunch Ukrainian nationalists expressed views far more pragmatic than those that are routine in America now. Talk of neutral status for Ukraine and internationally monitored plebiscites in Donetsk and Luhansk has been jettisoned in favor of bombast and grandstanding. ... Whats more, the invasion has led directly to greater military spending in second- and third-tier European powers. The number of NATO troops in Eastern Europe has grown tenfold, and a Nordic expansion of the organization is likely. A general rearmament of Europe is taking place, driven not by desire for autonomy from American power but in service to it. For the United States, this should be success enough. It is unclear what more there is to gain by weakening Russia, beyond fantasies of regime change. ... Diplomatic efforts ought to be the centerpiece of a new Ukraine strategy. Instead, the wars boundaries are being expanded and the war itself recast as a struggle between democracy and autocracy, in which the Donbas is the frontier of freedom. This is not just declamatory extravagance. It is reckless. The risks hardly need to be stated. Indeed. The current U.S. strategy will end in a catastrophe for Ukraine because it is based on false narratives. Lt.Col. (ret) Daniel Davis has consistently provided a more realist view of the military situation in Ukraine. His latest piece fits that record: Over the past few days, a flurry of senior leaders in both Ukraine and Washington have issued defiant claims of not merely resisting Russian aggression, but pushing towards outright victory. While such aspirations are entirely understandable, it is unwise to set policy seeking a preferred outcome if there does not exist a rational path by which Ukraine could accomplish that objective. At present, most indicators, fundamentals of war, and current battlefield trendlines support the prospect of a Ukrainian defeat. Davis correctly describes the current military situation on the ground and concludes: By continuing to seek a military victory in Ukraine, Ukraines troops will continue fighting, no negotiated settlement will be realistically sought, and most likely Russian troops continue making progress. As a result, more Ukrainian civilians and troops will continue to be killed and wounded, more cities destroyed, and the economic and food crises for both Ukraine and the world will worsen. The most likely outcome will not change (a negotiated settlement, not a Ukrainian military victory), but the cost to Kyiv will be much, much worse. Another former military man who has a realist view of the war is Col. Douglas Macgregor (ret). During the first Gulf war he led a unit in the Battle of 73 Easting: Macgregor was the "squadron operations officer who essentially directed the Battle of 73 Easting" during the Gulf War. Facing an Iraqi Republican Guard opponent, he led a contingent consisting of 19 tanks, 26 Bradley Fighting Vehicles and 4 M1064 mortar carriers through the sandstorm to the 73 Easting at roughly 16:18 hours on 26 February 1991 destroyed almost 70 Iraqi armored vehicles with no U.S. casualties in a 23-minute span of the battle. The previously quoted Lt.Col. Davis was wounded in the same battle. As both men have seen real mechanized war it is not by chance that they have come to similar conclusions. Macgregor warns of a widening of the war through a Polish intervention in west Ukraine which would eventually drag NATO into the war: The Threat of Polish Involvement in Ukraine The war against Russia in Ukraine has evolved, but not in the way Western observers predicted. Why would Poland, with the help of Lithuania, try to take western Ukraine? It is all about history: The PolishLithuanian Commonwealth, formally known as the Kingdom of Poland and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, and, after 1791, as the Commonwealth of Poland, was a country and bi-federation of Poland and Lithuania ruled by a common monarch in real union, who was both King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania. It was one of the largest and most populous countries of 16th to 17th-century Europe. At its largest territorial extent, in the early 17th century, the Commonwealth covered almost 1,000,000 km2 (400,000 sq mi) and as of 1618 sustained a multi-ethnic population of almost 12 million. Here is how that commonwealth looked on a map with current borders: There have been talks for a while that Poland would send a 'peacekeeping' force to occupy Galicia in west-Ukraine. I for one predicted it on February 24, at the very onset of the war: Thanks to Stalin's additions to the Ukraine three countries, Poland, Hungary and Romania, have claims to certain areas in the Ukraine's western regions. If they want to snatch those up again it is now probably the best time to do so. Despite being part of NATO, which likely would not support such moves, those three will have domestic policy difficulties to withstand the urge. An official looking document now says that a Polish/Lithuanian operation will start on May 22-24. Lord Of War @lord_of_war____ - 14:46 UTC May 10, 2022 The document was sent to the President of the State Border Service of Ukraine, Serhiy Daynek, stating that it is 22-24. May joint "Lithuanian-Polish peacekeeping contingent" consisting of 4 battalions, 9,500 soldiers and 279 units of military equipment [planned to enter the territory of Ukraine. Another confirmation of the development of plans for the occupation and further division of the country. Even if this particular document turns out to be false (which is not excluded), it does not change the general course of the West in relation to Ukraine.] picture 9.500 soldiers are way more than fit into 4 battalions. A battalion has typically some 400-800 soldiers. These are more like three small brigades with 3-4 battalions each. A Polish/Lithuanian move is exactly what Col. Macgregor is warning of: Ten weeks after the conflict began, it is instructive to re-examine the strategic picture. The war against Russia in Ukraine has evolved, but not in the way Western observers predicted. Ukrainian forces look shattered and exhausted. The supplies reaching Ukrainian troops fighting in Eastern Ukraine are a fraction of what is needed. In most cases, replacements and new weapons are destroyed long before they reach the front. Confronted with the unambiguous failure of U.S. assistance and the influx of new weapons to rescue Ukrainian forces from certain destruction, the Biden administration is desperate to reverse the situation and save face. Poland seems to offer a way out. More important, Polish President Andrzej Duda and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky have both expressed the desire to erase the borders between Poland and Ukraine. Unconfirmed reports from Warsaw indicate that after Washington rejected the proposals for a no-fly zone over Ukraine, along with the transfer of Polish MIG-29 aircrafts to Ukrainian pilots, the Polish general staff was quietly instructed to formulate plans for intervention in the Ukrainian conflict by seizing the western part of Ukraine. Naturally, military action of this scale would require Kievs approval, but given Washingtons de facto control of the Zelensky government, approval for Polish military intervention should not be a problem. Presumably, the Biden administration may hope that a collision involving Russians and Poles in any formincluding air and missile strikes against Polish forces on the Ukrainian side of the borderwould potentially call for the NATO council to meet and address Article V of the NATO treaty. It would mean that NATO, or at least major parts of it, would actively join the Ukrainian proxy war against Russia. While I believe that Russia has withheld forces from the current war to eventually defend against NATO, any entry of it into the war would significantly extend the fighting and the danger of a nuclear exchange would become imminent. Posted by b on May 11, 2022 at 15:43 UTC | Permalink Comments next page Chevrolet va fournir le Pace Car des 500 Miles d'Indianapolis 2022, via un chassis Corvette C8 Z06 70th Anniversary. Chevrolet celebre cette annee les 70 ans de son modele Corvette, et c'est avec un modele Corvette Z06 70th Anniversary que le constructeur va feter l'evenement lors de la 106eme edition des 500 Miles d'Indianapolis.La nouvelle Z06 animee par un bloc V8 5.5 litres atmospherique developpant plus de 670 ch, a fait l'objet d'une preparation complete comprenant le Z51 Performance Package qui inclut notamment un imposant aileron arriere en fibre de carbone, des disques de freins en carbone-ceramique ainsi que des etriers de couleur rouge.Le modele se presente egalement revetu d'une livree specifique White Pearl metallisee rehaussee d'accents de couleur rouge et noir, et de marquages 70th Anniversary Edition et Indy 500 que l'on retrouve egalement dans l'habitacle du vehicule. L'equipe Chevrolet est fiere de fournir le Pace Car des 500 miles d'Indianapolis pour la 33eme fois, alors que la marque celebre les 70 ans de la Corvette , a declare le vice-president du marketing de Chevrolet, Steve Majoros, dans le communique du constructeur. Il est tout a fait approprie qu'Indy 500 soit la premiere course dont la Corvette Z06 2023 assure le tempo, un moment vraiment special pour les fans de Corvette et d'IndyCar du monde entier .Cette Corvette Z06 Pace Car sera pilotee le jour de la course, le 29 mai prochain, par Sarah Fisher, qui fut elle-meme pilote et proprietaire d'ecurie dans la serie IndyCar.Credit photos : Team Chevy NorthWest Healthcare Properties Management Limited today released the attached Q3 update for Vital Healthcare Property Trust (Vital). The update included the following: During the quarter, Vital announced the acquisition of development land to expand The Hills Clinic an existing mental health facility in north-west Sydney. The land will be leased to Aurora Healthcare as part of the existing lease (25 years remaining) enabling a~A$50m (includes land acquisition price) expansion of the existing hospital at an initial yield of ~5%. Aurora is Australias largest specialty private mental health provider with 1,000 beds across 16 facilities. Following completion of this expansion and other committed development projects, Vital will have~1,300 mental health beds in its portfolio (all currently in Australia). Also during the quarter, Vital acquired 27,480 square metres of land in western Sydney which is expected to be developed in three stages: 1. ~A$52 million (includes land acquisition price) four-storey cancer centre of excellence pre-leased to GenesisCare for an initial term of 15 years providing a net yield on costs of ~4.0% with annual fixed increases. 2. ~10,000 square metres of land for development of a proposed day surgery and mental health facility. Advanced discussions are underway with one of Australias largest hospital operators in relation to this potential development. 3. ~13,000 square metres of land for future healthcare and ancillary development which may include education and research related uses. In early April 2022 (after the end of Q3), Vital announced: 1. Three high-quality asset acquisitions in Christchurch, Queenstown and Auckland with an aggregate acquisition price of ~$168 million, including Vitals strategic entry into the South Island; 2. An increase in committed developments by ~$54.5m enabling the expansion of two hospitals in Auckland; 3. A$200m equity raising through a 1 for 8.54 underwritten pro rata accelerated entitlement offer at $2.95 per unit. The rights offer is due to close on 12 May with proceeds used to support the above acquisitions and developments; and 4. That Andrew Evans would retire effective 30 June 2022 and the appointment of Angela Bull as a new independent director and member of the Audit Committee. Angela is based in Auckland, is CEO of Tramco Group (NZ owned property investment company) and an independent director of the Real Estate Institute of NZ and Foodstuffs (among other roles). Updated committed development details (refer to the table in the attached announcement) and a revised NTA estimate of $3.23 was also provided. Comments from our readers No comments yet Add your comment: Your name: Your email: Not displayed to the public Comment: Comments to Sharechat go through an approval process. Comments which are defamatory, abusive or in some way deemed inappropriate will not be approved. It is allowable to use some form of non-de-plume for your name, however we recommend real email addresses are used. Comments from free email addresses such as Gmail, Yahoo, Hotmail, etc may not be approved. Anti-spam verification: Type the text you see in the image into the field below. You are asked to do this in order to verify that this enquiry is not being performed by an automated process. Related News: SMW - Shareholders Meeting Results CHI - Offer of unsecured unsubordinated fixed rate bonds closes PFI - Annual Meeting Presentation and Speeches The Warehouse Group FY22 Q3 Sales Update 13th May 2022 Morning Report Comvita's resilience despite global supply chain disruption 12th May 2022 Morning Report KMD - Notice of Non-Executive Director Retirement NZO - AMADEUS OPERATIONS UPDATE 11 MAY Pushpay 2022 Annual Results Announcement This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate COSOLEACAQUE, Mexico (AP) The director of an online news site in southeastern Mexico had been threatened in recent weeks over her journalism before being killed with a colleague, her brother said Tuesday. Yessenia Mollinedo Falconi and Sheila Johana Garcia Olivera, the director and a reporter, respectively, of the online news site El Veraz in Cosoleacaque were shot Monday afternoon while sitting in a vehicle parked outside a convenience store. Fear gripped the town after the slayings, and only some friends finally dared to visit the Mollinedos house to give condolences Tuesday evening. Then, the women of the family opened the coffin, put on her low-heeled shoes and said goodbye to the journalist with the open coffin. They were the 10th and 11th media workers killed in Mexico so far this year and their deaths came just days after another journalist was killed in the northern state of Sinaloa. Ramiro Mollinedo Falconi, also a journalist, said his younger sister had received threatening phone calls ordering her to remove crime-related stories from her news site and that more recently she had dedicated her coverage to Cosoleacaque city hall. She was telling us 15 days ago that she had received threats, that they were going to finish her, that they were going to kill her, Ramiro Mollinedo Falconi said. Then on April 30, his sister was leaving an event when unidentified men began following her in a car and on a motorcycle. They told her, We know who you are, he said. Something similar happened to her on May 4, he said. Still wearing the shirt that identified him as a reporter for his own political news site Ahora 30 30, he said his sister did not have political enemies. El Veraz which translates as the truthful one operated a Facebook page and appeared to almost exclusively post notices about events or public information from the municipalitys government. El Verazs motto was Journalism with Humanity. Yessenia Mollinedo Falconi founded it five years ago. Here it was organized crime, he said. Some criminal group from this area ordered the execution of Yessenia for some publications she had been doing for her work. He said he suspected stories related to the state police were to blame and believed that local authorities were protecting criminals. Still, Yessenia did not make a formal complaint about the threats to authorities or register with state or federal journalist protection programs, her brother said. She thought the menace would just go away like it had more than a year and a half ago when she also received threats, but nothing came of them. He said that even Monday night while the family was waiting for authorities to release her body, unknown men made several passes on a motorcycle and in a car with tinted windows. Of course we fear for our lives, Ramiro Mollinedo Falconi said. Our family has been the object of kidnapping, our family has been object of extortion. My family has been the object of constant repression, of death threats.... My siblings have had to leave this state to avoid being killed. Garcia Olivera had been working for his sister for less than year, he said. Mexicos state and federal governments have been criticized for neither preventing journalists killings nor investigating them sufficiently. Pedro Vaca, special rapporteur for freedom of expression for the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, said via Twitter: By conviction -- or reputation -- it cannot be tolerated that a democracy coexists with a slaughter of journalists. President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said Tuesday that the case would be investigated. While organized crime is often involved in journalist killings, small town officials or politicians with political or criminal motivations are often suspects as well. Journalists running small news outlets in Mexicos interior are easy targets. Cosoleacaque sits on a major east-west artery in southeast Mexico. Organized crime moves drugs and migrants, but also runs extortion rackets. On Monday night, the town appeared deserted. No businesses were open, no people walked outside, no taxis cruised the streets. Authorities released the bodies of both women to their families before dawn Tuesday. For most of the day, just a few relatives sat with the caskets. Burials were scheduled for Wednesday. The Veracruz State Prosecutors Office promised a thorough investigation, including looking at whether the victims journalistic work was a motive in their killings. Israel Hernandez Sosa, executive secretary of the Veracruz State Commission for Attention To and Protection of Journalists, said he was insisting that authorities make that possibility their first line of investigation. He described the situation in the area for journalists as very difficult, but he said the commission had had no prior contact with Mollinedo Falconi or Garcia Olivera. ___ Associated Press writer Christopher Sherman in Mexico City contributed to this report. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate On Tuesday, Elon Musk said he would reverse Twitters ban of former President Donald Trump, who was booted in January 2021 for inciting violence at the U.S. Capitol, should he succeed in acquiring the social platform for $44 billion. But the day before, the Tesla CEO also said he agrees with the European Unions new Digital Services Act, a law that will require big tech companies like Twitter, Google and Facebook parent Meta to police their platforms more strictly for illegal or harmful content such as hate speech and disinformation. The apparent contradiction underscores the steep learning curve awaiting the worlds richest man once he encounters the complexity of Twitters content moderation in dozens of languages and cultures. Twitter has to comply with the laws and regulations of multiple countries while taking into account the reaction of advertisers, users, politicians and others. He certainly wouldnt be the first person to say, Im going to do this and then realize that either they dont really want to do it or their users dont want them to do it, said David Greene, civil liberties director at the Electronic Frontier Foundation. Speaking virtually at an auto conference, the Tesla CEO said that Twitter's ban of Trump was a morally bad decision and foolish in the extreme. I think that was a mistake because it alienated a large part of the country and did not ultimately result in Donald Trump not having a voice, Musk said Tuesday at the Future of the Car summit hosted by the Financial Times. He said he preferred temporary suspensions and other narrowly tailored punishments for content that is illegal or otherwise destructive to the world." Earlier in the day, Musk met with EU Internal Market Commissioner Thierry Breton to discuss the bloc's online regulations. Thierry told The Associated Press that he outlined to Musk how the EU aims to uphold free speech while also making sure whatever is illegal will be forbidden in the digital space, adding that Musk fully agreed" with him. In a video Breton tweeted late Monday, Musk said the two had a great discussion" and added that he agrees with the Digital Services Act, which is expected to get final approval later this year. It threatens Twitter and other Big Tech firms with billions in fines if they don't police their platforms. Shares of Twitter dropped 1.5% Tuesday to $47.24 per share. That's 13 percent below the offer of $54.20 per share that Musk made on April 14, a reflection of Wall Street's concerns that the deal could still fall through. Musk emphasized Tuesday that it is certainly not a done deal." If Musk is concerned that many people were upset that Trump was banned, he should see how many more people would be upset if Trump was not banned, said Kirsten Martin, a professor of technology ethics at the University of Notre Dame. Musk only appears to be worried about the opinion of a small group of individuals who incite violence or perpetuate hate speech. Trump has previously said that he had no intention of rejoining Twitter even if his account was reinstated, telling Fox News last month that he would instead focus on his own platform, Truth Social, which has been mired in problems since its launch earlier this year. A Trump spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment in response to Musks remarks. While Trump was president, his Twitter feed offered a mix of policy announcements, often out of the blue; complaints about the media; disparagement of women, minorities and his perceived enemies; and praise for his supporters, replete with exclamation marks, all-caps, and one-word declarations such as Sad! He fired numerous officials on Twitter and his posts, like his speeches at rallies, were a torrent of misinformation. In announcing its 2021 ban of Trump, Twitter said his tweets amounted to glorification of violence when read in the context of the Jan. 6 Capitol riot and plans circulating online for future armed protests around the inauguration of then President-elect Joe Biden. Musks remarks Tuesday raise questions about whether those banned besides Trump could also return. The long list of people banned from Twitter includes QAnon loyalists, COVID deniers, neo-Nazis and former reality star Tila Tequila, who was suspended for hate speech. Other Trump allies kicked off Twitter include Michael Flynn and Sidney Powell, Lin Wood and Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, who was permanently banned in January for repeatedly spreading misinformation about COVID-19 and vaccine safety. White supremacist David Duke and the often violent Proud Boys organization have been banned, along with far-right trolls like one who goes by the name Baked Alaska, who promoted anti-Semitic tropes and faces charges stemming from his involvement in the Jan. 6 attack. Alex Jones, the creator of Infowars, was permanently banned in 2018 for abusive behavior. Last year, Jones lost a defamation case filed by the parents of children killed in the 2012 Newtown, Connecticut, school shooting over Jones repeated claims that the shooting was fake. Twitter, Musk said Tuesday, currently has a strong bias to the left, largely because it is located in San Francisco. This alleged bias prevents it from building trust in the rest of the U.S. and the world, he said: Its far too random and I think Twitter needs to be much more even handed. Twitter declined to comment on Musk's remarks. ___ O'Brien reported from Providence, Rhode Island; Krisher reported from Detroit. Associated Press writers Barbara Ortutay in San Francisco and David Klepper in Providence, Rhode Island contributed to this report. ___ See all of APs tech coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/technology. Last budget season, Midland ISD officials warned about an upcoming fiscal or financial cliff a point when a current state grant ends and leaves the district in sizable hole. On Tuesday, the Midland ISD board learned more. During a budget workshop Chief Financial Officer Darrell Dodds let the board know the size of that hole will be more than $56 million in 2024-25 and that a tax election could be needed to bring more maintenance and operation revenue to the district. The cliff was created when House Bill 3 passed during the 2019 legislative session. That comprehensive school finance legislation helped lower or compress property tax rates in districts across the state. In the case of Midland ISD, the maintenance and operation tax rate has been lowered from around $1.04 (per $100 valuation) to $0.9134 this year. Because of a 26.99 percent increase in property value across Midland County, that total M&O rate will fall to $0.844, MISD estimated this week. To help districts like Midland, HB3 included a mechanism designed to provide a source of temporary transition aid to school districts and charter schools that receive less than a threshold amount of state and local funding under HB 3. As the budget process began, Midland ISD officials estimated that number would be around $62 million for the 2022-23 school year. That is nearly 22 percent of the Midland ISDs expenditures once the $172.34 million recapture payment is sent to Austin to be distributed to poor school districts. The formula transition grant ends after the 2023-24 school year. The next year (2024-25), Midland ISDs net state and local revenue goes from $262.974 million to $217.469 million. The revenue deficit that year is expected to drop to $56.349 million, MISD leaders learned Tuesday. A voter-approved tax rate election will have to happen right here, said Dodds, pointing to the 2024-25 school year in a revenues and expenditures projection. Dodds said the district likely would need to go to the voters to raise the M&O rate by 3 cents to help make the deficit manageable. That would get us close to fixing the fiscal cliff, Dodds said. The type of election needed is called a tax ratification election (TRE). Midland ISD sought one in 2016. Nearly two-thirds of the 6,648 voters opposed a ballot item to add 5 cents to the M&O rate. Dodds news isnt a surprise to those who have been paying attention. Board President Bryan Murry told the Reporter-Telegram on Monday that he would like to see the Texas Legislature decide to keep the formula transition grant in place. Murry also said he is excited Midland ISD will have the support of partners like the Permian Strategic Partnership when the state of Texas meets beginning in January 2023. Murry said without some changes, HB3 will require the district to go to the voters for extra revenue. Mr Ranil Wickremesinghe, leader of the United National Party and one and only national list MP will be sworn in as the Prime Minister of Sri Lanka for the sixth time probably on day after tomorrow, reliable sources confirmed. A majority of parliamentarians representing the ruling Sri Lanka People's Front, also known as the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna, and a significant number of members of the opposition Samagi Jana Balawewa have agreed to the appointment. The strategy for winning back the glory of Sri Lanka is that Gotabaya should directly address the countrymen by establishing a channel of communication with cross section of people , instead of relying on the politicians and political leaders of various parties by N.S.Venkataraman Sri Lanka has a population of slightly more than 22 million. Sri Lanka's population is reported to have an adult literacy rate of more than 92 percent , which is above average by world and regional standards. Computer literacy is more than 30 percent and website users are reported to be more than 32 percent of the population. Certainly, Sri Lankan society can be considered as .well informed one , as education plays a major part in the life and culture of Sri Lanka. In such circumstances, people around the world , who have knowledge about Sri Lankas history, culture and tradition , are taken aback to see the type of violence that is now sweeping the country , which have made many people wonder as to how Sri Lanka would come out of the present crisis. In recent years, Sri Lanka has considerably suffered due to a sort of civil war launched by Tamil separatists. The countrys leadership has somehow defeated he separatist forces and everyone thought that Sri Lanka would move on to regain its glory and reach greater heights. The economic crisis that happened in Sri Lanka in the post pandemic period has overwhelmed the country. While there have been a lot of discussions about the causes that led to the economic crisis and there is no need to do apost mortem now, what is necessary at present is to see how the Sri Lankan government and Sri Lankan people living in Sri Lanka and abroad would work out a revival path. Obviously, the government leadership in Sri Lanka has failed to anticipate the problems and do adequate forward planning to solve the impending economic crisis. In such a scenario, Sri Lankan people are disappointed about the performance of the government. Unfortunately, the present economic crisis has become a political crisis with more discussion in the media and amongst politicians about the political scenario rather than the economic scenario. The inept handling by the government in the wake of the economic crisis has encouraged the negative forces in Sri Lanka to unleash violence and destroy property . The leaders of political parties in Sri Lanka , whether belonging to the ruling party or opposition party, have conducted themselves without foresight and with short sightedness and have encouraged hate politics rather than adopting a cooperative attitude to put their heads together and find a solution. Vituperative language used by opposition party leaders have certainly contributed to a vicious climate , when the opposition party leaders themselves have no tangible solutions to offer to solve the economic crisis. All said and done, one can say that leaders of all political parties in Sri Lanka including the ruling and opposition parties are responsible for creating such violent and disturbed conditions and in the process, whipping up passion and driving people to agitational mood No one politician is less guilty than others. Section of people and opposition politicians want the President to quit after the Prime Minister , which would create a constitutional crisis. Sri Lanka cannot afford a constitutional crisis at this stage and all political leaders should have known this. Under the circumstances, particularly in the changed situation in the last few days, Gotabaya should stay on as President for the next four months . To defuse the situation and relieve the tension, Gotabaya should speak to the Sri Lankans in Sri Lanka and abroad over national television and tell people that he would resign after four months and hold general elections. He also should promise that he would not contest the election himself, owning responsibility for the sad turn of events in Sri Lanka during his tenure. The opposition leader seems to have said that he would not accept any position as Prime Minister or minister while Gotabaya remains as President. This is a very negative and irresponsible attitude and needs to be condemned. This is not the time for such polemics. What Gotabaya needs to do now is to constitute a taskforce of economists, social scientists, academicians and business men with high levels of credibility and integrity to work out action plans and take their guidelines to retrieve the situation. Technically, Sri Lanka has residual strength in the field of agriculture, mineral deposits etc. and there is no need for panic. Agriculture production can be quickly stabilised to normal level and exports of tea, rubber, spices and minerals can be quickly resumed. Once normalcy is ensured, tourism too will happen. What Sri Lanka needs today is the US dollar to import the necessary inputs such as diesel, petrol etc., to keep the economy moving. It is reported that a team from the IMF is in Sri Lanka now to examine how much of the oan needs to be given and how it should be given. The task force to be constituted urgently must be asked to meet the IMF team, instead of discussion being carried out by bureaucrats , who are also responsible for the economic mess. Sri Lankan government should decide that they would take loan only from the IMF or world bank and would not seek loan from India , China and others. From these countries, what Sri Lanka needs is only technology support and investment and not loan. Certainly, those who have indulged in violence are misguided people due to want of proper leadership Gotabaya should view their undesirable violent acts with understanding and recognise that it is due to their frustration .It is necessary to keep in mind that they are Sri Lankans and have to be dealt with without hate feelings. Dealing with them with force will only become counterproductive and Sri Lanka does not need this. The strategy for winning back the glory of Sri Lanka is that Gotabaya should directly address the countrymen by establishing a channel of communication with cross section of people , instead of relying on the politicians and political leaders of various parties, all of whom shamed themselves in one way or another by not viewing the problems of Sri Lanka in a holistic manner with highest level of patriotism in their mind set. Overseas Sri Lankans have a duty to help Sri Lanka at this stage by liberal contribution and organise support in kind atleast for the next twelve months. Coordinated efforts from overseas Sri Lankans are not yet seen in adequate measure. Media in Sri Lanka have to highlight the positives instead of sensationalising the issues and avoid provocative discussions . Media groups should work out a code of conduct for themselves that will be in force atleast for the next six months. In a literate country like Sri Lanka, the media need to have a high sense of responsibility and care. Finally, it should be seen that out of more than 22 million Sri Lankans, only a few thousand people have indulged in violence and agitations. Others have remained as silent spectators. People who can see the ground realities clearly and understand the gravity of the situation and need for a constructive climate without violence should assert themselves , speak to the media and everywhere wherever possible and condemn the violent acts and confrontationist attitude with courage of conviction. Let all Sri Lankans realise that Sri Lanka is blessed with various resources and if Sri Lankans want , Sri Lanka can quickly bounce back. Dixie State University graduates participate in the institution's 111th Commencement Ceremony on May 6 on the DSU campus. You have permission to edit this article. 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